Biggest Automotive Blunder

"Steve in Manhattan" (blogenfreude01) 11/06/2014 at 14:41 • Filed to: None

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Refining my !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - not so much what pisses you off, but what's the biggest automotive blunder? For me, it remains the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Ford went from this:

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

to this:

to this:

Yes, I know, they sold a lot of Mustang IIs, but how difficult would it have been to keep the real Mustang in production and perhaps improve it so it got better mileage? In junior high, I recall being crammed in the back of one - even for a kid there was no legroom. Hateful, underpowered little machines.

So what manufacturer do you think shit the bed the worst?

T5Killer > Steve in Manhattan 11/06/2014 at 14:44

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I wasn't a blunder it sold very very very well. Performance was not selling any more and a smaller car was needed. (COUGH Gas crisis of '73 COUGH) I am one of the few Mustang fans that like the II.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Steve in Manhattan 11/06/2014 at 14:45

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Despite having near zero rear visibility, I still like this model.

T5Killer > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 11/06/2014 at 14:47

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The 71-73s are epic.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Steve in Manhattan 11/06/2014 at 14:47

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These get a lot of crap, but if this shitty little car had a redeeming quality it is that it's front suspension went on to support many a hotrod/kit car....So it has that going for it.

CRider > Steve in Manhattan 11/06/2014 at 14:50

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2012 Honda Civic. Had to be redesigned after 1 ear because CR didn't like it.

HUMMER. Could have been a Jeep competitor, turned into a symbol of everything wrong with American excess at the exact wrong moment.

Pontiac Aztek. Neat idea, horrible execution, known only now as one of the ugliest cars ever made.

Edsel. Cars with a face not even a mother could love.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 11/06/2014 at 14:50

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hell yeah it did, I can even bolt it's suspension into the Montego if I wanted.

Textured Soy Protein > Steve in Manhattan 11/06/2014 at 14:54

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Mitsubishi went from this:

(80s-tastic pointy/stubby styling, but awd & turbo)

To this:

(Crap early-90s non-popup headlamps grafted onto an otherwise-80s-tastic design)

To this:

(Great—at the time—swoopy pointy 90s-tastic styling that better hides the still-stubby proportions, and refinement of the awd turboness)

To this:

(Underpowered fwd V6 boat with odd ridges everywhere, that looks older than the car it replaced)

Which became this, in 2 Fast 2 Furious:

(Sick ride, bruh .)

To this:

(A bigger, less-underpowered fwd V6 boat whose looks write checks its performance can't cash)

crowmolly > Steve in Manhattan 11/06/2014 at 14:56

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If some external factor forced their hand I dunno if I would call it a blunder.

A blunder would be, say, the olds 350 diesel or other cost-cutting disasters.

Steve in Manhattan > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 11/06/2014 at 14:58

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Oh please don't do that to it - the II was based on the Pinto.

T5Killer > Steve in Manhattan 11/06/2014 at 14:59

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Why pinto roots or not the front suspension is really good.

Steve in Manhattan > CRider 11/06/2014 at 14:59

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I'd forgotten about that Civic.

T5Killer > Textured Soy Protein 11/06/2014 at 15:01

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Agreed the 1st and 2nd gen DSMs were awesome once the 3rd gen it it was horrid and the 4th was good looking but HUGE and expensive (a V6 was over $30k IIRC)

Steve in Manhattan > Steve in Manhattan 11/06/2014 at 15:08

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Full disclosure - I am the little kid who entered every Mustang giveaway he could find - until the II. I am also the very little kid who tried to drag my dad over to a row of brand new '69 Camaros before I even knew why they were special. Then my father ordered yet another Impala. With black vinyl interior. And no A/C. In DC. That I had to date in years later. In the summer. Did I mention it was in DC?

And if I'd won a Mustang my dad probably would have sold it anyway.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Steve in Manhattan 11/06/2014 at 15:11

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The front suspension from a Mustang II would be a massive upgrade for my front end.

