Up until 1987, no one figured the Mercury Topaz for anything more exotic than, say, premium stereo. Solid little commuter it was, made a bit better by the 2.3 liter HSO (high specific output) 4-cylinder engine and 5-speed manual. For 1987 about one year after the system was first announced publicly, Topaz (and Tempo) would be available with AWD. All Wheel Drive, in fact was the individual Tempo 4WD model. Topaz offered the system separately as an option. It was remarkably free of cumbersome hardware or exotic maintenance requirements, and raised the ride height only an incremental 1/2 inch. No special tires were required, nor were any recommended. All Wheel Drive was engaged manually by selecting the mode with a dashboard rocker switch. It actuated the system by which driving power was transmitted to the rear wheels via a Dana power takeoff, drive shaft, and rear axle.
I have a 88 awd tempo it’s too cool