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Most Underestimated Car

1K views 34 replies 26 participants last post by  maTT 
#1 ·
which car do you think, old or new,stock is the most underestimated

if i had to make a list of three it would be:
1. 89' firebird tta
2. an lt1 caprice:eek: :D
3. an old chevette with a caddy 500 in it:eek: :eek: (not stock i know just couldnt think of anything else):D
 
#4 ·
1. turbo minivans
2. an old musclecar w/o any exterior work... but the engine is worth more than the car itself :)
3. convertable lebaron GTC turbo (2.2 turbo, saw one running 12.5s)
4. beetle w/350 chevy in place of the back seat :D
5. pinto w/worked 2.3 4 cyl that will rev to 10,000 rpm :D (my uncle did that for $400... engine was his friend's vo-tech project... blueprinted/balanced, racing cam, knife edge crank, big carb, etc)

6. honda civic HX w/NOS, VTEK, and a big spoiler :eek: :p :D
 
#5 ·
Wrathchild said:
LT1 Caprice?????:eek: , have you actually driven one of those? I did and couldn't BELIEVE it was the LT1 engine...that thing was a PIG!! I'd have to say the Nissan Maxima......very underestimated.
wrathchild...do you get your screen name from wrathchild the band (aka..wrathchild america)?
Nice basses btw, I been playing guitar for almost 15 years now.
 
#6 ·
That's easy:

It's the turbo OMNI....my friend has a turbo OMNI...it suprises the Crap out of everyone. I really don't know to much about them but basicly the thing is smaller then a GEO METRO with a 4 banger in it, which makes it light as heck. And then it is turbop charged...he beats mustangs and camaro's all tthe time. It's fast too.
 
#7 ·
JUSTLG said:
That's easy:

It's the turbo OMNI....my friend has a turbo OMNI...it suprises the Crap out of everyone. I really don't know to much about them but basicly the thing is smaller then a GEO METRO with a 4 banger in it, which makes it light as heck. And then it is turbop charged...he beats mustangs and camaro's all tthe time. It's fast too.
Is that related to the Shelby Omni?
 
#8 ·
The only UNMODIFIED sleeper I've ever owned was a 1986 Shelby Charger. I'd say mid to low 15's from this ugly (acquired taste) little car with this tiny little 2.2 and this baby Garrett hanging off the backside that somehow managed to make 12 lbs of boost. Now you all know that mid 15's isn't that great of a number, but if you saw this car, you'd guess it'd get rallied by a station wagon. Of course I've made some of my own sleepers, but they wouldn't really fit into this post now would they?

Oh, and about Toyota Tacoma's... not bad, but those damned Tundras are pretty bad, that little v-8 peddles off the line like its being chased by oh, say, a REAL full size AMERICAN truck.
 
#9 ·
An Omni isn't smaller than a Metro, and you can get a Metro with a 3cyl OR 4cyl.

Stock turbo Omnis are slow, but there are a few guys in TampaRacing that have 13 and 12 second econoboxes with the turbo 2.2 in them.
 
#12 ·
One of the most overlooked and underestimated sports cars in the world! The Porsche 928GT is a front engine rear drive platform with an all aluminum V-8 engine with 32 valves and 4 camshafts that produces 330bhp, mated to a five speed transaxle which is located between the rear wheels of the car. That means an even 50/50 weight distribution (f/r) and outstanding handling for a car that weighs 3600 lbs. It is capable of 0-60mph times of 5.6 seconds and quarter mile time of 14.1 seconds.

Plus then car be picked up fairly cheap..kind high maintainance though.
 
#13 ·
It had a Grand National engine with higher compression and larger fuel injectors. Mean mofo.
 
#14 ·
Everyone keeps mentioning the Grand National ENGINE but nobody said the CAR itself. Only people who actually KNOW about cars know that it's fast at all.

Just saw one the other day, man that turbo is LOUD when it comes on... he was going the other way at an intersection and I heard it spooling.

Also I can't remember the car but it had the "Quad 4" engine in it... wasn't it an Oldsmobile? Kinda small car, I rode in one once when I owned my '71 Chevelle SS and was pretty impressed with it (and I was used to the SS!)

I have to agree with unclesam (Kevin)... the turbo minivans... that's my #1 pick for sleepers.
 
#17 ·
Quickass_vr4.....no, I've never heard of that band. Mine comes from the IRONMAIDEN song of the same name off the Killers CD. Thanks about the basses, I've been playing about 18 years myself....we should hook up and shred. Anyone on the board play drums?
 
