10 Worst Automotive Fads

[wiirenet]

Hehe, are any of you guilty??
http://editorial.autos.msn.com/listarticle.aspx?cp-documentid=1069499

I had the dice for a while!

[Morgan]

I think they really missed out on mentioning the whole market segment sold at Pepboys (or Walmart/Autozone/insert accessory store here) in accessories for your car. They could lump them all together and call it "anything applied with 3M tape" or "plugs into your 12v outlet" or something...

[Thirty-Nine]

My 1992 Mitsubishi Expo LRV had the motorized seat belts.

I had a fake carbon fiber license plate bracket on my 1999 Sentra.

[SilverBack]

Had no idea spinners started in the 80s. I thought it just started in the last few years by basketball player Latrell Sprewell

I guess I can be partially guilty for auto seat belts, even though they're actually on my dad's '87 Maxima Wagon

[gokartride]

I see the little stick-on diamond shape grill things folks seem to love sticking on the front wing. Instantly makes me queazy.

What about those whistle exhaust things they were selling? Never had those where I live, but over-loud exhausts are sadly all too common.

Gaudy (and often poorly painted) body work/rear wings are also nasty.

[ChinoCharles]

The only one I'm guilty of is the branded decals one.

[texkid]

My '94 Ford Escort had the automated shoulder belts. The funny part was that my friends 7-year-old son thought that my car was "freakin' cool" because of those seatbelts :biggrin:.

And, a couple weeks ago I saw a 2006 or 2008 (??) Honda Accord with.....VINYL roof! Yes, yes, it is true. It was a light blue body with the white roof. At the stop light, I thought it was a Cadillac and was actually interested in it. That is until the turned green and it pulled forward to where I could see the make and model on the trunk. If he's local, I am sure I might bump into that car again and have my camera ready.

[POORSHA]

Velour seats, Landau roof, luggage rack on trunk.. unless it's british, indash cb, underdash cb,fake braided stainlesslines, spoked wheel hub caps and finally ..... any styling cue on a chrysler K car.

[GeneW]

Hehe, are any of you guilty??
http://editorial.autos.msn.com/listarticle.aspx?cp-documentid=1069499

I had the dice for a while!

Landua roof on an 82 Buick Regal.

Surprised that they didn't discuss shag rugs under the rear windows, "Christmas Tree" air freshners, straight pipes, ladder bars.... or rubber/plastic testicles that hang under the trailer hitch.

Gene

[CTScott]

My 1992 Mitsubishi Expo LRV had the motorized seat belts.

I had a fake carbon fiber license plate bracket on my 1999 Sentra.

I had a 92 Expo LRV Sport. I loved that car - There was nothing you couldn't carry in it. But, there's another one - putting the word sport on a mini-van.

[MadMax]

Fake Wood Paneling? Bullshit, FWP is da bomb!

http://www.dreamcars.com/jeep/wagoneer/1990/1000000055/photos/1000000001_main_lg.jpg

I had a baby blue '74 Duster with a white Vinyl Roof. I hated that car!

And I'd take this car, Branded Decals and all!

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/523737/CarreraKitFull1a.jpg

[Kaotic Lazagna]

If I hung a pair of die off my rear bumper (part of the local forum I used be part of), does that count? LMAO.

[Rich k]

what about this horrible automotive fad: adding copious amounts of faux chrome, naugahyde, and useless options to and then rebadging an econobox to sell for twice the price. Can you say Cadilac Catera (caugh, cavilier, caugh)

[tuckevalastin]

I've wanted a Catera since they were new and probably will get the newest version of the Catera (CTS=Catera Touring Sedan) in a few years.

So I'll correct your post. The Catera is in no way based on the Cavalier. It's based on the platform that produced the Holden Commodore in Australia, Opel Omega in Europe, Vauxhall Omega in the UK, and the New GTO in the USA.

[TLyttle]

List isn't long enough... I agree with the lakes pipes condemnation, and I am old enough to remember spinner hubcaps from 56 Oldsmobiles... yeech. Moon caps on a VW has to be the epitome of poor taste, but rear wings are a close second, the taller the dumber, particularly on cars not capable of more than 75mph.

Being old has its benefits, but remembering all the auto fads is not one of them!

[Yaristeve]

what about this horrible automotive fad: adding copious amounts of faux chrome, naugahyde, and useless options to and then rebadging an econobox to sell for twice the price. Can you say Cadilac Catera (caugh, cavilier, caugh)

If you think the Catera is bad, Google Cadillac Cimarron. You'd think they would have learned their lesson back then...

[kimona]

Rear wings, lambo doors, dumped rides, sky-high rides, massive chromed wheels, poked wheels, stretched tires, rubber band tires, excessive camber, fart can mufflers, dropped angle-mounted mufflers...

[BluYrs]

Digital dashboard? Check. This publicity pic even has a nice 80s feel to it.

http://i56.tinypic.com/23wwpbc.jpg

[Shinare]

They forgot to mention 20"+ rims with 1" high tires on sedans....

[nemelek]

Baby on board suction cup sticker.

[Z00KA]

How about the "guys" running around with a huge "sack of nuts" up under the back of their pickups....seriously?

[TLyttle]

Anyone remember lowering blocks? Then you're old like me...

[RedRide]

Actually, the automatic seat belts were not a fad.
The US law back then stipulated that a car either had to have airbags or, automatic chest belts.
Those munufactures who chose not to have airbags for whatever reason (they were new technology then) were mandated by law to have the automatic belts.

Digital gauges were absolutly anoying as hell.
I drove a car once with a digital speedo gague and it drove me nuts.


what about this horrible automotive fad: adding copious amounts of faux chrome, naugahyde, and useless options to and then rebadging an econobox to sell for twice the price. Can you say Cadilac Catera (caugh, cavilier, caugh)
Thats not a fad. It's just old marketing and the practice still continues.
Ford once admitted that it only cost them about $500 more to build ther high end, full size "Galaxy 500" over their Pinto. However the G500 sold for thousands more. A little "bling" here and there brings big bucks at the showroom.

[MickZEL]

http://www.4x4video.ru/index.php?act=viewfoto&id=1249#coments
VIDEO

[JBougie]

I am proud to say that I have never fallen in to any of those fades. Clean and minimal "things" have always been my style. Lots of lights, chrome, fuzzy sh*t, spinning wheels, anything that plugs in to the lighter (outside of my radar detector), too much Hello Kitty (girls are absolutely notorious for that....makes me want to puke), no NOS stickers all over the place, no under-carriage lights, wheels that are too big for the car, no big wings, no pissed-off bubble bee exhaust systems ..... subtle and clean has always been my style, I try to as far from ricey as possible. If I ever go ricey, I want someone to 1. tell me 2. slap the hell out of me

[TLyttle]

I could never afford performance goodies, so I went for the alternative performance cure, less weight. Most radical was an old Morris 1100, big brother to the original Mini. Out with the air chisel, out came anything that the thing didn't need: rear door and trunk latches and hinges, seats, interior liners & braces, rear door windows, mats, passenger seat, etc, out. Total weight loss, ~30%. A platform where the rear seats were, an office chair for the passenger, light ply for door panels, less than 40lbs back in. My oh my, did that thing ever go well with it's standard power plant! Totally stock from the outside except for the screws holding the rear doors and trunk lid on... Wheeeee!

[carnageehw]

My dad had SUBARU plastered on the front window of your 90's Legacy.

Wood paneling is pretty terrible, but I agree with ZOOKA, pickup truck balls are the worst. By far.