[2redscorts]

I´m looking for model year info for 91 to 96 scorts. How can I tell one year from the next? Are all LX scorts mechanically the same for these years? Also interested in colors, options, sales stats, and other seemingly useless trivia...
Tell me what you know!

 

[James92Scort]

The only way to tell is by looking at the VIN and the Title. They´ll both tell you the year of the Escort. As long as the cars look the same, and are in the same generation, body style and engine, they should be physically and mechanically the same.

 

[PTMD]

Check this. http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/generations/articles/49542/article.html I know it doesn´t exactly answer your question but I can´t remember where I saw the one that does.I´ll keep looking.Somewhere I saw one that actually lists the cosmetic differences for each change from hubcaps to tail lights to the size of the air duct holes in the bumpers and grilles.

_________________
PTMD(a.k.a.PUFF THE MAGIC DRAGON)89 PONY L(MICKEY) & 86 L(GEORGIE)HAS OWNED 9 81-96 ESCORTS & 1 EXP

[ Edited by PTMD On Date 11-29-2002 ]

 

[TheBlade]

Well here´s what I do when I´m driving down the road and I can´t see a VIN number.

*91-96 2G, easy to identify.
*2 or 4 door.
*I look for the GT bodykit. Fogs, skirts, wing etc.
*stock duel tips for the GT
*Rear disc brakes
*Then Rims

Okay from that, first 91´s and 92´s have that 3pc spoiler. To tell the difference between 91 and 92, guess on the mileage and age.

93´s and 94´s are the OBDI type with one O2 Sensor...but if its driving down the road you cant really look under at the CAT to tell...so look at the dash. If it has the old dash with no airbags that will narrow it down to 2yrs for ya.

95´s and 96´s have the airbags on the dash and are OBDII. The stock 15" rims are a little different too. Likewise with rims the 91 and 92 have centercaps that the 93 and 94 GT didn´t.

If you think it might be a 95 or 96 more then likely its a 95. 96GT´s are kinda rare.

That´s about how I do it. When in doubt check the door jam info.

 

[James92Scort]

Blade, you´re a Godsend. Can I kiss you now? I´ve been trying to figure out the easily spotted differences between the 2nd gen EGTs, now I have an idea. Thanks

 

[2redscorts]

Thanks guys, but more questions:
James, how can you tell the year from the VIN? Which digit(s) tell?
PTMD, thanks for the history (saw it already) that´s along the lines of what I´m looking for though.
Blade, I don´t think it´s any easier to tell the year for GL´s than for GT´s, but your GT info is great! How does the 3 piece spoiler on the 91-92 look different from the later spoiler? Which GT has the alloys where the spokes are kinda ******? Also, to add to what you have, it´s easy to tell a 94 from a 93 (or other yr) cause it has a drivers airbag but no dash airbag. This is true for GT´s too, right?
Thanks a million!

 

[James92Scort]

OK, there´s a VIN decoder: www.autobaza.pl , click on English. Then enter your VIN. in my case, 1FAPP1288NW169549:

1 COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UNITED STATES
F MANUFACTURER: FORD
A VEHICLE TYPE: PASSENGER CAR
P RESTRAINT SYSTEM: PASSIVE BELTS
P LINE FORD
12 BODY STYLE: ESCORT GT 2DR HATCHBACK
8 ENGINE: 1.8L EFI DOHC I4
8 CHECK DIGIT: CHECKSUM: OK
N YEAR: 1992
W ASSEMBLY PLANT: WAYNE, MI
169549 SEQUENCE NUMBER: IN RANGE

On my VIN, the N indicates the year, which is right...1992. Even though it was built in December 1991 (look at your door sill), and 169549 means my car was that number Escort off the assembly line.

The three piece spoiler like mine is just that, it´s 3 pieces and it wraps around the rear quarter panels, while the newer spoilers are one pieces and sit on the top of the trunk lids.
Oh, and the Escort was never built ina trim level "GL" you´re thinking of the Contour

Escorts came in "pony" (basic, no power steering, etc) L series, LX, GT, and LX-E (4 door with GT engine and suspension). and then there was the Tracer versions. I´m not too big on them, but they came in the basic level, then same as LX, and then the LTS, (which had GT engine and suspension).

 

[2redscorts]

James- Thanks for the VIN info!
I actually meant LX, not GL. What are spotting features for an LX?
I don´t know what you meant by"91-96 2G easy to identify." Please help.

 

[James92Scort]

No problem. I knew you meant LX, just kiddin around with ya

It was actually Blade that said "91-96 2G easy to identify" All that means is the 91-96 Escort GTs are easy to identify, and 2G meant 2nd Generation, which the 91-96 Escorts are 2nd generation.

LX models are very common, and very easy to spot, I just look for the wheels (which are hubcaps) and the grille that has the center mounted Blue oval "Ford" on it, as opposed to the GT Grille, with 7 or 8(?) slanted holes and the "Ford" symbol on the passenger side, and then there´s the bumper. GT bumpers have a hole for fog lamps, LX doesn´t.

