I don’t see much bang for the buck trying to increase engine/transmission performance. Exhaust sound change possible, but the risk is turning on CEL, making it impossible to re-register vehicle in emissions-testing states. I think your best bet is to focus on the visual styling. Biggest bang for the buck is probably paint-job enhancements. Have you ever watched that custom-classic restoration tv show “Counting Cars”? Good examples for paint customization ideas.
Be even faster with racing stripes!
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Like the Blue paint but just do not care for Black wheels .
Thats the rims that came with the car. I have always liked chrome rims, but they are growing on me a little.
Here is the perfect “performance upgrade” for the OP.
It’s really cheap, it won’t void your warranty, and while it won’t improve your Escape’s performance, it might make you feel better about its current level of performance.
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I think i want to steal your collection of old magazines!
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Your Challenger looks terrific just as it is. Enjoy it.
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Yes you can… Boost, brother, boost! More boost, more powahhh!
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Concur. But it does appear somewhat like an unfinished masterpiece. Close to perfection, but still needs a little something else to achieve complete perfection, but not sure what. Is there a way to draw some attention to the car’s outline, esp the bottom rocker area, a way to emphase the line that runs roughly from mid-wheel to mid-wheel? Note the two market lights, fore & aft, those are helping, but not completing the masterpiece.
Before considering my idea WW, remember my prefered cars are 30 and 50 years old … and for wheel appearance, I prefer steel wheels with a factory wheel cover.
Sorry, I seem to have drooled on your car…
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To the OP:
Start with some charcoal liter and a match.
A more powerful explosion may occur.
Otherwise… trade the Escape.
The 2.0 liter engine is rated at 250 horsepower and a towing capacity of up to 3500 lbs. I wouldn’t set the vehicle on fire.
I love the color, the wheels, fender flares and shaker scoop. It needs nothing!
I wouldn’t even lower it, the stance is just right. Modern muscle with an dollop of 60s style.
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What’s up with all these posts from people unhappy with the performance of their car…when the car in question would have been considered high-performance just 20 short years ago?
For the record, I have driven economy cars with approximately 100 hp all my life, and the highest-performing vehicle I ever owned was a 1995 Dodge Caravan with the 3.0L engine and 3-speed automatic. With approximately 150 hp and the torque to match, it felt like a rocket. I hear people complaining about current and late-model vehicles which would certainly eclipse a 1995 Caravan, and I just don’t get it. Are people actually watching those “Fast and Furious” movies and thinking that’s real life?
I’ve always owned cars with big engines and lots of low end torque. I got a rush out of fast acceleration. I wanted a car that would achieve that without any performance modifications whatsoever. The first new car i ever bought was a 1968 Dodge Dart, but it was the GTS sub-series, with a 383 engine in that compact car. Would I have been happy with a slant six? Umm, nope. There are still plenty of folks like me around. They usually buy a car with performance built in rather than an econobox that needs to be modified to go fast.
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When I was a kid, I got a bunch of hand-me-down copies of old Popular Science/Popular Mechanics/Mechanix Illustrated magazines, and I was engrossed with them for a few weeks. In one of those mags, there was a test drive report on the then-new 1951 Chrysler New Yorker with the 180 hp/312 ft lb torque Firepower V-8.
In addition to liking the car in general, the writer expounded on how the exceptional acceleration of that car allowed him to avoid an impending collision at an intersection, and he stated that–for the first time–he came to realize that having great acceleration on tap actually improved a car’s safety.
Of course, a lot of power in the wrong hands can be a danger to others, but a responsible driver whose car has really good acceleration potential will have an edge in safety in some situations. Whether one wants to be able to safely accelerate onto an expressway from an entry ramp that isn’t as long as it should be, or whether one needs to safely pass another vehicle on a 2 lane road, or whether one needs to extricate himself from a dangerous situation, “instant” acceleration can actually make a driver and his passengers more safe.
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My first car was a Corvair. It felt like a rocket compared to the old Greenbriar I drove at work but felt like a slug compared to my mother’s Cadillac.
Because some people prefer steak over hamburger.
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I’m in the ‘it’s more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow’ camp. Most fun car I’ve had was my 90hp ‘83 GTI. I could use all its performance every day. Do that with my next car would have put me in jail.