Your Automotive Nightmare - Whats The worst POS you owned?
- Thread starter Bigerik
- Start date
A 1980 Ford Thunderbird Silver anniversery.
I wasted over 4 THOUSAND dollars, over about 2 years, trying to get that POS to run and drive right!! I got it in the late summer of 1988,for $3800, against the advice of EVERYONE I kenw. It was a special model, with keyless entry and digital instruments(what instruments there were a sppedo and fuel gauge..)It "only" had 73k on it, and look pretty good,but it was about ready for the crusher mechanically by then. Within about 2 months after I bought it, The battery died. Then, the alternator belt went out. I changed that myself. The lower radiator hose blew out, a few weeks later. (I had NO temperature gage, of course, and did not know it was overheating till the light came on, and by that time.... the engine was showing overheating symptoms. I replaced the hose myself.)
Then..the REAL problems began. The front seal, or TC, of the tranny started to leak. I just learned to "live with it". Then, the starter went out. about another $125 or so. Then, the power steering hose, and alternator. I did those myself, too. Then--it began running bad,,and with bad economy--the carb. was all screwed up, and NO ONE could get it right..More money wasted, about$200IIRC.
But THEN...the oil light started to come on when idling (no oil gauge either.) Soon after..the knocking started. Wrist pins bad in the engine. So a "mechanic" put a "rebuilt engine" in it for about $700. In reality--he just changed the valve covers and put heavy oil in the engine. of course--he was nowhere to be found, to get my money back.
So..ANOTHER $1700, and I get a GOOD engine in the car. But it is still not right. The tranny doesn't shift right, and the engine did not have much power(it would not even peg the 85 MPH sppedometer, floored in about 2 miles of trying). Then--foam began appearing in the coolant again. And then--the brakes went OUT, one day in early '90. The ONLY time I have ever had the brakes go OUT in a car. No pressure at all. I pumped the brakes, and the pressure returned. I made it home. bad wheel cylinders, and such, and all pads need changed. $400 more. I thought I was done. but then the oil in the colant, and then..It was starting to sway BAD from side to side, when I would drive down the road. I decided to give up. I then got my first front-drive car-my 88 buick regal.
About a year later, I decided to sell the T-Bird. I had it towed to my uncle, and he put a radiator and fuel pump in it, and something in the steering. It ran poorly, but was driveable. Another $400. that was in the summer of 91. I tried to sell the car, for several months. No takers. Finally a "coworker" "bought it" from me--for $500(when he "got paid") of course--that time never came--and he said the car died on him. I let that bad experience go, by that time, I had the '87 Riviera, my second-best car. The Riv was better than that T-bird in every concievable way,much more advanced, much more reliable,much more powerful, far more efficent and fun to drive. It would easily break 100MPH (I recall getting up to 105) in well under a mile. Like the trofeo, it got about 27-31 MPG on the highway, too.I kept it about 3.5 years,and traded it for the Trofeo (my best-ever car) in '95.
I learned from that one:: NEVER "fall " for a car--BEFORE you really check thigs out!! I spent so much money trying to get that POS running--and to no avail. And even right after I got it--it was not overly powerful. ALL of my front-drivers would have outran it, outhandled it,and with FAR better gas mileage.
nowdays-- I have heard that ALL of the 1980 cars were junk. I know that one was. SLow, bad mileage and terribly unreliable!!
I wasted over 4 THOUSAND dollars, over about 2 years, trying to get that POS to run and drive right!! I got it in the late summer of 1988,for $3800, against the advice of EVERYONE I kenw. It was a special model, with keyless entry and digital instruments(what instruments there were a sppedo and fuel gauge..)It "only" had 73k on it, and look pretty good,but it was about ready for the crusher mechanically by then. Within about 2 months after I bought it, The battery died. Then, the alternator belt went out. I changed that myself. The lower radiator hose blew out, a few weeks later. (I had NO temperature gage, of course, and did not know it was overheating till the light came on, and by that time.... the engine was showing overheating symptoms. I replaced the hose myself.)
