[Ming]

Here at GMinsidenews we spend a lot of time obsessing over cool GM cars. But what about those ones we don't want to remember? The equivalent of an AMC Pacer, Toyota Tercel, or Mercury Zephyr ...cars that the automakers have left behind, never (or unlikely) to use the names again. It might be because the car was terrible in some way, or just never really caught on with consumers and faded into the dustbin of history. Maybe you owned one and had a bad personal experience. Maybe its legacy was to spend its last 2 years of production for "fleet only". Whatever the reason, pick your "worst" Chevy!

And maybe someone at GM will take notice and make sure that nothing ever comes our way from Chevy again with any qualities of the "winning" car in the poll above. :lol:

 

[casket_demon]

I don't see the Cavalier on this llist,but somehow the Lumina made it which I think was leaps a bounds better than the Cavy.

 

[oldskls10]

I agree. The Lumina was a very GOOD car. There are still lots of them on the road and most of them look pretty good.

 

[Ming]

Originally posted by casket_demon@Jan 18 2004, 05:35 PM
I don't see the Cavalier on this llist,but somehow the Lumina made it which I think was leaps a bounds better than the Cavy.

I had it on the list but decided to narrow it down to only cars no longer in production. I also stayed within the last 30 years or so - I'm sure there was a stinker or two further back that I'm not familiar with.
BTW, some of these I actually like - but I chose those that I've heard people complain about, or just have an overall bad rep for one reason or another. A friend of mine calls his Lumina a 'steaming pile', and "the oil dripper" but maybe its just subjective. Another friend of mine also got caught in a Lumina rental car not but 2 years ago, and called it "old and crude - a granny car". I was embarassed to hear that it was the first ("and last") Chevy he had ever driven...
I actually think the Z34 Lumina coupes were cool.
But I just typed that in google and found this review:

What things have gone wrong with the car?
Oil Leak from Distributer plug.

Oil leak from Intake Manifold.

Alternators go out regularly.

Door Handle broke.

Stereo died.

Rear wheel noise still not figured out. 

General comments?
Oil Leaks and more oil leaks. This car leaked oil from the distributor plug that apparently this engine is famous for.

When I got the oil leak fixed at the dealer for $700, I swear they used sewing machine oil as my otherwise trouble free engine blew the #2 rod bearing a week later. This engine is known for being very strong and hard to destroy. It has had the oil replaced every 3 months or 3000 miles like clock work. Of course dealer denied any responsibility.

Took it elsewhere for engine replacement and now have massive oil leak from intake manifold that wasn't there for first 10,000 miles and just started out of the blue. This will probably cost a small fortune.

I would fix this myself, but this car has no room to work under the hood and is designed very mechanic unfriendly.

I have been through 2 alternators.

And old engine had mystery coolant leak no one could find, but could smell it. (Likely head gasket)

A nice car with lots of pep, but I am so tired or oil leaks and the high priced repairs I won't ever buy a Chevy again. My old Mercury was a dream I should have kept and my current Ford truck is also heaven compared to this GM product. I am tired of having to keep speedy dry in my driveway to catch the leaks from this nightmare.

 

[Hunter]

my dad had a citation. The manual transmission was from a truck, and it had a very long, un-car like throw. It ran fine when he got rid of it, but the body was completely rusted. He had to tie the driver's side door closed, and he had to get in through the passenger's door, go OVER the long stick-shift, and finally into the driver's seat. Oh, the memories...

 

[cvp33]

I can't believe the Citation is in the lead!!! Don't you remember the X-11 package. That car flat out hauled! Funiest thing I ever saw. It would smoke the front tires like mad, a rarity back in those days. Hell the Monte Carlo SS's could barely spin the rears back then, let alone the camaros. I still miss the radio turned verticle, even the aftermarket companies ignored it. :lol:

Here's a deal!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...7&category=6173

 

[Hunter]

Just for the record, I voted for the Chevette.

 

[coolcaddy]

Chevette? Vega? Sprint? The poll excludes what is perhaps the most trouble-prone Chevy of all time: the 1923 Copper Cooled Chevrolet.

...not that I'm an expert on that particular car, but don't I sound like I know what I'm talking about? B)

Anyway, among those in the list, I voted Sprint. What a piece of crap that was.

I dug the Citation (I wanted one badly as my first car before I was old enough to drive), the Vega was a rattletrap but it sure was pretty, the Chevette is cool enough to have a song written about it, the Beretta, Corsica, and Lumina are dull, but not so bad IMO, and I can't remember the others on the list as I type this.

 

[prod]

Chevette/Citation were good cars, I knew a few people with them that Lasted 200k without too much trouble.
I vote for the Sprint. Specifically the convertible because it looked like a running shoe. :lol:

 

[IMPALAon20s]

not sure lumina, corsica or baretta deserve to be on the list. im not old enough to remember the vega.

 

[SS4EVER]

I owned a chevette many years ago and had no trouble with it, it was great in the snow too and got me around everywhere. Sold it to a buddy of mine and he had it for many years. For that reason I couldn't vote on the chevette so I voted for the sprint on the grounds of its appearance. lasma:

BTY have you seen the current Lumina produced in the middle east? Check out that Cosmo Purple color, does it look better than the yellows we have over here? I kinda like the purple.

