In 1988, Ford Tempo and Mercury's Topaz were some seriously high volume small family people movers.
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@Motorweek3 жыл бұрын
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@user-gd2sf3ee2f2 жыл бұрын
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@joebeta1837 Жыл бұрын
This car got me through college and during my loneliest years in my early 20s. Everyday that I was able to turn on the engine, was a day I was grateful it worked. I don't know what I would have done if that car had broken down. I was very poor.
@RoadCone4114 жыл бұрын
How did I know a good old criticism of oil temp and voltmeter omission was coming? Thanks for not disappointing, JD!
@DonESmith-lc1vf4 жыл бұрын
He bitches about any Car/Truck that doesn't have Full Instrumentation, and sometimes Bitches about them too!!
@celsovera914 жыл бұрын
Just like sofyan bey from redline reviews complaining that a car doesn’t have sirius or carplay
@theKevronHarris4 жыл бұрын
Looks like OCD
@mcearl80734 жыл бұрын
He’s probably the sole reason that manufacturers started using those “gauges” which aren’t actually gauges, just dummy lights disguised as a gauge.
@velvetbear71843 жыл бұрын
He owns a Tempo.....
@theKevronHarris4 жыл бұрын
I remember both the Ford Tempo and Mercury Topaz were offered as prizes on "The Price is Right" in the early 1990s.
@michaelglover28714 жыл бұрын
I bet they couldn't wait for the little yodeler to fall off the cliff.
@theKevronHarris4 жыл бұрын
@@michaelglover2871 LOL! I think they named the Topaz after a precious stone because the car didn't have no precious performance figures.
@alextube11014 жыл бұрын
I'll take the cash Bob!?!
@theKevronHarris4 жыл бұрын
@@alextube1101 If TPIR offers me a car in its base trim or any uninspiring car, I would run out of the studio.
@jessicah34504 жыл бұрын
flashback!
@2steaksandwiches6654 жыл бұрын
I see a mint Tempo driving around my neighborhood every once in a while. I live in a rust belt area too so he must think he has something special. I guess its special enough for me to post about it.
@Kingsoupturbo4 жыл бұрын
Special to him , lots of memories I bet! the V6 5 speed cars weren't too bad
@bigpoppa19924 жыл бұрын
If it has the rare AWD option it is something special.
@joshriver754 жыл бұрын
I work with someone who has an 88 Tempo. Its really rusty and beat up. I just assumed he bought an old beater to commute with. I recently asked him how long he's had it and was surprised when he told me he bought it new. He told me he hasn't washed it in 20 years and never once changed the oil, only has ever added it when low. i guess its neat to see cars we would expect to simply not exist anymore.
@bigpoppa19924 жыл бұрын
My pap used to do the same thing with his vehicles, he would just add oil.
@mbach28264 жыл бұрын
What?? Hasn't washed it in 20 years?? Dang!! And it still runs & drives even though he's NEVER done an oil change?? That, to me, is cra-zee!!
@rock65rhb3 жыл бұрын
I bought a 1990 charcoal grey Tempo L brand new upon returning from my honeymoon. That car was fantastic and was a true tank! Had it for 11 years and was still in great shape when I sold it. Great memories!
@toyoscio3 жыл бұрын
lol
@michaeljohn92634 жыл бұрын
My very first car was a 1990 Ford Tempo 5 speed and bought it with my own money 5 months before I turned 16. It had 162,000KM, needed work to pass the safety check, which I did myself and basically it was just brakes and a couple light bulbs. I drove that thing from 1997, I was in grade 11 and one of the very few out of all my friends that owned and insured their own car, which meant I could go where ever I wanted when I wanted, which meant every high school party. It wasn't uncommon to have 6-7 people in there at times lol. It was no sports car but it was MINE. I taught so many of my friends how to drive standard on that car and I never had to change the clutch. Never once did it break down and it always started even at -30C without being plugged in. I finally got rid of it in 2003 when I bought a 1991 Ford Thunderbird LX 5.0L High Output that was fully loaded. Still the amount of fun I had with the Tempo and the memories that were made still makes me smile. I've got many picture of it at parties off in the background (I had a decent stereo in it so it was used as a DJ booth on wheels). All in all it wasn't anything special but man oh man did it get us around and was super good on gas.
@user-tb7rn1il3q4 жыл бұрын
Michael John I remember driving an AWD Tempo 3 speed auto. I had to keep my foot to the floor just to keep from getting run over.
@SJHFoto4 жыл бұрын
My first car was a 1985 Ford Tempo. It was in 1991, and it was GARBAGE!
