What does everyone think of the Tempo/Topaz

825 Views 22 Replies 21 Participants Last post by hockeyfeva, Oct 28, 2003

Kool_ZX3

Discussion Starter · Oct 26, 2003

Want to know what you guys think of the tempo/topaz. I know of a topaz powered by an sho engine.Just wanna know who had one,expierences with them etc....

1 - 20 of 23 Posts

FriendlyFocus

· #2 · Oct 26, 2003

Bought a tempo from a junkyard for 400 bucks in high school, salvage title. Drove it delivering pizza. No AC, it was a first year, 84, and it was ugly. Ugly gray with uglier gray primer on different spots. 4-door. 2.3L engine, overhead valves, aluminum intake manifold. I believe it was rated at 90 hp and 125 ft-lbs of torque, it was very peppy. It also used the EEC-IV!

Other cool things about the car, full 4 wheel independent suspension (IN 1984!) MacPherson struts in the front and rear, swaybar in front.

That car fit me perfectly, seating and steering wheel placement were perfect. Much better than my focus is now. It really was a great car.

If I ever become a wealthy car collector, I'm gonna find an '84 tempo and restore it. I really did love that car. I liked that car a lot more then than I like my Focus now.

Demon4545

· #3 · Oct 26, 2003

My grandma had one, a 92 I think. Not sure what engine it had, but it would stall when you stopped moving, and the radio was perma-tuned to a classical station.

smelt nice though. and it wasn't a honda, unlike her new accord. POS.

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p_townZX3

· #4 · Oct 26, 2003

My buddy had a 92 it was a beatter but never died.

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TXFO

· #5 · Oct 26, 2003

this guy I worked with had a tempo that had 60K miles on it. no big deal right? untill you learn that IT HAD NEVER HAD THE OIL CHANGED!!! finally changed the oil at 62K and it ran untill 120K when he drove it all drunk and hit a telephone pole.

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Smoe

· #6 · Oct 26, 2003

90 ford tempo...my first car...me and my friends used to beat the [censored] outta that car. Im talking 5k nuetral drops, rallying in fields...jumps everything.

Ran like a champ

SilverSVT

· #7 · Oct 26, 2003

I liked them, but they are essently Puffed up Escorts, then again I like Scorts too

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SRF

· #8 · Oct 26, 2003

I had a Tempo and no complaints traded in with 112k miles. AC went at about 90k and tranny was starting to slip at 110k, but with those miles I got my monies worth.
One of my clients has a Tempo with V6 and 5spd! That was the first one I've ever seen or heard of. He has 150k with the original clutch. Just needed water pump and wheel hub bearing. If it wasn't for the rust I'd buy it from him.

StickShifter

· #9 · Oct 26, 2003

One of my clients has a Tempo with V6 and 5spd! That was the first one I've ever seen or heard of. He has 150k with the original clutch. Just needed water pump and wheel hub bearing. If it wasn't for the rust I'd buy it from him.

...Yeah, the 3.0s are hard to find...And even moreso with the manual...The enginell take hell, though, and keep going...Its still used today, too...And very little has changed...The 2.3s were pretty nice, too...No friggin overhead cams...Took tons of abuse...My 92 had one, but it was an auto

...AC went out (and decided to vacate its contents into the car through the vents), and drivers side power lock motor went out...But car ran like a champ...
I almost bought a 93 2.3 w/manual tranny...But I got the Focus instead...Still lookin for a manual trannied Tempo, though...Nice little cars, and the second gens are pretty cool lookin...

Ok...Im done rambling...

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240ZX34V8

· #10 · Oct 26, 2003

One of my clients has a Tempo with V6 and 5spd! That was the first one I've ever seen or heard of. He has 150k with the original clutch. Just needed water pump and wheel hub bearing. If it wasn't for the rust I'd buy it from him.

Click to expand...

