Cars you heted then....

OK, this came up in the FWD to RWD conversion thread but it could be fun on it's own.

Car's you hated then, but love now.

1. Ford EXP
2. Saab Sonnett
3. Original Mini's ( I was a Hillman Imp owner so we were natural enemies)
4. Early 90's Crown Vic, the last square one.
5. Suzuki SC100, I don't think they ever sold them here, but if there was ever a car looking for a bike engine conversion this is it.
6. 1993 White Geo Tracker with pink lettering and blue seats that was bought by my wife new, prior to be moving to the US :)
7. late 60's early 70 Rolls Royce
8. Fox body Mustangs. When I saw them in the UK they just seemed pointless, then I moved here and 'got it'
9. Ford Anglia 105E

And the logical flip side - cars you loved then but hate now

1. Any Ferrari launched in the 80's (the 308, 328, 288GTO are excluded as the shape was from the 70's)
2. Lambo Diablo ugh ugh double ugh triple ugh and ugh
3. 1976 Aston Martin Lagonda, Flash Gordon eat your heart out.
4. Mitsu Evo's Seemed so cool when we couldn't them, then I made the mistake of riding in one!

EErrr can some one correct my typo in the title, hated, not heted !!!!

I HATE BENTLEY ARNAGES!!!!!!!! im getting mad just typing that...

Dare I say it?

Miata.

How could Mazda presume to "copy" the classic British roadster? How could they so blatantly steal the shape of the Elan? They couldn't possibly have any soul or any character. Yep, 20 years ago, I was a Miata hater.

Not any more....

I used to hate anything made by AMC when I was JFX the Younger....but, now, I'd like to have a Kammback. Just because I think that a car that looks like a Gremlin on steroids looks cool,and no one else in the tri-county are has one, or knows what it is.

Adrian_Thompson wrote: 1. Ford EXP

Uck. Still hate it. My first car was an EGT. Time and nostalgia has made the styling cool, but doesn't change the dreadful chassis and suspension geometry. All the flex of a 3 door Fox with none of the straight line prowess.

Still want one, though.

How similar are the 80's American Escorts (EXP inc) and the Euro Escorts of the time? Having been born and grew up in in the UK I was 10 when the Mk III Escort was launched and remember the XR3 (then XR3i, RS1600i and RS turbo) being the absolute 'dog's bollocks' to use the parlance from my youth. The cars do share a similar heritage and once you remove the fat American bumper the basic shape is still there. I've often wonder how..if… about building a fun one. I guess I should know working for Ford, but it's all ancient history and I have no idea.

I used to little to no respect for those "downsized" Fords.

Seems now that I would like to have a Fairmont Wagon V8 w/ 5 speed

jrw1621 wrote: I used to little to no respect for those "downsized" Fords. Seems now that I would like to have a Fairmont Wagon V8 w/ 5 speed

I hear ya !!!

PREFACE: I was born in '80

-AE86

-92-ish SE-R

-510

-any big 80's v8 wagons

-80s Benz's

-90s MX6

I heted Jap cars. Then I bought a RN Truck. Now all I own (besides the Loti and Harleys) is Jap cars.

I used to hate the E36 M Coupe when it first came out, but I loved the Z3 styling. I still like the Z3 styling, but now the M Coupes make me think dirty thoughts (in a good way). I have never driven one, but for whatever reason my opinion of the styling has done a complete 180 over the last decade.

Bryce

1. 1st gen CRX compared to 2nd gen.

2. Ford Festiva.

3. 1st gen Dodge Charger (daddy wants a big boat now.)

4. Honda Element (damn, I want 5-speed 4WD BAD.)

5. I HATED the MRS when it came out. What the hell was I thinking!?

I absolutely hated the IROC-Z! Cars meant for mullet headed Billy Squier blasting aviation sunglass wearers.

Then I bought a 5 speed desmogged w/holley carb, aftermarket ignition, old style mags, and fell in love with it. Affectionately named it "the Pig" and drove it for about a year before I had to sell. Bye Pig!

'95 Pontiac Sunfire while my wife was driving it.

Once we got her a reliable new car I relegated the Sunfire to beater status. And what a beater it is! I downright abuse the car, and even beat a co-worker's Jeep on the flex ramp score (tests suspension flex). The darn thing just keeps running and getting 28mpg. I cursed it for 2 years and even threatened to set it on fire, but now I just keep driving and laughing.

The 98-02 Camaro restyle. Looked like a damn catfish. At least the Firebird sort of stayed pretty (the be-winged and scooped WS6 anyways). No that "retro" is all the rage, I love them.

Miata. I was always a rotorhead, so the idea of a cute little underpowered girlie car being Mazda's new "flagship sportscar" flat pissed me off. Now it's everything I can do not to drag one home!

MRS...it looks half-Porsche ripoff and half-Malibu Barbie's Beach cruiser. Anyone who'd seen it before driving it would hate it at first. Once you know how it handles and that it can be given a butched-up look with a few modifications, it seems pretty good.

I used to hate Fox body mustangs, and miatas were the ultimate chick car. Camaros and Trans Ams were always parked at a Bruce Springstein concert with their matching metal flake bowling balls in the trunk and big haired girls riding shotgun. Now, I'd pay someone for any of those cars.

Once you see one lift the inside front wheel on corner exit, it seems pretty good.

fixed.

Mmmm. Still hate most of the cars on the original list. Still love Diablos and Evos.

Early 90s Accord Sedan with a 5 speed and the little I4.

Figured I would hate it because you know... its an early 90s Accord Sedan with a tiny engine...

But god damn was that car an unreal amount of fun. Especially coming from an overly stiff reasonably capable car.

Not a fast car, not the highest limits and buckets of body roll... but reasonable handling especially for other cars I would compare it against. Not a car that was gonna move really fast, but sure as hell was fun to try. Would actually really like to throw some sway bars and stiffer springs on one and see what you end up with.

I never cared for any lamborghini made after the Jalpa.

Cars I hated then, but like now.. I liked most of the cars on that list (I would love a sonnet) but the one I owned and hated when I owned it was a first gen Hyundai Excel.

Like the sunfire story above, it was the car that would not die. Sideswiped a bridge with it, rallied it in the Jersey Jump (and wounded the front suspension) siezed two rear wheel bearings (within days of each other) and replaced the trans when the mainshaft went... I finally traded it in at 167,000 miles... and honestly, I miss it's ready character. It was car that could handle dirt AND snow with aplomb.. but just needed more than it's official 62hp

DUDE!

Is that Danger Mouse?

Black Stig wrote: DUDE! Is that Danger Mouse?

Yup, It's DM, the best crime fighter, action hero of them all.

I used to hate Ford Aspires...oh wait, I still do....but I will give it a hand because it has taken about 6000 hard miles of Chinese Food delivery and has barely had a hiccup.