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Opinion of the Worst Cars

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DougF

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MSN just listed what they deem to be the worst cars ever built. Included on the list were the Vega, Pinto, Yugo, Strada, Prowler, RX-2, Corvair(thanks Mr. Nader), Fiero, Trabant and the Stag.
Some of these cars definitely deserve their ranking, but I can think of a few that are more deserving.
 
Yeah, especially since that "unsafe at any speed" Corvair would actually out-corner a stock 63 Corvette.

But the whole thing reminds me of an old Paul Simon line : "I don't believe what I read in the papers; they're just out to capture my dime."
 
Not the place to speak of Corvairs, but I had a 61 and a 68 and both were some of the best of many cars that I have owned. JMO.
 
Corvair's were at least kinda cool, and I'd rock a Prowler like crazy. I actually kinda like the Stag. Not enough to go find and restore one, but when I see a nice one (without a Ford 302 in it at least) I think "Wow, that's really cool"
 
Corvairs were honorary LBC's, or didn't you know that?
They leak probably more oil than scroll-seal Heralds.


Pintos.

What you are seeing is the result of media hype and mis-reporting, back in the day, and compounding that now by just adding to it.

I followed that whole episode, and while it was front-page all over the country, did anyone else see the two-paragraph final report on page G-16?
 
Richter12x2 said:
I actually kinda like the Stag. Not enough to go find and restore one, but when I see a nice one (without a Ford 302 in it at least) I think "Wow, that's really cool"
Click to expand...

I can sell you a good running Stag with a Buick 3.8/5spd... :jester:

No mention of the Fuego? Pretty irresponsible...
 
I had a Corvair engine in a VW bug. The engine was great but the VW transaxle kept breaking from the torque,
 
Don't be knocking the little Fords, I had a second hand 1976 Mercury Bobcat wagon. With one size larger tires on all the way around it would go anywhere you pointed the nose, winter or summer. I did home construction at the time, a back full of tools for weight, and comfortable to drive.
 
We had a 1972 Pinto 2.0L wagon with automatic.

Never an issue.
Next owner got t-boned by some moron in a MB who ran a stopsign, but the kept on going for several more years with a car that was bent in the middle.
 
I had a Plymouth Horizon that was a horrid piece of crap, maybe a 1981, I think.

> It leaked around the door seals in rain;
> It got bad mileage (tiny car, 4 cyl. FI);
> It squeaked and rattled;
> It broke down 4 times in about 10K miles and left me stranded;
> It burned about a quart of oil every 2K miles, from new;
> Virtually NO power, couldn't pass a bicycle.

After driving it for about 9 months my next car was a Ford Fairmont, which made the Horizon look like a tricycle.

My sis had an AMC Pacer. Overall not a terrible car, but maybe one of the ugliest! :lol:
 
how about a chevy vega, put more oil in it than gas, al engine but no cast iron sleeves
, thank god it was not mine, a freinds car

Hondo
 
My wife's first car was a Vega before she got the Spitfire. It had been rebuilt already with sleeves so oil mileage wasn't a problem (miles per quart). :smile:

Scott
 
I was surprised that the Renault Dauphine was not on the list. I've seen a bunch of them in my lifetime, but never one in motion under it's own power.
 
TOC said:
I followed that whole episode, and while it was front-page all over the country, did anyone else see the two-paragraph final report on page G-16?
Click to expand...
Was that the one that talked about a simple, free fix that made it no worse than other cars of the period?

Or the revelation that Ford had decided it was cheaper to pay the claims than to do a recall?
 
I was surprised that the Renault Dauphine was not on the list. I've seen a bunch of them in my lifetime, but never one in motion under it's own power.
 
I loved my 4-carb/4-speed Corvair's. They were great cars, especially the last three years.

I had several Renault R-10's and one R-12. Best cars ever in the snow with skinny Michelin X tires and gas mileage was fantastic. The dealership that I worked at sold Renault's and I worked on a ton of Dauphines. I'd take one of them over a Vega, especially after two winters in the mountains of western PA, aka SALT BELT.

All Renault's had very comfortable seats and great heaters.
 
How does my beloved Fiat 850 Sport Spider not make that list?

My 1971 version back in 1980:
Fiat850.jpg
 
TR3driver said:
TOC said:
I followed that whole episode, and while it was front-page all over the country, did anyone else see the two-paragraph final report on page G-16?
Click to expand...
Was that the one that talked about a simple, free fix that made it no worse than other cars of the period?

Or the revelation that Ford had decided it was cheaper to pay the claims than to do a recall?
Click to expand...

We had a Pinto/Vega wrecking yard up here for years.
They never, as in ever, had a burned Pinto come in.
I saw one, had a flat on the LR, drove off the floating bridge and caught the tire on fire, burned the quarter panel, is all.

Ford, while in the big lawsuit, didn't create any ruckus.
They waited.

They called one witness, the hospital worker who sat with the one survivor until she died.

He related the "deathbed statement", to the effect that they had filled up with gas at a self-serve station, took off down an undivided 4-lane road, and heard the gas cap slide off the roof.

They made a 180 degree turn, stopped in the middle of the road, opened both doors to get the cap.

Guy in a 3/4 ton GMC with a camper doing 60 in a 55 was playing with his tape deck, never saw them.

Shoved the rear bumper under the front seat.
I don't care how many plastic sheilds you have, there is no way they would protect against that.

Shoved the motor through the grille.

The only place you could have had a fuel tank on that car in that accident that it would not have ruptured and/or exploded was in the front fenders over the wheels.

Case against Ford dismissed.

Small item, fourth or fifth section, back page.
Wasn't "correct" after all the <span style="color: #FF0000">edited to remove any possibility of political implication</span> who KNEW what the problem was pontificated for months and months.

We all were puzzled as to why the focus on this, when the blowing-up VW Bugs we saw in wrecking yards (guess where the gas tank is on them) are never, ever mentioned as a "problem".

Almost like up here near Seattle, anytime an airliner goes down it's a "Boeing aircraft crashes!" even though you look at a Fokker, Airbus, or whatever in the photo.

You won't find much of any of this anymore, as it's not in compliance with the "bash american products" stance, but I followed it closely when it happened.
 
Nader's original Corvair rant over the rear suspension completely ignored the fact that this same suspension was used in:
Corvair (engine in the rear)
Pontiac (engine in front, transmission in the rear)
Oldsmobile (engine in front, transmission in the rear)
Buick (I think) (engine in front, transmission in the rear)
Last three touted the low floor hump because THE TRANS was in the rear! All used the swing axle design and all would jack up in a hard turn with low tire pressure.

Similar designs in:
MB's
Volkswagons
Renaults
just to name a few.

Nader pi$$ed me off then, and still does.

Take me back to the home.
 
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