Then..the REAL problems began. The front seal, or TC, of the tranny started to leak. I just learned to "live with it". Then, the starter went out. about another $125 or so. Then, the power steering hose, and alternator. I did those myself, too. Then--it began running bad,,and with bad economy--the carb. was all screwed up, and NO ONE could get it right..More money wasted, about$200IIRC.
But THEN...the oil light started to come on when idling (no oil gauge either.) Soon after..the knocking started. Wrist pins bad in the engine. So a "mechanic" put a "rebuilt engine" in it for about $700. In reality--he just changed the valve covers and put heavy oil in the engine. of course--he was nowhere to be found, to get my money back.
So..ANOTHER $1700, and I get a GOOD engine in the car. But it is still not right. The tranny doesn't shift right, and the engine did not have much power(it would not even peg the 85 MPH sppedometer, floored in about 2 miles of trying). Then--foam began appearing in the coolant again. And then--the brakes went OUT, one day in early '90. The ONLY time I have ever had the brakes go OUT in a car. No pressure at all. I pumped the brakes, and the pressure returned. I made it home. bad wheel cylinders, and such, and all pads need changed. $400 more. I thought I was done. but then the oil in the colant, and then..It was starting to sway BAD from side to side, when I would drive down the road. I decided to give up. I then got my first front-drive car-my 88 buick regal.
About a year later, I decided to sell the T-Bird. I had it towed to my uncle, and he put a radiator and fuel pump in it, and something in the steering. It ran poorly, but was driveable. Another $400. that was in the summer of 91. I tried to sell the car, for several months. No takers. Finally a "coworker" "bought it" from me--for $500(when he "got paid") of course--that time never came--and he said the car died on him. I let that bad experience go, by that time, I had the '87 Riviera, my second-best car. The Riv was better than that T-bird in every concievable way,much more advanced, much more reliable,much more powerful, far more efficent and fun to drive. It would easily break 100MPH (I recall getting up to 105) in well under a mile. Like the trofeo, it got about 27-31 MPG on the highway, too.I kept it about 3.5 years,and traded it for the Trofeo (my best-ever car) in '95.
I learned from that one:: NEVER "fall " for a car--BEFORE you really check thigs out!! I spent so much money trying to get that POS running--and to no avail. And even right after I got it--it was not overly powerful. ALL of my front-drivers would have outran it, outhandled it,and with FAR better gas mileage.
nowdays-- I have heard that ALL of the 1980 cars were junk. I know that one was. SLow, bad mileage and terribly unreliable!!
technut
ACK!
my wife's 1983 honda accord, in the space of 6 years it ate:
2 carbs
1 brake booster
1 exhaust manifold
1 valve job
1 radiator
1 fuel pump
1 power steering rack
1 power steering pump
1 ignition amplifier
1 coolant temp sensor
1 fan relay
1 exhaust system
1 fuel cut off solenoid
1 water pump
1 blower motor
more A/C problems than I care to remember.
I was a friggin certified honda mechanic by the time we sold that car. But, it was fun to drive and got alot miles out of it and that's the only thing that kept me from throwing a match in the gas tank.
2 carbs
1 brake booster
1 exhaust manifold
1 valve job
1 radiator
1 fuel pump
1 power steering rack
1 power steering pump
1 ignition amplifier
1 coolant temp sensor
1 fan relay
1 exhaust system
1 fuel cut off solenoid
1 water pump
1 blower motor
more A/C problems than I care to remember.
I was a friggin certified honda mechanic by the time we sold that car. But, it was fun to drive and got alot miles out of it and that's the only thing that kept me from throwing a match in the gas tank.
my worst car was a 1989 pontiac grand prix se purchased off a bank repossession sale.. thought i was getting a great deal... ha,ha,ha.... now i know why they turned the car in..... that car would start right up in 0 degree michigan weather run perfect and on a nice sunny day it would give you all kinds of trouble... shame because it was such a pretty car... i replaced about every sensor, computer, etc.... and finally traded it in....
Grainger49
Old Fart
I will have to update this post several times to add the problems I had with my (drum roll here) 1976 Honda Accord, first year of manufacture, serial number 1199. 
