Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe_Bloe
I bought my 100K mile '94 escort wagon 5-speed for $1,000. It needed a tune-up, but now it runs perfectly. I've driven it a little over 1000 miles since I got it, about 60/40 city/highway, and I'm averaging almost 40 mpg. Important: it has the Ford SOHC 1.9 liter engine, not the Mazda 16-valve. Only 90 hp, but great torque, and surprisingly good fuel economy. ...
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I'm in the same boat - I only spent $500 on mine, but it's got 150k on the engine and tranny. Something I'd look for in a cheap economy car is a non-interference engine (like the ford 1.9) - I know the timing belt in there is probably pretty old, but I don't
have to replace it until it breaks - if I did that with an interference engine, I'd be getting a new car.
***I would recommend changing the timing belt before it breaks on any engine, however, because then you don't have added hassle of checking the timing of the camshaft, but it's not that hard..***