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Sports and Sporty Cars of the '80s
hpmctorque
Member Posts: 4,600
in General
We may tend to think of the '80s as recent, but the first models of this decade rolled off the assembly lines in 1979. While many of the cars from this period were plagued with the same design and quality issues of the preceding decade, the '80s also saw a turnaround in these areas. Also notable was the fact that the Japanese manufacturers went from having a foothold in the U.S. market to a rapidly growing market share. Models such as Celica and Supra, 280Z and 300 Z, Prelude and others became widely recognized.
This discussion is intended to be a sequel to the Sports Cars of the '60s and Sports Cars of the '70s topics, only broader, to include sporty cars.
Happy New Year to all!
This discussion is intended to be a sequel to the Sports Cars of the '60s and Sports Cars of the '70s topics, only broader, to include sporty cars.
Happy New Year to all!
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GM introduced a slightly smaller Camaro and Firebird for '82. To satisfy the demand for fuel economy, the base engine was the ill suited OHV Iron Duke 4, which make these sleek looking pony cars real slugs. Balancing those off, however, were hot performing Z28s, IROCs, and Trans-Ams. For '84, Pontiac introduced the half baked Fiero, a sharp looking commuter car featuring much more show than go. A slightly trimmer C4 Corvette was also introduced for the '84 model year. The new-for-'85 N-Bodies was arguably GM's answer to the BMW 3 Series. For '88, GM redownsized its luxury coupes, the Toronado, Riviera, and Eldorado. The first downsizing of these cars, in the late '70s, was successful in its day, but the second downsizing, wasn't. Although credible in concept, these cars seemed to satisfy almost no one, and sales tanked.
Meanwhile, at Ford, the first two seater since the '55 T-Bird was introduced, the Escort based EXP, and its Mercury counterpart, the LN7. Unfortunately, performance suffered because they weighed 200 more than the Escort/Lynx, yet had the same 1.6 engine. Also from Ford was the aerodynamically styled '83 T-Bird, available with a turbo-4, 5 speed manual and sport suspension. The T-Bird was restyled again for the '89 model year. The performance model, the SC. featured a supercharged V6. This last generation four passenger T-Bird, and its Mercury counterpart, was a nice looking car, which kind of/sort of resembled the larger BMW coupe, but unfortunately, like the EXP/LN7, it was porky. Meanwhile, the Mustang, which converted from the Pinto based economy coupe to a more credible Fox based pony car for '79, continued to regain its mojo in the '80s. At Lincoln, the Mark VII (or VIII?) luxury coupe got more rounded styling in the mid-'80s, with notable improvements in V8 performance and greatly improved handling.
A couple of other performance models from Ford were the LTD LX, with a modified 302 V8, special trim, and firmer suspension, and the Taurus SHO.
Chrysler leveraged its K-car bodies with convertible derivatives, and for '84 introduced the sharply styled Chrysler Laser/Dodge Daytona four passenger coupes. The turbo versions of these were good performers in their day.
Some notable European models were the '83 VW GTI. At BMW, the 3-Series became the undisputed model sport sedan. And, for a few years, beginning in the mid '80s, the Saab 900, especially the turbo, was a hot yuppymobile.
Some of these cars were successful, and, looking back, others were almost laughable, but the '80s were significant because it was the period when Detroit realized that it was being seriously challenged, and reacted.
They were 95% style attempts and 5% substance attempts.
The Fiero is a good example of course, giving us a reasonably attractive mid-engined two-seater that a) drove like it weighed 5 tons and b) couldn't get out of its own way.
The Allante was another. Again, reasonably attractive exterior but with a morbid V8 until 1993, and what had to be one of the world's cheesiest interiors for a supposed "luxury sports roadster" competing with the MB SL.
There is just so little "meat" in most 1980s sporty cars, they are difficult to like from real enthusiasts point of view. It's like they have a sign on them that says "Look but don't drive".
Some of the book values on 80s cars barely break $1,000.
Any RX-7
E21 320i '80-'83 (much maligned)
E30 325i (starting in '87.. not the 325e)
VW GTI
VW Scirocco
The mid-80s Celicas... the last rear-wheel drive ones..
