bub2006 Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 For me one of the grimmest cars I've ever had the misfortune to own was a corsa b 1.0 3 pot. Meant to be a replacement for the venerable 1.2 but it felt like it had to be nailed all the time. Seats felt like cardboard and had horrid scratchy material,sight of a hill meant a lot of forward planning and pray the wind is in your favour. I had a x plate envoy and the wife had a brief dalliance with a x plate LS that was to replace her old mazda 323 saloon. Thinking about it,I think them seats were used in base spec Astras too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanky Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 2 hours ago, Justin Case said: No dishonourable mention for the Hyundai Pony yet? A mate inherited one when his old man died, I understand that he and his brother tossed a coin for it, and he lost It was one of the later ones and getting on a bit although it had only done a few miles, so goodness knows what the earlier ones were like, as it was an absolute POS with no redeeming features at all. In fact he was quite relieved when it shat its auto gearbox and he couldn't find another one, so was able to scrap it with a clean conscience You've just reminded me about a guy I worked with about 15 years ago who was absolutely convinced (and told anyone he met who ever said anything even slightly car related) that the 2nd generation Hyundai Pony was the best car ever made. He frequently told me that the 4x4 variant was literally the best vehicle ever made, would out-drag most hot hatches due to its light weight and do stuff that a LR Defender couldn't do offroad. I can picture his face but his name absolutely escapes me. He's probably on here these days. warch and 1duck 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Pastry Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 Maybe it's just me, but I find Trabants utterly grim. Am I allowed to say that? I have worked on several. I approached them with an open mind knowing nothing about them, and I tried very hard to find something that I liked, but I couldn't. They do actually work quite well, and they have some clever engineering, but somehow none of it is quite good enough. It's all very dreary and average, and not very well put together, or pleasant to work on. 6 volt electrics, messy 2 stroke fuel, constant strange plasticky smell, and they rust. Each to their own, I guess, and maybe the makers were doing their best with the resources they had, but I really can't see the attraction. I'd rather have a Standard 8. 1duck 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volksy Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 I vote for the MK1 Chrysler Neon, Designed to be built for $1000, and it really showed. Horrid cheap nasty hateful things. chodweaver, GrumpiusMaximus, sdkrc and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skut Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 The Sipani Badal puts up a strong case for grimmest car of all time. Wrong in every conceivable way. crad, adw1977, Eyersey1234 and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red5 Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 6 hours ago, Fat_Pirate said: I know some like them, but Lada Riva - I drove a nearly-new one about 40 miles and couldn't get over how totally incompetent it was compared to my own car, which was a £180 Marina. Pdi was 6-12hours if you wanted it to work and steer. Can still align one in my sleep . So it actually track straight. Ish. Fat_Pirate 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adw1977 Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 6 minutes ago, Skut said: The Sipani Badal puts up a strong case for grimmest car of all time. It's staggeringly wrong in every conceivable way. 198cc engine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bitzer Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 This... and following models Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cord Fourteener Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 22 hours ago, HMC said: We are in a bit of a bubble; many people would say the cars we celebrate the most are the grimmest. As the forum and ask the general public and find a big difference. I would imagine some would say A car without reversing camera Is grim, never mind a velosolex or a trabant which they’ve never heard of and no experience of. True. Base spec 80s Proton. Loved by many here, avoided like the plague just about everywhere else. Austat and treehugger 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chodweaver Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 I'd like to propose the 2004 BMW X3 as the grimmest car of all time. Can anyone top this? Base spec: cloth, 2.0 diesel, non-colour coded bumpers, mid 00s BMW reliability* I can think of fewer cars which evoke such powerful sighs.An acquaintance of mine drives one of these. The o/s headlamp has a small snail shell inside it.No, I don't know either Wilko220 and dome 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddyramrod Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 I know I complained about the lack of comforts in two early -60s cars, but to be fair, most cars were pretty Spartan until well into the 70s or even later. It's only since then that the manufacturers have been loading the spec on ever lower models. Now of course even the humblest shopping trolley has a confusing array of gadgets. Unfortunately they have, without exception, been drained of all charm at the same time. puddlethumper, bunglebus, Stevebrookman and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunglebus Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 Exactly. I'd rather have a slow, noisy basic old car than that X3 for example. At least you'd enjoy looking at it eddyramrod, Shite Ron, sdkrc and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HMC Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 Talk of trabants, Ladas etc. All valid but in the context of their creation, their intended markets and the resulting mass mobility, transformational. In the context of their creation and intended market and the manufacturer they represented I would line up all Mercedes Benz models affected by the rust thing in late 90-mid 2000s. The product fell well short of what it was intended to do (be a product of a highly regarded manufacturer with a sky high image) and IMO trashed that image of invincibility by rusting. Massive own goal, and having the front suspension fail because of chassis rot on a car is pretty grim; let alone something something projected as an example of engineering excellence. Still they survived far far worse (the factorys were either in soviet territory or in ruins or both in 1945) and it’s most likely no longer on a new car buyers radar. 1duck, bunglebus and Stevebrookman 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Speed Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 My brother’s P reg Chevette with hardboard door trims. That was about as grim as I care to imagine. I can’t think of anything worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiC Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 2 hours ago, adw1977 said: Then in 1961 there was the Renault R3 for those who found the R4 a bit decadent. Notice the total lack of any kind of door trim. Available in grey only, painted bumpers, 602cc engine. No seats either by the looks of it in that picture. 