Remember a new car you thought was awesome and now you think the opposite?

[A383Wing]

Most Pontiacs 

I still have a Pontiac here...very easy car to work on....we also used to own a '68 Firebird...250 OHC six with manual 3spd on the floor....that little car would kick 389 GTO's out there when we had it..I really miss that car

Bryan

[Ponch ®]

I just remembered another one. And this is gonna sound very tacky, but whatever. As I may have mentioned before, I spent a few years of elementary school living in Mexico. So when I was like 7-8 and first started to see cars as objects of lust and desire (in a very primitive way), I thought the pinnacle of automotive design was...the Ford* Cougar.  

I know, I know. But keep in mind a) my age at the time and b) that the cougar logo looks suspiciously similar to the Thundercats logo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqeyAfGDzyk


*To my knowledge, there was no Mercury brand in Mexico, hence the Ford badging.

[bill440rt]

Dodge Stealths here as well. Actually, although they were similar I liked the Stealth over the 3000GT. Took a Stealth out for a test drive once, that thing could haul. 

I remember the late-'70's T/A's on the showroom floor as a real young boy. I remember sitting in the driver's seat looking at the turned dash trim, I could barely see over the steering wheel. I find them interesting now, but wouldn't want to own one.

Ponch, don't feel bad. I had a fascination with early/mid-80's T-Birds for a short while, I was very young.     I guess it was because we had a '57 & a '66, & the '83's were new at the time. And they were being raced in NASCAR. Then, we had one for a week as a rental vehicle.     That changed my mind forever. 

[Mike DC]

 
Dodge Stealths never did anything for me.  The wrong wheels were spinning and somebody put the rear spoiler on backwards.   

[ACUDANUT]

I think you mean Mitsubishi aka dodge. On those cars there is zero parts from dodge on it, except a name.

[bill440rt]

IIRC the Mitsu's had gaudier bumper covers and cladding. The Stealths were a little "cleaner" looking, I preferred that look over the 3000GT's.
Other than some trim, they were still 100% Mitsu.

Along the same lines were the Starion/Conquest. I had no interest in the base Starion with the slab-sided body. But when the Conquest Tsi and Starion ESi came out it was a NICE looking car! I remember seeing one new in the showroom, it was a damn expensive car for it's time. I think the sticker on it was like $19K or something.
I owned an '87 Tsi for a few years. It was a great handling car but damn it was pathetic in any kind of winter driving. Even with an inch of snow it was like a dog on linoleum.

[Old Moparz]

IIRC the Mitsu's had gaudier bumper covers and cladding. The Stealths were a little "cleaner" looking, I preferred that look over the 3000GT's.
Other than some trim, they were still 100% Mitsu.

Along the same lines were the Starion/Conquest. I had no interest in the base Starion with the slab-sided body. But when the Conquest Tsi and Starion ESi came out it was a NICE looking car! I remember seeing one new in the showroom, it was a damn expensive car for it's time. I think the sticker on it was like $19K or something.
I owned an '87 Tsi for a few years. It was a great handling car but damn it was pathetic in any kind of winter driving. Even with an inch of snow it was like a dog on linoleum.

I still like the TSI, & yeah, the ones without the flared sides were very different & not at all interesting to look at. My wife test drove the TSI with the turbo before she bought her 5.0 Mustang GT in 1988. I sat in the back while the salesperson up front, & there wasn't any room at all. She liked the car, but back in the 80's anything with a turbo was worrisome because it seemed like every person who had one had horror stories of replacing them for a lot of money. I just saw a bright blue one locally about a month ago. It was the first time in ages I recall seeing one. 

[PocketThunder]

IIRC the Mitsu's had gaudier bumper covers and cladding. The Stealths were a little "cleaner" looking, I preferred that look over the 3000GT's.
Other than some trim, they were still 100% Mitsu.

Along the same lines were the Starion/Conquest. I had no interest in the base Starion with the slab-sided body. But when the Conquest Tsi and Starion ESi came out it was a NICE looking car! I remember seeing one new in the showroom, it was a damn expensive car for it's time. I think the sticker on it was like $19K or something.
I owned an '87 Tsi for a few years. It was a great handling car but damn it was pathetic in any kind of winter driving. Even with an inch of snow it was like a dog on linoleum.

