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Sandpiper Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 03:47 PM
Original message
What's the worst car you've ever owned?
In keeping with the thread on the worst cars ever made, what's the worst car (make & model) that you've ever personally owned.

The winner for me was my 1984 Chevette that I drove in high school. I've you got it up over 65 mph, it started shaking like it was going to fall apart.
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silverlib Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 03:53 PM
Response to Original message
1. 1982 Chevrolet Celebrity (eom)
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yellowcanine Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 03:53 PM
Response to Original message
2. 1976 Chevy Chevette
1.4 liter engine and an automatic transmission. Put 4 timing belts on it and still didn't get 100,000 miles out of it.
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denverbill Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 03:54 PM
Response to Original message
3. 77 Vega. Yellow.
Almost nothing on it that wasn't broken by 1985.
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soothsayer Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 03:54 PM
Response to Original message
4. an '82 camaro
loved my 67 and 69 soooo much, then got talked into buying a late model one I didn't want from a friend of my GF. It blew up on the way to the beach and had to get towed more than 100 miles. Then another friend of my friend (a thug named ralph) took 1500 dollars from me to supposedly put a new engine in it (which he didn't) and intimidated us by holding a baseball bat when I was noticing that it was in fact the same engine I had brought it there with.

I think I ended up giving it to a guy who owned a gas station and he fixed it up for his daughter. I don't even think i got a dime for it.

sigh
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Endangered Specie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 03:55 PM
Response to Original message
5. Although I didn't 'own' it per se...
An older model (1995ish) ford escort:

With an engine so lousy that the passenger had to turn off the A/C to have enough power to merge or go 65 up a hill

I would yell "Auxilury power, Mr. Scott"
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Archae Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 03:55 PM
Response to Original message
6. 1965 Ford station wagon
Bought it in 1978, junked it in less than a month.
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doubleplusgood Donating Member (810 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 03:55 PM
Response to Original message
7. 1986 Ford Bronco II
Edited on Mon Jan-26-04 03:57 PM by doubleplusgood
Bought it in 1988 from someone we knew who had taken good care of it. Over the next few years, though, it had transmission problems, burned oil, the gear shift broke off & both door locks broke amongst other problems. Oh, yeah, and the air-conditioning crapped out, too. At one point found out that this particluar model/year had been voted worst used car to buy. We'll NEVER buy a Ford product again.

(On edit, added air-conditioning comment)
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TrogL Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 05:14 PM
Response to Reply #7
34. probably the same engine and tranny as my Windstar (see below)
The only other choice I had (long story) was a Ford Probe, which would have been its own set of nightmares.
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Wonder_Cow Donating Member (139 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 08:53 PM
Response to Reply #7
56. ah, the bronco II
a while after I was born my parents bought one (not sure about the year, probably late-80s sometime) they thought it'd be the perfect family car. Naturaly, the transmission burst into flames a couple of times, the AC never worked, the thing almost rolled over once. They dumped it when I was 2.

The only memory I have of that car is a firefighter crawling under it with a fire extinguisher.
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BlueEyedSon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 03:56 PM
Response to Original message
8. '72 Plymouth Valiant
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silverlib Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 04:07 PM
Response to Reply #8
12. I had one of those -
sold it in running condition with 150,000 miles on it. Best car I ever had! Sorry you got the lemon!
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beawr Donating Member (358 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 04:00 PM
Response to Original message
9. 1986 Ford Taurus (yet another American Piece of Crap)
Edited on Mon Jan-26-04 04:01 PM by beawr
Breakdown after breakdown. Rid myself of it at only 40,000 miles and got me a Tracker, which I drove for 140,000 miles on the original clutch.
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TrogL Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 05:15 PM
Response to Reply #9
36. Laundry list?
Lemme guess:


  • engine seals
  • 2nd gear
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beawr Donating Member (358 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-27-04 08:30 AM
Response to Reply #36
76. It was a Manual
The clutch went after 30K miles. The pricks had the nerve to tell me I couldn't drive a stick. And, of course, the clutch wasn't under warranty. I had previously had a Toyota with over 100K on the clutch, after the Ford, I had a Tracker that had 140K miles on its clutch when I got rid of it and a Volvo S70, still in my driveway, with 168K miles on its original clutch.