#18 ·
Rah, agree with you totally, but on the same note, Dakotas are fast little shits too with the old pushrod V8
HOWEVER, agreed, neither of them are real trucks, nor will either of them beat a F-250 super duty with the 6.8 V-10 =) trust me I know. Thats a real truck.
 
#20 ·
My old cars:

89 Mirage turbo - 1.6 turbo, ran 15.9 @ 88 stock. With a 14b and SMIC from a DSM it ran 100mph traps once the 195/60/14 tires stopped spinning :) Drop in a 2.0 from a DSM (direct swap, even the wiring) and you'll see times like 11.8 @ 124.

91 Galant VR4 - 8.9 @ 79 in the 1/8 with just a K&N and bleeder valve. Lots of surprises in that old looking 4 door.

--

Other sleepers:

Toyota Tacoma SRunner. This is the only way to get the 190hp v6 with a 5spd in the small truck. It comes with ground effects and nice rims. Then slap on a TRD blower to get a 300hp 5spd mini truck. Sound fun yet?

LT1 Buick Roadmaster - Motor Trend rated it at 14.9 @ 92 bone stock :eek:
 
#21 ·
-Regal T-type
-Cosworth Vega (funny little things, i think they had to lift the engine to pull the rear sparkplugs:D )
-just about any chrylser with a 2.2:p or 2.5 turbo
 
#22 ·
I'll second the Maxima!

I raced my roommate in his (2000 Maxima SE-i think), had a crappy start, but he hung with me the whole way to 90. Quick car, and great handling for a family car.

He just heard that the new 2002's have 255 hp and he is MAD:eek: .

I think he will be down at the dealer when the new manual comes out:D
-Matt
 
#23 ·
By far the Dodge Spirit RT, it had 224hp and car & driver got it to run 0-60 in 5sec flat!
Toped out over 140mph, and LOOKED LIKE SHIT! But I can tell you 1st had that ugly K-car runs. Way back when I had a 85 mustang GT 5spd (last YR of the 4brl and the 1st yr of the Roller cam, stock 210hp), I had Flowmasters, 3.55 gears, UD pulleys. And a buddy of mine “barrowed” his dad’s (new at the time) Spirit RT, he spanked my ass, We raced 3 times for a stop, he moped the floor with me, then from a roll, all I saw was tail lights! I could not bleave it. I have seen them at the track with nothing but Exhaust, Boost controller, and bigger injectors run 12’s!


the same motor was lator put in the Dodge Daytona IROC RT (about 700 of them were made), The Daytona was not as fast dew to a few more LB.
 
#24 ·
1988 Dodge Shadow Turbo. That was my first car, topped it out at 115, kept up with my friends 85 Iroc (305 ci), I gave that car hell. Obviously had a good transmission and clutch, it had 225,000 miles on it when I quit driving it, and didn't get an oil change for 8000 miles. Plus the paint was all peeling and it was rusting real bad. It was fun beating some of the civics around here:)
 
#25 ·
89 Pontiac turbo V-6

If the Pontiac Forum was lurking they would be laughing at our hedious ignorance of a small detail.

The 89 Pontiac GTA Turbo (can remeber what anniversary it was) had a Pontiac V6 in it Not a Buick. The only parts really shared with Grand National were the turbo componets, I believe it also used the GNX turbo (correct me if I'm wrong). The Pontiac had slightly different blocks and heads. My buddy had one in 10 years ago, I was was truely awesome car sor the times. You did have to be carefullt driving it. I saw more thatn one owner make a left turn into heavy traffic get spun 360 when the trubo boost kicked in in the middle of a turn.

In 93 I tried to find a good one to be my daily driver. A good example with only 36K miles on it was about $1000 less than a new LT-1 Camaro at the time. So I waited a year and bought a new 94 6-speed Z-48. Despite blowing and engine my VR-4 has been much more reliable.
 
#26 ·
id have to go with:
1) buick t-type (esp the ugly gold ones)
--older guy out at the street races just rules with this thing
2) pontiac turbo t/a
--looks just like any other white t/a with BOOST!!
3)merkur xr4ti
--ugly as hell and slow stock but can be done up very quick
4) 91 plymouth laser
--this one i know from personal experience, the line "anyone want to run a fwd plymouth??" is priceless. plus sans hubcaps the car is just downright ugly
5) turbo daytonas
--ive seen some very quick ones and i still dont take em seriously
jeff
 
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