@mbach28264 жыл бұрын
Nice!! My 1st car was an 89 tempo. It had the 3 speed auto though. I got it for Christmas of my senior year in highschool ('07). It got me through the rest of my senior year!! Something was wrong with the idling though. When the engine got below a certain rpm, it would stall out. Other then that, it was pretty solid. Ended up getting rid of it though right after I graduated cause the tie rods were so bad I couldn't drive it anymore. It was sad!! I bought the replacement parts and everything. Just never got them put on. Then 2 weeks later, a neighbor said that he could've done it for me, lol. So I kinda have a soft spot for these
@tkewrestler26624 жыл бұрын
I have been enjoying watching the weekly broadcast of the old episodes, and I love the retro reviews!
@Herecomesthethruth4 жыл бұрын
Ive been looking for that,what day is that shown on?
@MattMaranMotoring4 жыл бұрын
My parents bought an identical red Ford Tempo new in 1988, skinny whitewall tires and all. It's what I was brought home from the hospital in. They kept it until 2003 remarkably, but over those years, it left us stranded many times. I remember the alternator failing at least a couple times. Died on the side of the highway once on a trip from Pittsburgh to Detroit. Wouldn't start on various occasions, including on a hot summer day after coming out of the grocery store, ruining anything we bought that needed refrigerated. My dad was so happy to finally be able to get rid of it and has sworn off Ford ever since. This video still brought back lots of great childhood memories in the Tempo though, so thanks MotorWeek for posting this one!
@volvo303 жыл бұрын
Hahaha I was brought home in one too! Kept ours until 2001... that alternator was a bish man...
@fordmavericksosx35693 жыл бұрын
Deroi Bland-Davis My parents drove a 1988 Sable for the longest time.....we still own it too!
@discosuitDan2 жыл бұрын
My parents bought a new 88' Tempo. It was gonna be my first car until the tranny went out in 04' (one year before I got my license). It was a good car eventhough I always thought it was ugly and boring
@oliverdelgado69524 жыл бұрын
My father in law owns a Mercury Topaz stick shift. Considering how long he's owned it it's been a good car to him
@N1120A3 жыл бұрын
The manuals were MUCH better than the autos
@curierfromxibalba11553 жыл бұрын
@@N1120A better mpg and acceleration. plus manual are more fun to drive (when you are no tired). I like automatics but sometimes it feels a bit sterile.
@travr11314 жыл бұрын
I borrowed my dad's 1989 Tempo for a semester in college back in the early 90's when I had to sell my Civic EX. His Tempo was pretty rare as it had push button AWD. Everything worked, it was comfortable and I can confirm you could fit a ton of tennis balls in the back floorboards. The A/C worked great in the Georgia heat too! It wasn't fast (my girlfriend at the time had a Corsica with the V-6 that would crush it and also V-6 Camaros of the era), but it was reliable, comfy transportation. I have fond memories of it.
@JoshBrinson4 жыл бұрын
My first car was a 1992 Ford Tempo GL 2-Door with the 5-Speed Manual. I loved that car and it got way better gas mileage than the three speed auto.
@tsukki_amv28482 жыл бұрын
I had a 1992 Tempo GL 5 speed as well. It was a great car.
@McElroysMotors2 ай бұрын
Hey, Josh! It's me Nicholas McElroy! I'm not surprised to see you see you here! :)
@landyachtfan794 жыл бұрын
Fun fact: Unlike the 2.3-liter overhead cam engine in the Mustang & T-bird, this 2.3-liter overhead valve unit was basically a cut-down version of the old inline 6 that was used in the Falcon back in the day.
@LOGICNREALITY4 жыл бұрын
oops I just posted the same thing you beat me to it lol.
@emeyer69634 жыл бұрын
The 2.3 in the Mustang was originally designed for the 1974 Pinto and Mustang 2 family and was the first metric engine produced in North America
@gxdjoeybaby074 жыл бұрын
it's like Ford chopped off two cylinders from the horrible 200ci inline six from the late 70s Fairmont...speaking from experience =(
@DKSE1236 ай бұрын
Do you mean Ford's old 200 inline 6?
@DKSE1236 ай бұрын
@@gxdjoeybaby07What was "horrible " about them ?
@MrCatalina317684 жыл бұрын
Once I was being chased by an axe/chainsaw murderer who was driving a blue Ford tempo with gray cloth interior. It was a beautiful, fuel efficient car. I was in an iroc-z and I couldn’t shake this guy. He powered up steep hills and cornered switchback mountain roads like he was on rails and kept up with me for over 100 miles in a high speed chase nearing speeds of 62mph. With his quiet comfortable interior, the chainsaw murderer’s ears were spared some of the loud decibals of noise coming from his wildly revving chainsaw. He was able to recline comfortably in the bucket seats that provided superior lumbar support as he cornered through mountainous terrain. He finally succomed to asfixiation from carbon monoxide poisoning because of the fantastically airtight interior and plunged to his death into a mountain ravine. The 1st generation airbags saved his poulan chainsaw from even the slightest of damage.