I loved the car but couldn't get it fixed EVER! I owned it for 16 months, but it was in my possession less than 11 months, in the shop the other time.:nono:
I know that this is one of the all time most revered cars for reliability but:
The rubber thing that held the back of the rear view mirror FELL OFF. :thumbsdn:
The ashtray was in crooked, couldn't be straightened. :nono:
The motor would run on after turning it off, for almost a minute. :jawdrop:
It backfired!
The motor ran so rough it would stall out several times before warming up (it had a manual choke!).
The air conditioner fan was replaced twice! :finger:
The transmission would grind when shifting from third into second, at 20MPH!
The transmission was rebuilt twice, all the gears and synchronizers were replaced twice! :uzi:
The car was once in the shop for 3 months only to have me drive it 1/2 mile and return it for the same transmission problems. :finger: :uzi:
istols: :butt2:
The oil filter had to come through the front frame of the car, between the grill and radiator, to the opposite side of the engine compartment to be removed. It would not drop down or come up from where it was mounted on the engine!
The transmission was out of it so many times that grease got on the clutch and it started slipping at 12,000 miles - replaced under warranty.
Go figger!
I loved the car but couldn't get it fixed EVER! I owned it for 16 months, but it was in my possession less than 11 months, in the shop the other time.:nono: I know that this is one of the all time most revered cars for reliability but:
The rubber thing that held the back of the rear view mirror FELL OFF. :thumbsdn:
The ashtray was in crooked, couldn't be straightened. :nono:
The motor would run on after turning it off, for almost a minute. :jawdrop:
It backfired!
The motor ran so rough it would stall out several times before warming up (it had a manual choke!).
The air conditioner fan was replaced twice! :finger:
The transmission would grind when shifting from third into second, at 20MPH!
The transmission was rebuilt twice, all the gears and synchronizers were replaced twice! :uzi:
The car was once in the shop for 3 months only to have me drive it 1/2 mile and return it for the same transmission problems. :finger: :uzi:
istols: :butt2: The oil filter had to come through the front frame of the car, between the grill and radiator, to the opposite side of the engine compartment to be removed. It would not drop down or come up from where it was mounted on the engine!
The transmission was out of it so many times that grease got on the clutch and it started slipping at 12,000 miles - replaced under warranty.
Go figger!
rickr15
Super Member
1985 Chevy C-10 bought new. My very first new vehicle and the last fullsize chevrolet truck I will ever buy. Among the numerous maladies this POS went through the final straw was when the steering box broke loose from the cheesy light duty frame. Lucky for me this is so common the aftermarket makes a patch panel to remount the box safely.
Mine was a 94 pontiac I had till recently. It had a problem that sometimes if you used the power window it would cause some type of electical problem. The car would stall and when you would try to restart it would turn over and all, but the fuel pump wouldn't work. All the electornic stuff would work except the Fuel, pump, the windows and the seat adjustment. It would fix itself if you let it sit anywhere from a couple minutes to a several days. THe mechanic would think he had it fixed, and it might run for a month and ypou could use the power windows, and out of the blue, if you hit the power window switch the problem would start all over again, regardless of what electronics the mechanic replaced. Anyone else have this happen, or know what the problem may have been?
Grainger49
Old Fart
jonman said:
I think that car was HAUNTED!
thedelihaus
Nocturnal transmissions
I'll vote for my 1986 Pontiac Fiero. A momentary lapse of reason, there, fellas.
The thing was cherry condition- babied all it's life, extremely low miles (around 40k), nice and classy American Racing rims. Not a scratch on it, interior flawless, tires brand new, you could eat off the engine bay.
It handled like a dream- stuck to the road like it was on rails. A baby Corvette, they called it, and by the way it handled, I'd agree. Entrance ramps at 60 were fun- it stuck like it was suction cupped to the road.
That's where the fun ends though.
Any time you got stuck in traffic, the engine, mid-mounted, would heat up. Sometimes stall. The starter would heat up and weld itself temporarily shut, stranding you wherever it decided to stall. If in the middle of the road, so be it- get out and push.
