# Vehicles you are glad you no longer own!



## rb_in_va (Jan 25, 2006)

While looking for pics of my Firebird for the favorite car thread I found a pic of a truck I am glad is gone. This thing caused me more problems than I care to think about. Not so much reliability-wise but legally speaking (licensing and registration issues). It was an F-150 with a small block Pontiac motor, courtesy of the previous owner. Anyone else have a car/truck in their past they would like to forget? Post pics too if you have them.


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## skwerl (Jan 25, 2006)

RB, that thing looks like a speeding ticket sitting still. Years ago my best friend had a '78 F250 with a '77 Lincoln 460 in it. The truck was chocolate brown so it never stood out. He and I both ran the crap out of that truck (I had the speedometer wrapped all the way around and back up to 20 once) and I think he only got one ticket in the 7-8 years he owned it. I don't think cops see brown very well. If it had been a bright color it would have been citation city. 

Back on topic, my least favorite vehicle was my '88 F150. It's the only vehicle I ever bought brand new and it took me 9 years to admit how much I hated it. The AC quit working after 3 years, gas gauge quit working after 2 years, tie rods grenaded at 18K miles, the motor ate a piston at 75K miles and I had it rebuilt, the 'check engine' light came on at 90K miles and was still on when I traded it at 200K, it ate 6 starters and 5 clutches, would miss and spit if I used anything but premium and it never got over 11 mpg.


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## rb_in_va (Jan 25, 2006)

skwerl said:


> RB, that thing looks like a speeding ticket sitting still.



Sitting still is what it did best. I never had it legally on the road. When it got up to about 50 mph it would cut out, so speeding was not even an issue. I never had time to get it running right. Lesson learned, don't buy a vehicle at night!


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## DDM (Jan 25, 2006)

Im just glad i dont own any more Chevy's


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## 04ultra (Jan 25, 2006)

1970 Plymouth fury old squad car 440 pi. 

Just coulden't handle the starter yelling " Leave me alone" "Leave me alone"


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## begleytree (Jan 25, 2006)

glad I don't have? 2001 dodge ram SLT 1500 360 auto 4x2 ext cab. junk from the day I bought it (in NC) Finally bought back under lemon law for transmission problems. I'll never own another dodge newer than '72.


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## Gologit (Jan 25, 2006)

Chevy Vega...absolutely the worst car ever made by GM.


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## Tree Machine (Jan 25, 2006)

boboak said:


> Chevy Vega...absolutely the worst car ever made by GM.


A buddy of mine used to drive one of those. We were in high school. I remember then having to stop every 15 miles to check the oil and add some.

I had a '73 Ford Pinto. I would have to ask my dates to get out and help me push it to start it. I remember times we would open the hood up, after driving at night, and marvel at the red-hot glowing exhaust manifold.

When I finally retired it, I blasted it with a 12 gauge shotgun a few times. Sounds stupid now, but there was some sort of demented gratification then.


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## Koa Man (Jan 27, 2006)

'72 Subaru that was all rusty and smoked like a hotrod diesel, except the smoke was blue and not black.


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## Jumper (Jan 27, 2006)

The 1987 Toyota Tercel mentioned elsewhere-one cheap, small car. Everything was optional-radio, and a pax side mirror included. 1.5 l four speed and reved like hell because the overdrive 4th was not much of an overdrive, 3500 rpm at 100 km/hr as I recall. Plus it was one of the last "variable venturi"carburated Toyotas produced and the carb was defective from day one, but on a hidden warrenty-lousy driveability. Sticking a pen down the throat on a -30 C Edmonton morning was a crappy way to begin one's workday. After a $400 tuneup it still wouldn't start and that is when I found out I needed a new carb. Everything that went wrong with this vehicle was an arguement to get repaired by Toyota under warrenty, including a cracked exhaust manifold at 79,500 km that I got fixed under the 80,00 km emissions control warrenty after some flack (sorry the warrenty expired at 60K km was the original response-my answer a cracked manifold leaks raw exhaust upstream of the converter), and getting the carb replaced ($900 worth including intake manifold) was only after I complained repeatedly about the lousy cold starts. Seems you had to raise cain before they "remembered" the hidden warrenty. I got rid of it in 1990 at 99,000 km and got $5500 on a trade for a Nissan truck, $4500 less than I paid new, when I started to have electrical problems. Shortly thereafter appaerently someone stole the Alpine radio I had installed...the car was jynxed.


