"Vimto" (smudgey)
10/20/2014 at 18:46 • Filed to: None
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"Vimto" (smudgey)
10/20/2014 at 18:46 • Filed to: None | 0
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Specifically a 4-door sedan 'LX' model automatic, I'm not sure if its a 1.8L or 1.9L.
Common issues with these cars? How likey is it to have a decent amount of life left at 177,000 miles?
noise
> Vimto
10/20/2014 at 18:52 |
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I had a 2nd gen wagon!
That car was a real trooper. Had someone call it chicken of the street.
It died when i jacked it up to remove a flat tire and the whole car bent. But well before that the entire underbody had rusted away enough that you could not sit in the back seat because it was just unsuppported carpet under your feet. Which was fine I usd it like a pickup with the seats always folded anyway.
My keys used to fall out while i drove but it kept going. I loved that car
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Vimto
> noise
10/20/2014 at 18:56 |
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Hahaha, sounds like it had quite the life. This is in Florida, if its been here its whole life it shouldn't be rusty. However, by your description I assume yours was mechanically hardy?
HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
> Vimto
10/20/2014 at 19:02 |
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I own a set of Escort GT wheels. I bought them for my 91 Civic, but it turns out they don't have the same hub diameter(mazda/Ford used a smaller hub). and I think they aren't 4x100 either. lol.
Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection
> Vimto
10/20/2014 at 19:05 |
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1.9 cvh and it's nigh-on impossible to kill.
Racescort666
> Vimto
10/20/2014 at 19:12 |
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As stated, rust is going to be your biggest enemy. There are a few things that tend to go chassis wise but they're generally pretty easy to fix. Suspension top mounts go pretty easily and the rear drum brakes have a tendency to freeze up (from rust, what else?). The top mounts are easy to fix and the rear drum brakes hardly make a difference if they're working or not anyway. Chassis wise, these cars are very solid.
Engine wise, these cars don't really have enough power to hurt themselves. I'm personally more familiar with the 1.8L and it's issues. The usual thermostats go from time to time but there's no major issue with the 1.9L CVH other than it has shit for power. Something important to note though: the 1.8L and the 1.9L use different transmissions, I know for sure the manuals have no interchangeable parts. I'm not sure about the autos but my gut tells me no on that as well. The 1.8L is actually a Mazda BP and uses a Mazda 5 speed while the 1.9L is the Ford CVH (completely different engine) and uses a Ford transmission. It would be a safe bet the autos are the same way.
One more thing to note, if you notice your car suddenly shuts off after hitting a bump, check the trunk for the fuel shutoff switch. They have an impact switch that's mounted to the right rear strut tower that's supposed to cut the power to the fuel pump if you're in an accident. Unfortunately, the switch is a little sensitive and can be set off by hitting a pothole too hard.
IMO, the Escort is a great buy if you can get one with little rust for cheap. They get great gas mileage, handle pretty good (although it may be worth looking for aftermarket suspension bits if you want to take advantage of that), and parts are incredibly cheap.
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Racescort666
> HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/20/2014 at 19:13 |
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They should be 4X100. How close are you to Chicago? I may be interested in those wheels if you don't want them.
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Vimto
> Racescort666
10/20/2014 at 19:20 |
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I appreciate your in depth response. I have confirmed that the one I am looking at does indeed have the 1.9L Ford engine.
They're asking $1700 for the car, it's a '96 (final year I believe) with 177,000 miles. It's in Florida, but it may have spent some of its life up north, so I will be very weary of rust. Thanks.
f86sabre
> Vimto
10/20/2014 at 19:23 |
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Own? Hell, we race ours. Have done 6 LeMons races with it. That is most likely a 1.9 as I don't think they made a GT with four doors. Ours started with 150k miles on it before it started racing. I have huge respect for the things now. The engines are tough. Really tough. As are the transmissions.
Some pros:
They're tough
Every Pull-A-Part I've been in has had 6-8 of them around so spares are cheap and easy to find.
Maintenance is pretty easy as most gear is accessible.
They are easy on fuel when you are not racing them.
Non interference engine so if the timing belt let's go it doesn't kill the engine.
Swapping GT rear suspension so you can get disc brakes is easy and will probably cost less than $100.
There is a good owners forum out there... http://www.feoa.net
Cons
The starter is a bit of a pain to get to, but if I can get it out you can.
We've encountered power steering leaks for time to time.
It's not a car that will get a ton of looks, but it will get you around.
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f86sabre
> Vimto
10/20/2014 at 19:29 |
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not sure I would drop $1700 on it with 177k, but I guess that would depend on the condition of the interior and chassis.
ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
> Vimto
10/20/2014 at 19:33 |
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I had a 1991 Mercury Tracer LTS as my first car. Loved that thing. It's the same basic car as the Ford, though not sure how similar they would have been in 97.
The LTS had the 1.8L Mazda engine and 5-speed manual gearbox. It was a blast to drive. I taught myself how to heel-toe and rev-match downshift in that car.
I would bet that with the auto it will be a bit of a dog, but if that's what you need to do it's cool.
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Vimto
> f86sabre
10/20/2014 at 19:34 |
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bhardoin
> Vimto
10/20/2014 at 19:38 |
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My brother has the Mercury Tracer, same thing. Its transmission is starting to slip at 100k miles. It drives pretty well though.
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f86sabre
> Vimto
10/20/2014 at 19:41 |
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wow, that looks pretty good. Still not sure of the price, but you can check Edmunds for that. You maya want to take it to a mechanic to check out how things are mechanically if you are not savvy. Do keep in mind that parts are cheap and easy to install if they say they need to put in a $1000 tranny.
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Vimto
> f86sabre
10/20/2014 at 19:52 |
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Yeah, I'm really surprised how clean the interior looks. The listing says OBO, so I was thinking of offering $1500 if it drives well and isn't rusty.
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Racescort666
> f86sabre
10/20/2014 at 20:54 |
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+1 on parts costs. Used transmissions on the forums were around $300 last time I checked and I could swap one out in an afternoon.
jvirgs drives a Subaru
> Vimto
10/20/2014 at 21:50 |
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I had a 93 Wagon. At about 135000, the head cracked and had to be replaced. other than that it was a solid car.
Rainbow
> Vimto
10/20/2014 at 22:45 |
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Current owner of a '94 hatchback here. So far I haven't encountered any problems aside from one: There's a tiny bit of plastic holding the inside door handle system together. It wasn't really designed to last 20 years, and as such, one of mine cracked. I got one for free at Pull-A-Part thanks to the "this thing is the size of a penny and it's just going in my pocket because screw them if they actually want me to pay more than the cover charge" discount, and it's practically impossible to install without disassembling the door. So, now my passengers have to roll down the window and use the outer handle if they don't want to wait for me to come around and let them out.
As others have said, these cars are also very rust-prone, but mine has absolutely none. It all depends on where you live, where you park, and whether or not you pressure-wash the floorpans with salt water. (Pro tip: Don't do that.)
Also, all of them are 1.9 liters except for the GT, which is 1.8.
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noise
> Vimto
10/21/2014 at 00:01 |
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oh yeah. Ran like a top. Nearly all my issues with it were rust related. Though I think the fuel pump went once and I had to redo the suspension but i used it for field work (think farms and forests) so it got beat worse than it deserved