You remember the 80s, right? Not the neon-soaked, synth-wave fever dream people sell you on TikTok now, but the actual, gritty reality of the American road. Back then, if you wanted to go fast without mortgaging your soul, you didn't look at a Ferrari. You looked at a hatchback. Specifically, you looked at the 1987 Ford Escort GT. It was loud. It was buzzy. Honestly, it was a little bit cheap-feeling in all the ways that made it charming.
It wasn't a powerhouse. Not by today’s standards where a family minivan can outrun a vintage Ferrari in a straight line. But back in '87, this car was Ford’s middle finger to the idea that economy cars had to be miserable. It was the era of the "Hot Hatch," and while the Volkswagen GTI gets all the nostalgic credit today, the Escort GT was the blue-collar hero that actually put people in the driver’s seat.
What Really Happened With the 1987 Ford Escort GT
The 1987 model year was a weird turning point for the Escort. Ford was right in the middle of their "Aero" phase—think Taurus and Thunderbird—and they wanted the Escort to look less like a box of saltines and more like something that could cut through the wind. They gave it these specific, integrated bumpers and a rear spoiler that actually looked like it belonged there.
People forget that the 1987 Ford Escort GT wasn't just a trim package with some decals and a fancy steering wheel. Under that tiny hood lived a 1.9-liter four-cylinder engine equipped with Electronic Multi-Port Fuel Injection.
That was a big deal.
Most "cheap" cars were still messing around with carburetors or throttle-body injection that felt like it was gasping for air. The GT bumped the output to 115 horsepower. Doesn't sound like much? Consider this: the car weighed about 2,300 pounds. It was light. It was nimble. It felt faster than the numbers suggested because you were so close to the ground and the insulation was, well, optimistic at best.
The suspension was where the magic happened. Ford stiffened things up and added beefier sway bars. When you took a corner in a standard Escort Pony, it felt like a marshmallow falling down a flight of stairs. In the GT, it gripped. It actually wanted to play.
The Engine That Could (Mostly)
Let's talk about that 1.9L High Output engine. It used the CVH (Compound Valve Angle Hemispherical) head design. It's a bit of a cult legend in Ford circles. While it wasn't a racing engine, it was punchy. You had to rev it. It didn't make much torque down low, so you really had to work that five-speed manual transmission to keep it in the power band.
💡 You might also like: Why the Blue Jordan 13 Retro Still Dominates the Streets
If you bought an automatic 1987 Ford Escort GT, I’m sorry. You missed the point.
The manual was the soul of the car. It had this mechanical, slightly clunky shift feel that told you exactly what gear you were in. There was no guessing. You’d drop it into second, hear that 1.9L scream—mostly because of the lack of sound deadening—and feel the front tires clawing for traction. It was honest.
Inside the Cockpit: 80s Luxury at its Peak
Stepping into a 1987 Ford Escort GT today is like a sensory overload of plastics and fabrics. You’ve got these "sport" seats with adjustable bolsters that actually hold you in place better than most modern SUV seats. They were usually grey or charcoal, because that was the color of the future in 1987.
The dashboard was a masterpiece of straight lines and right angles. No curved screens. No touchpads. Just big, chunky buttons that went click with enough force to let you know you’d actually turned on the rear defroster.
The instrument cluster gave you the basics: speed, revs, temp, and fuel. It didn't try to manage your life; it just told you if the car was about to overheat. Which, to be fair, was a real possibility if you lived in Arizona and pushed it too hard on a Tuesday afternoon.
Why the GT Still Matters in the Used Market
You can still find these. Usually, they’re sitting in a barn or someone’s grandma’s garage under a pile of old newspapers. But why would you want one?
Because of the "analog" feel.
📖 Related: Sleeping With Your Neighbor: Why It Is More Complicated Than You Think
Every modern car feels filtered. There's a computer between your foot and the engine, a computer between your hands and the wheels, and a computer between your butt and the road. In the 1987 Ford Escort GT, it's just you and a few cables. If you mess up a heel-toe downshift, the car tells you. It jerks. It complains. It teaches you how to actually drive.
Also, parts are dirt cheap. Since it shares so much with the standard Escort—one of the best-selling cars of the decade—you can find most mechanical bits at any local auto parts store. The trim pieces? That’s a different story. If you break a GT-specific fog light lens or a side skirt, you’re going to be haunting eBay and Facebook Marketplace for months.
