Welcome to Pixel Car Art

[civicfan14]

Like it says, its only for fun, nothing else-don't get offended. Cars are on the list for various reasons, including looks, quality, performance, and even stereotypes. Some are cars that often end up on these lists and some are a little bit surprising.

Lets start with the top 20 worst American cars...

20. Ford Explorer
(IMG:http://www.7passengervehiclesreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/FOrd-Explorer.jpg)
Forget about the Firestone tire controversy-the Explorer launched a huge obsession with oversized SUVs. In the 1990's, Ford placed a station-wagon style body on the F-series truck platform. The Explorer was a instant sellout, causing Detroit to put out more and more large SUVs and Pickups into the market and neglecting the small car market. It worked well until gas prices rose to $4 a gallon...we all know what happened after that.
19. Edsel Corsair
(IMG:http://allencarswell.com/estore/images/1959%20Corsair.jpg)
The Corsair (ok, whatever, all Edsel models) wasn't really a bad car design itself per se, however several factors caused it to be the biggest automotive flop ever. Buyers hated the "horsecollar grille" and the push-button controls on the steering wheel, which meant you ended up shifting gears while honking your horn. Also, all the Edsel models were large cars that arrived right in the middle of a recession...which certainly didn't help.
18. Chevrolet Corvette C6
(IMG:http://images.loqu.com/contents/652/673/image/3/jc/Police%20Cars%2016.jpg)
The Corvette is a excellent track car, but it really isn't a good road car. Huge panel gaps, a interior that is made mostly of plastic, extreme rattling and the thinnest leather ever seen in a car. And why doesn't it have pop-up headlights?
17. Chevrolet Corvette California Edition
(IMG:http://www.rpmgo.com/images2009/Top-50-Worst-Cars-In-All-History-PART-3-10.jpg)
Probably the lowest point of American motoring, the Cali Vette was nothing close to a performer. Sold only in CA during the 1980 model year (thank goodness!), the 350 small-block V8 was mated to a 3-speed slushbox made (barely) 180 hp. This is the Corvette that even most diehard Corvette fans hate.
16. Chevrolet Iron Duke Camaro
(IMG:http://www.gmphotostore.com/images/53219354_pr.jpg)
Back in the 1920's, 90 hp was a lot of power. 60 years later, 90 hp is laughable. So why did GM decide to stick the 90hp 2.5 Iron Duke 4 in the Camaro, the symbol of Chevy performance (ok, the Corvette is, but still...) and the ultimate Mustang fighter? Better yet, just like the CA Vette, the Camaro's engine was connected to a 3-speed slushbox, which made the whole package amazing...ly s**t. 0-60 in 20 seconds must be fun...

To be continued...

This post has been edited by civicfan14: Mar 4 2011, 12:55 AM

[civicfan14]

1. Chevrolet Vega
(IMG:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/44/71_Chevy_Vega_Hatchback.jpg)
When Chevrolet Division Manager John DeLorean went and took a look at the Vega prototype, legends has it that the entire front end fell onto the ground. That didn't stop the car from going to production, however. To defend Chevrolet against the surge of import compacts that were selling better and better every year, GM rushed the new H-Body cars (Chevy Vega and Pontiac Astre.) They were pretty conventional, with the car's 4 cylinder block sending power to the rear wheels. However the Vega's aluminum engine was pretty innovative at the time. And at $2000.00, the car was pretty cheap.

Too bad the car was a total disaster.

The Elpo rustproofing process was considered to be perfect in theory. The assembled Vega body was dipped in a vat containing reddish-brown paint-primer particles in 65,000 gallons of water. The body had a positive charge and the primer particles had a negative charge, and by leaving the car in the vat for 2 minutes, every part of the car would have been covered in theory. The car was then dried, wet-sanded, sealer-coated and finally sprayed with acrylic lacquer and baked at 300 degrees. However, the front end design caused air to be trapped in the fenders, and since there were no fender liners for most cars sold until late 1974, the fenders quickly rusted. Rust damage also affected the rocker panels, the door bottoms, the area beneath the windshield, and the primary body structure above the rockers. If the horrible rust wasn't enough, then the engine was even worse. The two-barrel carburetor backfired, causing a recall early on in the Vega's life. The engine mounts easily broke and the engine then shook hard. The top cover would then jump up and down, which activated the accelerator pump, which shot raw gasoline through the cylinders and into the exhaust system. The Vega's cooling system was barely adequate, and since most owners didn't have time to check the coolant as often as it required, the engines easily overheated. Antifreeze to seep past the head gasket, causing piston scuffing inside the cylinders. Damaged cylinder walls were common, caused by brittle valve stem seals and thin piston plating. The Vega engine was improved in 1975 to solve overheating problems, but by then it was too little, too late. In the 80's, Vega owners junked their cars so aggressively that many scrapyards were no longer accepting them. Many of them moved onto the Japanese makes, never even looking at an American product again, leaving the Big Three to the horrible financial condition that they are in today.

However, the Vega did have some benefits-it was light, small, RWD and the engine bay accepted a much more reliable and powerful engine-the Chevy Small-Block. The car also outhandled most American cars of the time-in fact its handling was on par to more expensive sports cars. Due to this, Vegas were and still are common for drag and circuit racing, and thanks to the growing Vega hot-rodding scene, the little car is now gaining respect from people that once hated it. Just don't expect to find one with the original aluminum block anytime soon.

This post has been edited by civicfan14: Jun 5 2011, 01:47 AM