First, let's agree that PROBE is an unfortunate name for a car. I get asked- if I could only keep one car, what would it be? This would be the one. I bought this car when I was 18, and in the summer of 1988 it was futuristic and cool. Therefore I thought I was too. If you want to put this car in perspective for the times- see my 1989 Caprice Classic. That's what cars looked like. I also could barely afford it- which forced me to work a little harder, and a little smarter. I proposed to my wife in this car (that wasn't the plan- but it was raining that night). Finally in late 2003, with 2 young kids and other priorities- I sold it. In 2007 my then 9 year old son asked me about it from a picture we had, and serendipitously, it was for sale. My car- I recognized the spoiler I added to make it go faster (and matched the VIN to an old insurance statement). I bought it back and then spent a small fortune to bring it back to life. Unfortunately- I didn't buy a Mustang GT in 1988. That might have been worth the investment. As a Ford Probe, in the end I still had a used car worth $50 bucks... but priceless to me. The Probe was actually slotted to replace the Mustang- but Mustang people got wind of that and wouldn't have it. It was the first joint car between Mazda and Ford- and under the sheetmetal it is really a Mazda MX-6. Before going to the Barn- it spent 13 years at our lake as the 1st car many kids (including mine) got to drive on the gravel back roads. No, that's not a dent in the hood- it was to accommodate the strut towers, cause the car was soooo low and super sleek! Common- I was 18.
- 110 HP
- 2.2L 4 Cylinder 12 valve
- Curb Weight 2,733 lbs
- Top Speed of 115 MPH
- 0-60 Time: 11.9 (I thought it was way faster...in 1988)