The coolest car in the world is a ...
- Thread starter slowchevy
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my junk beater daily driver Taurus would wax and polish and seal your race car ricer.
real fast
someone told me about it when i was 16, remembered about it when i was 18 in late '07. hung around since.livewire
so these pedo's hang out on teen support site? taking advantage of broken teenagers eh? creepy....
I'm actually a real, genuine teenager though. So my presence there (LW) is justified. Heh.
In regards to Taurus, Impala, Tempo... I fail to realize why all are so hung up on speed. There is so much more to a car then bottom line power figures and quarter mile times. I've driven in the past week a 2006 (or 7, forget) Impala LS, 2005 Ford Five Hundred Limited AWD, and a 2009 Ford Fusion SEL AWD. Both Fords packed with all the optional extras from dual exhaust to separate climate control systems. I'm sorry, all these are just distractions from the driving experience. Yes the Fusion trumped all the rest 0-60 by a long shot, but it didn't feel it. It had a nice sound from the 3.5 but it didn't feel as fast as the Tempo. I looked into it. The Tempo rides higher then all three, but its seats are low slung as opposed to being raised to give the car a more sport utility feel to it. The result is 80MPH in a Tempo feels much faster then 80MPH in a Fusion or Impala.
Yeah they're faster, but I'd rather drive the one with the real leather steering wheel (none of that synthetic crap). That one, is the two decade old Ford with its 100HP (probably much less after power loss through the three speed).
In regards to Taurus, Impala, Tempo... I fail to realize why all are so hung up on speed. There is so much more to a car then bottom line power figures and quarter mile times. I've driven in the past week a 2006 (or 7, forget) Impala LS, 2005 Ford Five Hundred Limited AWD, and a 2009 Ford Fusion SEL AWD. Both Fords packed with all the optional extras from dual exhaust to separate climate control systems. I'm sorry, all these are just distractions from the driving experience. Yes the Fusion trumped all the rest 0-60 by a long shot, but it didn't feel it. It had a nice sound from the 3.5 but it didn't feel as fast as the Tempo. I looked into it. The Tempo rides higher then all three, but its seats are low slung as opposed to being raised to give the car a more sport utility feel to it. The result is 80MPH in a Tempo feels much faster then 80MPH in a Fusion or Impala.
Yeah they're faster, but I'd rather drive the one with the real leather steering wheel (none of that synthetic crap). That one, is the two decade old Ford with its 100HP (probably much less after power loss through the three speed).
i think he'd like your v8 racecarsi briefly owned a 1985 ford escort.
i just wanted to be cool and talk about the pile of shit fords i've had.
1985 escort, black 2 door. the rear shock towers were almost completely rotted away from the rest of the car
1989 aerostar (best ford i've owned) body rusted away at the rear so bad the rear bumper fell off like 3 times. i had to use sheet metal screws through the support and i used muffler strapping on the sides
1979 F250. the bed was rusted through on the sides. i had to lift the bed up to put gas in it
can i be cool now?
1985 escort, black 2 door. the rear shock towers were almost completely rotted away from the rest of the car
1989 aerostar (best ford i've owned) body rusted away at the rear so bad the rear bumper fell off like 3 times. i had to use sheet metal screws through the support and i used muffler strapping on the sides
1979 F250. the bed was rusted through on the sides. i had to lift the bed up to put gas in it
can i be cool now?
what?!
please tell me you didn't just compare and choose your tempo over 3 newer, better cars.
i'm with ilikebmx. i've had the "pleasure" to work on tempos. they all belong in the junkyard.
there is much more to a car than 1/4 mile times and performance numbers but i dont see a ford economy car fitting any of those aspects. they ride terribly, handle terribly, look terrible, probably get not so great mpg's, not luxurious inside, etc. there are so many things bad about them. what is 1 good quality besides constant attention? only thing i can think of is ease of finding parts in a junkyard cause thats where most have ended up.
what?!
please tell me you didn't just compare and choose your tempo over 3 newer, better cars.
i'm with ilikebmx. i've had the "pleasure" to work on tempos. they all belong in the junkyard.
