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1974 Pontiac Ventura GTO.

Replacing the legendary GTO after the first Arab oil embargo was this crudbucket.  Based on the Pontiac Ventura (AKA Chevy Nova), the new GTO was powered by a smog-gear strangled 350 V8.  This car was so bad, it killed the GTO name for three decades!

(http://www.allmusclecars.com/pontiac/74gtopf.jpg)




1990-91 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais 442.

In 1964, "442" meant a four barrel carburettor, a four-on-the-floor shifter and two exhausts.  When GM's marketing "geniuses" decided to revive the moniker in 1990, "442" now stood for four cylinder, four valves per cylinder and two camshafts!  GM couldn't understand why a Quad-4 powered econobox didn't grab customer's imaginations like the 442's legendary ancestors.

(http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/2747/4001/31867000001_large.jpg)




1978-83 Dodge Challenger

After lying dormant for a few years, the Dodge Challenger thundered back onto the scene as a rebadged Mitsubishi Sapporo coupe packing a 77 horsepower 1.6 litre four cylinder engine!  Real speed freaks could opt for a 2.6 litre four-pot pumping out 105 horsepower.  Try not to get too exited!

(http://paintref.com/mopar/brochure/1978challenger_01.jpg)




1983-87 Dodge Charger

No, not the famous Dukes of Hazard Charger.  This one was based on the Dodge Omni/Plymouth Horizon subcompact and, in base form, was propelled by a 1.6 litre Peugeot engine producing a whopping 62 horsepower.  The optional 2.2 coughed up 94 ponies and the 2.2 Turbo finally broke into triple-digit power figures.  For purposes of this poll, however, you can't have the Turbo.  You're stuck with the 62 horse Peugeot engine.

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_MiZ-UqDwf6c/S_6Rs3IH4hI/AAAAAAAAE_E/F_bop0k4skk/s1600/1983+Plymouth+Turismo+Dodge+Charger+Duster+L-body+3+door+hatchback+4.jpg)




1974-78 Ford Mustang II

A commercial sales success but a critical flop, this Pinto-based Mustang wasn't put out to pasture soon enough!

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JALVuVqSVPw/T6tZ6nnHKGI/AAAAAAAALLE/DKXX82IPZww/s1600/1974-Ford-Mustang-II-Notchback-Coupe.+-+01.jpg)




1980-82 Mercury Cougar

For 1980, the Cougar (and it's Ford Thunderbird twin) shrunk in size and power.  An 88 horsepower 2.3 litre lump, inherited from the Pinto, "powered" this velour-lined, vinyl roofed Cougar.  In addition to the Coupe, you could also have a sedan and even a station wagon.  The "Sign of the Cat" had clearly been declawed.

(http://hooniverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/1980-Mercury-Cougar-07.jpg)




1988-93 Pontiac LeMans

Designed by Opel, built by Daewoo, bought by idiots.  This little heap of misery often went to the junkyard faster than most other cars of it's era.

(http://static.cargurus.com/images/site/2009/04/15/12/52/1990-pontiac-le-mans-2-dr-le-coupe-pic-34128.jpeg)

Pontiac if I have to keep the car as-is. Otherwise, Mustang II so I can keep the front suspension and put it in a '55 Chevy truck. The rest of the car would go to the scrap heap.

Cutlass Calais had 180HP...nothing to sneeze at in the 80s and still fairly respectable now for outpit fom a four cylinder.

Olds with a 5 speed

Wheres the kill yourself option?

This is actually a very good comparo. I'll have to defer my judgment, though.

That POS GTO still looks better then all the other POS cars.

GTO. Easy to mod with obscene power, and it looks respectable.

Quote from: 2o6 on January 02, 2013, 10:54:52 AM
Cutlass Calais had 180HP...nothing to sneeze at in the 80s and still fairly respectable now for outpit fom a four cylinder.

I'm with you! The Quad 4 was a rough engine but it was pretty quick for its day.

Quote from: Gotta-Qik-G8 on January 02, 2013, 02:31:26 PM
I'm with you! The Quad 4 was a rough engine but it was pretty quick for its day.

IIRC, I remember reading that it was the fastest sedan on the market for a short while (until the Taurus SHO usurped that title, and then some Turbo Mopar took it away again).

The LeMans was so so so awful.

GTO.  I can mod the fuck out of it and it still looks good. 

Quote from: Laconian on January 02, 2013, 04:37:59 PM
The LeMans was so so so awful.

And it has like 10 different names.




It's odd how well the Astra is reviewed, and when Daewoo got their hands on it, they ruined it.

Quote from: Rockraven on January 02, 2013, 01:51:40 PM
GTO. Easy to mod with obscene power, and it looks respectable.

This. All day long.

Quote from: Gotta-Qik-G8 on January 02, 2013, 02:31:26 PM
I'm with you! The Quad 4 was a rough engine but it was pretty quick for its day.

It was quick. I had the Grand Am variant of this car. The only problem was it spent more time in the garage than it did the streets! I loved it when it worked though.

Went with the 1978-83 Dodge Challenger.

The Mitsubishi Sapporo was actually a very good-looking and handsome car. I grew up with them and they always looked very good to me. As a little car-crazy kid I remember how the Sapporo was on my "Dream Car" list. If someone gave me one today I wouldn't mind at all. It still looks good.

Quote from: Onslaught on January 02, 2013, 01:22:22 PM
Wheres the kill yourself option?

Only available in Wimmer Threads.  :praise:


But you can commit suicide by driving the 1983-87 Dodge Charger with the weak Peugeot engine by trying to merge unto a freeway. 100% death guarantee.  :ohyeah:

Quote from: Laconian on January 02, 2013, 04:37:59 PM
The LeMans was so so so awful.

And it's sadly still a common sight here. Opel Kadett E.

(http://data.motor-talk.de/data/galleries/0/52/5410/38452898/opel-kadett-e-560x373-e4b3e256cbf27635-4171930523057606698.jpg)

challenger for me.


(usual criteria, it's the only one that even has a chick in the picture though... )

Quote from: AutobahnSHO on January 02, 2013, 07:07:29 PM
(usual criteria, it's the only one that even has a chick in the picture though... )

:thumbsup:

Quote from: cawimmer430 on January 02, 2013, 07:05:14 PM
And it's sadly still a common sight here. Opel Kadett E.

(http://data.motor-talk.de/data/galleries/0/52/5410/38452898/opel-kadett-e-560x373-e4b3e256cbf27635-4171930523057606698.jpg)

Well, at least the Opel is known for being decent. The LeMans is known for being total crap.