Biggest Turkeys

[NickF1011]

Saw this over on MSNBC.com. I think they summed up the Top 10 pretty well if you ask me.

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10155740/

 

(When I looked last, the Aztek was the leading vote-getter :lol: )

[PapaTango]

I dunno. Its a good list but I would have never put the Ford Pinto on a list of ungreat cars. It was the best made domestic small car for that era. Too bad about the gas tank thing, but if your little ol' Pinto got rearended by a Caddy doing 60 mph probably nothing short of a NASCAR fuel cell was gonna make a difference!

Edited November 23, 2005 by PapaTango

[StevenJ]

If they are going to include Turkey vehicles, they have to include the Lexus RX330 the most disgustingly ugly SUV ever made including the Aztec and the Lexus ES330.

[foxrun]

I dunno. Its a good list but I would have never put the Ford Pinto on a list of ungreat cars. It was the best made domestic small car for that era. Too bad about the gas tank thing, but if your little ol' Pinto got rearended by a Caddy doing 60 mph probably nothing short of a NASCAR fuel cell was gonna make a difference!

 

Wasnt that just a big lie? What was all that about where the test cars had incindiary devices on them, or was that the hoax?

[fllcobra]

Buick Rendezvous

 

Suzuki Sidekick Samurai

 

Ford Festiva

 

Ford Aspire

[dtagtow]

[fontThe list of the Biggest Turkeys was interesting but the Pinto being included on this list was

totally unfair. My folks had a 73 wagon and compared to what the other small cars were at the time

it was probably the best of them. How about the great Fiat cars that rusted away to nothing in a few

short years, or the great Japanese cars that did likewise. How quickly the American car buying

public forget the scrap they sold. =Arial Black] [/font]

[wolfpackrazorback]

im suprised the car from National Lampoons Vacation wasnt on there; that car was hideous. The FAMILY TRUCKSTER. :lol:

[NLPRacing]

Buick Rendezvous

 

Suzuki Sidekick Samurai

 

Ford Festiva

 

Ford Aspire

 

I have to agree, except fot the Festiva :P . I would also have to add the Magnum, Charger & Murano to that list

[ford4v429]

I'd add hyundai tiburon as a ugly duckling, and another 2 seater thats name escapes me right now...

 

I always thought the Pinto was a setup of sorts by the 'explosion' of the lawsuits that continue to escalate about every little thing. I do NOT doubt the little car would explode in a collision, but would bet my 69 fastback would explode from 1/2 the impact required to pop a pinto- the 69 used the tank as the floor of the trunk, the fuel filler is above the bumper, and there was only a piece of cardboard separating the trunk from the rear seat. We had a 77 pinto when I was a kid (Dad traded in a 74 ltd 4 door- we were cramped beyond words on the ride home) and it was a good LITTLE car, and I always thought they were kinda neat- a guy I used to work with had a 460 in one...yeeehah!

 

The vega definitely belonged on that list- smoking scuffed aluminum blocks, rotted in a year...read a description from an owner once that said "appeard to be made from compressed rust" heheh. they were cute little cars too, but as far a a 'car' were a million times worse than a pinto. Our pinto still looked new when they traded it off for a 80 mustang, had a lot of miles and its little 2.3 never once acted up or smoked. luckily we never got hit in it.

[ebritt]

I loved may 75 Pontiac Astre (Vega)

Also Had 75 Cosworth Vega (BAD,FAST and Cool)

[01FOCI]

I loved may 75 Pontiac Astre (Vega)

Also Had 75 Cosworth Vega (BAD,FAST and Cool)

 

WOW :unsure: you think a vega was cool? This has huge inroads into your personality and skewed perception of reality.

 

 

 

 

I loved may 75 Pontiac Astre (Vega)

Also Had 75 Cosworth Vega (BAD,FAST and Cool)

 

:lol: :lol: :lol: FAST :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

When Road & Track magazine (7/76) finally got one to test (from a private owner) it found that the 1998 cc (122 cu in.), 110 horsepower twin-cammer took a mediocre 12.3 seconds to accelerate the car from zero to 96 km/h (60 mph). This was barely faster than the 12.7 seconds of another recently introduced little two-door hatchback, the Volkswagen Scirocco (R & T 2/75). And the Scirocco cost about two-thirds as much as the Cosworth Vega and got 50 per cent better fuel economy.