The seals and gaskets were generally crap. The Sunroof went off track, I cant remember all the other things that was wrong with that car. But now I will never buy another Ford and would probably never buy an "American" car.

Actually, the car with the most American content is the super-reliable Honda Accord. So, it ain't the American worker that stinks, but American management.
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NoPasaran Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 04:01 PM
Response to Original message
10. 1970 VW
Edited on Mon Jan-26-04 04:02 PM by NoPasaran
Not sure what it would have done at 65mph because it never went that fast. Zero was more like its average speed.
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XNASA Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 04:05 PM
Response to Original message
11. '78 Ford Fairmont......but it wasn't that bad.
I only owned it for a year, and it was only 4 years old at the time.

It actually never gave me any problems. But I've been lucky with cars, and I do my research, so I haven't had that many problems.
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bubblesby2002 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 05:23 PM
Response to Reply #11
39. I owned one of those too
Edited on Mon Jan-26-04 05:35 PM by bubblesby2002
But I bought it in 1986 and although it didn't need much work it was as slow as molasses. Put your foot on the gas and ---nothing. It was green with a pumpkin coloured interior. Boy did that thing get hot when it was left in the sun. Sold it in 1993 and bought my best car ever.

on edit: spelling
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CO Liberal Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 05:39 PM
Response to Reply #39
43. I Had an '86 Ford LTD II
Same basic car as a Fairmont. It cracked a cylinder head while I was waiting for the pawn shop where I bought it to get me a clear title. They took it off my hands and swapped it for a 1985 Aerostar cargo van, which was a great vehicle - V6 and a 5-speed and fun to drive.
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twistedliberal Donating Member (299 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 06:51 PM
Response to Reply #11
48. We had a 1980 Zephyr when I was a kid
The Mercury version of the Fairmont. 2.3 liter automatic. Couldn't hold its speed up most hills, but I think it had 240,000 miles on it when a piston finally gave out.

It would catch fire if you left it idling on a hot day with the A/C on.
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TrogL Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 04:07 PM
Response to Original message
13. 1978 Mercedes

  • used about equal portions of gasoline and oil
  • cruise control would vary speed about 10 kph faster and lower, faster and slower, then would quit unexpectedly
  • power locks that locked and unlocked pretty much at random while you'd be driving
  • "climate control" varied between Arctic and tropical, blew air in random directions, both pretty much at whim, no matter how the controls were set
  • stopped on a tract of land about the size of an aircraft carrier
  • radio refused to pick up local stations, only distant ones
  • power antenna would go up and down for no adequately explained reason
  • power windows weren't
  • rear window exploded one day for no particular reason (on afterthought, that may have been a different vehicle and/or sniper)


God, I loved that car. (no sarcasm)
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TrogL Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 04:18 PM
Response to Reply #13
20. on the other hand, my current vehicle (95 Windstar)

  • just cost me $1300+ for a new head gasket
  • won't let me unlock the sliding door
  • has an oil filter so throughly hidden I can't find it
  • has a radiator looks like it's be used for target practice
  • routinely loses its radio settings requiring a good half hour to reprogram
  • will probably blow second gear sometime this year
  • will probably blow another major engine component (which can neither understand nor recall) sometime this year
  • has its own inscrutible concept of climate "comfort"
  • has at least two engine components whose purpose the mechanic is unable adequately explain
  • tailgate's power lock works at random, independent of other locks
  • speedometer lies worse than Dubuya
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TrogL Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-27-04 02:35 PM
Response to Reply #20
86. Update:
It's -35 here with Oscar only knows what kind of windchill. Hence:


  • the block heater cable snapped
  • the fuel line is probably frozen despite gas-line antifreeze
  • the computer is hopeless confused, so the engine is kicking out black smoke in between attempts to fire
  • the alternator does not appear to understand that it's supposed to charge the battery to its fullest potential, not just enough to start it in balmy weather
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GOPisEvil Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 10:51 PM
Response to Reply #13
68. *snerk*
Thanks for the laugh.

The sniper remark made me bust out laughing. :hi:
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TrogL Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-27-04 02:37 PM
Response to Reply #68
87. I'm still not sure what that was about
I started the car.

I turned on the rear defrost.

I got out of the car to scrape the window.

I hadn't touched anything yet.

The rear window exploded into a million pieces.

