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grahame
Joined: 19 Dec 2007 Posts: 21
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Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 6:19 am Post subject: Worst cars |
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There are some real clunkers here but some were just badly built - which isn't the same thing. Princess, TR7, Imp are not actually bad cars - not great but not bad. However, the Allegro really was pretty dismal - it's almost as if the brief was actually to create the worst possible car.
Hate to kick a dog when it's down though (British Leyland) but surely the Marina and Ital were worse than some of these?
What about foreign cars through, these were hardly great:
Talbot Rancho
Fiat Strada
Renault 9 (in fact, any mid-80s Renault)
I could go on! _________________ Graham Eason
Great Escape Classic Car Hire
www.greatescapecars.co.uk
www.greatescapecars.blogspot.com |
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Job-Rated
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 1010 Location: Sugarbeet County
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Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 8:22 am Post subject: |
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I was working for a Chrysler/Talbot/Hillman dealership when the Rancho was introduced.
I remember collecting one from the compound to bring back to the shop for a PDI (Pre-Delivery Inspection).
I spent 3 days with the thing up on a ramp, cleaning all the rust off of it's underside with a wire brush & repainting everything because it had been standing that long waiting to be sold. This was not an uncommon practise & I doubt things have changed, even with all the other manufacturers. I would advise anybody buying a 'new' car to get it up on a ramp & have a good look.
Hillman Imps had more bolts in the sump than Gordon Brown's got enemies.
The Avengers were prone to ballast reistors failing regularly.
The worst car to replace a clutch on was the Matra-Simca Bagheera S. It was a three seater (Like the McLaren F1 configuration) mid-engined sports. You had to take the engine out to get to anything.
Ah, memories... _________________ Don't run your fingers over my truck & I won't run my truck over your fingers!
http://www.loosechange-band.co.uk/ |
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ukdave2002
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4104 Location: South Cheshire
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Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 8:23 am Post subject: |
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If you look at a lot of the 70's BL cars they were really the previous generation with a new body, the morris minor became a marina, the Austin 1300 the alegro. Minimal investment and the poor build quality must have been a recipie to assure dispointment. Were they cheaper than other makes at the time? If so you should factor this in, you pays ya money and makes ya choice..
Dave |
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62rebel
Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 343 Location: Charleston, South Carolina
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Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 11:39 pm Post subject: |
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i wonder what the "worst cars of the 2000's" will be? perhaps in a couple of years some bright chap will develop a truly ecological and economical engine/propulsion system and team up with yet another bright chap who designs really smart looking cars, and the current crop of horse dung will be shown for what it truly is.
of course my faith in these events is doubtful at best.... |
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pigtin
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 1879 Location: Herne Bay
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 9:58 am Post subject: |
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The seem a bit bland at the moment 62 Rebel but Chrysler seem to be trying to buck the trend in styling. Bought a new PT Cruiser in 2004, couldn't fault it except for the wife backing into things. She now has a 'very bland' Kia Rio and loves it. I just drive the classics myself, through the summer.
From what I have heard one of the Land Rover models may be a contender for worst or, most prone to breakdown of the last eight years.
I also look forward to a more economical and ecologically friendly means of propulsion, but, at the risk of getting political, there may be vested interests that have to be appeased first. |
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Geoffp
Joined: 27 Nov 2007 Posts: 336 Location: South Staffordshire
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wrinx
Joined: 22 Jun 2008 Posts: 142 Location: Derbyshire
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 11:47 pm Post subject: |
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Well, to be fair, some of those are a bit ropey....I had a Morris Ital as a one day hire car some years ago. It was without a doubt the worst car I've ever driven
Suppose it could have been a bad one, but it just nasty
We were going to look at a Vauxhall Astra, which was infinitly superior at the time.
wrinx _________________ www.alfaromeo155.co.uk | www.alfamatta.co.uk
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Brian M
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 783 Location: Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 9:16 am Post subject: |
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I went back to the original article in imotormag and found that The Independent had missed the Ital that was in second place. Good journalism eh?
What really worried me is that I have had six of the top ten in my own garage - but in my defence some of them were company cars.
