50 Worst Cars of All Time

[EvilHorace]

LOL, I didn't know the Pinto came with different engines, too me, they all just sucked. I knew people who had them, one guys parents had one with a MT that was actually somewhat quick for what it was but with ATs, they were painfully slow. In '75 when I was going to school in Wyo, we'd go skydiving in CO and I'd always have to drive a guys Pinto wagon back because he was too drunk. We'd have to climb a steep grade going back and I'd have it floored, going about 60 and it'd be losing speed as we went upwards. A normal car wouldn't have. One time I borrowed it to go to the mountains and coming back, I was doing about 85mph and it died. I think its t-belt broke. The guy told me that the car wasn't suppose to go that fast.
In the late 70s I was working at a full service gas station and we'd joke that with Pintos, Vegas, it was "fill the oil and check the gas". They'd usually be smoking and be about 2qts low of oil.

As for the Fiero, no doubt it should have been listed. I heard stories about them burning up too, nice! The 4 cyl versions were very slow but the 6 cyl ones weren't much better IMO.

There's alot more cars from the late 70s, early 80s that sucked. What about the X body GMs that had springs that'd fail and would end up leaving the car going sideways down the road? They were mechanically junk too in everyway.

Then all the seriously underpowered (previously known to be) "muscle cars" that were all slow because of emissions, lack of compression, etc. The 'Vettes, TransAms, Cameros, Mustangs in those days were all slow. I remember seeing a '74 Corvette with a 454 and it had a plate on the center console, by the shifter that said "180HP"......wow! My 2.3 liter 4 cyl turbo Volvo has more than that.

[normalicy]

The Pinto was actually a great car for speed. It came standard with either the 232 or 258 which was a very good engine. The 258 is the same design used in the Jeeps until they just came out with the new ones. They are piled full of torque. Also, the transmission would bolt up to any of AMC's V8's (including the 360). I had a friend with the 360 in it & it would plaster you to the seat.

[renovation]

EH you are correct about the Vega. Chevette engines were better but, not by much. The oil burning Pinto was the 2000, not the 1600.

RENO. The 1600 came with a 1bbl. Thats what gave it fantastic gas mileage. It was the 2000 that came with the Holley 2bbl...

that could be correct all i remember is mine had a holley 2 bbl and ran like a Grape Ape with a body that phillis Diller used to hold all her make-up on .it had so much bondo and fiber glass on it from trying to repair all the rust holes.
the early pintos i know for sure the fenders would rust out above the front fender wheel wells. mine was fiberglass repaired and now and then i have to grab the fender and tweek it to adjust (a line) the headlights.

[MRCOMPUTER]

232 or 258? Thats six cylinder AMC motors. Bet you are confusing the Pacer with the Pinto...

[normalicy]

Oh, you're right. I did. They are so similar (in name & in looks, or at least to me they are).