• From: Land Of Subarus, Colorado
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 9,416

Topic: Finally, exhaustive analysis of the best and worst Lemons cars

http://cache-08.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/12/2010/01/500x_lemonstorturetesttop_01.jpg

I finally went through the results of the 2008-2009 seasons and calculated the most and least reliable Lemons cars, in terms of top-, middle-, or bottom-third finishes. The slowest car on the track will finish in the top third of the standings if it doesn't break, so my analysis is much more about reliability than speed.

What were the results? The top three most reliable cars:
1. Volvo 240
2. Alfa Romeo Milano
3. Saturn S Series

The least reliable?
1. Anything British
2. BMW E21
3. Pontiac Fiero

And, yes, the E30 turns out to be pretty decent, although a 2002 has a better chance of avoiding the bottom third of the standings (i.e., not breaking down in some manner that takes 6+ hours to fix, which is how you get in the bottom third at Lemons).

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  • From: Brandywine, MD
  • Registered: 2009-07-15
  • Posts: 4,528

Re: Finally, exhaustive analysis of the best and worst Lemons cars

Nicely done, except for leaving the Lincoln marque out entirely.

Captain: Speedycop & The Gang Of Outlaws -'94 Mark VIII (Least Horrible Yank Tank Stafford '09, NOLA '10) '61 Caddy (Org Choice-NL '09) '63 Tbird (EPIC Repair Failure-Gingerman '10, I Got Screwed-Summit Pt '10, I.O.E. WINNER Stafford '10!) '77 Lancia Scorpion (I.O.E. WINNER Joliet 2010!) '67 Galaxie 500 (Judges Choice-CMP '11)
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  • Spank
  • Utter Madman
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  • From: Escondido, CA
  • Registered: 2009-06-10
  • Posts: 5,864

Re: Finally, exhaustive analysis of the best and worst Lemons cars

Wow, our gutless mini is one of 4 of the "yellow pie" British cars I guess thanks to it actually finishing it's only event thus far. So we're in the middle of the worst, so to speak.

It was sorta funny when I got to looking at the MyLaps report of the Buttonwillow event a month or so ago-- if the time counter in the results is to be believed, that little mini spent more time out on track than any other car in the race... of course, it covered a helluvalot less ground than the rest of the field...

Here's hoping it'll hold together at Sears Pointless!

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  • From: Chattanooga TN
  • Registered: 2009-09-18
  • Posts: 108

Re: Finally, exhaustive analysis of the best and worst Lemons cars

So how much is it that a car that is perceived to be reliable is driven to the point of unreliability, then sold in our price range. Whereas a perceived unreliable car's value drops like a stone to our price range well before it's had the snot run out of it and is therefore more reliable?
My head hurts...

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  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2009-08-17
  • Posts: 364

Re: Finally, exhaustive analysis of the best and worst Lemons cars

Italian cars tend to do well because after all they're engineered to be driven by an Italian and in Italy... which is essentially the same as the 24 Hour of Lemons each and every day

Pendejo Engineering "Captain" - 1991 Alfa 164
1983 Shaguar XJ-S V-12 "The Two Ton Miata"
1995 Mercedes S600 V-12  - First car ever CLAIMED by JAY!
1980 Maserati Quattroporte - Judge's Choice

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  • From: 5,280 ft.
  • Registered: 2009-05-01
  • Posts: 1,298

Re: Finally, exhaustive analysis of the best and worst Lemons cars

Speedycop wrote:

Nicely done, except for leaving the Lincoln marque out entirely.