I did. I know it probably seems strange, but hang with me for a second. To buy a newer model Impala or Five Hundred we're looking at maybe $13,000 minimum. For a Tempo you can pick up a decent one for $2,000 and insurance is about as cheap as you can get. Drive it around, and it will probably be reliable if its been treated like a Bentley all its life. Odds are that ain't the case, so you're probably looking at about another two grand in upgrades and repairs. My case, I've replaced the majority of sensors in the car as well as just basic stuff like new rubber and belts. I had some major suspension work done as well. New struts and springs all around, and I added a little lift in the rear to give it a more aggressive stance while boasting higher ground clearance for Alaska's rough winters and muddy spring breakup seasons. Not that it was bad in the snow. So far, I have yet to come across a car that rocks the winter wonderland like the Tempo does. It puts Subarus to shame. So my grand total in upgrades and repairs to the Tempo sits at around $2,700. Far cry from $13,000.
So yes, Tempo is easily the cheapest to own. Its also got a few more aces. Its level of build quality is extraordinary. After two decades of driving on Alaska's rough roads and there isn't one rattle or squeak, and all buttons and trim fit perfectly. Where as the Fusion and Impala have a distinctly cheap and loose feel, the Tempo is very solid. Its interior is also a very nice place to be. Lavished in wood and chrome trim, the low slung seats are the most comfortable I've been in. They could be a little more supportive, but for a long distance highway cruiser you can't get much better. The instrument cluster still looks good twenty years later, and the buttons and knobs of the center console are very well laid out. The dashboard is not only pleasing to the eye, but the flat tray integrated into the otherwise rounded off dashboard is also very handy. Not without flaw, the center console that houses the emergency seat belt release levers and the emergency brake leaver could have been more practical. The result is a lack of space between the seats to really use for storage. I've received many comments on how comfortable my car is from friends and family, and there is no doubt, the Tempo's real party piece (in 1989 and 2009) is its suspension. Nitrogen gas pressurized shock absorbers, front and rear stabilizer bars (part of the Tempo's Touring Suspension Package), fully independent suspension... All taken for granted nowadays, but lets look at Tempo's primary competitor throughout production. The Chevrolet Cavalier didn't receive full independent suspension until 1995, after the Tempo was flat out discontinued!
Comfort, quality, and finally; fuel economy. I average between 31-33MPG. That is impressive, for a 20 year old car with a three speed automatic without overdrive. Just think, a 2.3L High Swirl Combustion I4 equipped two door Tempo with the Mazda MTX-III 5spd. manual with overdrive could get even more!
The point is, I like Tempos. I've driven better, faster, safer, more powerful cars. They just don't give me the same feeling as the Tempo, nor do they strike me as particularly better products when you factor in their retail cost. Tempo is flawed, but so are us humans. I like being a Tempo enthusiast, because as a Ford Tempo enthusiast, I stand out. For better or worse. Its of no particular peculiarity to be a Mustang or Camaro enthusiast, but to be a Ford Tempo fanatic you are a part of something extraordinary.
So I leave you, friends, with a quote from Lee Iacocca; "If a car sells, all else will follow." Tempo sold. Well. Over three million sold between 1984 and 1994, with 500,000 alone in their first year available to the public. Compare those figures to that of the Fusion or Impala, and you can see what old Lee was talking about.
C&D Circa 1988:
Ford Tempo VS. Pontiac Sunturd VS Chevy Cavalier
Who walks away feeling the sportiest?
Also featuring:
1989 Pontiac Firebird GTA - Blast your AC/DC in style
1989 Taurus SHO - The car on rails, even 20 years later with stock suspension
1990 Grand Prix STE - McLaran's answer to the rail car SHO
Ford Tempo VS. Pontiac Sunturd VS Chevy Cavalier
Who walks away feeling the sportiest?
Also featuring:
1989 Pontiac Firebird GTA - Blast your AC/DC in style
1989 Taurus SHO - The car on rails, even 20 years later with stock suspension
1990 Grand Prix STE - McLaran's answer to the rail car SHO
The majority do. Its all about the ground clearance and balanced weight. Subaru Outbacks and Legacy Sedans are not just heavy, but their plastic ground effects and low ground clearance figures hurt their all wheel drive potential. Not saying their bad, but they undeniably sacrificed high ground clearance utility and practicality for more sporting appearances.
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