1duck 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyersey1234 Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 1 hour ago, Skut said: The Sipani Badal puts up a strong case for grimmest car of all time. Wrong in every conceivable way. Never heard of it to be honest, where and when were they made? treehugger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiC Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 2 hours ago, bub2006 said: For me one of the grimmest cars I've ever had the misfortune to own was a corsa b 1.0 3 pot. Meant to be a replacement for the venerable 1.2 but it felt like it had to be nailed all the time. Seats felt like cardboard and had horrid scratchy material,sight of a hill meant a lot of forward planning and pray the wind is in your favour. I had a x plate envoy and the wife had a brief dalliance with a x plate LS that was to replace her old mazda 323 saloon. Thinking about it,I think them seats were used in base spec Astras too. Don't forget they put that same engine in the heavier Corsa C. After that in the even heavier and larger Corsa D... Eyersey1234 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyersey1234 Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 3 minutes ago, SiC said: Don't forget they put that same engine in the heavier Corsa C. After that in the even heavier and larger Corsa D... My OHs Corsa D has the 1.0 3 pot engine, OK about town and not too bad on the A63 but fuck me take it up a steep hill and a white flag comes out from under the bonnet 🤣 BlankFrank, stonedagain and sdkrc 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bub2006 Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 Yes,I had use of a corsa c with that engine and it was dire. The seats were better though. Not been lucky* enough to try a corsa d with the 3 pot. The 1.2 was rather sedate by that time to be honest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bub2006 Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 47 minutes ago, eddyramrod said: I know I complained about the lack of comforts in two early -60s cars, but to be fair, most cars were pretty Spartan until well into the 70s or even later. It's only since then that the manufacturers have been loading the spec on ever lower models. Now of course even the humblest shopping trolley has a confusing array of gadgets. Unfortunately they have, without exception, been drained of all charm at the same time. My mini countryman is a base spec model and has auto lights,wipers,sat nav etc. It also weighs 1560kgs. Stevebrookman and Eyersey1234 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyersey1234 Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 1 minute ago, bub2006 said: Yes,I had use of a corsa c with that engine and it was dire. The seats were better though. Not been lucky* enough to try a corsa d with the 3 pot. The 1.2 was rather sedate by that time to be honest To be fair though my old Fiesta 1.25 found steep hills hard work too though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyersey1234 Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 1 minute ago, bub2006 said: My mini countryman is a base spec model and has auto lights,wipers,sat nav etc. It also weighs 1560kgs. Good god, if that's base spec how much kit does the top of the range one have? eddyramrod 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyersey1234 Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 Come to think of it though they seem to have discontinued the poverty spec Dacia Sandero, the one only available in white which doesn't come with much more than 4 seats and a steering wheel, though there's a new model out early next year and I think they are just selling existing stock now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adw1977 Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 34 minutes ago, Eyersey1234 said: Never heard of it to be honest, where and when were they made? India, 1970s. Eyersey1234 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Split_Pin Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 Never had any problems with my Corsa B 3 banger on hills, it was no worse than my Dacia Duster 1.6 petrol. You just need to give it death and don't slow down for corners! I did kind of blow mine up a bit but I just fitted another and away I went. The Envoy interior was fucking dire though, seats were as comfortable as the gravestones they looked like. I sacked it all off for a nicer SRi interior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdkrc Posted December 26, 2020 Author Share Posted December 26, 2020 This is a car which saps all joy out of my heart. Nothing wrong with it so to speak loserone 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChinaTom Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 1 hour ago, adw1977 said: India, 1970s. And can still be found lying in disgraced state in side alleys and scrap merchants in third or fourth tier towns in the Provinces. I saw the shell of most of one in a back street in Nashik about 10 years ago. There is an equivalent site to AS in India that celebrates old crocks like that. Used to have a link for it but can’t find it. It had a thread on here a long time ago but may not have survived one of the episodes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Honda Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 The Sipani Dolphin was much better. Skut 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magic Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 On 12/24/2020 at 9:48 PM, Dick Longbridge said: Almost as grim as these. Hideous, hideous things. I liken the mk1 Fabia to a cheap, forgettable appliance which only just manages to do its required job, and where you feel a sense of relief when it's thrown into a skip after lasting half the length of time it should have. Maybe they're a tad grim in poverty spec underpowered form if it's been abused like the one above. The vRS is a mega bit of kit though - owned one for 10+ years and it was quick, comfortable and cost pennies to run. And they're reliable ... unlike a real VW! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taranaki Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 1983 Toyota Carina DX [diesel] Imported second-hand into NZ from Japan, this clustering heap of mediocrity was slow and noisy. For some reason, the Japanese went through a 'white' phase in the early 80's, almost every car that they sold was white. Legislation was changed in the late 1980's to allow used vehicles easier access, Dealerships hated the idea and were reluctant to provide any support or service, even for their own marques. Many of the first wave of imports perished prematurely due to simple parts failures that nobody had stock for. A friend had to scrap a Fairlady 280ZX or the sake of belts and seals. treehugger and ProgRocker 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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