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For $750, There’s Waldo
For $750, There’s Waldo-July 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:10:15

The popular kids' books Where's Waldo, Where's Waldo, Hollywood and the ultimately ill-considered Where's Waldo, Auschwitz proved the googly glasses-wearing traveler really got around. Today's Fiesta may have been how he did it.

Getting around — regardless of foul weather, moonscape roads, or having to deal with a truculent Waldo — is the forté of yesterday's . Its high-tech TOD drivetrain and scrumptious sundae of a V6 with a supercharger cherry on top could get you out of nearly any challenge, while its rugged body on frame construction and sassy plastic cladding would mean running Waldo over wouldn't present much of a risk to you. However, none of that made a bit of difference to the 58% of you who found the seller's ten grand asking price nearly as nuts as an unassuaged Waldo seeker.

Joe Isuzu was Isuzu's humorously mendacious spokesman back in the 80s. Sadly, Joe wasn't around…

Not so nuts, perhaps, is this . Ford of Europe gave us the spritely little Fiesta for only three years back in the seventies, and then, like an outed spy, it was forced to leave the country. Its place in the Ford line up was taken by the larger and lamentably Americanized Escort. The Blue Oval brigade is making a deal right now about bringing the Fiesta back to our shores, but that car is bigger, heavier and like a gazillion times more expensive than this 1980 edition.

Powered by Ford's economical and -able kent 1600, this one claims to stall when cold, maybe requiring a new choke, or perhaps an entire rebuild of the 2BBL carb. The first-gen Fiesta was truly a continental affair with major assembly for the U.S. Version handled by the nicely scented workers at Ford's Cologne Germany plant, while engines were sourced from Valencia Spain, and transaxles from Bordeaux France. One wonders if you could tell the source of the gearbox oil by its terroir?

The engine, when new, put out a willing 66-bhp, but with only 1,800 pound to tote around, the car felt quicker than its 11-second zero to sixty time would let on. Today's car is probably tired, and that carb definitely needs to be dealt with, but the 711M Kent engine was used in thousands of Pintos as well, and has made a comeback in , so parts aren't that hard to find.

This BRG Fiesta rocks a slutty red interior, and, while the seller attempts to make amends for it - including making claims of having the materials but not the time - the rear seat is currently covered in what looks like Waldo's trademark red and white striped turtleneck. Other than that, the seats, dash and door panels look okay for 30 years and a 360 of the odo, although it appears a radio is not included in the bargain basement price.

Outside, another major change has been the removal of the aluminum battering rams, and I for one say good riddance. Aside from that, the paint on this Tom Tjaarda-styled hatch is original and shows the speckling and fade that not even Oil of Olay can mask. The roof looks like somebody tried to knock a vampire or something off of it as there are a series of vampire fingernail-esque gouges across its entire width. You'll also need a stick if you want to keep the hatch from closing on your fingers, but that's easily remedied, and the most important body consideration - rust - doesn't seem to be a factor here. That's pretty strange as it's an Oregon car, and so maybe a trip around it with a magnet may be called for should you be seriously considering the purchase.

If you did consider the purchase, it could potentially be made with the loose change behind the sofa cushions as the starving student seller is asking but $750 for this festive Ford. That's only $250 north of LeMons country, although this apparently solid citizen may be worth doing more with than a south of the border-themed race entry.

So what do you think about this tidy little Fiesta and its $750 price? Is that a good price for someone to have driven a Ford lately? Or, does that price make this one Fiesta that no one should be party to?

You decide!

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