40 AMERICAN CARS FROM THE 1980S THAT PEOPLE FORGOT

[Kyle]

It was with good reason some of these were forgotten.

https://motor-junkie.com/30-american-cars-from-the-1980s-that-people-forgot/21054/7/

 

[glhs837]

Not this car guy, I know almost all of those. Even owned one of them

 

[Grumpy]

Know em all, only had a Dodge Shelby Charger for a couple years and traded it in for a van. Had no issues with it, it was a little red rocket, but I had read enough to know its days were numbered.

 

[Sneakers]

I always wanted an Allante. Thought they were a classy looking convertible.

 

[Kyle]

Girl I knew at the time have a TC3.

worst car in the world for an intimate date.

Well maybe not the worst, but definitely in the top five.

 

[stgislander]

My ex had a Chevy Spectrum. It was a good reliable little car. My folks had a Chevy Citation, but not the X-11 version.

 

[Grumpy]

worst car in the world for an intimate date.

That would be an MG Midget

 

[glhs837]

Know em all, only had a Dodge Shelby Charger for a couple years and traded it in for a van. Had no issues with it, it was a little red rocket, but I had read enough to know its days were numbered.

My turbo went at about 48K. Thankfully, since the turbine wheel is in the exhaust, it was considered emissions related and Dodge put a new one on.

 

[Grumpy]

My turbo went at about 48K. Thankfully, since the turbine wheel is in the exhaust, it was considered emissions related and Dodge put a new one on.

Knew 2 other guys that had a Shelby at the same time and that happened to them, gave me a clue that I should get rid of it..Only 18k on it when I traded it in. Day after I traded it in on a GMC van, the dealer called me and said they made a mistake on my trade-in and they wanted 1k more from me...Told em to sue me, never heard from them again.

 

[NextJen]

I wanted a Buick Reatta but never got one.
I always joked that the Ford EXP was 'Extra Parts' leftover from the Mustang and the Escort.

 

[glhs837]

Knew 2 other guys that had a Shelby at the same time and that happened to them, gave me a clue that I should get rid of it..Only 18k on it when I traded it in. Day after I traded it in on a GMC van, the dealer called me and said they made a mistake on my trade-in and they wanted 1k more from me...Told em to sue me, never heard from them again.

Yeah, nobody was taking the steps needed to keep a turbo alive a long time back then. My SRT-4s turbo, in addition to being oil cooled, also used thermal siphoning for that and the coolant feed line to keep oil and coolant flowing for a while after then engine stopped. This prevented coking, which is what killed a lot of those early turbos. Some of the SRT-4 team were veterans of those Shelby Dodge and GLHS programs. Since they stole the turbo 2.4 from cars built for taxi service in Mexico City, they had budget left over for things like that and piston oil jets to keep the pistons cool.

 

[limblips]

Obverall it was a sad decade for American Iron. It wasn't the fault of the manufacturers but the government. It did however bring a resurgence in backyard hotrodding of 50s and 60s cars.

 

[black dog]

Obverall it was a sad decade for American Iron. It wasn't the fault of the manufacturers but the government. It did however bring a resurgence in backyard hotrodding of 50s and 60s cars.

I think it started turning to crap in 73 with the 5mph bumpers.