Bad Ol’ Days…

One of my neighbors posted this pic of a 1984 newspaper she found lining an old dresser drawer. Reminds me of what an automotive wasteland the 80s were. Would anything in this add tempt you today? I might like having a ‘79 Ramcharger IF it was a 4x4.

79’ F-100 & F-150 I would pick up in a heartbeat if 4x4.

Those were great trucks

I had a ‘78 and a ‘79 F150 4x4 in the early 80’s. They both took a licking and kept ticking.

Not going to disagree. Loved my ‘78 F-150. The mid 80s versions left a lot to be desired in looks and quality IMO.

Those prices are tempting

Wouldn't mind the 83 Chevy C20 or 81 Jeep Scrambler.

I have a 1982 Camaro, Biggest POS made. Door were heavy, full of plastic, just an overall piece of junk, it did look good being red with a spoiler and T-Tops, but after that car it was the last chevorlet I ever owned.

That newspaper is in great condition for being 39 years old and lining a dresser drawer A pickup would be nice if it had a decent engine in it!

Let's go back just a little further and what would you like to have?

Yep, most early to mid-80's cars and pickups were junk. The Japanese were showing Detroit how it's done about then.

^^^^agreed

Now there are several I would buy if it were 1970…..
Chevelle ss at the top of the list…..

Any of these would do.

I didn’t have a truck back then. We had a 77 Cutlass, and I drove an early 80’s Pontiac company car. The Pontiac was the worst auto I ever drove, and service at the Pontiac shop was truly bad. that’s about the time I switched to Toyota. Haven’t bought an American car in about 40 years.

The 77 Cutlass was the last year of that quality and body style. The 78 was something I’d never be seen in.

The screwed up thing is that the Ford GTs sat in dealer show rooms for 10 to 12 years before the last one sold. I have an old lady client in Highland Park that bought one in the 1970s and it is still in her garage. At one point she was married to a man that owned a Ferrari dealership in Scottsdale Arizona so she still owns a few of them and she still owns the rights to the Ford Mirage Racing cars that followed the Ford GTs. If you track down pictures where the blue Ford mirages were racing in the seventies and eighties you will find pictures of her, she was smoking hot back then and is still disturbingly good looking despite her Advanced age.

The 80's was the worst decade in U.S. history for automobiles of any kind. Save Square body Chevy pickups.

I do have a 79' F-250. Zero desire to own one built 1980 to 1993.

1994 to 1998 is still my second favorite Ford pickup body style.

Dang good decade for John Deere Ag tractors though. The "Sound Guard" tractors are still bringing a premium.

Only new vehicle ever owned was a (84-86) Toyota Tercel.
Roughly $7,000.00 total only time could afford one.
Less then $200.00 month payment.

All others been used, most payed was around $2500.00.
Last 3, 2004 Blazer $900.00, a 97 GMC Jimmy $1,200.00
& a 97 Blazer $2000.00.

Everything going up in prices.

70's and 80's were both lacking in quality. There were some exceptions. Most of the American made vehicles were lucky to go 50K miles.

Guessing that really started happening in the early 70's when they started doing a lot of body changes for better aerodynamics, smaller engines, late 70's and early 80's most cars were crap.

Mid to late 70's were junk as well. My first car was a '76, mid sized and awful. Seemed like Detroit was trying to come up with fuel efficient cars after the beginning of the energy crisis in '74.
It took them 20 years to get it right.

Still have 1982 F250 that I bought new...excellent shape...garaged....4x4 with 300ci 6 banger
It is an absolute beast....only 70K on it and no I don’t wanna sell it

I bought a brand new '74 Monte Carlo and it was the biggest POS I've ever owned. I had to go through gas rationing with it (Arab embargo). It got 8 miles to the gallon. Since you could only get 10 gals every other day, I didn't dare take a trip.

I remember sitting in line with my mother in the middle of summer in Memphis Tennessee waiting to buy some gas. Because the largest threat to me making a living is lack of fuel I keep about 3 months supply on hand in my shop in Jerry cans.

The 76 Chrysler Cordoba, it has corinthian leather.

A small lift and some nice tires on those older Ford trucks looks real nice!

I recall taking your car to the mechanic to remove the catalytic converter so you didn't have to pay the extra for unleaded gas

Yeah, the new emissions standards and transition to unleaded gas played heck on vehicles in the 80s (at least). I had a dual-carbed Honda Prelude that was a mess of vacuum lines. Heck, it looked like a 6.7 Powerstroke under the hood. Get a small vacuum leak and good luck getting it to run right again.

I bought a 78 F-150 XLT new off the floor in late 77. I was 17 and just back from USAF Tech school. My mother had to sign for it and finance. $171 a month for 48 months! I had to get a P/T job to pay for it.

I has one of those and loved it. Wish i still had it.

Mine too. '79 F150 shortbed 4x4 with a 300 cu in. 6 cylinder, 4 speed with granny gear. Paid about $3800.00 for it with dealer installed A/C after sale (didn't have it as delivered).

Next new vehicle was in '85. Full size bronco XLT with a 351 H.O. Engine. It held up pretty good too, but was right at $10,500 out the door.

84 chevy had the worlds worst invention. An electronically controlled carburetor. P.O.S! They did fix that in 86 or 7 with the throttle body injection. They also had the smog pump which was an abject failure. Early 80s were bad even for the square body Chevy's. I had an 89 k5 (still square body) blazer that was a beast though.

You're describing my dad's 85 El Camino SS 305 perfectly.

You had to also get a special adapter you put on the end of the gas pump so the nozzel would fit for gas.

Yes I would like a dozen convertible or hard top 67 Stingrays with a 427 engine in it Please add another dozen Shelby GT's too!

1979 Ford Mustang






I hope all of those abominations ended up in the crusher.

The 305 in 80's Chevys was a real POS, the cams wore out at 70-80k. That and they had little power.

My first brand new car that I had my mind set on buying was a 1978 Buck Regal GS Turbo, could not get any of the sales people to wait on me so I got pissed and drove next door to the Pontiac dealership and bought a 1978 Pontiac Grand Prix with a 6 banger in it, what a POS it turned out to be. I also heard they had major problems with the Turbo on the Regal GS so I would have been screwed either way

They are not so bad. I have a bunch of SVOs and an 89' notch back.

I bought Ford pickups in the 80s.
Good trucks. No complaints here.

Why, oh why did I ever sell my '69 SS Chevelle 396! It had a vinyl roof too! LOL

I was 20 yo & lucky I didn't kill myself!