A little advice from Click and Clack

Car Talk: "Ray: The timing belt should be changed every 60,000 miles. On 1981 and 1982 Escorts, when the timing belt breaks, the valves get bent, and the motor gets ruined. In 1983, Ford finally got tired of giving out free engines and changed that design, so that won't happen to your '87.

Tom: But when your timing belt breaks, the engine WILL stop running. And unless you're one of those adventurers who enjoys getting stranded, that's no fun at all.

Ray: The water pump should be changed along with the timing belt for two reasons. One, it takes almost no additional labor to replace the water pump once the timing belt is off. So it IS a case of 'while I'm in there,' and it's best to do it. Second, the water pump is DRIVEN by the timing belt in this car. So if the water pump seizes a week after you change the timing belt, you not only have to buy a pump, but you have to pay for the timing belt job all over again.

Tom: Plus the towing, the car rental, and the hotel bill. "

This was one of the problems. The shiny wear marks where a screw broke.
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axle removed.
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Yet another shot of where the axle joins. Notice the outer sleeve was tearing. Damn, is that a nasty looking "patina".
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bad axle
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ugh. her rear axle was coming loose, and here you can see why. Ethan was very cool: he swapped it out for another used one, but it was in much better shape.
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engine
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Turned out she had mis-mathced calipers! Another item to add to the wish list.
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Moonlight becomes her
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My Lucie. Mona Lisa smile.
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Lucie's engine was made 12/1968. The 319254999 means 31 (type 3) 9 (1969) 254999 (car#). One way to find the engine date is http://www.marksbugbarn.com/shop/identify.php
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This blog is dedicated to Lucie, my sweet and slightly decrepit 1969 VW Fastback and my new old car, _______ (no name yet), 1987 Ford Escort PONY hatchback...and whatever else comes along.

ATM, Lucie is still down in Stockton, waiting to get a tow back to Lakeport.
She died on our first and last big road trip out of Lake Co. on Memorial Day weekend.
We were 99% of the way to the Super 8, and she died at the turn off.
I may or may not write more about that trip, but not today.

Yesterday, I bought the Escort over at West Lake Auto. Ethan, Lucie's mechanic, told me about it. Of course I knew next to nothing about Ford Escort. Betty Ann had a green Pinto in the '70's.

I am fortunate to have car savvy neighbors who were willing to go through this with me. Little did they know it would involve a trip to Clearlake and back! My benefactor's (Mike & Alexandra) bank flavor is there, so. We went for a test drive and Jerry knew just what to look for- this car is front wheel drive, and is prone to bad noises on sharp turns. Smooth. Another thing is noise when going over bumpy roads. Main St. is in the process of being repaved, and the only open lane was the one with all the asphalt scraped off. Perfect for testing! The oil was kinda gritty, so they changed that.

For $1200 ($1604 after taxes etc.), I received a solid beater that was a popular model as a "boy racer" car in the past. Not so sure about the Pony strain, but the mid-80's Escorts in general.
The Escort was a top "World Car" since it was also modified and sold to Europe and Australia. This car had a strong cult following in it's heyday.
Here is a great summary
Here is a great personal experience

A salvage car (some rear end damage, but only cosmetic)- rear end damage that did not affect the car's functions. Interior was barely fair (driver side visor messed up, dash terribly cracked, upholstery dirty etc.) with no rips or major damage and all seatbelts. Outside, it looks like it got sunburned-clear coat peeling off. BUT the best part is that the engine etc. looks in VERY GOOD shape and must have been well taken care of in the past. Judging from the decals on the car, the previous owner was a fisherman, a Good Sam member (the guy w/the halo looks suspiciously like St. Stupid), AAA, and ghost remnants of some others on the rear bumper.

I am very lucky to have such good friends and neighbors! As soon as we got back, Jerry jacked up the car and switched the tires around. Lickety-split! While the tires are new looking (another big plus!), the treads don't all match and this created a bit of a right side drift on the freeway. All better now! We celebrated with pizza. It was also a pre-birthday celebration for Des. #16 on Friday. Can't hardly believe it.