...Yeah, the 3.0s are hard to find...And even moreso with the manual...The enginell take hell, though, and keep going...Its still used today, too...And very little has changed...The 2.3s were pretty nice, too...No friggin overhead cams...Took tons of abuse...My 92 had one, but it was an auto

...AC went out (and decided to vacate its contents into the car through the vents), and drivers side power lock motor went out...But car ran like a champ...
I almost bought a 93 2.3 w/manual tranny...But I got the Focus instead...Still lookin for a manual trannied Tempo, though...Nice little cars, and the second gens are pretty cool lookin...

Ok...Im done rambling...

We took in a 93 2.3/5 speed at work last week. 55k mi, but it wasn't taken care of. $800 and it's yours. You're 30 min away.

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G1-Focus

· #11 · Oct 26, 2003

It is a great car if you want something that is hard to kill and to just get around in.

It may have had 4-wheel independent suspension, but the front suspension was not set up for any adjustments and/or any real driving performance.

KicknZX3

· #12 · Oct 26, 2003

i bought my 91 for 400 bucks last yr, had 78k on it...put 500+ miles a week driving at 70+ ...i have replaced quite a few little things, but it runs great....just a pos tranny. def worth it for a week day beater though

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Nalar

· #13 · Oct 26, 2003

i bought my 91 for 400 bucks last yr, had 78k on it...put 500+ miles a week driving at 70+ ...i have replaced quite a few little things, but it runs great....just a pos tranny. def worth it for a week day beater though

I had a '94 GL with the 2.3l 4, 3 speed auto. DAMN that thing was slow. I think that engine was derived from the Fairmont's 6. Ford essentially chopped two cylinders off the end and called it a 4. That thing was bulletproof tho, I put about 40k on it in 2 years, and let it go after 110k. Shoulda kept it as a beater.

Nacron

· #14 · Oct 27, 2003

2

My cousin bought a green tempo used...was her first car, broke down 10 times on the freeway on her.

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Maxis24

· #15 · Oct 27, 2003

I've got an '89 Tempo. It was my first car (very good first car IMHO) and it had the 2.3l auto. Wish I could have found an AWD Tempo because the AWD portion bolts up directly to an automatic.

The car had no relative power/refinements, but the engine is bullet-proof. The body will rust away long before the engine goes out (the tranny is another story).

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emulous

· #16 · Oct 27, 2003

Bad memories is what I think when you say Tempo/Topaz. Those are the cars we had in driver's ed, when I took it, there was one 5.0 ltd (not Crown Vic/Grand) that everyone scamered for.

In all actuality the later ones weren't awfull, and at one point you could get AWD on them.

Spleen

· #17 · Oct 27, 2003

...Yeah, the 3.0s are hard to find...

Which engine was that? Is that the same Vulcan 3.0 that's in my Ranger? Cool; I've never seen one in a Tempo.

Crankenstein

· #18 · Oct 27, 2003

My friend had a 4 cyl 5 speed Topaz (forgot what year). Looked like a total "Grandma" car, but we beat the crap out of it and it never flinched. Bad thing was that the front suspension geometry tended to destroy tires in a hurry if they weren't adjusted just right. That and the 5 speed shifter that felt like you were connected to the tranny with a rubber band

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Kool_ZX3

Discussion Starter · #19 · Oct 27, 2003

2

Must be some other tempo/topaz owners here

Good to see everyone agress the 2.3 is literally bulletproof, that is one hell of an engine.I know many with them and beat em and never ever flinch, one guy has one with over 300,000 miles and runs damn good.I want one so bad, it's what my parents drive now and i so want one to get running and work on

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StickShifter

· #20 · Oct 27, 2003

...Yeah, the 3.0s are hard to find...

Click to expand...

Which engine was that? Is that the same Vulcan 3.0 that's in my Ranger? Cool; I've never seen one in a Tempo.

Yes, yes it is...Same as in your Ranger, same as in my Ranger...Slight (manifolds, etc) differences, but same Vulcan...

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