Alan, the 1989 Ford Probe GT Turbo

Alan, the 1989 Ford Probe GT Turbo

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W00DY

Original Poster:

15,480 posts

226 months

Monday 23rd April 2018
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After my Saab 9000 Aero failed it's MOT with some structural rust issues, I decided I needed another car. Since my usual car buying method is to browse eBay and see what takes my fancy I went with that. and yesterday I picked up this:









I didn't know much about these early Probes, but I could see tt had pop-up headlights and a spectacularly red interior so it was pretty much a done deal. This one came from the US back in '89 and sent a few years on the road before ending up in storage for about 20. It made its return to the roads last year and now it's mine.

It's a Mazda MX-6 underneath (no, not the pretty one that the later Probe was based on), this one:




It's got a 22 12V 4 pot with an intercooled turbo putting out a storming 145bhp and 190lbft, there's electronically adjustable dampers and features such as cruise control (that doesn't work) and air conditioning (that also doesn't work)


Here's the original advertisment courtesy of youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg3FCmflFPc

I've got a few plans like wheels and maybe a bit of lowering, but otherwise it's pretty clean and I'm just going to enjoy telling people I've bought a car like the one in Back to The Future 2




Interested to hear our thoughts and hopefully learn a bit since the entirety of my knowledge is based on a bit of googling and 24 hours ownership.


Oh and I'm sure I don't need to say this, but no Probe jokes please. I'm keeping a close eye on the thread, so don't try and slip one in behind my back.

S100HP

12,666 posts

167 months

Monday 23rd April 2018
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File under cars you never knew existed

C70R

17,596 posts

104 months

Monday 23rd April 2018
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Absolutely hideous. Fantastic choice.

Coakers

245 posts

89 months

Monday 23rd April 2018
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Wonderfully eccentric. Brilliantlly different. Definitely a more interesting car than most here IMHO. Will enjoy the updates for this.

Gooly

965 posts

148 months

Monday 23rd April 2018
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Incredible.

Sf_Manta

2,189 posts

191 months

Monday 23rd April 2018
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Add more boost = sleeper that no-one will know what just ate them for breakfast biggrin

Fast Bug

11,643 posts

161 months

Monday 23rd April 2018
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I like your style, good work!

W00DY

Original Poster:

15,480 posts

226 months

Monday 23rd April 2018
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Glad to see some love for it! It's not classy, it's not fast and it's not beautiful, but it's got character. Being a Petrolhead isn't serious business.. Go out and buy something weird today!

More boost is appealing, there's definitely some potential there, but perhaps something else will catch my eye before I get that far


Some nice wheels work wonders and the Goodyears on the current 3 spokes are rather ancient, so if anyone sees anything cool in 5x114.3 then let me know. A couple of examples:






W00DY

Original Poster:

15,480 posts

226 months

Monday 23rd April 2018
quotequote all
The driveway of a 3 spoke fetishist


0a

23,900 posts

194 months

Monday 23rd April 2018
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A fantastic colour combination!

randlemarcus

13,515 posts

231 months

Monday 23rd April 2018
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My Dad had a Probe back then. But he was a gynaecologist, so that was OK.

J4CKO

41,450 posts

200 months

Monday 23rd April 2018
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Sort of hints of Subaru SVX about it.

Prinny

1,669 posts

99 months

Monday 23rd April 2018
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Eclectic choice for sure.

Didn’t Bulgin do a column on being in one of these at launch, getting into an impromptu ‘race’ with some of LAPD’s finest, complete with prisoner in the back?

A few minutes googling didn’t find anything, sadly.

Doo keep us updated though, please.


steve-5snwi

8,644 posts

93 months

Monday 23rd April 2018
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That's different and so very red inside.

MX6

5,983 posts

213 months

Monday 23rd April 2018
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Retrotastic, I love forgotten '80's curiosities like this.

That side profile pic of the white Probe above looks to have a set of RX7 FD 16x8's, I really like these I have them on my mk2 MX6. They usually aren't very expensive to buy if you can find some.

B'stard Child

28,362 posts

246 months

Tuesday 24th April 2018
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Jezarse that's fugly

No Idea why I like it!!!

nadger

1,411 posts

140 months

Tuesday 24th April 2018
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steve-5snwi said:
That's different and so very red inside.
Hmm, perhaps it’s actually randlemarcus’ dad’s probe afterall!!

anonymous-user

54 months

Tuesday 24th April 2018
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The side profile is a bit Celica that ate three weetabix. Oh, hang on, the Polynesianette says it looks like a big 1980's c0ck. Though they could never have named it thus.

Tales of the ownership experience as it unfolds, please. And stories of derring do with all 145 wild horses, too, I hope.

W00DY

Original Poster:

15,480 posts

226 months

Tuesday 24th April 2018
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There's definitely a fair bit Japanese influence in the styling as well as underneath. It's got bits of some of my favourite cars all mashed in there. S13 200SX and FC RX-7 are in there too.


Anyone any good with photoshop? I'd like to see it lower on some nice lattice, dished wheels with gloss black roof and maybe anthracite lower claddings.

Rat_Fink_67

2,309 posts

206 months

Tuesday 24th April 2018
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These things made great looking race cars back in the day...





Great choice, better than another generic diesel eurobox