I didn't hear a shot or find any bullet fragments but there is a grassy knoll across the street.
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wysimdnwyg Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 04:10 PM
Response to Original message
14. Can I name more than one?
'74 Pinto - Formerly Mom's car, she drive it into the ground. When I got it, it had over 300k miles and was running on three cylinders (should have been 4). Both doors had bent hinges, the passenger one so bad you had to pick the door up to close it. The driver's seat latch was broken, so I had to prop a brick behind it. And the piece d'resistance, Mom was not happy with the color, so she painted it. No, she didn't take it Maaco, SHE painted it. With about 50 cans of auto paint from Western Auto.
"Classic runs like crap, but runs like crap forever" car.

'81 Renault Alliance - Drove that car for about six months before I first noticed a problem with the fan. The electric RADIATOR fan, not the one that blows the heat and air. After a couple of months of driving with an extra jug of water in the car, I had to go home for spring break. About half way home (100 miles into a 190 mile journey), the temp gauge went up quickly. I pulled off to the first exit, but the motor died as soon as I hit the stop sign at the top of the hill. I scorched the pistons and it never started again.
"Well, it LOOKED good" car.

'83 Grand Prix - This bad boy had been converted from a diesel to a gas engine. Being the dumb kid I was, I didn't think anything would be wrong with this. Whoops! About 10 months later, it started burning oil. A LOT of oil. So, I took it to get it worked on. Nope, the first place wouldn't touch it. I called the local Olds dealer (it was an Olds engine), and they would not touch it. They recommended a place down the street, so I took it there. After many months and a hell of a lot of money, it STILL burned oil, and they had managed to screw up several other things. I replaced the heater core and another service station fixed a few other things. While parked out front of their service bay one day, some kid hit it. About to graduate from college, I talked my stepfather into a sizable loan and I went car shopping. The insurance co. totaled the GP and cut me a check. I used that and the loan from my SF and I bought a new truck. Oh, and don't let me forget, the AC went out a month after I bought it.
"Don't be a dumbass and buy this car" car.
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CO Liberal Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 04:11 PM
Response to Original message
15. 1976 Chevy Monza
I paid $125 for it in the Late '80s, and sent it to the junkyard a few months later. Problems with the brakes, steering, and the electrical system.
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LosinIt Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-27-04 04:04 AM
Response to Reply #15
73. I bought one of those BrandNew when I was still in college
Kodak came to our technical college and hired the whole lot of us chem techs. This was in April, didn't get a lot of work done for the next month. Who cares about a GPA, we've got gigs. We all went out and bought new cars and partied our butts off. Kodak was THE place to work then. Now they are dying a slow painful death.
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proud patriot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 04:12 PM
Response to Original message
16. Dastun 310 hatchback
piece of junk ...
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GOPisEvil Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 04:25 PM
Response to Reply #16
24. I had a 210 Hatchback.
Mechanically, it was ok - it was the little things that kept breaking. Like the a/c and ignition switch. After the 3rd a/c repair, I stopped messing with it. Summers in Texas with no a/c are HOT!
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catmandu57 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 04:14 PM
Response to Original message
17. 74 dodge dart
worst piece of ecrement that ever came out of Detroit. All I had to do was look at it and it would break down, nickled and dimed me to death, left me standing on the side of the road countless times.
The electrical system was crap they were experimenting with electronic ignition and didn't have it perfected yet.
I have nightmares about that pos.
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CO Liberal Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 04:34 PM
Response to Reply #17
25. The Final Darts and Vailants Were All Crap
Those from '64 through '70 were pretty good. Especially those with the Slant Six and a Powerflite 3-speed automatic.
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ramapo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 04:16 PM
Response to Original message
18. Granada
Forget what year it was. What a piece of crap. Called it the Grenade.
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ScreamingMeemie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 04:17 PM
Response to Original message
19. 84 Renault Alliance....one of the first disposable cars.
:hi:
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Catshrink Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 11:01 PM
Response to Reply #19
69. Me too! We called it "The Appliance"
piece of crap.
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FlaGranny Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-27-04 10:35 AM
Response to Reply #19
82. For me, it was a Renault also, but early 1960's model.
My husband bought it brand new. It ran, sort of, for one year, and fell apart, literally.
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Parrcrow Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 04:21 PM
Response to Original message
21. '82 Chevy S-10 (n/t)
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spinbaby Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 04:22 PM
Response to Original message
22. '93 Volvo 850
The thing fell apart every time you looked at it. The doors started to fall off. Seriously. The welds that held the hinges on weren't strong enough to support the doors. Cost a fortune to fix and the body shop guy said they all had the door problem sooner or later.
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Sagan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 04:23 PM
Response to Original message
23. Lordy, Lordy... 1974 burnt orange Volvo station wagon


We called it "The Anti Christ"

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TrogL Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 05:23 PM
Response to Reply #23
38. I had the sedan version
0 to 60 in .... in ..... in ........ I dunno. Never got there.

