Worst Performance Car You Ever Owned!

Paul Ceasrine · 08-02-2010, 01:46 PM

I'm not going 'First'.
Paul

Alex Denysenko · 08-02-2010, 02:04 PM

Every Mopar 273 Power Pack A body car I owned and I had a bunch of those turds.
All were dogs in the real world, I don't care what road tests you read.
Those that were prepped for stock weren't much better as my Mustang ate them for breakfast in class during the 70's.
But by far the worst excuse for a performance car was the 1965 Coronet 426 street wedge I bought from work to flip in 1973.
Looked good, but what a dog even after a new clutch good tune up. High 14's.

Paul Ceasrine · 08-02-2010, 02:35 PM

Alex,
i'm glad you started it off with a 273.
They could run decent if you did things correct.
My 67' Cuda 273/235HP convertible automatic was an outright 'DOG'
at first.
Rebuilt the engine at my fathers shop,
* .040 Mopar 10.5-1 pistons
* Re-ground crankshaft .010 rods/.010 mains (Re-balanced)
* High-Volume oil pump
* Windage Tray
* Sealed Power double-roller timing chain
* Sealed Power solid lifter camshaft .425 lift / w/258* duration
* 3/angle valve job on the heads, w/340 exhaust valves (1.60)
* 340 (240 lb. valve springs)
* Heads milled (.012) Compression ratio (approx. 11.0-1)
* Edelbrock aluminum Dual-plane high rise intake
* Carter 500cfm AFB (re-jetted)
* Accel Dual-point distributor
* Accel Super Coil
* Belden Ignition Wires
* Flex-A-Lite 6-blade fan
* Holley High Pressure fuel pump
* Cragar Headers (1 1/2" primary / 3" collector / medium tube length)
* B & M Shift Improver Kit (A-904 transmission)
* B & M Shifter
* 3.23 Sure-Grip Posi
* Plus a host of other bolt-on items (ie; Tach, Slotted mags, Gabriel's)
At age 15 went down the track, thought I was flying. Went down the return road, got to the timing slip booth, and was expecting a time-slip with at least a 15.20 on it.
The guy in the booth hands me a time-slip with a 17.27 on it. I tell him
he's given me the wrong time slip. He' says 'Oh No', I saw you go down the track, and this slip is correct. And follows up with 'Your car is slow'.
I get back to the pits, and everyone says "why didn't you get on it'.
I reply,' if I pushed the gas-pedal down any harder, my foot would have
went through the floor-board'.
I wanted to run at least low 15.00's. Of course, I overhead someone say
'the only way that car could run in the low 15.00's, is if you pushed it off the top of a mountain'.
What did they say, 'You need gears, you need a better camshaft, you need a transmission and converter'.
Part I
PC
*

X-TECH MAN · 08-02-2010, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Denysenko

Every Mopar 273 Power Pack A body car I owned and I had a bunch of those turds.
All were dogs in the real world, I don't care what road tests you read.
Those that were prepped for stock weren't much better as my Mustang ate them for breakfast in class during the 70's.
But by far the worst excuse for a performance car was the 1965 Coronet 426 street wedge I bought from work to flip in 1973.
Looked good, but what a dog even after a new clutch good tune up. High 14's.

My 65 426 Plymouth was a dog to but a little better than yours. Mid to high 13's with gears, headers, and M/T 7 inch slicks. It was an automatic with a stock converter. I drove it to work so I couldnt get real crazy with stuff. . Just an over grown 383.

KEN BUGAJ · 08-02-2010, 03:40 PM

My 67 Corvette 327/250 4 speed
All Stock it was a DOG !

Michael Kilduff · 08-02-2010, 03:51 PM

I had two that would qualify as the worst performance cars I ever owned.
1981 corvette and a 1980 Indy Pace Car Trans Am.
At least the TA handled great and looked good. Not sure what that turbo was for, asthetics maybe?

smracer2002 · 08-02-2010, 03:57 PM

70 Charger 318 2bbl/904/2.xx gears and 275/60/15 tires
in the back.

12.31 in the 1/8, low gear all the way out.

treessavoy · 08-03-2010, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

My 65 426 Plymouth was a dog to but a little better than yours. Mid to high 13's with gears, headers, and M/T 7 inch slicks. It was an automatic with a stock converter. I drove it to work so I couldnt get real crazy with stuff. . Just an over grown 383.

I had a '65 coronet 440 hdtp with the 426/365 and auto and it ran mid 14's off the shelf and although it sounds slow one must remember that magazine test on the new street Hemi's could only muster mid to low 14's at the time.

I guess it's a matter of perception.

JimR

treessavoy · 08-03-2010, 01:09 PM

Back to worst Performance cars owned.

In my Chevy phase I bought a '70 LS6 Chevelle, 4sp, 4.11 posi and it was a DOG. It ran the same exact times as my 350/295, 4sp Nova..

I also had a '69 L88 corvette that was so tempermental and rough running that I spent most of the winter riding my motorcycle 'cause it wouldn't start or run. TN is cold in the winter!

In racing trim these cars are killers but on the streets they were slugs.