 

So not cool, or fast and well yes bad in the true meaning of the word.

[ebritt]

WOW :unsure: you think a vega was cool? This has huge inroads into your personality and skewed perception of reality.

:lol: :lol: :lol: FAST :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

When Road & Track magazine (7/76) finally got one to test (from a private owner) it found that the 1998 cc (122 cu in.), 110 horsepower twin-cammer took a mediocre 12.3 seconds to accelerate the car from zero to 96 km/h (60 mph). This was barely faster than the 12.7 seconds of another recently introduced little two-door hatchback, the Volkswagen Scirocco (R & T 2/75). And the Scirocco cost about two-thirds as much as the Cosworth Vega and got 50 per cent better fuel economy.

 

So not cool, or fast and well yes bad in the true meaning of the word.

 

I smoked 3 6.6 trans ams with the cosworth! I got 28 miles per gallon with it. Maybe road and tracked f***** up?

Have you ever drove one????Didn't think so.

Quit talkin out yer ass...

[retro-man]

Still my favorite article on the Vega, from Canadian Driver:

 

"John DeLorean, Chevrolet Division's general manager when the Vega was introduced, was very candid in his book, On A Clear Day You Can See General Motors. He called the Vega a poor design engineered by the central corporate engineers, then foisted onto a disgruntled Chevrolet.

 

DeLorean called the engine "a relatively large, noisy, top-heavy combination of aluminum and iron which cost far too much to build, (and) looked like it had been taken off a 1920 farm tractor..." He said "Chevy engineers were ashamed of the engine."

 

When the first prototype Vega arrived at Chevrolet from the central staff, DeLorean had division engineers test it at GM's Milford, Mich., proving grounds. The results were devastating. "After eight miles, the front of the Vega broke off. The front end of the car separated from the rest of the vehicle," said DeLorean. "It must have set a record for the shortest time taken for a new car to fall apart." It was an inauspicious start for GM's new baby"

 

I had one experience driving a Vega - an almost new one owned by a neighbor - it had to be moved and his wife couldn't drive a stick. I will never forget the buzzy engine, the flimzy seats, the steering wheel jiggling in my hands as if the whole steering apparatus were made of cheap lawn furniture tubing joined with cotter pins...... It was the most insubstantial thing I have ever felt - and I've driven a 600cc microcar before. I liked the early Vega's style, and lusted after one. Until I drove it. I still think it is a very good looking car. Trouble is, there are no survivors to look at. To each his own ebritt - but I have to agree with these guys: The Vega was quite a piece.

 

On different note, there is a house I drive by occasionally that has both a Yugo, and an AMC Pacer - both evidently in good conditiion - parked in front of it. Now there is a statement.

[ebritt]

Still my favorite article on the Vega, from Canadian Driver:

 

"John DeLorean, Chevrolet Division's general manager when the Vega was introduced, was very candid in his book, On A Clear Day You Can See General Motors. He called the Vega a poor design engineered by the central corporate engineers, then foisted onto a disgruntled Chevrolet.

 

DeLorean called the engine "a relatively large, noisy, top-heavy combination of aluminum and iron which cost far too much to build, (and) looked like it had been taken off a 1920 farm tractor..." He said "Chevy engineers were ashamed of the engine."

