Anybody remember these weird Fords from the ‘80s-‘90s? - Page 4

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Anybody remember these weird Fords from the ‘80s-‘90s? (Page 4 of 4)

Posted: 4/3/2019 6:23:05 PM EDT

[#1]

Mustang SVO, particularly the last year they made them (1986). They were hell on wheels. Sooooo much fun.

Posted: 4/3/2019 6:50:54 PM EDT

[#2]

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The general idea wasn’t but the name as well as the colors and graphics they put on them were kind of odd.

Like I said, I still kind of want one.

The EXP and LN7 were even stranger looking before they changed it to Escort EXP and it had the square lights.
https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/164962/E28B6627-392E-4CAD-B6B3-04180B4AE25C_png-899457.JPG

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Had one of those as my 2nd car many moons ago. I recall that it didn’t have a back seat and just a deck for storage.

good times...

Posted: 4/4/2019 6:51:04 AM EDT

[#3]

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the 87 Tbird Turbo was a badass-looking car. Unfortunately, IIRC, Car & Driver said the LX front end looked like "a Polynesian war canoe."

https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/31480/1987-ford-thunderbird-turbo-coupe-4_jpg-899631.JPG

https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/31480/26998400001_large_jpg-899632.JPG

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We were a Ford family, and my father was a T-bird guy, and he was a big engine/nice trim package in an egalitarian vehicle consumer.

The 87 T-bird LX had a 24 gallon gas tank in it. I did 8 hours, 24 minutes non-stop, once.

the 87 Tbird Turbo was a badass-looking car. Unfortunately, IIRC, Car & Driver said the LX front end looked like "a Polynesian war canoe."

https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/31480/1987-ford-thunderbird-turbo-coupe-4_jpg-899631.JPG

https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/31480/26998400001_large_jpg-899632.JPG

I test drove many of the specialty cars Ford put out in the late '80s. Here are my recollections of each:

1987 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe: For the overall size, it was a cramped car inside. Performance was decent, but not vastly better than most run-of-the-mill stuff.

1989 Thunderbird Super Coupe: Interior was well thought out with many creature comforts. Great looking car. It was fun to drive and was a little bit better in the "go" department than the Turbo Coupe it replaced. This was a remarkable car.

1984-'85 Mustang SVO: Ford claims the SVO Mustangs got more horsepower each year they were built, but I couldn't tell the difference between these two model years. They were pretty "meh" in all aspects.

1986 Mustang SVO: OK kids, this is where we buckle up for safety. This thing screwed like a rabies infested honey badger on steroids. I don't know if Ford under reported the horsepower on the '86s or somebody secretly turned the knob up to 11 on this particular car, but I have never had that much fun on four wheels in my lifetime. Almost the entire time I was in the driver's seat, I was laughing my ass off at the ridiculous launching it did when the turbo kicked in and how planted it felt while doing twisties. If I could magically have any car I've ever driven, I'd wish for that '86 SVO I drove in the spring of '91. It was hellacious.

Posted: 4/4/2019 8:38:03 AM EDT

[#4]

My mom had an 84 Tempo and it was awful. The Tempo may be the worst Ford ever made.

I do still see a Tempo and a Courier on the road here though. A couple of the neighbors have them.

Posted: 4/4/2019 9:13:01 AM EDT

[#5]

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Mustang SVO, particularly the last year they made them (1986). They were hell on wheels. Sooooo much fun.

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I put a built 85.5 SVO motor in my 87 Mustang. Turbo spooled around 3k RPM and pulled like a freight train to the rev limiter. The 85mph speedo was, on occasion an issue...

Posted: 4/4/2019 9:45:28 AM EDT

[#6]

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https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/215362/DSC_3870_JPG-899540.JPGThis thread needs more Supercoupe.

Supercharged, RWD, stick, IRS... The car ahead of its time.

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I had a super coupe back in the day. Pulleys, exhaust and some other tricks and that thing would fly. I think they governed it at 155 which I tested a couple of times.

Posted: 4/4/2019 9:50:50 AM EDT

[#7]

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After a hiatus.

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SHO package is still available today.

After a hiatus.

No Yamaha, no care.

Posted: 4/4/2019 2:43:11 PM EDT

[#8]

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No Yamaha, no care.

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SHO package is still available today.

After a hiatus.

No Yamaha, no care.

That was just a means to an end to pick Yamahas mind on DOHC motors

Posted: 4/4/2019 2:46:32 PM EDT

[#9]

I had an '88 Ford Ranger with the 2.0L and a 1bbl carb. It was a good vehicle for a young man. Never got a speeding ticket in it.

Posted: 4/4/2019 5:30:42 PM EDT

[#10]

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Ford Tempo

http://blog.consumerguide.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/05/1.jpg

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I had two of those turds

Posted: 4/4/2019 6:14:39 PM EDT

[#11]

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My sister got a '81 Mustang for graduation. First year of the serpentine belt I think. This was before lemon laws. Took forever to get the deal straightened out. She was going to college out of town and the damn thing broke every time she drove more than 5 miles. Eventually after tons of crap Ford bought the car back from my parents.

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The worst car I ever owned was a 1980 6-cylinder Mustang - this would have been in the late 80s, '88, maybe '89. By 1998 I was 100% allergic to all things Ford. It took me until 2013 to own another.

Posted: 4/4/2019 6:36:01 PM EDT

[#12]

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Ford Tempo

http://blog.consumerguide.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/05/1.jpg

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My first car was the Mercury version, the Topaz. It was an 1987 two door with the 2.3L/5 speed manual. I bought it in 1990 with 69k on it and the only problem I had was the water pump went out around 100k. Traded it when it had 110k on it.

