Tempo Matador

The Matador · Tempo Matador

May I introduce my Tempo Matador.

For those who don't know what they are, they were made from 1949 to 1952.
The need for an economical light truck was realised, due to massive fuel shortages.
The engineers at Tempowerks in Harburg thought a truck with a VW engine would fit the bill.
They put this to VW who thought it a good idea, and supplied Tempo with 25hp VW motors and gearboxes without VW engine numbers on them.
This was the only time in VW history that they approved the use of their engines in another vehicle.
Tempo made a front wheel drive single cab on a triangular tubular chassis with a payload of 1650kg, they called it the Matador.
The frugal little truck was quite popular, and Tempo had a very professional service and marketing team.
A total of 1362 of them were made with VW engines, most being single cabs, but later they made a number of vans and 11 seater minibusses.
The 25hp gearbox wasn't quite up to the task, and had a tendency to crap itself under heavy loads.
An optional extra later in the model run was a ZF gearbox, for heavy work. That has been used in a number of high powered track cars since.
The Tempo Matador was particularly popular in Australia, the exact number of Australian sales I can't seem to track down.
When the Kombi came out it was in direct competition with the Matador and VW saw sales going the Matadors way.
VW pulled the engine supply at this time and Tempo had to modify the chassis to take an Austin engine, it no longer had a split screen or suicide doors. Shortly after they put a grill on the front for the radiator.

I had owned a Baja and 2 split screens in the past, and my parents had a 76 Kombi and now a Syncro camper. I was looking for another split screen and was horrified by the amount of money people were asking for them so threw my net wider. I asked my uncle who has a few old Cortinas in Victoria. He told me he didn't know where to find a Splitty but could hook me up with a Tempo Matador if I wanted one.
My first reaction was "What's one of those?" After some photo's and research, I couldn't resist.
Here she is.

This is how I found it (The model is my mum)

Took the box off the back and took it for a drive when it got to Perth

Gave it a wash

Had a beer

Went for a spin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-7JzfIwr3U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5VieA23B4A

I've done a fair bit of stripping since then, I'll get the photo's up soon.

It's an hour or two out of town, I'll probably go down to work on it the weekend of the 5th and 6th of July if anyone wanted to check it out.

66split

great looking machine you have there. are you putting the box and sunvisor back on? hope so, that looks cool as. what are your plans? a full resto or just a tidy up and get it back on the road?
Cool

dave.

Diddlie

Just look at it's face, so cute, what character, especially on the photo with your mum.

The Matador

The sun visor was a cut down holden one and was pretty poor shape, so that is staying off.

The box used to carry around an X-ray machine, you can stand in it and it's about twice the internal size of my Kombi. So I'm planning on turning it into a deluxe camper. But I'm going to make it removable, It's 2 metres wide and 2.35 metres high, which makes it near impossible to drive around the city. It'll have an exchangable ute back on it.

It will be a very serious resto. It's almost complete, except a semaphore switch. The 25hp runs but it'll get a once over.

Brookie

They were sold in Perth by the same company that had VW and Porsche agency but with another name. Western Motor Co had VW and then Porsche and Tivoli Garage had Tempo- I think that was how it worked. They were in St.Georges Tce opposite Mill St.

-------------------------

Maharg

Awesome find and in pretty good condition aswell.

Keep us updated with loads of pics of your progression.....

If you find another, keep me in mind... Wink

66split

The Matador

Maharg

Hopefully you wont need to many parts... Laughing

Ill start looking for the missing bits now... Laughing

BJ

Marharg your funny Very Happy

Happy hunting! While your looking see if you can find me a BD Panel Laughing

Matador nice one for sticking this post up mate, it looks really impressive - I, and I am sure that a few others are keen to watch your progress, so keep the updates coming please....

Thanks

samblers

How times have changed in terms of safety... look at where the fuel tank is!!! Surprised

If the force from a head-on impact didnt kill you, then the subsequent dousing in petrol and fireball would probably send you off pretty quick!

Looks great - keep posting pics

Sam

BJ

Matador have you seen this?

http://thekombikonnection.myfreeforum.org/about584.html

Yours has another sister Wink

The Matador

Yeah, i saw it some tome ago, looks quite straight. Whats more it has the toggle piece I'm missing. If anyone could ask the owner if i could have a look i'd appreciate it. I have a friend who can cast me a new toggle if i can get a latex mould for him.

It's a great shame it is stuck there.

BJ

It is a shame but we're sworn to secrecy. I'll send someone a PM who know the guy...it is a long shot though, will let you know

PS what's a "Toggle"

The Matador

BJ

ha ha ha!

I'll ask about the possibility....of the switchy thing

Maharg

Hey.

I spent the weekend at BVF in the Malverns and bumped into someone i no that has three Matadors, one being a panel van. He informed me that he has just bought another two with Nos parts from Austarlia, hope they were not from Perth.

Need to clamp down on the exporting of such nice vechicles imo.

The Matador

I think I know where one of them comes from, but they are definately not mine.

I've heard the guy in the UK isn't planning on restoring them- There was the claim that it was the only Matador panel left in the world, but there is one in tasmania.

It has been bought by a guy in NSW though- who already has 3.

My two are very safe from export.

I just put a high lift kit on it on the weekend, what do you think?

Really i've just seperated the chassis from cab, and taken the doors off.
In fact the rust did most of my work for me.

The door handle mechanism is very difficult to get out. I'm not sure if it's even possible.

I had to go and buy a new gear puller for the steering wheel- 1 day of beating it with a hammer and wood didn't budge it.

Maharg

Maharg

Maharg

Sorry about the quality....

Nice panel tho.... Cool

66split

Maharg

The Matador

Here is a peak at the original 25hp motor- I'm hoping to get it out next weekend- redo the top end- new barrels and pistons if i can find them and make it all pretty again- they had very small valves however- changing them may be difficult.

Brookie

I think an update here would be good Smile

---------------------

The Matador

Chassis has been stripped and ready to clean up. I brought the motor and box down to Perth, where they are getting a bit of love. Heads are rebuilt and case it clean-ish.