(Please enjoy this latest COAL, submitted by Denise Lima-Laskiewicz)
A survivor! My 1985 ½ Ford Escort is referred to that whenever I participate in a car show. The vehicles are rare. In the past when these vehicles were produced, they were seen everywhere.
The Ford Company implemented a change in 1985 that created the 1985 ½ model. It was a marked improvement over its predecessor. Originally, I did not like the body style of the new Ford Escort. I was not impressed because a friend of mine owned a 1983 model at the time. However, I saw a sand beige car on the Ford dealer’s showroom floor and fell in love with it. My mother encouraged me to buy it. The more that I thought about it, the more I liked the idea.
The website en.wikipedia.org says, “Ford released a revision of the first-generation Escort. While much of the body shell was carried over the front fascia saw extensive aerodynamic revisions. With designers fitting a smaller grill and flush-mounted aerodynamics head lamps.” The engine was upgraded to a 1.9 L CVH that included a 2bbl. Carb. It had 16 more torque and 86 horsepower.
In the 1980’s the public preferred vehicles that were economical on gas. The Ford Company took up the challenge. The Ford Escort replaced the Ford Pinto in 1981. The cars of the earlier model were equipped with a 1.6-liter engine. Information on the website www.escort/focus.com indicates “The first Escort, and Mercury’s version called the Lynx, was powered by a carburetor that produced a 2-barrel carburetor that produced 69 horsepower. The engines were SOHC (single overhead com) designs and called the CVH, which stood for “Command Angle Hemispherical’ combustion chamber.” The Escort was economical on gasoline which made it very popular. It got 30 miles per gallon in the city and 43 miles per gallon on the highway.
I was 22 years old when I purchased the car. The Escort was the first brand new car that I bought. The car provided many first-time experiences for me as I look back over the past 37 years.
When the car was a year old, I worked full time at McDonalds as a swing manager. The McDonalds Corporation was updating its portfolio of the company and I worked in a building that had only a drive-through. The McDonalds publicity department had photographers come to the restaurant to take pictures of the building. They asked the crew if anyone would like to have pictures of their cars put in the portfolio. I volunteered mine. The photographer asked about the condition of my car. I said that it was new. I parked the car next to the drive-through window. The picture was taken and included in the portfolio. I received a copy of it in the mail. This was just a beginning of my car’s legacy in pictures.
Ten years later I began a new journey with my car because that is when the rust set in. On Monday nights I enrolled in an autobody repair class to learn the basic techniques of autobody repair. During that time, I repaired surface rot as well as the interior rot. The rear quarter panels and the rear floor rotted out. I dismantled the panels, the rear seat and lifted the carpet to repair the damage. I replaced the quarter panels with quarter panels from a donor car and the rear floor panels were replaced with sheet metal that I pop riveted in. I reassembled the interior of the car when the job was completed. My neighbor was amazed on how the vehicle looked because he saw it when the interior was empty.
During the restoration I used the Escort as my daily car. It traveled to Pennsylvania during the summer on a weekly basis and too work.
Another first for me was visiting junkyards. Over time, the junkyards became my best friend. The 1981-1989 models had interchangeable parts that I used for my car. I visited the junkyards at least once a month during the first 10 years that I owned the car. During the year that the interior was dismantled I went to a pick and pull junkyard that had several Escorts in stock. I took some lunch bags and removed each nut and bolt from inside the vehicle. Each bag was labeled to indicate where I got the items. Another time my transmission was acting up. The mechanic said that it was the kick-down bar, but he was not able to locate one. My husband and I went to the pick and pull junkyard, where there were five Escorts lined up in a row. I scored 5 kick-down bars. Today I have a collection of rare spare parts. My collection consists of a hatch for the back of the car, rear taillights, kick down bars, window cranks, nuts and bolts and an interior light.
When the car was 15 years old, the engine threw a rod in the block, the new engine came from the Ford Factory in Wayne, N.J. with a three-year warranty. The new engine provided an opportunity for me to continue too enjoy the car. However, in 2003 the front end required major work. I stored the car in my garage until I could gather the money to restore it. During that time, I sanded the car down to repaint it. In 2008 it received a new paint job and front-end work.
