MotorWeek | Retro Review: '86 Dodge Daytona CS and '86.5 Ford Escort EXP

[@agenericaccount3935]

God, vintage Motorweek is a treasure

[@lukeskywalker1840]

That Daytona is a lot more appealing to me than many cars being built today.

[@ohyeah1994]

Love to go back in time and get one of those Daytonas fresh off the assembly line.

[@itsnotme07]

Interesting review on the CS Daytona. My first new car was a 1988 Daytona base model 5 speed 2.5l, only option was AC. Enjoyed that car for 6 years and over 140k miles. Picked up a 1989 Daytona in the early 2000's and drove that for another 4 years as a beater car, also a 5 speed 2.5l. Both cars were wicked fun and if I could find another decent version, I'd definitely add it to the garage.

[@fernandorocha8459]

I love Dodge Daytona 1985-1988 is my favorite and Escort EXP 85 and 86

[@eldo59]

Love this car after seeing the Wraith.

[@fernandorocha6486]

I watch this movie The Wraith, very nice

[@chriswooten8426]

It was a bad ass car for its day!!! Still turns heads

[@HerecomestheCalavera]

Ha ha, same here! It wasn't in the movie very long but the scenes it was in were awesome.

[@lamontjohnson1101]

eldo59 that was oggie car , eyes all sucked out the sockets 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@HerecomestheCalavera]

@@lamontjohnson1101 Sent cats climbing up my spine when I seen it!

[@anajay78]

Love the shape of the Daytona always wanted one.

[@TheHelado36]

anajay78 me too

[@subaruwrx5701]

anajay78 I have one An I'm sale it Send me a txt all I'm sale for 3000

[@Durahan82]

Shame it wasn't rear wheel drive .

[@Channel-cm7yc]

Vendura K Car platform so rear drive never was gonna happen at that time period!

[@altima119487]

Me too, it was almost my first car.

[@dwilsonjr78]

I think about the 80's cop show "Hunter" when I think about the Dodge Daytona Turbo. If anyone remembers that show , that was Sgt Dee Dee McCall's car on the show.

[@DavidLovesDisco]

I remember that show quite well. Growing up, I would watch it every week. She first had a red '84 Daytona Turbo for the first few seasons, then was updated to an '87 Daytona with the T-Tops around seasons 4 to 6. Totally gave me the biggest obsession with Daytonas, and I wish I'd see more of these around. Around the same time, I do remember seeing these at the Dodge dealership my Mom worked at alongside 024's and an Omni Shelby. Thanks for the great review...wondering if there is any reviews of the 2nd Gen Daytona?

[@emeyer6963]

dwilsonjr78 And Hunter drove that crappy Dodge police cruiser

[@johndrake2729]

@@emeyer6963The Monaco? It fit him well.

[@emeyer6963]

LOL.The last season they gave him a new 91 Crown Vic police pkg and it just wasn't the same.

[@roninkraut6873]

E Meyer Works for me

[@tmmurphy]

I think this car's looks have aged well. I saw one on the street the other day on the way to the office and was taken aback. I think the Starion still looks good as well.

[@jamesprice2163]

Funny you mentiioned the starion my buddy just bought one yesterday its fun

[@mrwp819300]

​@@jamesprice2163 And a helluva lot faster than the low horsepower leads you to believe. In '91, I had an '89 turbo model, bright red and it was very fast, even for the low HP era back then.

[@shelbyzd2809]

The 1986 Daytona Turbo (Z or CS) made 146hp & 168lb⋅ft . Like all the Turbo Dodge's of that time there were major restrictions on them to help them outlast their warranty. They could only hit peak hp/torque/boost(9psi) for up to 10 seconds before they dropped back 2psi to 7psi. They also had small exhaust pipes with a tiny 1 7/8" pipe starting just before the axle. The Turboz was capable of running as low as 16.00 in stock form. These guys either didn't know to race it (problem with most reviewers of these cars back then) or raced it in hot weather with an already warmed up car which is why it was so much slower. These cars don't work as good when they are too hot or too cold. The thing is about all these cars is they were simple to mod. Back then a grainger valve was around $30 which would allow around 12-13psi and also bypassed the ECU's control of the turbo which allowed for a constant 12-13psi before you needed the 33pph injectors. Also that was about the peak before you needed an intercooler. Also you could put a bigger exhaust on them or just do an axle back which would increase that 1 7/8" to 2", or from the cat back which would go from 2" to 2.25" (same size as the dowpipe). You could also just pull off the axle back pipe and muffler and it makes a big difference and makes them sound like a turbo car should. They were still weren't that loud.

[@srirachasauce8430]

I love how simple it is to tune these cars! It's almost like modern hot rodding, with relatively simple electronics. Even when I went full 2.5" straight pipe last year, my T2 89 LeBaron wasn't terribly loud... but it shoots fun fireballs! Too bad an old lady smacked it late summer 2020. I am now transferring every thing from the Lebaron to my newly acquired 84 Daytona Turbo Z and freighttrain them Hondas once again. Life is good. Cheers from Canadaville!

[@adamtrombino106]

The Shelby package or C/S was indeed meant to improve handling only, and it worked. More tire and better shocks and struts is exactly what this car needed. Unique to that package were the 6.5 inch rims with lower profile 50 series VR4 tires that were better than the Eagle GT and later GT +4s that regular turbo models got. Power outputs were the same, but Shelbys seem to make better use of it. MotorWeek is dead on about their assessment of torque steer and the 2.2's buzzy nature at higher RPM. However, my 85 Daytona turbo delivered much better mileage than they got, at 21 city, and up to 41 highway at 70 mph w the cruise on. As hard as I drove my old 85, I never got below 20 city on 93 octane fuel. Was this a good car? Heck no. I had all kinds of problems w my 85 ranging from rust to head gasket issues, and the A 525 5 speed was a total turd. I went through 3 of them before I sold the car. Brakes were pretty good with good feel and lasted a long time. MotorWeek mentions the hard p/s assist feel and lack of on center feel. That too is correct. Parallel parking my 85 was a chore, and 1 had better not have wandering eyes on the highway. While my car generally liked to go straight just fine, I had to pay attention to it. The quick 14 to 1 steering made it quite touchy. Yeah, use both hands when you can. I got a chance to drive an 86 with the C/S competition handling suspension in 94, and it was very different than my 85 was. More so than 1 would think.

[@Johnny96ri]

Wow, that black Daytona looks good.

[@novaman3509]

That Daytona is a pretty cool looking car. Definitely way better than a lot of cars from the 80's.

[@kevinnorwood7355]

Loved the way the Dodge looked over the Mustang and the Camaro at the time.

[@ztwntyn8]

I love this old stuff. I used to watch it with my grandpa on the weekends. He had a turbo z and other cool cars

[@brianmcmanus4690]

hahaha...I had an '87 Ford EXP (RIP Bertha) that I drove all over the states, following the Grateful Dead on tour. I converted the hatch into a bedroom and it was plenty comfy with ridiculously good mileage. Cheers Ford! Miss ya Jerry!!

[@smokesgtp]

"Near the realm of really fast..." 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@PapiDoesIt]

I raced autocross in one of these. It was a constant battle to keep the engine in its happy place, but when it was in the powerband, it was a lot of fun.

[@phillyphilhouse79]

I remember seeing this car in the movie The Wraith. They had 2 in that movie. A red one and a white one that the gang leader cheated to win it. Great movie.

[@madmikey256]

I love that movie

[@Channel-cm7yc]

Was also in Cannonball Run 2 with Dean Martin and Sammy Davis driving one lmao

[@Keihryon]

I thought the red one was the white one repainted.

[@bradbassett1240]

The Wraith car was also a Daytona!...Concept that never came out.

[@bradbassett1240]

This car was an absolute pos!

[@thetreblerebel]

I'd love to have a Daytona with a modern engine swap and race suspension. What a killer

[@richardkilly1082]

Thanks for posting this video. Takes me back to when l took out a Daytona for a road test from a Dodge dealer on Yonge street in Toronto. It was a pretty good car. Those who weren't around at that time, can't appreciate the cars like those that were.

[@jeffreyrainey1015]

You're right, I'd love to ride in one of these and feel what it was like to own a turbo 4 cylinder in the 80s. I've wondered how well these cars hold up to today's performance standards, and if one of their advantages is simply in weight. Also, cheers from a much younger Torontonian.

[@russell2996]

My first new car was a1987 Escort GT. It was remarkably reliable,only needing a timing belt and outer tie-rods during the 65,000 miles of ownership.

[@halohunter5217]

Factory header too. That 1.9 was a nice little motor. The basis for the later Zetec.

[@RoadCone411]

03:45 "In every full throttle start, the steering wheel wants to pull out of your hands." 'Hey Kim, can you go stand near the acceleration lane and the wide-open Daytona with a clipboard and a timer? Don't worry, it's perfectly safe!'

[@katiebeghtel4769]

yes they r alive.I just got a 93 white Daytona iroc in good shape for my son to get to school in.fun car.

[@bobmcbrayer4352]

shouldn't matter what anyone thinks,,,if u like the car,,drive it and enjoy it..along with everything else in life..yolo

[@lliaolsen728]

$11,000 in 1986 is $24,500 in 2017 I like the hard lines from the 80's

[@w41duvernay]

Heck for 3k more you could have gotten a 305 IROC.

[@lurgee29]

Llia Olsen..... Will you marry me 💐

[@jamesprice2163]

Ive always wanted one since i saw it in "the wraith" now im saving up for a base model charger

[@fernandorocha6486]

I love this Dodge Daytona 1986, i love this car and my year favorite

[@robertsise7898]

I will never forget going to the dealership to test drive one of these. I was standing behind the car when the salesman cranked it. A large plume of blue smoke puffed from the exhaust. I just walked back to my (then) current vehicle and drove back home.

[@dodgeguyz]

That’s unburied fuel. A vehicle does that if it was started cold and then shut off in less than a minute.

[@paulstandaert5709]

I've driven a Daytona for 20 years now. Never once did I ever have an issue with the steering wheel wanting to "pull out of your hands" when you drive it hard. When you lose traction at 30 PSI of turbo boost at speeds over 60 mph... or even 100 mph they tend to want to go one way or another but never does the steering wheel yank out of your hands.

[@georgecarlin2097]

Dang 30 psi? And losing traction over 100? Loll I know its front wheel drive so risk of wipe out is less, but wow I have had a slew of 400-500+ horsepower cars, but never experienced that (although sticky wide tires and suspension work always became a priority after a point)

[@paulstandaert5709]

Yes, I kid you not. I cannot tell you how many horsepower the car in question was, but it was darn near the top of 4th gear where the tires usually held on, but it was definitely not a guarantee. Good gas, a big turbocharger, big intercooler, some methanol injection... yeah, it ripped. The whole torque steer thing is largely bogus. It exists, but it isn't what people such as the Motorweek and Motor Trend staff make it to be.

[@jeff-ds2pr]

@@paulstandaert5709 Motorweek test drivers are notoriously shitty at driving cars on the track, as can be seen by their abysmal 0-60 times they get that are usually 1-2 seconds slower than everyone else gets out of the same car.

[@hanzo52281]

Ha, loved the vid. My first car was an 87' Escort EXP. It was a piece of crap but I loved it.

[@Turbogn87]

LOL so was mine, I loved that car!!!! Was a cool car for the time

[@globeglobe9463]

I bought a 1988 Daytona EFI new. It cost around 12k. Mine had a pop-up sunroof, and was black with grey velour seats. I was so proud of that car. I took care of it and it lasted close to 300k with no major problems except the timing belt which went out many years later. Later, it developed the dreaded ‘engine knock’ so I sold it. I was 23 when I sold it. I wish I would had spent a little more and got the bigger engine with more options, like power windows and an automatic transmission but the car was a head turner none the less😀

[@obesefeline]

Some may laugh, but I had one of these cars in my teens and let me tell you that this car handles better than any car I’ve had since, including my current 2013 Dodge Charger RT.

[@tymac3306]

I can't believe they're even comparing these two cars the Daytona was Head and Shoulders above the Ford in any trim even without Turbo

[@jayjochec5033]

Love my 87 Daytona Shelby Z.

[@bendavis9733]

Had the hots for a girl back in '90 who's dad had a sweet Shelby Z

[@fernandorocha6486]

I love this car

[@miatageekscott]

I love these retro reviews

[@SELIMNIVEK]

This car was my favorite dream car, when I was in high school..

[@roodick85]

My brothers had both of these cars...they were so fun to drive!

[@Ghandisgarage]

I used to have an '89 daytona shelby.. one of my favorite cars ever

[@jsplicer9]

+AKghandi any vids of it?

[@Ghandisgarage]

sadly i do not. it was black with the silver shelby on the side and had the full power leather interior out of a laser. talked and everything

[@RedSwordTT]

Thanks for bringing back some good old memories. I have this show taped somewhere but probably could never be found. Had the 85 Turbo Z and love it, although I had to visit dealer every 3 months for all the hiccups. Very fast back in the mid 80s when there was no anti lock brakes or similar assistance to help you handle the beast.

[@briteidea08]

I love how you used 795 as a test track. Small memories of Owings Mills. How awesome an area it was.

[@danielbradley6473]

My neighbor bought two Daytonas brand new. One for him and one for his wife. One was black one was silver. That was kind of unusual now that I think about it.

[@gsfbffxpdhhdf7043]

Demon Omania why? Idiot. I bought my wife a toyota 4runner green and my 4 runner is tan. And i bought one for a parts car i just have sitting in my shed. If anythimg breaks i just pull it off the parts car and fix it. These cars will last the rest of my life. 45 years and 2.5 million miles

[@jamesday6182]

This was my first car back in 99" it was an 86..shot out to shana for a good time in the back seat at the lake...

[@sevendyseven4090]

I had to sleep in my Daytona once, those rear seats were the worst for such a task the way the center's of the seats went down like that, lol.

[@danwessell4146]

I had a 1990 Daytona with the v6. Loved the shape as almost as much as it loved oil.

[@cweve]

Had a silver CS with T-tops, still my favorite car.

[@4x4ManiacBadTimeGarage]

i LOVE the daytona-laser!

[@aeroman5239]

There was never a Daytona "Laser". It was a Dodge Daytona OR Chrysler Laser. The Laser was made from '84 to '86. It was available in XE trim, as well as XT trim (only in '86). The '84 was model was the least desirable - 4-bolt wheel hubs (vs 5-bolt in '85-'86), vacuum-actuated wastegate vs electronic-actuated wastegate, etc. I had an Silver '85 Laser XE in college. I installed a Direct Connection (i.e., Mopar Performance) ECU, which had revised fuel and timing mapping, as well as upped max boost from 7 to 10.5 psi. I also had a muffler shop replace the stock exhaust after the cat with a CBE (2.25" dia.) including a Walker DynoMax muffler, vs stock piping that necked-down before the muffler at 1 7/8" dia. In addition, an offset cam sprocket was installed to advance cam timing by 4 deg, which effectively produced more boost in the mid-range rpms, and although it sacrificed a little top-end power, it was a great trade-off for increased grunt around town. Overall, the torque steer sucked, made worse after the power mods, but it was still fun to drive in its day.

[@Channel-cm7yc]

Aero Man was the Plymouth Laser actually.

[@fernandorocha6486]

I love this Dodge Daytona 1986

[@JrGoonior]

​@@Channel-cm7yc There was a sister car called the Chrysler Laser that was a rebadged Daytona. The Plymouth Laser was Mitsubishi based in the 90's. Plymouth never had a version of the Daytona...

[@joshthemediocre7824]

They both look great in 2022 to these eyes. My first car was an all white 87 escort GT and i loved that car. Made some of the best memories of my life in that car, my buddy had a EXP and we would go cruise together..lol

[@newdefsys]

The Daytona is still a good looking car.

[@whoohaaXL]

We need that 92-93 Daytona IROC review with that gorgeous 224 hp Lotus 2.2 Turbo! This, I crave!

[@gzuzsavz]

4 valves per cylinder before most car companies' engineers could count that high :)

[@markbrinton6790]

@@gzuzsavz not true at all, there were many 4 valve engines prior to that Chrysler 2.2 litre 4 cylinder, 4 valve, turbo intercooled hunk of crap. See the ZR1, or Taurus SHO. VW as well. And many others.

[@gzuzsavz]

@@markbrinton6790 was a tongue in cheek comment.

[@markbrinton6790]

@@gzuzsavz sounded more uninformed than tongue and cheek, but ok.

[@gzuzsavz]

@@markbrinton6790 many car companies can count to 4 or 5 at least..which is how many seconds slower in the quarter mile their cars are compared to a 2v per cylinder Demon. aaahahahaha!

[@quacksackerthegreatstarfir6996]

The Daytona looked great but unfortunately it suffered from the all too common flaw of being front-wheel drive. Dodge should bring back a RWD version powered by the Pentastar V-6....

[@Coop411]

quacksackerthegreat Starfire That actually sounds really cool.

