MotorWeek | Retro Review: '83 Ford Escort GT

[@scandawarrior]

5 digit odometer, back when car makers didn't expect the vehicle to hit 100,000 miles

[@genepoon8905]

Most Escorts didn't!

[@branon6565]

Jesus Roselly .....that's horseshit....my 84 Ford Ranger has a 5 digit odometer and it's got 310,200 miles on it....and it's NEVER needed motor work done to it, ever.....

[@MrMenefrego1]

@@branon6565 You are so right! Since the Ford Escort and other smaller Fords at that time, were introduced at a time when I, as well as many of family and friends were still young, we had to keep them for a long time due to the lack of good paying jobs. Most of them rolled-up 100,000 miles plus! And this was despite the fact we used them as trucks and beat the hell out of them! (we were stupid kids lol) I get pretty damned tired of everyone bashing American cars, the Escort was an innovation in it's time and was very well built and engineered! It was an "economy car" not a Lamborghini!

[@MacTechG4]

Believe Inyourself; my ‘88 never even made it to 85k before it crapped out, it sucked back then, and I’ll still never trust ford

[@Mikeb-NH]

LiberalsAreWorthless I’m sure you could find someone who didn’t have problems with their Yugo either. Same thing with the Escort. Just because there’s some that have high mileage it doesn’t change the fact that overall they had poor reliability and quality.

[@skidrowoffroad]

My first new car was a 1984 Escort GT. It was black with orange pinstripes and had a factory flip-up sunroof. Until this video I'd never seen those opening rear, side windows. I'd have loved to have those on my car, but I don't think they actually went into production. Despite this review it was a fun car to drive and surprised plenty of people with how quick it was... at least at that time. Unfortunately, at about 45k miles that car was destroyed by thieves who stole the custom Alpine stereo system I'd installed, and then set the car on fire to cover their tracks. Its replacement was a new, white 1988 model Escort GT which I still own and which is still a blast to drive. Some folks will no doubt scoff, but that's been the best car I've ever owned. It went back to the dealer ONCE for a warranty repair and never needed more than routine maintenance in over 120k miles.

[@mi16t]

"Remote" rear vent quarterwindows?! Shut up and take my money

[@LynxStarAuto]

Junkerbunker they were horrible though. Routinely failed, holding the windows ajar.

[@johnsimun6533]

Gabriel Velazquez when is a window, not a window?

[@johnsimun6533]

1992 Navaho, went to pop out the small quarter window on the passenger side, it fell out. Good thing I was used to having Fords. Automatic reflex caught the glass before it hit the ground.

[@chrishuber8930]

@@johnsimun6533 they were still attaached by the hinge wouldnt have fell

[@usernameisusername]

82 horsepower and 14 seconds to 60..take my money!!!

[@rageinthefalls]

Love these old MotorWeeks!

[@RenoEdits]

I don't recall seeing this version as a kid when they were new. They basically took the taillight setup from the Lynx for this, but it worked.

[@jcdenton4621]

0-60 in 14 seconds! Damn this thing would give a GT-R a run for it's money!

[@rrpostalagain]

+Rick W I was thinking the same thing. i remember those cars so well. everything was pretty slow back then, but damn. The GTI I would still drive today.

[@chrisdooley6468]

The GT-R does the 0-400m quicker by almost 3 seconds than this cars 0-60 LOL!

[@rrpostalagain]

+Chris Dooley Hell, a Prius is quicker these days, isn't it? Honestly, I think we put too much emphasis on 0-60 times and bhp/ torque numbers these days. it reminds me of custom PC websites and bragging about benchmark numbers. But nothing should be allowed to have "GT" on it with that sort of performance. I always knew they were dogs, but c'mon.

[@fatman1288]

+Rick W id take this escort gt over a gtr and no im not jokeing!

[@wiibaron]

+Rick W The K car wagon they tested would beat it easily.

[@frankburns8871]

No rattles after 7,000 miles, wow! Really a high bar back in those days. Honestly, though, these things were fun to drive, and pretty reliable.

[@alexanderrahl482]

Gotta love the Oriental touches.

[@RockandrollNegro]

I mean, these were built by Mazda, so I don't know what else he was expecting.

[@Commentleaver-c6x]

He would be canceled today if he said the word oriental.

