The fun small cars thread

[ex-powderbroker]

I'm with Riser3, $3200 could get you any number of nicer cars than the Escort. Functional ones, fun ones, whatever. Or have you considered learning guitar? That's like 60's Gibson territory.

[riser4]

Low-ball the guy at $1K. Go up to $1.5K in $20 increments. Maybe he'll get the hint. Seriously. $1500. Firm. Ok, $1800 if you are so bored you could slam your dick in a desk drawer for fun. It may be a 33 year old car in museum quality but it's a fucking Escort.

[skaredshtles]

<snip> if you are so bored you could slam your dick in a desk drawer for fun. It may be a 33 year old car in museum quality but it's a fucking Escort.

[Art Shirk]

Im digging the comments here. Buying a 32 year old escort wasn't on my to-do list today but that thing will go for 3.2k. Ive fond memories of hooning an old XR3 around the british country-side in the mid 90s and the fact that there is a GT hatch down the way with 80k on the clock, a manual and in what can only be described as periwinkle vomit blue, makes me very interested. I bet most of the plastic is disintegrated but I'd have fun tinkering on it. Guarantee it will be snappy.

[skaredshtles]

Im digging the comments here. Buying a 32 year old escort wasn't on my to-do list today but that thing will go for 3.2k. Ive fond memories of hooning an old XR3 around the british country-side in the mid 90s and the fact that there is a GT hatch down the way with 80k on the clock, a manual and in what can only be described as periwinkle vomit blue, makes me very interested. I bet most of the plastic is disintegrated but I'd have fun tinkering on it. Guarantee it will be snappy.

You *have* to buy it now.

For us.

[MontuckyFried]

Man. Nostalgia's one helluva drug, eh? Would be a butt ton of fun if it were like $300 like it WOULD have been years ago, but for over 10x that amount, that's a hard NO for me. They sucked when new. However, they were still fun back in HS BECAUSE they were dirt cheap and we could thrash on 'em without a care in the world. Same reason rental cars are the most fun cars you can drive.

[riser4]

All the hoses are probably cracked. And escort brakes rust up tight if you let them sit for more than 5 minutes.

[simple]

I had a brand new Toyota Corolla as a rental car last week. It would fucking destroy that Escort. Dude saying 95% stat is on drugs. Modern cars are way better than the 80s econo boxes even if the manual transmission is dead. Sure there are nanny devices and such but higher HP and better MPG is pretty good tradeoff

[MarcusBrody]

I had a brand new Toyota Corolla as a rental car last week. It would fucking destroy that Escort. Dude saying 95% stat is on drugs. Modern cars are way better than the 80s econo boxes even if the manual transmission is dead. Sure there are nanny devices and such but higher HP and better MPG is pretty good tradeoff

Speaking of the Corolla, the new hatchback doesn't look terrible and they are apparently dropping a GR version soon. I hope they keep it somewhat subtle, but another AWD hot hatch would be a fun yet practical choice.

[Art Shirk]

This escort hate is working. I want it more than ever. I also need a beater farm truck though.

An intake and I could be as cool as this guy

[Bushwacka]

Speaking of the Corolla, the new hatchback doesn't look terrible and they are apparently dropping a GR version soon. I hope they keep it somewhat subtle, but another AWD hot hatch would be a fun yet practical choice.

yeah I hope its at least 250hp, 6 speed and AWD.

[Bushwacka]

I mean compared to other cars from the ERA.

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/35w...c-si-hatchback

the civic has WAY better handing though.

[Art Shirk]

Man super similar specs on the 89 GT and the 90 Si. HP, 0-60, top speed, mileage all pretty bang on. And that Si had same mileage and went for 14k. Gimme the 3k GT in Harry Dunne tux-blue all day.

[Bushwacka]

Man super similar specs on the 89 GT and the 90 Si. HP, 0-60, top speed, mileage all pretty bang on. And that Si had same mileage and went for 14k. Gimme the 3k GT in Harry Dunne tux-blue all day.

Si weighs a lot less, better suspension and has 40 years of honda parts to throw at is.

