Your embarrassing cars from the past !

[Dunc]

After have a conversation with Neil about old cars we used to drive and how awfull some were we decided to start a thread on it .
My first car was a 1977 MK11 Ford Escort Estate with a 1100cc engine . I used you be able to see the road beneath my feet and when it rained it used to fill up something terrible lol.
Other embarrassing cars I owned were a 1981 Mini Metro , a Fiat Uno and a Fiat Tipo , not to mention the Rover 216 

So what cars did you have when you were younger ? Pics are a must 

[Neil]

W reg MiniMetro.  I will try and find some pics.  It was in pretty good condition considering what it was (They had a very poor rep.).

It was slow, bright orange and needed a trip to the garage every other month to keep on the road.  The gears had a gate like a truck and a giant steering wheel to match.  But that combined with the exceptionally low seating position did make driving it a bit like a go-kart

On the positive side, it was free and kept me mobile for a couple of years 

[Dunc]

Ok heres some photos , none are the actual cars I owned and just images I found on google . I wouldn't have thought any of my old cars are still about considering the condition they were in when I bought them and most of them would hardly drive when I sold them 

First up is the Mk11 Ford Escort Estate , what beast lol



Then there was the Mini Metro



The Fiat Uno used to make horrible noises from the engine but it always went which is more then could be said for the metro lol I remember lifting the bonnet (hood) to check the oil on a windy day and a gust took the bonnet out of my hand and folded it flat against the windscreen braking it 



And the Fiat Tipo , I actually liked this car and would have loved one with something bigger then the 1.4l engine it had .

[Neil]

Here's the actual MiniMetro in question...



It may have been small but in that livery no one missed it

[Dunc]

Superb Neil  Something I've got to ask you , did you ever ......  you know ........  entertain a lady in yours ?

Another car thats worth a mention is the Black Escort XR3i I had . All the badges , stickers and decalls were removed , it had white dials ,  different alloy wheels and a Bigbore Exhaust    at the time I really did think I was really cool in it   
  Having said that though it was the most fun to drive car I've ever owned and I have some great memories 

[Neil]

Superb Neil  Something I've got to ask you , did you ever ......  you know ........  entertain a lady in yours ?

...

I may sung a few ditties, what a strange question

Oh, you mean ... 

No, a contortionist I am not

[NutSAK]

My first POS was also a 1983 Escort wagon (estate).  It was charcoal grey w/a 1.6 L engine. 

When I bought it, the engine had been rebuilt due to an electrical fire under the hood.  The acceleration of that thing was unbelievable.  I think I clocked 0-60 times at about 20 seconds once.  LOL!

The body was in very good condition though....

[Reinier]

OK, not my car, but my wife's. She got it when she was 18 or 19 and sold it in 2003 or so.
It's a 1986 Fiat 127, and check this: when I used Google Image Search one of the first results was this photo:



That's the actual car! PT-80-DH... my wife's first car is for sale again What a coincidence

[Grant Lamontagne]

None of these pics are mine- I don't have any pics of my old cars.

Not really an embarrassing car, but not exactly the prettiest thing on the road was my old VW Fox.  It looked like this, only blue:



When it comes to embarrassment, I had a few, like my '86 Firebird with the 2.8L fuel injected motor, probably the worst engine GM ever fielded.



It was a good looking car, but when the engine exploded shortly after I bought it, that's about all it did.

I also bought a GMC Tracker for $400 once that had been left outside with no top on it for months.



I also lived in it for about a month, which was pretty cold since it was October/November.

The most embarrassing car I ever drove regularly wasn't mine.  I used to commute for 2.5 hours each way, 5 days a week to go to school.  I did that with a friend in his car, a beat up red 1986 Ford Escort.



After the course was done we realized it had an exhaust leak, which would explain why we were so bloody tired all the time!

Def

[Threeme2189]

The oldest car my family owned used to belong to my grandfather, and eventually got passed along to us.
It was a 1987 1.8L Subaru DL. A great car, except for a small ignition problem.
We sold it about a year ago.
This is a picture from google.



We currently own a Nissan Micra, I just feel wimpy driving it, but it is a very good small car.
And it's light blue

[Mr. Whippy]

Chevy Citation:

It looked exactly like this one:


It was a survival vehicle, since it stored water in the rear doors.  The carburetor throttle valve would stick when the engine was hot. Oh, and it would slowly drain the battery if left for a few weeks.

I wanted to buy a Datsun B310, but my parents convinced me that Detroit steel was the way to go. 

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I was always way to cool to have a car

The biggest shed I owned was a Honda Superdream 250cc. God that thing was a slug It practically ran on old style glass fuses too

[Millhouse]

My first car was a Rover Metro. The Honda K engine was great and the car was mechanically sound. The biggest problem was the bodywork. I was fighting a losing battle with rust.

[edcgear]

Being the fan of Jezza, Humpster, Cpt. Slow and Stig and TG concept, here yu-go...  Did have same vechicle. The one tested is Yugo 45 (as in 45 HP) with 900ccm engine, I had 1100ccm with 55HP and 1300ccm with 65HP... Same POS... Just love this video, though Jezza hitted on my pride, still is true and hillarious... Now it's discontinued since 2009 or 2010. Yugo was manufactured since 1980, and even exported to USA... They never changed anything on him (except some trivial stuff)...