[@MRZ12000]

YES,YOU NEED TO CONVERT dAYTONA TO awDR WITH ADJUSTIABLE COIL OVERS,TO RIDE IN SAFELY

[@gzuzsavz]

there was the IROC series, dodge fielded 355 ci v8 daytona's that were quite competitive. as well, there was a rwd v8 conversion pkg for these buggies.

[@johndrake2729]

It should have been rwd. Then the Mustang and Camaro would have had some serious competition.

[@quacksackerthegreatstarfir6996]

There is a Daytona listed on the alpar site that was converted to rwd and packing a 440 under the hood. I'd love to own it

[@georgebarrett2132]

Good show.. Great seeing all of these great "old" classics somewhere, in action and along with basic reviews of good and bad points and especially in certain cases, side by side comparisons.. I think, though, this can hardly be called a comparison, a fair one at least.. I'm going to have to disagree and say that the original '82/'83 EXP/LN7 with the unique headlamp arrangement had, for me, far more allure than the swiped from the Tempo/Escort commuter car looking front end.. The EXP is after all a 2seater and still an, even if "'supposed", exclusive. EuroFord did a commendable job on the EXP's basis, the MK3 Escort being a ground-up fresh build with all the related goodies, and the MTX3 was a great 5spd with the bonus of the EXP being 1.5" wider.. that's merely 1.1" narrower than the original 024/TC3.. but the EXP is a full 1" lower and, with the improved for '84 via Orion's suspension mounts for it's IRS and the Sierra's steering rack plus, most importantly, the 1st gen carries 500lbs less weight than the 024/TC3.. The only thing missing is the proper L-4 cylinder such as one of the more advanced Pinto/CVH/L4DOHC engines.. OR,.. ..since there's been a lot written here about the later Shelby preped Daytona's and Laser's with the 2.2Lt. Lotus DOHC 16VL head Turbo3 engine well, I think it would be quite a different story if we invited Cosworth's SierraRS500/EscortRSseries1 YBD/YBT motors into the game, doing a still stock doctoring .. AND, hey, you may still keep the original 1.6Lt. motor along with the 2nd gen's EFI and required regular stock mechanicals and really enjoy even far more than the original 44mpg avg at will.. and while we're at it, why not toss in the optional integrated child seat for your 2nd honeymoon.. Heck, I just.. ..love this period in US iron history.. the last stage of the truly ALL-AMERICAN made hardware.. (Euro arms include here).. Both cars give a big nod to their forerunners' advanced styling such as the '75 Monza/Starfire/Skyhawk and GM/Opel's '75 Manta B but, here I have to tip my hat more toward Ford's '82/'83 EXP/LN7 attempt for completing a more original rendition than Chrysler's '79/'80 024/TC3.. though I do love both.. Good work, thanks and congratulations again.

[@chipleach]

I remember these mid 80's cars well. Dark days for most gear heads. lol. I love watching these retro videos!

[@joshriver75]

I just got an urge to watch "Hunter"

[@Mulder-Scully]

Man i miss my 89 Daytona.....Sigh

[@wiibaron]

My 87 Shadow ES came with those crab wheels. Traded the pizza wheels from my brothers 85 Turbo Z. Still have those on my 88 Lebaron Coupe. Still shiny like new.

[@guardrail2897]

Knew of a guy in who bought a brand new EXP right after he graduated high school. He had my dad tow it in cuz it shut of. Dad took the valve cover off and it was full of gel. He asked the guy if he ever had the oil changed. The kid said no. He didn't know it needed to be changed. It lasted 45,000 miles before blowing up. That's a true story.

[@Hapkido82AUS]

I really only knew these from the Daytona Dee Dee drove in the Hunter TV show 😍

[@IMDABROWN]

Loved those generation of cars.

[@jmackness]

"...excellent 2 seat practicality" lol.

[@dougsmith9571]

Well done the 80s Daytona's are good looking cars even today.

[@robsrandomness7824]

I guess the 'small families' that the 2 seat EXP will carry must mean a single parent w/ one child.

[@75aces97]

There weren't as many fat slobs then.

[@negativeindustrial]

I grew up in the back of Celicas and Supras. So did my two boys. Now that they’re grown, my daily driver is an MR2 Turbo 😉

[@ClayBenTreeceJr.]

Yep you got that right

[@JohnSmith-wx9wj]

I rode in the back of a fox body Thunderbird until I was 14.

[@markb3756]

LOL! I wondered if he even realized what he was saying. The EXP was fine for small families. It was only a 2 seater! I guess he was referring to a childless couple.....

