In 1981, the Ford Escort replaced the Pinto as the company’s subcompact offering. Built as a “world car” through collaboration with Ford of Europe, the Escort shifted to front-wheel-drive and would remain in production into the early part of the 21st Century. This 1986 edition is the sportier GT version in hatchback garb and has possible low mileage at 62,000. It needs some detailing and mechanical TLC but can be driven while you work on it. From Rancho Santa Margarita, this small Ford is available here on craigslist for $3,250. Gracias to Pat L. for another interesting tip!
Economy cars were still in demand in the 1980s and the Ford Escort would quickly go on to become the best-selling automobile in the U.S. (at the time). During its life cycle, the Escort would serve as the host for a lot of platform-sharing, which included (as variants), the Ford Tempo/Mercury Topaz, Ford EXP/Mercury LN7, and the Mercury Lynx (badge engineering Escort). The cars received their first styling refresh between the 1985 and 1986 model years and were upgraded to a 1.9-liter engine, like in the seller’s car.
This Escort is largely original, save the normal consumables. Besides an H-O version of the inline-4, it also has a 5-speed manual transmission. It’s said to sound and run fine and has new tires along with good brakes, but a motor mount may require replacement. In the appearance department, the Ford is in better than fair shape. There are the usual dings and scratches in the paint which is fading in places and may respond nicely to some wax.
The interior sports a new dash cap and headliner, but the rest needs thorough detailing. The glass is all good, but the rubber around the side windows is worn and needs to be updated. The vehicle has air conditioning, but the seller cannot attest to how well it works (he/she simply didn’t try it?). There is a rubbing sound when you turn the steering wheel, which we’re told could be something scraping on a trim piece. The bottom line: is this a car you would add to your mix for the asking price?
I had a work friend who got his girlfriend pregnant and had to drop out of school and take a position with her family business. He dropped by work a few weeks after he quit and was driving a new Escort GT. Sharp car, sunroof and a manual transmission and there I was stuck with my 79 Horizon. The next year I ran into another friend who had quit school and he’d bought himself the identical car. Made me wonder why I was still slogging through school, but I kept up the slog. Still, they looked like fun cars. If I was in the market for one, I’d give this one a look. Kinda like a milder version of an early GTI. Not a burner, but a good time with the stereo cranked, the sunroof open and no particular place to go.
Looks like a fun little runabout. These all rusted away around me and you never see them anymore. I always thought these were slow slugs (I’d only been in auto trans versions) until I picked up a Topaz coupe with a 5 speed and cracked head. Once I put a head on it, I discovered the manual makes these a peppy little joy. Hopefully it goes to a good home.
Wow! I am tempted. I had a 1984 Mercury Lynx RS, same thing as an Escort GT. It looked nice but it was a real yuckmobile in the experience of driving it with the 1.6 liter (72 hp I think). The engine upgrade and suspension tweaks here make it a completely different car and actually fun to drive.
Knowing well the shortcomings on these cars, I’ve still always wanted one for my ’80s Fords dream garage. They’re super hard to find in any condition these days. I did see one in the pick a part yard a few months ago, which surprised me.
If this were a lot closer,I’d have a hard time not considering it.
Not a lot you can buy for that cheap,in that condition nowadays.
I’m looking at a rust free 1980 Ford Fiesta Sport that’s parked
in a garage,but has been sitting there for years,but no engine/transmission.
I offered $700 for it,but am half-hoping they’ll turn me down,as I’d end up
a lot of money into it,& probably would never finish it.
If anyone’s looking for one,I could connect you with the seller.
This was a decent attempt to provide a dose of sportiness into what was a basic throwaway economy car. It’s good to see one in reasonable shape.
I always thought it was a shame Ford restricted it to the 2-door body only, there should’ve been a 4-door and wagon.
Are you talking about the GT specifically, because they dod have a four door and long roof as well as far as I’m aware.
The next generation had a sedan variant. It was the LX-E. Super fun little car.
