Here's my new thing!

"Khalbali" (khalbali2)
08/03/2019 at 10:00 • Filed to: None

My new DD is this lovely 1993 Ford Escort LX hatchback, it’s a survivor but in decent shape, pretty much everything works even the aircon. I haven’t given it too much of a look over yet as it was raining when I bought it and I’m scared of what I might find, but for the last few days it’s handled my 15 min commute just fine.

Next week I’ll probably go over it a little more thoroughly at work and make sure it’s not about to rust in half, but the current plan is to change the oil, get snow tires and leave them on permanently, and then drive it around 500 miles a month until it dies. Although i f I can find rear window louvers I might have to get them lol.

It’s supposedly had a ton of recent work done although no receipts as the guy did it himself, but he seemed super nice and honest and I can tell some of it at least has obviously been done, i.e. struts and battery. He also said he did brake lines, brakes, timing belt, water pump, head gasket, alternator and changed most of the fluids except the trans. It was his daughters first car though and he seemed legit so I believe he really took care of it so it would take care of her, he even put his home address in the Craigslist listing, who does that?? He was asking $1300 but due to yet another shitty policy of Wells Fargo (I should really find a new bank) I could only withdraw $300 a day from an ATM. As this was over the weekend, between mine and my wife’s cards that only got us $1200 so I asked if he’d take it and he said yes. So we went and just drove it around the block and when we got back he said he forgot to mention the broken windshield in the ad so he’d take $150 off, but it’s all the way on the passenger side edge and not in the way at all so I plan to just leave it. Only other issues so far is the ignition is a little tricky to get all the way off or it’ll just keep beeping and potentially drain the battery and one of the rear license plate bolts was broken off but the other one seems to hold it just fine.

Is definitely slow with 88hp when new and a 4 speed slusher (my first ever automatic car) but I really did just need to buy something and while it’s not exactly what I wanted by any means, it will hopefully do the little I ask of it quite well for at least a year, my wife and I are still getting back on our feet after tons of medical debt forced us into bankruptcy, and we just needed a second car with minimal running costs (only $13/mo to add to our insurance!) I also wanted something old enough to not have emissions testing, but mainly it was just the kind of well written ad that draws me in, I always say with cheap cars you should be shopping for a good seller not necessarily a good car, there’s always gonna be quirks and issues so just try to find somebody honest about them and not focus 100% on the car itself.

Because apparently white chicks are boring when it comes to naming cars, we now have 2 silver hatchbacks named Lucy, and hopefully Lucy II gives us many months of faithful service.

DISCUSSION (27)

Nibby > Khalbali
08/03/2019 at 10:31

NUT

congrats and hope you drive this thing daily for the next 67 years!

dogisbadob > Khalbali
08/03/2019 at 10:36

cool

Makoyouidiot > Khalbali
08/03/2019 at 10:37

It will run forever.

Khalbali > Nibby
08/03/2019 at 10:38

Thanks me too! It really does seem in great shape so far, my original plan was to replace it in a year or so once we're back on our feet but now I'm kinda thinking of keeping it for a daily/winter beater and get a c4 or something else fun for summers.

Khalbali > dogisbadob
08/03/2019 at 10:39

It does have some 80's charm like electric seatbelts, I do kinda want louvers though my dad had an old Datsun (280zx I think?) w ith them and I’ve always wanted a car with rear window louvers.

fintail > Khalbali
08/03/2019 at 11:39

These have Mazda DNA, right?

I kind of low key liked the GT version, or even the sport package ones with alloys and wing . I’m slowly developing a sentimental fondness for 90s stuff, oh to be young again.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Khalbali
08/03/2019 at 13:15

Nice! Looks in very decent shape! Should be reliable enough for you for awhile! :)

As a staunch manual-ist....boot at the auto trans, but it’ll be fine for basic reliable transport. Also, I have always hated those styles of seatbelt...

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > Khalbali
08/03/2019 at 13:39

Congratulations!!! These are actually very cool looking, should be decent on gas and there are few things as liberating as a reliable ‘shitcar’ that you can do whatever you’d like to.

Khalbali > Makoyouidiot
08/03/2019 at 14:26

Hope so!

