80's cars that didn't suck

[Drew Dowdell]

I took this idea from another forum I'm on. I'd like to compare and contrast the results.

[Sixty8panther]

First and foremost:

- 1987 Buick Grand National (& more so the 547 almighty GNXs made by ASC/McL)

- Corvette ZR1 (engineered in the 80s)

- F-bodys... esp. Tunned Port 350s

- 5.0 Mustangs

- first gen. BMW M3

[toesuf94]

The F-bodys - Iroc TPI 350 and Trans Am Turbo in particular

Buick T-type Regals and Grand Nationals

Dodge Omni GLH-Turbo's were fun!

Fiero GT 6 Cylinders w/ the flying buttress rears...lovely cars.

Monte Carlo SS

Pontiac 2+2 Aero Coupe

Calloway Twin Turbo Vettes

Volvo 740GLH - Tire smoking boxes are cool!

[the_yellow_dart]

Design wise...

The Corvette.

Seriously, I think that's it. Maybe the Diablo?

[CARBIZ]

'87 and newer LeBaron convertibles: nice styling, a useable back seat and okay ride.

Forget the earlier versions or the Dodge 600 - or whatever they called them.

[mustang84]

1981-1987/88 G-bodies

All F-bodies

1983-1989 Mustang GT

1983-1989 Thunderbird / Cougar / Mark VII

Early 80s Malibu

Caprice / Impala

1980-1985 Delta 88 coupe

Cadillac Allante

Edited August 10, 2007 by mustang84

[trinacriabob]

WMJ, you think like me! I pity you, just kidding!

LOVED that Grand Prix and LOVED the dash. Pontiac has always done a better job with dashes than other GM divisions.

Add to the 1981 to 1987 Grand Prix the 1981 to 1987 RWD Cutlass Supreme coupe, preferably in small-block V8 form.

[Oracle of Delphi]

WMJ, you think like me! I pity you, just kidding!

LOVED that Grand Prix and LOVED the dash. Pontiac has always done a better job with dashes than other GM divisions.

Add to the 1981 to 1987 Grand Prix the 1981 to 1987 RWD Cutlass Supreme coupe, preferably in small-block V8 form.

Awww Bob, you're speaking my language!

[Robert Hall]

GM RWD B-bodies

GM RWD C-bodies

GM RWD A/G-body coupes

'85-89 Camaro IROC Z

'85-89 Firebird Trans Am/GTA

'82-89 Mustang GT

'85-89 Mustang LX 5.0

'84-85 Mustang SVO

'83-86, '87-88 Thunderbirds (esp. Turbo Coupes)

'89 Thunderbird SC

'83-86 Cougar

LTD Crown Victoria

Grand Marquis

Town Car

FWD Buick Electra T-Type

'80-85 Caddy Seville

'80-85 Caddy Eldorado

'80-85 Buick Riviera

'80-85 Olds Toronado

'80s BMW 6 series, 7 series

'80s Mercedes S-Class (SEL,SEC), SL

'80s Porsche 911 SC, 944 Turbo, 928

Ferrari Testarossa

I can't think of any '80s Japanese cars that I really strongly liked.

[Sixty8panther]

Moltar:

Maybe the 1st gen. "Celica Supra"?

I know it's a Toyota but it's not bad for a Toyota, the 300ZX of course,

The Diablo came out in 1991 didn't it?

BMW 6-series (esp. M6) and the MB 560SEC hardtop....

[Camino LS6]

GM G, F, B body cars and GM trucks in general.

[Robert Hall]

Moltar:

Maybe the 1st gen. "Celica Supra"?

I know it's a Toyota but it's not bad for a Toyota, the 300ZX of course,

The Diablo came out in 1991 didn't it?

BMW 6-series (esp. M6) and the MB 560SEC hardtop....

