10 greatest cars time forgot

[T-Bohn]

Hey guys found this thought it might be interesting to a few of you... It seems the S cars have been getting some ink lately!

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=1260116#3

[Marcus86GLHS]

"Carroll Shelby is best known for his Cobras, and also the vehicles he brought to market with Ford. Lesser-known partnerships included an affair with Oldsmobile and a longer tryst with Chrysler. The lowly Dodge Omni GLH-S four-door hatch (500 produced in '85) and Dodge 024 GLH-S two-door hatch (1000 in '86) were among the first Chryslers to receive the full Shelby treatment. The GLH-S moniker stood for Goes Like Hell Some-More. Really. With intercooled turbo 2.2-liter four-cylinders making 175-hp, the cars were capable of ripping low 14-second quarter-mile times in stock form and were easily coaxed into the 12s with simple mods."


Well, they got some of it correct. At least there is a Shelby Dodge on the list. That pix of the prototype car they show is really nice. Thanks for the link.

[illi adik]

WTF are with those god awful wheels in the pic of that GLHS.

[thedon809]

No no no no. People need to keep thinking these cars are crappy and slow.

[Rrider]

e39 made the list!

[BoostedDrummer]

Why is the cobalt on there if "Time Forgot" it? It was like 3 years ago...

[Rrider]

Maybe they mean the marketing department forgot..

[glhs571]

Since it was a prototype GLHS in that picture, maybe those rims are what centurions originally would have looked like.

[Marcus86GLHS]

The wheels on the prototype GLHS are Fitipaldi (sp?) aftermarket wheels that were the rage back in the day. I do suspect they inspired Carroll's original design for the Centurion I wheel.

Someone needs to restore a GLHS to look exactly like the prototype GLHS, that would be a cool car and be unique with respect to the interior (standard vinyl and low back bucket seat) , the decals (revised later for production cars), the wheels, and some of the underhood hardware.

[T-Bohn]

Mark I am surprised at you!

Would it not be more accurate to take a GLH Turbo and convert it to the prototype setup? If you consider that the GLHS did not exhist yet and they would have converted a Turbo or outher available model?

Thoughts???

[Marcus86GLHS]

Gene good idea....take a 86 GLHT and make it into the prototype 86 GLHS. you would need a silver vinyl interior out of a standard Omni, and get Positive Impressions to replicate the decals, and get Fitipaldi to re-pop those wheels.

but do not roll the car over and total it, as was done w/ the prototype car.

[4 l-bodies]

Gene good idea....take a 86 GLHT and make it into the prototype 86 GLHS. you would need a silver vinyl interior out of a standard Omni, and get Positive Impressions to replicate the decals, and get Fitipaldi to re-pop those wheels.

but do not roll the car over and total it, as was done w/ the prototype car.

Looky what wheels are on one of my GLHT's. Some think fugly, while others think far better than the originals. That is just subjective. Repop wheels? IMO, not a snowball chance. For starters, Fittipaldi didn't even cast the wheel (lol)! Is Fittipaldi motoring accessories even in business anymore? They are about 5 lbs lighter each than stock centurian 1's. Took me about ten years to find this set.
PI doesn't seem to have interest in keeping even correct GLHS decals in stock, why would he even consider replicating the prototype decals? PI seems to be slowly fading away like LRE and other companies that have come and gone. Can't say that I blame him, as these vehicles are going the way of the Dodo bird.
As far as the low back buckets... What pics are you seeing of a prototype GLHS with low back buckets? Pics of prototype GLHS in Shelby times 4, Autoweek, and cover on June 86 Hot Rod all show high back SE buckets. Pic of rolled GLHS in ST4 have roll cage, buckets, and lots of other stuff already removed. If your seeing pics of a GLHS with low back buckets that was probably another prototype. 84 GLH had low back buckets. not any 85 or 86 production GLH's that I am aware of. Post those pics up of low back prototype!
Todd

[Marcus86GLHS]

Todd I have to go dig up and scan and post up the pix of the very 1st 86 GLHS prototype. But, I have all those articles boxed up and sent to the new owner of my GLHS!