Fan motor sounded like a bandsaw.

Good heat. Excellent heat. All year long.

Engine readouts pure fiction.

Rear window exploded, but that might have been a sniper.
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Edge Donating Member (728 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 04:35 PM
Response to Original message
26. A 1989 Chevy Celebrity Station Wagon...
it was rusted-silver colored, had over 212,000 miles on it, and it was just a POS. It was my first car. Got it back in '99 and I bought it for only $100.

I had to pay the junkyard $25 to get rid of it last summer.
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ElsewheresDaughter Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 04:36 PM
Response to Original message
27. 81 chevette
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bif Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 04:37 PM
Response to Original message
28. Datsun 510
Absolute piece of shsit.
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jburton Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 04:40 PM
Response to Original message
29. 1995 Ford Contour
Terrible depreciation. Car was worth next to nothing after a few years. Estimate for a/c repair was MORE than the actual blue book value of the car.

Maintainence/repair bills worthy of a far nicer car.
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nini Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 04:44 PM
Response to Original message
30. 71 Ford Pinto
Edited on Mon Jan-26-04 04:44 PM by nini
I and live to talk about it :-)
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MissMillie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 04:55 PM
Response to Original message
31. 1989 Mercury Tracer
After 4 years it was looking for it's 3rd engine... no thanks.
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DemoTex Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 05:00 PM
Response to Original message
32. 1965 Simca 4-door hatchback
What a POS!

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CanuckAmok Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 05:03 PM
Response to Original message
33. 1978 Saab 99GL coupe
Had I known the motor was a design Saab had licensed from the Austin Marina, I would have run screaming. Instead, gullible boy stationed overseas that I was, I paid $300 for it.

And still felt ripped off.

There wasn't a week in which something didn't go majorly wrong with that POS.

I gave it away. I was lucky.

Rust in Pieces, Crapmobile!
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midnight armadillo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 05:36 PM
Response to Reply #33
41. You can own one again!
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CanuckAmok Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-27-04 03:22 AM
Response to Reply #41
72. AAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! n/t
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Logansquare Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 05:14 PM
Response to Original message
35. 1975 Plymouth Duster
Or, The Car That Would Not Shift.
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fudge stripe cookays Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 05:17 PM
Response to Original message
37. I feel for ya Sandpiper!
Only mine was a '79 Chevette.

Still, it was one of those vehicles that only a parent would buy for a high schooler. I freaking hated that car. Especially in San Antonio, Texas with no a/c! But at least it was freedom.

Mine was light metallic blue, and died its final blissful death in 1987, when I got my 1985 Nissan Stanza- one of my favorite cars.
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midnight armadillo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 05:35 PM
Response to Original message
40. 85 Nissan Sentra
A little wagon. 69 hp, with 4 adults in the car my friends called it the 'little car that could'. Got terrible mileage, broke down frequently, and decided to dump its timing belt on Rt. 2 in Cambridge, MA. Not as bad as some of the cars you folks had, but I've only owned 3 to date (the other two are toyotas w/ no problems).
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TEXASYANKEE Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 05:39 PM
Response to Original message
42. 1979 Ford Mustang
It was orange with black & white checkered cloth seats! A gift from my parents, so I shouldn't complain too much, but ... It was rear-wheel drive so it hydroplaned on wet roads and icy roads. Had to have the front wheels aligned every 6 months or so. Had to get a new radiator twice. No air conditioning. It was an accident waiting to happen (and an UGLY accident, besides) and I was ever so happy to trade it in 10 years later for a blue Honda Civic.
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Mr. McD Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 05:59 PM
Response to Original message
44. Thats a tough one, I have had some real crappers
Probably a 55 Rambler. This was 1964.:shrug:
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geniph Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 06:08 PM
Response to Original message
45. '99 Chevy Cavalier
Slow, not good on gas, overly heavy for its size, and the f***ing steering rack was going out already when I got rid of the damn thing - it was less than 2 years old! What a piece of crap. The turning radius was that of a 3/4 ton pickup. Terrible car. Best decision I ever made was to take the loss, and trade it in just to get RID of it. It had depreciated so badly in two years that I had to practically pay the dealer to take it off my hands.