The following year the car participated in car shows. I was so proud of this car, but I was intimidated at the same time. The Escort didn’t belong alongside classic cars because it looked new. I never thought that I could win trophies. At different car shows the Escort was turned away because it did not fit the criteria of a classic car. At one show, I told the event coordinator that it was 25 years old, and the car could enter the competition. Another time New Jersey held a car swap meet where you sold items related to cars and showed your vehicle. The show had the option to pre-register the car by mail, but I chose not to do it. I arrived at the gate to register but was turned away. I explained to the guard at the gate that the car was 25 years old. He let me in, but I was warned that he would keep an eye on me. I love taking my car to the shows because of the different reactions that I get.
When the car was 25 years old, I wrote an article for the Poconos News. Information on the website www.pococorecord.com indicates, “Whenever the Escort is shown at local shows, spectators giggle with surprise looks on their faces. Several participants commented that this car is a survivor, that is a true statement because there are not many left…”
The car continued to gain notoriety over the next 15 years. The Escort was photographed at different car shows. The pictures were posted on several car related websites: such as Hotrod Hotline.com and car club Facebook pages. Spectators enjoyed looking at my car because it was unusual. Information on the website freep.com indicates “… the car brings a nostalgic feeling of all the memories and adventures we had in it.”
The license plate on the Escort has “QQ Thump” on it. The spectators asked, what does it stand for? I explained that it was the shorten version of “Thumper”. When they asked why it was called that I told them that during the first month that I had the car I drove it in Staten Island. There were so many potholes that the car was jumping up and down. It reminded me of a rabbit. I gave the Escort the nickname “Thumper”. Now the spectators call the car by its name when they see it.
Throughout the years, I have had other vehicles, but the Ford Escort is my favorite. These cars were not built to last, which makes them rare. The Escort had a tremendous amount of damage throughout the years. My car survived through my effort and dedication. Vehicles that still exist today when they should have gone to the junkyard are in a class by itself. That is why “Thumper” is a survivor.
Further reading:
Curbside Classic: 1985 Ford Escort – Worthy Of Love
Curbside Classic: 1981 Ford Escort – You Never Get A Second Chance To Make A Good First Impression
Great work keeping it going and being prepared to learn new skills and get in and do it yourself!
Cars over 25 years old here can be on restricted “classic” registration and I sometimes myself doing a double take when I see mid 90s mobiles on Classic rego.
Oh, I understand. My van is a 1990 Dodge conversion unit and to this day it is difficult to believe that it is a classic. When I attend car shows that have 1990 vehicles in it my head spins
Well done for keeping this very ordinary Escort in such good order. Over here (UK) all Escorts are now pretty rare, but the majority of survivors from this generation are the sporty XR3i or RS models rather than the plain Ls or GLs.
Bernard thank you very much for your compliment.
I bought my first new car right about the time you bought yours. At the time, I thought mine would be a “forever car”. Two years later I had another car.
But you have actually done it – through much hard work, you have done what almost nobody can do. You have taken an average, disposable little car in an inhospitable climate and given it the next thing to eternal life. Well done!
I cannot remember the last time I saw one of these. And I remember what a big deal Ford was making of the “1985 1/2” thing on these.
Thank you J.P. You never know what the future will bring. I am passionate about this car.
Congratulations, on your first Car of a Lifetime entry! With your Escort, you prove, any car can last near forever. If given some TLC. Never any reason, to feel intimidated or embarrassed, when your car was proven so popular at one time. Many people cherish and appreciate, strong everyday life memories of their past. And its long life, is a reflection of your personal care and dedication. It looks fantastic, and like new!
In 1988, my sister bought her son, a secondhand top-of-the-line 1986 Escort LX five door hatchback. It was a high school graduation gift. The first subcompact car, in my extended family, in the 1980s. It looked quite sharp, with the dark pewter upper colour, and light silver lower colour two tone paint. As below. I was impressed by the quality of the grey cloth interior, and seats. And I always liked the Escort dash. The new aerodynamic nose and headlights, as on your Escort, was a huge improvement. They did a nice job, with the rear taillights, as well. And Ford added a nice touch, with the slightly raised rear seats. The only issues I saw with that Escort, was it was under-powered, with the base engine and automatic. And the doors sounded ‘tinny’, when closed. Otherwise, a great little car.
