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!
My sister in law had that generation of Escort as her first car. Same purple color and manual transmission. (Father in law’s rule was that his daughters first car had to be a manual)
Her Escort died when the rear suspension collapsed one day while driving. The mounts on the unibody gave way from rust damage. It was less than 10 years old.
No Barney-mobile for me – I’ll take the ’51 please.
If thats the original single stage paint, I would be dying to polish it up. I’ll take the ’51 and it’s not even close.
Too bad the ’51 is a 4-door. That’s a huge bummer to me. It’s not worth fixing up, but it’s okay as a weekend car you can take to Boomer car shows.
SO many things one could do with the flathead. I’d love to build it up and hear it rumble.
The Escort was a good little car in the day and looks to be in good shape. However, with those miles and being 31 years old, it’s more of a weekend fun car than a daily driver.
And as soon as you start talking about having a toy, the Shoebox stands out.
I love this generation of Escort, and I’ve already named this particular one “Grape Soda”.
If the escort was a gt with the Mazda 1.8, we’d be talking. But that 1.9 is so uninspired. Besides, I need a second flathead to go with my snowblower
Went for the 51 today, I’ve worked on enough Escorts back in the day that mu knuckles are still mad at the lack of space under the hood.
For this build I’d start with a good deep clean under the hood, to make sure we don’t have any leaks or rotted hoses or wiring. Then give it a good “dress Up” with a chrome air cleaner and a spray can rebuild.
Make sure the suspension consumables are sorted, give the brakes a good going over.
Deep clean on the interior, maybe add one of those vintage side window mounted air conditioners.
Exterior would get a Frieburger Comet WashTM, replace the missing trim, maybe one of those patina gloss coats if the paint won’t buff up nice.
Then cruise it around each summer as is, Motor Muster, Dream Cruise, Eyes on Design, ALL the shows. (They probably won’t let me into EoD, but I’ll park it close by)
Good god almighty, we was going down slow
Yeah, if we know just where we had to go
Cryin’ just a flyin’ down a put out road
With Precious & Grace in my flathead Ford
I’ll take the Custom and live dangerously.
Escort for the win. True, no GT, but the manual and those wheels (yep, part of the package – in those days, steelies with plastic covers were very common on economy cars) add up to a fun little package. Great high 90s color too and why not with the jazz graphic to complete the look?
Agreed. No contest for me either. I’d take the Escort. Love this generation probably because a brother / sister duo I was good friends with for a long time got a pair back in the early ’90s (white GT for him, green LX for her). Both were automatics, though.
No three on the tree for me, so Escort. I remember those and wasn’t fond of them back in the day. Roommate one summer had I think a Monte Carlo with a three on the tree, and driving it back to the house after he called me from the bar wasn’t fun. (He was drunk I was not and we were occasionally responsible in the 80s.)
Almost bought a used Escort GT and always wished I had.
Going with the one based on the excellent Protege/323 chassis. Knew a guy who was really into this generation Escort and did quite a few engine swaps for more power. I think in one he shoved the V6 from the MX-3.
The ’51 Ford is a good match for my brother’s same year Chrysler, and that’s the entire reason I voted for it. The Escort is more my personal style but family is important too.
“Family”
The old Ford is cool but not my thing. The Escort is cheaper (that’s what she said), manual, good shape, and rallycross ready.
Buy an old Escort radar detector and you could have to cheap Escorts at the same time.
I sincerely hope at least one of the hubcaps on that ’51 reads “Food”.