Tempo AWD ?

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Steven Stone - 18 Nov 2007 02:48 GMT

Driving home today I saw a little old lady driving a pristine Tempo,
complete with plastic flowers attached to flag holder on the window,
with an emblem on the trunk saying it was 4 wheel drive or AWD.

How many of these beasts were made ?
Can't be too many left on the planet.

Steve

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Fred - 18 Nov 2007 14:53 GMT

I remember Ford's last attempt at a AWD car. That must be it. They have
an AWD model out now again.
Fred

> Driving home today I saw a little old lady driving a pristine Tempo,
> complete with plastic flowers attached to flag holder on the window,
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Steve

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Ed White - 18 Nov 2007 16:27 GMT

>I remember Ford's last attempt at a AWD car. That must be it. They have
> an AWD model out now again.
> Fred

Actually they have several AWD Models - Fusion, Taurus, Taurus X, Edge, Flex
(not counting SUVs which also have AWD or A4WD - Escape, Explorer,
Expedition).

Ed

>> Driving home today I saw a little old lady driving a pristine Tempo,
>> complete with plastic flowers attached to flag holder on the window,
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>>
>> Steve

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Bob Urz - 18 Nov 2007 17:57 GMT

> Driving home today I saw a little old lady driving a pristine Tempo,
> complete with plastic flowers attached to flag holder on the window,
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Steve

I don't think those early 80/90's ford part time systems were
particularly robust. As i recall, they had a lot of problems with them
on aerostars.

I have not seem very many tempos with them.

Hard to say if ford got it right with the latest gen units.
Like, why did they kill the CVT?

Bob

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C. E. White - 19 Nov 2007 12:45 GMT

>> Driving home today I saw a little old lady driving a pristine
>> Tempo, complete with plastic flowers attached to flag holder on the
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>
> Bob

I would guess with he 3.5L engine in the Taurus (aka Five Hundred and
Freestyle), and the new Ford built 6 speed, Ford felt the CVT was not
an advantage. My Mother's 2005 Freestyle has the CVT and I like it,
but some people aren't comfortable with the lack of distinctive
shifts. The CVT offers little to no advantage compared to the more
powerful 3.5L V6 engine and heavier duty 6 speed (the one in the
Freestyle is actually a Ford unit, unlike the Fusion V6 which uses a
Aisin-Warner 6 speed).

Ed

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Tom Adkins - 24 Nov 2007 07:50 GMT

> Driving home today I saw a little old lady driving a pristine Tempo,
> complete with plastic flowers attached to flag holder on the window,
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Steve

AWD Tempos were made in 1987 -1988.
The idea was great, but the technology at that time was limited.
The 2 "weak links" were the Viscous Coupling in the rear end and the
"drop gear" setup on the ATX trans that provided power to the rear
wheels.
I drove a few of them and they were like friggin' mountain goats in
snow and many off-road conditions. Excellent design, poorly executed,
par for the course with Ford. They "almost" had a car to contend with
Subaru.

The front "drop gear" setup off of the ATX trans was unique to Ford,
but they took the rear "viscous coupling" from a Subaru design.
The FWD was great until AWD was called for when the front wheels
were spinning. Then, KA-CLUNK-BANG-GRRR, you had a regular FWD Tempo.
There was no control over "when" the rear was engaged except an "on-
off" switch. They didn't like high speed engagements. That took out
the rear drive.
The Viscous Coupling was a fluid coupled rear differential, instead
of a ring and pinion and planet gears. They just didn't last in that
application. (They didn't buy them from Subaru).
The AWD Tempo was a great idea that was implemented about 2 years
too early for the design to be perfected. And about 8 years too early
to be widely received.
IIRC, some of them had the short lived 2.5L HSC engine that was used
in the Taurus.

If you want to start a Club/Forum for an unknown and unappreciated
car, the AWD Tempo would be a good one. They're out there, but there
aren't many. Total production was less than 10,000 .

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