Awful American cars

[Dead_E23]

1974 Dodge Monaco aka 'bluesmobile'

Double points there, because I think you have found the American equivalent of a Trotter-ised Reliant Robin! That's a 1979 Chrysler Newport done up to look like the Bluesmobile.

 

Here's a '74 Monaco that I spotted a while back in Potters Bar:

 

(It's one of the cars from the film - according to a sign in the window it was being hired out for events)

[Pete-M]

I once had a '73 Chevrolet Malibu which featured a fabulous 145-horsepower 350-cubic-inch engine. With a twin choke carb!

 

It should have looked a bit like this.

 

 

but it looked like this when I had it.

 

 

Despite that, it was a pretty good motorway cruiser. Somewhat alarming at anything other than cruising really, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

 

 

I shared one of these with a lunatic mate of mine about 15 years ago. It was a big block 455 with the single exhaust system and full '74 smogtastic stranglefest. They don't handle.

[Guest]

Is that last one a Delta 88 Pete? There was one like it in The Evil Dead. And as Sam Raimi did Spiderman, Uncle Ben drives one as well.

[Pete-M]

Is that last one a Delta 88 Pete? There was one like it in The Evil Dead. And as Sam Raimi did Spiderman, Uncle Ben drives one as well.

Yup. The one I used to scare pedestrians in was brown as well.

 

The Evil dead car was a Buick wasn't it?

[Station]

Dodge Omni 024 then Charger from 1982. Available with either a 1.7 or 2.2. Horrific aren't they?

 

I was looking for that very car as inspiration for this thread, I just couldn't remember what it was called! It certainly ticks all the wrong boxes, but I feel strangely attracted to it.

[RedSparrow]

^^ Based on the Talbot (Chrysler) Horizon!

 

Edit to add interior shot:

[Heep]

...but the most curious thing was a tiny 'telescope' with red lenses mounted on the passenger side dash. Never did find out what that was for

Sounds like an "autronic eye" or whatever they called them, I guess they detected oncoming headlamps and automatically dimmed one's own lamps. I doubt they worked very well.

 

 

Oh man, I have so much I could add to this thread...sad thing is I actually rather like most of these...

 

 

 

I could go on, lol...

[Negative Creep]

 

What on earth is that?

Dodge Omni 024 then Charger from 1982. Available with either a 1.7 or 2.2. Horrific aren't they?

 

 

 

However you could go round telling everyone you own a Dodge Charger. Imagine the look on her face when that pulls up

[mouseflakes]

Thanks for those ^ Heep, all quite splendid!

[scooters]

last summer's daily driver for me was this Chrysler Lebaron - pretty enough but a truly shite car - nasty agricultural chrysler 4 pot (the more expensive ones had the excellent Shogun sourced v6) - horrible handling, horribly screwed together but - the women seem to like it....?

 

eventually sold on to the Torsten Foundation for Fucking Crap Cars

 

here's some photos

 

 

 

[scooters]

Hang on a minute Scooters, a scarlet Lebaron? You are not secretly Raymanboy are you?

wanna buy a piano?

 

lol

 

nobut I understand Dr Torsten sold her on pretty quickly - maybe the man himself bought her??

[Mr_Bo11ox]

THIS IS AWESOME!!!!

 

 

I love it!!

[vicsmith]

Nice thread, contains pics of about half my top 50 faves. Nice to see some appreciation for the stacklight B-body Monaco/Fury duo as well, although I would have to point out that these and the Fairmont are a bad example of shite american cars, the B-body made a very good cop car from what I`ve read about them, and the Fairmont, being based on the Fox platform, was pretty advanced for a late `70s intermediate and very well rated at the time.

 

This was the last Dodge Monaco, based I believe on the Renault 25:

 

[Milford Cubicle]

The AMC Eagle is one of my favourites, here's one I've never seen before, a 'kammback' with some village people.

 

[myglaren]

Why on earth did this guy film the rusty Suzuki Alto and not the red Chevrolet Caprice?

Autoshite member?

[barrett]

I have to agree with Stan_Hirst and 'Private Dick Vic' Smith here, I love all of these. Even rubbish American cars are interesting, purely for how alien they seem compared to most euro motors. It's the same reason I love old Talbots etc, I wouldn't kid myself that they particularly excell at anything, but the fact that there are hardly any about makes them interesting. That said, I used to be really into yank stuff when I was younger, and I still reckon a lot of the mid 60s-early 70s designs are bloody great, basically the post- '62 Lincoln Continental style of unadorned, subtle yet imposing cars are some of my all-time favourites. The 66-70 full-size Fords and Dodges were notably awesome:

#

'68 Galaxie

 

'67 Polara

 

The styling really lost it's way after the 70s, but you can't beat it for kitsch value. I'd happily tool about in any of the cars posted here so far!

