Wanted: Ford Escort ZX2 1998-1999
- ihartmacz
- Senior Standardshifter
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- Joined: Fri Jul 28, 2006 1:45 am
- Cars: 1998 Ford Mustang Coupe
Wanted: Ford Escort ZX2 1998-1999
Good news:
Selling a Honda car is like fishing with an a-bomb. 10 calls on the ar the first day of the ad. One person is taking it in to get inspeacted on Thursday. Makes me happy to see the 18 year-old girl test drive it for the first time... Reminds me of when I first drove it.
Bad news:
The ad has not been effective for finding ZX2.
So. I IMPLORE you all. If you live in the Lincoln, NE area; PLEASE PM me if you would like to sell your ford ZX2.
I don't think I have to mention that I would like a 5-speed.
Selling a Honda car is like fishing with an a-bomb. 10 calls on the ar the first day of the ad. One person is taking it in to get inspeacted on Thursday. Makes me happy to see the 18 year-old girl test drive it for the first time... Reminds me of when I first drove it.
Bad news:
The ad has not been effective for finding ZX2.
So. I IMPLORE you all. If you live in the Lincoln, NE area; PLEASE PM me if you would like to sell your ford ZX2.
I don't think I have to mention that I would like a 5-speed.
- ihartmacz
- Senior Standardshifter
- Posts: 983
- Joined: Fri Jul 28, 2006 1:45 am
- Cars: 1998 Ford Mustang Coupe
I know I'll get flamed for this, but, what's wrong with Ford?
Any car is reliable if you maintain it.
What gets me about honda's:
interior styling.
engine proformance
exterior styling
cramped engine compartment (i have no front end)
What I like about Hondas:
gas mileage (I can get 26+ in the ford escort too)
My coupe was actually very spacious for a sub compact
Trunk room
easy controls
Why do I like Fords over Honda? I don't know... Why do your prefer Honda?
I'm not trying to be a smart ass about it. I've tried seeing the Honda side of this too and be liberal with what I think. Hondas are excelent cars, maybe not the best, but they are damn close.
What really gripes me is when people make such a big deal about VTEC. It doesn't kick in until 4800RPMs on my car! By then my transmission has shifted (unless my right foot is especially heavy )
And also becuase Ford's ZeTEC and Toyota's VVT-i proform essentailly the same task by retarding and/or advancing valve timing.
Also, Ford engines are non-interference so if my timing belt breaks, I'm not totally screwed.
Any car is reliable if you maintain it.
What gets me about honda's:
interior styling.
engine proformance
exterior styling
cramped engine compartment (i have no front end)
What I like about Hondas:
gas mileage (I can get 26+ in the ford escort too)
My coupe was actually very spacious for a sub compact
Trunk room
easy controls
Why do I like Fords over Honda? I don't know... Why do your prefer Honda?
I'm not trying to be a smart ass about it. I've tried seeing the Honda side of this too and be liberal with what I think. Hondas are excelent cars, maybe not the best, but they are damn close.
What really gripes me is when people make such a big deal about VTEC. It doesn't kick in until 4800RPMs on my car! By then my transmission has shifted (unless my right foot is especially heavy )
And also becuase Ford's ZeTEC and Toyota's VVT-i proform essentailly the same task by retarding and/or advancing valve timing.
Also, Ford engines are non-interference so if my timing belt breaks, I'm not totally screwed.
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The last domestic I really like was built in 1974..the last of the Plymouth Barracudas.
Yes, Carrol Shelby did wonders with Dodge Omnis and Chargers in the '80s, but those are collector cars, nearly impossible to find nowadays.
I've owned and driven both Japanese imports and domestics, no Euros yet.
Sorry guys, but even a nearly-new ZX2 is a piece of crap. Looks cool, I agree, but under the sheetmetal it's an Escort. Absolute crap.
And the domestic-ricers do things like tack turbos on XZ-2's...good luck with that.
An Escort ZX-2 with meticulous maintenence is a nice car up until about 70K miles. After that it's nothing but a headache. Whereas your average Honda, Toyota, or Nissan/Datsun gets to be a pain somewhere above 200K miles. That's the difference.
Brand-new, or nearly so, sure a Ford, GM, or Daimler-Chrysler product has as much potential as a comparable Japanese product. Maybe in 15 years, the new domestics will hold up as well as Japanese cars of the same age. Maybe they've closed the quality gap as some people claim they have. I doubt it, but maybe. Talk to me in 15 years, then we'll know.
I can only speak from experience with domestic and import cars from the '80s and early '90s. NO COMPARISON. A few domestic models will survive to 150,000 miles, if they're well cared for and if you happen to get a good one, not assembled on a Friday by union labor. On the other hand, in my experience, a Honda, Toyota or Nissan with 150K feels like it's barely broken in.
I've personally owned 3 cars with odometers above 200K. Two Nissans, (one old enough to be a Datsun), and one Honda. I've also driven two Dodges that struggled to reach 100K, and several GM's and Ford's that never even had a chance to use that sixth digit on their odometers.
Here in the Southeast, where rust isn't really much of a factor, early 1980's Tercels, Civics, and Accords are commonplace, but any Ford or GM older than 1990 is a rare sight. As a matter of fact, the only domestic vehicle from the 1980's or earlier that you regularly see still on the road is the Jeep Wrangler.
