#1.5 Just add gas and go!
History of Probe and what's the plan for the future
I’m on a roll with my project. The car is already dismantled, and the welding work is scheduled. I have a preliminary list of tasks to tackle, but what I’m currently missing is a big-picture vision. With the car in such a state, I have the freedom to make it whatever I want—whether that means custom modifications like a carbon fibre bumper, spoiler, or side skirts or going for an original look. If you were me and have/had a project like this, what would you do?
Let’s pause for a moment to create a vision. In my place, if you have/had a project like this, what would you do/done?
So, in my mind, I have two ways to go:
Keep it original
Fully modify it
I know I still have time while doing preparation work, welding, etc., but after that, I would love to see how this project will finish, so this article will be mostly about further planning, history, and sentiments.
KEEP IT ORIGINAL
In my opinion, Ford Probe has a lot of history. Initially, it was meant to replace the Mustang. However, due to the political/economic climate and high fuel prices, car manufacturers shifted focus towards fuel-efficient, front-wheel-drive vehicles. Mustang sales dropped, so Ford thought - Hmmm, guys, let’s make a fuel-efficient Mustang! Indeed, people are going to love it! Did they love the idea? Hell no… When Ford announced their plan, people were not in love with the name, an FWD system, or with the engine, which was not the All-American V8 the Mustang used to have. That was a wake-up call for Ford, and they cancelled their plans to make it under Mustang's name, but collaboration agreements with Mazda and millions spent on design led them to choose to release the 1st generation Ford Probe. I will not go into much detail, but 1st Gen was a success, and despite initial scepticism, it achieved over 132k sales in the second year, which was a respectable result.
Inspired by 1st Gen success, Ford started to work with the 2nd Gen-Probe, and that led Mimi Vandermolen to become the first woman head designer in the car industry. Her idea was to create a car that was easy to operate for a woman and that would be even easier to operate for men. Better visibility and lighter trunk—these are just a couple of new adjustments to the previous generation Probe.
Buuuuut… 1993 came. With a booming economy and dropping fuel prices, people began shifting their focus to SUVs, and demand for sporty 3-door coupes started to plummet. Fuel efficiency was no longer a trend. Additionally, Ford released the 2nd Gen Probe into a VERY competitive market, with rivals like the Toyota Celica, VW Corrado, Honda Prelude, Mazda MX-5, and Opel Calibra already well-established. In 1993, the 2nd Gen Probe reached 119,000 global sales, but this figure drastically dropped, and by 1997, sales had fallen below 17,000 per year. Ford decided to discontinue the model.
To understand the competitive landscape, the Mazda MX-5 sold 32,000 units in 1997, the Toyota Celica 18,000, the Acura Integra 40,000, and the Opel Calibra 10,000. Take a look at the table for a more detailed view.
Well, yes, the Probe has a Ford logo on it, but the chassis and engine are Mazda designs, and many parts are similar to those in the Mazda MX-6 and Mazda 626. So you could say that the Probe is 60% Mazda and 40% Ford. Keeping it original would preserve the history of this iconic car, which was intended to be reliable and impressive but simply wasn’t in the right place at the right time to become a worldwide legend. Around 310,000 were produced over its lifetime, and today, only about 23,000 to 30,000 remain. Keeping it original preserves its historical significance but will also add to its value as time goes on.
Remember, those distinctive headlights are no longer allowed on new cars, making this model even rarer in the future.
CUSTOMISE IT BABY!
Yeah, I get it—if you’ve ever played Need for Speed Underground 2, you’ve probably dreamed of having a car like the ones in the game. Lowered down, with neon lights, carbon fibre parts, and a custom bumper—imagination is the only limit when it comes to modifying your ride. I won’t lie; the inner child in me is bursting with wild ideas that initially seem super cool.
I started exploring body kits for the Probe to turn it into my personal "toy car."
The idea of customizing it has only been strengthened by the fact that there are still custom bumpers and tuning parts available for the Probe. I was pleasantly surprised to find websites where you can order or at least inquire about these parts.
DECISION
So what would it be? Full customization or complete original? And my answer is… Neither. I’m a very sentimental guy and history is very important to me. If I would go crazy and destroy the car’s identity… It won’t be the same car I fell in love with in my childhood.
I will restore it to it’s original state, but with small modifications just to improve it. My goal is NOT to change how it looks and what it is, goal is to make it a bit better, a bit faster and a bit more MINE.
My plan is:
Restore a car's body to its original state.
CHANGE color to dark Cherry/Red
RESTORE interior plastics and cover them with leather
CHANGE seat coverings with leather ones
INSTALL a decent sound system
UPGRADE clutch
RESTORE engine without modifications (modify only spark plugs and upgrade other small components to get more reliability and power)
CHANGE wheels. (well, the original ones are too small)
This is a vision that makes me feel good. I know what I want to achieve and what my car will look like; this helps me to go further with research and plans.
For upcoming posts, I would spend more time on research. To get this project done with my own hands, I need A LOT of new information, so for my upcoming posts, I will talk about what I discovered while seeking answers to these topics:
Car soundproofing
Car stereo installation
Interior restoration
Car carpet restoration
Dashboard restoration
Engine restoration and parts that I’m planning to use.
Also, I will update you on the current progress and the state of the car.
If you have any suggestions - please, give me a message it will be nice to discuss and chat :)