[@bradfromthevalley]

one of the coolest part about the turbo is the "intercooler"

[@johnnyrebel4267]

86 horsepower!!! Hell yeah.... must of been close to 100 with some rattle can shelby stripes... 0 to 60 in 9 seconds, FLAT!!!... My very 1st car was an 84 mercury lynx (for 300.00)... back then, I didnt care about performance... only cared that a car gave me the freedom to leave my small, hick town...

[@marcmohr4105]

I got the dreaded 5 year "Red Carpet Lease" on a 1987 EXP LX. It was identical to the blue one on the show but I had a factory sunroof and upgraded premium sound cassette player. I remember I had to come up with $500 down and my payments were like $240/month. That's a lot for a guy flipping burgers at Wendy's. I knew then my EXP had little power. I revved every gear trying not to admit it. The passing gear was not impressive. I don't remember if it got good mileage because I got it when I was 19 and that didn't matter to me. I had great times in it. I never see them for sale. I guess I know why. Build quality then wasn't job 1. Good memories, though!

[@joeb1808]

The Daytona still looks great. Even today. I'd love one. They always had great color choices as well.

[@tantivymuckermaffikk]

I was a passenger in Daytona in front end collision with a drunk driver in 1991. He hit us at a slight angle that shot us through the front doors of a restaurant. The car hit a pregnant lady coming out with a bag of take out. She lost her leg. My buddy's seatbelt snapped and he smashed his head into the windshield. I was conscious during the entire thing. The drunk guy was fine.

[@classic-kool]

tantivymuckermaffikk - makes you want to go out and buy an old Dodge Daytona, doesn't it?..

[@robintst]

I used to have a basic 1990 Daytona. Black cherry with maroon interior. My grandfather bought it that year, then it went on to my mother after he passed away, then it went on to me to be my first car. It finally gave up the ghost about 8 years ago and I had to get rid of it. It ran pitifully in those final years but I still miss it sometimes, even if just for the style.

[@markallen2984]

The EXP was essentially Ford's version of the Honda CRX

[@pgtmr2713]

These came with "superfan" mustache and aviators in the glovebox. Daaaaaa Bears.

[@trythinking6676]

Owned an 85 Shelby Charger. Pulled a super 60 kit out of a wrecked omni. That car got a 11.9 second quarter mile. Miss it.

[@mikeyveloster7615]

Don't think I have ever seen a Escort EXP on the road before, those must be rare today

[@dougn2350]

I had an '85 Turbo Z. It was fun to drive but after about 80k miles I was repairing something on it almost monthly. I sold it at 110k miles just as the turbo was about to go.

[@adamtrombino106]

They ate turbos for breakfast for whatever reason. As well as headgaskets. The newer Mistu turbo for 88 was much better. Another problem 84-87 was the A525 5 speed even though it had the higher capacity clutch. The trans just wouldn't put up with the engine's power for long. I went through 4 of them. The new Getrag A555 was much more robust, and also did away with the crap cable linkage in favor of old school rods. By 87, Chrysler finally figured out that much of the torque steer was due to insufficient engine mounts, and they had special mounts for turbo 1 and 2 cars that really helped. They also added a rear shock to the rear mount that helped. My 85 did 1 thing right.. It rusted! Built on the get um out quick K car platform, it had all of their problems and more, since everything seemed to leak, and the big hatch didn't help matters. It was common for floors to rust out, and find pools of water in the spare tire well. I drilled 1/4 inch holes in the bottoms on my tail lights to let the water out and stop blowing the bulbs. Yeah, they did handle pretty good, and I disagree w John on the steering feedback. Brakes were pretty good as well, just be sure the rear drums were adjusted up. The later 4 wheel discs were far superior. The 91-93s had huge brakes and worked perfectly, even w/o ABS. Not a great car, but certainly a fun car when everything was right!

[@robertmartin7726]

In '84 I owned an orange 79 Dodge Omni 024. Same basic shape as the Daytona, but with a 1.7 litre VW engine. That car taught me a lot, like how to replace head gaskets, alternators, and carburetors! Gave up on the damn thing when I broke a drive shaft trying to bump start it for the umpteenth time! The Shelby Daytona was the car I really wanted back then. Stills looks good to me. How much trouble would it be?....

