Worst..... car..... ever......? - Page 5 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Angel · #61 10-15-2014, 12:42 PM

Worst car I ever owned was a VW Corrado G60. It was fun to drive....kinda...compared to the 1.8l Jetta it replaced....but was still heavier than the Golf/Jetta and lacked 30hp to the competition. Once the seatbelts/rear wing/inst. cluster/sunroof/G-charger and other things started failling, you see why VW only sold the G60's for a few years.
They are almost collectable now...which kinda bugs me...but also now when someone buys a Corrado, they know what they are getting in to and the only remaining versions have had everything fixed at least once...or swapped out with parts that dont break (my favorite was the plan to buy Canadian seat belts to replace the motorized American ones that get stuck and drain the battery overnight...)
I'm not sure that Corrado's were very close to the Yugo in terms of automotive suck-ness, but they are as close as my personal experience gets.

-John

t walgamuth · #62 10-15-2014, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark DiSilvestro

If you'd like to re-live your Valiant experience, there's a '63 wagon on craigslist in New Jersey. Pushbutton shift, new floors, 225 with a 4-bbl upgrade, rebuilt front-end and a bunch of spare parts. Body needs some TLC, but the brake issue has been addressed with a dual circuit, front-disc conversion!

Happy Motoring, Mark

Thanks but no thanks!

t walgamuth · #63 10-15-2014, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BAVBMW

You guys do know that the whole "gas engine adapted for diesel" thing is a myth, right? While the Olds diesel did have problems, they were not due to being a "gas engine". Man, I can't believe the number of years that one has hung around...

As for worst designed car ever? E65/E66. Especially from 2002 to 2004. About the only major system that wasn't horribly flawed was the body, in that it doesn't seem to rust through. Of course, I'm in CA, where nothing rusts, so... And actually, there are some design flaws in the body as well come to think of it.

MV

The fact that it was not "adapted from a gas engine" might be technically true but it was so closely related to the olds gas engine that you could pull the intake and injection pump and bolt on a carburetor intake and a distributor, install plugs and go. My favorite machinist says they ran really well as gassers too.

MS Fowler · #64 10-15-2014, 04:10 PM

I think we have strayed from the OP's intent.

I think he was looking for car lines that were the worst; not individual cars. All you need is an unmaintained car, and it could be your worst ever. Just because the previous owner failed to change oil in the W123 you bought w/o service records, doesn't mean the W123 was a bad car.

BAVBMW · #65 10-15-2014, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

The fact that it was not "adapted from a gas engine" might be technically true but it was so closely related to the olds gas engine that you could pull the intake and injection pump and bolt on a carburetor intake and a distributor, install plugs and go. My favorite machinist says they ran really well as gassers too.

Are you sure there isn't just a little more to it? Maybe something along the lines of cylinder heads? Something to adjust the compression ratio a tad? I know that it was possible to use the block when building a gas motor, and desirable also, since they were fairly stout, but then, Olds blocks usually were pretty stout. Do a little Googling, it's all out there.

MV

Txjake · #66 10-15-2014, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmac2012

I was never too impressed with the Omni/Horizon. Saw them first in the late 70s, in Seattle a few were use for taxicabs. In '97, my van was stolen and I needed something in a hurry that ran. I found a Dodge Omni from a mechanic, who had brought it back to life, had the 2.2 and a five speed.

It was surprisingly fun to drive, I suspect much more so than the 1.7. I drove it for a few years- a few repairs, not too bad. I even put in front struts because it got to the point where it wouldn't go more than 55 without making an oscillating racket in the front wheels.

About a year later, after driving it for 30K, a lady in an Acura SUV pulled out in front of me on a country lane. She was turning towards me and my left front corner hit her right on them in the middle of the rear wheel. Couldn't see a mark on the Acura but my Omni was totaled. Her insurance paid me $2700 and this on a car that maybe was worth $800.

Pain and suffering, doncha know. Bought my first 325i.

I had an Omni GLH as a demo for a while, when I worked as a car salesman in college, round 2

t walgamuth · #67 10-15-2014, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BAVBMW

Are you sure there isn't just a little more to it? Maybe something along the lines of cylinder heads? Something to adjust the compression ratio a tad? I know that it was possible to use the block when building a gas motor, and desirable also, since they were fairly stout, but then, Olds blocks usually were pretty stout. Do a little Googling, it's all out there.

MV

Yeah, heads too. I don't need to know it all. My point being the engines are pretty closely related...maybe not identical twins but at least siblings.

BAVBMW · #68 10-15-2014, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

Yeah, heads too. I don't need to know it all. My point being the engines are pretty closely related...maybe not identical twins but at least siblings.

Related yes, but the surprisingly persistent myth is that the block was a gas engine block with diesel heads and auxiliaries slapped on it, and sold to the public, and hence all the failures. While it is true that the engine had its share of problems (and them some), the myth is untrue, and the block was actually a fairly decent block. Excepting of course, for some "green" blocks that were rushed into production as the result of poor management decisions...