[@MistahJigglah]

​@@Commentleaver-c6x It's funny because at the time "Oriental" was the more luxurious way to say it. Like how "European styling" is still widely used over German, French, or Swedish styling. Though you do see "German Engineering", "French innovation", and "Swedish Safety" (British cars are their own beast).

[@sponk2112]

@@Commentleaver-c6x True, since referring to things from the Orient is obviously "racist." Also, "people of color" is proper, while "colored people" is...RAAAACIST. Gotta love woke logic.

[@Commentleaver-c6x]

@@MistahJigglah owners of the new Toyota Tacomas can now talk about the great “Mexican craftsmanship”.

[@dcanmore]

far removed from the 1983 Euro Escort XR3i: 1.6 105hp, 0-60 9.5sec, 115mph. Also came as a convertible and 1600 turbo 132hp versions.

[@vMaxHeadroom]

The might RS 1600i and the even mightier RS Turbo....only in white!

[@skyjammer]

I saw the Euro Escort back in the late 80....and thinking how much the US got ripped off!

[@anttemo41]

If i found one, i would add a turbocharger and high performance heads and a different speedometer

[@Novusod]

There was a time when executives thought American buyers cared more about fuel efficiency than performance. Of course they were wrong and it hurt the domestic auto industry for years.

[@zythr9999]

@@Novusod lol Yet Japanese automakers were able to offer both

[@BobJohnson-nf8tv]

I just put a 76,000 mule motor in my 91 white Escort with red interior I did most of the wrenching myself and enjoyed every minute of it. The car only has 64,000 on it. The original engine was ran dry of oil by the Original owner. Not to bright of a guy lol. I really like the simplicity of the car. I put a fake hood scoop and chrome hubcaps on it and removed all badges. The young guys have no clue what it is but keep trying to buy it. Maybe a car ahead of its time, lol.

[@suomenpresidentti]

76k mules. How many is that in horsepowers I wonder...

[@MrTaxiRob]

I knew a guy who had one of these and he took out the rear seatback and filled the hatch with a concert amp connected to a cassette Walkman. Sitting in the back seat meant resting your back on the amp. It was all in mono but it was so insanely loud that other people's higher end stereos were quickly forgotten about. And Justice For All was very popular that summer.

[@jameswayland2339]

I can’t get enough people to realize how good the horrid production of …and justice for all sounded in a late 80’s car system . That bass drum would hit you in the chest . My buddy had the obligatory Rockford punch thru two Rockford 12 inch subs. We wore out the …and justice cassette . It was something you had to be there to understand.

[@MrTaxiRob]

@@jameswayland2339 it's almost like the album was mastered for playback on low end factory cassette decks.

[@Commentleaver-c6x]

I bet he really cranked it when he pulled into a gas station or anywhere people would be close by and susceptible to having their ear drums assaulted.

[@1beerman]

From the eighties. I had a Mercury ln7 in 1985. They were fun cheap cars that got great gas mileage. Easy to drive and park. Brings back great memories.

[@toyoscio]

LOL

[@JimHalpertFromTheOffice]

My dad had an Escort GT (not sure of the year, I know it was the 1st gen '81-90). I own a '96 Escort LX hatchback 1.9L 4 cyl. 4-speed auto. Not the nicest cars to look at, but in my experience they're reliable, comfortable, and fun to drive. 159K miles and still going strong.

[@ohguy1991]

We went thru some dark times in the 70's and 80's for cars

[@NevadaFederalBites]

This was pretty dark...I closed my eyes when I was in one of these things in the late 70s.

[@Stj209]

NevadaFederalBites but.... these came out in the 80s?

[@NevadaFederalBites]

Stj209 well not exactly this vehicle...similar. Still as scary

[@Snake-ms7sj]

1978 to 1984 were probably the worst years for American cars.

[@cgreenfield6655]

I lol'd at this..

[@ClassicTVMan1981X]

When Ford first came out with the U.S. Escort in 1981, the GT model was then known as the SS, but since that nomenclature was long associated with Chevrolet, Ford wisely renamed this particular sports trim package to GT for '82.

[@matth7828]

My sister had an 84 Mercury Lynx which was the sibling to the escort. It got fantastic gas mileage but it needed repairs often.

