In a surprising case of automotive preservation, this low-mileage 1984 Ford Tempo GL looks all original and completely cherry except for a minor dent on the front left quarter panel. Find it here on Facebook Marketplace in Sullivan, MO for $1,200 or best offer.
The pictures don’t show us the nose or much of the interior, but what’s visible is extremely clean. This must have been a garage queen driven by an old lady all its life, and the low mileage of 83,824 seems to confirm that. It doesn’t even seem to need any paint work, although we don’t get a good look at the roof either.
It’s getting hard to find anything malaise for cheap these days, especially a Ford Tempo, a car that was rarely saved by anyone for any reason. Powered by a 2.3-liter HSC four cylinder backed by a 3-speed automatic transmission, this example is from the first generation Tempo’s first model year. One of the later 5-speed first gens might be more desirable, but if you’re looking for a clean original Tempo these days, beggars can’t be choosers.
I believe this example is too early to benefit from the “special windshield designed to minimize lacerations to passengers” that’s mentioned on Wikipedia, so be sure to make your friends and family aware that, in the event of an accident, their lacerations will not be minimized.
The Ford Tempo Wikipedia page proudly announces that the first-generation Tempo was unveiled on the deck of a decommissioned aircraft carrier and was later featured in video ads driving through a 360° loop. Well, sort of. Turns out the car was actually secured to the track and pulled through the loop mechanically instead of doing it under its own power. Not only was there no fine print telling you that what you were watching was entirely fake, but the track itself would have been virtually invisible on your cutting-edge Zenith 25” color console tube television. Good ol’ Hollywood magic.
This example is a deep clean away from being one of the best original Tempos around. The weather seals even look soft in the photo above. Steam clean the fabrics and degrease the engine bay, and you’ll have yourself a serious contender for profit on Cars and Bids. Or break out your ankle socks and white New Balances and embrace the malaise lifestyle in all its beige-on-beige glory.
The choice is yours.
As a side note, this is like 45 minutes from my house. I would 100% be buying it if not for a little NSU Prinz that has caught my eye on Bring a Trailer. Well, that and some good old-fashioned brokeness.
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