We’re wrapping up our week of single-make Showdowns with a pair of Fords. They’re about as different as you can get, and there’s 44 years separating them, but they both spoke to me, so I’m showing them to you.
You’re all completely right about yesterday: for the first time ever, a Saab lost a Showdown. One of them had to, and that one was the rusty old 96. Plenty of you thought it was cool, but just too big of a project. The newer 9-3 needed plenty of work too, but I guess it felt more doable to a lot of you.
I have to agree. I really want to like that 96, but I just sold an early ’70s car that needed a lot less work than this one does. I know for a fact I’m not up for it. But a brake master cylinder I can handle pretty easily. Make mine the 9-3 as well.
All right; let’s turn our attention to a couple of old Fords and see which one sits better with you on this Friday morning.
1951 Ford Custom sedan – $4,000
Engine/drivetrain: 239 cubic inch flathead V8, three-speed manual, RWD
Location: Aurora, CO
Odometer reading: 66,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
It’s strange to think that an engine as influential as the Ford flathead V8 was only in production for 21 years. It’s a bit like when you realize that every Beatles album was released within the span of seven years; it seems like an impossibly short time to have created such a large cultural impact. The flathead was the engine of choice of the hot-rodding community before the Chevy small-block came along, and it still has its devotees today. But apart from hot rods, millions of these engines powered everyday Ford cars, like this four-door sedan.
The flathead in this ’51 Ford displaces 239 cubic inches, and makes 100 horsepower, assuming it’s stock. It certainly looks like it is. It runs and drives well, according to the seller, and it has had a recent carburetor rebuild. It also has a new battery – six-volt, by the way – and new brakes. The transmission is a classic three-on-the-tree manual.
The interior is in great shape. The seats have been reupholstered, and the dash looks practically like new. Even the headliner looks nice. So many of these “shoebox” Fords got cut up and turned into hot rods that it’s kind of cool to see one so original, to see what they really looked like inside. Of course, there isn’t a single safety feature anywhere in sight, but that’s just how things were.
The baby blue paint is a little dull, but the seller thinks it could be polished up. It doesn’t look bad as is, though. It’s missing a couple pieces of trim from the driver’s side, and there are a couple of rust spots here and there, but overall, it’s an impressive-looking car for the price.
1995 Ford Escort LX Sunsport – $2,500
Engine/drivetrain: 1.9-liter OHC inline 4, five-speed manual, FWD
Location: Anaconda, MT
Odometer reading: 178,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Four decades later, an everyday Ford car looked like this – except most of them weren’t purple. The second-generation US-market Ford Escort was based on a Mazda design, and it was a surprisingly good little car. The sporty GT model is most prized by enthusiasts, but even this humble LX is a fun car to chuck around.
The chassis design and five-speed manual transmission come from Mazda, but the engine is Ford: the overhead-cam CVH four-cylinder carried over from the previous Escort. It makes a meager 88 horsepower, but the five-speed lets you make the most of it. It runs and drives well, and has had some recent work done including new tires, so it should be ready to go.
It’s in good shape inside, especially for the mileage. I see that it has a tachometer, which is a nice addition over the more basic models. It lets you wind that CVH out all the way up to its redline, which, if I remember right, is a soaring 5,500 RPM. Oh well. One minor annoyance about ’95 Escorts is that Ford added airbags, but left the motorized seat belts in place. They stuck around until the ’97 redesign, but by then you couldn’t get a hatchback.
The “Sunsport” package that the seller refers to includes a sunroof and the flashy graphics on the side, and I think the alloy wheels and rear spoiler were part of it too. It’s in good shape, and I like the purple. Ford had some great colors in the 1990s.
These are both probably too old for regular use, but they both run fine, and either one could be fun in its own way. You have the weekend to think about it, and I’ll see you back here on Monday with the results and a new pair of cheap old cars. As always, thanks for reading!
Tough choice. I want them both, but for different reasons.
I grew up around car shows in the ’80s and ’90s so I have an indirect attachment to mid-century vehicles. Conceptually, I like the ’51, but I think once the novelty of owning such an obsolete machine wears off, it would be more of an annoyance or chore to maintain in the long run.
As for the Escort, my mom bought a 5-speed black LX 2-door hatch new in ’96, which I bought from her in like 2002 and drove it for a few years until it was T-boned on the passenger side and totaled (my fault). It was a pretty solid, reliable car up until the end. Nowadays these are getting old and rare enough that they are interesting, but still modern enough to be regularly usable. So, I think that’s my choice.
Side note, I think it might actually be a ’96 based on the defroster switch. I seem to recall that ’95 and earlier years had a different style button, but I could be wrong.
This is a “both” day.
Our 95 Escort was bright green. My wife liked it and I tolerated for 15 years and a lot of miles. She almost wanted one recently but fell in love with a Fiat 500. Since she refuses to drive stick anymore and I have no desire for Dumpster Car 2.0 I voted for the 51. BTW the 1.9 CVH was a paint shaker of an engine but surprisingly reliable.
My wife has been making her two-mile commute in a ’95 Escort for quite some time, so I’ll add another classic to the fleet today and vote for the ’51. Love that flattie sound.
