I’m shocked that today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe EXP still even exists. Let’s see if this rare Coelacanth of the car world is also priced well enough to stick around.
LTD stands for Limited which was supposed to refer to its availability and not its capability, but you know how people make jokes. Yesterday’s 1985 Ford LTD LX proved the joke’s on them with a solid 67% Nice Price win. Thinking about it, that Eighties Ford was so popular I’m guessing we need to have a go at another one - one that you might not remember even existed.
If that LTD was a four-door Mustang, then today’s 1986 Escort EXP is the pony’s awkward little sister. Based on the Escort GT platform, the EXP was a model proffered to the North American market only. Europeans and others may have gotten rowdy XR3s and 1600is, but they didn’t get this beauty. Suckers.
Actually, the EXP wasn’t always this good looking. When it first arrived on the scene it had a countenance that wasn’t shared with its sibling Escort range, but instead with what was apparently a very sad frog.
This one represents from what was the second generation, or at least a major mid-cycle refresh. That provided it with the bubble back hatch and tail lamps from the late, lamented Mercury LN7 version. Two years later the car also received the entire front clip from the Escort GT and was added officially to the Escort family.
This one has the Sport accommodations which should mean a 106-horsepower naturally aspirated (a 120-horse turbo was also offered) SOHC four. Backing that up is a five-speed manual transmission and the car rides on a sport suspension capped wheels off of the GT.
The ad notes the inclusion of a new set of tires and a recent fluid change, so it’s had its (heh, heh) Escort service. The ad also claims that the car is mechanically very sound, but doesn’t allude to just exactly what that sound is.
Pop open a door and you’ll be greeted by an ‘80s interior, resplendent in grey velour and rocking just two seats. Yep, this was Ford’s ‘80s answer to the Fiero, MR2, and mano a mano musical chairs. The upholstery looks to be in fine shape here, and there is a pine tree air freshener thrown in on the deal that looks to offer the alluring scent of blue. A few cracks in the dash give away the years and 157,000 miles this car has done. Also, it apparently has Ford Racing floor mats.
On the outside, most of the wear and tear seems to be confined to the plastic bumper caps which are wearing through to their sickly yellow natural color in a couple of places. That’s an easy fix, or sell the bumpers and pretty much everything else not bolted down and take this bad boy racing!
The asking price is $1,800 which is in LeMons range when you consider all the booty that could be sold off the car, and which will also lighten it. The thing of it is however, these were never all that well liked when new, and there just aren’t very many of them left today. This might in fact be the cream of the crop, right here. It is white on top after all.
Regardless of its destiny, we need to consider its present state and that price. What do you think about $1,800 for this two-seater Ford from the Eighties, does that seem like a good deal? Or, is the EXP in its name short for EXPENSIVE?
You decide!
Racine Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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