Sleeping XR3i Doesn’t Give a Damn
Ford Escort XR3i. Don't eat the yellow snow.
Yeah, we finally got us some snow. It took until the second week of December for a good blizzard to blow through town and cover this once-fast Ford with a cold flake coat – up until now we had to deal with frost and ice all around, but snowball material was conspicious by its absence.
Having been convinced to leave my laptop at peace and go for a walk in the neighbourhood, I couldn’t help but keep an eye out for something noteworthy. And literally (Yes! Finally a justified use for ‘literally’) noteworthy this XR3i is – someone armed with a felt pen can’t wait to get it out of the parking lot.
“Car is to be removed immediately – Janitor.”
The XR3i designation meant this late-’80s 3-door Euro Ford was a reasonably hot hatch in its time. It was no RS Turbo by a long stretch, but be-spoilered, be-skirted and in radiant red, it could cash some of those checks with the 108hp 1.6-litre CVH (Considerable Vibration and Harshness, ha ha) engine. Battling the Astra GSi and Peugeot 309 GTi, it had less power than those two but was nevertheless a strong seller.
Often stolen, old Escorts like this have spent most of their lives being beaten around town just like the old BMW:s I’ve been posting lately – and this is no exception with a couple of sizeable dents and hits around its body. Consider it a FWD Foxbody, and isn’t the design like a caricature of one?
Nice fartcan, Jonne.
But of course, since snow’s now arrived and streets have turned into a drift track for those who do not fear light poles or police cruisers, the Escort should soon be taken back to the street and let join the hoonage camaraderie. It’s cheap, it’s quick, it looks irresponsible and it can be cheaply fixed. Let it be beaten like it should.
Note: I did find the Escort being advertised for sale, with a Googled image. No price is disclosed, but there is a lengthy faults list that has to be rectified before inspection in January; a CV axle, both rear springs, main beams and horn all need looking at and the car doesn’t come with any winter tires. On the plus side it does have a rallye-style steering wheel. Surely that’s more important? Seller “will consider trade for a RWD car”.
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Except for the fartcan, I actually like it. And yeah, I hate cold weather. It was in the mid 20s (F) here this morning.
Excellent cars, nippy, rough and thoroughly miserable to drive slowly. To be driven by the scruff of the neck only.
I've had a XR3 here in Brazil, it had problems keep traction on just a wet street, I would like to know the meaning of hooning with that car in the snow will be, if it probably would not get out of place.
Maybe it was your tropical tires? I'm thinking all-seasons in Finland naturally have a bit more bite than the glistening smooth donuts I've seen on most cars in warm-weather countries. My old Fox-body 5.0LX was stupidly dangerous in the rain on Goodyear Gatorbacks but brilliant in the snow on a set of Nokian Hakkapeliittas.
IIRC the Escort (and most Fords) came with Goodyear Eagle NCT5.
I'm sure it's Euro-snobbery, but the XR3 really is better looking than the North American Escort GT. I don't know how different the performance would be (they're throwing down similar power figures, probably weigh about the same, and they're vaguely derived from the same chassis), but the XR3 is just the right amount of subdued (of course, I prefer the Mustang LX 5.0 to the GT also). That said, I'd take an EXP over either of them (clearly, the Mini Coupe is proof of how solid that concept was).
same chassis? waaaaa? the USDM escort, from 91 until it's death a decade and a half later, used a the Mazda BG chassis. Pretty sure the Euro Scort here uses some ford chassis. And since I'm living in 'Murica and I assume you can read my username, you can probably guess which car I prefer
The mazda BP engine in the USDM GTs is also a much more refined engine than the CVH junker the standard US models had (I own both so I think I might be a decent source) Also, the BP sans muffler sounds absolutely glorious near the 7k redline. Alright, one last thing before I step down from my soapbox: That is not a fart can. Fart cans can hold a potato in the tip with room to spare 
/rant /rambling
This '90 example corresponds to the earlier US Escort / Mercury Lynx, which is vaguely similar-looking but not the same car. IIRC the 5th generation Euro Escort arrived in 1991 to muted response, and that one is not Mazda-related in any way, unlike the then-current US model.
This is what I get for trying to comment in the wee hours of the morning… really thought this car was newer than it is. I'll be quiet now. Maybe even get some sleep…
No problem, the car is snow-covered and all
I wasn't sure since I knew the generation before was hyped as a world car (so presumably sharing a chassis and some other components), and I thought both the Euro and US 'Scorts were just refinements of that earlier generation.
Oh, I had a '93 (admittedly with the CVH, which yes, mostly made noise and harshness, but not much power), and I loved the hell out of that thing, since it taught be about throttle-off oversteer. I find it a little unfortunate though, that even that generation GT was a little over-the-top, and the only other way to get the BP engine was in the LX-E sedan (granted, mine was also a sedan, but I'd still love a 5-door or wagon with that powerplant, and I know it's been done as a swap).
Well, Even though I do love the over the top-ness of the 90's GT, I know of the wonders of the BP because I have an LX-E. It has more dents than HP (even with the mazda powerplant) but was a stupid fun little car.
Oh, and I should add that I go in and out of present tense because even though I still have the car, it's been sitting in the weeds for the past two years. Late November I dragged it to shorter weeds to try to get it running, but the MN snow has put a stop to that.
In current condition it looks like a recipe for disaster in Finland
I have driven a couple of times in the center area of Finland where most roads, besides the main ones, are dirt roads. Even in summer youngsters tend to wrap themselves around a pretty birch tree quite often. I wouldn't want to see the result of someone trying to go anywhere around there with summer tires in the winter!
Hah! I love this series! I never thought i'd be this amused to see these old hoonmobiles. My only Escort-memory involved an earlier '85 or so 1.3 carb model (w/ driver + 4 passengers), which in my book still is one of the slowest cars that I've ever driven. Next up, Aero-Taunus aka Sierra 1.6?
I just need to find a clean one to shoot
I can't remember the last time i saw a Sierra, let alone a nice one. They used to be everywhere ten years ago, with the tuning magazines full of flake or chameleon painted monstrosities.
The only ones i see now are rusty ones that are mostly used to scare old ladies and trim the local woods of small trees and / or lamp posts.