At $2,700, Is This 1993 Ford Tempo A Deal That's Hard To Beat?

Today's Nice Price aliases No Dice Tempo is described by its seller arsenic coming from an era "When cars were cool and had personality." Part of this Ford's characteristic tin beryllium recovered successful its uncommon for nan exemplary five-speed manual gearbox. Let's spot if this old-school Ford still has what it takes to make an impression.

It's a commonly held belief that monopolies are bad and that title is patient for nan marketplace successful general, arsenic good arsenic for businesses, fostering amended offerings. That's only nan case, however, erstwhile those offerings are... well, competitive.

Case successful point, nan 1988 Lotus Esprit Turbo we looked astatine past Friday. At $35,000, it seemed, astatine first glance, to beryllium a reasonably compelling sports car deal. Upon further reflection, though, it wasn't that nan Lotus called that asking value into question; it was nan immense number of competing cars wrong that value scope that connection not only a akin acquisition but acold much bang for nan subordinate that did so. Based connected nan comments, that title proved to beryllium nan Esprit's Achilles Heel, driving it to a 78% No Dice loss.

Seeing arsenic past Friday's Lotus was a finicky and vulnerable sports car, let's commencement disconnected this week pinch thing vastly different, a stoic old-school American compact family sedan. As a individual aside, backmost erstwhile I was overmuch younger, I attended a soiree astatine nan Art Center College of Design successful Pasadena, California, put connected successful business pinch Ford, showcasing nan company's lineup of recently designed aerodynamic models. The aero Thunderbird was already well-known astatine nan time, but this show was 1 of nan first times that Ford's caller Tempo and Mercury Topaz models were shown to nan public. That was besides my opportunity to meet past Ford spokesperson and erstwhile racer Jackie Stewart, truthful I don't really retrieve overmuch astir nan cars from nan show astatine all.

Ford introduced nan Tempo successful 1984 arsenic a replacement for nan Fox Body Fairmont. It wasn't a nonstop replacement, though, arsenic nan caller car was 1 size down from its predecessor. With its transverse motor and FWD layout, nan sedan and coupe were reasonably roomy, and nan aerodynamic bodywork that presaged nan earth-shaking debut of nan Taurus a twelvemonth later was surely much modern than that of nan older car.

This 1993 Ford Tempo GL shares overmuch of its underpinnings pinch nan original car, but its bodywork, prevention for nan windshield and doors, is each new, arsenic nan cars were redesigned for nan 1987 exemplary year. The basal ethos of nan Tempo—of a sensibly-priced, not-too-fancy family sedan—continued pinch nan redesign.

According to nan seller, this 120,000-mile Tempo was "Clearly owned by aged people," noting arsenic grounds nan trader attraction history stuffed successful nan glovebox. Those aged folks must person been nan outliers connected bingo night, arsenic this car is equipped pinch nan rarely-optioned five-speed manual transmission. Mated to that is simply a 2.3-liter inline four-cylinder motor producing 98 horsepower and 126 pound-feet of torque. And earlier you ask, no, it's not nan ubiquitous SOHC Pinto 2.3. This is an OHV 4 of nan nonstop aforesaid displacement, derived from nan Thriftpower inline six. Ford chose to connection some engines simultaneously, arsenic it was cheaper to build nan OHV 4 connected nan aforesaid accumulation statement arsenic nan six than it would person been to retool nan statement to nutrient much OHC engines. According to nan seller, this car benefits from a caller tune-up (including fluids, plugs, and gaskets) and a caller clutch.

As noted, nan car comes pinch a stack of receipts for activity antecedently done, on pinch each its original owner's manuals and paperwork. It is promised to each usability arsenic it should, correct down to nan old-school R12 AC.

Aesthetically, it's beautiful decent appearing, too. The glacier-white overgarment appears coagulated and is accented by achromatic pinstripes down each flank. In a spot of throwback kitsch, nan footwear lid is adorned pinch a reasonably useless chromed luggage rack. Keeping up our taxable of frustrating unidirectional wheels, nan integrative hubcaps connected this car are of a leaf creation that perspective successful different directions connected its near and correct sides.

Inside, nan compartment is upholstered successful glorious rodent fur, which appears to beryllium successful perfectly serviceable condition. One downside to astir cars of this era is nan government-mandated passive restraint system, a sliding enarthrosis loop that rides up and complete nan A-pillar, which this car has. If that tin beryllium overlooked, nan compartment should beryllium reasonably livable arsenic it does characteristic powerfulness windows and locks, and nan aforementioned AC. A modern stereo caput portion has besides been installed, offering Apple CarPlay, which creates a spot of dashboard dissonance.

To beryllium perfectly honest, these were ne'er awesome cars to statesman with. Ford built nan Tempo to a price, and that meant coarse engines, unsophisticated handling dynamics, and cheap-seats materials and features. Despite that, there's a definite charm to an old, inexpensive car for illustration this, thing not mislaid connected nan seller, who touts it to beryllium "Super cool car and a awesome campaigner for a teen aliases a commuter."

At $2,700, that cool characteristic isn't very expensive, either. The question, though, arsenic was nan lawsuit pinch nan Lotus, is whether it's nan champion expenditure of those funds. Could a newer, amended car beryllium purchased for astir that much? Or, is this aged Ford kitschy capable to make that value a bully value, and a coagulated deal?

You decide!

Nice Price aliases No Dice:

Seattle, Washington, Craigslist, aliases spell here if nan advertisement disappears.

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