[@trekinseattle]

I used to buy these things every Sunday out of the Seattle times. Grab the paper early in the morning and make calls on my Nokia cellular flip phone lol as I ate breakfast. Usually 100-300 bucks depending on year miles and condition. Usually I'd get them because the cam seal would leak severely around 120k and kill the belt. The early 81-83 would bend valves so I only purchased those for different reasons... At 17yo my parents yard was full of them.... 40 bucks and 3 hours to replace the seals, brake clean everything and slap a timing belt. I had waiting lists of people that regularly saw them parked on our corner lot for sale lol. Did about 50 of them, until I discovered Japanese cars... Mazda 626 LX / GT, civic, Accord, protege, 929, 200SX, 310, Maxima, Corolla FX16, etc etc... Way way better cars that needed less real mechanical work, I'd buy those cheep for things like Clutches, breaks, accidents, etc... Fix them and sell them... Drive the ones I liked... The good old days.

[@kevinwoodard6571]

Despite its GT name, this was made for economy rather than speed.

[@ClassicTVMan1981X]

For 1984 and early 1985, there was a turbocharged version.

[@MacTechG4]

The “GT” stood for Got Taken...

[@s99614]

It was worth it just to get the fuel injection. Regular Escorts had a carb.

[@thetreblerebel]

Which was a wasted opportunity

[@thunderroad7289]

The escort GT came to life in 1986. The 1.9 high output for the time was really good

[@RajaReign78]

First car I ever bought myself a 1989 2 door white ford escort gt man I loved that car. 😬😬😬

[@ChuddleBuggy]

I love the next gen Escort GT. It had Mazda's 1.8 DOHC coupled to 5 speed with a super low 1st gear. Loved that tranny.

[@chriscon8463]

I had an '86 Escort "Pony" with a 1.9L & 4-speed manual. I put 145K on it; after 8 years the rear strut mounts rusted out. It was slow & not too refined, but decent for its intended purpose...a $6K economy car.

[@MacTechG4]

I had an ‘88, same model, didn’t even make it to 85k, total piece of shit

[@Porsche996driver]

I had an early ‘83 GTI. Super fun to drive with the free revving manual and tight suspension. But I always liked these, great styling for the time but we only got detuned US version.

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

I kinda like 80's vehicle styling. But I grew up in the 80's, so maybe that's why

[@thetreblerebel]

I love the looks of this model Escort GT, if only it had a true GT engine that made it go fast

[@331Grabber]

I think the year after this they offered the 120 HP turbo 1.6 liter in these. A lot quicker if I remember correctly

[@robertsise7898]

I recall those 85 mph speedometers were widely hated. People would buy new Mustang GTs and then replace the 85 speedo with the Canadian metric and a speedometer gear change to covert it to mph for a 140(Ithink or possibly 160 nnever did it myself) speedometer.

[@RockandrollNegro]

Even my 93 Crown Vic had the 85 mph speedometer, and it was the top of the line trim package for that year. I traded it for a 140 mph speedo off a police model.

[@azhurelpigeon]

Need to see one of these properly lowered & tuned! Looks so much cooler than VW GTIs!

[@timmyv3488]

I had an ‘84 Mercury Lynx RS, same thing, and in this exact color scheme. Fomoco updated the interior for ‘84 and it was much nicer and more modern. Got it in ‘87 and drove it back and forth to college for four years. I took really good care of it, kept it clean, oil changed, and it was relatively trouble free for a car of that era. While I owned it the heater core erupted and had to be replaced, and the AC stopped working right at the end. It was also starting to trail blue smoke going up hills. It was 7 years old at that point with about 89,000 miles and I traded it. Found out later that the engine hand-grenaded on the next owner within weeks. I don’t think the 1.6 liter EFI was known to be very reliable.

[@manfromnantucket9544]

Really dig the fog lights

[@int53185]

LOL. I had an '85 Escort base model with no ac, power steering, or windows. And AM radio. There was a lot of brake fade, especially when the rear shoes became unbonded and locked up the rear wheels. The top speed was 70mph, and I was almost overtaken by an atv. But on the plus side it was a simple car to work on and it held together well. And in the end I sold it for what I paid for it.

[@knowbodiesfull5768]

At least you could carry up to three more passengers in your Escort!

[@tomsnyder6955]

I had 1986 Ford Escort. I love that car.