I'm not a person who disposes of cars easily; I kept my first car for 22 years. My second for six, and would still have it if it hadn't been totaled in a rear-ending (teach ME to wait for red lights to change). I have every intention of keeping my current car for at least 15 years. But that Cavalier - I couldn't get rid of it fast enough.
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FlaGranny Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-27-04 10:49 AM
Response to Reply #45
84. I have a 97 Cavalier
It is zippy, good on gas, totally rust free. Great car. The only thing I've had done to it other than regular maintenance (when it was still under warranty) was replacing the generator. Of course, the mileage is low, and it has been 100% maintained on schedule.

I am a little bit worried though by the A/C. It is making a noise that sounds like a tapping valve. Living in Florida, the A/C has been run constantly, though - I rarely turn it off.
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VOX Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 06:14 PM
Response to Original message
46. I've been lucky, but my dad had a 1975 Ford Maverick...
That jalopy was a rolling dung-heap and an auto-designer's nightmare. Every time you parked near a high curb, you ran the risk of knocking off the unprotected, non-recessed tire valves -- and boy, does your tire empty out quickly when one of those is broken!

Another nice feature were the window cranks, which were strategically placed about two inches above the interior door handles, so you skinned your knuckles *every* time you rolled the window up or down.

As for performance -- don't even get me started. When my dad traded that heap in on a new Toyota hatchback, it was a red-letter day.
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everdene Donating Member (107 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 06:38 PM
Response to Original message
47. 1977 Chevy Monza
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solinvictus Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 07:23 PM
Response to Original message
49. 1981 Cheverolet Citation
Technically, it was my ex-wife's car. It would overheat at a glance, got really bad mileage for an "economy" car, and within a one week period, blew a radiator hose, oil pump, and several belts. It was finally sold and I assume scrapped.
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SammyWinstonJack Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 07:46 PM
Response to Original message
50. An MG Midget
Not sure of the year, maybe 1968. Scary car! The carburetor was always catching on fire, and always when my infant son was in the car with me. :scared: Couldn't get rid of that car fast enough.
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californiahippie Donating Member (67 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 07:55 PM
Response to Reply #50
51. yep
MG, that car was ALWAYS in the shop. (Mine wasn't a midget)
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bigwillq Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 07:57 PM
Response to Original message
52. I've only owned one car
A 2000 Nissan Sentra. It's alright I want to get a new one
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Jersey Devil Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 08:17 PM
Response to Original message
53. '72 Pontiac LeMans
8 mpg, 383 cu in V-8 that needed a valve job after 30,000 miles. A total pig of a car.
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kaitykaity Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 08:28 PM
Response to Original message
54. 1992 Pontiac Grand Am

What a PIECE OF SHIT.

Head gasket blew.
Fuel injectors blew.

It was a cascade effect, the damn car cost me about
$4,000 to get out from under.

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Lostmessage Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 08:54 PM
Response to Reply #54
57. I had the same model
Very pretty car but a lemon.
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kaitykaity Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 09:25 PM
Response to Reply #57
59. I loved the body style of that car, but god damn . . .

I'll never own another pontiac.
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Lostmessage Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 09:42 PM
Response to Reply #59
61. I bought it new
Edited on Mon Jan-26-04 09:42 PM by Lostmessage
The engine caught on fire on Christmas Eve and it burnt up on me one day after the warranty ran out.
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kaitykaity Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 09:57 PM
Response to Reply #61
62. I hope your insurance covered it.

Did you ever find out what happened?

The car was my fault, I let my heart rule my
head, fell in love, you know what I mean?
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Lostmessage Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 10:03 PM
Response to Reply #62
64. My Dad forgot to pay the insurance premium
It was a wire that caught on fire.
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Lostmessage Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 08:31 PM
Response to Original message
55. Grand Am
The engine caught on fire 1 day after the warranty ran out. It was a beautiful car but it was a lemon.
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hyphenate Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 09:07 PM
Response to Original message
58. A 1983 Plymouth Horizon
Was a piece of shit. I ended up replacing both the transmission AND the engine, and then the freaking thing blew the head gasket a SECOND time just before I finally dumped it. The water pump went twice, the thing wouldn't tolerate regular gas, only premium, and it was basically the worst crap I've ever owned.