Murilee wrote:

To be considered for this list, a vehicle had to have racked up at least 10 car-races

mike - Schumacher Taxi Service
12+-time loser
"Winner" - We Got Screwed, NJMP '11

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  • From: ny
  • Registered: 2009-05-15
  • Posts: 525

Re: Finally, exhaustive analysis of the best and worst Lemons cars

firebird/camaro 4th from the bottom! awesome.

we've had 2 middle third finishes at least, sorta bringing up the average.  now, if we could only spend less than 5 hours off track, we might be on to something

  • Registered: 2009-10-25
  • Posts: 1,993

Re: Finally, exhaustive analysis of the best and worst Lemons cars

sadly the one and only 928 to compete would fall right into the middle third category...  just about like the 924-944 which has many of the same aliments as the 928 "estate"  in finicky electronics and engines that have a taste for rod bearings :>(

Richard Doty
1984 Porsche 928 "Estate"
Porsche- "there is A substitute" Racing
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  • jkfoto
  • jkfoto
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  • From: SLC
  • Registered: 2009-05-30
  • Posts: 303

Re: Finally, exhaustive analysis of the best and worst Lemons cars

magnusracing wrote:

Italian cars tend to do well because after all they're engineered to be driven by an Italian and in Italy... which is essentially the same as the 24 Hour of Lemons each and every day

Been there done that... agreed!

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  • From: Choctaw, Oklahoma
  • Registered: 2009-11-12
  • Posts: 2,145

Re: Finally, exhaustive analysis of the best and worst Lemons cars

Dammit! I voted for the Pulsar, but NO. "The Jag is soooo much cooler looking!" It's a good thing I'm halfway around the world from my teammates right now...

  • From: WOOTville USA
  • Registered: 2009-05-06
  • Posts: 2,415

Re: Finally, exhaustive analysis of the best and worst Lemons cars

Lies. All lies I tell you.

"Real ZomBees prefer Bacon"
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12 Reply by magnusracing (edited by magnusracing 2010-01-23 10:53 PM)

  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2009-08-17
  • Posts: 364

Re: Finally, exhaustive analysis of the best and worst Lemons cars

So when the Jaguar XJS takes an overall win at Infineon how will this affect the results?

By the way I'm taking wagers... payout is 108% if the Jaguar does NOT win overall. How can you go wrong? Contact me for paypal info wink

Pendejo Engineering "Captain" - 1991 Alfa 164
1983 Shaguar XJ-S V-12 "The Two Ton Miata"
1995 Mercedes S600 V-12  - First car ever CLAIMED by JAY!
1980 Maserati Quattroporte - Judge's Choice

magnusracing's Website

  • Registered: 2009-10-25
  • Posts: 1,993

Re: Finally, exhaustive analysis of the best and worst Lemons cars

magnusracing wrote:

So when the Jaguar XJS takes an overall win at Infineon how will this affect the results?

By the way I'm taking wagers... payout is 108% if the Jaguar does NOT win overall. How can you go wrong? Contact me for paypal info wink

Hmm 108%.....so I bet $100 to win $108...or $8.........right.....so I get a grand total of $108 when the Wankers fail?  If so I like those odds....seems like an instant $8 to me??

Richard Doty
1984 Porsche 928 "Estate"
Porsche- "there is A substitute" Racing
Dirt Poorsche Racing #2
  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2009-08-17
  • Posts: 364

Re: Finally, exhaustive analysis of the best and worst Lemons cars

Yes... way better than a savings account right? smile

Pendejo Engineering "Captain" - 1991 Alfa 164
1983 Shaguar XJ-S V-12 "The Two Ton Miata"
1995 Mercedes S600 V-12  - First car ever CLAIMED by JAY!
1980 Maserati Quattroporte - Judge's Choice

magnusracing's Website

  • Registered: 2010-01-09
  • Posts: 9

Re: Finally, exhaustive analysis of the best and worst Lemons cars

My team just scored a free '79 Alfa Sprint Veloce with a seized SPICA pump. I think we will put a roots blower on it to bring the reliability down.

  • From: Toronto, Ontario
  • Registered: 2009-05-03
  • Posts: 1,114

Re: Finally, exhaustive analysis of the best and worst Lemons cars

See if you can find Lucas electronic fuel injection while you're at it...

Jim "Endo" Anderton
30 years of racing and still not Brambilla.....
  • Registered: 2010-01-09
  • Posts: 9

Re: Finally, exhaustive analysis of the best and worst Lemons cars

jimeditorial wrote:

See if you can find Lucas electronic fuel injection while you're at it...

That would score us some bonus laps, but we could be team "SPICA the Devil"!!