 

[2redscorts]

Thanks, but I actually can tell a GT from an LX. By the way, I seriously think the LX grill with the oval looks so much better than the GT grill, as a matter of fact, if I ever buy a GT, the first thing I´ll do is change the grill. No offense to you GTers, and yes I know your car is faster than mine!
Speaking of hubcaps, I think I´ve seen 4 different styles of OEMs on LX"s. What gives? Also my 94 LX has alloys, not to mention a (one piece) spoiler like a GT. Also my 94 has reflectors between the tailights, but my 91 doesn´t. And my 91 has kinda silver-color bumpers, while on my 94 they match the body color. That´s the kinda stuff I´m curious about.

 

[James92Scort]

Yeah i swore the first thing i´d change on my GT was the grille, but now i like it, no... I love it. It stands me out from the rest of Escorts out there, mostly LXs around here, I know where two GTs are, One of these days i´ll go knock on their doors to meet the owners.

And I know where two 2nd Gen GTs are on sale at in my hometown... Both are dark green, if anyone is interested...also there´s a
´00(?) ZX2 on sale a block away from where I work for $4480 dollars.

The 93-96 GT spoilers are the same as on the LX models. I´m glad i got a 92 with the 3 piece spoiler, I like it a lot better.
The earlier LX models have non-body-color bumpers, but newer ones have body-color bumpers, to me, it just looks better as all one color. I´m not sure how many hubcap styles Ford put on the LX models through the years. So I couldn´t help ya out there.

 

[2redscorts]

Yeah, around here I must see 50 LXs for every GT, so the GT does kinda set you apart. Also I´ve never yet seen a scort round my way with any apparent mods, whereas I see those darn riced Civics every day.

I agree that the body color bumpers give you a cleaner look. Just check out 91sleeper´s white scort. If that´s an LX he musta painted those bumpers. The rear 3/4 of that car stands as my favorite pic. Such a clean look, definitely highlights the cars styling! Front ends a bit much for me, but that´s taste.

Anyway, still looking to know more about 2nd gen LXs, so if ya can help.......

 

[spooki]

i´ll second on the 91 sleeper
that IS one tight ride, it looks solid, and i love the way the front-end pulls out the other angles of the car.
looking at it just inspires my to go work on mine.

 

[TheBlade]

I can see how you´d like the LX grill, it does have a very "clean" appearance. It centers everything. I´m a Libra, I know how it feels. What I like about my GT grill is the way its off centered. I makes people look at the car a little harder because before they realize its the grill they´re looking at it makes them feel uncomfortable about what they´re looking at.

Yeah I use the term 1G for first Gen, 2G for second Gen and 3G for third. Alot of my friends have DSM´s (Eclipse, Talon, Lazer.) Because all are exactly the same the body styles are refered to 1G (when all three were made), 2G when the Lazer was dropped and only the Talon and Eclipse where made, and now 3G since its only the Eclipse.

 

[2redscorts]

Yeah, I agree that the LX grille does kinda center everything. That´s what bothers me I think with the GT grille, being asymetrical, you´re left in a state of tension looking at it. I´m a Libra too btw.
Also, I think the LX grille gives the scort a friendly face if you will, kinda like a Neon. Endearing I think.

Any more input on LX model years?

 

[TheBlade]

LX´s....uhmmm they all have 1.9´s ???

I´m not sure on they´re development. But I know that in 95 they got airbags. 94 probably got the one airbag on the drivers side.

Sorry, I basically look to see if its a GT and what year, then if its not a GT it falls into the category of LX. (Not putting an LX down at all though, just not in my realm of knowledge.) There´s a guy on www.speedoptions.com that has a primered 4dr LX with a buddyclub kit. It looks freakin awesome. Since he could fit the buddyclub I know the GT can fit it too

 

[James92Scort]

Same here blade, I´m not knocking the LX models, because I see too many of them around town that are very rusted out. It pisses me off, but I can´t do anything about it.
A long time ago i saw a Black LX in really bad shape, with a blue GT bumper and a blue GT grille. I was thinking, just get a new car. Some mexican looking guy was driving it. I´m sure that he doesn´t take care of it...
The other night I saw an goldish type color LX wagon with a matched in color GT Grille on it. I was like coooool.

One of these days I might get an LX wagon and drive it around for a while when I rebuild my engine.

 

[2redscorts]

90% of the 94-96 LX´s I see are in nice shape. Many of the earlier 2g´s are kinda rough, but not rusty. Mostly scraped/dented up or just real dirty.
Rust not much of a prob round here. Don´t usually get snow too often.

 

[James92Scort]

The thing I hear about A LOT is my coworkers love Honda and all it´s reliability. Well, come wintertime I start noticing lots of old early 90s Accords out on the road...and I have rust over my wheel wells...but not too bad, but these things are usually rusted through the doors/wheel wells/trunk anything that´s metal. I mean they recommend a car that´s going to rust out more than my EGT has in 11 years just because the timing belt will hold at 120k miles? No Thank You.

 

[2redscorts]

Saw TWO RED GT´s this morning, both in a line of traffic at a light. Couldn´t believe it, never seen 2 GT´s during an entire day, even when out looking for scorts. What´s the odds of seeing 2 GT´s the same like that? I mean, they were about 7 cars apart in this line of traffic. So few GT´s round here.

Both looked 100% stock. Finish kinda faded/dirty. First one kinda dented up. I´m thinkin they only came in that color 91-93. Is that right? Didn´t get a chance to check the rear spoiler tho.