<![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It! - Jalopnik Comments]]> http://cache.gawker.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/jalopnik.com.png <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It! - Jalopnik Comments]]> http://jalopnik.com Sat, 10 May 2008 08:51:08 EDT Sat, 10 May 2008 08:51:08 EDT http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5632061 The woman driving this bucket must have been on Vicodin or twenty Benadryls when shifting.

I just got a '97 Escort LX wagon (the parents decided the T100 was too bad on gas), my first stickshift, and I shift like a bat out of hell. Granted, I'm going 35... into my shame corner.

Leofan7

]]> 12:387007:c5632061 Sat, 10 May 2008 08:51:08 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5628234 @Spasticteapot: That was much later, and the only thing that Cossie shared with the Escort was the name badge. Really it was a shortened Cosworth Sierra with Escort lookalike body panels.

Remember, all these desirable special euro models were / are VERY rare & expensive, so for most regular euro schmoes 1.6L XR3 would have been the sportiest Escort they could afford.

TurboBrick

]]> 12:387007:c5628234 Fri, 09 May 2008 19:58:43 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5627746 SS and no outcry from Chevy?

I'm glad to see that the Dodgers beat the Reds that day.

79TA

]]> 12:387007:c5627746 Fri, 09 May 2008 19:13:38 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5627179 My good buddy in Highschool had an Escort L. We used to joke the L was stood for Luxury. I too got the sticky seats and dash from it. Must be some kind of oily plastic that Ford used at the time. Gross. And you could hear the gas sloshing around in the tank as well. Now that's cheap. It ran a long time though. Come to think of it he hasn't owned a car since. I guess he hit his peak with the Escort L.

Benson2175

]]> 12:387007:c5627179 Fri, 09 May 2008 18:34:39 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5626805 I bought an '85 Escort L. I was 18, and it was my first new car. It was very affordable and looked good at the time. It shifted really well, better than any manual I've driven since (quite a few). The engine was it's weak point. Besides just being...weak...it had a design flaw that caused water to condense in the valve cover and drip into the oil. That was a Bad Thing. Ford replaced the engine under warranty.

CSX321

]]> 12:387007:c5626805 Fri, 09 May 2008 18:13:32 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5624189 @Brian B: Yeah, the bar wasn't too high...and it was also on fire.
My mother had one of the early Escorts--it was an econobox and the gears were that loosey-goosey.


Novaload

]]> 12:387007:c5624189 Fri, 09 May 2008 16:20:43 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5624092 @zacarious: I remember riding in a very early Escort at the time. You could hear the gas sloshing around in the tank. The dash and interior trim all looked like government surplus. My butt was numb after a half hour in the passenger seat. The car wallowed around every turn and the engine strained hard during acceleration. I thought, "What a piece of utter crap!"

Honestly. My '75 Pinto was a better car.

mobilene

]]> 12:387007:c5624092 Fri, 09 May 2008 16:17:40 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5623248 "Mommy, why is the sand green?"

FuzzyPlushroom

]]> 12:387007:c5623248 Fri, 09 May 2008 15:52:07 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5623216 Not quite as brutally '80s as The Ride Of Your Life (which we just had to watch in Driver's Ed... oh, Lord) but close. Truly, these were terrible cars. They didn't even have the decency to give us the less-awful Euro version.

FuzzyPlushroom

]]> 12:387007:c5623216 Fri, 09 May 2008 15:50:58 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5622998 Europe got the Escort Cosworth, a loony 4WD hatchback capable of astounding performance both on the track and twisty country roads.

We got...this.

Spasticteapot

]]> 12:387007:c5622998 Fri, 09 May 2008 15:43:40 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5622651 @TurboBrick: Um, remember that the escort replaced the Pinto in the US market. The Pinto didn't exactly set the bar very high.

Brian B

]]> 12:387007:c5622651 Fri, 09 May 2008 15:31:56 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5619659 This aired 5 days before I was born? What a great era to be born into.

jarque

]]> 12:387007:c5619659 Fri, 09 May 2008 13:57:27 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5619440 @ViergangFuchs: Yeah, and just look at that Thunderbird logo, remind you of anything? mmmhmm..

TurboBrick

]]> 12:387007:c5619440 Fri, 09 May 2008 13:50:59 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5619382 @Brian B: Really? It can get worse from an euro-spec '85 Escort 1.3 LX? Because that one always ranks pretty high on my "Worst cars ever driven" list.

TurboBrick

]]> 12:387007:c5619382 Fri, 09 May 2008 13:49:32 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5618925 Finally, an Escort to commemorate the heroic actions of our friends in the Schultzstaffel.

Alternately, perhaps it was a tribute to the '67 Chevelle.

I'll admit it, however; at the time, I was willing to look past the historically-accurate pro-Nazi badge simply to have a shot at all sixty-five of those CVH-head horsepower.

ViergangFuchs

]]> 12:387007:c5618925 Fri, 09 May 2008 13:35:12 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5618183 Seems like a common theme with Big Three compacts- they never actually win the war against their Japanese competitors, but they do tend to do a little better each time.

Just think, by 2050, the gap between the Focus and Civic will have narrowed an extra 1/8 %!

ranwhenparked

]]> 12:387007:c5618183 Fri, 09 May 2008 13:09:07 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5617234 @Mike the Dog: WAY too late, as usual...

Mike the Dog

]]> 12:387007:c5617234 Fri, 09 May 2008 12:35:40 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5617174 @zacarious: LN7

Mike the Dog

]]> 12:387007:c5617174 Fri, 09 May 2008 12:33:41 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5616855 @Lounatic: So rust is the culprit. I should have guessed.

