Ford had a hard time letting go of the sports car theme, and played with various concepts ever since the ’58 Thunderbird sprouted a rear seat and a paunch. Perhaps. The 302 had enough guts to push the GT40 over 200 MPH on the Mulsanne Straight, and was durable enough to last the full 24. This Ranger carries the same Pure White and Candy Apple Red color scheme and trim as the one Ford advertised in its 1969 truck brochure, one of the many ways it’s the archetypal ’69 Ranger. 400, while the Model 70 used Bedford’s own 466 cu in engine – both were six cylinder inline diesels. This one has the lower bedside tool storage compartment option as well. The flamboyant Valiant sported a much. in the summer of 1965 was not a happy one for me. Of course, Ranger was just a trim level that offered greater comfort and style over the lesser standard and Custom F. There was every reason to expect great things from the Tempo, with an up-to-date chassis and fashionable bodywork. 3 van came along the old rear doors had lasted 20 years almost unchanged. -spec 2. By David Saunders – Posted on March 2, 2023 The 108 DIN-hp 2. – Posted on June 29, 2022. Although I’ve written extensively about mystery burgeoning data of old-fashioned cars, comparatively little has been said about mys daily drivers. Well, one, anyway; this one. cars, the 2-litre Typ 220 (W187) and the 3-litre Typ 300 (W186). (first posted 6/9/2014) A running joke in the comment threads mocks the strain of enthusiasm for the mythical object of today’s four-wheel lust: the brown, turbo diesel, manually-shifted station wagon. Further reading: Curbside Classic: 1963 Ford Fairlane Sedan -XL- Size Falcon, XS – Size Galaxie. Cars are restored and preserved based on their perceived desirability. Confusing, I know. Ford undoubtedly had good intentions for the EXP, trying to get away from the bloated excess of their notoriously overwrought and overweight 1970s cars. RVs, Motorhomes, Trailers, Campers. The Previa build quality was unquestionably better and after 15 years in 2008 the Previa’s body was in remarkably great shape considering its 15 years in Ohio’s salt belt and was easy to sell. 3 liter four. I don’t know which engine would be best/worst. The Chevy II/Nova was a reaction to the Falcon’s success. . Having two more classics around (my wife´s 1977 Ford Escort and my 1983 Porsche 944), the Capri had to go. 3 liter Cologne V6 (the German Ford employees used to call them Unser Fau Sechs) should get the Taunus to a respectable top speed of 175 km/h (109 mph). Posted on November 8, 2023 | 54 Comments. CC Capsule: 1999-2000 Ford Escort ZX2 S/R —. Years produced: 1999-2000. By Aaron65 – Posted on March 7, 2022. Ford Escort RS2000 MK2 1978 T registration. 5l V6 you have to remove the #%$# engine. If ever an ad were untruthful, it would be this spot for the 1981 Escort. By Tatra87 – Posted on July 22, 2023Here’s a better look at the rear. Another significant market was that of business fleets. Joseph Dennis. Posted on April 2, 2023 | 68 Comments. Jason Shafer. Rich Baron. This rather clean mid-size 1970 Ford, parked at a restaurant–in February, in the Midwest!. Ford undoubtedly had good intentions for the EXP, trying to get away from the bloated excess of their notoriously overwrought and overweight 1970s cars. Curbside Classic: 1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 (W186) – Best German Car Of The ‘50s? (first posted 11/29/2017) In the spring of 1951, a recovering Mercedes-Benz came out with two 6-cyl. 8mpg 15. Curbside Classic: 1979 Ford Mustang “Two Door Sedan” – Prag-O-Matic. P/1075, instead of a thumping 427, motored along with a 302, which wore Gurney-Weslake cylinder heads. After it was determined that a Falcon would fill the bill as Dad’s next new car, extraneous trim such as whitewalls, full wheel covers, or a vinyl roof weren’t even considered. This is one of the few surviving and without a shred of doubt one of the very finest Mk1 Ford Escort Mexico’s left in the world. The Escort Cosworth ceased production in 1996, but it has already achieved classic status and has a huge following. 