V-8 Mustangs/Camaros
C4 Vettes
Mark VII LSC
'88 M5
Porsche 944 Turbo
Porsche 911
I'm probably missing a bunch of cars that I liked then, being in my 20s for most of the decade.. but, wouldn't consider now...
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Yeah, like the '86 Dodge Omni GLH (for Goes Like Hell). There was an even hotter Shelby version of this turbo hot rod called, appropriately enough, the GLH-S. I imagine if you could deal with the torque steer, these must have been fun to drive.
I never got a Monte SS or a Grand National, but I don't think my life is too lacking because of that. My buddy though, went from an '85 Cavalier that shorted out its electrical system and would no longer start to an '87 Tercel that sludged up before we even knew what that word meant. I lost track of him for awhile, but saw him a few times in the late 90's. He ended up finally getting something muscular. Not a Grand National, but a '96 Trans Am. Last time I saw him was 1999 I guess, so I dunno how it held up.
Seriously... even with the hot motor, those were miles behind the GTI, or even a Prelude...
But, I've never been a MOPAR fan...
Which reminds me...
Mitsubishi Starion / Chrysler Conquest..
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Any RX-7 - Gen I is good, Gen II = poor man's 944, now 944s are also dirt cheap.
E21 320i '80-'83 (much maligned) - slow and unreliable, but I like them anyway.
E30 325i (starting in '87.. not the 325e) - nice engine, but just a prosaic sedan.
VW GTI - unreliable and hard to find, but I still think they are cool.
VW Scirocco - same as above, but even harder to find.
The mid-80s Celicas... the last rear-wheel drive ones.. - slooooooooow.
V-8 Mustangs/Camaros - epitome of '80s build quality, fit and finish. Not good.
C4 Vettes - Too unreliable, too harsh, too ugly inside.
Mark VII LSC - Just a big, cheap, slow sedan now.
'88 M5 - I used to really like them, but just seems like an old complex car now.
Porsche 944 Turbo - great car, even though expensive to fix and not all that reliable.
Porsche 911 - clutch and shifter like a school bus, but I love these
I had an '88 LeBaron turbo coupe, with the 146 hp 2.2 Turbo I. Torque steer on that sucker was pretty evil, and something I wasn't used to, as I had predominantly driven RWD cars. It seemed like a fun car to drive at the time though, and must have been a desirable car to have, considering how often it got stolen. :surprise: I'm sure if I had it to do over again though, it wouldn't live up to my memory of it.
And ultimately, that car did turn into a total pile of junk, but in its defense it had been fairly reliable up through around 90,000 miles. I'm sure the joyrides it went on when it was stolen probably contributed to its demise, too. :sick:
Mazda 323 GTX = Subaru Impreza WRX
I'll have to take exception here.... School buses have much nicer shifters, and the clutches aren't nearly as heavy... :surprise:
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Man.. I almost forgot one that I actually owned... only I owned it in the '90s..
'88 Mazda 323 GTX 130 hp, intercooled turbo, AWD..
Now, that was sporty!
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GLC = 323 = Protege = Mazda3
They are all Great Little Cars.
Any RX-7 -- I like 'em
E21 320i '80-'83 (much maligned) -- much maligned with good reason, although it really was, in concept anyway, a better car than a 2002. Too bad they cost way too much and had plenty of bugs.
E30 325i (starting in '87.. not the 325e)-- not sporty, but fun to drive and a good solid car.
VW GTI -- always fun to drive between visits to the repair shop
VW Scirocco -- see above
The mid-80s Celicas... the last rear-wheel drive ones.--
V-8 Mustangs/Camaros -- Good bang for the buck, but don't do anything sudden unless the car is perfectly straight.
C4 Vettes -- mixed bag of yes and no. Cheesy interiors, harsh ride, but gee, a good used car value at the moment.
Mark VII LSC -- I thought this was about sporty cars? What's this...this...THING...doing on the list?
