Is there any way to make this cool? 86 Escort Wagon

Basically, can this chassis handle 150+ horsepower Duratec and will it ever turn?

http://columbiamo.craigslist.org/cto/4696497669.html

This is what made me post it:

Looks like you found the way... The modified one has shaved rear door handles?

rcutclif wrote: Looks like you found the way... The modified one has shaved rear door handles?

It's a photoshop.

I never cared for the rear suspension of that generation of Escort. The coupes and sedans had a trailing arm setup with WAY too much toe change with travel. That's why the factory put so much positive camber into the front suspension; otherwise it would just back into the bushes at the first hint of drop throttle. Not sure if the wagon used the same geometry.

8400 miles? Grandma's car, only driven to church on Sundays?

"Is there any way to make this cool?"

Drive it.

I wouldn't shave the rears unless you shave the fronts too. I always thought that looked funny. Otherwise that blue one is pretty close though I would go with a set of gold BBS style wheels and an 80's style stripe along the bottom in three shades of tan/gold.

Rob the nose off an EXP:

or maybe an Escort GT:

lower it an inch, correct the camber, tint the windows.

I'm sure it could be made to look cool with less ride height and the right wheels. Performance-wise...I dunno.

jstein77 wrote: I never cared for the rear suspension of that generation of Escort. The coupes and sedans had a trailing arm setup with WAY too much toe change with travel. That's why the factory put so much positive camber into the front suspension; otherwise it would just back into the bushes at the first hint of drop throttle. Not sure if the wagon used the same geometry. 8400 miles? Grandma's car, only driven to church on Sundays?

This was the kind of info I am interested in. I will look and see what I can dig up about the wagon suspension vs the rest.

Color me interested.

Edit: oh, god, pinchy! My eyes!!

I think that lowered stance, big wheels, and a roll cage makes anything look pretty cool.

Common factor on those 3 is RWD.

jstein77 wrote: Common factor on those 3 is RWD.

That is a very good point. I don't mind FWD but it needs to have a decently well thought out suspension. I am still looking for a mid nineties Corolla wagon.

pinchvalve wrote:

And that's the day we broke the internet.

David S. Wallens wrote:

pinchvalve wrote:

And that's the day we broke the internet.

really???? that's what did it for ya????

pinchvalve wrote:

I've never been captured by the whole 510 thing, but I dig that a LOT.

Curmudgeon wrote: Rob the nose off an EXP:

If you're going to do that, find an early EXP.

Kosei K1s make anything look more awesomer.

Just put a set of the period Escort GT wheels, a K&N, and drive the bejeebus out of it.

A zetec is closer to a bolt in swap and will get you close to the duratec numbers but not quite. I heard the strut towers rust quickly so do pull up the rear carpet/plastic panels and check.

What is the bolt pattern on those?

The early ones are 4x108. I test fitted a set of Mustang 4-lug wheels on my wife's Escort. Filled the fender wells quite nicely, just needed low profile tires to fit properly. Eibach actually had lowering springs for the hatches, not sure about the wagons.

Ford actually sold adjustable strut tops for those for crash damage, they weren't cheap though and I'd probably just slot the towers and stiffen them with some extra steel and maybe a brace if it seemed necessary.

The CVH engine was available in turbo form in the very early years and overseas (the 1st gen escorts were essentially the same as the euro ones, just stripped down because they would have been too expensive). So the engines had a decent following over there, there was even a book written on how to hotrod the CVH engine.

That said, I'd use a later Mazda-based car because the chassis is much better and the engine swap choices are better.

singleslammer wrote:

jstein77 wrote: Common factor on those 3 is RWD.

That is a very good point. I don't mind FWD but it needs to have a decently well thought out suspension. I am still looking for a mid nineties Corolla wagon.

I wonder where you got that idea.....

Fn'a. Now I want my 89 back so I can swap a sealed beam exp front end on it. Combined with the 4 slot hayashi looking wheels, a nice drop and the gt Tupperware and you have some action. Too bad I crushed that car. Only reason I bought it was it was cheaper than a rental when a coffin dodger subaru'd my DSM. It was a horrible car. I miss it terribly. Hatch didn't even work so it sucked as a wagon, but damn.