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120 Posts
Never done a write-up for it but I've owned my 1996 Escort LX Sport since June of 2007. Purchased it for very cheap with 117,000 miles on it, complete with a slipping clutch, 3 blown factory speakers, broken tape deck, broken cd player (not installed), a worn axle/cv-joint, oxidized aluminum rims, dent in the front passenger quarter, broken mirror, and a small dent in the hatch. Sounds bad but the car ran incredibly smooth for a 1.9 and drove very well with the problems mentioned. The other positive was the rest of the car was maintained very well as it came with a fresh tune up, new brakes, new tires, new glass for the two front windows, and the paint still looked great. I've since installed with a new clutch, flywheel, new axles with cv joints, brakes, timing belt, struts, rear springs, shifter/bushings, cd player, tie-rods, replaced all motor and transmission mounts, and done minor changes to keep it well-maintained.
3 days after I bought it home; These are some "in progress" pictures of sanding and brush painting some of the engine bay and core support as well as a failed attempt to clean up the stock lx rims.
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Two weeks later I painted the rims glossy black, held up really well until recently.
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New GT Grill installed as well as factory center caps. Installed an ebay short shifter, corksport bronzeoil bushings, and new bolts and paint for the shifter arm the same day.
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Interior shots, nothing really special though but I do try to keep it clean all the time. There is a worn MX3 shift boot, painted center console, front and rear strut bars, a left-over led dome light, led 12 volt light (now long gone), and a budget headunit/speaker setup that sounds pretty good. The plastic mounts broke for the shift boot which is why it is held in by painted screws, just haven't got around to replacing the center console.
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I decided to sand and polish the lx rims lips last spring.
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Got tired of the rubber moulding peeling off the car so I ripped it all off, sanded, polished, and waxed the aluminum last summer. So far I'm happy with the look.
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This is basically how the car was as of January 2009. Clear corners were installed along with plastic edging front lip with a new splash guard fitted behind it. Slightly ghetto but no splash/rock guards = not good for winter driving so it was necessary. The lip has been mounted so it will be easily removable and won't damage the bumper.
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Here are some pics as of 5/11/2009, in which the escort is now a "work in progress". It is extremely dirty since I've been busy, driving 520 miles a week for school, work, and an internship. The stock lx grill had to go back on as the mounts for the GT Grill broke and got tired of the "clear corners" look.
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5/14/09
Sanded, painted, and restored the spare tire well, the trunk pan, the rear suspension components, the core support/engine bay, several trim pieces, etc. Fixed the trunk carpet so it is now firmly attached to the rear hatch panel and the excess carpet sections on the back of the rear seats (easily removable for spare access). The aluminum-looking material is actually roof insulation that you can purchase at home depot and is very similar to dynomat sound insulation. I've used this on my previous cars with sound systems and it works great to stop road, interior, and body noise or rattles. It is stuck behind the door panels, behind the rear plastic panels, underneath the carpet, and in the trunk area in the escort.
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Pictures as of 5/25/09, it is covered in pollen and could use a wash/wax. I've put on a brand new shaved GT Grill as well as a new front lip, both of which were well-painted to hold up better to daily driving. I might change the lip if I can find a deal on a mx6 or jetta lip in the future. I'm still in the process of repairing the hood and cleaning up the rest of the body. I picked up a 2.0 TB for $10 while looking for an lx rim at a junkyard and decided to replace my broken stock airbox. I fabricated the intake using pieces of an intake system I had from a previous car and have been happy with the results with this upgrade. No other really big plans for this car in the future, only replacement of the front PS quarter and either the refinishing or replacement of the stock LX rims. Just noticed I need to straighten the GT grill as well judging by the pictures.
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3 days after I bought it home; These are some "in progress" pictures of sanding and brush painting some of the engine bay and core support as well as a failed attempt to clean up the stock lx rims.
Two weeks later I painted the rims glossy black, held up really well until recently.
New GT Grill installed as well as factory center caps. Installed an ebay short shifter, corksport bronzeoil bushings, and new bolts and paint for the shifter arm the same day.
Interior shots, nothing really special though but I do try to keep it clean all the time. There is a worn MX3 shift boot, painted center console, front and rear strut bars, a left-over led dome light, led 12 volt light (now long gone), and a budget headunit/speaker setup that sounds pretty good. The plastic mounts broke for the shift boot which is why it is held in by painted screws, just haven't got around to replacing the center console.
I decided to sand and polish the lx rims lips last spring.
Got tired of the rubber moulding peeling off the car so I ripped it all off, sanded, polished, and waxed the aluminum last summer. So far I'm happy with the look.
This is basically how the car was as of January 2009. Clear corners were installed along with plastic edging front lip with a new splash guard fitted behind it. Slightly ghetto but no splash/rock guards = not good for winter driving so it was necessary. The lip has been mounted so it will be easily removable and won't damage the bumper.
Here are some pics as of 5/11/2009, in which the escort is now a "work in progress". It is extremely dirty since I've been busy, driving 520 miles a week for school, work, and an internship. The stock lx grill had to go back on as the mounts for the GT Grill broke and got tired of the "clear corners" look.
5/14/09
Sanded, painted, and restored the spare tire well, the trunk pan, the rear suspension components, the core support/engine bay, several trim pieces, etc. Fixed the trunk carpet so it is now firmly attached to the rear hatch panel and the excess carpet sections on the back of the rear seats (easily removable for spare access). The aluminum-looking material is actually roof insulation that you can purchase at home depot and is very similar to dynomat sound insulation. I've used this on my previous cars with sound systems and it works great to stop road, interior, and body noise or rattles. It is stuck behind the door panels, behind the rear plastic panels, underneath the carpet, and in the trunk area in the escort.
Pictures as of 5/25/09, it is covered in pollen and could use a wash/wax. I've put on a brand new shaved GT Grill as well as a new front lip, both of which were well-painted to hold up better to daily driving. I might change the lip if I can find a deal on a mx6 or jetta lip in the future. I'm still in the process of repairing the hood and cleaning up the rest of the body. I picked up a 2.0 TB for $10 while looking for an lx rim at a junkyard and decided to replace my broken stock airbox. I fabricated the intake using pieces of an intake system I had from a previous car and have been happy with the results with this upgrade. No other really big plans for this car in the future, only replacement of the front PS quarter and either the refinishing or replacement of the stock LX rims. Just noticed I need to straighten the GT grill as well judging by the pictures.