I still like the TSI, & yeah, the ones without the flared sides were very different & not at all interesting to look at. My wife test drove the TSI with the turbo before she bought her 5.0 Mustang GT in 1988. I sat in the back while the salesperson up front, & there wasn't any room at all. She liked the car, but back in the 80's anything with a turbo was worrisome because it seemed like every person who had one had horror stories of replacing them for a lot of money. I just saw a bright blue one locally about a month ago. It was the first time in ages I recall seeing one. 

So i didnt know what a Conquest was (other than a night of successful events after a house party back in college ) so i looked it up and hey look at that, those things had a hemi!..

http://www.allpar.com/cars/chrysler/conquest.html

From allpar "By 1986 the only engine was the turbocharged 2.6, with hemispherical combustion chambers, a third valve in each chamber for better mixing and burning (MCA-JET), and dual engine stabilizers built into the block. "

[aussiemuscle]

Back in high school I thought the TR7 was cool when it came out in the 70's.

me too, but they are a futuristic design, like the 82 firebird. all coolest looking cars were wedge shaped. 

[Ghoste]

You're right, there was a period there where the wedge was the it car and a lot of them look dated and odd to me now.

[1969chargerrtse]

I remember when they first came out.  They were cool, but they had real bad engine issues and that ended that.

[70Sbird]

Fiat X-19

my uncle had a new one and i though it was a cool little 2 seater, until my brother bought a used one and i had to change the head gasket on it!
Tha was around 1986....the love affair didnt last long

[moparstuart]

Fiat X-19

my uncle had a new one and i though it was a cool little 2 seater, until my brother bought a used one and i had to change the head gasket on it!
Tha was around 1986....the love affair didnt last long

yeah i thought they looked cool and was going to buy one , then i tried to drive one and i couldnt get in it , That was at age 16 before i grew wider 

[hatersaurusrex]

This one is easy for me:  Subaru SVX.  WTF was I thinking?

[moparstuart]

This one is easy for me:  Subaru SVX.  WTF was I thinking?

sold alot of the engines out of those to nuts making ultralight air planes

[JT01]

In 94 I bought a brand new Beretta Z26 thought it was sharp at the time it had issues only had it for 2 years only put 10,000 miles on it and traded it in on a truck. Still to this wonder what i was thinking

[Chryco Psycho]

I thought those were 1/9th of an X fiat 

[Ghoste]

It's interesting to note how many changed their mind on the formerly awesome car based on a mechanical aspect and how many just decided the styling was no longer cool.

[69 OUR/TEA]

Bought a brand new 09 Challenger R/T,exciting at first,can't say anything bad about the car,fun car when I drove it,just saw it starting to  sit around to much as as I could not drive it to work,and decided to get rid of it after just 7 months before it depreciated to much.Glad I did now !!!If something is gonna sit in my garage being barely used,it may as well be something that will retain its value or go up,not down.
Now,as alot of comments about Pontiacs being discussed in this thread,namely T/A's,what drove me to buy the one that I have now is it's uniqueness and what it is powered by !!! I beleive 2 other members here also own them.

[ACUDANUT]

I'd drive that Challenger and got rid of the 77-78 monte mexico carlo. 

[Ghoste]

Me too.  I have to admit I find that choice surprising, respect your decision totally just find it surprising is all.

[69 OUR/TEA]

I'd drive that Challenger and got rid of the 77-78 monte mexico carlo. 

If you are refering about the car in my avatar,it's not a Monte Carlo,it's a 75 Buick Regal ,16k mile survivor,bought it cheap,great cruiser,ice cold A/C,have plenty of room in my garage to keep it,so it's no bother to have/own.It is fun to have so you can go for a ride in an old car that you don't have to be paraniod about.I like it because I have alot of respect for alot of dif cars for what they are,especially survivors.Did'nt sell off any Mopars and kept that,still have my Mopars.My 69 3x9 R/T SE is under construction as we speak.When it is done,to the level that I am bringing it,unfortunately will not be driven 1000's of miles a year,so having an old car,the Regal, to just go out for a drive is great.FWIW

[Brock Samson]

Subie SVX myself. Does any car company have more Sanctimonious TV commercials?.. 

[1970Moparmann]

The following -

- 88 Escort GT - what was I thinking!

- 89 Cougar XR7

- Stealth and PT Cruiser.