Si is way easier to mod, I mean I am partial to the SI though. I owned one, and bought back the same car I built when I was 15 and owned till 09. Mine has 250 Hp and has over 20 Fast times of the day at Autocross and so many class wins.

[ex-powderbroker]

Man super similar specs on the 89 GT and the 90 Si. HP, 0-60, top speed, mileage all pretty bang on. And that Si had same mileage and went for 14k. Gimme the 3k GT in Harry Dunne tux-blue all day.

troll overload!

[bodywhomper]

Speaking of the Corolla, the new hatchback doesn't look terrible and they are apparently dropping a GR version soon. I hope they keep it somewhat subtle, but another AWD hot hatch would be a fun yet practical choice.

That would be fun and I hope Toyota does this, but i would not hold out for that to happen. I have a 2006 awd matrix. the matrix is known as a "corolla matrix" in some places. the awd version is a gutless utility hatchback. there's a 2wd matrix with a sportier engine, but toyota didn't put it into the awd version.

[PNWbrit]

Im digging the comments here. Buying a 32 year old escort wasn't on my to-do list today but that thing will go for 3.2k. Ive fond memories of hooning an old XR3 around the british country-side in the mid 90s and the fact that there is a GT hatch down the way with 80k on the clock, a manual and in what can only be described as periwinkle vomit blue, makes me very interested. I bet most of the plastic is disintegrated but I'd have fun tinkering on it. Guarantee it will be snappy.

I thought you were a Vauxhall Astra guy.

[singlecross]

32 days of $100/day rental cars to beat the piss out of would be WAY more satisfying than owning that Escort. If you rented one every two weeks to get your fix of e-brake turns, that’s over a year of hilarity. Take the hubcaps off and get the insurance. Trust me.

[riser4]

One of the best characters in Weeds was Kevin Nealon. And the desk drawer bit was over the top funny.

[BobMc]

Im digging the comments here. Buying a 32 year old escort wasn't on my to-do list today but that thing will go for 3.2k. Ive fond memories of hooning an old XR3 around the british country-side in the mid 90s and the fact that there is a GT hatch down the way with 80k on the clock, a manual and in what can only be described as periwinkle vomit blue, makes me very interested. I bet most of the plastic is disintegrated but I'd have fun tinkering on it. Guarantee it will be snappy.

Heh, I highly doubt you’ll be happy nor impressed. If you were “hooning” about in Europe in an XR3 it ain’t that thing. Totally different vehicle.

In 1988 I bought my first new car ever, a Mercury Lynx XR3. I of course loved that little car, but to look back and think it handled well or was fast compared to modern cars is laughable. It was a shitbox, like most all cars built in the 80’s. If you dumped the clutch it’d spin the wheels and put you into the right hand lane quicker than shit. You literally had to keep the wheel halfway turned to the left as the RH halfshaft was 4-5 inches longer than the LH halfshaft.

It understeered at any speed other than fast which then became an unpredictable oversteer. The only fun predictable thing about that car was an ebrake 180, the rear end was light enough to willingly follow the front end when the rears were locked.

I was a young dumb mechanic when I bought that thing, got set up by the finance guy in the dealership I worked at. I signed up for the paint protection, extended warranty, accident/credit/health, the whole gamut of extraneous commissions for him. I wisened up after a while and got them back with the extended warranty.

[Aldo]

factor in the repair money for the blown head gasket.

[schuss]

honestly the only reason to buy that escort would be for the VIN/Shell to make your own cosworth replica.

[Bushwacka]

the best , of the best FWD ever made. ITR. VTEC YO.

[riser4]

honestly the only reason to buy that escort would be for the VIN/Shell to make your own cosworth replica.

Unless your after a Cosworth Vega. A fucking Chevy Vega. Which is arguably worse than a Ford Escort, which is quite an achievement.

[refried]

factor in the repair money for the blown head gasket.

I had a friend who bought an EXP new (remember the TRX tire sizes), I was never impressed with it and did a Head gasket on it when it was only a few years old. It was the first time I'd come across Torque to Yield head bolts and could only find them at Ford, the price was way more than the gasket set.