What's New with My Cars?

Our newest member of our car family is our 2000 Ford Escort ZX2 S/R.  We bought it back in November 2004 from an impound lot for a mere $1000.  We were at our friends impound lot to look at another car when we noticed a red ZX2 with a large muffler outlet and was badged an S/R.  We went around to the front and we noticed under the bent up hood that it had a large blue intake tube and a matching blue valve cover.  We went home and looked on the internet and found out that S/R meant "street race".  The car from the factory, came with a Borla muffler, B & M short throw shifter, Centerforce clutch, reprogrammed computer, Iceman intake, Tokiko struts, Eibach springs, 4 wheel disc brakes, Energy suspension bushings, oversized swaybars, and 205/55/ZR15 tires on Mercury Daisy wheels.  It has the standard ZX2 fog lamps and spoiler, but has an S/R only 150 mph speedometer.  This car also had ZX2 S/R decals that were missing from the doors, but after a much lengthly search, we finally were able to order them from Ford.  Ford didn't advertise the S/R package so very little people have even heard of one.  It is sketchy about the exact number of ZX2 S/R's that were made in 99 (just over 100).  All were yellow and sold in southern California.  The next year they made 2000, 500 were red, 500 black, and a 1000 yellow.  We have now since fixed the car and have been racing it in the SCCA Solo 2 this year in G-stock.  We have been able to get 225/45/15 racing tires to fit the stock wheels.  Seeing as the exhaust was stock aside from the muffler (1 3/4" pipe), we had a local shop open the exhaust to 2 1/4" from the cat back.  This included opening the cat outlet, a bolt up flange, and a flex tube.  This made a rather noticeable difference on the track as far as acceleration is concerned.  Unfortunately, it does not have the acceleration factor of our Taurus SHO's (we have a few of them from 89-97).  But will out manuever one all day.  We love the Z!