Worst car I ever had was a 1976 Honda Civic with their 3-valve CVCC motor. I liked Hondas starting with a Honda 600 Coupe. It was small, like the old Mini with little 10 inch tires and a powerful 600cc motor that was a scaled up from 160 or 305 Dream motorcycles. It had a single carburetor and both cylinders fired at the same time. They made a 600 Sedan model but the Coupe was really cute. They only had a couple dealers in the US then. Then had an ordinary Civic. But the CVCC was the last Honda I'd ever buy. The timing belt always wanted to jump time and then the thing rusted out faster that you could watch! Finally had enough and traded it for a Volkswagen Rabbit. About a week later, a letter came from Honda saying they would spring for new front fenders. That would have been nice if I still had the car and there was something to bolt the fenders on.

I loved the old Karmen Ghias.

Still do!

Now I've got nothing against a Mustang. But back in the day of the carbureted 302 a properly prepped 304 AMC in a Gremlin would have given it a fit! Remember the AMX? The Gremlin was even lighter.

Most of the cars we're naming were't all bad...save for maybe the Yugo.

Hell I'm as much of a gearhead as you could ever find and there was some good in all of them. They all had faults, but when properly maintained they were transportation.

I've had Beetles, a Vega, a Chevette, a Nova, a Maverick, a Dart, a Rabbit, several Golfs, a Jetta, a Mini (wish I still had it) ,a Subaru, Jeep, Datsun 510, Datsun B210,Toyota Corolla. That's most of the cars, then there were the trucks.....and the motorcycles........did I mention I love old tractors.

And you know what? Each and every one had it's faults, but the all gave me some service. I just can't bad mouth 'em!

Paolo wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2011 10:23 pm Cars I've seen or had experience with that I've hated were, in no order:

AMC Gremlins / Javelins - had an idiot want to race my Mustang in a Gremlin once!

Any GEM car, an electric golf cart car-wannabe thing.

Nissan's Box thing or anything like it. Just plain ugly.

VW Rabbit - any year, any make. Friend had one. Good night, Irene...

Ford Maverick - aka the Mava-wreck

Ford Escorts - any and all!

I need to defend the Pinto. It was not at all an ugly car and the exploding gas tank thing was overblown and misrepresented in the press.

My first car was a 74 Ford Pinto. It had great power and a tranny with zip. The interior was nice for a cheap car and when it broke down, I could fix it myself and parts were easy to get and really cheap.

One of my buddies turned his into a little hot rod with a fancy paint job, nice wheels and an augmented engine.

I live in LA, and there is a guy who drives one around the city, fully restored. Nice little car.

Two words: Reliant Robin.

My personal all-time ugly car was my rusted out 1950 Plymouth sedan. Even by the standards of 1950, these things were, uh, unpleasant to look at.

The worst car I have ever had was my first design Kia Sportage. This is the only car I ever had where the snout of the camshaft broke off! It was even worse than the 1957 Plymouth that a car dealer gave to me. It was even worse than the 1964 Corvair convertible. It got about 200 miles to the gallon - of oil.

Speed

The Lurker (imported) wrote: Tue Jan 25, 2011 4:33 pm I need to defend the Pinto. It was not at all an ugly car and the exploding gas tank thing was overblown and misrepresented in the press.

My first car was a 74 Ford Pinto. It had great power and a tranny with zip. The interior was nice for a cheap car and when it broke down, I could fix it myself and parts were easy to get and really cheap.

One of my buddies turned his into a little hot rod with a fancy paint job, nice wheels and an augmented engine.

I live in LA, and there is a guy who drives one around the city, fully restored. Nice little car.

I loved all of my Ford Pinto's, I had several in a row, they ran and ran and ran and when they were tired you get a new used Pinto and used the old one for parts and it ran and ran and best of all it was great on gas. I loved my Pinto's.

AND not one of them ever left me stranded.

River

...

speedvogel (imported) wrote: Tue Jan 25, 2011 8:43 pm It got about 200 miles to the gallon - of oil.

Speed

My Mazda RX2 did that. Nice little car and fast once it got going. The rotary engine had no pickup from a standing stop. However, it ate a quart of oil about every 500/600 miles.

I used to check the oil every time every time I bought a tank of gas. Silly car.

But, that car lasted five years after I sold it and by then, it was all bondo and putty and fiberglass tape over rust. It really did rust beyond all imagination of a car rusting to death.

Paolo wrote: Tue Jan 25, 2011 3:59 pm I loved the old Karmen Ghias.

Still do!

I think they look like Overaged Mutant Ninja Turtles, but I guess guys in the 70s liked anything they could get sex in.

I haven't mentioned the Hummer, but that isn't a car, it's an expression of tasteless vulgarity.

My most Eeeewwwyyy car was a 78 toyota pick up. not for how it ran, (it was wonderful except for that hydraulic clutch) but it had started life Yellow, and a party of drunks decided to use exterior house paint and a broom to paint it black. when the paint eventually started to flake off, it let the yellow show through. Ran well enough. if I was not so in love with bugs and Volkswagen products, old toyotas would be my second choice. little maintenance. check the oil. put gas in it and drive.