Just today, while driving around town, I noticed an '84 Tercel, an '82 Civic, and an MkII ('82-'85 ) Toyota Supra. The oldest domestic I noticed still being used, besides Jeeps, was an early '90s Chevy Lumina that looked like it was on its way to the junkyard. So I make my judgements based on my own observations.
Yes, Carrol Shelby did wonders with Dodge Omnis and Chargers in the '80s, but those are collector cars, nearly impossible to find nowadays.
I've owned and driven both Japanese imports and domestics, no Euros yet.
Sorry guys, but even a nearly-new ZX2 is a piece of crap. Looks cool, I agree, but under the sheetmetal it's an Escort. Absolute crap.
And the domestic-ricers do things like tack turbos on XZ-2's...good luck with that.
An Escort ZX-2 with meticulous maintenence is a nice car up until about 70K miles. After that it's nothing but a headache. Whereas your average Honda, Toyota, or Nissan/Datsun gets to be a pain somewhere above 200K miles. That's the difference.
Brand-new, or nearly so, sure a Ford, GM, or Daimler-Chrysler product has as much potential as a comparable Japanese product. Maybe in 15 years, the new domestics will hold up as well as Japanese cars of the same age. Maybe they've closed the quality gap as some people claim they have. I doubt it, but maybe. Talk to me in 15 years, then we'll know.
I can only speak from experience with domestic and import cars from the '80s and early '90s. NO COMPARISON. A few domestic models will survive to 150,000 miles, if they're well cared for and if you happen to get a good one, not assembled on a Friday by union labor. On the other hand, in my experience, a Honda, Toyota or Nissan with 150K feels like it's barely broken in.
I've personally owned 3 cars with odometers above 200K. Two Nissans, (one old enough to be a Datsun), and one Honda. I've also driven two Dodges that struggled to reach 100K, and several GM's and Ford's that never even had a chance to use that sixth digit on their odometers.
Here in the Southeast, where rust isn't really much of a factor, early 1980's Tercels, Civics, and Accords are commonplace, but any Ford or GM older than 1990 is a rare sight. As a matter of fact, the only domestic vehicle from the 1980's or earlier that you regularly see still on the road is the Jeep Wrangler.
Just today, while driving around town, I noticed an '84 Tercel, an '82 Civic, and an MkII ('82-'85 ) Toyota Supra. The oldest domestic I noticed still being used, besides Jeeps, was an early '90s Chevy Lumina that looked like it was on its way to the junkyard. So I make my judgements based on my own observations.
- potownrob
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It's okay you like Fords and some of them might even have some character to them which in itself could make it better than a Honda depending on your priorities, but I'm gonna give my feedback on your comments below.ihartmacz wrote:I know I'll get flamed for this, but, what's wrong with Ford?
Folk wisdom . I think CLS has addressed this already though .Any car is reliable if you maintain it.
What gets me about honda's:
interior styling.
engine proformance
exterior styling
cramped engine compartment (i have no front end)
I personally liked my 94 Civic's interior and exterior. The interior is one of the most ingenious uses of space I've ever seen in a car, other than maybe in the new Civic. My 93 Accord was well thought-out too. Also, everything is where it should be in most Hondas. The ergonomics are almost flawless. Almost EVERYthing's been thought out and planned with the driver in mind. On the otherhand, most domestics and even some other imports look and feel like they just slapped parts on. Just my impressions. The D16Z6 is a decent engine for the Civic as long as it's connected to a manual transmission which has low and close gearing. As for the engine, I haven't seen an engine bay with more room to spare than that of my Civic. Honda owners and Honda haters both like to joke around how the engine doesn't fill up the engine bay like in other cars. The engine itself is a little different in orientation and a few other regards from most other cars, even other imports, but it's still easy to work on for the most part...
You should be getting over 30 mpg with the Civic, even with an automatic. I got 35 overall (mixed driving) and about 30 when I drove mostly hard. The seats are arranged so that you get the most room for your body. They are more toward the middle of the car than in most cars where the seat is up against the door. This is great, except for when you have another big passenger . Notice there's not much of a center console either . I agree about the trunk; it's almost as big as the trunk in my Accord.What I like about Hondas:
gas mileage (I can get 26+ in the ford escort too)
My coupe was actually very spacious for a sub compact
Trunk room
easy controls
Reliability, engineering (already know the few parts that can go bad before they go bad), ergonomics, overall quality (no loose parts), gas mileage, simplicity of design, availability of replacement and aftermarket parts...Why do I like Fords over Honda? I don't know... Why do your prefer Honda?
That's because you have an autotragicWhat really gripes me is when people make such a big deal about VTEC. It doesn't kick in until 4800RPMs on my car! By then my transmission has shifted (unless my right foot is especially heavy )
They probably do more than the older VTEC engines and most other variable valve timing systems are designed to help out over a broader range of rpms than the older VTEC designs. This doesn't necessarily make them better engines, though.And also becuase Ford's ZeTEC and Toyota's VVT-i proform essentailly the same task by retarding and/or advancing valve timing.
True thatAlso, Ford engines are non-interference so if my timing belt breaks, I'm not totally screwed.
ClutchFork wrote:...So I started carrying a stick of firewood with me and that became my parking brake.