I believe this color is what Ford called Autumn Orange, and believe it or not, this is the first Ford ZX2 that we’ve seen here on Barn Finds. I’m a big fan of the earlier EXP two-door coupe version of the Escort, and this ZX2 is somewhat similar, other than having a back seat. The seller has this 1999 Ford Escort ZX2 posted here on craigslist in beautiful, warm, sunny Scottsdale, Arizona, and they’re asking $1,900. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Jack M. for the tip!
With an unmistakable Ford corporate look, this Ford ZX2 is hard to confuse with any other car other than maybe a Mazda Protege, which shared its platform, as did the Mercury Tracer. Made from 1997 for the 1998 model year, they were offered until 2000 in Canada and Mexico and until 2003 here in the U.S., and only came in this one body style. I wonder what a convertible may have looked like…
Bordering on “burnt orange,” this color is classic late-1990s. I almost bought a new Scion xB in this orange’ish color in 2000, and I think I’ve seen a newer Nissan SUV in this color recently. Subaru offered a bright orange for its XV Crosstrek, but I don’t know if there are a lot of these unusual and bright colors available anymore, in general. This example has the Sport trim as seen on the rear, and those 15″ wheels are part of that package, as is the orange paint. 130 horsepower doesn’t sound very sporty, but these can be fun cars to drive if equipped with a 5-speed manual.
D’oh! Well, so much for that. No, I’m kidding, this could still be a fun car to drive, you just won’t be doing any shifting other than putting it from P to D to R, or any combination of those letters. The interior looks like new, but I sure want to see under that color-matched dash cover. Scottsdale isn’t exactly Reykjavik, and that blazing year-round sun can and does cause real damage. You probably noticed the clearcoat has been under fire and is missing on a lot of the exterior panels.
The engine looks super comfy! Wait, that’s the back seat. Sadly, the seller didn’t bother to pop the hood, but this one should have Ford’s 2.0-liter DOHC inline-four with 130 horsepower and about the same in torque. It’s sent through the four-speed automatic to the front wheels, and the seller says it may need a motor mount and possibly a water pump as it drips a bit. But the AC is cold, and it runs and drives great. $1,900 is a four-wheel brake job in 2025, and this is a lot of car for that money, especially one with no rust, as it’s been in Arizona. It has some needs, but with some tinkering, it would be a great first car. Have any of you owned a ZX2?
Good write-up Scotty. I had forgotten about these Escort variants. All these years later, in my eyes the styling has held up well; straightforward and kind of sporty. Even with the failing clearcoat this example looks reasonable and is priced in the “just a car” category. I’ll admit I am curious about the “chicken engine lights.” Would be more fun with a manual transmission.
By the way, nice looking convertible chop.
Thanks, Bob and Dave! I agree, this wouldn’t be a bad one to own if a person wanted an unusual and small car with just enough tinkering to keep things interesting. The chicken light is classic! I’m guessing that meant check engine light but autocorrect went wild, as it often does.
Yeah, I’m kind of wondering what a Chicken light even looks like. Unfortunately our Escort didn’t have that lol.
-Dave
I wonder…
Scotty…….. That was funny!!!
What’s funny too is….. Folks just coming on and seeing there’s already 7 comments are going to think, Wow!! This cars really popular. Only to find half of the comments about a Chicken Engine Light lol.
Same here as Bob, I totally forgot about these. I always thought it was a nice design, definitely would be more fun with a stick. Our ’94 Escort sedan served the family very well for about 2 decades, they were very well built cars. The only other car I’ve seen with a color similar to this was on a Kia Soul ( which I liked a lot). Love the drop top version too Scotty. I know I’ve said this before but you really do have a knack for doing that.
Mom and Dad had a brand new one in ’97. Traded in a T Bird on it. All their friends said my Dad bought it so he wouldn’t ever have to drive, when they went out with other couples! Nice looking little car, but I never drove it.
Still driving my 98 , with 5 speed. It’s been a great car. Brakes , oil , tires and several batteries . Nothing more. Best $ I ever spent. It does need paint.
I cross shopped it back in ’98 with the Honda Civic EX, Nissan 200SX SE-R, Chevy Cavalier Z24, Dodge Neon ACR, VW GTI, and Subaru Impreza RS.
This didn’t really stack up very well against that competition. Most car magazines had it in last place or near last place as I recall. I also recall not being enamored with the styling and being bummed that the Escort GT was no longer available. This was supposed to be the Escort GT’s spiritual successor but it always reminded me more of the EXP.
What’s most amazing about this memory is not the car I chose (Civic EX, I missed the Si by 1 year lol!) but rather the choices we had. The GTI, WRX, and Civic Si are still hanging on, and that’s great, but they are more upscale than back then.
Nice car and a great write-up as usual. No engine bay shot means one of two things to me: seller does not know much about cars and thinks: hey, its an engine. Its there, who cares? OR It is mostly duct tape, chicken wire, bubble gum, jb weld and prayers. I think in this case it is likely….the former?
You are way too kind, Andrew, thanks much. I think this is a heck of a deal. There aren’t many usable cars for sale for under $5,000 anymore, and this one is under $2,000!
Actually, the design is not out dated. Orange isn’t my first choice, but it still looks pretty good
Would this be the rare Colonel Sander’s model.
Ha!
I bought a brand new 2001 ZX2 in a nice emerald green metallic color. It had a five speed and was a hoot to drive. It felt quick and the zetec motor was rev happy. I had it a few years and sadly it was totaled due to severe storm damage (hailed on and flood water). I truly enjoyed that little coupe.
Even with the automatic these were a capable driver. Overdrive to keep revs down. I always liked the style reminding me of the 50s club Coupe look.
Posting deleted.
My take away on Scotty’s write up is a chuckle on $1,900 being the cost of a four wheel brake job in 2025. Ain’t it the truth. Especially when it’s time to replace the brakes on your vehicle with garbage can lid size rotors. Remember when shops “turned” rotors?
I drove one of these through most of high school and into college. It was surprisingly comfortable for a taller guy (or it would’ve been if not for the standard-for-2003 power sunroof), and the drivetrain was dead reliable. The same cannot be said of the AC system, and the motor mounts had to be replaced, but for a roughly 200,000 mile car it’s hard to complain. The automatic did indeed suck some of the fun out of it, but it still handled great! Oh, and check the window seals, if they get worn out you’ll get a lot of wind noise from the frameless glass fluttering around.