Don’t Fall For This Casino Game Scam. The following year brought another interesting new option: all-wheel drive, a part-time “shift-on-the-fly” setup intended for maximum traction on slippery roads, not dry-pavement driving or off-roading. Offerings now comprised base GL and sporty GLS coupes and sedans, plus four-door all-wheel drive and luxury LX models. Two sedans, plain and fancy wagons, and a smart “basket-handle-roof” coupe reviving the Futura name were offered through 1981 (after which the wagons became Granadas). Horsepower here was also 140, but the 3.8’s extra torque provided quicker acceleration than the 3.0. With its ultramodern styling, good performance, and prices far lower than those of certain coveted German sedans, Taurus charged up the sales chart like a bull in a china shop. The games play like mixed martial arts, emphasis on the “mixed”: mixed with superpowers, with magic and with Saturday-morning kung-fu powers. In 1759, stroke play began in golf. The same was true of trucks — important given the boom in light-truck demand that began in the mid-’80s and continued situs toto togel into the ’90s and beyond.
Initial engine choices began with a 2.5-liter 88-bhp four, an enlarged Tempo unit available with standard five-speed manual or, from late ’87, optional four-speed overdrive automatic transaxles. For 1988, Tempo four-doors were reskinned to look like junior versions of the new midsize Taurus, an effective “nip-and-tuck” operation. Tempo was treated to a mild flush-headlamp facelift for 1986, when it also became one of the first low-priced cars to offer an optional driver-side air bag. He was the only American to win an Indy 500, Daytona 500 and Formula One championship. Ford sold over 236,000 of the ’86s and nearly 375,000 for ’87 — astounding for what was, after all, a very daring departure for a middle-class American car. Probe was a timely Ford weapon against sporty Japanese compacts like Toyota Celica, Honda Prelude, Nissan 200SX — and Mazda MX-6. Filling Fairmont’s shoes for 1984 was a new front-drive compact called Tempo, a notchback four-door and coupelike two-door with “jellybean” styling on a 99.9-inch chassis with suspension much like Escort’s.
Escort’s 2.0-liter diesel option was listed through ’86, but generated few sales. You might get a few calls of “Down in front!” if you open the 300SL’s gullwing doors during the movie – although you’d also probably get a few envious glances as well when you show up in this beauty. The interior was special too, boasting multi-adjustable front bucket seats, sport cloth upholstery, center console, and, to match the high-winding engine, an 8000-rpm tachometer. Nova Customs had a special acoustical package including improved headlining and full hood insulation, along with other luxury extras. It is said that on the set of Caddyshack, he was often annoyed by the silliness of the other comedians including Bill Murray, Chevy Chase and Rodney Dangerfield. To produce the car, Ford and Mazda set up a new factory in Flat Rock, Michigan, not far from historic River Rouge, as part of a joint venture aptly named Auto Alliance. By the mid-’90s, these truck successes added to the continuing popularity of Taurus and Escort to make Ford the sales leader in five vehicle segments: full-size pickups (F-Series), midsize car (Taurus), sporty-utility vehicles (Explorer), subcompact car (Escort), and compact pickup (Ranger).
It didn’t work that well, but Ford tried to make it better, fitting throttle-body injection and adding a 100-bhp “H.O.” (high-output) option for ’85. Not only did the film shoot in the Shue’s home state, but Andrew and Elisabeth’s high school, local pizzerias, and teenage hangouts all make appearances. Appearances notwithstanding, basic architecture and underskin components were shared with other Escorts, while the engine was the same twincam Zetec found in the base Contour. Zilker Botanical Gardens (2220 Barton Springs Rd), is a relaxing place to meditate and enjoy the gardens, especially the Hartman Prehistoric Garden, located where dinosaur tracks were found in 1992, and the Green Garden, where local designers showcase native plants. Sedans used MacPherson struts and coil springs at each corner, supplemented at the rear by parallel control arms. Wagons eschewed rear struts for twin control arms, a system better able to cope with the wider range of load weights wagons carry. Undoubtedly helped by image rub-off from its big sister, the little LTD sold a lot better than Granada: nearly 156,000 for ’83 and over 200,000 in 1984 and ’85 — Ford’s second-best-seller after Escort.