Class: Needlessly Complex Italian
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Ed Bolian, VinWiki host and former CannonBall Run record holder, enters his flood damaged Lamborghini.
https://youtu.be/lQRQ8LYSJFY
I proudly present my Needlessly Complex Italian Sports Coupe....with a twist of K Car! My 1990 Chrysler's TC by Maserati(Chrysler "Q" Platform) was purchased last July from a gentleman who at one point owned 15 of them and was himself featured in a Hagerty magazine article about getting rid of them all. I paid arguably too much money for it mourning Lee Iacocca to run it in a Lemons Rally in 2019 which I couldnt make. Now with COVID it just got pressed into duty as a winter, followed by a summer, daily driver. The rear windows don't roll down, the top barely works, the tach thinks its idling at 7,000 and most of the interior electronics have failed. You also have to tap the brake pedal to engage the overdrive, I have no idea what's up with that. At 120,000 miles and Michigan winter status, I would like to know if someone is actually driving around a rattier one with a non-matching hard top. Due to parts expense and scarcity, the TEVES ABS as well as axles and brake calipers, along with some other misc parts, have been replaced with those from a 1990 LeBaron. These parts bolted right up, imagine that! I hope to eventually run this on Fall Failage or Route 66.
I have additional TC adventures along with my other Lemons on Instagram @DlangsHoopties.
That brake pedal/overdrive statement makes me think you have multiple bad grounds. That said, I love your classic Italian masterpiece, thank you for sharing!
Consider for a moment, the car is no longer sold in America... ...for good reason. It sports wheel bearings from a skateboard. Leather accented by hard plastics. A wheel base so short that the entire side of the car can be lifted on one jack point. If you can fit it underneath that is. Fitted with 17" rims guaranteed to bend at their first encounter with a pothole. Interior carpeting that's 1 step above burlap. Oil filter location that can only be described as, "so Italian". Designed in Italy. Made in Mexico. Sold by Chrysler. What could go wrong?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4tnTBraW6o&feature=youtu.be
Consider for a moment, the car is no longer sold in America... ...for good reason. It sports wheel bearings from a skateboard. Leather accented by hard plastics. A wheel base so short that the entire side of the car can be lifted on one jack point. If you can fit it underneath that is. Fitted with 17" rims guaranteed to bend at their first encounter with a pothole. Interior carpeting that's 1 step above burlap. Oil filter location that can only be described as, "so Italian". Designed in Italy. Made in Mexico. Sold by Chrysler. What could go wrong?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4tnTBraW6o&feature=youtu.be
Outstanding video entry!
This is our 1987 Bertone (FIAT) X1/9. It is a Lemons Rally veteran, placing 2nd in the Four Bangors Rally. We dragged it out of a backyard and fixed the bare minimum to get it back on the road while doing some quality of life improvements. The X1/9s are small cars, this one is about the same size as a Miata. The car is rusty and is constantly making new noises, vibrations or worrying motions when on the road. It may be a piece of junk, but it will get you where you want to go as long as you have the tools and the time!
Entry Video Link
I present my personal Needlessly Complex Italian Fiat. Purchased brand new by my Father when he was stationed in Germany just before returning to the States in 1970. The insurance company had a great first go with replacing a fair number of parts when it was striped at the port of New York before my Dad could get there to pick it up. They did a wonderful job color matching the new parts and returning the car to its preistine OE quality finish. After floating around the family it was given back to me and my brother for us to "enjoy". The canvas convertible top is mostly leak free unless you are in a car wash or any form of precipitation. Believe it or not the duct tape increases aerodynamic efficiency. The custom darkened rear window makes backing up with the top up a true test of your driving capabilities. The oil spots shown are it making it known the Fiat was there...sort of like a dog marking its territory. This car promptly lived up to its name for engine bay fires when it ruptured a fuel like while preparing for this photoshoot, but have no fear!! A temporary line was run directly to the fuel filler to keep us rolling. It comes complete with a well worn AAA sticker on the back...a good investment I am sure. The interior is complete with mouse droppings, rips, tears, mostly functions potentially accurate gauges, and a single speaker AM/FM radio that would give any Fisher Price Speak N' Say a run for its money. Packed in its go-bag are its service manual, a basic tool set, veritable cornucopia of fluids, and safety triangles...because we need them, a lot.