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Classic Cars Project Cars--You Get to Vote on "Hold 'em or Fold 'em"
19378 messages, Last post on Dec 02, 2009 at 6:53 AM
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my stepdad had a 1984 Tempo 2-door. It always seemed like a cheap piece of crap, but it did manage to make it to around 160,000 miles on the original drivetrain...mostly highway driving. I know it had some problems along the way, but can't remember now what all it needed. I think the two biggest problems with the car were performance and fuel economy. This thing was dog-slow. I drove it once. My 1980 Malibu coupe, not exactly a powerhouse with its 115 hp 229 V-6, felt like a musclecar in comparison! I have a 1985 Consumer Guide that timed a Topaz from 0-60 in 15.9 seconds. For comparison, they had a Plymouth Reliant that managed it in about 13.5, a Toyota Camry that did it in about 13.4, and a Honda Accord that was around 11.6...all of them automatics. They didn't show a 0-60 time for the Cavalier they tested, but rated it a "3", which would have put it similar to the Camry and Reliant, most likely. The Accord had been rated a "4", and the Topaz got a "2" in that category. As for fuel economy, I think my stepdad could get around 20 mpg around town in that Tempo, but on the highway it would only do around 25-27 or so. It would take an act of God to have gotten 30 mpg out of that car! Now part of the problem was that it only had a 3-speed automatic, rather than a 4-speed. And the 4-cyl they used was basically an old Falcon inline-6 with two cylinders removed, so it was probably heavy and inefficient compared to more modern 4-cyls. And I think it had a 2-bbl carb, instead of fuel injection. I'm sure the later Tempos were better once they got fuel injected. And I'd imagine that eventually, a 4-speed automatic found its way onto the option list. I think the Tempo and especially the Topaz sedans looked kind of attractive around 1988, when they got a refreshening. The coupes never looked good, IMO though. |
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Replying to: andre1969 (Dec 28, 2008 8:13 am) In '74, the Sport Coupe got a squared-off quarter window and a flat rear window. We had one. My Dad wanted four windows that rolled down, and the Custom Coupe (and Caprice Coupe) had that roofline with the enormous, thick B pillar and quarter windows that did not roll down. They still had the concave rear window however. The '75 was the last year for the Impala Sport Coupe. I've often thought it would have been nice to have ordered one of these fully-loaded, with the brown herringbone 50/50 seats, power windows and the like. I prefer the '74 and '75 Sport Coupe roofline to the '71-'73. I also did not like at all, the '74-76 LeSabre, Catalina, and Delta 88 two-door rooflines....a door window, a small roll-down quarter window, and a goofy third window near the rear window! Bill |
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"... I'd imagine that eventually, a 4-speed automatic found its way onto the option list." The Tempo/Topaz stayed with the 3-speed automatic as the only automatic until they were retired. Circling back to our family friend's '85 and '88 K-cars, I now recall that one of them blew a head gasket at ~145,000. He repaired it himself, for not much money but a lot of labor, and drove it at least another 10,000 miles. Then he sold it for a few hundred dollars. The A/C went out on the other one at around 150,000, but the drivetrain lasted until ~170,000, at which point he sold the car, for next to nothing. These K-cars delivered low cost-per-mile transportation, but our friend is very handy with a wrench. |
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Replying to: hpmctorque (Dec 27, 2008 9:05 pm)
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| Nice late local fintail...owner has sunk a fortune into it, apparently...and he won't get it back. I can only wish my engine was that clean. Maybe with the dollar losing steam vs the Euro again, it will go back to Germany. | |
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um why? considering offers? really? you have to pay for all those sweet nothings nice pic if you are trying to sell a car great picture palfingers are really big bucks  just totally wrong mechanic: yup, it's been wrecked, here is my bill for $150. only has 3 sides, other than that, not bad this marketing used to work
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That Falcon - As anyone who has ever seen a 4Dr Camry with a spoiler and a fartpipe exhaust knows, you work with what ya got. Only smells like antifreeze? Oh, OK then. That's worth $1000 bucks. After looking at that picture who ever would think you'd want to use the heater anyway? I want that MGB, bad, and I'm not even really an MG fan. Mustang - I wouldn't be in any Rousch to buy it. I bet I'd be able to get one at the dealer without 30 miles on it for less money |
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Replying to: explorerx4 (Dec 28, 2008 10:02 pm) 95 Taurus Wagon --let's see---smells of antifreeze when you turn the heater on, but not when the heater is off. Could it be the heater core? Gee, I just don't know. 72 MGB/GT -- well... it bid to $6600 and he turned that down. It's a coupe, so you can't expect convertible money. He certainly did a good eBay ad. I'd guess that with thicker sway bars, poly bushings all round, and modified suspension, AND this being a hard-riding car to begin with, that driving this baby on the streets of a city is going to be a pretty brutal affair indeed. Avanti -- the car that would not die. Please go away. 2001 Honda -- Blue Book asking price is $7900 and he wants 6400 for a salvaged car. Oh my, someone needs a cruel and sobering reality check. 2008 Brand New Roush -- so who cares? Are you thinkin' it's hard to find one? |
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Anybody know anything about it? I have this guy in Nigeria that wants to pay big money for my car...just kidding. In all seriousness, if I wanted to get a car from Birmingham, AL to the Netherlands what is the best way to do it? It looks like the car would ship from Jacksonville, FL. Can the seller arrange to have it picked up here in Birmingham and shipped out of Jacksonville? Do I have to do a lot of paperwork or is that the seller's problem? Any other issues I am missing?
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Replying to: lemmer (Dec 29, 2008 8:45 am) |
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