'88 M5 -- Nice car, very fussy, $$$ to fix, not all BMW guys will even work on them. Very rust prone behind the wheels, in the rockers.
Porsche 944 Turbo -- helluva good handling car! Highly recommended if you have the bucks to maintain them. NOT CHEAP to fix.
Porsche 911 -- love 'em. what a kick in the pants!
Well, sporty for a Lincoln, I guess. :P There's a guy at work who had two of these things. First he had a black '87 and then a green '92. I thought they were both pretty sharp looking...for that type of car.
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As far as slow? Even the slow ones on that list were fast compared to the competition... at the time.
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Yeah, that's how I try to look at them, too. As for the LSC, my old 1985 Consumer Guide has a test of one. They didn't actually publish a 0-60 time, but gave it a rating of "4", which near as I can tell put it somewhere between 9.6-12.5 seconds. In 1985 it "only" had 180 hp, but was boosted up in later years. In contrast, I think the Mustang GT's 5.0 had 200 hp, while the mild 302 used in stuff like the T-bird and Crown Vic had 140. They also tested one of those bustleback Continental sedans with the 140 hp 302, and it did 0-60 in around 11.9 seconds. And a Crown Vic with the trailering package, which shortened that axle ratio from 2.73 to 3.55, did it in 10.5. So I imagine the LSC that year was around 10 seconds.
If you compare the LSC to something like a Toronado, Riviera, or Eldorado, I think the LSC is a much better car. Ford was actually trying hard in areas of build quality, paint, fit and finish, etc back then, and for the era I think it shows. A Toro/Riv with a 307 would be a durable car, but not very exciting. An Eldorado would be stuck with that nasty little aluminum 4.1...slow and unreliable. And once the Imperial got axed, Chrysler didn't even have anything in this league anymore.
Now if you tried to compare the LSC to, say, a BMW 635, I'm sure it would suck. But for what it was, at that time, I think it was a nice car.
You can stretch a word, but don't mutilate it :sick:
"Is that a Lincoln LSC? Wow, now there's a guy who knows how to DRIVE. This baby'll put a Ferrari to shame. When I grow up, that's what I want. I've got a big LSC poster on my wall, and I'm building a couple of LSC models right now! I hope they do well at Monaco this year!"
LOL!
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There's the 20th anniversary Turbo Trans-Am!
Honda CRX- Fun little cars
Ford probe Gt Wild styling for 89
Toyota MR-2
I would love any of the above in good condition
Let's try again for the 1989 Turbo Trans Am:
I suspect the Volvo turbo was very low boost, and with a rather rough engine, clunky gearshift and lots of body roll, it doesn't beg to be driven fast.
MR2 and CRX.... those are good picks..
Also.. 1st Gen Acura Legend Coupe..
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Are those 20th anniversary turbo Trans Ams worth anything? I sort of remember them being a big deal when they came out, but I guess nowadays nobody cares? I also thought they did something different to the rear area of the 20th anniversary model? Like instead of having the glass hatch, it had a notchback window grafed in, and a little fiberglass trunklid? Or am I imagining things?
I always thought those were attractive looking cars. Sleek, reasonably sporty, lots of glass area. And I liked the fact they went through the effort to give the car roll-down windows in back.
They're probably not much from a performance angle, but I always though the crop of little Japanese hardtop coupes from the early 80's were good looking cars. Stuff like the 200SX notchback, Dodge Challenger/Plymouth Sapporo, Corolla hardtop (they made a nifty little 2-door hardtop wagon, too), and the Mazda 626.
Other horrible cars that got a moment of glory, usually from Motor Trend -
Renault Alliance GTA
Isuzu Impulse (I owned a limited edition turbo in all white Miami Vice regalia)
Peugot 505 STI
Citation X-11
Celebrity Eurosport
Often overlooked but probably significant is Audi Quattro was introduced. The Sport Quattro won much racing heritage during the 80's
The Dodge Shelby Charger (2.2 turbo) was one of the first 4cyl tuner cars. Up the boost and they flew (if you could keep em going straight)
Porsche 911's during the '80's had some drop dead sexy bodies. Mostly unrivaled as the sports car leaders.