It handled well, but whenever it was wet outside, it'd get squirrely. Coming up an on-ramp one night, this time at normal speeds for rain, making the corner, I was met with a bit of road dibris and oil from a recent accident. I spun 90 degrees, then regained it. But this was a charactoristic of the car, so well balanced, that once it did get slippery, it had a tendency to spin.
Every once in a while, in odd weather, the door handles felt like they were attached with rubber bands or gummy worms. Nice weather, they worked flawlessly.
Sensors would fail 2-3 months, one after another.
Electronics would act up and dance, fluctuate during damp days. How hot were you running? What was your battery charging? What was your engine coolant temp? How much gas did you have? Pick a number, take a guess. It was more reliable than the gauges.
Coolant would freeze under the car, despite proper coolant mixture. The radiator was in the front of the car, the hoses ran down what would normally be the tranny tunnel to the engine. It'd freeze under the car- these cars were low to the ground, and these long hoses would get thick and slushy in cold New England weather.
The electric cooling fan, front-mounted, would fail. Or work itself a bit loose and buzz.
Power window switches would work one day, fail the next. Bad, on a hot day, with a mid-engine car.
Brakes, even new, squealed like a stuck pig.
Emergency brake would stick.
Headlights would, on occasion, fail to open.
Lastly, the head gasket went, along with the head warping, on this low-mile car.
All within a year.
I fixed it, sold it, then the head gasket and cluch failed on the new owner.
I gave him allmost all his money back- he wanted to keep the car, so I kept $500 and gave the rest back.
I thnk the cost of ownership of that car was $6000 for me, a shade-tree mechanic and with many friends that were mechanics, for a year, and numerous headaches, stalls, me pushing it, ect...
I put around 6k on it, maybe a bit more- so let's say it cost me a dollar a mile. My typical 60 mile commute per day would run me $60 in repairs.
The thing was cherry condition- babied all it's life, extremely low miles (around 40k), nice and classy American Racing rims. Not a scratch on it, interior flawless, tires brand new, you could eat off the engine bay.
It handled like a dream- stuck to the road like it was on rails. A baby Corvette, they called it, and by the way it handled, I'd agree. Entrance ramps at 60 were fun- it stuck like it was suction cupped to the road.
That's where the fun ends though.
Any time you got stuck in traffic, the engine, mid-mounted, would heat up. Sometimes stall. The starter would heat up and weld itself temporarily shut, stranding you wherever it decided to stall. If in the middle of the road, so be it- get out and push.
It handled well, but whenever it was wet outside, it'd get squirrely. Coming up an on-ramp one night, this time at normal speeds for rain, making the corner, I was met with a bit of road dibris and oil from a recent accident. I spun 90 degrees, then regained it. But this was a charactoristic of the car, so well balanced, that once it did get slippery, it had a tendency to spin.
Every once in a while, in odd weather, the door handles felt like they were attached with rubber bands or gummy worms. Nice weather, they worked flawlessly.
Sensors would fail 2-3 months, one after another.
Electronics would act up and dance, fluctuate during damp days. How hot were you running? What was your battery charging? What was your engine coolant temp? How much gas did you have? Pick a number, take a guess. It was more reliable than the gauges.
Coolant would freeze under the car, despite proper coolant mixture. The radiator was in the front of the car, the hoses ran down what would normally be the tranny tunnel to the engine. It'd freeze under the car- these cars were low to the ground, and these long hoses would get thick and slushy in cold New England weather.
The electric cooling fan, front-mounted, would fail. Or work itself a bit loose and buzz.
Power window switches would work one day, fail the next. Bad, on a hot day, with a mid-engine car.
Brakes, even new, squealed like a stuck pig.
Emergency brake would stick.
Headlights would, on occasion, fail to open.
Lastly, the head gasket went, along with the head warping, on this low-mile car.
All within a year.
I fixed it, sold it, then the head gasket and cluch failed on the new owner.
I gave him allmost all his money back- he wanted to keep the car, so I kept $500 and gave the rest back.
I thnk the cost of ownership of that car was $6000 for me, a shade-tree mechanic and with many friends that were mechanics, for a year, and numerous headaches, stalls, me pushing it, ect...