@jareknowak87124 жыл бұрын
Yep, exactly the same thing happened to me. Not sure, but probably same murderer. :)
@patricknesbitt40034 жыл бұрын
Same thing happened to me but it was a crazy old cat lady in a Paxton supercharged 1954 Kaiser Dragon.
@Fickeretto4 жыл бұрын
Lmfao thats funny
@sneakerfreak20023 жыл бұрын
Omg! Glad yur ok now :)
@Ccyawn1232 жыл бұрын
Been there. Don't feel like the lone ranger
@scottsmith20524 жыл бұрын
I just purchased a '94 Tempo six cylinder as my daily driver. Very nice car and every thing works except am radio. The car is silver and looks more like a six-year-old car than a 26-year-old car. No emissions inspection required here in NJ for '95 and older. 80,000 miles. Everything is so unrefined and retro-fabulous compared to any modern car.
@derekchisholm9724 жыл бұрын
That is some INSANE body lean around 0:48
@eastpantherbenz4 жыл бұрын
That thing was crying LOUDLY!!
@VitoVeccia4 жыл бұрын
Thank God the wind wasn't blowing.
@wiibaron4 жыл бұрын
Look at 2 40. The front tires are so tilted that they probably wore 1/2 the life off the outside edge just testing the car.
@JDMHaze4 жыл бұрын
lmaoooo
@dkay6363 жыл бұрын
I thought it would flip
@themaritimegirl4 жыл бұрын
In all my life I never realized that the two cars had different rear glass!
@rondavid74133 жыл бұрын
Don't know how you missed it the Tempo was the most distinctive while the Topaz looked like a copycat Pontiac Grand Am
@howardkerr81743 жыл бұрын
@@rondavid7413 When these cars debuted in the early 80s the roofline/rear glass WAS the same, it changed when this model year appeared (he pretty much says that in the road test). The big difference when they debuted was the rear door, the Mercury had no window behind the rear door (and of course the rear roof was slanted) while I think the Ford had an additional window in the rear door (I couldn't find pictures of the Ford in my reference book.
@ce93454 жыл бұрын
My dad had a 92 topaz with the 3.0 V6. That was a great car and very reliable. The V6 greatly improved acceleration.
@emeyer69634 жыл бұрын
Nice package with the Vulcan V6.Made for a decent performer with the 5 speed in the 2 dr .
@frankbjr12504 жыл бұрын
Omg we had a red 1990 Tempo, what a flashback. Loved the push button climate.
@Trance884 жыл бұрын
My parents bought a used, somewhat base model, manual transmission '88 Topaz in Black with maroon interior in February 1995. We used it to tow a fully loaded U-Haul trailer from Michigan to southern Missouri! It somehow made it through the hills and valleys of the Ozarks with a trailer! It was a tough car. Dad ended up totaling it in mid '97, falling asleep at the wheel, hitting a telephone pole head on.
@carexpertandy3 жыл бұрын
Nowadays, it’s getting harder and harder to find a Tempo or Topaz on the road, but what’s probably harder? Finding one with the optional airbag.
@TheGAutomotiveAndMore9 ай бұрын
Me and my Mom both had 1988 Tempo's with the air bag. They were Geico insurance adjusters car before we bought them in 1990.
@Leipaa3 жыл бұрын
My family growing up drove a '93 Tempo until 2001. I can't even begin to describe how embarrassing it was when every other kid's dad in our neighborhood had some sort of luxury nameplate. Looking back, I feel shallow for hating it so much. It was an honest car doing what it was built to do, and I understand why my dad was in no hurry to sell a reliable, paid-off car. It only had 53k miles when we sold it, so I hope some other family got some good use out of it.
@toyoscio3 жыл бұрын
lol
@969thewhip4 жыл бұрын
I had a 93 Tempo GL with the 3 liter V6. That really woke these cars up when it came to power! They only offered that engine from 92 to 94.
@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics4 жыл бұрын
The Tempo/Topaz twins, then replaced by the Contour/Mystique. The old cars sure seem a lot roomier! Wish my Mystique was the LS trim. The GS has a nice interior, but no power locks, windows, or even cruise control! And those rear windows that only roll down half way are still annoying haha
@thebitlot4 жыл бұрын
Yeah I'm still trying to figure out how the newer cars were smaller on the inside. Technology is supposed to go forward right? I remember my mom's 96 Contour was a nightmare in the backseat even as a kid.