These were a true to their roots hot hatch. No four doors allowed. No automatic trans offered. If you want either of those, this is not the car for you.
What is your location?
Ranch Santa Margarita California. And I can now confirm the A/C is inoperative, the compressor did not engage and no cold air. How did you know I was here?
I was given an ’88 Escort GT, it was dirty, moldy, and had a blown head gasket, no rust though. I took the interior out, cleaned everything, fixed the head gasket and it turned out to be a great car.
Are you the seller? I live in Maryland.
i see the post on CL is down, but if you still have it, please let me know ..
Did you sell it?
@Robbie Garner and @$ where mouth is , The car is still available, the buyer had to back out due to shipping costs. I will be re-posting tomorrow.
My Mom bought a brand new 85 Escort wagon, about as ho-hum as it gets (it was even beige in color) the kid down the street bought this cars twin shortly there after and it made the wagon seem so much more lame. It never occurred to me, as another commenter mentioned, how cool an escort GT wagon would have been, I’d say Ford missed out on that one.
I had a beige 82 stick rot box i paid $200 for.. Had an am radio and zero options. Fun little car. Rip up the emergency brake and do power slides… It got hit by a city snow plow around 89.
An old friend of mine owned an ’86 Escort GT. Kept it for at least 20 years. Drove it every day. Zero problems. If this wasn’t in Rancho Chimichanga, CA. I’d check it out.
I think it was a nostalgic bargain.
I took a job at an engine rebuilding plant in St. Louis in 1988 specifically to develop at system to rebuild the Escort ohc aluminum cylinder head.
With 5 different sized cam journals and combustion chambers prone to cracking, it was a challenge. Because the company didn’t want to invest in the ovens necessary to properly raise & lower the cyl head temperature before & after weld repairs the project was ultimately unsuccessful.
If you had, I would like to think you would have used a more durable exhaust seat than the original composite powder metal seats, which would sometime, for no apparent reason crack apart, usually after about 78,000- 120,000 mi., I’m thinking. I don’t know if the intakes ever cracked, or not. This problem went on for many years before people took notice, because it affected the cars after the warrantee had expired, so the 2nd owners were left holding the bag. Also-there were not as many internet car sites or videos where disgruntled owners could reflect on their experiences at the time.
Better replace the head gasket, timing belt and head studs if you want to actually drive it. Those things were super fragile.. I had many.. Run them with the radiator cap loose after the gasket pops.
My Dad bought one of these while I was in high school. Loved driving the car on weekends before I got my first car. Lots of great memories. Handled great and honestly fairly peppy for an econobox. I wish it were closer as I’m looking for a car for my 16 year old now. I think I’d buy it in a heartbeat if it were closer.
I had an 86 Escort GT back in the 90’s. Mine was a southwest PA rust bucket, but it sure did run good. I drove it until the ecu crapped out and I couldn’t find another. The 1.9HO was a very peppy engine in such a light car and it handled very well. If I were in the market for a nostalgic sporty yet economical car I’d snag this one up, finding one in such good shape for such a low price is almost impossible these days.
Had a 86 EXP. Neat fun little car. But yes the engine is weak. Mine blew , replaced it. Was never exactly the same. Sold it and bought a old 78 Volvo 245. bullet proof and actually fun to drive. If rather brickish.
I had the exact same car in ’87. I bought it off my local Ford dealers lot with 10k miles on it. Loved that car. My buddy called it a poor man’s mustang. He drove an ‘ 86 Mustang GT.
I had a red ’89 Escort GT, my first brand new car. It was comfortable and got good gas mileage and a great sound system. It also died on the road the second day I owned it and had to be towed to the dealer, had bad seals around the windows that leaked at different times meaning trips to the dealer, and at about a year started making strange thunking noises when backing in reverse while turning the wheels that the dealer could not diagnose. Needless to say, by mid ’90, I traded it for a ’91 Eclipse Turbo GS and never looked back.
i was happy to see this, and inclined to buy, checked the post and its gone :/
if you are the owner/seller , im seriously interested in buying it, please let me know..
or if anyone out there has one of these for sale, let me know
ive owned two of em, loved em, great car and no matter how much i beat on it, it held up and consistant 35mpg. Handles really well and theyre bigger than they appear. Rumor has it the turbo from Fords 6cyl of that era bolts up to it, and hope maybe one day find out if true :)
hi $ where mouth is, the car is still available, the previous buyer backed out due to shipping and logistics.