JimR

Paul Ceasrine · 08-03-2010, 01:26 PM

Jim,
Some of the Street-Hemi's were poor performers on the street.
Our area had a guy with a 66' Dodge Coronet 500 426 Hemi 4-speed.
All black w/white interior, and nice stock rallye-wheels.
He was embarrassed by the many 68'/69' 340 Cuda's and Dart GTS,
70'/71' 340 Dusters, Dart Swigers and Demons.
He must have felt like General Custer at Little Big Horn.
He eventually just parked the car in his garage. That was in 1972, and he still has it, in the garage.
Not For Sale.
paul

08-02-2010, 01:46 PM	#1
Paul Ceasrine VIP Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,546 Likes: 0 Liked 10 Times in 10 Posts	Worst Performance Car You Ever Owned! I'm not going 'First'. Paul

08-02-2010, 02:04 PM	#2
Alex Denysenko Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Michigan City IN Posts: 633 Likes: 0 Liked 4 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Worst Performance Car You Ever Owned! Every Mopar 273 Power Pack A body car I owned and I had a bunch of those turds. All were dogs in the real world, I don't care what road tests you read. Those that were prepped for stock weren't much better as my Mustang ate them for breakfast in class during the 70's. But by far the worst excuse for a performance car was the 1965 Coronet 426 street wedge I bought from work to flip in 1973. Looked good, but what a dog even after a new clutch good tune up. High 14's. __________________ Alex Denysenko NHRA 3038 SS, 3305 STK - IHRA 6 SS, 330A STK Moneymaker Racing LaPorte Indiana 219-861-1214 www.moneymakerracing.net

08-02-2010, 02:35 PM	#3
Paul Ceasrine VIP Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,546 Likes: 0 Liked 10 Times in 10 Posts	Re: Worst Performance Car You Ever Owned! Alex, i'm glad you started it off with a 273. They could run decent if you did things correct. My 67' Cuda 273/235HP convertible automatic was an outright 'DOG' at first. Rebuilt the engine at my fathers shop, * .040 Mopar 10.5-1 pistons * Re-ground crankshaft .010 rods/.010 mains (Re-balanced) * High-Volume oil pump * Windage Tray * Sealed Power double-roller timing chain * Sealed Power solid lifter camshaft .425 lift / w/258* duration * 3/angle valve job on the heads, w/340 exhaust valves (1.60) * 340 (240 lb. valve springs) * Heads milled (.012) Compression ratio (approx. 11.0-1) * Edelbrock aluminum Dual-plane high rise intake * Carter 500cfm AFB (re-jetted) * Accel Dual-point distributor * Accel Super Coil * Belden Ignition Wires * Flex-A-Lite 6-blade fan * Holley High Pressure fuel pump * Cragar Headers (1 1/2" primary / 3" collector / medium tube length) * B & M Shift Improver Kit (A-904 transmission) * B & M Shifter * 3.23 Sure-Grip Posi * Plus a host of other bolt-on items (ie; Tach, Slotted mags, Gabriel's) At age 15 went down the track, thought I was flying. Went down the return road, got to the timing slip booth, and was expecting a time-slip with at least a 15.20 on it. The guy in the booth hands me a time-slip with a 17.27 on it. I tell him he's given me the wrong time slip. He' says 'Oh No', I saw you go down the track, and this slip is correct. And follows up with 'Your car is slow'. I get back to the pits, and everyone says "why didn't you get on it'. I reply,' if I pushed the gas-pedal down any harder, my foot would have went through the floor-board'. I wanted to run at least low 15.00's. Of course, I overhead someone say 'the only way that car could run in the low 15.00's, is if you pushed it off the top of a mountain'. What did they say, 'You need gears, you need a better camshaft, you need a transmission and converter'. Part I PC *

08-02-2010, 03:40 PM	#5
KEN BUGAJ Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: LEXINGTON NC. Posts: 389 Likes: 43 Liked 18 Times in 7 Posts	Re: Worst Performance Car You Ever Owned! My 67 Corvette 327/250 4 speed All Stock it was a DOG !

08-02-2010, 03:51 PM	#6
Michael Kilduff Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Carolina Beach, NC Posts: 281 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Worst Performance Car You Ever Owned! I had two that would qualify as the worst performance cars I ever owned. 1981 corvette and a 1980 Indy Pace Car Trans Am. At least the TA handled great and looked good. Not sure what that turbo was for, asthetics maybe?

08-02-2010, 03:57 PM	#7
smracer2002 Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: So Tx. USA Posts: 92 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Worst Performance Car You Ever Owned! 70 Charger 318 2bbl/904/2.xx gears and 275/60/15 tires in the back. 12.31 in the 1/8, low gear all the way out. __________________ First On Race Day

08-03-2010, 01:09 PM	#9
treessavoy VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Dunnellon,FL Posts: 1,103 Likes: 0 Liked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Re: Worst Performance Car You Ever Owned! Back to worst Performance cars owned. In my Chevy phase I bought a '70 LS6 Chevelle, 4sp, 4.11 posi and it was a DOG. It ran the same exact times as my 350/295, 4sp Nova.. I also had a '69 L88 corvette that was so tempermental and rough running that I spent most of the winter riding my motorcycle 'cause it wouldn't start or run. TN is cold in the winter! In racing trim these cars are killers but on the streets they were slugs. JimR __________________ Jim Rountree

08-03-2010, 01:26 PM	#10
Paul Ceasrine VIP Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,546 Likes: 0 Liked 10 Times in 10 Posts	Re: Worst Performance Car You Ever Owned! Jim, Some of the Street-Hemi's were poor performers on the street. Our area had a guy with a 66' Dodge Coronet 500 426 Hemi 4-speed. All black w/white interior, and nice stock rallye-wheels. He was embarrassed by the many 68'/69' 340 Cuda's and Dart GTS, 70'/71' 340 Dusters, Dart Swigers and Demons. He must have felt like General Custer at Little Big Horn. He eventually just parked the car in his garage. That was in 1972, and he still has it, in the garage. Not For Sale. paul Last edited by Paul Ceasrine; 08-03-2010 at 03:34 PM.