@bb_lz97904 жыл бұрын
I never owned one but rented plenty from Hertz on business trips way back when. I became quite fond of them and oddly the Chevy Corsica.
@Herecomesthethruth4 жыл бұрын
I loved the Corsica.great car back then
@marcusdamberger3 жыл бұрын
@@Herecomesthethruth The Corsica was my drivers ed car in High school, the school had 2 or three of them for the class from a local dealer I believe on a lease bundle deal. Circa 88'.
@tootsie50524 жыл бұрын
I had 4 used Tempos, all manual trans.over a period of about 13 years, many years ago, 2 for me and 2 for my daughter to drive to school. They were actually pretty good cars with no major problems and got good gas mileage. My brother has had his '93 Tempo for 17 years now, and it is suffering from old age.
@everydayabovegroundisagood16934 жыл бұрын
We used these cars in drivers ed. back in 91.
@coachwhitford73154 жыл бұрын
Worked on these at a Ford dealer. Easy to work on, few problems aside from regular wear and tear, inner tie rods, brakes. Owned a couple of them over the years, I never changed the oil in one of them for close to 2 years, couldn't kill it even when I tried!!!!!!!!
@adamtrombino1064 жыл бұрын
Lower ball joints, outer tie rods, broken rear springs, blown struts, AIR pipes that would rot off and leak, electrical problems such as headlight and a/c connectors melting, relay control modules that would fail causing overheating or no starts, etc etc... The 2.3 HSC was a very good mill however. Indeed, hard to kill!
@coachwhitford73154 жыл бұрын
@@adamtrombino106 High Squirrel Combustion
@allopez31664 жыл бұрын
They had to add an extra 10 minutes of this episode to be able to fit in the 0-60 segment.
@drewgus67694 жыл бұрын
Baaaaaaahahahaha!!! I am DYING 🤣🤣
@howardkerr81743 жыл бұрын
They actually would go one to offer a DIESEL powered version, that engine was rated at 52-54 horsepower. No idea what the 0-60 time for that drivetrain was.
@davidaubin39024 жыл бұрын
4:28 John: WARNING LIGHTS ARE NICE, BUT WE'D RATHER HAVE AN OIL PRESSURE GAUGE AND VOLTMETER! LOL
@DEEuroworks4 жыл бұрын
In every single video
@bradlemmond4 жыл бұрын
Gauges must be his fetish.
@4jp4 жыл бұрын
@@bradlemmond Motorweek's ideal car has full gauge cluster and low trunk liftover. Nothing else matters.
@GT6SuzukaTimeTrials4 жыл бұрын
@@4jp Does any car fulfill these requirements?
@t.b.g.5044 жыл бұрын
The old 'nice, but...' phrase, very common in Canada.
@tonychavez20834 жыл бұрын
My grandma had a new 89’ Tempo with the 2.3L “high swirl combustion “ four. I remember it to be very torquey and sufficient because the cars were so light.
@Tool0GT924 жыл бұрын
Back in the day when people bought two door cars for their family.
@kirbyswarp4 жыл бұрын
Now its a 30 foot long SUV/Barge for one child
@Tool0GT924 жыл бұрын
@@kirbyswarp Well at least mostly it's crossovers which today get pretty close gas mileage to cars but offer a lot more utility.
@manthony2254 жыл бұрын
Yup. My dad decided he wanted a very nice green 72 Ford Galaxy coupe. Us three kids just climed into the back seat. Today you have to have 3 rows even if you only have 2 kids.
@ak21124 жыл бұрын
My parents raised me and my brother in a 77 LeSabre coupe. Nobody ever complained about not having enough space.
@bjosh014 жыл бұрын
I remember my parents looking at a ‘92 Cutlass Coupe. There were four of us. Good sense prevailed and they bought a minivan lol
@knowbodiesfull57684 жыл бұрын
Okay, so it wasn't a screamer on the highways. But for me, the Tempo beings back memories. My mom had a 1987 Tempo, and I drove it every chance I got. I passed my driver's test in that Tempo in 1991, at the age of 26. It was the happiest day of my life!
@jareknowak87124 жыл бұрын
Every Mother is the best cook in the whole world.
@knowbodiesfull576810 ай бұрын
@@jareknowak8712That's so true! On March 19, 2014, my mother got her wings and is now dancing with my father (deceased 1/13/2018) in the great ballroom in the sky. _(10/14/2023)_
@Kingsoupturbo4 жыл бұрын
A pretty modern interior actually! I drove one with the V6 once and it was totally reasonable.
