All right, we now return you to your regularly-scheduled shitboxes. Today, we’re going to be looking at a couple of commonplace old Fords with weird mechanical specifications. They’re both low-mileage and in good condition, but is that enough to turn your heads? Let’s see.
On Friday, we checked out a pair of expensive replicas of even more expensive classics. It sounds like a lot of you liked the idea of a Factory Five Cobra, but not that Factory Five Cobra. The Brazilian Porsche 356 replica won sort of by default, by about a 60:40 margin.
Most of you thought they were both way too expensive, and I agree. But sometimes it’s fun to look at things you can’t afford, and daydream. Going by the “rich uncle buying a gift” scenario (even though I don’t have any uncles left), I’d go for the Super 90 as well. The Cobra is just too garish for me.
Some of the most interesting – not desirable, mind you, but interesting – old cars are the evolutionary dead ends. Automakers have tried lots of ideas over the years, and not all of them pan out. Diesel engines were all the rage in the late 1970s and early ’80s; nearly every automaker gave them a try. And while all-wheel-drive is commonplace today, several companies gave it a try and then gave up in the ’80s and ’90s. Today, we’re going to look at two such dead ends from Ford: one diesel, and one all-wheel-drive.
1984 Ford Escort GL – $4,000
Engine/drivetrain: 2.0-liter OHC diesel inline-4, five-speed manual, FWD
Location: Preston, ID
Odometer reading: 22,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
At the start of the ’80s, American automakers were getting their asses handed to them by imports, especially in the small car market. And it wasn’t just the Japanese; VW was selling Rabbits as fast as it could make them. Both Chrysler and Ford used the Rabbit’s basic template to create their small cars: front-wheel-drive, with transverse four-cylinder engines and handy hatchback bodies. Our Ford Escort was marketed as a “world car,” but it didn’t share much with its European counterpart. It did share one thing with the Rabbit, however: an available diesel engine.
The standard gas engine in the Escort was Ford’s own CVH four-cylinder, but for the diesels it turned to its japanese partner Mazda. This car is powered by a 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated diesel that makes 52 horsepower. It has a five-speed manual transmission to make the most of that power. The seller claims that the 22,000 miles shown on the odometer are original, which means this is practically a new car. It comes with a whole bunch of new-old-stock parts too, a couple grand worth, the seller says. That’s good, because I imagine parts for a diesel Escort are getting a little thin on the ground.
The early Escort was a cheap car, built during a time when “Quality Is Job One” was a catchy slogan, but not quite yet a reality. As such, the interior isn’t anything to write home about. It’s in good condition, considering, but I can feel the squishy foam-covered vinyl of the armrests cracking through this photo. Don’t get me wrong; it’s the nicest 1984 Escort interior I’ve seen in decades, but it’s still a 1984 Escort interior.
It’s decent outside, too, except those hideous LED headlights. Sure, they’re probably better at helping you spot deer in the ditches than the stock headlights, but they just look wrong on there. Does anybody make LED retrofit lights for old sealed-beam headlights that don’t look like ass?
1987 Ford Tempo AWD – $2,750
Engine/drivetrain: 2.3-liter OHV inline-4, three-speed automatic, 4WD
Location: Tacoma, WA
Odometer reading: 49,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
The idea of powering all four of a car’s wheels goes back a long way, but early on, it was reserved for trucks and other off-road vehicles. Automakers experimented with all-wheel-drive for passenger cars here and there, but it was the one-two punch of Subaru and Audi that showed what it could do. Both Ford and GM gave AWD a try, but in strange places: GM chose the Pontiac 6000 as its AWD platform of choice, and Ford, well… Ford chose the Tempo.
