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1997 Ford Escort Lx Sedan 4-door 2.0l "rusty But Trusty" on 2040-cars

US $600.00
Year:1997 Mileage:281000 Color: Red /
 Tan
Location:

Casnovia, Michigan, United States

Casnovia, Michigan, United States
Advertising:
Transmission:Manual
Body Type:Sedan
Vehicle Title:Clear
Engine:2.0L 1989CC 121Cu. In. l4 GAS SOHC Naturally Aspirated
Fuel Type:GAS
For Sale By:Private Seller
VIN: 1FALP13P3VW247935 Year: 1997
Model: Escort
Trim: LX Sedan 4-Door
Options: Cassette Player
Drive Type: FWD
Safety Features: Driver Airbag, Passenger Airbag
Mileage: 281,000
Power Options: Cruise Control
Exterior Color: Red
Interior Color: Tan
Number of Cylinders: 4
Warranty: Vehicle does NOT have an existing warranty
Condition: Used: A vehicle is considered used if it has been registered and issued a title. Used vehicles have had at least one previous owner. The condition of the exterior, interior and engine can vary depending on the vehicle's history. See the seller's listing for full details and description of any imperfections. ... 

You probably know a senior citizen, someone in their mid-80s or older. You know the one I mean. . .not the guy that is in a wheelchair in the nursing home, but the one who is out playing golf, working in the garden, mowing the lawn. My father-in-law is like that. He's 95 and recently plowed his garden with his Massey-Ferguson, getting it ready for planting. Elderly, with a lot of miles, but still capable.

This 1997 Ford Escort is the automobile version of my father-in-law. Yea, it doesn't look great (not that my father-in-law doesn't look pretty good for 95) and it's got a lot of miles, but it still starts every morning, even in sub-zero temperatures and takes me to work and back.

I've owned this car since April of 2003 and I have to say, of the 25+ vehicles I've owned over the past 40 years, this has been my favorite. It has just been so dependable and economical. 

Yes, it's got 281,000 miles on it. I really wanted to keep it until I hit 300,000 but I don't drive as far to work every day as I used to, and it will just take me too long. That being said, I would not hesitate to jump in this car and drive it to Florida and back with complete confidence (I have no idea why I'd want to drive to Florida and back, but you get the picture).

I came into some extra money recently and bought another car. What did I get? Another Escort! A 2002 with only 75,000 miles, the same number of miles this one had on it when I got it in 2003. This will make the fourth Escort we've had in our family.

So, here is the synopsis:

The Good
• It has cruise control that works great. It didn't have it when I got it, I put Ford OEM cruise on it after I bought it as I was doing a lot of highway driving at the time.
• It gets 32-35 mpg with mixed (mostly highway) driving. I actually have documentation for this (including the per gallon price paid) for the past ten years; I keep a notebook in the car.
• It doesn't use or leak oil. I go 3K-5K between oil changes and it is normally still very close to the full mark when it's changed.
• Tires are great, all new this past October, less than 10K miles.
• Five speed manual shifts smoothly and clutch is good.
• Good brakes
• Upholstery is in pretty good shape for the age. No stains and only two very small "threadbare" spots on the driver's seat.
• Radio with cassette player and four speakers sounds great
• Good spare with jack
• Fresh lube/oil/filter a couple weeks ago.

The Bad
• The air conditioning doesn't work. This was actually one of the deciding factors in my getting a different car.
• The radio on/off control doesn't work. I've just gotten into the habit of flipping the volume all the way down if I want it "off"
• Rocker panels? We don't need no steenkin' rocker panels.
• Head liner is coming down a little bit in the back by the rear window
• The biggie: it could use struts all the way around. There is some clunking from the right rear. That being said, you really can't tell from the ride, it still rides and handles quite well. There is no strange tire wear evidenced. If I was going to keep it, at this point in time I wouldn't even do anything with the struts. On the other hand, it's grown old with me, so a new driver might notice more.
• A couple small cracks in the dashboard.
• A couple very small dents, barely noticeable. Both of these were there when I got the car.
• The passenger front door won't unlock from the outside with the key, you have to open it from inside.
• Hand brake doesn't work. I know exactly what's wrong with it, I've fixed it before. No parts required to fix, just a dismantle and lube at the rear wheel linkage on each side. It's an Escort thing.

Bottom line: This is still a great running and dependable vehicle. Other than the suspension there is really nothing significantly wrong with this vehicle. It would make a great first car for a kid as long as they treated it with the respect and gentleness that its geriatric nature deserves. A full tank (twelve gallons) of gas in this is good for 350+ miles. And it's still fun to drive, it's still fairly quick (or at least as quick as its 110hp every was), nimble, and easy to park.