@vkwong75694 жыл бұрын
I love the Tempo. Used to rent it all the time when I was studying in Canada. Reasonably priced, roomy, uncomplicated, economical on gas (by North American standards, that is). I even managed to influence a few of my Canadian classmates to buy it. I also love the factory sound system, the cassette deck even includes Dolby B noise reduction! I won't hesitate to buy one, even today. Gauges? Yes, I agree with MotorWeek. Nothing beats a set of good gauges over idiot lights. When the lights come ON, damage has been done.
@fernandorocha901 Жыл бұрын
I love Ford Tempo and Mercury Topaz. Beautifull and great cat
@not_me32864 жыл бұрын
'89 Ford Tempo was my first school car, wasn't very old and had very low miles. 30 mile round trip, easy on gas. Never have cared about speed or being "cool". It was totaled when a truck crossing the highway decided stop signs were optional. Replaced it with a '91 Lumina Euro.
@markk36524 жыл бұрын
Ug! You said lumina euro. We had one of those. Pos from the factory. 4 wheel disc brakes that had the rear calipers seize up and not work anymore. Ignition modules failing, pcm failing, fit and finish horrible, and junk interiors.
@dogsbark57504 жыл бұрын
Buddy of mine had one. He would race my 90 Cavalier and I beat him everytime, but honestly we both lost. We didnt even break any speed laws. It got a rod knock, breaks started to fail, and then he started treating it like red headed step child.
@Freebird17652 жыл бұрын
I have an 89 Ford tempo GLS 5 speed I still use as a daily driver, 2nd owner, all I've done is basically standard maintenance, runs strong, transmission and engine are great, comfortable and not a bad looking car, the 5 speed with the GLS trim has a decent ride and a little sporty. Good mileage, reliable and not expensive to own, parts are cheap and readily available, easy to work on, overall a pretty solid vehicle, its overheated on me a few times, when I had a heat sender go out, a coolant leak and another time when a fan switch went out, but that cast iron engine has held up. The 2.3L HSC/HSO is one of the better engines Ford has made over the years.
@zroger734 жыл бұрын
Had an almost-new '91 "program car" Tempo GL sedan when I was in high school. Two things I remember were how loud the engine was on the highway and how underpowered the radio was. The red velour interior was comfortable and it was my first car with power locks, power windows, tilt, and cruise. I also installed a Motorola cellular telephone with a glass-mount antenna. I often pretended to be using the phone because, at 60 cents per minute and only 20 free minutes each month, I couldn't afford to actually use it.
@bairyhalls90504 жыл бұрын
Early 90’s in high school there was a Tempo I used to see driving around on some gold Dayton wire wheels with a loud booming system.
@ACedricArmstrong4 жыл бұрын
I had thr system in my' 91 Topaz and before the transmission crapped out, I was looking for Dayton wire wheels.
@gumballwatterson24404 жыл бұрын
Love your name. LOL
@McElroysMotors2 ай бұрын
Every time I see a Tempo or Topaz of this generation, it brings back memories of me learning how to drive (and CONSTANTLY fix) my buddy's '94 sedan in Oxford White with the four cylinder and automatic. Thing was as slow as snails mating after vasectomies but I give it credit, it was fun in the most unusual way.
@barryervin85362 жыл бұрын
I worked at a BMW dealership in the 80s and we had a couple of these as loaner cars. We used to call them "The Ultimate Tire Squealing Machine". To be fair, I'm sure that was mostly due to the bargain basement Hankook tires we had on them. They really had a soft and wallowy suspension though. My wife rented a V-6 Tempo from Enterprise or Avis for a week once while her car was in the body shop, and it really wasn't a bad little highway cruiser at all.
@39PSIOnTheDaily4 жыл бұрын
When I was a kid, as a car enthusiast, I hated seeing these everywhere, especially in autumn, when it would get in the way of the beauty of nice cars on the orange backdrop. ... Now I miss seeing them, Astro’s, Aerostar’s, Sundance’s and Dodge Aries’ everywhere... I’d give anything to see a day of my childhood over a new Ferrari, any day of the week.
@Lrules3644 жыл бұрын
Those rear glass/window nods are subtle, and barely noticeable. A nice design cue towards their respective brands, setting them apart. Back when they actually cared enough to try to set the brands apart.
@teresapflaumer57173 жыл бұрын
My high school used a Ford Tempo for their Driver's Ed car. I drove that Tempo in the summer of 1989 and passed easily. But I was glad that the car I would be driving daily was a very stylish and comfy V6 Buick Skylark LE.