“All-wheel-drive” isn’t quite accurate for these cars, as I understand it; unlike Audi’s Quattro system, in which all four wheels are powered all the time, and two of the differentials can be locked to aid traction in slippery conditions, this Tempo is typically FWD only. On slippery roads, you can push a switch on the dash, and the rear wheels kick in. Apart from the rear driveline, it’s a bog-standard Tempo, with the 2.3 liter HSC engine and a three-speed automatic. The ad lists the mileage as 494,000, but I’m certain someone read the odometer wrong, and that it’s actually 49,400. (They also list it as a 2006 model.) It seems to run and drive just fine, though.
The Tempo AWD is its own model, but it’s basically equipped the same as an LX: power windows, air conditioning, cruise control, all that good stuff. It looks pretty good inside, too. The seller doesn’t give any indication about how much stuff still works, but based on the inaccuracies we know about, I wouldn’t trust them anyway. Try everything out, and see which buttons actually do something.
It’s nice outside, probably one of the nicest ’87 Tempos left. You know, it’s not a terrible-looking car for the time, actually. If Ford had offered the AWD version with a five-speed stick instead of the terrible automatic, it might have been a viable poor-man’s Audi 4000. Instead, it’s a curiosity. But for the price, it might make a good winter beater for someone.
The Escort lived on for many years, and the Tempo made it as far as 1994 before being replaced by the Contour. But there were no more diesel Escorts after 1987, and all Tempos were FWD after 1991. That makes these two essentially orphans. Interesting, as I said at the beginning, but not particularly desirable. But if you had to choose – and you do; that’s how the game is played – which one would it be?
Where’s the “Neither” choice when we really need one?
Excuse me Mark are you looking at the same interior picture that I am on the Escort? That was going to be my pick until I Saw the someone drank the prostate Kool aid with out reading the instructions and blasted fecal matter all over the passenger seat
My aunt had two Escort diesels, so I’ll take that as an endorsement. A Tempo is penalty enough, but with an automatic? Not a chance. Escort for me.
I had a Jetta TDI with nearly twice the HP as the Escort, and I thought it was slow. The Tempo looks nice inside and out. 4WD is a potentially nice bonus.
How is the brown, manual, diesel hatchback losing?
The LED headlights are off putting. I still voted for it; I own an AWD version of a standard passenger car and it isn’t particularly exciting. Minimum horsepower and row-your-own for the win.
The brown interior seems to be the exlax edition
My dad owned an 86 Tempo Sport GL 2dr with the 5 speed and the 7 spoke wheels from 93 through 2000. It had the HSO engine variant which wasn’t sporty by any means but achieved hwy speeds no problem and carried the 4 of us reliably for many miles. A couple relatives also owned regular HSC Tempos, all with 5 spd and were all ok but unlike my dad nobody liked theirs. I wouldn’t trust one with a slushbox, though so the clattery Escort wins by default
Tempo because I always liked them even when people trashed them during and after their time on earth and feel strangely protective.
My grandma had a maroon one so I’ve always had a soft spot for them.
Speaking of soft spots…it had a dent in the roof with a tire tread mark, left by a full size van as it flew over the car after having been t-boned. My dad had driven it to go pick up pizza and we’d wondered what the hell had taken him so long to get back!
I have an rational hatred of the Tempo after using a base model automatic for driver’s ed training. The instructor, who also owned a stationary Alfa Romeo, kept shouting at us to floor the accelerator *before* getting to the next big hill so that we make it to the top without slowing to a crawl. Later, a college roommate had one that jettisoned its coolant onto my feet in mid-winter somewhere in Quebec.
It pains me to write it because I know the Escort is even more hateful, but I’ll take the diesel-powered homunculus.
I know it’s not a choice, but I have to vote NEITHER.
Neither or either. I chose tempo just because I like the looks of it better. It’s truly the last car I thought would age well but they sort of have. I can’t remember the last time I actually saw one but has the be at least decade ago. They really look like some kind of baby German car from the side. I never saw it when they were around but it’s there now.
it looks kind of like a Ford Sierra from the C-pillar to the back
That too German Belgian British thing.