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## DanManofStihl (Feb 6, 2006)

*Worst car*

The worst vehicle I have owned was my 2000 dodge dakota I bought it at 25,000 miles and that thing went though so many parts I had to have Brand new brakes, rotors, wheel bearings, and everything at 50k. That truck about nickle and dimed me to death it would eat fuses on a week to week basis. It was also a reg cab and was cramped as I don't know what if you would ride in that thing for more then an hour you would have bad pains in your back for days. That was the worst vehicle I every had to make payments on.


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## cord arrow (Feb 8, 2006)

Gremlin with the big-block. 4 speed. Death trap.


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## rb_in_va (Feb 8, 2006)

cord arrow said:


> Gremlin with the big-block. 4 speed. Death trap.



My brother had a 72 Gremlin with a 232 6 cyl. Actually my dad still has it (along with my first car too - 1980 Monza) behind his shop. He planned on taking the body off the Gremlin and making it into an open hunting vehicle.


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## PWB (Feb 8, 2006)

boboak said:


> Chevy Vega...absolutely the worst car ever made by GM.


IF the body was solid, they're a whole different car with a 3.8 buick/5 speed or a small block chev......
Great sleeper!


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## 12guns (Feb 8, 2006)

1989 Jeep Cherokee...POS. My mom bought it for me w/ 140k miles, for 3,000. had new black paint, looked pretty good, then we spent another 3,500 keeping it running over the next two years. The major work included exhaust manifold, engine mounts, new brakes all around. the minor work included no less than 4 alternators, two water pumps, countless u-joints, 4x4 switch, and other minor repairs. Needless to say, that's why I won't own another chrysler product. The dodge trucks seem to be ok, especially w/ the 318 engine. It may not pull 10 lbs, but i hear they run forever. 
****
my mom also had a Chrysler LS300 that also fell apart at 50k miles. Go figure.


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## cord arrow (Feb 8, 2006)

*The gremlin.........*

......was the "X" with the 401 V-8.
......no ladder bars on earth could control this little monster.
......you could launch this bullet dead sideways from a 60mph kick. in any gear you chose.
......in town you only used 3rd & 4th. mom just used 4th. wouldn't help me buy clutches, btw.
......i just visited a site where these little bombs are still raced. either technology has come a long way, or these boys have a death wish.


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## Chris J. (Feb 14, 2006)

Toyota Corona, maybe mid '60s, very much used. Had an automatic, and this was wwaayy before the engineers figured out how to match 4 cylinders and auto trans. Always ran like crap, AC wouldn't hold a charge, and would blow fuses like crazy. There was certain order in which you had to turn off the lights, put it park, lift off the brake pedal, and then turn it off.

Toyota Tercel, '84, very much used & abused. Someone drove this car hard, but never bothered with routine maintenance.

Someone mentioned an old patrol car with the 440. When I was 16 a local used car lot had one & I wanted it. My father said "no, no, & no." I probably would've killed myself speeding in that thing. A few years later a friend of mine did buy one, it was a major POS, a real money pit.


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## Lawn Masters (Feb 14, 2006)

Chris J. said:


> it was a major POS, a real money pit.


That describes my current ride, which btw, is so crappy and ungodly its not funny. 65mph top speed, 73hp, and so little cabin space its not funny. theres probably a 20oz soda bottle with more legroom than my truck somewhere.


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## rb_in_va (Feb 14, 2006)

Chris J. said:


> Someone mentioned an old patrol car with the 440. When I was 16 a local used car lot had one & I wanted it. My father said "no, no, & no." I probably would've killed myself speeding in that thing. A few years later a friend of mine did buy one, it was a major POS, a real money pit.



When my dad was looking for a car for me he found a 73' Nova with a 350 and a 4 bbl and 4 speed tranny. He laid rubber for about 50' while test driving it, and then decided that I didn't need a car like that for my first. Turns out I didn't need a car with a V8 to get in trouble. I wrecked my first 2 vehicles, and they only had 4 cyl.

oldsaw,
Save up some cash and just buy a decent truck already!


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## Lawn Masters (Feb 14, 2006)

rb_in_va said:


> oldsaw,
> Save up some cash and just buy a decent truck already!


I'm tryin, more or less just waiting for ford to release the new 6.4 diesel.


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## Chris J. (Feb 15, 2006)

rb_in_va said:


> I wrecked my first 2 vehicles, and they only had 4 cyl.



RB, I should've wrecked that Corona, on purpose. Yikes, this thread is bringing back some bad memories of that car.

Robert, I've sworn that I'll never again have a small/medium truck that isn't an extended cab, or has a waterproof bed cover.


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## rb_in_va (Feb 15, 2006)

Chris J. said:


> Robert, I've sworn that I'll never again have a small/medium truck that isn't an extended cab, or has a waterproof bed cover.



Why is that?