[@inquizative44]

My first car.......83 Escort....Added a Blaupunkt Stereo and 6x9 Kenwoods carved into the back trunk cover in the hatchback. I loved it.

[@RockandrollNegro]

We (the USA) always got the shit end of the stick when it came to the Escorts. Ford was busy pushing the Fox platform and the Escort always came last, whereas in Europe the Escort was the "main" car.

[@PlasmaJunkie]

0 to 60 time of 14.0 seconds! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!

[@albear972]

god didn't love Ford Escort GT's.

[@ndawg79]

I had a 89 Escort LX Loved that car. Started everyday and ran wonderful until I totaled it. My mom had a 89 Escort GT as well It was a good car. Then she did trade it in for 92 Escort GT. That was a great car still going to this day. My Step brothers brother has it now. That Mazda engine is good.. Doesn't matter what you own you will find a car that just doesn't last long or has issues. It also depends on how you take care of them too and drive them. Now I think Ford messed up when they got rid of the Mazda engine and out the other engine in and the Escort zx2 that was crap.

[@LynxStarAuto]

nathan woodall By the late 80's Ford/Mazda had sorted out a lot of the quirks. These early cars were literal throwaways however.

[@RockandrollNegro]

The Escort ZX2 was one of the greatest cars ever made. The Zetec was a strong motor that made 30% more power than the Split Port engines found in the standard Escorts, and was also very reliable compared to the valve dropping that plagued the Split Ports. (Also in the Gen 1 and Gen 2 Escorts, the Mazda engines were the shitty ones; the Ford engines were relatively reliable.) There's a reason that people with older Escorts replace their drivetrains with ZX2 parts.

[@TheOzthewiz]

What I learned from this comment..................................DON'T be an ASSHAT and total your car, LOL

[@billybellend1155]

In Europe we had the Escort RS Turbo awesome car.

[@radudeATL]

Love those "oriental touches"!

[@ICTS22]

I wish my car had oriental touches.

[@albear972]

@@ICTS22 With a happy ending to boot! 😉

[@Kgio-2112]

@@albear972 there used to be a massage parlor by me called Asian touch.

[@nezerac]

JESUS!! IT'S ABOUT TIME!! Lol. I've been waiting on one of the escorts to pop up since you guys started retro reviews!! lol. You guys have any of the later escort gt's froom the late 80 or the 90's escort gt's? I'd be willing to watch all of your vids if you guys uploaded one of those *wink*

[@mitchmcguire6321]

No reverse lockout could make for some bad times! Or really good nowadays.

[@tyupton1719]

I don't have one, no issues :p.. Or so I don't think in my 83 rx7

[@MrTaxiRob]

I had to Google the XR3... wow, what a difference composite headlamps made.

[@pho3nix-]

The Ford Escort has a proud tradition in rally racing, I would buy one for a cheap first car.

[@joelf1355]

And they were literally indestructible. My buddy had an 82, it was the first car I was ever airborne in.

[@SCIFIguy64]

They're ridiculously cheap too, a mint running one on Facebook was 1500. There's one that needs a bumper and paint going for 250.

[@Doobie1975]

I always considered the mid 70's/early 80's to be the nadir of the automotive industry.

[@jnichols3]

If you take inflation into account and figure that car cost about $25000 in 2016 dollars, then this car is a bad joke. For $25000 today you can get a nice Challenger SXT. Cars of the early 80s had the quality of the early 70s without the styling. I was a teenager in the early 80s and when I would go to new car dealership all I could think was "Where are the cool cars my older brothers were able to look at a few years before". The cars they looked at may have been POS also, but at least they had some style.

[@cargueone1971]

Joseph Nichols / if you put our salary into inflation, no one makes as near as we did back then. For example, my Dad made 60k in 1982. Blue collar. Was able to invest and retire early. What is 60k in your calculations in today's money?and does any one make that today? 8k was a good deal back then. Fact.

[@JakeFromLateFarm]

Carlos Guevara -- Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics' inflation calculator, a $60,000 salary in 1982 would be roughly akin to earning $150,000 in today's money. Amazing.

[@skylinefever]

I certainly agree that styling was lost in the 1980s. One of the biggest victims of styling change was the Corvette. The 1984 Corvette looked too much like everything else. It went from having its own style to being another arcade machine.

