Learn me Mercury Lynx (escort) XR3

I'm thinking about going to look at this car: http://stgeorge.craigslist.org/cto/2647195337.html

What should I look for besides rust and signs of molestation? I hear the 1.9 takes well to BOOST. Are the mercury specific parts unobtanium?

I'm commuting 100 miles per day in my 540i (lovely highway commuter, but 91 octane@25mpg is killing me) and would like a beater to keep the miles off the BMW.

Is this car going to be a PITA or fun? Will it have enough power to get up a decent grade at 70mph? I guess that's what turbos are for!

hotlinked pics from ad:

Are there any good junkyard upgrades? fat swaybars, updated parts from newer generations, etc.

I drove one when they first came out. It was decently quick with the FI engine but the suspension was wallowy and build quality Pinto-esque. When I researched those back in the day I'm pretty certain the only difference between the Ford and Mercury versions was the decals and wheels.

leave it stock. drive the wheels off. repeat.

good looking little bugger.

Freshen it up to whatever stock class it runs in. Buy a second set of wheels and tires with autocross only stickies on them. DD/weekend AutoX racer. Looks like a pretty good buy to me. I had one that I got for $100 and had to put a clutch in it. It drove like I expected it to but used a lot of oil.

I am jealous. I have no idea why I like these first gen escorts so much. $600 seems like a screaming deal even if it had some rust. You should be able to find the turbo parts for that car from Europe.

It's an Escort in disguise.\ The basic drive train is used in the Spec Racer Ford. Good dependable driver.

1.9's love to crack the heads between the valves. Don't cheap out on TFI's. I know on my '87 Escort the cowl rotted out allowing water to run in and soak EVERYTHING in the footwells.

2002maniac wrote: Are there any good junkyard upgrades? fat swaybars, updated parts from newer generations, etc.

'90s era Escorts used Protege chassises, so suspension components from later generations won't swap in. It's possible the EXP or other variants may have had some suspension upgrades or it might be possible to double up the sway bars though.

The CVH engine continued on, eventually becoming the 2.0 SPI motor in base model early Focuses. There was also a turbo 1.6 version that was rare but sold in the US and you might be able to find one with enough junkyard scrounging. Not sure if the turbo cars got upgraded suspension goodies too.

That is a rare car, my dad had a MKI GTI and his best friend had a Lynk RS when I was growing up. I will always own a hatchback due to their influence.

The Escort can be improved a lot just by correcting the nasty camber up front. In stock form it works okay unless you'd like to change direction. That it doesn't do so well. CVH is a decent engine. Pretty reliable. I owned a Lynx back in the day. I don't believe there are any parts that don't interchange with the Escort other than a few styling parts. Tail lights, I think, are slightly different. That kind of thing.

Supposedly the vulcan v6 swaps into those with a minimal amount of work. You could have a v6 Lynx!

2002maniac wrote: Are there any good junkyard upgrades? fat swaybars, updated parts from newer generations, etc.

I believe they had nice fat sway bars in them that year. Should take well to a few pounds of boost.

mndsm wrote: Supposedly the vulcan v6 swaps into those with a minimal amount of work. You could have a v6 Lynx!

Should be able to do it with V6 Tempo/Topaz bits as they are very closely related.

looks like i hesitated too long and the ad is gone now.

In reply to 2002maniac:

Wow--I can't even remember the last time I saw one of those on the road. It's been a LONG time-well over 10 years.

Looking at it now, it looks like a mini Cosworth Sierra. Just needs the double decker wing on the back.

Ranger50 wrote: 1.9's love to crack the heads between the valves. Don't cheap out on TFI's. I know on my '87 Escort the cowl rotted out allowing water to run in and soak EVERYTHING in the footwells.

I have never even heaard of a 1.9 cracking the head, is this an issue in the race prepped cars? I know the 1.6 had head cracking when overheated (Ikilled one) but I and my family had a slew of the 1.9's with zero problems, but yes the tfi is a common issue, and still carry that tool in my bag

Hot damn! A $900 '87 EGT was my first car in '99, and the XR3s were all gone here then!

Potential issues include failed side rear window seals that drip into the rear strut tower insulation, rotting out the towers and rear footwells. Suspension is quiet soft; understeer on throttle, bags of lift off oversteer. Negative front camber and better struts seems to help quite a bit. Rust belt cars also suffer from snapped rear coil springs. Mine also ate headgaskets, Mac struts, and alternators regularly, but it was beaten mercilessly even before I ever got my grubby, abusive hands on it. An engine/dash harness fire stemming from a bad alternator ended it's life.

Aftermarket was pretty weak even 12 years ago, I can't imagine it's much better now. Lowering springs, Tokico struts, Energy Suspension bushings, and Addco sway bars seemed to be the extent of it way back when.

Crap, I sorta miss mine now.

2002maniac wrote: looks like i hesitated too long and the ad is gone now.

Sorry to hear it is gone but maybe you can get really lucky and find a LN7

Bought used '87 Escort GT w/ blown engine, replaced it w/ 20K mi. salvage yard engine. Fun DD, good trans for rowing through the gears, it would pull the mountain ok in 4th, don't remember the mpg but wasn't a killer. Haven't even seen one in years as they disintegrated here in the rustbelt. I'd own one again.

Still have a bolt-in AutoPower cage for it if anyone is interested

A zetec from a 95 or so contour will bolt right up

In reply to jrw1621:

I have an odd desire for an EXP/LN7. If an EXP turbo ever popped up in good shape it would be a real temptation. But I can never get around them weighing more than an Escort. Don't understand it, but I've seen that referenced several times.

They're cool looking though, especially the early EXPs.

Oh yeah!

http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/2592759340.html

It says everything is there. Engine, transmission and... rear axle?

I first drive stick in my b-i-l's first year EXP.
I found my sister's Horizon TC3 to have an easier and more forgiving clutch.
A couple of years later I bought my '83 VW Rabbit.
I have owned something or multiple things with a clutch ever since.

I had two of those both 87's both automatics both wagons. Probibly the two best cars I ever owned.