I also had a 1984 Buick Skyhawk which went belly-up, but it was a good car for less than $1000, and kept me on the job for a year and a half before it died.

My car now is a Ford Windstar, and while it's got some minor problems, it's brought me cross-country and is good on gas mileage.
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baldguy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 09:40 PM
Response to Reply #58
60. 1977 Horizon


I had one in '85. By that time the engine was blown, the breaks were gone, and the TOPS of the struts had rusted through.
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jimbo fett Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-27-04 08:36 AM
Response to Reply #58
77. My dad had one when I was growing up. Worst piece of crap ever.
This thing was in the shop more than on the road. My dad came close to suing Chrysler. He did write Iacocca and that helped light a fire under the local dealer to fix the car without charging (just the last time).
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TheMightyFavog Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-27-04 02:11 PM
Response to Reply #58
85. Did you say Horizon?
From the deepest, darkest depths of...whitby!
Comes this sordid tale of speed...
Murderous mayhem..
Cataclysmic combustion...
Picturesque powered pistons...
Accellerating automotive alarms...
Stunningly stupifying stereo stunts!
One man... a dream... a car... a 1984... plymouth... horizon...

I loved the car from tail to grill
I wouldn’t change a thing
I wouldn’t trade the ashtray
For the queen’s engagement ring
But things they started going wrong
And went from bad to worse
The clutch went kinda funny
Then I couldn’t use reverse
Still I loved my baby
And would not admit defeat
Just because it left a trail
Of rust along the street
It kept on running bravely
On duct tape and a prayer
Plus a monthly tribute to
The guy who did repairs
It all seems so unfair (the man was glad the day he bought)

Horizon!
Horizon!

Till one day on the parking lot
They called 401
My car became the meat between
A buick-honda bun
I saw some parts go flying
That you really need to drive
My car had become roadkill
Though it never was alive
Left a muffler in the passing lane
A hubcap in the slow
The windshield on the median
A headlight in the snow
And as I skidded off the road
The other drivers laughed
My middle-finger greeting
Would be my epitaph
Death would come at last (here lies the man who dared to buy)

Horizon!

Now I look at my bent fender
The twisted wheel rim
I wonder if horizon
Will ever drive again
But I know that this was not the end
Road warriors die hard
And I signed this mr. iacoca’s
Organ donor card
The steel will get recycled
And they’ll build another car
Bigger, faster, stronger
An automotive star
My quest will then begin
And revenge will soon be mine
As I drive my gleaming three-door
Orange chrysler frankenstein
Searching for that buick
To try to end it’s days
We’ll settle off the score
And then we’ll drive away (the sun will rise again on the)

Horizon!
My horizon!
My horizon!

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TrogL Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-27-04 03:12 PM
Response to Reply #58
89. Windstar advice
Edited on Tue Jan-27-04 03:15 PM by TrogL
Check with your Ford dealer about the special warranty deal on the head gasket. If it blows within a certain extended date (7 years?) or mileage, they'll fix it if you yell at them for awhile. Same with 2nd gear on the tranny. There may be recalls as well.

Just google "ford windstar head gasket" and watch the fun. Wish I'd done that before I bought mine.

http://www.lemonaidcars.com/secret_warranties.htm
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populistmom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 10:02 PM
Response to Original message
63. 1982 Oldsmobile Omega
And it was the end- at one point, it was dead for a year because we had no money to fix it (this was 11-12 years ago) and I spent the first year of my daughter's life literally stuck in my house and immediate neighborhood. Funny, I was a poor, 20 year old who couldn't provide all those "activities" many moms think they need and she's now one of the top students in her class. Must have done something right that very rough year.
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aQuArius Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 10:09 PM
Response to Original message
65. 1984 Toyota Tercel, light blue
I loved that thing! But it sure was a POS, but who's 1st car isn't? I can't say my car is much better today, though.
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Terwilliger Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 10:46 PM
Response to Original message
66. none...I even liked the Chevette I had
I put all my cars through some seriuous workout. I loved 'em.

