This. This is what is still right with the world.

In reply to ReverendDexter:

Maybe with a handbrake. They are FWD.

Here is a good site of someone who restored one: http://www.oldbug.com/tempo.htm

what a great concept.. using the bug engine and trans in a front engined layout

In reply to SyntheticBlinkerFluid:

Heh, I actually read that site right after I found the patina'd one I first posted.

It's not a bad idea for a city commercial delivery vehicle. FWD, low ride height, and Cab over seating.

It would be easy to load, have tons of traction in the winter, and wouldn't do the "bed in the air" under emergency braking.

neon4891 wrote:

Toyman01 wrote: Loose the funky wheels for a set of steelies with center caps and get it out of the dirt. Beautiful machine.

Give it useable tires and ride height and that would be, well, really good.

It's gotta be on Air Ride to be sitting like that

...and yes, it is indeed the bomb. Perfect.

Cool truck! I like the powertrain layout.

This would be a pretty cool Jensen Healey race car hauler.

DILYSI Dave wrote: If you could get some more pics, that would be awesome. Old-school-firetruck-turned-car-hauler is a recurring dream for me.

Front of that Entropy Racing truck looks same as mine:

Could be yours more easily than you might think...

DILYSI Dave wrote:

aeronca65t wrote: That looks similar to the race hauler my friend Charlie has at ~Entropy Racing~. Wish I had a better shot of the nose. (I rented #63 a few months ago). It's been re-powered with a modern diesel. .....

If you could get some more pics, that would be awesome. Old-school-firetruck-turned-car-hauler is a recurring dream for me.

Here's two more shots taken before he added the hydraulics. Charlie is a good guy and he's very used to being asked about the truck (by almost everyone in the northeast racing community).....if you have questions, you can call him and I'm sure he'll share his thoughts about building it (his number is on the link above).

aeronca65t wrote:

I'm pretty sure that I was there that day. I have a nearly identical photo somewhere.

SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: Here is a good site of someone who restored one: http://www.oldbug.com/tempo.htm

I has a sort of sad look. sort of like an old hound dog.

In reply to iceracer:

Like this?

Let me just say, uh, this about that:

When a car company comes up with some variation of the truck that departs from the ordinary, it tends to be criticized for being something less manly than a 3/4 ton Chevy. As an example, I would point to the Honda Ridgeline. People love to slam what is an outstanding, yet different, form of the pickup.

It seems as if the oddballs are under appreciated until they are 50 year old relics.

I'd hate to see what they wrote about the Tempo Matador on the internet forums when it was new...

Separated at birth?

Woody wrote: Let me just say, uh, this about that: When a car company comes up with some variation of the truck that departs from the ordinary, it tends to be criticized for being something less than manly that a 3/4 ton Chevy. As an example, I would point to the Honda Ridgeline. People love to slam what is an outstanding, yet different, form of the pickup. It seems as if the oddballs are under appreciated until they are 50 year old relics. I'd hate to see what they wrote about the Tempo Matador on the internet forums when it was new...

quite true... I would love to see chevy, ford, or chrysler come out with a "cab over" pickup... I think it could look quite "manly" and being shorter with better sightlines, be easier to use

Ford and Chrysler had cab overs in the 60's..... FIL is about done with a 61 Econoline with the I-6 and a 3 speed column shift. Easily the most bizarre thing i've ever driven. He's going to use it as a work truck.

Cab over pickups and vans are pretty much dead here in the Great Satan because of the lack of front 'crumple zones'. There's what, 8 inches between your feet and the front sheet metal? In anything bigger than a smart car the inertia will make the thing crush too easily in crash testing. Oh, well.

In reply to Curmudgeon:

IIRC, VW did a massive overhaul to the front frame of the Vanagon (T25) van to strengthen the hell out of it to so it wouldn't crumple. It might have been a hard blow, but at least it saved your feet.

Reminded me of this video.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPpU5azjCB8

In reply to SyntheticBlinkerFluid:

You are right, VW reworked the nose to strengthen it. Since it was already a hot seller worldwide, I guess they had the incentive to fix it so it would pass. Ford, Chevy Chrysler et al opted to build 'long nose' vans to accomplish the same thing.

In reply to clownkiller:

That test is a little skewed because I'm pretty sure that it was sped up to close to 100MPH.

Don't ask me to cite my sources because I'm pretty sure that came from a YouTube comment. Regardless, I don't see your average 35MPH crash test causing that sort of catastrophic failure.

My great grand parents did push the Indians into casinos so we could sit ahead of the front wheels and get sea sick. There is enough space in this country to sit back and ride like a civilized person

BoostedBrandon wrote: In reply to clownkiller: That test is a little skewed because I'm pretty sure that it was sped up to close to 100MPH. Don't ask me to cite my sources because I'm pretty sure that came from a YouTube comment. Regardless, I don't see your average 35MPH crash test causing that sort of catastrophic failure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uykStESm3vw&feature=related