Most significant common cars of, lets call it the "Modern" period

[2EHA]

At what point did they become horrible vehicles?

Depends on what you consider horrible, it’s still arguably the best luxury suv to lease. the X7 and GLS still aren’t as nice to drive as the now very dated RR

the 95-02 model was a good design plagued with module issues and an aging powertrain and the 03-12 model was pretty much cooked up by BMW as a gigantic X5 and then recovered into an decent vehicle when ford stepped in.

 

[JeffKeryk]

This ^^^ Add the Plymouth Roadrunner - seriously quick (for that era) for cheap.

The 1st Roadrunner is the only car that could make me do another classic. They were so cheap, as compared to say, a GTO, that we said they were made of crushed up beer cans.
383 4 speed posi. OMG...
Well, maybe a Pantera...

 

[Leo99]

Anyone mention the Taurus and its little brother the Tempo? Ushered in the jelly-bean shaped FWD car era.

Tesla started the EV era

RAV4 started the CUV era.

Jeep Grand Cherokee for the "luxury" SUV era.

I'm thinking Omni/Horizon as the first American econoboxes.

 

[JT20]

Depends on what you consider horrible, it’s still arguably the best luxury suv to lease. the X7 and GLS still aren’t as nice to drive as the now very dated RR

the 95-02 model was a good design plagued with module issues and an aging powertrain and the 03-12 model was pretty much cooked up by BMW as a gigantic X5 and then recovered into an decent vehicle when ford stepped in.

Well I suppose leasing them makes sense, since they break soon afterwards..

 

[Trav]

Anyone mention the Taurus and its little brother the Tempo? Ushered in the jelly-bean shaped FWD car era.

Tesla started the EV era

RAV4 started the CUV era.

Jeep Grand Cherokee for the "luxury" SUV era.

I'm thinking Omni/Horizon as the first American econoboxes.

Vega and Pinto were way before that and the Corvair, Falcon, Valiant and a few others over a decade before them, then the first real economy car the Model T was decades before that. Euro car makers have always had an econox where do you think Omni and Horizon came from (Roots and Simca).

 

[JeffKeryk]

Vega and Pinto were way before that and the Corvair, Falcon, Valiant and a few others over a decade before them, then the first real economy car the Model T was decades before that. Euro car makers have always had an econox where do you think Omni and Horizon came from (Roots and Simca).

Vega? Good Lord.
Pinto? Sorta OK.
Corvair? Chevy's mistake.
Falcon? Gimmie a 260 or 289!
Valiant? Slant 6 is one of history's great engines.

All good.

 

[NormanBuntz]

1975 AMC Pacer. My wife had one with a three speed manual. It set the 1970's standard for ugly, cheaply built and unreliable compact cars.

 

[Trav]

Vega? Good Lord.
Pinto? Sorta OK.
Corvair? Chevy's mistake.
Falcon? Gimmie a 260 or 289!
Valiant? Slant 6 is one of history's great engines.

All good.

The point is they were built as econo boxes before they attained their bad rep. IMO the Corvair was anything but a mistake, 180 HP turbo air cooled rear mounted flat 6 long before Porsche even thought of the idea. By end of run the car was almost fully developed and could have been a real game changer before Toyota and Datsun invaded aided by Ralph Nader who IMO was probably paid off by them to kill the car.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Anyone mention the Taurus and its little brother the Tempo? Ushered in the jelly-bean shaped FWD car era.

Tesla started the EV era

RAV4 started the CUV era.

Jeep Grand Cherokee for the "luxury" SUV era.

I'm thinking Omni/Horizon as the first American econoboxes.

The Tempo and Mustang II were probably two of the most horrid pos's ever made.

 

[Leo99]

The Tempo and Mustang II were probably two of the most horrid pos's ever made.

Mustang 2, boredom 0.

 

[TheLawnRanger]

Let's not forget the one that saved Chrysler from bankruptcy in the '80's, the K car. I used to work for a company that molded bumpers for cars back in the late '70's - early '80's. We had the contract on both both the front and rear K car bumpers for several years. Granted they weren't such great cars from what I understand but they did pull Chrysler out of the hole. Someone mentioned Chrysler products of the '70's not being very good cars but, I had a '76 Chrysler Cordoba that I bought used in '81 with 32K miles. I gave $2900 for it and I drove it until 1991. I sold it with 231K miles and it was probably one of the least problematic cars I've ever owned other than having a drinking problem (10w40). Of course at the time I too had a drinking problem so that car saw some pretty rough miles.

My uncle had a Cordoba I always liked. I also remember the Cordoba being Herb's dream car on WKRP.

 

[AutoMechanic]

The classic Volkswagen Beetle that is one that kept the Beetle line alive because the ones after the air cooled really sucked to be honest and people kept buying them for the history and knowledge on them.

 

[JT20]

While I love the W124, and applaud the 500E as the return of the performance sedan, I don’t think it was the first time someone shoehorned a large motor into the smaller sedan.

A guy named John Delorean did it in 1964, using the big engine from the Pontiac Catalina, and stuffing into the smaller Tempest, for example... it was an option called, “GTO”.

I was really looking forward to DeLorean's new car. I hear he was working on a new DMC-12 (?) when he passed. I briefly saw a sketch. It looked cool. I wonder. I wento a car show in 2014 and the Texas company that bought "all the old DeLorean factory parts and panels" was selling electric DeLoreans. Somewhat like an aftermarket company that was selling a Firebird...