Thanks for your great first COAL, as it brings back many memories for me!
You are so welcome Daniel. I love to reminisce about type of vehicle. BTW I love the picture.
Loved this article, love your Escort. I remember when the ’85 1/2 came out which the first time in my lifetime that I had seen a midyear introduction of a significantly redone car. I thought the external revisions were transformative in moderinizing the looks of the Escort. I’m so glad you stuck to your guns in showcasing this car at shows. You have probably brought many people some joy, whether they admit it or not.
Joseph, yes there were alot of giggles. I even ran into some people who worked at the Ford plant in NJ where it might have been made.
” Vehicles that still exist today when they should have gone to the junkyard are in a class by itself…” .
Well done. Such a great story about the love of a new car, and then the sheer will power and developed mechanical and auto-body talents to keep it going and looking like new.
There’s a “Herbie” vibe to THUMP in the way people react to it. The difference is that the race THUMP won is based on time on the road and looking good, not speeding in circles on a track.
Thank you for an enjoyable COAL.
Very interesting story about your Escort, and your work to keep it fresh and on the road! We had a earlier Escort (’81?) like this, but in Light Blue Metallic and with A/C, a first among the cars we had owned by that time. We bought the car in Ohio, moved to Texas and finally back home to Wisconsin.
We parted way$ in Wisc. after the Escort developed driveability problems which the local Ford dealer, de$pite generou$ contributions to their $ervice Dept; never did run properly after that. 🙁
It’s nice to see that someone had good luck with Ford’s “economy car” of the time!! 🙂 DFO
Extremely cool! Welcome!
Great story! Great work keeping this car on the road! Well done and thanks for the writeup.
Reminded me of a 1985 or so Dodge Aries I saw a few weeks ago at a Chrysler car show here. It seemed a bit out of place, but then again, not really.
You can be proud of all the work you did to keep this car going. It must have been a little surreal to watch the tide turn is this car went from just being old to rare to unique survivor.
This story kind of reminds me of couples who marry young and stay together, or maybe of a musician that learns to play on a cheap guitar, but comes to just love the fit and feel of it, even after he plays expensive ones or builds his own custom one.
First new car I owned was a first-year wagon. Figured I needed four doors and room for gear and the picture in the brochure of an Escort SS wagon spoke to me…in Lithuanian or something relatively untranslatable to my post-college ears.
Concord stereo and mix tapes were stolen one night by a local teen, whom I had mistakenly given a ride to and knew where the car was parked. Got an immobilizer alarm after that.
Traveling to a house party, tipped over mom’s crockpot full of her special Swedish meatballs thanks to the cardboard spare tire cover which bent under weight. Lost that new car smell, immediately and permanently.
Cracked the block during a cold long weekend trip to Killington. Nursed it home, and the engine got replaced under warranty. Sold it after 2 years with 16k miles, for enough to pay off the note. Mission accomplished?
Was the first (and second-to-last) new car I’ve ever bought. But at least it started the chain of a long list of long roofs.
Such fun times.
A nice write up of a much maligned car .
I liked these Escorts .
-Nate
I would definitely check out your Escort if I saw it at a car show. I like the unusual and unique cars that show up. I’ve seen plenty of Mustangs, Camaros, Chevelles, etc., not much new there.
The more mundane everyday cars or simply rare cars that haven’t been highly valued are really interesting to me. So many were just used up and disposed of.
Good job preserving this Escort for future generations to enjoy in person!
Great story and car! Yours looks as though it’s been stored away somewhere, LOL! I owned an 86 Escort stattion wagon that I bought to flip, but ended up keeping it, because of the 1.9/5 speed. I customized/upgraded it w/ parts from a junkyard Lynx, and made it a “one of none” model! I added the vent window doors, rear air deflector, Lynx wheels and split folding rear seats. Was one of the best cars that I’ve owned! 🙂
The ’85½ Escorts were interesting beasts since they differed in detail from the cars both before and after. They had a carryover ’84-’85 steering wheel (not the 4-spoke wheel introduced in ’86), carryover ’81-’85 side mirrors…and no third brakelight, either.