The Competitive Landscape: Escort vs. Everyone
In 1987, the competition was fierce. You had the Honda Civic Si, the VW GTI, and the Dodge Shadow ES. The Civic was more refined. The GTI had better interior materials. But the Escort GT had this American grit. It felt like it was built by people who liked muscle cars but only had the budget for a commuter.
- Weight: 2,300 lbs (roughly)
- Power: 115 hp @ 5,200 rpm
- Torque: 120 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm
- 0-60 MPH: Somewhere in the 9-second range (on a good day)
Those numbers look hilarious now. A modern Honda Odyssey minivan does 0-60 in about 6.5 seconds. But speed is relative. Doing 60 in a modern car feels like sitting on your couch. Doing 60 in an '87 GT felt like you were piloting a low-flying fighter jet made of recycled soda cans. It was visceral.
Common Problems (The Honest Truth)
Look, I love this car, but it wasn't perfect. Ford had some "character flaws" back then.
First, the cooling system. If you don't flush the coolant regularly, the radiator tends to clog up, and the 1.9L engine does not like to get hot. Blown head gaskets were a rite of passage for many Escort owners in the early 90s.
Then there's the rust. If you live in the "Salt Belt," check the rear strut towers. If those are gone, the car is basically a parts donor. The floorboards also like to return to the earth if the sunroof seals leak—and they almost always leak eventually.
👉 See also: At Home French Manicure: Why Yours Looks Cheap and How to Fix It
Lastly, the vacuum lines. The engine bay of a 1987 Ford Escort GT looks like a bowl of black spaghetti. One tiny crack in a 40-year-old rubber hose and suddenly your car idles like a lawnmower with a grudge. Replacing them all with silicone lines is the first thing any sane owner does.
Finding and Buying One Today
If you’re hunting for a 1987 Ford Escort GT, don’t look on the big auction sites first. Those are for the $20,000 pristine examples that people are too scared to drive. Look at the local classifieds. Look at the "Cars for Sale" sign in the window of a dusty hatchback in a suburban driveway.
You’re looking for a survivor.
Specifically, look for one that hasn't been "modified" by a teenager in 1996 with a drill and a dream. You want the original airbox. You want the original wheels. These cars are becoming rare because we treated them as disposable for twenty years. We drove them into the ground and scrapped them for $200. Now, people are realizing that they were actually some of the most fun cars Ford ever made.
Actionable Steps for Potential Owners
If you actually go out and buy a 1987 Ford Escort GT, do these three things immediately:
- Timing Belt and Water Pump: Do not trust the seller. If that belt snaps, the engine is toast. It’s an interference engine (mostly), and it’s not worth the risk. Spend the $150 on parts and a Saturday afternoon to fix it.
- Ground Wires: Old Fords have terrible electrical grounds. Clean the connection points between the battery, the chassis, and the engine block. It’ll make the car start faster and the lights brighter.
- Tires: Most of these cars are sitting on rubber that is old enough to vote. Even if the tread looks good, the sidewalls are likely dry-rotted. Get a fresh set of sticky 14-inch or 15-inch tires and the handling will transform.
The 1987 Ford Escort GT represents a time when Ford was trying to find its way back to being a "performance" brand for regular people. It wasn't the fastest car of the decade, and it certainly wasn't the most luxurious. But it had a personality that most modern cars have traded for safety ratings and infotainment screens.
It’s a car that makes you want to take the long way home, even if the "long way" involves a few potholes and a rattling dashboard. It’s a reminder that you don’t need 500 horsepower to have a good time; you just need a light chassis, a manual gearbox, and a little bit of 80s attitude.
If you find one that isn't a pile of iron oxide, buy it. You won't get rich flipping it, but you'll have more fun than anyone else in the Starbucks drive-thru. Just remember to keep an eye on that temp gauge.
Next Steps for the Aspiring Collector:
- Join the Forums: Sites like FordEscort.net or the various "Escort Enthusiast" Facebook groups are lifesavers for finding NLA (No Longer Available) parts.
- Check the VIN: Ensure you’re looking at a true GT (the 8th digit of the VIN for the HO engine is usually 9 or W, depending on the specific year/market variant).
- Invest in a Shop Manual: A real, physical Haynes or Chilton manual for the 1981-1990 Escort will save you hours of Googling for vacuum diagrams.