The Escort would make a fine little daily for running about town. but I don’t really need one of those and there’s more character in one of the 51’s finned fender skirts than in the entire Escort. I’d paint it as I’m not that fond of the light blue, and I’d put in seat belts, but I’d otherwise avoid any customizing of the Custom.
Not really into either but my grandfather had a 50 Ford he said was his favorite my dad was always trying to get one to fix up with him but never did. It seems like a decent price for one that is running and driving and in decent condition. I would take it over the $2500 escort.
If you want a cheap daily driver, get the Escort
If you want an endless project that a classic car, get the 1951 Ford.
I voted for the Escort as I’m not interested in a project.
Also what’s interesting is both cars are not far apart in horsepower HP… the Escort has 88hp (net), the 1951 Ford at 100hp (gross).
And I’m gonna guess the net HP on that 1951 is pretty close to the same 88hp the Escort has.
I’d take that Escort over at least 90% of what we see here, but the ’51 seems like the perfect entree to owning a truly old car: uncommon (for what it is), operational, and with a lot of the fussy bits recently done.
That ’51 Ford looks like a heck of a good deal, especially with good chrome and a running engine.
That Ford Custom just needs some replacement trim and an exterior polish – will be great for going to the grocery store, car shows and renting to movie productions.
“Of course, there isn’t a single safety feature anywhere in sight”
I see headlamps, taillamps, parking lights, a horn ring, turn signals, motorized 2 speed wipers, and Ford’s “Luxury Lifeguard Body”.
If that’s not safety, I don’t know what is.
I’m with you on the Luxury Lifeguard Body but ’51 Ford cars have vacuum wipers which are either single-speed or continuously variable, depending on one’s point of view. The trucks, on the other hand, were available with two-speed electric wipers.
I’d be a little worried about rust underneath on a ’90s Ford in Montana, but the price isn’t bad and those graphics are charming. The ’51 is pretty nice, but it needs the right buyer.
The dash features a genuine “Safety-Glow” Control Panel and the exterior is an all-steel Luxury Lifeguard Body. What more do you want?
“What more do you want?”
A cheeseburger would be nice.
Finally we get to FoMoCo. Given that Monday was Presidents’ Day here in US of A, I’m surprised you didn’t start the week off with a pair of Lincolns. 😉
These are interesting choices, each with their strong points, but that ’51 Ford presents really well and seems like one heck of a deal. It wins my Internet dollars today.
That Escort takes me back to my childhood when these were everywhere. I’d even say it looks cool despite not being a Calypso Green GT.
However that Ford Custom is extremely cool, and one of a kind in this day and age. The all important interior bits made my choice much easier.
Yeah, that ’51 Ford is in remarkably good shape! Normally, I’m all-in on a 90’s 5-speed manual, but mouse belts suck worse than YouTube ads, and that Custom looks like an easy way to enter the classic car club.
You’ll die in either one trying to accelerate onto a modern freeway anywhere near a major city. Buy the Custom and just take the back roads, I guess.
If that Escort was a GT then we could talk. Since it’s not….well its just an old basic economy car with some seriously cool 90s kitsch. The old flathead is rare enough to be really interesting…considering neither of these would be daily drivers, that’s the one to get.
Weirdly, a harder choice than expected. The purple Escort with graphics is an honest little car that I don’t hate quite as much as I used to. But today I’m going all in on that ’51 Flathead. Similar to my dads’ first car, which was a ’51 Flathead coupe. Super simple to work on. Hmm, it’s almost his birthday and that car would make a hell of a surprise sitting ion the driveway with one of those novelty red bows on top.
Do it! And become an instant Autopian hero!
Funny to think about the 40 or so year difference. From the 50s to the 90s there were so many changes in design and technology. Some of it a response to culture and some to regulation or driver preference. You really don’t see that level of change between the mid-80s and now. Sure, there are a lot of tech changes and engines have gotten a lot more power for the size, but I don’t think those measure up.
Escort. I’m boring but I view this series primarily through the lens of a daily and the Escort works better for that. Bonus points for a pure 90s paintjob, but half a point off for being purple/pink (pinkle?) rather that teal.
A three on the tree compact Ford from the 50s would be fun as a hobby car to putter around in. There are still a lot of modern stickshift compacts around, but this experience is getting rare.
That paintjob was called Deep Iris Clearcoat Metallic. The real purple Ford offered at the time was called Ultra Violet and it looks cool on the GT with color matching wheel accents.
Like them both but 3-on-the-tree for the win! Never driven one…
My 94 wagon had the same drivetrain as that Escort. It was pretty bulletproof. The chassis, unfortunately, wasn’t very rustproof…
This was a tough one. I don’t mind either, but don’t love either, so I made the pragmatic choice and picked the Escort because it would make a decent first car for my not-yet-driving age kids.
I’ll take the ’51 and put my life on the line with no safety features
I misread that as “put my wife on the line”.
Get me a set of curb feelers and some bright blue fuzzy dice.I’ll take the ‘51 Ford every time and who really cares if it’s a 4 door.
Touch call. I was really hoping for a both today. I’ve never experienced a flattie, so I picked that.
I’ve never driven a flathead OR an on-the-tree manual. I voted for the ’51 because of the novelty factor.
Good call on the 3-on-the-tree. I’ve never experienced that either.
A stock flathead probably sounds like a Briggs and Stratton lawn mower LOL
More like eight Briggs & Strattons.