 

When the first prototype Vega arrived at Chevrolet from the central staff, DeLorean had division engineers test it at GM's Milford, Mich., proving grounds. The results were devastating. "After eight miles, the front of the Vega broke off. The front end of the car separated from the rest of the vehicle," said DeLorean. "It must have set a record for the shortest time taken for a new car to fall apart." It was an inauspicious start for GM's new baby"

 

I had one experience driving a Vega - an almost new one owned by a neighbor - it had to be moved and his wife couldn't drive a stick. I will never forget the buzzy engine, the flimzy seats, the steering wheel jiggling in my hands as if the whole steering apparatus were made of cheap lawn furniture tubing joined with cotter pins...... It was the most insubstantial thing I have ever felt - and I've driven a 600cc microcar before. I liked the early Vega's style, and lusted after one. Until I drove it. I still think it is a very good looking car. Trouble is, there are no survivors to look at. To each his own ebritt - but I have to agree with these guys: The Vega was quite a piece.

 

On different note, there is a house I drive by occasionally that has both a Yugo, and an AMC Pacer - both evidently in good conditiion - parked in front of it. Now there is a statement.

In general the vega\astre was one of those "gotta love em to drive em" cars. I loved tooling around in my Astre. It was red with a black top and had some unusual factory Graphics on it. It also had the pontiac style 2 bar tail lights and a different nose that set it apart from the vega. The 74 and up vegas were not the better looking ones. I had a 71 that was fitted with a monza front end and had a small 400ci. and muncie 4 speed. I friend who owned a paint shop put some IROC Z graphics on the rockers and it was sweet. Hard to keep the ass end behind the front end though, always wanted to go in little circles.

As for the Vega you drove...it wasn't a Cosworth, not the same car at all. The steering was tight, no rattles and would still have it if it werent for the old man in a pickup that creamed the side at a stop light. Insurance gave me $3000 and kept the car...sold the remains for $2000 to a guy who needed the drive train. Check the value on these cars...still high for a little car.

[01FOCI]

In general the vega\astre was one of those "gotta love em to drive em" cars. I loved tooling around in my Astre. It was red with a black top and had some unusual factory Graphics on it. It also had the pontiac style 2 bar tail lights and a different nose that set it apart from the vega. The 74 and up vegas were not the better looking ones. I had a 71 that was fitted with a monza front end and had a small 400ci. and muncie 4 speed. I friend who owned a paint shop put some IROC Z graphics on the rockers and it was sweet. Hard to keep the ass end behind the front end though, always wanted to go in little circles.

As for the Vega you drove...it wasn't a Cosworth, not the same car at all. The steering was tight, no rattles and would still have it if it werent for the old man in a pickup that creamed the side at a stop light. Insurance gave me $3000 and kept the car...sold the remains for $2000 to a guy who needed the drive train. Check the value on these cars...still high for a little car.

 

 

You seem to be supporting GM here so why dont you goto a GM board and talk your talk... The vega is history and so is GM ~40% chance of default...

[ebritt]

You seem to be supporting GM here so why dont you goto a GM board and talk your talk... The vega is history and so is GM ~40% chance of default...

 

I wasn't supporting GM so have yer mommy change yer diaper! I was talking about 1 car inparticular that I owned!!!

[DJB]

Yeah, well, smoking 6.6l Trans Ams was no great feat. My beloved old '67 Merc full sized wagon would do that too. So would my '79 F150 4x4...damn close with the Subaru wagon...get the picture...? Pretty sure a Pacer X would've mopped the floor with the Cosworth; still doesn't make it a great car...

[ebritt]

Yeah, well, smoking 6.6l Trans Ams was no great feat. My beloved old '67 Merc full sized wagon would do that too. So would my '79 F150 4x4...damn close with the Subaru wagon...get the picture...? Pretty sure a Pacer X would've mopped the floor with the Cosworth; still doesn't make it a great car...

 

So the 6.6 wouldnt outrun a beetle...right?

 

My friend had a 68 olds Vista cruiser wagon........with a 455 and turbo 400 factory. That old yacht would haul ass. :P

[JLaudioF150]

The biggest Turkey is probably Ebritt's Granada.

 

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[ebritt]

The biggest Turkey is probably Ebritt's Granada.

 

:lol: :lol: :lol:

The car was given to me in 1988...was in showroom condition( not a scratch, it was immaculate) and I sold it for $2500 in 1989. Would I have went out and looked for a Granada? No. But when a car drops in your lap for free...smile and take the keys dude.