I was really sad to see the post had been deleted before I even got a chance to see it. I’d love to have bought this as I’ve always found them really cool little cars. Would love to have one, finally!
Like “$ where mouth is”, I’d love to hear from the owner of this one or anyone that has one for sale. THANK YOU!
Hi Samian, the car is still available, the buyer backed out because of shipping logistics. Amazing how popular it is.
ohhh ya ?!.
welll, is it posted somewhere ?,
or can we just start from here
let me know..
and
i see Samian is interested too, if i can have first dibbs, or however you opt GTiD. To consider Samian, if he really loves it, I really prefer power windows, so thats a thing, but not such that id ‘kick it out of bed’
I had an 83 escort wagon. Best pickup ever. Regularly hauled more than it’s capacity. Biggest thing to go in the back was a 460 and C6. Luckily that was only a short haul as it used up all the suspension and would barely move. That car got hit in the driver’s door hard enough to leave a 2 Inch gap at the sill. Kept driving it until I found a replacement. The car had 330km on it. I then bought an 83 lx hatch with a blown motor. That car was owned by an older gentleman who only put 30k on it before it holed a piston. I pulled the engine from my wagon, changed all the gaskets, water pump and timing belt and put it in the LX. I bought the body kit and interior from a junked 94 escort gt. Anyone remember BAT? Bought koni shocks and better springs, poly bushings and sway bars. Put 14inch Tempo alloy wheels with 195/60/14 tires on it too. Had a custom exhaust made with a k&n air filter and a weber 32/36 carb. Only used Castrol 5w50 synthetic oil. The original owner removed all the interior panels and painted the body with grease and a brush. Smelled funky in the summer…. When I was done, I put 780000 km on it commuting to work over the next 5 years. Average of 125000k per year. Never broke down, was never really fast but handled amazingly well. I gave it to a friend who put a further 30k on it. I found out later he scrapped it when it blew a plug out of the head. I was heartbroken. The scrap yard wouldn’t sell it back to me, even though it was still in my name. The body was still mint, the paint still had shine. I had a 1.9 GT engine waiting to go in it when the original engine died. Over a million km on that engine. Didn’t burn much oil, ran sweet still. Scrapped over a plug. If I could wayback and keep one car I owned it would be that one. Not the best car I have owned, but the best companion for sure. Was never worried about not making it to my destination, just knew it would take a while. With the GT seats and the handling you would arrive smiling. I would sell body parts to buy another Grey 83 GT. BTW, anyone want a performance cam for a 1.9 Gt engine? I no longer have use for it…..
@$wheremouthis @GTIDave Good morning guys! Thank you both, first of all. I really appreciate the notes and, yes, I gladly offer you first dibs on it! I don’t know where you’re located but I’m in Kentucky, so the distance for transport would be a real concern (just as it was with the previous intended buyer). I hope you get it and enjoy it as it looks like a great one!
hi,
i have a good friend who lives in that town and i personally transport cars, so it should go pretty smoothly.
i will buy an Escort GT, if not this one, another, im on the hunt.
if you are particular to this car, i can inspect it and deliver it to you.
I checked Orange County Craigslist an hour ago and no post yet. Thank you for dibbs, ill follow up when i know more.
if i could have the GT of my choice itd have power windows, and a moonroof, and blue.
i had a black 88, bought from Ford, fully loaded that i wrecked on an interchange racing a Celica GT, what a waste. A blue 88, that i customized and puts crazy miles on, it got stollen, still not recovered. And an 86 Lynx that was also fully loaded but gold and tan, i sold. Later in life, in a beautiful relationship with a woman who picked me up hitchhiking in a loaded, red, 91. My first commet was ‘cool car’ and she thought for months i meant that sacrastically. We drove that GT for years till upgraded to a Volvo XC.
