The garage employee said that when he had seen a ‘1988 Ford’ listed for a safety check this week he was surprised, and even more surprised when he saw that it was an Escort wagon! I guess he doesn’t see many of them anymore either. I’m glad I trusted my gut and made a U-turn to come back and see this unlikely automotive throwback. While I can’t have this one, my optimistic nature tells me that I’ll find my own ‘forgotten gem’ at some point too!
I tend to consider myself an optimistic person. Why see the glass half empty when you can see it as half full? Apparently I’m not the only person with this outlook on life. Today on a lazy little drive in the countryside a flash of white caught my eye as I drove by a small garage. I had to turn around and go back to see what it was. That flash of white was an impressively clean and well-kept 1988 Ford Escort GL wagon! Once a common sight on North American roads, the little Escort has all but disappeared. This model was produced from 1980 until 1990. While an even cooler find would be one of the diesel wagon models, this Escort GL came equipped with the standard 1.6L gas engine and a 5-speed manual transmission. With just 68 horsepower on tap, this 1000+ kg wagon, when fully loaded, was likely fairly sluggish, though the manual transmission would have helped a bit. Features appeared few and far between, with manual windows and locks, though I could see that this model had the ‘high-tech’ display panel that indicated when washer fluid and fuel were low or if the headlights, taillights or brake lights were burnt out! Impressively modern for a car with origins back just one year after my birth! The interior was a fantastic red, a reminder that car interiors weren’t always 50 shades of beige. Considering this car is coming up on its 30th birthday soon, it was in incredible shape, especially inside. I didn’t see a mark or tear anywhere and it puts many cars much newer to shame. I’m willing to be the owner bought it new and babied it during its entire 151,170 kms. After checking the car out and grabbing some pictures, I poked my head into the garage to see if anyone was around. I spoke with someone working there and asked if the Escort was for sale. He laughed and said no, unfortunately, it wasn’t. The owner had just dropped it off for a safety check! I admired their optimism, but considering the condition of the car, there’s a good chance it will pass safety.
The garage employee said that when he had seen a ‘1988 Ford’ listed for a safety check this week he was surprised, and even more surprised when he saw that it was an Escort wagon! I guess he doesn’t see many of them anymore either. I’m glad I trusted my gut and made a U-turn to come back and see this unlikely automotive throwback. While I can’t have this one, my optimistic nature tells me that I’ll find my own ‘forgotten gem’ at some point too!
1 Comment
Billy in SC
3/13/2022 11:43:41 am
Thanks for the report on the Escort Wagon! We owned a beige ‘86 L Wagon. The carb was twitchy and the 4-speed auto transmission was replace early on. Good ride on the freeway and steady. Seats and interior were basic.
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AuthorWelcome! My name is Paul, and I am an old-fashioned, low-pressure, low-buck car fan with lots of automotive stories to tell! Archives
February 2020
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