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Auto blog

Next SVT Mustang may axe Shelby name, go naturally aspirated

Mon, 10 Jun 2013

Following our first glimpse at the 2015 Ford Mustang out on the road, the fine folks at Road and Track have divulged some details on what the Blue Oval's next pony might have in store. We've already seen that the car will get some very sleek, Evos-inspired design cues, and an independent rear suspension is indeed in store. These new details, however, concern the muscle car's beating heart.
For starters, the base Ford coupe is expected to carry on with V6 power, likely from the same 3.7-liter unit found in today's car. From there, R&T says the next step up will be a four-cylinder EcoBoost engine, likely displacing 2.3 liters, putting out as much as 350 horsepower. Of course, a Mustang wouldn't be a Mustang without V8 thrust, and R&T states that the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 will continue on into the 2015 car, making something like 450 horsepower.
But it's at the high end of the Mustang range where things will, reportedly, get very, very interesting. Road & Track claims that the top-shelf 'Stang will likely lose the supercharger from its engine, producing a metric crap-ton of naturally aspirated grunt instead. Additionally, the SVT-fettled Mustang will likely be dropping its Shelby moniker, in favor of "a name you're familiar with," according to the magazine (you know, like, Cobra).

2015 Shelby GT350 Mustang sounds racy as it revs [UPDATE]

Thu, May 21 2015

UPDATE: It seems as though the GT350 exhaust was just too hot for YouTube. The video has been removed, as you can see. We'll keep combing the Interwebs for a new version. If you're somehow still on the fence about the 2015 Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang, then this video should provide some healthy encouragement about the new coupe. There's no high-speed action here, but you get to experience the wonderful sound of the GT350's 5.2-liter V8 with a flat-plane crankshaft start up, idle and throw some revs. At a twist of the key, the engine barks to attention, and a wonderfully crisp shriek comes from the exhaust when the driver blips the throttle. The GT350 even has a growly baritone at idle. According to the YouTube description, this car was on hand at the Carroll Shelby Tribute and Car Show in Gardena, CA. Unfortunately, videos online might be the best chance for many people to hear the wail of the latest GT350 for now. Ford is only building a total of 137 of them for the 2015 model year, but the numbers should pick up when the 2016 model year begins in just a few months.

Performance CNG wants to crowdfund natural gas-powered Ford Mustang

Fri, May 16 2014

Soliciting investments to develop a street-legal compressed natural gas (CNG) powered Ford Mustang that can deliver 470 horsepower certainly wouldn't make sense on a site called Indiestopstop. Nope, Indiegogo is the more-appropriately-named site that one Michigan entrepreneur is using to try and crowdfund his CNG 'Stang. He's looking to raise $55,000. Michigan's Daryl Patrishkoff and his company Performance CNG LLC showed off their converted 2003 Mustang last year at the Woodward Dream Cruise in Royal Oak, MI in an effort to get some exposure for the car, which can run on both gas and CNG. The company and its three-man team is looking to further develop the project in the name of a fueling source that is 40 percent cheaper than gasoline, throws off as much as 30 percent fewer tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions and makes the country less dependent on foreign oil. Performance CNG estimates that just 120,000 of the world's 15 million CNG-powered vehicles are in the US and is calling for more. As for the $55 grand, Patrishkoff estimates that more than half of that amount would be committed to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) testing of emissions, fuel economy and horsepower. The problem? As of right now, only $150 has been raised. Check out Performance CNG's press release below and see the fundraising effort on Indiegogo here. Eco-Friendly Muscle Car? CNG vehicles save money, emit less pollution and creates jobs from American-mined fuel SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich., May 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Daryl Patrishkoff of Shelby Township, MI, has a vision for the American automotive industry. He firmly believes that our fuel of choice should be Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), not gasoline. Until the full CNG infrastructure is in place a Bi-Fuel vehicle, fueled by either CNG or gasoline upon the drivers command, is the bridge vehicle that can lead this transition. Patrishkoff heads up a (3) man technical team developing this technology. The advantages are: 40 percent savings in fuel costs at the pump 25-30 percent reduction in harmful emissions 100 percent US provided natural gas Meaningful employment for the US economy The most important benefit, however, is that a CNG-powered vehicle runs on fuel that can be mined in America, eliminating the need for foreign oil. "After decades of political rhetoric, these types of vehicles can truly lead the US to energy independence," he said.