So I've decided that my NA 4pot e46 makes a comfortable but boring daily drive, that and its been giving me a couple issues recently. The drivers side window makes clicking when used, the heater has stopped working when the engine isn't in high RPM + has a coolant light on if i translated the German manual correctly. The e46 turns, shifts and stops alright but its gutless SOHC makes driving the 3k-pound car a bore most of the time.
So i was browsing the 'local' eBay site and ran across this:
https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/ford-escort-cabrio-xr3i/607026852-216-20480
A 1996 Ford Escort XR3i for 1500 euro with Recaro's in a blue I'm quite fond of. I could probably sell the e46 once i fix the problems for about 2500. Should i ditch the BMW and try something new or any nay-sayers to keep the daily, if so why?
You are GRM, are you not??? Turbo Escort, stupid easy to work on, uber giggly handling with a freshened suspension and proper tires. How can you say no to this???
In reply to WildScotsRacing:
I don't think that generation was turbo.
Interesting car, but the ragtop makes it a bit less practical as a daily (what are winters like over there?) and for fast highway driving. I think in the UK they would call that a hairdresser's car 
It's certainly different but if I wanted a hatchy-type vehicle over there I would be shopping for a Peugeot. If it had to be a ragtop might as well go for something really out there like a MGTF or BMW Baur thingamabob.
Basically if it were me that seems like the kind of swap that I would enjoy for about a month before wanting my old car back.
What generation does have a turbo lol, if it's the one with the huge wing its too rich for my blood.
Winters get pretty cold, somewhere in the range of -6*C but not too much snow. The snow just tends to stay in my driveway, everywhere else it's fine. The top speed in theory should be the same or higher than the BMW. 115 hp @ 2500 pounds vs 105 HP @ 3000 pounds. Does driving a rag top at 100+ mph just kinda suck or something?
I'm fine with a hair dressers car, personally I think it looks better than the e46.
TurboFocus wrote:
Does driving a rag top at 100+ mph just kinda suck or something?
If my VW Cabriolet at 85MPH was any indication yes, it really sucks. And that is basically Ford's take on the same car.
That has a massive top relative to something like a Miata and it's not like a Saab where your premium dollars get you a four-layer reinforced top. And being a B-segment Ford product from the 90's it will probably leak too 
Those kind of cars seem to have been designed for cruising around the city or the countryside at a moderate speed; the wind noise at 100+MPH will likely be enough to make your ears ring when you stop the car.
If you like it, buy it by all means! Just saying, cheap convertibles tend to be cheap because they are only pleasant and practical to drive a few months out of the year...
your comment about ears ringing scares me a bit. i can spend 20-30min a day on the autobahn and i almost NEVER travel less than 100mph.
i might test drive one locally and see how it is, if i cant live with it ill be on the look out for another cheap fun, daily-able car.
thank you
I like it, but I don't love it. The seats are definitely the best thing about it. I saw keep the E46. 20 year old convertible tops aren't fun.
