PAGE 4,ý WEDNESDAY JUNE 6,1984, WHITBY FREE PRESSAUTO GUIDE Style Vralue IR Performance Package The 1 984,Mercury Topaz is a .f'ront-.w heel -drive, five- passenger, mid-sized sedan offering tlean aerodynamic design, state-of-the-art technology-including an all-new, High Swirl Combustion (HSC) engine-a surprisingly roomy passenger compartment and'plenty of value throughout. To arrange for a test drive please cai one of our satesmen, Bob Watker, Jack Cook, Terry Peters, Dave Smith or Rick Drew. Ford Topai SmartEuropean-styling The Topaz . a a European'-style, Front- wbeel drive sedan that can hold f ive passengers comfortably. Ford bas spent considerable research on this modem low drag styled mid- sized car. The Topaz bas one of Ford's first computer- *controlled power plants. The four-cylinder engine is rated at 84 horsepower. The on- board computer regulates ignition, air fuel ratio air con- ditioning cutoff at ful open tbrottle and engine, seif-diagnosis.. The standard four- speed bas an overdrive and the five-speed is op- tional as well as a three- speed auto matic. The test car bad the optional five-speed, the gear box feit a. bit nt cby but the fiftb gear is just made for the higb- way. The car is stable and solid on the road. Heavy winds that managed to lift the wipers off -the windshield barely bothered the car's straight line abilities. Interior is smartly, styled witb co-ordinated seats and trim that match the carpeted floors. Bucket seats keep the driver from rattling around, in typical European fashion. The centre con- sole hol ds the air and heat controls and they side top to.bottom. The air conditioning is automatically cut out when the car is under. heavy acceleration to provide more power. Part cf the low drag figures are the resuit of the slopmng wîndscreen that does present some problem to taîl drivers and passengers. To be factful, the. passenger was over six feet and he was scraping bis curîs. on the roof. Handling was .'very smooth, like many American-built cars,» there is no lack of power assist in tbe steering. The Topaz steers and corners with little ef- fort, thanks to tbe rack and pimion steering and MacPherson front struts. Independent rear- suspension. keeps the ride firm and coinfor- Tbere is a noticeable lack - f rattles," and m.oans from the chassis. Tbe Topaz market is for the family that wan- ts a well-styled good- looklng car and ýalso an' easy-bandling. .sporty car that. wil provide s ervice and performan- ce for the young buyer as well as the old. Topaz En gins-2300 HSC 4-cylinder Transmission-f lve-speed manual Horsepowr-84 Torqus-1 18 ft.-lbs. Suspension- front: Independent Macpherson strut, coil sprtng forged lower control. arm and cast steerlng knuckle stabitizer bar, double action shocks; rear: Independent strut with 'colt sprlng hydraulio telescoping shocks Integrat wlth Macpherson struts. Steering-rack and pInlon, power assist Brakes- duat diagonal hydraulto front dIso, reardrum Tires-standard Pi 75-80R13, optionat 185-65R365 Michelin Fuel capacity-15.2 gais. Broken thermoistat affects gas usagé If' your car fias been slow to warm up during cotd.wlinter mornings, you- may be due for a new ther- mostat. Controtting the, flow of water between the radiator and the engine. the thermostat ik a terr- perature controt valve which keeps engine tem- perature withun proper tim- its. Reptacing this part is a minor expense that can pay f'or itself in a short tinlie says Car Care Council. A thermostat that's stuck open witt cause'the engine to run cotd. increasing gas- otine consumption by as much as 10 to 20 percent. If it sticks in the ctosed po- sition. the car wil over- heat. possibly damaging the engine. Another valve in the cooling system i s'the radia- tor. pressure cap,, which keeps the cooting system under pressure. thereby in- creasing the boiting poiint of the coolant. When' the pressure cap fails. the en- gifle may overheat and coolant goes into the reser- voir tank, eventualty over- flowing to the ground. A visuat check of the pressure cap may expo se a faulty gasket or a weak spring: But the best check is with a pressure tester de- signed for this purpose, generatty used by most ser- vice shops. This inidicates the condition of the cap andi tests the rest of the cooling system for leaks. t Idling burns abouta pint of gasoline every 12 miue in an aver- age-size engine. Sudden changes in speed waste gas and put a %train on the engine and tires. Speeding 65 mph in a 55 mph zone increases the car's draft resis- tance by 40 percent and decreast8 the fuel economy ately. proportion. A spark piug that is malfunctioning .-( cf waste as much as one gallon of gasolîne in every 10. A.>dIiray' a ir (leaner stares hcarburetor of needed air, thus8 messing up the fuel-air mixture and derreasing the fuiel use 'efficiency. Fuelish driving makes' expe nsive riding IDRI'VING ýIS BEL IE VING