A two-seater coupe doesn’t come along for $5k every day, so you’re best off paying attention to this opportunity to grab one up if this is your jam. Check out what could soon be your 1982 Ford EXP via this ad on craigslist. Notice anything fun? How about “4-speed” and a red topcoat? Dig further and you’ll see sporty body styling that most people have forgotten about with the passage of time. You’ll have to find a way to Concord, CA, and thank tipster Barney when you get there if this car turns out to be a dream-fulfiller for you.
Frankly, I’m not sure there’s a giant market for a roller skate like this, but the price isn’t punishing, and you’re going to have some fun for sure. The old saw, “It’s more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow” might be just right in this context. What’s an EXP? First, off, it’s an “Erika Project Personal,” if you break the name down. Say what? Well, “Erika” was the European code name for the Escort, and X stood in for a Ford project car. If you get the car, I think your first move is to figure out a better name for it, and tell everyone that that’s what “EXP” means. Even “Experimental” just as a word sounds better, don’t you think?
So what was being experimented with? The more pedestrian Escort on which the EXP is based, produced from 1980 into the new Millennium in the US market. The EXP was made by FoMoCo from 1982 to 1988 over two generations. This car is obviously one of the originals. When introduced, it made due with a 1.6-litre, 70-horsepower overhead-valve four-cylinder engine (advanced technology for the time), though early on in the first sales year, an 80-hp variant became available. The engineering is front-wheel drive, which used to be a disappointment, but is now more or less what most drivers have grown up on. As mentioned above, you’ve got the chance to shift gears yourself as a way to make the driving experience more engaging.
One piece of good news, from a buyer’s perspective, is that this car is already in California. Being an 80s model and still being subject to emissions testing, it’s comforting to hear from the seller that it passes smog. It does appear to present some wear-and-tear needs, though the interior seems to have been preserved, perhaps due to the fact that only 58,000 miles have rolled by. I’m guessing that the 5K starting price is a stab in the dark from the seller, and that you might get the car at a more buyer-friendly number. If you like this somewhat brave body styling and dig the fancy seat skins, then maybe make a play for this runabout.
Always thought they were good looking little cars. 👍
Having went to the mat with a ginger gf named Erika years back, I’d leave it as just to remember the explosive time we shared…
This model, was my sister’s first car! Silver with burgundy interior, 4 spd. Fun car! Good times, good memories!
My roommate in college had one of these, an ’83 in black and silver two tone. I used to drive it all the time. It is basically an Escort with a sporty body and drives accordingly. Even with a manual , it wasn’t all that fun or quick, but it did do its job, which was to be a commuter car
There’s an excellent article on these in the latest issue of Collectible Automobile. I was shocked to learn that Ford intended to sell 250,000 of these per year. They were supposed to be commuter cars, but they wound up being longer, heavier, slower, less fuel efficient, and much more expensive than a basic Escort.