I don't have intentions of doing it due to the fact that my Montego is a Cyclone Package which gave me special power steering and a front sway bar, so it would take away the package to put on Mustang II.

But don't forget I'm rocking 4 drum brakes and no brake booster. My front suspension isn't much to write home about.

Steve in Manhattan > T5Killer 11/06/2014 at 15:11

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And Mary Tyler Moore drove one:

OPPOsaurus WRX > CRider 11/06/2014 at 15:14

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I was so excited when it was announced that HUMMER would be a whole car company. Way to disappoint me GM

Trevor Slattery, ACTOR > Steve in Manhattan 11/06/2014 at 15:15

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In March 1948, the British offered the Volkswagen company to Ford, free of charge.

We are all done here.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Steve in Manhattan 11/06/2014 at 15:18

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That looks like a late 69-70 not a 71-73. Might be wrong though.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Steve in Manhattan 11/06/2014 at 15:21

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when a modified Celica ended up like a Lambo

davedave1111 > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 11/06/2014 at 15:31

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Can we do the Montego/Montego joke again as the biggest blunder?

From this:

To this:

Steve in Manhattan > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 11/06/2014 at 15:34

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How can I argue with that? And did I mention there were no power brakes on dad's '69 Impala? I'm lucky it had a steering wheel.

davedave1111 > Steve in Manhattan 11/06/2014 at 15:34

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Fiat really screwed up on this one:

Nothing against the 500, a perfectly decent little car if a bit cutesy. Only thing was that they put all their resources into pushing it at the expense of probably the best car built by any manufacturer in the last decade or two.

lone_liberal > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback 11/06/2014 at 15:34

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It's a '70. The vent-like front turn signal bezels give it away.

Steve in Manhattan > davedave1111 11/06/2014 at 15:35

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Never gets old.

Steve in Manhattan > davedave1111 11/06/2014 at 15:38

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Agreed - I still don't understand why they don't sell them here in US America.

Steve in Manhattan > Trevor Slattery, ACTOR 11/06/2014 at 15:40

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Yeah - game, set, match. I'd forgotten that fact.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > davedave1111 11/06/2014 at 15:43

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only if you use a good Mercury Montego and compare it to another MERCURY Montego

GOOD:

bad:

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Steve in Manhattan 11/06/2014 at 15:46

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Haha.

Well, I DO have power steering and cruising around town I think it handles just fine and stops great. If I was doing anything more than just cruising around and going to car shows - it would be one of my first upgrades

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > lone_liberal 11/06/2014 at 15:46

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That's what I thought. Those signal things are why I had said something. Thanks for verifying that for me!

T5Killer > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback 11/06/2014 at 15:47

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Its a '70 the '69 had quad headlights.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > T5Killer 11/06/2014 at 15:49

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Yeah, thought it was a 70 but wasn't 100% sure.

Steve in Manhattan > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 11/06/2014 at 16:09

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Mercury really didn't do much wrong in the late 60s. I like the looks of the Cougar. And this handsome sucker:

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Steve in Manhattan 11/06/2014 at 16:28

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Montego woody wagon!

I raise you this big bad son of a bitch:

(69 Marauder)

Steve in Manhattan > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 11/06/2014 at 16:33

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Those wheels are every bit as good-looking as the Buick five-spokers of the period.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Steve in Manhattan 11/06/2014 at 16:47

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There was one of these for sale near me for under 3k recently too.

Unbelievable how people have forgotten about Mercury.

Steve in Manhattan > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 11/06/2014 at 17:18

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I briefly flirted with the idea of a different wagon - was overruled in favor of an '88 Camry wagon - but I had selected a Sable wagon, not the Taurus.

StoneCold > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback 11/06/2014 at 18:01

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Definitely a '70

Steve in Manhattan > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 11/06/2014 at 18:29

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I should also say, when I was 4 or 5, there was a guy next store assembling a '53 Chevy from 3 cars, but there was also one of these up the street. And I never saw it move, but I'd walk up there to look at it. If memory serves, the roof was red.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > CRider 11/06/2014 at 18:58

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You called?