• From: central ohio
  • Registered: 2009-09-19
  • Posts: 324

Re: Cars to Avoid!!

Stovebolt wrote:

How about dodge shadow ES turbos, GLHs, dodge Daytonas?  I owned Shadow ES turbo, and it handled very well, had a water cooled turbo, 2" exhaust, equal length half shafts and beefy CV's, etc, decent brakes - but the "on paper" aspect would be history about the time the engine blew a head gasket and was put back on the trailer.

there was red Omni GLH at Nelson Ledges that really looked    ( and sounded )    great on track but im not sure how they placed        maybe the team that ran it will see this and elaborate ........................

spectator "Lamest Day 09",DNF "American Irony" 2010,DNS "Capitol Offense"2010,DNF "Gingervitis"2011,DNF"ShowroomShlock"2011 maybe someday....                                                                                     
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
"luckily I didnt go into the mountain,.......I went over the cliff. I was doin 300 MPH sideways and 100 ft. down at the same time............"

prime suspect's Website

52 Reply by KTL

  • KTL
  • Paddock Rat
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-08-21
  • Posts: 49

Re: Cars to Avoid!!

The GLH did look good but did not fare very well at the end- top 1/2 finish at 68th place.  Sounded quite sick at the end.  However it did make it to the end so congrats to them.

The 2.2 pushrod motor is pretty tough.  I had a 2.2 Plymouth Horizon/DOdge Omni that I couldn't kill if I tried.  NEver changed the oil, never maintained it a bit since I was a stoopid kid.  Just kept running.  The 5 speed was pretty tough too.  I beat the crap out of that trans and it shifted great always.  Car had some pretty good GO for a 4 dr. hatchback econobox. 

The later OHC engines seem to suffer a little more in the Neons but they're still strong.  That's why people choose them.  But head gaskets do blow on them.  There was a Daytona there this year with a V6 and it held on for a solid 57th place finish.  Never looked too formidable though.  If I was going to go Daytona Mopar, i'd pick a mid 80's one (the turbo Z  would likely be a bad choice- remember anthing with a Z in it is doomed to FAIL Lemons)......and not the early 90's.  The 90s's are piles of shiat but kudos to the guys who finished 57th this year.

Kevin
  • From: Lake Orion, MI
  • Registered: 2009-10-06
  • Posts: 164

Re: Cars to Avoid!!

KTL wrote:

The GLH did look good but did not fare very well at the end- top 1/2 finish at 68th place.  Sounded quite sick at the end.  However it did make it to the end so congrats to them.

The 2.2 pushrod motor is pretty tough.  I had a 2.2 Plymouth Horizon/DOdge Omni that I couldn't kill if I tried.  NEver changed the oil, never maintained it a bit since I was a stoopid kid.  Just kept running.  The 5 speed was pretty tough too.  I beat the crap out of that trans and it shifted great always.  Car had some pretty good GO for a 4 dr. hatchback econobox. 

The later OHC engines seem to suffer a little more in the Neons but they're still strong.  That's why people choose them.  But head gaskets do blow on them.  There was a Daytona there this year with a V6 and it held on for a solid 57th place finish.  Never looked too formidable though.  If I was going to go Daytona Mopar, i'd pick a mid 80's one (the turbo Z  would likely be a bad choice- remember anthing with a Z in it is doomed to FAIL Lemons)......and not the early 90's.  The 90s's are piles of shiat but kudos to the guys who finished 57th this year.

The 2.2 engines are OHC, too.  I remember this quite well because the 2.2-powered Plymouth TC3 I owned way back when had a camshaft that was not properly hardened.  It seems there was a fairly significant batch of these "soft" cams around 1981-82ish.  Anyway, when I took off the valve cover, I saw that one of the lobes had basically disintegrated.  I quickly realized that my car must have been an early prototype for Chrysler's cylinder-deactivation technology, put the valve cover back on, and drove it as a (very shaky) 1.65L 3-cylinder for about a year before it finally crapped out.

Enjoy every sandwich.

54 Reply by KTL

  • KTL
  • Paddock Rat
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  • Registered: 2009-08-21
  • Posts: 49

Re: Cars to Avoid!!

My bad.  I thought they were OHV pushrod.  But you're right.  Now that I think about it, I rememeber a friend's turbo Shelby Charger having that big OHC proudly stamped on the alloy valve cover.

I thought of a funny car to avoid.  Ford Tempo/Mercury Topaz.  Holy cripe what a pile of garbage those things were.........

Kevin
  • From: Lake Orion, MI
  • Registered: 2009-10-06
  • Posts: 164

Re: Cars to Avoid!!

KTL wrote:

My bad.  I thought they were OHV pushrod.  But you're right.  Now that I think about it, I rememeber a friend's turbo Shelby Charger having that big OHC proudly stamped on the alloy valve cover.

I thought of a funny car to avoid.  Ford Tempo/Mercury Topaz.  Holy cripe what a pile of garbage those things were.........

No way, man.  There is a rare subspecies of Tempo, equipped with the 2.3 "HSO" (giving an extra 2hp over the 2.3 "HSC") and AWD.  Incomparable style and all-weather performance--a blind and broke man's Audi Quattro if there ever was one.  And don't even get me started on the Pontiac 6000 AWD...

Enjoy every sandwich.

56 Reply by KTL

  • KTL
  • Paddock Rat
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-08-21
  • Posts: 49

Re: Cars to Avoid!!

smackela wrote:
KTL wrote:

My bad.  I thought they were OHV pushrod.  But you're right.  Now that I think about it, I rememeber a friend's turbo Shelby Charger having that big OHC proudly stamped on the alloy valve cover.

I thought of a funny car to avoid.  Ford Tempo/Mercury Topaz.  Holy cripe what a pile of garbage those things were.........

No way, man.  There is a rare subspecies of Tempo, equipped with the 2.3 "HSO" (giving an extra 2hp over the 2.3 "HSC") and AWD.  Incomparable style and all-weather performance--a blind and broke man's Audi Quattro if there ever was one.  And don't even get me started on the Pontiac 6000 AWD...

I was looking at one of those 6000's (not the AWD) in wagon trim on Craigslist today.......  Man, the nightmares that beast could present at a Lemons race.   That would be like bringing an Eagle Premier to a race.............whoops, somebody did exactly that at Nelson Ledges!!!   That's impressive self-torture?

Kevin
  • From: Lake Orion, MI
  • Registered: 2009-10-06
  • Posts: 164

Re: Cars to Avoid!!

KTL wrote:
smackela wrote:
KTL wrote:

My bad.  I thought they were OHV pushrod.  But you're right.  Now that I think about it, I rememeber a friend's turbo Shelby Charger having that big OHC proudly stamped on the alloy valve cover.

I thought of a funny car to avoid.  Ford Tempo/Mercury Topaz.  Holy cripe what a pile of garbage those things were.........

No way, man.  There is a rare subspecies of Tempo, equipped with the 2.3 "HSO" (giving an extra 2hp over the 2.3 "HSC") and AWD.  Incomparable style and all-weather performance--a blind and broke man's Audi Quattro if there ever was one.  And don't even get me started on the Pontiac 6000 AWD...

I was looking at one of those 6000's (not the AWD) in wagon trim on Craigslist today.......  Man, the nightmares that beast could present at a Lemons race.   That would be like bringing an Eagle Premier to a race.............whoops, somebody did exactly that at Nelson Ledges!!!   That's impressive self-torture?

Even dodgier than the Premier, how about a Renault Medallion?

Enjoy every sandwich.