Lumina

 

[coolcaddy]

Originally posted by SS4EVER@Jan 19 2004, 02:04 PM
BTY have you seen the current Lumina produced in the middle east? Check out that Cosmo Purple color, does it look better than the yellows we have over here? I kinda like the purple.

Lumina

What the...is that a Monaro knock-off??? Why does Chevy ME get a sweet Lumina like that one while we were stuck with the, well, the one we had?? :blink:

 

[Hudson]

CoolCaddy...you beat me to it. Most of them are said to be at the bottom of Lake Erie.

 

[spdwayGm]

Both my Celeb & Vega were easy to maintain cars and they gave me very little problem. The Vega almost became a race car, but I traded it for a 350 which promptly grenaded in my '68 Bel Air Wagon. Anyways, the Turbo Sprint was a pretty cute, quick ride as was my friend's x-11....each to their own, i guess

 

[91z4me]

Originally posted by cvp33@Jan 18 2004, 11:14 PM
I can't believe the Citation is in the lead!!! Don't you remember the X-11 package. That car flat out hauled! Funiest thing I ever saw. It would smoke the front tires like mad, a rarity back in those days. Hell the Monte Carlo SS's could barely spin the rears back then, let alone the camaros. I still miss the radio turned verticle, even the aftermarket companies ignored it. :lol:

Here's a deal!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...7&category=6173

OMG look at the top down look at that car and tell me it doesn't look like a blazer with a cowl hood!

 

[MaxLegroom]

I went for the Spectrum on this one. I'd reject the Citation, as I owned a Phoenix and it lived throught my idea of fun and games until I bought a Camaro. I didn't vote for the Sprint, because I tried one with the turbo, and it was a hoot. But the Spectrum, one of my aunts owned one, and the one thing that it was better than was a Ford Escort wagon that burned down to the ground on her at one of its many visits to the dealership.

 

[Hudson]

I never had a problem with the Sprint since they were fun and cheap (even the non-turbo wasn't bad). The Spectrum was down a notch from there. The Citation had those great rear brakes. But the worst modern Chevrolets (discounting the Copper Cooled models) was probably either the Vega (rusting out on the showroom floor), Chevette Diesel (20 seconds to 60?), or the Chevy LUV pickup. But let's not forget those honorable mentions like the 2.5L Camaro or 5.7L Diesel-powered cars and trucks or Celebrity Diesel. Aside from its styling (and acquired history), the 1953-54 Corvette (and the 305-powered...or UNDER-powered models of the late 1970s) could be mentioned in this group as well.

 

[prod]

Originally posted by Hudson@Jan 20 2004, 09:53 PM
Chevette Diesel (20 seconds to 60?)

I had no idea this existed. Any references still around on the 'net?

 

[Astra_Boy]

Originally posted by coolcaddy+Jan 19 2004, 08:39 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (coolcaddy @ Jan 19 2004, 08:39 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-SS4EVER@Jan 19 2004, 02:04 PM
BTY have you seen the current Lumina produced in the middle east?  Check out that Cosmo Purple color, does it look better than the yellows we have over here?  I kinda like the purple.

Lumina

What the...is that a Monaro knock-off??? Why does Chevy ME get a sweet Lumina like that one while we were stuck with the, well, the one we had?? :blink: [/b][/quote]
You guy's probably already know this by now, but the Chevrolet Lumina, that is sold in the Middle East, is actually built in Australia, where it's sold as the Holden Commodore.

The Holden Commodore is also sold as a Chevrolet Omega in South America, the Middle East, South Africa and South East Asia, it's called the Chevrolet Lumina, while the Holden Monaro will be badged a Vauxhall Monaro in the UK!!

You guy's kinda did get the Holden Commodore in the US, where you knew it as the Cadillac Catera!!

 

[cyboexpo2002]

Originally posted by Astra_Boy+Jan 21 2004, 07:47 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Astra_Boy @ Jan 21 2004, 07:47 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

Originally posted by [email protected] 19 2004, 08:39 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-SS4EVER

@Jan 19 2004, 02:04 PM
BTY have you seen the current Lumina produced in the middle east?  Check out that Cosmo Purple color, does it look better than the yellows we have over here?  I kinda like the purple.

Lumina

What the...is that a Monaro knock-off??? Why does Chevy ME get a sweet Lumina like that one while we were stuck with the, well, the one we had?? :blink:

You guy's probably already know this by now, but the Chevrolet Lumina, that is sold in the Middle East, is actually built in Australia, where it's sold as the Holden Commodore.

The Holden Commodore is also sold as a Chevrolet Omega in South America, the Middle East, South Africa and South East Asia, it's called the Chevrolet Lumina, while the Holden Monaro will be badged a Vauxhall Monaro in the UK!!

You guy's kinda did get the Holden Commodore in the US, where you knew it as the Cadillac Catera!! [/b][/quote]
I thought the Catera was built by Opel :blink: