Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

What the hell is a Ford Ecosport? Apparently the rental company doesn't like it because it was the only thing they'd let me take 1 way for a couple thousand miles

My Grandad had one years ago, it was the next move on from the Ford Fusion we had here which was a lifted Fiesta as @93Flareside said.

As for the best cars, I looked at the UK list and the funniest thing is that the Metro won twice. :LOL:
 
To get back to the Ecosport, IIRC it's a Brazilian product. I remember reading a review when it came out in Europe. The bottom line was basically "well, if you have to have a small crossover and it absolutely has to be a Ford, I guess you'll have to buy this"
 
To get back to the Ecosport, IIRC it's a Brazilian product. I remember reading a review when it came out in Europe. The bottom line was basically "well, if you have to have a small crossover and it absolutely has to be a Ford, I guess you'll have to buy this"


And you never thanked me for this!
 
These were everywhere when I was a kid. Mk3 Ford Escort.

Ford of Europe decided to import the visually identical Brazilian-made version (badged Escort LX) for a couple of years. It had a weird Renault(?) derived engine and offered better equipment at a lower price than the usual German-built ones. Things like pop-out rear side windows on the 3-door, rear wiper, mirrors adjustable from inside and so forth. It wasn't well received and as far as I know it took until the Ecosport until Ford tried the same stunt again.

I had a German one as my first car. A white 3-door 1.3 CVH with zero options. It did have a 5-speed box though, for whatever reason.

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Just passed 2 goofy looking offroady blacked out Suburbans on a flatbed trailer. Roshel badging. Wtf?
 
These were everywhere when I was a kid. Mk3 Ford Escort.

Ford of Europe decided to import the visually identical Brazilian-made version (badged Escort LX) for a couple of years. It had a weird Renault(?) derived engine and offered better equipment at a lower price than the usual German-built ones. Things like pop-out rear side windows on the 3-door, rear wiper, mirrors adjustable from inside and so forth. It wasn't well received and as far as I know it took until the Ecosport until Ford tried the same stunt again.

I had a German one as my first car. A white 3-door 1.3 CVH with zero options. It did have a 5-speed box though, for whatever reason.

View attachment 3558494
My father had a 2 door US first gen (mk3 for everyone else) Escort with the wacky Mazda diseasel and a manual transmission.
 
My father had a 2 door US first gen (mk3 for everyone else) Escort with the wacky Mazda diseasel and a manual transmission.

I don't think the US and European versions had too much in common except the name and the design of sorts.

I bet the Mazda diesel was faster and smoother than the CVH in my car. CVH is short for Considerable Vibration and Harshness, after all.
 
I don't think the US and European versions had too much in common except the name and the design of sorts.

I bet the Mazda diesel was faster and smoother than the CVH in my car. CVH is short for Considerable Vibration and Harshness, after all.
It looks more or less like the US version is the Euro version but with body tweaks to add SHINY AND CHROME but I'm sure somebody around here cares enough about 1980s FWD cars to actually know.
 
While we reminisce on Ford Escorts, my first manual was a '91 GT (rebadged Mazda 323).

One of the most fun cars I've owned. It weighed about as much as a fruit fly and darted around like one. Sadly, I was tempted away from it by a temperamental Swedish gorilla that had ten times the weight. But the Swede had a turbo and Michal Knight had shown me that anything awesome on four wheels required one of those.
 
I had great fun in a 2000 GMC JImmy. Turns out it's great for finding ditches in the snow and smashing somebodies garbage cans.
 
Did he ever get the plugs changed? lol
 
Yeah I had a galaxy brain moment while it was at the dealer with the engine out and heads apart for the valve spring recall.

 
FG insider dealing! That really is some respectable mileage. 428 000 km or so!
 
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