[@brianrowland5713]

+Robert Martin If you can find one that hasn't been abused, they aren't much trouble. You can get a clean, low-miles example for 3-5K, depending on where and what options. Or pick up a ragged out one for $500 and rebuild it yourself, correctly, with modern parts.

[@thatoneguy6776]

the 024 was the same body as the turismo and charger then... nothing even close to the daytona shape

[@dannydm2133]

did any daytona last more than a few year. I've haven't seen one on the road since 94 lol

[@CamaroAmx]

Had an 89 Shelby Daytona. Fun car and quick. Found out years after I sold it that it was 1 of 157 built with silver with red interior. The car is long gone. Wrecked and parted out.

[@TheRealSmithFamily]

2 seater Escort. How times have changed.

[@hmackprotection1]

Rest In Paradise Carroll

[@1967davethewave]

Guys driving new SS Camaros and 5.0 Mustangs make fun of the '60's muscle cars. But they don't realize that cars went from 16 to 17 second quarter mile times in the '50's to 14's and even some in the 13's in the '60's and then back up to 16's. Today's cars are awesome, the muscle cars were awesome and the '80's cars did everything they could to be exciting even though performance wasn't that great. Love the looks of the Daytona and they handled great.

[@marshalmagooo3899]

Drove a turbo back in 90. Fun car. Loved the turbo boost gauge. Quick

[@normestits3317]

I had an 86 CS was my first car. bought it myself very proud. You can get a computer upgrade for it changed it a little bit ,enough to notice. Sold that car to my sister got up Ford Escort GT loved it way better than the Cs. A few years later I got a Ford Probe and I've been with Ford ever since.

[@gordonmills2748]

A "high output" engine back then was one that delivered a whopping 108 hp. We've come a long way.

[@Joshua_N-A]

That Daytona is a Group A Touring Car material. Wonder how's US's automotive industry would have been had the Americans fully embrace touring car racing like Japan, Australia and Europe did?

[@fathertime1331]

I owned a Ford escort EXP exactly like the one in the video. Most reliable car I ever owned. It was quite fun by the standards of the time. I told the salesman I was hoping Ford would bring the Barchetta to market and I could trade in my EXP a few years down the road for that fun convertible. It was not to be. Ford chickened out and Mazda introduced the Miata and Ford execs had to know they had missed an opportunity.

[@tomconnors2429]

+Father Time My EXP looked like the red one at the end of the video. I drove it to Florida from Massachusetts twice and got 45 mpg with it on the highway. Other than that and holding endless cargo, it did nothing special, but I owned it for 7 years and miss the car. The girl who bought it had many accidents and totaled it at 120,000 miles.

[@jnoble12]

my 87 EXP sport was fairly reliable. Only left me stranded twice in 7 years. Once was a faulty vaccum hose and the other ignition wiring. I don't miss the brakes locking up on wet roads leaving me sliding like on ice through intersections lol Or replacing the wheel bearings and tie rod ends every year or so

[@sloick]

I always wanted to be a mopar man. Graduating in 2003, the only quick affordable american cars were camaro, mustang, and fwd mopar. As quick as my friends 2.2 turbo daytona, and 3.0 duster was, they still didn't get sideways around corners. I went GM and don't regret the decision. Camaros have been cheap fun for years. I'll see plenty FWD mopar at mopar nationals.

[@_WHEELMAN_]

This was informative. I never knew what the CS meant on my ‘86 Turbo Z. Bought it used around 1990 because of the t-tops. It was a salvage vehicle so I put a lot of $$$ into it, but In hindsight always thought it was worth it. Could never get it over 126mph but it was a fun car to drive. Black with black leather, gold wheels( which I had to replace since there was a bent one) ended up with true left/right black/silver alloy directionals and a turquoise pinstripe over the gold one on the moulding. Looking at pictures just reminds me of how fun that car was

[@ja4414]

Bought that exact car in the early 2000's . The head and intake was ported so I beefed up the fuel system sent the turbo to Turbonetics in Cali for some work . Dropped it in an 89 LeBaron cranked up the boost and proceeded to step on people's feelings lol Fun times!!

[@delphi-moochymaker62]

I bought a 1990 Daytona brand new. What you need to understand about these cars is that they are dressed up K cars. Same platform and mechanical design as the Omni and Aries K / Reliant. Back then they came with a 1 year factory warranty. I drove quite conservatively and never abused this car. However in the first year I had a: 1) Blown head gasket. 2) The radiator cracked. 3) The heater core cracked. 4) 4 recalls. 5) Various interior pieces broke. 6) Water in both tail lights. Last Chrysler I ever bought. Is it any wonder why Honda and Toyota stole so much US market share around this time?