[@TheOzthewiz]

@@cargueone1971 Started working for a "major" computer manufacturer (not IBM) in '68 at $3/hour= $6250 a year. I was looking at NEW Corvettes at that time. A 390HP, 427ci (well equipped) went for.......$5395+tx. Didn't buy the Corvette, got a '68 Shelby GT 350 Mustang Convertible instead for a measly $4880 out the door! God I miss THOSE days!!!!

[@rickjames6647]

Complete with pre faded paint. What a terrible color.

[@rojman123]

Rick James More like faded video

[@jnichols3]

I noticed that when they had the hood open that there was already some rust. Just about all American cars of this time period were horrible compared to modern cars. I am 49 years old now and bought my first new car (driven trucks since I was a teenager) and if you compare the fit, finish, and styling to a late 70s/early 80s it is no contest. Modern cars are so much better. Considering inflation they are not that much more expensive either. $9000 dollars in 82 is equals about $25000 in 2016. It was not until the late 80s that I started to see American cars that I would consider. A coworker bought a new Olds Cutless coupe in 87 (?) and I remember thinking, "that is not a bad looking car". He keep it and drove it everyday until around 99 and it was very reliable. Unfortunately it got totaled about this time.

[@BillofRights1951]

I agree...the early 80's were a dismal time for American cars...man this example was fuggg-ly. And looked like a 10 year old USED car. Hilarious hearing the venerable show host say nice things about it. With nothing American worth buying in the fall of 1982, I bought a light metallic blue Honda Accord 4-Door. It was a solid car, crisp looking/driving, and reliable. My only complaint was the Honda dealers I dealt with at the time were average.

[@halohunter5217]

@@BillofRights1951 80s Hondas would rust out faster than anything American for sure. Japanese tin worm was at its peak.

[@s99614]

It had a single stage paint; I.E. - no clear coat. It's not going to look as good.

[@TheHelado36]

I always loved this car !

[@joekurtz8303]

Vin code 4 gave the 1.6l a warm cam profile, tuned exhaust, , the carb version had a Motorcraft Weber 2bbl, or the EFI. Not s barn burner, but enough pep to be fun and decent fuel economy for the day. Modern computers and induction & todays engine HP refinements far exceed yesteryear. I had as n 84 base model HO , and was very happy when brand new. Comparable to my 65 Cortina GT.-- in engine power. Decent pep and fuel economy

[@thetreblerebel]

This car needed the 2.3L turbo engine. It would be a highly sought after car if it had a hot engine setup

[@eds.877]

I had an 87 and ran the wheels off it for over 125000 miles. Thats when the rear part of the body dropped due to the inner fender well rotting through where the shock mounted..lol. Drove it on home with the rear tire rubbing the inside upper fender well. Good thing it was raining to cool the tire. lol. Yea, was time to retire it.

[@JungSooLeee]

This is a true dream car

[@zythr9999]

LOL

[@oneoleqt]

had an 86 GT fun car traded it in for an 88 mustang even more fun , lol

[@Motorweek]

oneoleqt Nice!

[@XIPHIASCDXX]

+oneoleqt My mom had an '85 Mercury Lynx, standard trans. It fell apart but we lived a few miles down a poorly maintained dirt road in Alaska.

[@Skyhawk1987Turbo]

Wasn't there a comparo test in the magazine with the GTI, Skyhawk t type and the escort GT?

[@88tcoupe]

Thanks for the video. I still have my'94 Escort GT I bought in '06. Fun car, just need a little more power or a manual ( mines an auto).

[@misteralien9958]

A car with 82hp should never be called a gt

[@ohguy1991]

Back in 82 GT stood for garbage truck, cause that's as fast as these things were

[@TheOzthewiz]

@@ohguy1991 I would bet on the GARBAGE TRUCK!

[@RetroCarsForever]

I have a 91 Ford Escort GT...Would love to see a Motorweek review of that one too!

[@trendkill777]

I agree!! I have the Australia version which is called the Ford Laser TX3 exactly the same mechanically, only real difference is styling ques here and there.

[@bingobango170]

I’ll review it for you right here and now . It’s a piece of shit.

[@manthony225]

The dashboard has those cubby holes because this test car didn't have A/C . There would be vents in place of the holes if it did. Why did the 81-85s always look like they were weighed - down in the back with the front end popping up like that?

