[egtdude]

Ok so its offical. We have a new toy. 2003 Chrome Yellow Escape Sport 2 (no friggin clue why they have to call it sport 2 on the 4x4 version)

So We actually picked it up a week ago. We got a smoking deal on our trade. Heck of an incentive package on the '03s plus the financing couldn't be better. or so we thought! Bitches lied about our payments until we got into the finance office. So that was bad enough but they couldn't even get us the rate promised at that point. So technically we could walk right now and say thanks for the new car to drive around in for the week. But we've decided to go ahead and get bent over on the rate and refinance in a year or so. It has the 3.0 Duratec engine... you know the same base for the SVT contour! *G* Needless to say I can't wait for the warrenty to be up. I've got all sorts of plans to "push" the warrenty a little.

This will essentially be the wife/family (IN THE FUTURE!) car. So I'm thinking it will be a nice BEMS showcase vehicle. Gonna up the power a little. Improve the braking and handling. I think I will turn it more into a street performer. It has 4 wheel drive. But lets face it coming from a jeep wrangler it isn't REAL 4 wheel drive. I only wanted the 4 wheel version so I didn't have to worry about the little lady in rain etc. So again with the street fighter theme I will probably upgrade the wheels/tires to more performance oriented as money becomes available.

It has the Mach audio system in it. Not Bose quality or anything but a hell of an improvement over not being able to hear the one in the jeep on the freeway without making yourself deaf!

I'll get some pictures up soon.

I am not sure about lowering it though. I'd like to go with the whole street fighter theme with the four wheel drive just being a performance adder. However we will be doing a bunch of camping so I don't want to ruin what little off-road capability it has. We'll see I guess.

I was going to build a custom off-road teardrop mini camp trailer for the jeep. I guess now I get to build a nice yellow one to match and not worry about the off-road capabilities.

P.S. We will pick up an old jeep when we can afford it for weekend playing... still thinking about a Pinzgauer

 

[Beaverboy]

Screw off-road capabilities. :roll: Lower, dub, big-brake, shave, kit, neon, supercharge, and shake (no stirring)

I keed, I keed. :lol:

Sounds nice. What kind of AWD does it have? Is it full time or part time? Front or rear LSDs? Viscous center diff? Good choice on the V6 (did you have a choice w/ the AWD?)

I know that the 165hp 2.5L Subaru Forrester my father bought is plenty fast for an upright box on wheels, I can just imagine how that 3.0L feels in the Escape.

Oh, you should try to write it off as a business expense for BEMS.. a marketting tool. :wink:

 

[StevieJ]

Oh yes they do make a wonderful supercharger for those.. and sure why not put on some nice wheels just use all season rubbers instead of putting on performance..

And I really do like the escapes.. I was thinking about getting one until I saw how much more Id get raped by insurance..

 

[egtdude]

well first off... DUH of course its going to be a right off for advertising!

second not sure 100% on the AWD. It works great though. Again last night in a soaked parking lot I punched it and it just launches. Can't spin the tires to save my life.

It is part time in that it obviously comes on in the front tires start to lose traction. You can also turn it to the "on" position and it will lock it on.

I do consider it a car system rather than something like the jeep. The liberty had the jeep system but was too small. I was thinking of waiting for the diesel liberty but decided we liked the escape much better.

So anyway my plan as it stands now:
Intake
Exhaust (Custom BEMS of course... thinking flowmaster 60 series)
Maybe headers... need to see what would void the warrenty
New front rotor and pads.
find some good pads for the rear drums
new wheel/tire package
possible H&R 1" lowering springs.

Still not sure about that. Like I said I'd like performance tires on it and all but don't want to totaly ruin its camping capabilities. Plus its the sport with the no bounderies roof rack system so I'm not sure if that will go together.

After the warrenty is up.... who knows SVT head maybe turbo?

 

[grav1ty]

Just rember the Escape is built on a modified 626 platform... So who cares about real offroad. That is what Jeeps are for.



Grav1ty

 

[egtdude]

I agree... however I don't want to have to worry about camping. We'll see what happens. I guess I could always sell the stuff used and brake even.

 

[Bozak]

Schweet!!

I dig the ride but a few things

Lets replace the drums with discs, drums aint cool

and the flowmaster 60 series was specifically designed for smaller displacement engines...2.5 nd below.....maybe a 50 series in a crosflow setup would be ideal?

R.

 

[egtdude]

yes 4 wheel disks would be great. however I can't void the warrenty so I can't do anything crazy just yet.

That and Pimp and I have a fab project list that extends out for a year or two

 

[Beaverboy]

See if VelveTouch makes rear brake pads for the Escape. They're supposed to have some really good bite when cold and remain fairly consistent once they heat up... at least that's what I've heard from a friend who autox's with rear drums. :wink:

Sounds like a good AWD system... having a lock-up option is very very nice for when the weather gets nasty or you go off-road.

 

[egtdude]

tested out again this weekend with my brother in law on a dirt road. very little slip and it just takes off. crazy stuff