@frankburns88714 жыл бұрын
Also, 4:30. You knew it had to be in there. JD is a freaking legend.
@robertdiehl90032 ай бұрын
My mom had a 1984 mercury topaz in metallic brown & tan leather. Beautiful car. Very classy back in the day
@embiggens1 Жыл бұрын
I have never met a man who loves oil pressure and volt meters more than John.
@Angryblades4 жыл бұрын
My first car was a 93 topaz. I put rims and a big coffee can muffler on that thing and drove it till the wheels fell off. Also put a crap ton of speakers on the trunk.
@mattt1986543214 жыл бұрын
Describing these cars like "watching ice melt" is generous, it's more like watching bread go stale.
@jeepthing984 жыл бұрын
We've been spoiled with all day retro marathons for many weeks on Thursdays. Now all we get is the Tempo/Topaz.
@ACedricArmstrong4 жыл бұрын
My first car was a '91 Topaz GS. Nice college car until the transmission crapped out my senior year in 2002. No one said it was quick or reliable but the 2.3 I4 did what was intended - which was push me toward imports when I started working.
@drej4 жыл бұрын
My mom bought the new 1988 Tempo LX same color as in video. The 2.3L HSC was very torquey but lacked on power, roomy as stayed, the upgraded audio system, bass was hard hitting, I got into sooo much trouble in that car. If she only knew. My first speeding ticket was in a Tempo of all things lol. My lead-footed starts kept breaking the motor mounts(ooops)
@timboslice19794 жыл бұрын
My 89 Topaz LTS had over 200k miles. Just disliked the loud, 3 speed engine on the highway. The tach was 3,000rpm just at 60mph. Overdrive would've made this car almost perfect. But yes, as John said, there was almost zero road noise, that was nice!
@TheRandy3D2 жыл бұрын
The high rpm at highway speed was my only gripe with my tempo which was my first car..it was really reliable but a gas guzzler on the highway
@ben10nnery4 жыл бұрын
0:51 "Much improved" Tempo & Topaz: *manic screaming*
@fordmavericksosx35693 жыл бұрын
Lol!
@christopher887193 жыл бұрын
My parents bought a lease return 1991 Tempo in 1992. The car was incredibly reliable and comfortable. The only problems I remember were the windshield wiper switch broke off but it was easy to replace, additionally, we went through 2 or 3 starter solenoids. After the first time, the starter solenoid failed I learned how to jump it and start the car. One day when I was probably 11 or 12 years old the Tempo wouldn't start in a parking lot. I remember begging my Mom to let me jump the solenoid and at the same time trying to convince her I really knew what I was doing. Finally, she let me jump the solenoid, and the car fired right up. That was one of the few times I really impressed my Mother. I even had my Mom take me to the Ford dealership and told her what part to buy and I replaced the solenoid myself that evening. I went on to become a mechanic and I have had steady employment since the day I graduated high school due in part to the experiences I had fixing my parent's cars.
@Tennesseestorm764 жыл бұрын
Co-worker has her late grandmothers '89 Tempo with 30k original miles.
@krisone52533 ай бұрын
Cute little car! I had the Ford Taurus! Lots of problems with it. Half Shaft rods from the transmission. Two on both sides. One shaft rod on each side. Had to replace the CV joints, and idler arm. But, it was a pretty car! I never wrecked it. I washed it all over it's sheet metal. I loved that car! But, the engine fell out and I couldn't drive it anymore! I cried when they towed it away!
@Douglas-up2vh2 жыл бұрын
These cars were affordable and Bulletproof...i miss the old days..2.3 was made for many years and improved through the decades...Cars is 2022 are too pricey for poor people..
@chrisjamesr772 жыл бұрын
I had a 92 Topaz 2-door back in the late 90s. As far as cars go....it was one of them.
@ph30114 жыл бұрын
Ah the automatic seatbelts always fascinated me as a kid. Hell they still do.
@BIGGIEDEVIL4 жыл бұрын
Can totally see 2000s crown Victoria front end inspiration came from the tempo here
@HellsJerome874 жыл бұрын
My dad had a red one like this after he sold his talking LeBaron.
@steveespinola76523 жыл бұрын
I'm from Toronto, Canada and I rarely see these cars now but I did see a Tempo two years ago( it was a 4 door) and it was in mint condition, the owner took really good care of it.
@marksuave254 жыл бұрын
First car I ever owned. Bought a 1988 Red Ford Tempo. Exactly like the one in this video. 1997...so many problems...but it got me to where I needed to be.