[@Stressless2023]

+manthony225 Most Fords during the 80's & 90's had that issue... Face-up, ass-down syndrome.

[@TheHelado36]

+manthony225 Almost all American made front wheel cars were like that and I have not receive answers from nowhere! They looked rather sluggish and tire.

[@TheHelado36]

+SuchANiceGirl22 Why the factory did not fixed this horrible stance issue is beyond me ! While Japanese cars came with perfect stance and they were front wheel drive as well...

[@DeaKen002]

+TheHelado36 There were a few US spec rear drive British sports cars that had that heavy acceleration while standing still stance aswell.

[@wiibaron]

And the rear tires always looked slanted out from behind too...

[@GamezGames19]

3:23 I see you had early access to the Volvo 700 series. Can we expect a retro review of any more Volvos?

[@skylinefever]

I'd also like that. Volvo bricks were some of the toughest cars in automotive history.

[@chrisj197438]

Skyline Fever My 1992 740 has 480K miles all original drivetrain

[@MattMorris481]

My parents had a 83 wagon without the “high output” engine and it wouldn’t get out of its own way it was slooow.

[@RhinoXpress]

what the hell happened. ford had a great idea back in the early 80's to use a global platform like the escort which should have started the trend for all ford cars to be on and then that all but disappeared until the last few years when ford went back to the a global platform. I mean yeah they had the contour but they never kept pace with its European counterpart the mondeo, then they had the focus but that too got lost in translation and we were stuck with the 1st gen for many years while Europe and the rest of the word was pumping out the 2nd and 3rd gen up until recently.

[@davidg4026]

SteelCity1981 ; The reason we didn't get the Euro Focus was because it was too expensive for the North American market. We weren't willing to pay extra for things like four-wheel-disc brakes, better suspension, and more power. Just look at the sales numbers for the Focus SVT -- very low. The SVT offered a taste of the Euro Focus RS, but not many people bought it.

[@halohunter5217]

The Fiesta was the first world car... Sold from 78-80 in the USA.

[@erikbunty2016]

No more cars for Ford in the US, except the Mustang. Chrysler and GM pretty much going in the same direction. I remember when Isuzu was selling vehicles in the US. Before they left, the stopped selling cars and were selling only SUVs.

[@Stressless2023]

An '88 1/2 Escort was my 2nd car. Slower than "everything" else on the road (but this was in 2001). Absolutely zero options, no A/C, no tilt steering wheel, no intermittent wipers, and only an AM/FM radio with 2 speakers. Never needed anything until the rear shock towers rusted out. Still had some fun times with it. Mine didn't have those levers to vent the rear windows, that was pretty neat even by todays standards for an economy car.

[@RockandrollNegro]

Yours must've been the Pony model. They didn't even come with a radio; yours must've been aftermarket or spec optioned.

[@Stressless2023]

@@RockandrollNegro I think the Pony trim levels were stick shift only, mine was an auto. It just had no options. Haven't thought about this comment since I made it. I remember exactly what I was doing and how much younger I was when I typed it lol.

[@01FozzyS]

I love the starter slamming his hand on the roof. Lol Is that Craig Singhaus?

[@jasetraber]

My first car was the 1983 Mercury version, the Lynx RS, which I purchased in 1986. The car was nothing but problems!

[@revolutionday1]

I had an '87 Lynx GS (5-door) through high school. It was "The No-Pussy-Gettin' Machine".

[@mrdeerfield5528]

I bought my 1983 Mercury Lynx RS in Colorado springs CO in 1985 when I was in the Army stationed at Ft Carson. I drove that car all over the Rocky Mountains and it did great even in the snow. You and I are the very few ones who even know those cars existed. The problem with mine was the electric modules failing, what about you?

[@TheOzthewiz]

@@revolutionday1 The EXP/ LN7 was the "chick magnet"..................guaranteed to get you some POONTANG !

[@jayyoutube8790]

I had one of these "86".. Had a spoiler with am racing wheels... Looking back, that thing was so corney tho, but fun lol

[@Boss1186]

5:06 That Nova tho

[@robcohen7678]

Been watching a bunch of these, and it seems like every single car they test for that simulated on ramp 500 ft test finish in very similar times of around 55mph and 10 sec

[@McBeamer94]

I've seen these wheels before! Some old FIATs had these wheels!