2 Escort van is obvious, less apparent is that the rear doors actually started out on the back of the Anglia van in 1961, so by the time the Mk. Of course proposals were created to replace the Elite. The Country Squire was an American institution. – Posted on December 1, 2023. Daniel M. Posted on September 25, 2019 | 50 Comments. And in 1976, Ford re-embraced FWD with its even smaller Fiesta, which was also sold in the US as an import. Ford being Ford had to skimp on the quality of the interior and lack of sound deadener. Photos by Dave Muzyka, from the Cohort. Ford Motor Co. It started twelve years ago, when I excoriated one (tongue in cheek) back at the other site, also to be found here at CC. 1955 Chevrolet Nomad – Stealing The Thunder From The High Priced Cars; Sunrise sunset on Curbside Classic: 1968 Ford Torino GT Fastback – The Silver Fox; Mike W. It featured very North American inspired coke bottle styling similar to the Ford LTD and Mercury Montego. Our motto is “Every car has a story”, and we’re going to coax one out of each of them: a. This is because the Scorpio was in fact a born and bred European executive car, developed and built in Köln ( English spelling: Cologne), West Germany, and sold across continental Europe as the Ford Scorpio. This car brings back the fun in driving!!COAL: 1985 1/2 Ford Escort – A Survivor. With its coke-bottle styling, and its mix of sporty and luxury themes, the car was oh-so-70’s in ways the public couldn’t get enough of. The Escort ZX2 was a late addition to the Escort line, arriving in 1998. – Posted on November 12, 2018. Ford Brands 1980s; Chrysler Brands 1980s; Other American Brands 1980s; European Brands 1980s; Asian Brands 1980s; 1990s. but didn’t care at all about driving dynamics. ← Curbside Classic: 1980 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 – Compromised Expectations. Standard Catalog of American Cars shows 1954 Ford options included power steering. My first vote goes for the 1988-91 Toyota Corolla, followed by ironically, another nearly forgotten Ford: the 1991-96 Escort (and the Tracer sibling). Ford’s four cylinder racing heritage (Formula Ford, Sports 2000) rubbed off on these cars, similar to the Datsun 510, better than any Toyota or later Datsun (210, 610, 710), and cheaper than a Rabbit. Anyway, that was the excuse I needed to. It seemed as though the headlights and the front grille of the 1977-78 Ford Pinto looks almost like an “identical” twin to the ones used by the 1974-77 Chevrolet Camaro. The Niedermeyers’ move from Iowa City to Towson, MD. I owned a 1980 Pinto wagon for 6 years. And that rear taillight lens looks mighty similar to those on the 1960 Edse l. If Ford followed the same recipe for the Maverick as they did with the Mustang, then V8 cars got several upgrades to the body and suspension that were omitted on the lesser six-cylinder examples. These are some of the cars I have not seen in at least a decade: 1) Fox body baby Ford LTD 2) Sterling 3) 1985-1986 Pontiac Grand Am 4) First generation Hyundai Excel 5) Yugo 6) 1982-1986 J car…especially an Oldsmobile Frienza 7) 1983-86 Honda Accord 8) Renault Alliance 9) Mitsubishi Galant Sigma 10). – Posted on November 24, 2023. My plan was to use second gear down the biggest, the 4,310 ft Siskiyou Pass, which marks the dividing line between California and Oregon. The space where Ford’s “427” badges once sat proudly on the front fenders of Galaxies is now blank sheet metal, replaced by the prominent “7 Litre” badges on the grill and the fender spear. As most of us know, these 1962 models were lovingly referred to a “plucked chicken. In January of this year, this same global juggernaut announced it was pulling out of both Japan and Indonesia. Many are being used as food carts, but others. And then Ford, even after CAFE was invented, went and forgot to put a decent modern manual (by then, a 5-speed) in a new compact all over again for the Escort only eighteen years later! Reply. 1978 Ford Escort RS2000. Cohort Classic: Jeep FC-170 – Jeep’s Unconventional Truck Is Still At Work Hauling Gravel. Not surprisingly, they were not a fan of the big and wallowy ’72, and had some […] Continue Reading. I remember pining over the forbidden fruit of Ford Europe products were for cars like the Escort Cosworth, my. Fieldside Classic: 1957 Ford – The Old Ford At The Ranch. In terms of presentation and impact, this was one of the best of the bunch, even if ride and handling were somewhat compromised. 