The really sad thing is just how far back GM's diesel follies set the US in terms of diesel acceptance. Sometimes I wonder if the public would have ever come around if not for the Dodge/ Cummins combo. I knew a few people actually who kept/collected Olds diesels, fixed most of the issues (largely involving head bolts/gaskets) and ran them for several hundreds of miles. If you liked the "B" body cars, and weren't into hotrodding, they were great open road cruisers. And got better than twice their gasoline counterpart's mileage doing so.

Personally, I had plans for an Olds powered "B" body wagon, but it was not to be...

MV

t walgamuth · #69 10-15-2014, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BAVBMW

Related yes, but the surprisingly persistent myth is that the block was a gas engine block with diesel heads and auxiliaries slapped on it, and sold to the public, and hence all the failures. While it is true that the engine had its share of problems (and them some), the myth is untrue, and the block was actually a fairly decent block. Excepting of course, for some "green" blocks that were rushed into production as the result of poor management decisions...

The really sad thing is just how far back GM's diesel follies set the US in terms of diesel acceptance. Sometimes I wonder if the public would have ever come around if not for the Dodge/ Cummins combo. I knew a few people actually who kept/collected Olds diesels, fixed most of the issues (largely involving head bolts/gaskets) and ran them for several hundreds of miles. If you liked the "B" body cars, and weren't into hotrodding, they were great open road cruisers. And got better than twice their gasoline counterpart's mileage doing so.

Personally, I had plans for an Olds powered "B" body wagon, but it was not to be...

MV

It may have been a myth but it was pretty close to the truth too.

My favorite machinist says the 5.7s will go a long time if you just upgrade (is it rods? ...or rod bolts?) The early cranks were weak but they improved them pretty quickly.

P.C. · #70 10-16-2014, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

It may have been a myth but it was pretty close to the truth too.

My favorite machinist says the 5.7s will go a long time if you just upgrade (is it rods? ...or rod bolts?) The early cranks were weak but they improved them pretty quickly.

Cylinder head studs were a weak spot. Too few for such high compression and they would stretch, leading to head gasket sealing/hydrolock issues.

MS Fowler · #71 10-17-2014, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BAVBMW

Related yes, but the surprisingly persistent myth is that the block was a gas engine block with diesel heads and auxiliaries slapped on it, and sold to the public, and hence all the failures. While it is true that the engine had its share of problems (and them some), the myth is untrue, and the block was actually a fairly decent block. Excepting of course, for some "green" blocks that were rushed into production as the result of poor management decisions...

The really sad thing is just how far back GM's diesel follies set the US in terms of diesel acceptance. Sometimes I wonder if the public would have ever come around if not for the Dodge/ Cummins combo. I knew a few people actually who kept/collected Olds diesels, fixed most of the issues (largely involving head bolts/gaskets) and ran them for several hundreds of miles. If you liked the "B" body cars, and weren't into hotrodding, they were great open road cruisers. And got better than twice their gasoline counterpart's mileage doing so.

Personally, I had plans for an Olds powered "B" body wagon, but it was not to be...

MV

GM really sweated the details.....not.

It was a GM trait. Introduce something new that was not quite ready, stick with it until all the bugs have been worked out, and then cancel it. Corvair was the prime example, but there are others.

P.C. · #72 10-17-2014, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

GM really sweated the details.....not.

It was a GM trait. Introduce something new that was not quite ready, stick with it until all the bugs have been worked out, and then cancel it. Corvair was the prime example, but there are others.

Someday, when I'm in a particularly masochistic mood, I'll regale the forum about my family's ownership experience with a then-new 1976 Dodge Aspen...

t walgamuth · #73 10-17-2014, 06:33 PM

The aspen is the car that turned my dad to Volvos.

LUVMBDiesels · #74 10-17-2014, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimFreeh

Please explain.
Did you ever own one?

Our experience with several late (65-69) that were daily drivers from the early seventies thru the mid eighties gave me a genuine appreciation for these maligned cars. Not only very pretty, but dead reliable, and when properly equipped (turbo or 4 carb engine and 4 speed manual), a lot of fun to drive.

Most hits against the Corvair are old repeated untruths, or based upon very poorly maintained examples.

I can think of a number of other cars that hit closer to the Yugo than the Corvair.

Jim

Mine was a 1963 Monza 900 convertible and I loved it. It handled very well out of the gate and even better at 70+ when it seemed to suck down to the road.
The engine was reliable, well except for that damn fan belt, but I just carried a couple spares in the front trunk. It was stylish, got great MPG, and turned heads wherever I took her.

I wish I still had it.

LUVMBDiesels · #75 10-17-2014, 08:16 PM

My vote for worst car ever, would be
The Trabrant worldwide, and for here it would be a tie between the Vega and the Pinto