Khalbali > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
08/03/2019 at 14:28

Yeah I wanted a manual, I had a festiva before too that I liked, but this was in too good of shape to pass up, like I said this is my first auto so I'm a big manual guy too I've owned 10 or so cars that were all stick.

Khalbali > fintail
08/03/2019 at 14:30

Not a ton of Mazda in mine, it might share some platform bits with the 323/protege and the gt had the Mazda 1.8 from the Miata but mine is the lx with a Ford 1.9. I do like the styling, I always really wanted a 323 though too, it's on my list of possible imports someday as I'm way more of a Mazda guy than a Ford guy.

Khalbali > MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick)
08/03/2019 at 14:34

Thanks! I do like the styling and I've only done about 50 miles in it so far so we'll see what the mileage is like over time, but I am enjoying not having to care about it. It did look a little cleaner in the ad and it was raining when I bought it so the next day I found some dents and dings and surface rust, but I kinda like it that way, before I was trying to come up with long term project goals for it like maybe a gt swap, but now it's just rough enough to be not worth it while still being nice enough to enjoy.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Khalbali
08/03/2019 at 14:49

Yup, take what you can get that fits the bill when you need to! :)

Khalbali > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
08/03/2019 at 14:56

I thought of you when I found a nice 2009 accent hatch with a stick but it was farther away and way overdue on the timing belt, pushing 300k so I had to pass.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Khalbali
08/03/2019 at 15:08

I wouldn’t have worried about the 300K if regular maintenance had been done...they are pretty stout motors, but yeah...the first timing belt change is due at 90,000km...

Khalbali > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
08/03/2019 at 15:18

Yeah he said it had been done once, but we're talking miles here too not kilometers.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Khalbali
08/03/2019 at 15:32

Yeah...that would be a bit scary...

fintail > Khalbali
08/03/2019 at 20:19

My dad was a Ford guy, so I am pretty tuned in to Fords of that era, we had several over the years. No Escorts though.

The 86-89 323 was a nice design.

Khalbali > fintail
08/03/2019 at 21:13

Yeah and that was the only GTX we got here but I’m partial to the 90's version meself.

Kinja'd!!!

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > Khalbali
08/03/2019 at 21:17

If I were you I would relish the low power and preserve the WOT everywhere capabilities, maybe a bigger sway bar from the junk and some sticky tires. But who are we kidding before you get to that there will likely be 1000 inexpensive odds and ends that should be and will be done first

Khalbali > MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick)
08/03/2019 at 22:21

Its pretty clean so there's nothing immediately necessary that I've found yet, even when for a short pleasure cruise with my wife along the river. Kinda sad but my 88hp auto escort is more fun to drive than her 2013 Rio.

fintail > Khalbali
08/03/2019 at 22:34

It seems most of the 90s models we got were painfully basic. But now cool ones can be imported privately, go for it :)

Khalbali > fintail
08/03/2019 at 22:39

I’d be ok with a base model if I could find a decent one , I think I’ve only ever even seen like 3 and they were all past saving. But yes, it’s on my shortlist if I can ever afford to import a car. Even the familia sedan was really good looking to in my eyes, just really clean styling.

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > Khalbali
08/03/2019 at 23:37

Personally I have found that even bad hydraulic power steering is much better the mediocre econo-car electronic power steering

Khalbali > MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick)
08/03/2019 at 23:47

Yeah it's not just steering there's just so much more body roll and such tiny wheels and the whole thing just feels so much more alive even if it's objectively worse in literally every single way. The whole car vibrates with the engine thanks to Ford's always awful motor mounts (funny story, the seller replaced them with new ones because he thought they were bad and the new ones were even harsher so he swapped them back) and it just has that older car charm that I'd forgotten with my last 4 cars all being 2008-2015.

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > Khalbali
08/04/2019 at 00:01

Well look at you, Fancy Dan with cars from the last decade! That is certainly embarrassing for FoMoCo, but if the PO bothered to do something like that then it sounds like they wouldn’t have bothered mentioning all the maintenance unless they actually did it. And I completely understand what you mean, it feels alive! You certainly found something good.

Khalbali > MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick)
08/04/2019 at 00:15

Even second gen focuses still had shit motor mounts too, I sold some used when I sold Mazdas and people always complained about the vibrations. And from what's easily visible, everything he said he did checks out, like the struts are obviously new etc.