1953 Ford Consul: The English Immigrant Jason Safer. 1960 – last year for sedan delivery and 2-door wagon. 32 million unit sales. This was a powerful statement, which read as: “We’re back in the game”. However unlike Honda and Ford’s own Escort which has timing belt driven pumps and can be replaced with the engine still in the the car. You’ve just discovered the endless automotive treasure hunt. The 1970 mid size Fords – Falcon, Fairlane 500, Torino, Torino Brougham always intrigue me. out the Buick Park Avenue, second-gen Chrysler minivans (heavy refinement of original k-based van) and second-gen Ford Escort GT (not a bad little car for the time), among others. The Thunderbird’s base price dropped a whopping 35%, from $7,790 ($32,337 adjusted) of 1976 to $5,063 ($21,017 adjusted) for 1977. Wolfgang. . In the depths of the gloomy automotive winter of the late seventies, the Fiesta made a brief appearance that brought a ray of sunshine into our deprived existence. By Roger Carr – Posted on May 5, 2023. (first posted 4/21/2015) After a very safe mid-cycle enhancement of the first Taurus in 1992, Dick Landgraff and his team. Aaron65. RetroStang Rick on Curbside Classic: 1926 Ford Model T Touring Car – Part III, “The Gypsy Coeds” Ride Again; ohwonesten on Curbside Comparison: 1953 Buick Super Riviera vs. Anglia. repaint. 1962 Chevy II Six – The Old Ford V8 vs. Curbside Classic: 1961-1967 Ford Econoline – The Leader Of The Pack ← BOAL: 1982 Honda GL500 Silverwing – Chapter 5, The Baby “Wing” Cohort Pic(k) of the Day: NSU Ro80 – “Just Your Typical Bay Area Car Show” →Future Curbside Classic:. The Tempo played a crucial role in paving the way for the Taurus, and getting folks increasingly used to the jelly bean look. 5 tic/tack and fit on the sterring wheel as if ford planted it there. when I built my 66ford ranger I bought a 64. At the time, the European Escort was not only still RWD but destined to get bigger, so Ford put out the call for a contemporary FWD design. It makes one ponder if their venture might have transpired differently had this band of traveling persons. A white Escort wagon with a thrifty four cylinder, automatic transmission and not much else – but it didn’t. Vintage R&T Review: 1992 Ford Crown Victoria LX – “It’s A Ford” But A Lot Better Than The ’72. The XR3 and XR3i were quite common, and could be seen on the roads frequently, the RS models were rather special. Ford's affordable cars may have bought the automobile to the masses, but not all of them were a success – here are some to avoid on the used market. Some other numbers: weight 1,070 kg (2,359 lbs), wheelbase 259 cm (102″). Storage Yard Classic: Rover 3500 SE (SD1) – A Brilliant Exit Strategy. Dealer. If you dare to peek under the rear of the Escort, past the cannon of an exhaust, you might be surprised as to the extent of modification Rob has subjected the Escort to. In the early eighties, when gas was around $4. 8 0-60 86mph top speed 19. Ford Escort. Rich Baron. Curbside Classic argues that the Firenza debacle,. A Ford Escort. Curtis Perry Outtake/Auto-Biography: 1966 Ford Custom 500 – Nunmobile. The Aerostar, on the other hand, sadly ended up in the junk yard. A Jalopnik post from 2015 briefly discussed how a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid taxi fared after 500k miles. There have been full Curbside Classic profiles and shorter articles on lots of them, especially the 77-96’s in much of their variety. Ford Cologne did eventually get back to the size and concept of its original RWD NPX-C5 baby, in the form of the 1968 Escort, co-developed with Ford UK. S. 2L) for 1980-81, and disappearing altogether in 1982-83. Curbside Classic: 1989-94 Ford/Mercury Capri – Unfashionably Late. Here are just some of the many beautiful classic cars on display here. Four speeds were sometimes referred to as “mountain gearboxes”. Ford Custom buyers fell into a few discrete categories. Tell that to a family of six—one of them seven months pregnant—on the third day jammed into in a black ’62 Fairlane on a sweltering hot day in July, windows closed, glued to clear plastic seat covers. The Ford Escort (Mk1 & Mk2) set