Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Classic Cars I spotted an (insert obscure car name here) classic car today!
17854 messages, Last post on Nov 09, 2009 at 4:04 PM
You are in the Classic Cars Forum. Your Host is mr_shiftright
|
XR5...I honestly have no memory of that. It's not worth nearly that price, but intetesting in an 80s crap kind of way. You don't think something like a big LWB 126 with a tuned engine and faux Testarossa side scoops will be worth anything? LOL RX7 and Supra will certainly be there |
|
|
about the original FJ Land Cruisers.... http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/14/automobiles/14CARS.html For some of us those are still the real L/Cs. |
|
|
What about the turbo and V6 models? Or the AWD ones? I have seen the the 6 and awd, but only heard of the turbos. Twin bro has an 85 Tempo w/  290k miles. Has the metal bumpers! Has the 2.3l H.O. motor in from factory. Has new motor, when getting it replaced(original lump lasted 265Kmiles) mech asked if it was the turbo or not. Said they offered it with a turbo option.
|
|
|
I've seen those Landcruisers with big asking prices, approaching 15-20 grand for mint original ones. I can't recall a turbo Tempo. I do recall a diesel variant, along with the V6 in later years. The 85 sedan my mom had was that 2.3, and it was the highest optioned one I have ever seen. It had power everything including seat, wheels that looked like the kind on an Escort GT, headlight covers from new that I never saw on another one, deluxe interior (the sub-model was GLX), etc. It was at 190K when she finally got it out of her driveway...the engine and transmission were never touched, although some of its prehistoric computer controls failed many times. The paint even held up pretty well, it was a pleasent enough medium blue. |
|
|
Perhaps the mechanic wasn't thinking of the Tempo when asking about the turbo, like in the TurboCoupe Thunderchicken. Bro bought the car for 2K, at 260K miles. Looked good for year and miles. Still shows no rust or normal wear in the interior. I can't recall what trim level it is. But the normal plastic bits are reaching the end of their lives. Before he replaced the motor, it was driven on 3 pots for 20-30k miles. He just thought it was wimpy due to age and 3 speed slushbox. Ran much better with new motor. A coworker has a 93 Tempo w/2.3l listed for $450. Has about 120K on the clock |
|
|
That could be it...I think the T-Bird Turbo had a variant of the same engine. You see a lot less of those an early Tempos even. The Tempo my mom held up relatively well too...no rust except for the tops of the doors where it curves into the roof, and it was just surface stuff visible when the doors were open. The upholstery aged pretty well, especially seeing as it was driven hard by high schoolers for many years. I also remember now that the power windows on the rear doors got weak...they would roll down, but needed help going back up. I remember the interior plastics would chafe easily too. Oh well. When I people go on about how bad Tempos were, I am always surprised, given the car we had. It really had little maintenance apart from oil changes. |
|
| I served with 2 Marines that owned Tempos. They never had any complaints. The one, she had a 425 Rocket powered Olds, that I tried to buy from her, for 500clams. Car ran and drove, and was in overall decent shape, dummy me, didn't take it. | |
|
but I think the T-bird turbo actually used the little Brazilian Pinto/Mustang/Fairmont OHC 2.3 4-cyl. The 2.3 used in the Tempo/Topaz, and I think the Ranger pickup, was actually the old inline OHV 6-cyl with two cylinders removed, an engine that dated back to the old Falcon 144/170 6-cyl. My stepdad bought a Tempo, brand-new, in 1984. It was an ugly looking thing. A 2-door GL, IIRC. It was white with a gray lower accent, and some hideous looking alloys. It had some issues over the years, but they ran it to around 160,000 miles, when they traded it for a '91 Stanza. It was still on the original engine and tranny, but I don't know what other work had been done on it. They got $600 in trade on it. IIRC, the Diesel Tempo used a 2.0 Mazda unit? And in later years, they put the Ford Vulcan 3.0 in the Tempo, which had 140 hp. That must've been a gutsy little car for the time. |
|
|
I think you might be correct about those engines. I never kept track apart from displacement. We're discussing Tempos...never thought I'd see the day |
|
|
I don't recall the Tempo/Topaz being available with the diesel, but I do remember the V6 option .. and yeah, I seem to remember that it was pretty quick for the time. I do remember that the Escort/Lynx had the option of a diesel engine, as I almost bought one back in 1985. I was just a few months from graduating college, and my beloved '79 Sunbird had been totalled by my insurance company .. I had $2K to use as a down payment. The dealer offered me a 3-door Escort diesel for the $2K down and, I think, $150/month. They would even defer the payments until after I graduated. My folks talked me out of it, telling me that I didn't have a job lined up post-graduation, and that it was silly to commit myself to car payments when I wasn't sure about future income. Reluctantly, I agreed and ended up buying a '76 or '77 Olds Omega with a 306 V8 for $1000. When I met my wife 8 years ago, she was driving a Tempo that she had bought new in 1986 .. it had 96K on it and was starting to look pretty ratty. Gave it to her sister when we got the wife a new Escort. |
|
You are here:
Forums
Classic Cars I spotted an (insert obscure car name here) classic car today!
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