BMW M cars, certainly very respectable during the period. Also great track day cars.
Vovlo came out with a dang wagon that would run a higher top speed on the autobahn than a same time period lamborgini.
Speaking of Lambo, the Countach of the time period was, and is, an excercise in unique styling. Still instantly recognizable.
Another very recognizable 80's car was the Lotus Esprit Turbo for all you Julia Roberts/Richard Gere fans (Pretty Woman debut in 1990 but the car was late 80's)
Sticking with the Hollywood theme.......Ferrari, Magnum P.I. anyone? C'mon y'all Edmunds has one in the long term fleet!
Hard to find because it had envirionmentally returned to mother earth.
I bought it new in 77 and kept it till 86. It was a fun car, practical with a hatchback and mechanically sound. BUT, rust was a huge problem. Front fenders rusted out badly and also the floorboard.
Having had Firebirds in past, thought that they had gotten too big and awkward by 1984 model year. So, wanted an economical 4-cyl smaller sporty car in roughly same size as Scirocco. For me, that was a 2nd gen Honda Prelude.
Bought a new 84 with 5-speed and had it for 14 years. Remember reading glowing test reports on it in Road and Track. Did also test drive sporty 4-cyl Toyota and Nissan as well as 4-cyl offerings from GM, Ford, Chrysler. I was "blown-away" by the performance/handling, fit/finish of the Prelude on first test drive. Nothing from American brands was close to Prelude. Toyota and Nissan were not bad but for me the Prelude was the class act.
84 Preludes were in high demand when new and had to wait 4 months for delivery. All Honda dealers had waiting lists.
Seems like Honda had a knack for making small cars that didn't feel like cheap, little death traps. I don't want to say they had a "big car" feel, because that could be taken the wrong way, but they seemed to have a more substantial feel to them. A buddy of mine had a 1980 Accord hatchback, back in high school and college. And admittedly, by the late 80's when he had it, the thing was a piece of crap. However, it was pretty comfortable inside and, dare I say, had a solid feeling about it. Which, considering the amount of structural integrity had been compromised by rust, really said something about it! It was smooth and quiet at 80-85 mph, with very little in the way of squeaks and rattles. Which again, considering the way that car was falling apart, was something of a miracle.
Another friend of mine in college had an '84-85 Accord sedan, and another one of my friends had a Prelude, but it was more like an '88-89. I found them to both be very comfortable cars, especially for their size. Now, the back seats in them were pretty cramped, so none of them would have made very good family cars, I guess. But heck, these days, some much bigger cars can't even get the front seat comfort down pat, yet Honda was doing it with these little cars 20+ years ago!
One thing Honda really had going back for it in those days was that front suspension setup that allowed for a low cowl and hoodline. That really helped open up the interior and make it seem roomy and airy.
Another iconic car was introduced in 1989. It filled the gap the British Tiumphs and Spitfires left wide open with a reliable drop top 2-seat roadster.
What was it?
MX-5 Miata
Import Cars of the Year 1980-89:
1989 Mitsubishi Galant GS
1988 Honda CRX Si
1987 Acura Legend Coupe
1986 Mazda RX-7
1985 Toyota MR2
1984 Honda Civic CRX
1983 Mazda 626
1982 Toyota Celica Supra
1981 Mercedes-Benz 300SD
1980 Honda Civic
Domestic Cars of the Year 1980-89:
1989 Ford Thunderbird SC
1988 Pontiac Grand Prix
1987 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
1986 Ford Taurus LX
1985 Volkswagen GTI (eligible due to it being built in VW's now-defunct Pennsylvania plant)
1984 Chevrolet Corvette
1983 AMC / Renault Alliance
1982 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
1981 Chrysler K Cars, Dodge Aries / Plymouth Reliant
1980 Chevrolet Citation
Okay, some of those are just too funny!
edit: the Miata never received this coveted award. In 1990, it went to the Nissan 300ZX Turbo. Hey, it's Motor Trend, what do you expect?
james
What's real money, in $$$. You mean like $5,000?