Tempo, then manual swap!
I see that $7/gal is joining forces with the diesel cult in that listing. No thanks.
“Does anybody make LED retrofit lights for old sealed-beam headlights that don’t look like ass?”
These cars both look like ass, inside and out, anyway. May as well put weird headlights in there.
Better, and better looking, replacements are made to replace H6054 sealed beam headlights.
.
As someone who took my 1.9 TDI from 90hp crank to 330 at the wheels, I vote escort all day long. Toss a smaller wastegate turbo on it and enjoy an eco-diesel until you mess with the fueling. Then wake it up depending on what the trans will take. Being a manual likely a few times 52hp.
Sometimes rowing your own while listening to diesel turbo whistle changing with the throttle is all the sound system you need.
Whoa! 330 HP at the wheels! I chipped mine to an alleged 110 HP. You must’ve done some suspension work somewhere along the way. My Jetta would get some nasty wheel hop when I accelerated (relatively) hard on wet pavement.
Can’t believe I voted for Tempo ownership today.
I assure you, whatever fond memories of the Escort model you have, they are either of a different generation, of being in Europe, or nostalgic LIES. There’s basically nothing good about that car; no, I do not care that it has a manual transmission, that’s simply not enough to *checks notes* be better than a fucking TEMPO. My lord.
Should be re-written as “Quality?”
Escort for me. And it wouldn’t even be the least powerful vehicle I’ve driven… which was an early 1990s VW Polo with the 45hp 1L 4 cyl.
And I picked it because of the manual and the minty condition. And the LED headlights don’t bother me.
Plus the Tempo with the 3 speed slushbox is a dog.
Fun fact: For the successor to the Fox Mustang, Ford considered basing it off the AWD Tempo platform as one of 3 options. The other two were basing it on the new MN12 platform used on the 1989 Thunderbird (which is what they should have done) or just updating the Fox (which is what ended up doing).
Basing it off the Tempo platform is a wild choice, but I’m not sure that was ever considered by Ford. What was seriously considered was a Mazda 626-based Fox Mustang successor. We instead got the Probe.
An AWD Tempo is just a stretched-out Escort with a clutch, axle, and diff grafted on in a fashion that even a budget brand like Subaru had already abandoned. There was no transfer case, which meant strictly part-time 4WD, not the AWD Ford was advertising.
As a Mustang hater, I wish I could have been on the Board to push for the Tempo being the next Mustang.
“What was seriously considered was a Mazda 626-based Fox Mustang successor. We instead got the Probe.”
I’m aware of that.
And switching to a FWD Japanese-based design were two of the things Ford/Mustang enthusiasts were screaming at Ford about and telling Ford not to do.
So I recall that the subsequent options being considered (after they decided to keep the Probe and existing Fox-Mustang) had to be RWD and an American design.
Personally I thought considering the AWD Tempo platform was a crazy idea that would have likely involved kludging the Windsor V8 into an engine bay designed for a transverse 4 cyl engine. But they probably could make it work.
The MN12/Thunderbird on the other hand was maybe one hood buldge away from fitting a V8… which they were subsequently able to fit in the Thunderbird of the later 1990s.
I wish Ford had moved all their RWD vehicles (even the Jaaaaags) to variations of MN12/FN10 platform as then they would have had RWD vehicles with a modern independent rear suspension far sooner and at a lower cost.. but not as low/cheap as continuing the Fox and Panther cars.
hey, but these have a rear limited slip. It must be hilarious doing some low speed donuts in snow because there is no other surface I can think of where this thing would loose its rear
My nephew had a diesel Escort that caused him to rule out Fords forever. 🙂
No. I’d rather walk than own either of these two vehicle. Even if you tried to give them to me.
Or you could see the post directly above yours and take his advice. 😉
The escort has been trying to reach 60mph since 1984.
Just add trebuchet.
That Tempo SCREAMS winter shitbox.