View Full Version : Need some quick advice
Mountain Chick
11-06-2005, 06:49 PM
Is a Ford Escort Diesel a good car? I mean is it too rare to find parts? If it's in good condition would it be worth owning? I could get one really cheap, right now, so...Come on guys, help me out.
What is that, an 85 or 86? I think that was a Mazda 2L engine(?). Isn't that what Veggie Ranger has in his truck? If so, prob wouldn't be that hard to get engine parts; rest of the car should be easy to get stuff for.
Mountain Chick
11-06-2005, 07:27 PM
It's a 1984 Ford Escort Diesel...and I've never heard of it before. But the price is low enough that I could get it now, and not have to wait until February.
I was curious and looked in clasifieds accross country, just 1 for sale, in the 818. If that's the one, not a bad price for a running car! I don't know anything about those but my 2nd wife did have a '93 that was pretty reliable. A quick search turned up this thread:
http://www.dieseldoctor.com/messageboard/data/1879.html
Good luck..
Mountain Chick
11-06-2005, 08:17 PM
Yep, that's the one (very sneaky, ekim :p ). Thanks for the link.
JeffNLisa
11-08-2005, 01:47 PM
You would be amazed at how many cars you see all over the US that are made in diesel for sale everywhere else. Escort is one of the MOST common in Germany. My brother is a professional mechanic (whose partner is from Germany, and they've vacationed there together, so he's seen first hand). In 1990, when we were all upset about gasoline on the hike again, going up from $1, in Germany gasoline at that time was the equivalent of about $3.50 per US Gallon. Diesel at the same time was about $2.00. I'm told that diesel is still roughly 60% the cost of gasoline in most of Europe, and that's why diesel cars are so common there.
My brother has seen in the US at least one of diesel Escort, Tempo, Camry, Sentra, Maxima and a host of others.
If it's a Mazda diesel, I trust it more than if it was a Ford. Everything else on the car would be about as dependable as any other 20 year old Ford.
But it's not a one-off, or some kind of a Jerry-rig. Literally, hundreds of thousands, if not over a million were made that way. WE just didn't get 'em . . .
But that goes on to a thread over in the Political section . . .
Jeff
Mountain Chick
11-08-2005, 05:35 PM
Thanks for the replys guys. Unfortunately, something unavoidable has occurred requiring the use of the money I would have bought the car with. Oh well.... :rolleyes:
Butterwagen
11-08-2005, 05:46 PM
Well if you're not going to get it then let us know where to find it.
I work for a Ford dealer ( a large one and have seen 2 of these abortions in my 21 years luckily).I do think it is a mazda or maybe Nissan engine but I will tell you it's NOT the same Escort car as in Europe.I saw the auction the other day for the Pope's Escort and It wasn't the same car as we had here and that's for sure. I'm sure it would be reliable and servicable but it probably moves as well as a Rabbit diesel and with that in mind you might as well walk.
Mountain Chick
11-12-2005, 07:01 PM
1984 Ford Escort in running condition. Manual trans. $500 Call 818-771-1262
They are in Sun Valley, just off 170. I don't know if they still have it or not though.
VeggieRanger
11-15-2005, 08:35 PM
The 1983 and 1984 Ford Rangers had an available 2.2 normally non-turbo Mazda diesel but the 1985-87 is a Mitsubishi 2.3 Turbo diesel (4D55T) I know a guy here in Atlanta that's running an '84 Ranger diesel on WVO. He's Jaybee on the Greasecar forum but I'm not sure if he is on here.
Both engines are IDI and run well on WVO. Jaybee put a turbo on his!
VR
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