I put around 6k on it, maybe a bit more- so let's say it cost me a dollar a mile. My typical 60 mile commute per day would run me $60 in repairs.
thedelihaus
Nocturnal transmissions
Here's a short one-
My father bought his first new truck in 1972- a ford F150. Drove it home all of 3 miles and the engine was acting funny, odd power, he thought, must need to be broken in. Opened the door to get out, and the door fell off in the driveway. He drove it back the 3 miles to the dealer.
A week later, he went to pick up the truck- they said the door hinges were held on by either a tack weld or ashesive or body paint- I forget the excuse they gave him- but no bolts. sounds doubtful to me, but that was the claim.
He drove the truck home, and the engine blew. They put 2 wrong-sized cylinders in it and it croaked.
Picked it up again, actually drove it for a little while, then it got stolen.
My father bought his first new truck in 1972- a ford F150. Drove it home all of 3 miles and the engine was acting funny, odd power, he thought, must need to be broken in. Opened the door to get out, and the door fell off in the driveway. He drove it back the 3 miles to the dealer.
A week later, he went to pick up the truck- they said the door hinges were held on by either a tack weld or ashesive or body paint- I forget the excuse they gave him- but no bolts. sounds doubtful to me, but that was the claim.
He drove the truck home, and the engine blew. They put 2 wrong-sized cylinders in it and it croaked.
Picked it up again, actually drove it for a little while, then it got stolen.
1 Starr
Real Cars & Real Stereos
Buick V-6 ?
The biggest peice of shit? 1977 Buick Century Special 2 Dr coupe. A underpowered JUNK 231 V-6. You could get out and run faster. 2 engines and one transmission. Replaced and or rebuilt. This car was non stop repairs.The body and chassis were very good but the engine was too small to move that iron. Left me stranded too many times, Honestly,I take care of my things but that engine is a nightmare. I finally got it straightend out but I will never own another GM V-6. If it Aint 6 in a row it's got to go.:thmbsp:
The biggest peice of shit? 1977 Buick Century Special 2 Dr coupe. A underpowered JUNK 231 V-6. You could get out and run faster. 2 engines and one transmission. Replaced and or rebuilt. This car was non stop repairs.The body and chassis were very good but the engine was too small to move that iron. Left me stranded too many times, Honestly,I take care of my things but that engine is a nightmare. I finally got it straightend out but I will never own another GM V-6. If it Aint 6 in a row it's got to go.:thmbsp:
doctorbongo
Super Member
Good start on the VW. Mine was a VW fastback. Most gutless piece o' junk I ever drove. Needed that Flintstones feature to get up hills. Someone mentioned the 77 Dodge Aspen. Virtually every car made in 77 in the US was a piece of crap, from the way it ran to the fit and finish, to the styling itself. In six years, we went from everything we made being excellent, to not making a decent automobile. They managed to make the Dart, one of the alltime great cars (I owned four, and have a 65 canadian valiant (dart) with the slant six now) into the Aspen. Then there's the Volare...
1 Starr said:
I can ASSURE you, that the modern GM 231 V6 (3800 V6) is NOT in the same category as the one in that 77 of yours. Since the mid-late '80's, they have been VERY good engines, and in the cars they power--they have pretty good power. My 88 Riviera would probably outrun ANY of those old, smogged out full size cars from 1972-1981 or so, (ASSUMING they were stock),and get double them mileaage while doing so.
The 3800 V6 is not called "one of the best engines of ALL time," for nothin'!!
namahealani
Active Member
1990...or something Mazda MPV van. Every couple of months something was going wrong with that thing!
fujifrontier
roundie not so n00b
so is the Miller Cycle in my millenia :shifty:
Grainger49 said:
I think my mechanic would agree with you. He had it in his shop 6 times between July of 05 and feb of 06. and most times it would start right up when he went to pull it into his garage stall. He would test the electrical stuff and everything read as normal. After the lastyime he work on it he told me if it did it again not to bring it to him, but to get a hold of a priest for an exorcism or get a hold of Doctor Mobogo to dance around the car with chicken bones and a Mojo Hand.
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