@seansullivan47094 жыл бұрын
I had an '87 Tempo Sport GL coupe in white. I drove it for 6 years and beat the crap out of it. It got me through school and tough times. I achieved 40 mpg with the 5 speed at a steady 50 mph on trips in Maine. I wish I had taken better care of it because I don't see any of them around these days.
@ThompsonLCuffy2 жыл бұрын
First vehicle was an '88 5 speed Topaz. I loved that big booty beauty.
@doubleaaaron4 жыл бұрын
My brother had a maroon topaz 4 door just like this one. It was in perfect shape. I'm not a lover of those cars, but I miss those times.
@judethaddaeus97423 жыл бұрын
It’s funny how neither car they compared it to were actually in the Tempo/Topaz class. Both the Cavalier and Sundance competed with the Escort. For 1988, the Tempo and Topaz competitors were the Aries/Reliant and Corsica/Grand Am/Calais/Skylark.
@lazydadsgarage4 жыл бұрын
In the 90s they were considered boring. Today driving around in one of these would be a hell of an experience. #oldcarsmatter
@alanfrost752 жыл бұрын
The Tempo was the first car we had when we moved to the US in 88. I really liked it, but I was a kid, so what did I know lol... but I think my family was very happy with it too.
@michaelsimko76944 жыл бұрын
My mom had a late 80s Tempo. I would usually get annoyed in the rear seat with the windows not going all the way down. I remember seeing a lot of Tempos and Topazes around, just like the Taurus and Sable. I barely seeing any Tempos and Topazes anymore.
@railroadskater28964 жыл бұрын
My first car!! 88 Ford Tempo, Burgundy, exactly as shown!!! It was pretty good; got me thru my senior year high school and first year college.
@noname-ot7vd Жыл бұрын
I used to see these cars alot where i live back in the 2000s, now I'll see a tempo on the road once in a blue blue moon.
@user-tb7rn1il3q3 ай бұрын
They all disappeared. I still see tons of Hondotas from that era.
@jamesmurray6348 Жыл бұрын
I had an 88 and 93 tempo it was very reliable and very smooth riding. I miss those little cars
@joshriver754 жыл бұрын
5:30 I find it a little odd that MW wouldn't acknowledge or simply not realize the rear windows not going all the way down, is actually a consequence of wheel-well design. Imho, it was nothing more than clever marketing for manufactures to suggest they had the safety of our children in mind so people would see this as less negative aspect. I cant think of a single car that utilized this "half way down" feature when they didn't need to.
@postmodernrecycler4 жыл бұрын
Even as a kid back then I knew half down rear windows were a sign of the end times. I liked how the '90s Lexus ES300 had the rear glass that tilted forward at the bottom of travel to *sorta* make up for this.
@joshriver754 жыл бұрын
@@postmodernrecycler That's funny you mentioned that. I have a 2000 Lexus ls400 and I can't tell how many times people think the rear window has fallen of track when down
@jasperdilincoln23414 жыл бұрын
Years ago a older lady at our church used to have a 1992. She kept that car very clean. She didn't drive much and had that car for years.
@vicfazio78474 жыл бұрын
A great car for blown head gaskets and broken input shafts.
@RealAmericanHero4204 жыл бұрын
I owned a 1989 brown Ford Tempo as commuter car in college. It served its purpose.
@volvo304 жыл бұрын
The family car for 10 years was a 91 navy GL... we kept it running for 20 years before someone bought it to sell on their lot... and did a nice job on the referb!
@lechen55402 жыл бұрын
Back in 90's, my neighbor had a Tempo, which had small issues here and there. Later I had a 95 escort with the same situation. Although I enjoy fixing cars in garage, no one likes to carry any worry for a trip.
@palmermccall73094 жыл бұрын
Comparable models should have been Chevrolet Corsica and Plymouth Acclaim, not the smaller Cavalier and Sundance. Otherwise, I always enjoy these old reviews!
@davidjackson25244 жыл бұрын
Looks about a similar length to a Toyota Corolla and Ford Europe's Sierra Sapphire. Watching in, Ireland.
@yuriypodgorniak27282 жыл бұрын
Cavaliers z24 has a good handling for the car off its class size and the price and good acceleration too for what it is ❤️
@Ithinkiwill663 жыл бұрын
There was a reason for the rear windows to not fully go down. I remember that reason was for any children, in the rear, not to stick their body out, or their arms, when car was in motion. Sure Ford could of put in a device where the driver could operate to allow the adults to fully roll down the windows, perhaps.
@DoubleSmackJacksSmackAttack2 жыл бұрын
My grandma had a Tempo of this style in beige. The only thing I remember about it was the automatic belts not being too friendly with my 9 year old height. She traded it in for a Windstar when those were launched.