I enjoyed reading about your experiences getting the Escort into car shows! There’s a HUGE amount of gatekeeping in classic-car circles, with older generations thumbing their nose at any piece of machinery built after 1969, 1972, or whenever the days of their youth expired. This attitude has always rankled me: For people who came of age in the ’80s and ’90s, it’s like being told that our cars, our memories, and our experiences don’t count or matter.
Truth is, a Ford Escort is as significant to the psyche of its era as a classic Mustang or “tri-5” Chevy. Virtually *everyone* either owned one, drove one, or knew someone who did.
Congratulations on keeping the forces of entropy at bay. That’s no easy job.
It would have been most welcome at the 2nd Annual Malaise Era car show here this past weekend.
I really wanted to get there but I just had too much to do that weekend. 🙁
Welcome!
The story of your Escort is a reminder of how quickly cars used to rust. It seems like you had it for about 10 years and were at that time already replacing floors and body panels? Frankly, that really wasn’t that unusual an experience back then – and if I recall, was a particularly common experience with Escorts.
What’s uncommon of course is that you put the work into repairing and restoring it, and now you may have one of the best preserved Escorts in the country. Or New Jersey at least 🙂 There’s so much good to say about preserving something that 99.9% of the population considers disposable.
Good on you! And I’m looking forward to what other gems you reveal to the CC community in coming weeks.
wow, what a rare, rare sight now! These were used up and thrown away. Yours looks great! Kind of like seeing an updated Ford Pinto in this Escort model.
You could get some auto plastic polish and apply some with a regular wax rag to the headlights and that might make them a bit brighter and less clouded looking. I do that to my plastic headlights and it works well.
You could treat the headlights like paint correction. Sanding the surface with finer and finer grit sand paper, then buff using a polishing compound, clean well, and then spray with 2K clear coat.
Great work on keeping this car going! I always loved the 85.5 to 88 Escorts. Didn’t like the 88.5 redesign so much. One thing I really liked was the revised wheel center caps.
If you’re anywhere near Minneapolis next year, they have a Back To The 80s show, and your car would fit in perfectly! I’ve gone the last 3 years.
I love it when cars that most people would never give a second thought to get saved. Of course they tend to be throw away econo boxes which I feel have their own unique attractions just like luxury cars do. I’m sure yours is the only Escort of that era on the road in the entire Northeast at 38 years. Like my 32 year old 626 which is probably the last in Northern California left as a daily driver. Fortunately rust, like yours, is not a common feature where I live. Now let me know when you hit 55 years.
Good for you in keeping this little car going. Back in the day this model of Escort was good transportation. Not a durable automobile, but it sold well.
I would be drawn to it at a car show and I always encourage people who own a survivor to show them when possible. It’s always nice to see something different.
You deserve a lot of credit for persisting with what many consider a disposable car. I love seeing ’70s and ’80s unassuming and modest cars, so few are still with us. Many disliked Pintos but our ’72 Pinto wagon was a good little car and so rarely does one see one now.
Escorts deserve love too! And I love how you learned to keep it on the road yourself… great job!
After I graduated school, I was driving a Dodge Shadow in the early 1990s. And was able to compare the Dodge, to my nephew’s ’86 Escort. The Shadow felt more modern, given it was a newer design, and released six years later. Doors closed with a proper ‘thunk’, no tinny sound, as with the Ford. And the Shadow rode smoother, with less choppiness. And no suspension bottoming, if there were two passengers in the rear. Though, the Shadow generated more road noise, from the front tires. Escort engine was noisier, than the 2.2 litre. Neither car was fast. I liked the Escort LX interior more.
I recall knowing at least three people, who drove Escorts in the late 80s. I thought Ford did their best work, with making the interiors comfortable and attractive.
The Dodge Shadow was a cut-down K-car, if I recall correctly. The K-car had originally been designed as a replacement for the old Aspen/Volare, and was supposed to be the “bread-and-butter” car of Chrysler Corporation.
The Escort had been designed as an economy subcompact from day one. So it isn’t surprising that the Shadow felt like it was a step up from the Escort.
Correct. Much of the Shadow’s floorpan came from the Daytona, I recall. So, it helped give Chrysler a competent competitor against the Escort/Lynx, and Cavalier-clones in the late ’80s. The Shadow competed primarily on price, against the more refined import competition.
Every car has a story, and this is a good one, well told and clearly personal.
Welcome to the Curbivore Community – looking forward to reading more.