It indeed had the low-back standard all-vinyl Omni seats, a standard Omni steering wheel, and under the hood there were some funky items like an upper intercooler hose that looked gippsy-rigged and a few other things.

There was a prototype car and a press car.......it was the prototype car that had the low back vinyl buckets and other unique items.

You have a set of vintage Fittipaldi wheels? I am not too surprised, you have all the best L-body stuff.

ps: look at the "Display until Feb 3, 2008" edition of the SHELBY magazine..on page 95 there are interior pix of the prototype 86 GLHS showing the low back vinyl seats and stock Omni steering wheel, and pix of the exterior showing the Fittipaldi wheels and unique decals.

[4 l-bodies]

Mark,
Yes I am aware that there must have been more than one GLHS prototype as the graphics seemed to have changed on the rocker panels at least a couple times. The upper intercooler hose was simply two hump hoses with a section of pipe between them.

I don't have Shelby magazine from 2008.:( BTW- The Fittipaldi wheels are also peeking out from under a SC car cover on DC catalog from 87,88,or 89. Can't remember what year.

So if more than one prototype was made (each having different seats as well as other options or omitions), I would think several variations would be techically correct for a prototype restoration. I see pics of different rockers graphics, body decal graphics, windshield graphics, wheels, steering wheels, upper intercooler and radiator hose, etc. all obviously pre-production GLHS's.
Todd

[BOOSTIFIED]

I'm liking this thread, the only thing I have to add in L body rareness is my father owned a Brand new 1984 just regular omni with H.O. engine from the factory chrome VC and all, not sure how common that was..

But one day I will add an S to my stable of L's

[Marcus86GLHS]

I heard of the 2.2L H.O. engine being available in the Plymouth Horizon in 1984 (there is a claim I read that just 84 were built this way) but I had not heard it was also in the non-GLH Omni, that would be a great car to own. Was your dad's car an Omni or a Horizon?

Todd good point, I bet there was more than one prototype GLHS. I always liked the all-vinyl interior example, I wish they had built the production cars with those seats which are bullet-proof compared to the Trenton cloth.

[T-Bohn]

I agree this is some fun thinking!!! Prototype tribute cars.

How many would there be??? Garlits car included?? 4??

I would like to see some old photos of the mules that they were playing with that evolved into the GLH/T/S back when they were selling the idea up the ladder 81-82?? I have always heard the story that is how the GLH came to be, charger stuff crammed in and boom it "Goes Like Hell"

Somebody, some where, saw that car. The true original.

[glhs0075]

If I ever win the lottery, I'm building a "Daytona 4" clone.

[BOOSTIFIED]

I heard of the 2.2L H.O. engine being available in the Plymouth Horizon in 1984 (there is a claim I read that just 84 were built this way) but I had not heard it was also in the non-GLH Omni, that would be a great car to own. Was your dad's car an Omni or a Horizon?

Todd good point, I bet there was more than one prototype GLHS. I always liked the all-vinyl interior example, I wish they had built the production cars with those seats which are bullet-proof compared to the Trenton cloth.

Marcus , my dads was a burgandy, with red interior car, pretty bare bones, no a/c basic interior, also he said which was interesting,, when he ordered it there was no info on the GLH.. but when it came in.. the GLH was in the show room and he kicked him self.. little did he know.. , I still remember when he would take it in for service the mechanics would always as if he had a cam or different carb due to the power.. you would think they would know LOL.

[4 l-bodies]

... I still remember when he would take it in for service the mechanics would always as if he had a cam or different carb due to the power.. you would think they would know LOL.
So in other words the mechanics would fix whatever the car was in for then go hammer on it. Nice...

[BOOSTIFIED]

So in other words the mechanics would fix whatever the car was in for then go hammer on it. Nice...

Exactly.. mind you I was only.. *thinking* ......... 5 when he got it.. 14 i learned stick on it.. 15 got my first N/A GLH and the red one died *sniffle*, Although I did keep the console out of it.. for memories..