Ah, yeah..I forgot about the Celica XX/aka Supra. I haven't seen one of those in probably 15 years or more.. I liked the second gen Supra also quite a bit (still a long-nosed Celica). My sister had an '86 300ZX..they were okay, but I much prefer the '90s version (she had a '91 Turbo for a couple of years). I saw a goregous dark blue 560SEC the other day...love those cars.

Edited August 10, 2007 by moltar

[mustang84]

Taurus SHO

[Robert Hall]

Taurus SHO

Nice..I forgot the SHO came out as an '89...

[Cory Wolfe]

All that you need to know:

[pow]

When I think '80s I think Volvo (parents had a 740 Turbo, 760 diesel, and 240), Audi (when the Quattro turned things around), VW (Rabbit, Fox, Scirocco; the good old days), Saab (900!), Mercedes (parents had a yellow 300SD), Datsun/Nissan (280Z?), and the Chrysler minivan. For Europe, Ford stands out the most... Sierra Cosworths, Escorts, etc.

[Robert Hall]

WMJ, you think like me! I pity you, just kidding!

LOVED that Grand Prix and LOVED the dash. Pontiac has always done a better job with dashes than other GM divisions.

Add to the 1981 to 1987 Grand Prix the 1981 to 1987 RWD Cutlass Supreme coupe, preferably in small-block V8 form.

That steering wheel in that GP looks like the one from the FWD cars.. I like the wheel from the early 80s GP...a 3-spoke with big round center pad, aluminumish trim on the spokes..

[§carlet §wordfish]

Corvette

Grand Prix

Grand Prix sedan

Cadillac Brougham

Seville slantback

Mustang (even though it looked like an Escort)

Golf

[Flybrian]

[daves87rs]

GPs

MCs

GNs

mid 80s (85-87) Cavaliers :AH-HA_wink:

[pow]

When I think '80s I think Volvo (parents had a 740 Turbo, 760 diesel, and 240), Audi (when the Quattro turned things around), VW (Rabbit, Fox, Scirocco; the good old days), Saab (900!), Mercedes (parents had a yellow 300SD), Datsun/Nissan (280Z?), and the Chrysler minivan. For Europe, Ford stands out the most... Sierra Cosworths, Escorts, etc.

Forgot to mention '80s BMWs... 'doh. Sure, the original 2002 in the '70s started it all, but it was in the '80s when they became common, especially in places like Newporsche Beach.

[NINETY EIGHT REGENCY]

I notice no mentions the bad period of GM 1985-1988 with all the cars were downsized and many other things. Most here drive the GM cars of the 90s or the early 21st century.

My favorite era was the 1980-1985 GM C, B, E and G bodies( 1981-1988).

Edited August 11, 2007 by NINETY EIGHT REGENCY

[ehaase]

Moltar listed all the ones I like.

[Sixty8panther]

Seville slantback

Who could forget the 1980-85 Cadillac Seville K-body....?

BUSTLE-BACKS rule! I need to buy one ASAP & convert it to RWD.

[Camino LS6]

Who could forget the 1980-85 Cadillac Seville K-body....?

BUSTLE-BACKS rule! I need to buy one ASAP & convert it to RWD.

This is where 68 and I part company, I see this bodystyle as one of the ugliest things ever produced.

[Sixty8panther]

One man's trash....

[Cory Wolfe]

This is where 68 and I part company, I see this bodystyle as one of the ugliest things ever produced.

But, I probably have no room to speak here...

[Drew Dowdell]

This is where 68 and I part company, I see this bodystyle as one of the ugliest things ever produced.

I want a diesel one....

[Sixty8panther]

I've been thinkning a LOT recently about the realities of fuel economy & reliability of

1930s & 1950s classic cars, the big boats I want to daily drive... & I'm giving serious

thought to dropping a D.D. 6.6TD into a 1950s car for a daily driver/winter beater.

[knightfan26917]

The Monte Carlo.

(Anyone have any doubt as to what I'd say?)

