1981 Ford Escort

23k original miles.

https://capecod.craigslist.org/cto/5460734930.html

 

These have all but vanished from the highways. I have not seen one of these early Escorts in many, many years! Almost a novelty.
Pete

 

I'd love to have this for a daily driver, especially if it were a stick.

 

If it's as good as the pictures show this is a steal. Trouble is until 1987 the engines were gutless and fuel economy marginal. My '87 was still gutless but the best fuel mileage I ever got on any car.
For where I'd drive it that wouldn't matter.

 

There was a man from Nantucket
Had a nice Escort, not a rust bucket
Said "I'll sell it to you"
"Or to your cousin too"
"For $2,800. If you don't like it, well <bleep>"

Sorry. Been . What can I say?

 

My aunt had an 86.5 back in '87-90. It was a hatchback... it was a darn good car. Have a photo of me somewhere around here setting on the back of it in 1988. lol.

 

Automatic was a BIG option on this car. But, an AM/FM radio too!! This was a loaded escort.
I want it!

 

Good to know that the radio works.

 

They didn't totally vanish, they just rusted away to nothing and the wind blew them away, sort of like when Dracula goes sunbathing.

 

Holy Crap! That thing should be in a museum! I haven't even seen many of those early ones out here in the desert. Once a common automobile, most have long been done in my rust and the cylinder head issue......

I'd like to (secretly) have it......

 

Seriously. Everyone reminiscing about them and wanting one must not have had one recently. I remember when these cars were the go-to cheap transportation for us kids in high school. Nothing but electrical and mechanical problems, gutless, and uncomfortable for the majority of the taller population. No thanks!

 

I bought a slightly used 1987 Escort 2-door in late '87 as my tow behind car when camping with our motorhome. Of course it also served as my work car when the weather was too bad to drive one of my older custom cars. This was central Illinois. We even took it camping when staying in rental units.
I drove that little gutless cheap car until July 1994 after driving it back to Ill. from buying a retirement home in Florida. Never a minute's trouble and it got an unbelievable 50 MPG up Pa mountains and down with a Sears pod on the roof.
I never kept records of MPG with any other vehicle but in all that time loaded with camping gear and family, or only me to work and back 15 miles each way, it remained at 50 MPG.
I hated to sell it but needed a van to move our cars and junk to Florida.

 

Same with my aunts '87 Escort. I think hers was what they called a "86.5", I think it had a minor restyle 1/2 way through '86. She purchased hers when it was only a few months old and drove for years with no issues. Here is a pic of me setting on the back of it in 1988 when she purchased it- notice the temporary tag. That background has sure changed, my grandfather build a house in front of where the car is setting in 1990 (which is now another aunts home) and tore down that garage and I have aged almost 30 years since this, lol.

 

Not really sure what changes were made between 1986 and'87. My brother and I both had white Escort 2-doors, like the one pictured. Can't remember if they were called a coupe or hatchback. His seemed crappy and didn't do well on gas.
Mine was crappy, too small, but had an experimental carb or TBI that I later found wasn't supposed to be on there. That's why the great gas mileage.
I hated it so much that I tried to return it on the way from work the first day. Have no idea what the selling price was. I traded a 1980 Malibu V-6. All I know is they wanted to rob me so I lived with the car and actually liked it. Sort of like learning to drive a VW beetle!

Wife wants to know if you're still cute!

 

I think they changed the headlights to the more "Euro" looking headlights to make it look more like the '86 Taurus and updated the taillights 1/2 way through 1986 and called it a 1986.5 model. Not sure why they just didn't call it a 1987 model, I guess things were a little different back then. Ford changed many of their cars to those composite style headlights in 86-87.