[@johnjobber2219]

14 sec 0-60 is a rocket

[@saxongreen78]

'...Hasenpfeffer for breakfast.' Had to look up what Hasenpfeffer was...very droll, John! 😁

[@onfin3al6]

I had a 82 Escort . The wife broke the motor big time . I had the 1.6 auto trans . Pulled the motor , bored 30 over with forged pistons and rods , put on a 1.8 head , I stayed with the webber carb. with little bigger jets , headman headers . The only 82 Escort in Orlando that would cruz over the century mark with the A/C on . Had no issues with the car , kinda strange for a Ford .

[@SabreLilly.]

It's no XR3 that's for sure

[@bunter6]

***** Definitely, 82BHP! shows you just how choking the US smog regs were back then when you compare it to the XR3i's 105BHP- Almost 30% more!!

[@philarob80]

Had my first accident and an 89 LX, big giant yellow sign said 10 mile per hour exit, I hit the wall somewhere near 20 or 30, my grandparents were pissed. But from what I remember it wasn't all that much to repair

[@TheCarCrazyGuy]

I lived through this automotive era. Depressing!

[@JimJones-zc9mk]

+scterka After a few years the 4 cylinder would be loud as hell.

[@TheCarCrazyGuy]

@@JimJones-zc9mk Wow

[@mcatlow8]

Grew up in a car like this. Mom had an 83 escort until 98 when she bought another escort. Now 6 focuses are in my family including mine. My family loves American cars Ford, Chevy, Dodge. As long as its domestic or union made we'll drive it.

[@CantoniaCustoms]

Just so you know, the second and third gen escorts were based off the Mazda 323 BG Chassis and the suspension is near-identical. In fact, the BP engine from the Protege LX and the Miata MX5 was used in the GT trim Escort from '90-'93.

[@mescko]

@@CantoniaCustoms Which is what makes the second-gen in particular such a better car. I love my '94 wagon!

[@woohunter1]

Lol, 82 hp, 12 more than the standard model, hahahaha, 19.5 second quarter mile

[@robertusa1234]

Back in the early 80 anything under 10 was super car territory thanks to emission laws....today my mini vans 0 to 60 is 9.5 and it's considered slow

[@williswhatchutalkinbout4367]

Robert z anything under 10 what?

[@woohunter1]

Willis What Chu Talkin Bout if you have to ask.....................seconds.

[@williswhatchutalkinbout4367]

woohunter1 oh I thought he meant 10 picoseconds....

[@tytotheler92]

Just had an idea. Upload a retro review for a 90-96 Lumina APV/Trans Sport. lol.

[@mccrackenphillip]

Did the Turbo Escort video get posted?

[@gxdjoeybaby07]

I never knew those rear quarter windows were "remote controlled"

[@vMaxHeadroom]

I cannot believe the US did not get the Escort XR3 or the XR3i...Yes I had the XR3i way back in 87/88 and loved it...

[@toyoscio]

Had XR3, called Lynx XR3 LOL

[@markhealey9409]

The GT in North America was pretty much the equivalent of the European XR3i....the GT had a 1.9 litre fuel injected engine

[@thetreblerebel]

I'd love to have a Escort GT now in 2020

[@toyoscio]

Pre 91, no you wouldn't

[@mychufr]

Me to in 2023

[@HoschtonBoy]

Those Escorts are two steps below the cheapest Tatra. I had one brand new that cost me a fortune way before 50,000 miles when it went to the scrap pile.

[@MacTechG4]

Same here, ‘88 pony model, died at 85k, ECU computer died at 10k, it ate tires, tie rods constantly failed, crappy brake life, Ford was even too cheap to put a 5 speed manual in, the pony was a bare bones stripper with a 4speed manual..... .....but at least it got 45MPG....

[@paktype]

This 1.6 turbo put out 82 HP. My 2017 Ford Escape has a 1.5 turbo and puts out 180 hp. We have come a long way.

[@revolutionday1]

Let me explain something to everyone chortling about the 0-60 time, where these cars were concerned: 45mph, with the windows down, felt like the car was going over the edge of a cliff.

[@craigdowney3128]

My first new car was a regular (non- GT) escort with a carburetor. this car was JUNK from the day I bought it. one day while entering the freeway, I tried to slow down at the bottom of the ramp so I could merge. both rear tires lifted off the ground, the car spun snagged the curb and flipped onto its side. it was only 3 years old at the time and I was THRILLED when I had to get something different.