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## mbopp (Feb 15, 2006)

cord arrow said:


> ......was the "X" with the 401 V-8.
> QUOTE]
> Hmmm.... I had a '73 with the "X" package. I thought they only came with the 304 engine. Hornets had a 360 & Javelins came with the 401.
> 
> ...


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## Chris J. (Feb 17, 2006)

Extended cab/waterproof bedcover.....

Wife & I had a regular cab Ranger, no bed cover, 5 speed. Both of us were in college, and by the time you put in 2 people, 1 purse, 1 briefcase, 2 bookbags, etc. there was no spare room. Doesn't help that I'm mildly claustrophobic. To stay on topic...the Ranger would stop running in a heavy rainstorm. Somehow part of the solenoid wire (I think, it's been a while) got exposed, and would cut out when water splashed up from the road.


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## rb_in_va (Feb 17, 2006)

Chris J. said:


> Extended cab/waterproof bedcover.....
> 
> Wife & I had a regular cab Ranger, no bed cover, 5 speed. Both of us were in college, and by the time you put in 2 people, 1 purse, 1 briefcase, 2 bookbags, etc. there was no spare room. Doesn't help that I'm mildly claustrophobic. To stay on topic...the Ranger would stop running in a heavy rainstorm. Somehow part of the solenoid wire (I think, it's been a while) got exposed, and would cut out when water splashed up from the road.



I understand. My wife wanted me to get an extended cab because she thought if I were rear-ended my head wouldn't go through the glass (I told her it would take much more than that to hurt this head). I do like the extra space though. Plus it's almost hard to find a Frontier that is not an ex-cab.


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## cord arrow (Feb 18, 2006)

> Hmmm.... I had a '73 with the "X" package. I thought they only came with the 304 engine. Hornets had a 360 & Javelins came with the 401.



naw, it had the 6.6 litre.

here's a couple of others:

http://www.gremlinx.com/401.htm


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## Stumper (Feb 18, 2006)

I've never owned a complete dud but... A cousin once owned a rolling greenhouse. I'm glad those atrocities are no longer made. Lots of glass, no power but still obtained horrible fuel economy. They should have named it the Dud but for those who haven't yet surmised the model it was an AMC Pacer.


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## spacemule (Feb 18, 2006)

Those gremlins have to be the most hideous excuse for a vehicle I've ever seen, next to the Pontiac Aztec.


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## cord arrow (Feb 18, 2006)

*well.......*

........let one try to kill ya 'half a dozen times & tell me what ya think.......


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## Chris J. (Feb 20, 2006)

rb_in_va said:


> I do like the extra space though. Plus it's almost hard to find a Frontier that is not an ex-cab.



The regular cab small trucks are pretty popular here, the young kids not making much money have a better chance of getting financed on a small, basic truck. Our current truck is an ext cab Frontier. The extra space is nice, and because of it I've never spent the $$ for a weatherproof bedcover.

Mentioning Gremlins...I had friend who racked up a lot of miles in his Gremlin. He did have to have the battery hot charged every few days. I never understood why he didn't just buy a battery charger with the quick or trickle switch.


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## Darin (Feb 24, 2006)

1978 Audi 5000 or
1963 Dodge D500 24' Flat Bed. It said US Army on the side and I used to drive it to school. I had a old couch on the back so I could give my friends rides back and forth to school. Until the police said that wasn't the smartest thing to do.


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## donho (Feb 25, 2006)

*I was a teenage gm fan*

I have a 99 gmc jimmy and have heard the same story everywhere lets see, wheel bearings first 150each with my labor seat levers break off cause they are drilled tapped and slotted (engineered to break) smog pump and fuse which they hide behind the batt instead of the fuse box. fuel tank preasure sensor, purge valve, fuel pump, door hinge pins, remote oil lines to the filter, now its leaking antifreeze, my mechanic buddy says they are good cars I just got it at the wrong time?? :angry2:


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## Cut4fun (Feb 25, 2006)

The Ford EXP. Wow what a lesson that was. Last ford I ever owned. Not that I wouldnt take one of the new mustangs that just came out. Ssssweettt.


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## Darin (Feb 25, 2006)

donho said:


> I have a 99 gmc jimmy and have heard the same story everywhere lets see, wheel bearings first 150each with my labor seat levers break off cause they are drilled tapped and slotted (engineered to break) smog pump and fuse which they hide behind the batt instead of the fuse box. fuel tank preasure sensor, purge valve, fuel pump, door hinge pins, remote oil lines to the filter, now its leaking antifreeze, my mechanic buddy says they are good cars I just got it at the wrong time?? :angry2:


He should have just said its usually a good manufacture, you just got a bad year. That is a ton of stuff, what a pain in the ass.


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