I would buy a DeLorean in good outside shape and then pay to have it LS swapped. Maybe ask some questions but find a good shop to do the work. It would be wonderful. In essence, a better Corvette.

For now, I relegate the memories to 88MPH (which I now exceed on a daily basis in my Boxer-engined car) and the film trilogy. I think the series was great, a little cartoonish in 2 and moreso 3 but in different ways . And still good.. nostalgia.

Another best car is the Ford F100 and F150.

 

[doublebase]

Some really cool observations on this thread.

Totally agree with the Explorer. I remember working for Ford when I was a kid and the first time I drove one I was like...wow, this thing is really what everyone needs. Something that isn’t a mini van. And boom! It took a few years but other manufacturers finally caught up.

I’d say pickup trucks have significantly changed the entire landscape of the automotive industry. Toyota Tundra was huge...they took a step into the ring and really made everyone kind of up their games. The F-150 went from being a pickup truck, to a family hauler. Same for the Ram and Silverado. This is today’s mini van.

I’d throw the Prius in there somewhere - I don’t know if it’s the first hybrid but it’s certainly the most successful.

The family haulers...Camry and Accord. Always dueling it out, each year.

Let’s see...for GM I’d put the Tahoe in there. They were at a point where they really fell behind in the SUV segment and the Tahoe changed that real quick. Bigger, more expensive and yet they sold like hot cakes. Would have sold a lot more if not for the high price tags - can’t tell you how many people I’ve heard say...would’ve bought the Tahoe but it was just too **** much money. And then they end up buying a Grand Cherokee. Come to think of it, the Grand Cherokee was a game changer, remember when they first came out? Everyone bought one. I still see them EVERYWHERE! And they are nice looking. People love them. An American SUV that you can take anywhere...up the side of a mountain or pulling up front at the country club. Not many of them can do that.

Oh I’d also add this...Kia/Hyundai. Has anyone upped their games like these two the last five years? Jesus. The Telluride??? Had to be the hottest SUV in America last year - you couldn’t even buy one - tried to wait until they went on sale. Never happened. Dealerships were like, yeah these aren’t ever going on sale, in fact people are paying more than list prices. A bidding war for Tellurides? A bidding war for anything rolling off the lot at a dealer? Aside from maybe the new corvette, I just never imagined such a thing.

 

[doublebase]

Beg to differ
View attachment 30683

That’s sick!

 

[Trav]

The classic Volkswagen Beetle that is one that kept the Beetle line alive because the ones after the air cooled really sucked to be honest and people kept buying them for the history and knowledge on them.

The Beetle is an automotive icon, I love those things and the air boxer in all their variants. I would buy yours in a minute. LOL

 

[AutoMechanic]

The Beetle is an automotive icon, I love those things and the air boxer in all their variants. I would buy yours in a minute. LOL

LOL at least I got mine to crank and I tested all fuses.

 

[JT20]

Some really cool observations on this thread.

Totally agree with the Explorer. I remember working for Ford when I was a kid and the first time I drove one I was like...wow, this thing is really what everyone needs. Something that isn’t a mini van. And boom! It took a few years but other manufacturers finally caught up.

I’d say pickup trucks have significantly changed the entire landscape of the automotive industry. Toyota Tundra was huge...they took a step into the ring and really made everyone kind of up their games. The F-150 went from being a pickup truck, to a family hauler. Same for the Ram and Silverado. This is today’s mini van.

I’d throw the Prius in there somewhere - I don’t know if it’s the first hybrid but it’s certainly the most successful.

The family haulers...Camry and Accord. Always dueling it out, each year.

Let’s see...for GM I’d put the Tahoe in there. They were at a point where they really fell behind in the SUV segment and the Tahoe changed that real quick. Bigger, more expensive and yet they sold like hot cakes. Would have sold a lot more if not for the high price tags - can’t tell you how many people I’ve heard say...would’ve bought the Tahoe but it was just too **** much money. And then they end up buying a Grand Cherokee. Come to think of it, the Grand Cherokee was a game changer, remember when they first came out? Everyone bought one. I still see them EVERYWHERE! And they are nice looking. People love them. An American SUV that you can take anywhere...up the side of a mountain or pulling up front at the country club. Not many of them can do that.

Oh I’d also add this...Kia/Hyundai. Has anyone upped their games like these two the last five years? Jesus. The Telluride??? Had to be the hottest SUV in America last year - you couldn’t even buy one - tried to wait until they went on sale. Never happened. Dealerships were like, yeah these aren’t ever going on sale, in fact people are paying more than list prices. A bidding war for Tellurides? A bidding war for anything rolling off the lot at a dealer? Aside from maybe the new corvette, I just never imagined such a thing.

I remember the Toyotas a little differently. In late 90s, the T100 and then the T150 were.. valiant efforts, maybe, but 7/8 the size of a real truck (F-150 and 1500s) and pretty much dead in the water.

Explorer, Cherokee and S-10 4-door S10 Blazer/S15 Jimmy I remember as 1988 on forward across all three. Maybe 1989, 4 door Blazer in 1991 but that was HUGE in the 90s. Everybody had one..

 

[JT20]

LOL at least I got mine to crank and I tested all fuses.

How's the compression on it?
Is it timed?

BTDT

 

[AutoMechanic]

How's the compression on it?
Is it timed?

BTDT

I appears to be in time. I haven’t checked compression since I forgot to bring my gauge from work. However I did come across a strange switch under the dash near the fuse panel today I think it could be a kill switch I called my teacher and he didn’t know anything about it. You can see it near the fuse panel.