Mercury Topaz Diesel

fanfoy wrote: Does it make me weird?

Fishing for compliments now, are we?

Say what you want about how bad tempazs are to drive, but my sister walked away from a head-on collision while driving a tempo. Back in the early nineties that out come was not a given, or even common.

Tom_Spangler wrote: I'm trying to imagine a more awful car, but I'm not having much luck.

Miata? (The answer is always Miata, right?)

Vanagon 1.6 Diesel.

HappyAndy wrote: Say what you want about how bad tempazs are to drive, but my sister walked away from a head-on collision while driving a tempo. Back in the early nineties that out come was not a given, or even common.

On the flip side, I've seen curbstrikes cause half of the spot welds in the nose of the car to pop.

I think when they designed that chassis, Ford USA took a look at what Ford UK (or was it Ford Germany?) did with the Escort MkIII and copied all of the style and none of the function.

For those of you who thought the gas powered Topaz was just too quick to drive on the street...we bring you...

The Topaz Diesel!

Knurled wrote:

Tom_Spangler wrote: I'm trying to imagine a more awful car, but I'm not having much luck.

Miata? (The answer is always Miata, right?) Vanagon 1.6 Diesel.

The four door variant? Although one could make the arguement that the four door would at least be more utilitarian.

Knew a girl in college who traded her Chevy Celebrity wagon for a Topaz. Both were equally fine automobiles. Frankly I'd have kept the Celeb, though. Although the Topaz did have those awesome automatic seatbelts.

She's trading her mg for a white Chrysler lebaron.

Probably a better donor for the diesel Miata, after turbocharger of course.

I can't believe that 3 days and 2 pages later we're still talking about this POS.

mndsm wrote: I grew up around tempos. They were terrible. I still would rock a turbocharged one- because everyone else knows how terrible they are, and that's where the funny resides.

My sisters first car was a tempo and I got to drive it for a year when she couldn't take it to college, I agree not one good quality that I can think of, Horrible

I don't see what is so bad about it really. I don't think id want it enough to pay $1500 for it, but its almost 30 years old and still looks like its in good shape, and there can't be many left. I hope someone sees the ad who has been looking for one for a long time, and they will go buy it and use it. There is a video on YouTube where someone got one of those and was really excited about it, and most of the comments were that people would be happier if it was scrapped. Doesn't make sense to me.

Duke wrote: I can't believe that 3 days and 2 pages later we're still talking about this POS.

It's like a trainwreck, or a really, really obese woman walking in front of you. Its digusting, but somehow, you can't look away.

I saw something today that I haven't seen in probably 10 years. A Pontiac LeMans. No, not the good one. The 90's variant. Naturally, it was on the side of the road with a police citation stuck to the window.

Travis_K wrote: I hope someone sees the ad who has been looking for one for a long time, and they will go buy it and use it.

The World needs this level of hope and optimism...

Travis_K wrote: I don't see what is so bad about it really. I don't think id want it enough to pay $1500 for it, but its almost 30 years old and still looks like its in good shape, and there can't be many left.

Some cars are rare for a reason.

There's way bigger mistakes out there than this car. $1,500 is cheap for what you're getting. I'd go so far as to say, if this was within 100 miles of where I live I'd buy it out of principle.

Keith Tanner wrote:

Travis_K wrote: I don't see what is so bad about it really. I don't think id want it enough to pay $1500 for it, but its almost 30 years old and still looks like its in good shape, and there can't be many left.

Some cars are rare for a reason.

I'd still rather see that than another prius. I dont really want to own any of them, but I don't think that the world is a better place because I have never seen a Fiat 131, Plymouth Cricket, Austin Marina, etc.

So you want other people to own them for you? If you're not willing to own one, why do want to wish it on someone else?

Somebody has to get this and take it to the Challenge AS-IS...hysterical!

I must have missed the ad when this popped up and just added my comment without knowing the car, sorry.

For $1500 you could do worse and as one previous poster said, it is a manual and it's a 2 door so it looks kind of cool. In fact, for $1500, I'm tempted but what is holding me back is the distance from Peoria to Fl. (not sure I would care to take a trip up and then drive back) and the A/C being disconnected. We are almost out of A/C season here, but fixxing a system that is currently disconnected is going to get expensive.

BTW, the "platform" for the Tempo / Topaz is really just an Escort that has a wheelbase stretch. One reason why Ford had to use the 2/3rds of a 200 C.I inline 6 for the original engine instead of the 2300 Pinto engine. The Pinto engine was too wide for the frontend of an Escort or Tempo.

Anyone who desires this car wasn't alive in the 80's, or else they had something cloud their memory. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. These cars were crap. Plain and simple. Now they're cool in their rarity, but that doesn't make them any better.

My family went through five Tempos. The engines always ran great. It was the body that you have to worry about failing.