The 91 GT sold the same day we posted it and the guy was thrilled.
We both realized we should have kept it.
Its been some 15 years and still havent found a replacement.
Too many of these were beaten and junked.
Its funny how the majorities sentiments tend to dictate the narrative, or trends, styles, etc.
The mass are sheeple, they dont really know what there talking about, but those in the know know, ya know ? ;)
These cars should have been crazy popular, IF only Americans put their money where there mouth is, but instead buy foreign, competitors cars and think a US flag sticker covers the shame.
cest la vie
HI! Thanks for sharing each of those experiences with me. I agree that most just do not know (or care). When I was 16, I was a sheeple and didn’t get it and when my dad tried to talk me into one, I was far too worried about what my buddies would think (always a dumb way to think, I now believe). But soon after that, I woke up and became one who has especially appreciated the underdog and the under appreciated. At one point, as a young married dad of two, I ended up getting a 2001 Jetta with the 1.8T and a 5 speed for my car and it, too, was fully misunderstood by anyone that didn’t already have one. Guys in big trucks and decked out Camaros, etc… would bear down on me when I’d pull into traffic and I loved to just leave them with their mouths hanging open. Didn’t realize it until much later but when I had a Mini Cooper S (never thought those were misunderstood until my son wouldn’t drive it to high school one day while his car was in the shop)… once I convinced him how others were so very wrong, he fell in love with the car (and leaving the doubters with their mouths hanging open). That’s how I feel about these and other under-appreciated cars that are so rare because they didn’t sell like gangbusters but also because most of the survivors didn’t survive the way they were mistreated or monkeyed with.
I’ve always been one to appreciate
samiam,
Never too late to wake up and smell the gas fumes – LOL! I had similar experiences as you. I had an Audi A4 wagon, 1.8T manual. I chipped the ECU and that thing flew! I also had an ’08 Mini Cooper S and that one handled like it was on rails. I obviously never cared what people thought about the way any car I owned looked – in ’86 I bought a new Omni GLH-T. Similar to the Escort GT, super fun to drive, and surprised many an IROC driver.
Good morning @samiam and $ where mouth is.
The car is posted now. My apologies to you both, I did not consider I may have tossed a grenade in the room when addressing you individually. -David
No grenade that I can see. I feel like I’ve made friends with a fellow fan of the under-appreciated Escort GT! Can you provide the link to the new listing for us, please?
Yes, of course. https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/d/trabuco-canyon-ford-escort-gt-mk1/7671726733.html
I agree with, $ where mouth is, about the lack of popularity with these cars. Seems odd they didn’t do better here since they were such a hit in Europe, where they are still wildly popular and fetching big money too.
The European version had been around since the ’60’s… there is no comparison between the Euro version and the mediocre Escort GT we got in the States, although the second generation with the Mazda engines were a bit better.
I believe the MK3 in Europe was the same as the MK1 here in the states. They had the XR3 and Turbo RS.
Hello @samiam and @$ where mouth is,
I see it may against the rules posting that link, I posted this morning and it’s not here now. If you search Orange County Craigslist for the 1986 escort it should show up. If you have questions feel free to call or text if you are still interested. -David
@GTiDave Good morning! Glad I kept checking back for more info. I see your comment was posted yesterday morning but I’m just now finding it (Sunday morning). Thanks for explaining. I didn’t know they wouldn’t allow the link, so I went to find it (thanks for the extra help on where to look). I especially appreciate all the extra details in the description on what it needs, etc… If I were in better health, I’d love to take it on as a project. Maybe @$wheremouthis will get it and have enough fun with it to share with us sometime. If I think of anyone that would be a contender for it, I’ll send them right to you! Thanks!
@GTiDave I just caught my mistake (I need new glasses, it seems) :)