The joke goes like this:
Somewhere in USA father says to his son: "If you get all A's in shool I'll buy you a car!", boy ask's him: "What will you buy me if I get worst grades?", dad: "YUGO!"




Now I'm waiting to see if anyone drove a Reliant Robin.... 

[Gareth]

I was know to kick around in a spectacularly bad Mk1 Ford Orion (in maroon), though in my defence it wasn't actually mine.



I don't know if I'd call it "embarrasing' per-se as I rather liked it.  What it was though was very dull.  A 3 door 1.7ltr Volvo 340.  0-60 measured in aeons, not seconds.  Tough as old boots though.



Not my pics, not my actual cars.

[jerseydevil]

Wouldn't exactly call it embarrassing, but just a tiny bit bigger than most of the others shown here. 1985 Chevy Caprice Classic, mine had the 5.0L/305 V8. 8 miles to the gallon on a good day. I even got it airborne once!

[Mr. Whippy]

Wouldn't exactly call it embarrassing, but just a tiny bit bigger than most of the others shown here. 1985 Chevy Caprice Classic, mine had the 5.0L/305 V8. 8 miles to the gallon on a good day. I even got it airborne once!

Before the Chevy Citation (aka Slimation, aka The Slime), I had a 1968 Pontiac Catalina 375 HP, 428 cu in, 3 speed manual on the column.  No power anything, no AC, no radio.  It was a huge freakin' engine/drive train with 2 benches strapped on.

Not mine, but looks just like it (different rims however)

[Grant Lamontagne]

I had a 1980 Catalina that I bought for $250 then drove almost halfway across the country.  Mine was a lovely metallic green with lime green landau roof, 305 and a three speed automatic.  The heater didn't work, but it caught fire often enough that we kept warm in late February!   

It didn't like to start in the mornings, but once it was warmed it would go without a problem, and the suspension was beautiful- I never felt a bump in the almost 3,000kms I drove over.  There's a reason they call these cars boats- hitting a pothole at 60mph just makes the car float up and down for a minute or so, just like sitting in a boat and hitting a small wave!



It had more metal in one bumper than most modern cars have in the whole thing!

Def

[ducktapehero]

I had a 1973 Plymouth Satellite 4 door that was uglier than sin. Dents, body rust and a nice urine yellow paint job. But it did have a decent engine in it and would really get up and go on the highway. I had it when I was a senior in high school.

Here's the body style, obviously this one isn't mine.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=1973+plymouth+satellite&view=detail&id=5579CCD4177AE65A03F6E0BCE2AB802B81B1A2A7&first=61&FORM=IDFRIR&qpvt=1973+plymouth+satellite

[rlocock]

As I was 38 before I learned to drive,you would think I had a bit more sense.My first car was a Mini Clubman

Not this one.Mine looked like it had a bit of welding done in the boot which I later found was filler

[Neil]

As I was 38 before I learned to drive,you would think I had a bit more sense.My first car was a Mini Clubman
...
Not this one.Mine looked like it had a bit of welding done in the boot which I later found was filler

I believe that is a traditional badge of honour they must all have once they get past five

[P35]

not really embarrassed, it was fun to drivehttp://www.renault-5.net/usabb.htm
I had a 1978 Black Beauty,  loaded, with the "performance" package. Driving it was like a large go kart, big fun

[Mr. Whippy]

not really embarrassed, it was fun to drivehttp://www.renault-5.net/usabb.htm
I had a 1978 Black Beauty,  loaded, with the "performance" package. Driving it was like a large go kart, big fun

Good lord!

I pushed my friend's Le Car for almost 1/2 its mileage, I think...

Good thing they're so light.  However, whoever thought the cloth sunroof was a good idea needs a solid 

[yud]

I am disapponited no one had a reliant robin

[P35]

not really embarrassed, it was fun to drivehttp://www.renault-5.net/usabb.htm
I had a 1978 Black Beauty,  loaded, with the "performance" package. Driving it was like a large go kart, big fun

Good lord!

I pushed my friend's Le Car for almost 1/2 its mileage, I think...

Good thing they're so light.  However, whoever thought the cloth sunroof was a good idea needs a solid 

I owned it for about 20 months, no problems . I bought it new, my  then wife crashed it, actually rolled it. It was a fun drive

[jerseydevil]

Growing up, my friend's father had a LeCar. He wanted it to be the last one running in New Jersey. I think that he may have succeeded, since I haven't seen one in a LONG time.

[jim guy]

my only vehicle that I was ashamed of was a 1974 gmc half ton truck with a factory 454. It was a nice truck, it would burn both back tires for ever. It got about 6 mpg no matter how you drove it. It was all good till a friend of mine out ran me with a 318 dodge!

[edcgear]

I am disapponited no one had a reliant robin

+1 

[Neil]

My grandparents did before I was born.  It caught on fire and they had to do an emergency exit with it still moving     Not good cars!

[Dunc]

I knew someone who put a 2litre Ford Capri engine in a Robin Raliant ( Plastic Pig ) . Exactly how they done it I don't know but it used to wheely down the high street