Parents bought me an 85 1/2 Escort as a college graduation gift in December 1985. It was a demonstrator with about 9000 miles. Author of this article is far more competent than I am. I gave up my Escort in October 1989 when the timing belt broke (I am a stupid man who didn’t check the owner’s manual), two months after the car left me stranded with a failed computer module. I bought a used 1989 Crown Victoria with 12,000 miles that I owned for 12 years. I wish I had appreciated the Escort more.
Very interesting long-time experiences with the Escort. I was also a long term owner that keep going through the smaller nuisances with one.
I had a 1982 Escort GT 1.6 purchased new in Spring, 1983. The original sticker was $8100, which was considered horrific for an ’82 Escort. Most base models sold for more like $5700. I paid $6500. The little known ’82 GT actually had a larger Ford/Weber carburetor, bit hotter camshaft and tubular exhaust header. 80 hp vs 67 hp. Also, factory alloy 13 in. wheels. Still hardly a road ripper. All this prior to FI or availability of a 5 speed manual.
The fact that it was a puddle jumper with IRS was something. Factory suspension alignment resulted in very rapid tire wear. The US model was intentionally set up to oversteer quite a bit to make Americans feel at home in their first small car. The only fix was to replace all struts and mounts with the European market parts. Tie rod ends and wheel bearings were problematic. I did 3k mi. maximum oil changes and avoided the sludging problem with the CVH engine. Neglected Escorts had a terrible scene under the valve cover. Fuel mileage without a 5th gear, was high 20’s locally and 33 highway.
I hung in with that daily driver for 8 years and 95k miles. It still ran well and I saw it around my area for years after parting. Rust was just starting to appear here and there. I suppose that even a bottom feeder may give good life with preventative maintenance and care. Many current models excluded.
Great to read this story – I gravitate to cars like this when I see them at car shows, and often wonder about the story behind their against-all-odds survival, so it’s satisfying to read the detailed story here. I recently wrote up a 1990 Escort that I spotted in a Walmart parking lot, but prior to that I think it had been a year or two since I’d seen this generation of Escort on the road at all.
Although the 1985.5 model may have incorporated some improvements over the 1985, there seems to have been one significant regression, per the brochures. The 1985 offered a fuel-injected engine on the LX & GT trims. These trims were dropped for 1985.5, so all engines were carbureted.
An enjoyable item. Thank you for writing and posting
I am enough older that my friends bought Pintos instead of Escorts. One friend had moved to England and he bought one when he and his wife moved back to Canada. He is not a car guy and he chose it because they owned one in England. I have no idea which models they had, but I do remember that he did not like his Canadian car as much as the British car, but not their reasons.
Congrats on your first COAL submission, but even greater congrats for keeping your Escort in great shape. I certainly believe that show attendees appreciate seeing your car there, not a car that they would expect to be a survivor! Also a shout out on being a “hands on” owner, that makes your story even more special.
Oh my. All I can say is thank you for all of your positive comments. This car has brought me such joy throughout the years. All of you are correct, this car brings back so many memories. She is unique and rare. All of you have made me feel so welcome and I look forward to writing some more articles in the future.
Denise ;
Please _do_ write more, we don’t get enough Female enthusiasts here .
Be aware a very few won ‘t be friendly but you are breaking an important barrier .
I have fond memories of a red ’82 Escort L stripper .
-Nate
A friend of mine bought one of the first Escort wagons in ’81. I don’t think it had any options, no radio, and a 4 speed.
I helped my middle sister buy a used one while she was in college. Hers had an automatic, and we got a particularly good deal on it. She did have some issues with it, the hybrid ignition module, and the fuel pump. She took it to a carburator shop and for some reason they added an electric fuel pump to it.
She was having it worked on when she borrowed my Dad’s ’86 Dodge 600. She totalled the 600 when apparently she ran through a red light and hit another car. Had to go to the hospital, she was banged up pretty badly but recovered. My Dad replaced the 600 with the first of 3 in a row Mercury Sables…followed up by 2 Impalas (she now owns the last one, my Dad having passed, my Mom stopped driving 2 years ago)
Come to think of it, she’s probably owned more cars than I have, even though I’ve been driving about 6 years longer. I’m on my 4th car in about 49 years of driving.