Cort:33swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve.pacemaker

WRMNshowcase.lego.HO.model.MCs.RT.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"Keep this feelin' alive" ... Eric Carmen ... 'Make Me Lose Control'

[2005 EquinoxLS]

Not a clue Knightfan. Of course you wouldnt guess mine either. The RWD midsizers are nice too.

[Sixty8panther]

Camino:

Well... the tread was labeled cars btu since we're on the topic

of the BOF 4x4 variety I agree.... I absolutely love 1980s GM

trucks, esp. of the fullsize variety!

I also love most medium/heavy duty trucks of the 1980s.

[NOS2006]

Sorry, but those bustlebacks have got to be some of the most ugly damn cars ever made. I even put Azteks ahead of those things.

[Oracle of Delphi]

Who could forget the 1980-85 Cadillac Seville K-body....?

BUSTLE-BACKS rule! I need to buy one ASAP & convert it to RWD.

Even I don't like bustlebacks!

[Sixty8panther]

Before I even knew such a brand as Cadillac existed, before

I was aware that GM was the biggest (& BEST ) Automotive

manufacturer in the world, as a kid living in Eastern Europe I

saw a picture of TWO Bustlebacks when my mother visited

the USA in 1985.

It was in the parking lot of Lechmere in Dedham, Mass... in

August of 1985 and one was gold and the other was baby blue

my mother loved those cars and had my dad take a picture

of the two of them side by side, that would be the first

American car I'd become obsessed with as a kid after

drooling over Porsches, BMWs and other European exotics.

It's a personal thing.

[Delta Force79]

As far as Bustle Backs go, I'd rather a Lincoln Continental or a '81-'83 Imperial.

1980-89 Chrysler M-bodies, Diplomat, Gran Fury or New Yorker/Fifth Avenue.

1988-89 Chrysler LeBaron coupe.

Chrysler Town & Country convert.

1981-83 Chrysler Imperial

Dodge RamCharger

1983-88 For T-Bird, especially Turbo Coupes wiht the round tailights

1989 T-Bird SC

Lincoln Mark VII LSC

Lincoln Continental bustleback

1980-85 Ford Bronco

1985 Ford LTD (replaced by Taurus)

1984-88 Monte Carlo SS

1980-87 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme coupe

1980-84 Delta 88 coupe

1980-84 Oldsmobile 98

1985-89 Toronado/Trofeo

1988-89 Buick Regal, Cutlass Supreme, Grand Prix

Buick GNX

Buick LeSabre, Regal T-Type

K-5 Blazer

Cutlass Ciera International Series

[ehaase]

1985 Ford LTD (replaced by Taurus)

I always found the 1985 LTD LX, which had the 185 hp Mustang 302 with throttle body fuel injection, an interesting Ford sedan from that era.

[speedingpenguin]

Call me queer, but I love the 80's turbocharged 4 banger dodges..... i.e. my 88 Shelby Z Daytona :-)

What about the Starion/Conquest?

[Sixty8panther]

T-minus 3 minutes: Mass-Penn LeSabre Roadtrip.

Here's the Turbo Daytona @ Camino's house.

Aaaaand here's a new sig.

[CMG]

Chevy- Monte Carlo SS mid 80s

- some Corvettes, but only on a "comparison" basis. The 80's wasn't the pinnacle of the Corvette...

Buick- Grand National

Ford- Mustang 5.0 (later 80s the better)

-Thunderbird SuperCoupes

Dodge- Mirada CMX/ Cordoba LS

Some of the Shelby MoPars were cool too, the VNT turbo Daytona as well

How about imports?

BMW M1 stands out for me.... it was made until 1981 I think..

Quite a few decent imports

[daves87rs]

Call me queer, but I love the 80's turbocharged 4 banger dodges..... i.e. my 88 Shelby Z Daytona :-)

What about the Starion/Conquest?

Hey, I like em' too!

[ToniCipriani]

You guys might beat me up for this, but I think the BMW E30 3-series. I always liked those convertible ones.

Edited August 12, 2007 by ToniCipriani