Cars you should have kept.

guy48065

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 31, 2008
Messages
544
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'85 Daytona Turbo
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This is a car that deserves more respect than it ever got but because it was yet another variation on the K-car chassis I think everyone wrote it off as a dud.
Mine (5-speed) handled like it was on rails. Caution sign says "slow curves 35mph max" Ha! 70 minimum, not even any tire squeal.
I had a house full of toddlers at the time so maybe I just needed to get on the road and vent some frustration. Lol
 

southkogs

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 7, 2010
Messages
15,044
'85 Daytona Turbo

This is a car that deserves more respect than it ever got but because it was yet another variation on the K-car chassis I think everyone wrote it off as a dud.
Mine (5-speed) handled like it was on rails. Caution sign says "slow curves 35mph max" Ha! 70 minimum, not even any tire squeal.
I had the '85 Chrysler Laser Turbo. It was a dog off the line, but once that turbo kicked in it was a jet. And curves were just dares in that car: man did it handle.

Two funny ones that I wish I still had were a '76 Pinto Rally and a '94 Escort.
 

kd4pbs

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 5, 2012
Messages
267
Yep. Mine was a 5 speed as well. I don’t know why the K chassis got a bad rap from so many. It was well balanced and just plain fun. Did not come as close to curve sticking abilities as the ‘84 Corvette with the Z-51 option though. Apparently that was the first factory Corvette to do >1G lateral on one of the major car magazine’s skid pad test 100% stock.
Scott… How easy was that Astro to get a clutch and a brake? I had an Astro work van and I seem to remember barely enough foot room for one foot and two pedals, much less three!
 

Mc Tool

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 7, 2024
Messages
694
Triumph Herald 13/60 convertible , cant remember what happened to it
Mk1 Ford escort Mexico , sold to Bro in law who trashed it
1980 Mk2 ford escort sport , sold to some young guy who wanted to build a race car .
I have learnt my lesson , not selling any more guns or motorbikes or my Capri
 

jimmbo

Supreme Mariner
Joined
May 24, 2004
Messages
13,995
My 1st Caddy. 86 Fleetwood Brougham, with the D' Elegance Option
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Have had 5 more since, but they certainly weren't/aren't as Comfortable.

The Ex had a Caddy before me, and the seats in hers were even nicer
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Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
51,365
Yep. Mine was a 5 speed as well. I don’t know why the K chassis got a bad rap from so many.
The Chrysler K-car was derived from the L cars - a joint venture with VW and designed by Chrysler Europe (Simca). the first L-car 1.7 liter motors were even VW short blocks with Chrysler heads on them (VW had not used a carb since 1975, having gone to bosch fuel injection).

if you look at the first gen L-cars Omni/Horion and the VW rabbit, you can see much of the same parts and the styling influence

the L-cars underwhelming performance because of the early head and carb issues created a stigma that Chrysler could not shake, even with the 2.2 turbo
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
51,365
Here is a list of cars I do NOT miss:

1973 AMC Gremlin 252 / 3-speed / levi interior
1970 Dodge Polara (318 auto)
1975 Oldsmobile Delta 88 2-door
1976 Oldmobile Delta 88 4-door
1980 Ford Grenada
1970 Plymouth Satelite (rusty POS springs went thru the trunk shortly after purchase)
1980 Datsun 510 (winter beater)
1975 Buick Skylark (winter beater I got from an ex GF)
1978 Pontiac Sunbird (winter beater)
1979 Pontiac Sunbird (winter beater)
1980 Pontiac Sunbird (winter beater)
1982 Chevrolet Cavalier (ex wifes car)
1990 Pontiac Sunbird (ex wifes car)
1991 Dodge Minivan (royal POS)
2000 Astrovan (Lemon)
2000 Dodge Durango (ex wifes car)
1993 VW fox
2003 Chev S-10 Blazer
2014 VW beetle convertible

and the vehicles I am ambivalent about:
1985 S-10 extended cab with Buick V6 / 5-speed / lowered / custom paint.
2014 GMC Sierra (current tow pig with the trans going again)
2022 Audi Q5 (wife's current car)
Current stable of late 70's early 80's 2-stroke mopeds
 

Pmt133

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Jan 6, 2022
Messages
1,019
I've personally owned only 3 vehicles though ive been through dozens with work. That being said the one that sticks out in my mind was my parents 95 Isuzu rodeo. Have a soft spot for that. Nothing special or cool. Just nostalgia I guess.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
51,365
Scott
Do you own a used car lot. That is some collection. (y)


No, just a gearhead son of a gearhead / machinist. Bought many vehicles for 6-8 months of use (winter beaters, summer beaters, etc)

Many cars were bought with issues, fixed, drove, flipped, rinse, repeat. Some were kept for years

Some years I have had up to 6 vehicles registered
 

guy48065

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 31, 2008
Messages
544
...
the L-cars underwhelming performance because of the early head and carb issues created a stigma that Chrysler could not shake, even with the 2.2 turbo
They dug their own grave, then.
My first brand-new car was a 1982 Dodge Omni 024 "Miser". It had the VW 1.7 & a 5-speed and was advertised to get 51mpg highway. We haven't come very far in 40+ years, have we?
 

jimmbo

Supreme Mariner
Joined
May 24, 2004
Messages
13,995
Here is a list of cars I do NOT miss:

1976 Oldmobile Delta 88 4-door
What didn't you like about it. I had one, it was a decent Car, even ran with the Engine Bay jammed full of Snow, after a night in late April 85. Was running when I took the Pic
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Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
51,365
It was ugly, needed shocks on all 4 corners, handles like a ship with a loose rudder, anemic acceleration, brakes too small for it's size, had rust holes the size of pumpkins and the whole under hood area was rusty......
 

jimmbo

Supreme Mariner
Joined
May 24, 2004
Messages
13,995
Hmm, it rode like a Car should, the 455 could move it fairly well, especially if the Factory 2.56:1 rear axle was changed to a 2.73 or 2.93. Mine had the Heavy Duty Brake Option. As for Rust, it took over 10 yrs before any appeared on mine. Of course we didn't have Muttonheads Salting the Roads for NO Reason.
Looked Better than the Buicks, and Especially the Pontiacs of the Era

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