1983 Ford Tempo GL from North America - Comments

Phew.

I got this car after it had been sitting, unused, for two years; it had previously had a few problems, but the time it spent idle allowed hoses and gaskets to dry out and crack.

I have had to replace a power steering line, the PCV valve gasket, the oxygen sensors, spark plugs and spark plug wires, all the belts, and I am sure that there are numerous other hoses needing replacement that I haven't found yet.

I am still cleaning out the fuel system and oil system from the accumulated amounts or crud...

The brake pads had been worn down to the rivets, and needed replacing - though that was obviously because the previous owner had neglected replacing them, not because of the car itself.

There is so much METAL on this car! After twenty years, a lot of rust is creeping onto it; of course, the muffler and exhaust pipe are the worst, as they are constantly exposed to exhaust fumes. There is quite a large hole in the exhaust pipe, making this car quite LOUD when accelerating; it will need to be replaced, too.

The clutch gave out just a few weeks ago, and cost $470 to replace. This is eight years after the previous clutch replacement, but don't forget that the car was inactive for two years - whether that contributed to the problem with the clutch, or whether it means the clutch only lasted six years, I don't know.

It still idles rough, and has severe issues accelerating from a stop - it tends to stall out if I'm not REALLY careful.

There is yet more work to do in order to get this car to pass a smog inspection. Bottom line: beware of the inactive Tempo - once it has gotten slothful, it doesn't like being made to work again!

My hard work is starting to pay off.

This Tempo has got a little pep to it, compared to other 4-cylinder cars. It accelerates well, performs just fine on the freeway, and handles hills pretty easily (as long as I don't have to stop on the slope at some point and start moving again... see above).

The mileage isn't great - I'm currently operating at about 16 miles per gallon - but it is steadily improving as I continue with my regimen of fuel additives and oil additives. In time, I expect the mileage to increase to a more respectable 20 - 22 miles per gallon, once I've completed maintenance and replaced everything that needs replacing. By the way, the 1984 Tempo originally was listed as getting 22 mpg to 24 mpg during city driving...

I suspect that the mileage would have been better if not for the steel body! This car is a TANK, and although it gives the impression of being a smaller car, it has a lot of mass and quite a bit of inertia!

My Tempo didn't have many options included... it has a radio, A/C (which doesn't work great, but is serviceable), and the cigarette lighter would work if I used it (it charges my cell phone just fine).

Nice, big trunk. Good amount of room in the compartment.

Definitely not a 'performance' car - not when the doors make a resounding metallic 'clung' when closed - but practical and useful.

I have a 1984 Mercury Topaz. It hates to Idle sometimes, as it had been sitting for a while before we got it. The Gas pedal is really stiff and feels like the line stretches and then it goes to the right length, so it has a low reaction, However, It will really move. But I hate the instrument cluster because there is really only 5 Dummy lights and two gages. The Speedometer and the Fuel meter. They all work, however.