93 Escort - Possible rebuild

[spr1975wshs]

My Mrs. still has her 93 Ford Escort wagon.
It has not run in 4 years and does need a lot of body work.
She is considering spending the $s to get it rebuilt.

Any recommendations for a place to get it looked at,
definitely would need to be towed.

 

[black dog]

Are the rear shock/strut upper mounts in good shape? Those years were big on rotting out. My ex had a 93 and a 94.

 

[spr1975wshs]

Are the rear shock/strut upper mounts in good shape? Those years were big on rotting out. My ex had a 93 and a 94.

Will have to check, thanks for the tip.

 

[Sneakers]

Those cars were built before the introduction of alcohol blended fuel, so not alcohol tolerant. If it's been sitting for a couple of years, I'm wondering what the condition of the entire fuel system is like. At a minimum, the tank should be drained. Injectors or carb? Either way, probably needs attention by now.

 

[Gilligan]

Finding a shop that will take on a "restoration" project that includes mechanical as well a body work is a tough one around here. Body shops want insurance jobs (or charge for custom work to match...very high) and regular auto shops charge $125/hour or more....sounds like a lot of hours would be required for your wife's Escort.

 

[Clem72]

Is there an emotional attachment to the vehicle? Seems like it might be cheaper/easier to buy a more recent used vehicle that's already in running condition. Used prices have come down somewhat recently, if you like the bigger sedan you can get a not-too-old Fusion for under $10k (under $7k if you don't mind 150k+ miles). If you don't mind a smaller vehicle you can find Focus' all day long for under $5k. I would probably trust a 150k mile engine made past 2010 more than a 50k mile engine that's been sitting since the mid 90s, but others here that know more about engines might know more about that.

 

[Kyle]

Finding a shop that will take on a "restoration" project that includes mechanical as well a body work is a tough one around here. Body shops want insurance jobs (or charge for custom work to match...very high) and regular auto shops charge $125/hour or more....sounds like a lot of hours would be required for your wife's Escort.

A friend of mine with a body shop used to tell customers "Grease doesn't mix with Paint" and send them elsewhere.

 

[spr1975wshs]

Thanks all for the info and suggestions.