Morris Ital & Morris 1800 - my first boss was the ex Sales Manager of our local Leyland dealer and so our fleet of 20 cars included Marinas and these two. We got rid of our cars before they had covered 50k miles and when a salesman returned his car with say 48k miles on the clock I was allowed touse it until it reached 49.5k. So I was driving some real dogs after the abuse they had suffered.
Austin Princess - at my next job, my grade entitled me to a Cortina 2.0, but on the day I joined the were in short supply so I was offered a car from the next grade up - a black Austin Princess 2200 GLS. My colleagues thought I was mad as the company had a six foot high pile of Princess half shafts removed from the fleet cars. I did 40000 miles in the year I used the car and thought it was an excellent motorway mile muncher.
Hillman Imp - my wife was given an 8 year old Imp as a wedding present, but it had a stretched timing chain that would regularly jump a cog if you changed down too enthusiastically. I put wing nuts on the chain cover and could flip the chain to the right place on the sprocket in about ten minutes at the roadside!
Rover 200 - a cheap car needed during a spell of self-employment fortunately with the 1600cc Honda engine that went very well and was sold with 140k on the clock.
Rover 800 - I was appointed MD of a family owned business and my predecessor had just bought one of these. I had not sold my own Audi 90 and hated the Rover so much that I did a deal to get an allowance to run my own car instead of using this abomination. _________________ Brian
1970 Volvo Amazon and 1978 Safari 15-4 Caravan
Classic Safari Forum: www.classicsafaris.co.uk |
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peter scott
Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 7117 Location: Edinburgh
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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 9:16 am Post subject: |
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Job-Rated wrote: | I would advise anybody buying a 'new' car to get it up on a ramp & have a good look.
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A very good point. Apart from a couple of company cars I've only once in my life ever bought a new car, a Mark III Escort. It was only after I had taken delivery that I realised what a different process buying a new car is.
With used cars you can see how things are ageing. My Escort looked fine when I drove it away from the dealer but it didn't take long for me to discover that the paint flaked off if a fly landed on it and also the engine compartment never recovered from the garage or Ford overfilling the battery. Rectification work by the garage was just a short term fix.
After a short period of ownership I baled out and bought decent second hand Alfa Sud. What a relief and what a pleasure to drive by comparison.
Peter |
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Ken Page
Joined: 30 Dec 2007 Posts: 3
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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:48 pm Post subject: |
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I am a previous allegro owner.
Bought a new one, an estate [blue] during the second last year of production.[LWS960T]
At the time I lived in Edinburgh and had a contract with Leicester University.
Off to Leicester in my new car and just as I was approaching the city the car started to act mysteriously. Cutting out , coughing and spruttering and how could I be so lucky I konked out outside a British Leyland garage.
Ran in as it was after 4pm and the first mechanic that I spoke to started laughing. They pushed it in and there was no oil in the engine/gearbox. After hearing that I had just come down from Edinburgh he said I would need more oil than petrol in future. BL had never sorted the problem out in his opinion. He regarded the engine as being f......
Topped up with oil continued with my journey and returned home.
Having taken BL advise I was hit by a careless motorist in Edinburgh and the car ended up in banana shape.
It went to Appleyard for jigging and after almost a year I was offered the car back. I drove it for half a mile and on feeling rather unsafe I returned the car and the whole experience ended there. |
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peter scott
Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 7117 Location: Edinburgh
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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 7:49 am Post subject: |
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Hi Ken,
Welcome to the forum. I really don't think you can claim a slightly curvatious Allegro is your worst car. Almost any of the cars you've driven me around in over the past 5 years would surely be worse than the banana.
Peter |
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Ken Page
Joined: 30 Dec 2007 Posts: 3
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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 10:02 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you very much Peter for your warm welcome.
However if you are so unhappy about the condition of my cars you won't need a lift here and there in the future!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don't forget to bring your overalls when you next come down.
Ken |
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Dirty Habit
Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 398 Location: West Midlands, UK
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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 10:10 pm Post subject: |
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The good thing is that if you buy one of those cars now as a "Classic". Most of us would strip and rebuild the thing, correcting many of the original faults or weak points and ending up with a car that would be better that when it left the factory and more enjoyable than many Euroboxes. _________________ 1964 International Harvester |
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