new standards too—primarily in the UK—more in the realms of pragmatism and profitability than technical superiority or advanced technology. Polson. Mr. Lived several years on California desert and several cross country drives- never over heated even in 115 heat, and never an untimely breakdown. This occurred because the 1. Finders’ get dibs, so I’ll take the Mustang. No, Ford’s experience with the 12M didn’t really help much, as by now the. 6 L four and very light weight (1835 lbs curb weight), it was very light on its feet, bot in a straight line as well as through the corners. Ad Classics: 1960 Buick-Olds-Pontiac Advertisements – Being Our Best Selves Aaron65. 32 million unit sales. (first posted 11/16/2015) While GM had fully embraced downsizing their cars as a core business strategy, Ford seemed to be more reluctant in adapting to the changing landscape. ”. In Canada at the time, Ford sold the wagon at the same price as the sedan, making the larger body-style the obvious way to go. Around an ocean of Corollas, Sunnys and utilitarian trucks, the. The interior shots of the Forte model bring to mind the mid-late 90s Escort, and to a lesser extent. I do notice that this car has been monkeyed with–the grille is the 1979-1980 vintage, while the gauge cluster appears be of the 1976-78 era. Apparently, that particular vehicle received an oil change every three weeks and was in the shop for new seals so it could be sold privately. Posted on June 28, 2023 | 42 Comments (Please enjoy this latest COAL, submitted by Denise Lima-Laskiewicz) A survivor!. Jan 5, 2016 - Discover (and save!) your own Pins on Pinterest. In the depths of the gloomy automotive winter of the late seventies, the Fiesta made a brief appearance that brought a ray of sunshine into our deprived existence. Ford has probably forgotten about the ’64 Mustang’s keynote, plus they produced it for far too long without much change. Though not the “crusing wagon” variant, it was mechanically very similar to this example. “One Ford” did actually work for some vehicles. After scrolling online through advertisements for affordable vintage cars that had been in the top-five of my all-time want list, I found a classics dealer in the northwest Chicago suburbs that is an outpost of a larger, nationwide network that was offering up a 1971 Ford Capri, which was the first year this celebrated “European Mustang. 8 top gear 69 Falcon 170AT 2820lb 100hp 18. There’s something special about those words, something iconic, something that evokes nightmares of an uniquely American scope, from our first family cross. There’s something special about those words, something iconic, something that evokes nightmares of an uniquely American scope, from our first family cross-country trips in a 1954 Ford that perpetually overheated and stalled from vapor lock (when it actually started) to the last one, Mother’s craptastic 1981 Escort (replaced by a Civic) that could barely do seventy wheezing. In 1950 the Country Squire was introduced, and would soon be leading a successful new sub-segment, the fancy trim wagon from a low-price. The strategy worked, particularly so in California, where the. By 1971, however, the Corcel became. Curbside Classic: 1980 Chevrolet Citation – GM’s Deadliest Sin (#13) ( first posted in 2010 at TTAC; 12/19/2014 at CC ) The 1980s was the worst decade ever for GM. It was five years old and in great shape for its 60,000 or so miles. CC Outtake: Late 1980’s Daihatsu Mira “Walk-Through” Van – UK Pretender. But at least in my circle of male friends, a 4 speed 2. No one could have guessed that the Arab Oil Embargo was going to drive the price of gas through the roof and create shortages and rationing in 1973, but Ford was there with the 74 Mustang. CC Advertising: 1965 Ford Models – Ford Motor Company Is…A Little Boxier This Year. Curbside Classic: 1961-1967 Ford Econoline – The Leader Of The Pack. Except for the taillights and finlets, the Comet’s styling was actually ahead of the whole Ford clan in 1960. Groove = 1969; now, you know. So, in 2012 when his 1995 Escort Wagon finally coughed its last, he bought a 1995 Taurus, metallic green. An 80hp version was soon thrown at the problem without solving it. It had a five-speed manual.