Hell, I drove from Alabama to the Bay Area and back in a 1980 Citation that had no effective motor mount. I loved that car.
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SoCalDem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 10:50 PM
Response to Original message
67. Crown Victoria Station wagon.. can't remember the year
Edited on Mon Jan-26-04 10:51 PM by SoCalDem
That car sucked so bad, I have blocked it from my memory.. It left me stranded between Barstow & Baker.. I was ALONE.. People familiar with California, know how pissed off I was :)Hint.. It's in the middle of the desert..

I was on my way to Vegas with our tournament money, and I was scared to death that someone would rob me.. I am bonded, but there would have been a bunch of pissed off people who would not have gotten their gambling money that weekend.. (It was close to $20K in cash )..
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Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-26-04 11:41 PM
Response to Original message
70. A 65 Dodge Dart.
Burned oil badley. Got 15 miles per gallon of gas and quart of oil. This was before emissions testing.
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Haviland_42 Donating Member (55 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-27-04 12:38 AM
Response to Original message
71. 1980 Pontiac Sunbird
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FireHeart Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-27-04 04:22 AM
Response to Original message
74. 1986 Hyundai GL
The most awful car I've ever owned. Cost me more in repairs (over 8 years) than the actual purchase price. Damn thing was a nightmare.
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areschild Donating Member (952 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-27-04 07:32 AM
Response to Original message
75. Oldsmobile Omega
I don't remember what year it was, but when I decided to buy a used car, I insisted on "buying American". So...I saw this Oldsmobile Omega and I thought it looked nice. I wound up having 4 brake jobs done on it and it still was never right. I now own a Honda Civic...no problems.
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DarkSim Donating Member (266 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-27-04 08:40 AM
Response to Original message
78. 1986 Lada.
Russian cars are the bitch.... This one was so horrible it had problems with virtually everything
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BigMcLargehuge Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-27-04 08:56 AM
Response to Original message
79. 1989 Volkswagen Golf GL
Bought it brand new. Had a bad engine ground, a design flaw, that caused static electricity to build up in the aluminum head and it literally CAUGHT every speck of carbon produced in the cylinders. In one year I was forced to replace:

One upper cylinder head
Four pistons and rings
One fuel injection system
One lower engine block (oilpan looked like a coal mine)

Then, the non-engine ground related problems:

6 CV joints, four left and two right
Seats ripped one month after purchase
Folding seat handle snapped off in two days
seven door handles (3 right 4 left)
four headlights
One steering rack and pinion
I waxed it exactly one time, and the wax fouled the plastic moulding running along the doors and gave a "look, swirls of car wax!" appearance to the vehicle.

Cost of the car 12k with interest
Cost for one year's repairs $5000 (not including towing which was about another $500 as it was towed maybe ten times)

Warrantly covered approximately 1000 of the total repair cost.

Bank ended up getting the car just one year after purchase as I couldn't afford to drive AND repair the thing every week.
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LWolf Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-27-04 09:29 AM
Response to Original message
80. Hyundai Excel...1987
Closely followed by a 1971 Ford Pinto.

In 3rd...my favorite car, in spite of the constant mechanical problems. I owned two of them. I loved the engine, body style, etc. 1969 Cougar.
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Beaker Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-27-04 09:36 AM
Response to Original message
81. a 70-something Ford Maverick.
It was actually a great little runner, but it did have a few problems, and it was the worst one(of many, many) of the cars/trucks I've owned thru the years.
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JCMach1 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-27-04 10:42 AM
Response to Original message
83. My Chevette was '84 too
and a POS...

At least one quart of oil per week. It blew starters left and right. Eventually (after just a couple of years... maybe 4) a hole rusted in the bottom and everytime you hit a puddle...

Bathtime.

At least my feet stayed clean.
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TheMightyFavog Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-27-04 02:44 PM
Response to Original message
88. Well this was my dad's, but I drove it...
1984 Dodge Ram pickup, Prospector package. 4 speed piece of shit manual tranny which would get stuck between reverse and overdrive on numerous occasions, meaning you'd have to get out and get under the truck and yank on the levers until it became unstuck. That behemoth was wicked underpowered with its slant six, it handled like shit, and I learned to drive stick with that fucker.
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bobthedrummer Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-27-04 03:17 PM
Response to Original message
90. A 1970 SS Impala convertible.
It was the worse, and I blew it up.
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