[morris_ital_lover]

American cars are a bit of an interesting case, in that to many they seem huge and impressive, but in reality most of them (for the past 30-40 years) have been shite from when they left the production line! Making them perfect fodder for shiters the world over, on that note does anyone know of any american autoshite style groups?

 

m0rris

[Rusty Pelican]

Heres my fave , I give you the Chevy Corvaire

 

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

 

 

That's nice, a 1971/2 Ford Galaxie/Custom/LTD. A good looking car that drove very well. Basically a Yank Mark 3 Cortina. I'd suffer one gladly and they're not worth a cup of cold piss in the USA. Maybe a mint full spec LTD, but a clean Custom Sedan is about $2000 tops.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I still reckon a lot of the mid 60s-early 70s designs are bloody great, basically the post- '62 Lincoln Continental style of unadorned, subtle yet imposing cars are some of my all-time favourites. The 66-70 full-size Fords and Dodges were notably awesome:

 

I'd agree. Everyone goes mad for the usual early Mustang, Tri Chevy (55/56/57, yawn) but overlook the Galaxies, Impalas. The 1962 and 1963 Continental Sedans were stunning. 1961's had the weird T Bird front end and 1964's had the raised roofline which ruined it although the 1967/8 Connie Coupe is nice.

Some Cadillacs are ace too. The 1949 Coupe is stunning as is the 1959 tall fin and the 1966/7 model range esp the Coupe De Ville and Series 62 Coupes. Anything post 1969 is just crap.

1959 Cevrolets, all Corvairs, 63-6 Rivieras and the original Ford Cougars are all stunnas and the original 1967/8 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe - wow.

 

A nice early 1970-2 2 door Ford Pinto on some period alloys can looks good. They came with 1600 Crossflows!

[Rocket88]

[

. Anything post 1969 is just crap.

 

Disagree a very lot. I,'ve had a '71 Riveira boat tail, a 74 Camaro, a '78 Cordoba, and a variety of G bodied stuff, all of them nice cars. The Riveira was a honey, although 11 mpg was a bit of a sod

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

An opinion to which you're entitled!

 

IMO, in the sixties the US built possibly the best cars in the world, at least for their own market. In the seventies they threw it all away and let the Japanese take over. A 1974 Jim Rockford type Firebird is okay but it's nothing like as good as a 1967 Camaro or even a 1970. An early seventies 351 Mustang is a weapon and a boat tail Riviera is certainly a looker. Maybe post 1969 is harsh, but by 1974 the US was turning out utter shit. I can't think of anything made after '74 that was remotely good.

 

Mustang 11 anyone?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Dont forget RBJ, this is autoshite - I wouldnt kick a mustang II outta bed. Well, saying that, I probably would actually.

[Pete-M]

If we're mentioning old Yank shite that we actually like, and not just for comedy value, I've had a bit of wantage for one of these for a while.

 

 

Buick Gran Sport. I kinda like 'em. There used to be a dark blue one knocking about near here with the old cliché white stripes. I liked it, lots.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Dont forget RBJ, this is autoshite - I wouldnt kick a mustang II outta bed. Well, saying that, I probably would actually.

But would you have one over a Tahiti blue 2200HLS?

[chaseracer]

#

'68 Galaxie

Anyone else seeing the styling cues for the mk3 Cortina...?

[chaseracer]

I can't think of anything made after '74 that was remotely good.

 

Mustang 11 anyone?

Fox-body '79-on Mustang was pretty good. Until the restyle...

[Gompo]

I like them too. I'm sure as many have said they're a bit crap, but that's half the appeal isnt it? The Americans were just building what they wanted and what suited them. They could make 'good' cars, light weight and nice handling or whatever - they just didnt. Why? I dunno, maybe they thought they couldnt match the European or Japanese counterparts and were sticking with what they were 'good' at and what suited their market.

[Rocket88]

Mid eighties Buick Grand National for me. Fetch megger bucks now.........

[boobydoo]

 

..

As far as I'm aware the european Chrysler Horizon and US Plymouth Horizon/Dodge Omni had very few interchangeable parts. The body shells had near identical dimensions but the American floor pan had to accomodate different suspension units and a fuel tank located ahead rather than behind the rear axle ( to meet US safety regulations) and are therefore completely different.

Although looking very similar, the upper body panels are not interchangeable either due to having to fit a different base structure.

 

The Simca 1.1 and 1.3 engines were too small for the US market, so a 1.7 VW engine was used instead.