@BReal-10EC3 жыл бұрын
Note the HSC 2.3 engine is actually an old "Thriftpower" inline 6 with two cylinders lopped off. This is not the Pinto/Lima 2.3 engine used in the Ranger and Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. They made this engine due to needing more four bangers than the 2.3 plants could provide in the early 80s- they also kept the 200 inline 6 around for rear drive vehicles due to V6 demands- they sold Fox Platform vehicles (Mustang, Fairmont, etc) with the 200 inline 6. So it having poor NVH when revved makes sense when you realize it was based on a very old at the time inline 6 engine. But that old engine design made it durable and easy to work on at least. FWIW- the best Tempo was the 90s model with the 5 speed manual and 3.0 Vulcan V6. It was a baby SHO and sold like ice in Alaska. They should have added the 3.0 Vulcan V6 earlier, but I assume didn't want the Tempo to be quicker than a more expensive normal Taurus.
@garbage8544 жыл бұрын
Cool, my 1 st car was a white with blue interior Ford Tempo sedan, it had cruise, power locks, auto transmission, roll up widows, I enjoyed it Good memories 😀
@davek124 жыл бұрын
Like Jackie Stewart said, it's a rrreal driver's car!
@97I30T4 жыл бұрын
I loved how he praised the Tempo’s handling as it was bouncing and wallowing all over the test track. The tires were screaming for mercy and the door handles were nearly touching the pavement. Hilarious! It was almost as funny as the other Tempo commercial where the car goes through a loop.
@h.snider26284 жыл бұрын
I had an 87 GLX four-door with a 5- speed loved that car ...... I would love to have another one...
@joeseeking35724 жыл бұрын
I had an 86 (pre-improvements but at least not the original front end styling) Tempo 2dr ex-fleet car with few options beyond AC and the Jensen I transferred from my exhausted Honda. Drove it thru law school when I ate pot pies and noodles to scrape together rent. An absolute non-entity, uncomfortable, claustrophobic, tortoise slow and with auto, got horrible mileage - granted I lived in the city. Never knew what became of it in the end - it lost 3rd gear and I couldn't get it to the dealer where I'd bought a much more interesting SHO 5spd with a payment book. Let it sit on the street for a couple months and one day it was just … gone. Plates were current, wonder what the thief thought when he hit 40-45 mph and that was it. I'd get parking tickets every now and then on it, which I ignored. Of all the cars I've ever owned this (OK, the Chrysler E class that was a hand me down) is one I wouldn't want back in any form. I do eye the SHOs from time to time though :)
@WilliamHollinger20194 жыл бұрын
I was nothing no signs of me anywhere back in 88 but love that decade. I was born months before 9/11.
@jum.8784 жыл бұрын
Had some good times renting those back in the day for the weekend.
@IanDunbar1Ай бұрын
I have a fantasy build: A 2nd gen Tempo coupe with AWD, a V6, and a 5-Speed. While all the pieces were available on the Tempo (at least until AWD was discontinued in 1991), you couldn't get all of them on the same car. Imagine that, but with a higher power engine than the Vulcan V6 (would the SHO V6 fit?) and you have an (extremely) poor man's Audi Coupe quattro.
@bosalvucci44394 жыл бұрын
Lol my aunt and uncle owned 4 of these Mercury Topaz's over the year's my aunt got the new one my uncle got the old one ,all 2 door's and their 3 kids got one every time they traded up lol they had a 84,87,90,93 they still drive the 93 . I remember my cousin got the 84 topaz in 1994 for his 16th birthday his brother got the 87 in 1998 for his 16th birthday and their sister got the 1990 in 2002 for her 16th lol My uncle loved his 93 and still drives it my aunt got a 97 Probe GT Which she still has lol
@joshuac47723 жыл бұрын
I want a SHO powerd tempo sleeper. You would never see it coming
@HELLH0WND4 жыл бұрын
My greatest regret is that I didn't buy a Tempo or Topaz when I had the chance, said no one ever.
@tmaq97264 жыл бұрын
Back in the day i had a 88 tempo gls, and a 90 gl with 5spd, fun times....
@jamesr28883 жыл бұрын
I had a neighbor who bought a used 88 Tempo in 93. I was owned by Roseanne Barr. The used car dealer showed her the California title(pink slip). Must of been a grocery getter.
@rookietoprobuildz4 жыл бұрын
I love watching these retro reviews, shows how far technology has improved. 12.4 seconds to 60 haha😂
@jayt6204 жыл бұрын
and 22 mpg in a small to midsize size car isnt that great either