My (stalled) Project '98 Ford Escort ZX-2 - Dayton, OH -

SOLD SOLD SOLD the car is Sold

The Escort ZX-2 in my profile is now officially for sale and the asking price is in the 1/2 challenge $$ ballpark ($1000). Make me an offer. Trade for running & driving Geo Metro/Aspire/Eagle Summit/P71 considered

After all the cars I've sampled over the last few years, putting this back together to rallycross is not very appealing. If it doesn't sell I may get it back on the road eventually.

It is not currently running/driving but it is a roller with functioning brakes and everything is here (somewhere) to put it back together. Engine and Trans are still in the car.

Could make a good: rallycross / autocross / cheaty lemons / challenge car.

Has done a lot of this type of stuff (but hasn't actually rallycrossed since fall 2010):

Bought from EntropyMan via the GRM $2K9 Classifieds.

SS front brake lines

Esslinger Underdrive Pulley

OEM replacement cat-back exhaust to S/R Borla Muffler

K&N Intake and Filter (also have a HotShot intake)

new front stock replacement struts and stock springs with experimental bumpstop setup

rear currently has dual rate coilovers on stock replacement struts

also have Megan Racing lowering springs, currently installed on old Tokico Blues

MX3 driver's seat and Schrothe Harness

Energy Ssuspension motor mount inserts and control arm bushings

stock rear sway bar and EGT rear sway bar

interior mostly gutted and dirty from rallycross: complete dash and door cards still in place

AC and PS removed, have parts to re-route serpentine, not done

new loaded front calipers and e-brake cables this summer, new rotors in box

MFactory helical limited slip differential professionally installed, CV axles need some fiddling, have necessary parts

There is a 'big' dent in the passenger side rear quarter panel

Edit: adding a couple of less appealing details -

One of the rear studs that the crossmember that the front and rear motor mounts attach to is broken off. Needs cut off / drilled out and a bolt substituted.

PS lines are cut but still attached to rack. Need looped or rack 'properly' depowered.

Transaxle output seals need replaced, currently leaks if filled to proper capacity.

I intended to removed the front sway bar completely. Never got the front subframe dropped (nervous about breaking bolts/captive nuts). It could be hooked back up. Also have ST add on front sway bar that mounts under the subframe and is used in conjunction with factory front sway bar.

Another Edit:

added some current exterior photos to this album - photobucket album

Seems like the MFactory diff is worth most of the purchase price.

In reply to EvanB: Yep. I paid more for the diff + install than I'm asking for the whole package.

It is kind of tempting but I have too many other projects and not enough desire for the completed product.

Hmmm, how much would it take to get this running and thru e-check? Looking for a combination winter car, first car for son, and solo car for next year. I want somewhat of a project to make him have some skin in the game. I've been scoping our local CL, which at this price point seems to consist of stolen cars, Civics with 300k, Focus or Neons with dissolved rocker panels, and idiots who never respond or take down their ads. May be worth a day trip and tow dolly rental...

A motivated individual could probably get it running and driving in about two weekends worth of work. Or at least, I think that's what it would take me if I had nothing else going on and really wanted to get it done.

The fact that the belt re-route for the AC/PS delete has not been done is really the only thing that would make starting it up a bad idea right now.

I never had to pass an e-check with it but there's no reason that it shouldn't pass.

The car was a Florida car and saw two or three south west Ohio winters. It does have typical 90s Ford surface rust underneath but no rot anywhere that I'm aware of.

cghstang wrote: Has done a lot of this type of stuff (but hasn't actually rallycrossed since fall 2010):

And thus I never got to see it driven in anger.

In reply to cghstang: If you don't mind me asking, why have you decided to not use it for rallycross? I want to get into rallycross eventually and was considering finding a Zx2 to get started with since I know Escorts relatively well.

In reply to BlueInGreen44: I did use it for 20+ rallycross events but as they say, the grass is always greener...

Really, I got pretty comfortable with it and fwd in the dirt and was planning a host of 'upgrades' with the intention of continuing to use it for rallycross. However, while the upgrades never got done (buying stuff is the easy part) I got to drive all manner of awesome awd and rwd cars (Edit: I forgot, a couple of awesome FWD cars too). At this point, the idea of the escort as my 'fun' car isn't very fun. I could expound on the differences between drivetrain configurations but basically, fwd doesn't do it for me anymore.

That said, the escort and BG chassis in general is well suited to rallycross and I had a lot of fun in it. This ZX2 is my 5th BG chassis car and when I bought it I was looking specifically for a BG chassis to rallycross.

Ok, I get that. I'll keep the Zx2 on my list when the time comes. Come to think of it, if this was May or June of next year I would probably be on my way to pick up your car as we speak. Sadly, lots of typical practical reasons prohibit me from bringing home another car right now. Hope it goes to someone who will enjoy it.

If it still had P/S then I'd be down there next weekend to pick it up. Srsly. I like ZX2s and that's a deal.

I have not COMMITTED to the Volvo, yet...

The pump may still be around somewhere. It obviously needs new lines if the PS gets hooked back up.

The difficulty is that I kinda need something that I can jump in and drive, given my lack of ability to work on anything for the foreseeable future.

Here is a plan:

I hook up my tow dolly, tow the Summit down to Chris so he can buy it. Tow the Escort back to my house. We throw it together in the driveway/garage and you take it home.

What could possibly go wrong?

I like the concept of that plan.

However, I think you would both hate my guts forever if you tried to put it together in one long thrash session.

It would be like one of those roadkill episodes where they need to finish a car and leave in 8 hours. Two days later they're still working on it.

I could set up my GoPro to record the thrash session and make a roadkill episode out of it.

Plan B: Convince ZB to let us use his shop for a Saturday and get it on a lift.

Count me in for a crazy Ford thrashing session!

I'll edit the GoPro video.

Enablers, the lot of you...

After much deliberation and discussion, I am definitely withdrawing. For various reasons, it makes more sense for me to join the luxobarge Volvo club than to buy another rallycross car.

Bumping this up.

Baby is here and the escort will not be getting any attention from me for quite a while.

Special deal available for those of the ohio rallycross contingent.

how is this still available? We have failed

captdownshift wrote: how is this still available? We have failed

Because it isn't a Miata

In reply to captdownshift:

Its tempting, but I have too many projects already