[@tomsnyder1493]

Nice Ford Escort, I want one like that one.

[@davidg4026]

If you think 0 to 60 in 14 seconds is bad, check out the MW review of the Pontiac 1000 (Chevette)... 0 to 60 in 30 seconds!!!

[@barryervin5297]

Faster than my 61 Corvair (0-60 34 seconds).

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

Car prices have gone up 50 times as fast as wages

[@sushicourier]

Look at all the gray exhaust coming out the back. 😳😯Thank God pollution output has improved in 40 years.

[@Saturnvue2005]

Can we get 98 or 02 Escort Sport and Escort ZX2. Maybe the Pinto as well and Contour

[@SmokeyVibez]

Was they're gas mileage really that good back then?

[@mikz86ta1]

Those little dash nooks I think are where are vents go....if it had the AC option. And could they make the ESCORT GT decal on the back a tad larger...cant quite read it from 100yds away. 😂

[@TheOzthewiz]

That ESCORT GT decal is what made that car go SOOO FAST!

[@calbob750]

The motto was “quality is Job 1” The reality was “sell before the warranty ends”.

[@thetreblerebel]

What if you dropped a modern ecoboost I4 into this old car?? Would that be cool?

[@gordonmills2748]

My old college roommate had an early 80s Ford Escort, and while it was red, it was not the vaunted "GT" model. 14 seconds to 60 was not happening, and I don't think I ever got it up to 60. The gear shift was like a cliche' wet noodle. There were gears somewhere in that box, but good luck finding them.

[@zythr9999]

ROFL

[@carcrazykid1]

Notice they did the 0-60 run on a cold moror. You can tell by the exhaust steam.

[@prestoncheapbtheadphoneste3010]

Not necessarily! It’s cold outside. It’s in Michigan. Winter.

[@RoadCone411]

0-60 in 14 seconds for a “GT”? Yikes. That was embarrassingly slow then and it’s downright cringeworthy now...

[@TheOzthewiz]

Yeah, probably have trouble making it up some hills. This car would be best used as a "grocery getter", nothing more!

[@davidjackson2524]

The speedo only goes up to 85 mph. No way!

[@TheOzthewiz]

You could easily "peg" that speedo at 90..

[@SibRevs]

My dad had a standard version of this. I remember pissing my pants in the back seat at around 4 years old.

[@Nahbuddy237]

This video 2015 KZbin algorithm I sleep KZbin 2020 algorithm ReAL SHiT

[@howebrad4601]

The soft upholstery made them wonder about durability? Ford and gm cars of that vintage had outstanding fabrics with excellent durability. As the owner of many hondas, toyotas, and datsuns of that era it was the imports in general which had interior plastics and fabrics that disintegrated

[@zythr9999]

LOL

[@davidhibbs6989]

They should have used the 2.3

[@BraveBlueSnowTundra94GP]

Exactly, and the Volcan 3.0L, and sometimes I think the 3.8L would be fine too

[@JDsHouseofHobbies]

How far the poor Escort had fallen. I have a 2002 Escort SE, 2.0 SOHC and 4 speed auto. Slow steering, slow tranny, slow handling. The poor car would be happy to spend it's whole life in fourth gear. But, it still gets 35 mpg!

[@iamstd2]

That's because you have the wrong one. Apples to apples, the modern equivalent would've been the ZX2 model, not the SE.

[@RexApplegate]

I have a 99 5 speed sedan one that I daily drive to keep commuting miles off my toy car. On tight corners it out maneuvers almost any American SUV or minivan, both categories I assign to so called crossovers as well. They are Mazdas from the era when that meant reliability, simplicity, efficiency and handling.

[@FirstOnRaceDayCapri2904]

The British Equivalence of this was the Escort Xr3i , much better car IMO

[@FirstOnRaceDayCapri2904]

fuzzy wuzzy Wow , what an intelligent argument

[@MaximilianvonPinneberg]

Only hairdressers drove Capris in the 80s.

[@mi16t]

Martin Jones like you?

[@MaximilianvonPinneberg]

I was too you to drive n the 80s.

[@mi16t]

Martin Jones lol. I have the ever homosexual m3 convertible myself 😜