[@01trsmar]

+Chris Ashcroft They had a 5 year warranty back then.. You had to like new cars ,imports too, change the coolant then you wont have head gasket problems.. Funny, I had one as did many people I knew and no interior parts broke off.. These were reliable cars 320,000 miles,199,000 miles and 340,000 miles were the 3 people I kne wwho had them..reliable cars.... Look a import car problems, they sure have a lot..

[@delphi-moochymaker62]

01trsmar Uhhmmmmm Hate to tell you you are wrong. But you are wrong. 1 year warranty over all. 5 years on the power train. I had this discussion with both the dealership and Chrysler in 1990. The radiator cracked BEFORE the first radiator flush was due. So did the head gasket. So did the heater core. The fluids were topped up the entire time. So your point about changing the radiator fluid is irrelevant. I think you are letting patriotism cloud your thoughts. Both Honda and Toyota were building reliable cars back then that they stood behind. Why do you think Americans bought them in droves?

[@eltonjohn3236]

You're right, they were trash. All of them needed head gaskets. It was like they hated the customers, there was little thought given to quality.

[@gzuzsavz]

& we had a '86 daytona. 250k, original clutch yet. & only did brakes, tires, exaust on a normal, if not above avg basis. replaced 1 unblown head gasket at over 100k. thing to do was not beat on them, shortly before turning them off, iron cools slower than aluminum. sold the thing & she still cruised..2.2l 5 spd, 38 mpg hwy.

[@PianoLife1027]

Tom Johnson I still have one that I bought in 1993 and was a great car. I drove the s**t out of it. I did end up putting a transmission in it because the dealership said it couldn’t be serviced (!!!) and it went dry and piled up (my bad for trusting them and not checking myself). Haven’t driven it in a while though, now needs a fuel pump as I can get it to start but not run. Should have run it regularly instead of letting it sit. I have had about a half dozen guys stop and try to buy it off me.

[@TopSecretVid]

Saw a Daytona just the other day..talk about rare to see on the road... looked like it was in really nice shape!!

[@brentfountain8139]

Had one of these cars, it was fun to drive and looked the part with red and silver two tone paint.

[@mega-hb4re]

The Daytona turbo was a pretty fast car. When the turbo kicked your head hit the seat

[@brentvance3958]

My first car was a 1984 EXP turbo coupe. My second was a 1985 Mustang GT.

[@mr.c493]

My first car was a '94 escort lx 5 speed and now I have my GT. Good training

[@bobforpples]

A blistering 16.8 second, quarter mile time.

[@gaae2000]

I learned to drive with a Daytona Turbo in 1986 :)

[@solok1642]

86 Exp was my first car. Loved that car

[@NateFosterSR]

this daytona is sweet i think its about 2400 pounds. At that weight you only need like 400 HP to smoke almost any car on the road

[@gzuzsavz]

an srt-4 engine swap away from ruling the world.

[@ssj3jarrod]

I miss my Daytona

[@jcr8834]

I had an 86 Turbo Daytona with the intercooler and hood scoop option as first car back in 97 lol

[@ce4100]

Does anyone else appreciate the simple text graphics from one part of the episode to the next rather than some elaborate CGI transition with dumb sound effects?

[@GREENGENE18]

EXP was my first car & I'm looking for another now. And if I wanted an Escort & would buy one, aka: no frog eyes - no sale!

[@johngianninijr9442]

I had a '90 Daytona and loved it. I got 152K out of it, driving it pretty hard. But the gripe about the pop-up headlights is a accurate. Mine lasted barely 2 years and stayed up for the next 9.

[@raserx63]

Back then , I had an ‘85 Laser Turbo... and an ‘87 Escort GT ......both shitboxes. I finally moved on to a ‘88 RX-7 which was great.

[@DM-co3rh]

Always liked the Daytona styling! I owned a '86 Fiero GT and kinda wished I went with the Daytona instead. Not sure if the Dodge was more reliable vs. the Fiero or not though.

[@Slightlyevil]

Fiero engine was more reliable sadly though they weren't good until the end.

[@secretsquirrel6718]

I liked the Ford Escort GT. My freind had one. It want that bad and looked cool