Now that I recall, I do remember my mom having an '84 Escort when she was in between lease cars. I got to take it out to drive to school or some such and it was a ball to drive hard into the corners.

SundaySunday

]]> 12:387007:c5616855 Fri, 09 May 2008 12:23:43 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5616264 @SundaySunday: Amen to that. I had a beige on beige '86 and the rear towers would rust at the mounting point. Pretty scary. One of the best handling cars I've ever had though.

Lounatic

]]> 12:387007:c5616264 Fri, 09 May 2008 12:02:52 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5616153 I remember when the Escort launched in the US. It was supposed to herald a new "Euro" style, etc. Too bad ours were never as good as theirs. They were a big improvement in their domestic segment, though.

Brian B

]]> 12:387007:c5616153 Fri, 09 May 2008 11:58:56 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5615961 This Escort probably cost less to buy than Elliot Spitzer's did to rent per hour.

OrangeBoss9

]]> 12:387007:c5615961 Fri, 09 May 2008 11:53:24 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5615767 I started to drive a 78 Fiesta around this time. The Escort was clunky and uninspiring by comparison.

CharlzR

]]> 12:387007:c5615767 Fri, 09 May 2008 11:48:05 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5615673 SS? Did Chevy build this? Was it not good enough in their eyes to be a GT and they wanted to discredit GM products?

TheTooth

]]> 12:387007:c5615673 Fri, 09 May 2008 11:45:07 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5615644 "An SS built to take on the world"?
Granpaw (and his Grand Cross of the German Eagle) would approve, Henry.

al_beaton

]]> 12:387007:c5615644 Fri, 09 May 2008 11:44:12 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5615590 My insane father drove the five of us from Toronto to Daytona Beach in a 1984 Escort wagon.
I was 6'2" at age 15 and my brother was 17 and built like a brick shithouse. My sister was already 5'6" at age 12.
The three of us kids fought over which poor bastard would sit on the hump in the middle next.
My mother was terrified of the armadillos sniffing around the tents at night. I don't know how that didn't end in murder-suicide.

I hold the Escort no ill-will, other than for that SS stupidity.




Number_Six

]]> 12:387007:c5615590 Fri, 09 May 2008 11:42:27 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5615536 @MazdaEric: I guess the thought is if the car can drive that well in the sand, it must be amazing when the streets are paved.

Isn't this much more exciting?


+ Watch video

Mokers

]]> 12:387007:c5615536 Fri, 09 May 2008 11:40:51 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5615447 @SundaySunday:
I remember going with my dad when he went to pick up the brown 4-door Cougar and seeing a newly released LN7. I was all over that thing, saying "Dad, you should get that instead!" He just laughed it off.

Of course, a few years earlier we shared that same experience over a Pontiac Phoenix coupe, so there was a history at that point. We got a 4-door Catalina that time.


SundaySunday

]]> 12:387007:c5615447 Fri, 09 May 2008 11:37:21 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5615435 I actually liked the old Escorts, but for the interiors. For some reason, they always felt sticky to me. There was never anything on the seats or anything like that, but the fabric always felt kind of...gummy.

Maybe it was just really happy to see me?

Elhigh

]]> 12:387007:c5615435 Fri, 09 May 2008 11:36:57 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5615319 @MazdaEric: Looks to be a Dodgers vs Reds game. Dodgers won 9-6 in 10 innings.
[www.retrosheet.org]

/recovering super-obsessed baseball geek

EdFinnerty

]]> 12:387007:c5615319 Fri, 09 May 2008 11:32:39 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5615201 @SundaySunday: Sorry about that, Chief.

DannyBN

]]> 12:387007:c5615201 Fri, 09 May 2008 11:28:47 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5615149 Funny thing is, there are probably a thousand or more first generation Escorts puttering around the Detroit area. And only about 50 of them have intact rear suspensions.

SundaySunday

]]> 12:387007:c5615149 Fri, 09 May 2008 11:26:54 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5615055 all that sand passing through the front grill can't be good...

and what bball game is going on before the commercial breaks in?

Mazda-Eric-with-1cup-arugula

]]> 12:387007:c5615055 Fri, 09 May 2008 11:23:34 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5615051 @DannyBN: Missed it by that much.

SundaySunday

]]> 12:387007:c5615051 Fri, 09 May 2008 11:23:30 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5615040 @zacarious: LN7's were teh hotness to my 13 year old eyes back then.

SundaySunday

]]> 12:387007:c5615040 Fri, 09 May 2008 11:23:05 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5614962 LN7.

DannyBN

]]> 12:387007:c5614962 Fri, 09 May 2008 11:21:05 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5614942 "and, miserable as those early Escorts were" ... miserable? not sure that accurate at all. These first Escorts were actually quite modern compared to the competition and reasonably engineered for the time period. Also these first Escorts were one of the only cars ever to pass the 5 MPH bumper test with no damage at all. And if you look at the bumpers you can see why, they are build like accordions.

And on the same topic anyone remember the Ford EXP? 10 points if you can name the Mercury version?

zacarious

]]> 12:387007:c5614942 Fri, 09 May 2008 11:20:18 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5614873 I bet a one of those in excellent condition would go for 11ty Billion dollars at Barrett-Jackson.

PMDGTO

]]> 12:387007:c5614873 Fri, 09 May 2008 11:18:10 EDT <![CDATA[1981 Ford Escort SS: Built To Take On The World, And Doin' It!]]> http://jalopnik.com/387007/1981-ford-escort-ss-built-to-take-on-the-world-and-doin-it#c5614777 Now THAT'S some leisurely shift action!

DannyBN

]]> 12:387007:c5614777 Fri, 09 May 2008 11:14:05 EDT