Posted: 4/4/2019 6:46:35 PM EDT

[#13]

My first car fits that bill. '93 Escort 4-door hatchback.

Virtually a go-kart (85hp IIRC) but it held all my gear and got me from California to Ohio for about $80 in gas.

Kept it for 175,000 miles.

Posted: 4/4/2019 7:08:44 PM EDT

[#14]

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My mom had an 84 Tempo and it was awful. The Tempo may be the worst Ford ever made.

I do still see a Tempo and a Courier on the road here though. A couple of the neighbors have them.

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The last Ford I had the pleasure of owning was my wife's car when we got married. A 1992 Tempo 4WD. That's right - FOUR WHEEL DRIVE. Not a Tempo body on a Ranger chassis, an honest-to-God factory 4WD Tempo. I think they made 600 of them that year. I think they were almost all sold in Alaska. My wife, unfortunately, had one.

The u-joints in the rear had to be replaced annually. $600 for the parts. I eventually removed those two axles after we drove the car from AK to NC in 1997.

If ever want to have a really terrible time for a couple of weeks, drive from Homer, AK to Raleigh, NC in February in a 1992 Tempo.

Posted: 4/17/2019 6:29:22 AM EDT

[#15]

Every so often I will see a Bronco II. From 94-99 I had a 1990 2wd as a company vehicle. It worked great in a tourist Beach area, including golf cart paths. It had the 2.9 by that took a lot of abuse.

The engine was rebuilt and it made it to around 350,000 miles on the truck when the oil pressure started going wonky. Then the owners wife tried to drive it to the mechanic

. The owner didn't want to sink money in it so he paid me to (lightly) use my truck for a few more months until he closed the doors.

My mother had a 1985 tempo that made a funny sound when I turned the wheel. That's when I learned what power steering fluid was for

. It didn't change the turning ability, just made it quiet.

Posted: 4/17/2019 7:42:06 AM EDT

[#16]

My best friend’s dad worked for Ford when we were teens (1980’s). He had an EXP, a XR4ti, a Merkur sedan, and an SVO. At some point his car was one of those ugly fucking Topazes with the stupid auto seat belt tracks in the door frame. He skidded it off a wet road into a ditch one night and it ended up upside down. My friend Scott Petroikis was in the front passenger seat and choked to death on the Fucking shoulder belt. RIP Scotty.

Posted: 4/17/2019 7:45:57 AM EDT

[#17]

I bought a brand new 1986 Ford EXP Sport Coupe.
It finally rusted out in 2006 with about 200K miles on it, and I miss that car to this day.
It got great gas mileage, handled well, and was comfortable.
It was an Escort GT from the door jambs forward.
The amount of things (water heaters, etc.) you could haul in that thing was incredible.

Posted: 4/17/2019 7:48:31 AM EDT

[#18]

I had a Ford Mustang with 1/2 an engine under the hood. With the 4 cylinders instead of the 8 you could stand between the radiator and the front of the engine under the hood.

Posted: 4/17/2019 7:51:03 AM EDT

[#19]

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Wasn't the Escort the replacement for the Pinto?

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Leisure suits and the Port Hole Pintos for the win. You were sure to get laid after a night at the disco.

Posted: 4/17/2019 7:52:42 AM EDT

[#20]

Ford Tempo diesel

Posted: 4/17/2019 7:59:27 AM EDT

[#21]

The XR4Ti was, and still is, a rad car.

My favorite oddball 80s Ford

Posted: 4/17/2019 8:04:08 AM EDT

[#22]

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Had an EXP in high school for a short time before the engine blew up @ 49k.

What a raging piece of shit that was! Compared to Honda Civic or Toyota Celica of the time, the lack of quality that Ford built in was glaring.

No I don't miss those old Fords. No I'll never buy another Ford.

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1st ex wife had an EXP, I hated that car, and her shortly after
After owning chevys and Dodge I bought an 87 Ranger, best vehicle ever. I only buy Fords since then for myself.

Posted: 4/17/2019 8:06:57 AM EDT

[#23]

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I had an 86 Ranger STX 4x4 that I put a mild lift on and had some fun with. the wife had an Escort GT that was fun to drive.

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My Ranger was an XLT 4x4 2.9 Supercab. I didn't like the raised STX when I test drove both. The lower XLT was unstoppable on snow or ice.

Posted: 4/17/2019 8:08:06 AM EDT

[#24]

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Either of those Rangers is still probably programmed from the factory to explode if it gets within 10mph of the posted speed limit.

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wrong. Mine would do 130 with the 2.9

Posted: 4/17/2019 8:12:00 AM EDT

[#25]

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Glaringly missing from this thread:

https://i.imgur.com/IPUnhGF.jpg

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Yeah those have all but disappeared where I live. I remember they were a "cool car" for a while.

Posted: 4/17/2019 8:13:28 AM EDT

[#26]

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I had the regular Thunderbird, and I really liked it - and lusted after the SuperCoupe.

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I tried to buy one but they wanted too much money for it. I had fun on the test drive in the rain at night.

Posted: 4/17/2019 8:16:14 AM EDT

[#27]

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Glaringly missing from this thread:

https://i.imgur.com/IPUnhGF.jpg

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I had one in sky blue. It was a Mazda 626 actually. Ford and Mazda made them side by side. Great car.

Posted: 4/17/2019 8:20:00 AM EDT

[#28]

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The Merkur was the best car that was a flop. As a guy who thinks rally is cool, its sad, and the first gen Probe had the best instrument stack ever put in a car.

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The Probe dash moved with steering column. It was very good.