Lots of people still fondly remember the '70s. The era of Disco, big hairstyles, bell-bottoms, and David Bowie may be a culturally relevant decade in modern history, but it was a terrible period for cars. Not only did the oil crisis hit us where it hurts the most - robbing the vehicles of any power and performance - but it was also a time of terrible quality control. Most of all, almost all '70s cars were prone to rust.

Fortunately, the rust problem is mostly forgotten today, but in the '70s is a pretty common issue. Low quality steel, inadequate rust protection, and simple cost-cutting resulted in so many '70s icons needing full-body surgery to be roadworthy today. That is why we will tell you more about the 15 '70s cars insanely prone to rusting.

15 Fiat 127

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The compact Fiat 127 was a trendy city car back in the '70s, but you can hardly see them today, even in classic car shows. Simply, by 1985 almost all of them have been eaten by the rust, and owners abandoned those cars and simply moved on.

14 Ford Pinto

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Apart from its well-publicized and very dangerous habit to self combust when hit in the rear, Pinto was also a very rust-prone vehicle. Since it was an economy car, Ford didn’t bother to offer better rust protection, and when the public learned about its “fiery” nature, rust was the least of Pinto's problems.

13 Chevrolet Vega

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To be perfectly honest, the Vega was a good car. The design was right; it was affordable and well-thought of. However, it was a bit underpowered and had a problem with the rust. Apparently, Chevrolet never applied for enough rust protection while production and most of the Vegas rusted by the end of the '70s.

12 Alfa Romeo Sud

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Sud owners were so desperate that they said that, on a silent night, you could hear your Alfa Romeo slowly rusting away in the garage. The steel was so weak that Alfas started rusting even before the warranty ran out, putting the company in financial problems because of all the repairs.

11 BMW E21

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The first 3-Series was an essential car for BMW, and it established it as one of the biggest names of the German car industry. However, since it was the typical '70s product, it had big rust problems, especially rear wheel arches, floorboards, and trunk. Expensive to repair, as well.

RELATED: 10 ’70s Classic Cars That Will Cost You Nothing (5 That Worth A Fortune)

10 Ford Econoline

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The Ford Econoline was one of the most popular vans of the period, not just for regular delivery use but also for customizing, which was another popular '70s motoring thing. However, Ford intended to sell as many as they can so rust proofing wasn’t up to standards.

9 Fiat X 1/9

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Most of the bad rep Italians get for their cars comes from the '70s and problems with corrosion. The Fiat X 1/9 was a very cool little sports car with a mid-mounted engine and excellent handling, but even that didn’t help since the owners were furious because of rust problems and poor quality control.

8 Dodge Dart

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The Dodge's bread and butter sedan was the Dart. Introduced way back in the '60s, it was simple yet effective everyday transportation. During the '70s, due to cost-cutting, the quality of the steel and chemical preparation was down a bit, which resulted in serious rust issues after a couple of years.

7 AMC Hornet

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AMC was always on the verge of bankruptcy, which meant that they needed to cut corners everywhere they could, often at the expense of quality and durability. This is precisely why the Hornet had such poor rustproofing on an otherwise accomplished economy car.

6 Jeep Wrangler CJ5

1970s Jeep Wrangler
via Offroaders.com

One of the main reasons why the '70s Wranglers are expensive today is the fact that most of them were claimed by rust. This everlasting off-road vehicle had robust and dependable mechanics but poor rustproofing, which resulted in so many Wranglers at the junkyard.

RELATED: 15 Most Desirable Japanese Sports Cars From The ’70s And ’80s

5 Jaguar XJ6

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You thought that only economy cars had rust problems? Think again after you see this gorgeous '70s Jaguar XJ6 with rear-wheel arches gone and holes in the floor as the size of Texas. Too bad, since it is one of the most elegant cars of the decade.

4 Triumph TR7

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Brits never managed to get hold of the rust problems, which is one of the reasons why they don’t have a car industry anymore. The Triumph TR7 was a cool-looking roadster with great features but '70s British quality. This meant the electronics didn’t work, and it was rusty before the decade was over.

3 Chevrolet Square Body Truck

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The problems with all those old trucks, the Square Body, in particular, are the fact that nobody paid any attention to them when they were new. Those were work vehicles and performed in a harsh condition, which is why so many of Chevys painfully rusted away.

2 Ford Mustang II

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You cannot expect much from a muscle car built on a Pinto platform. Not only was it a terribly underpowered and disgraceful muscle car, but it was also very rust-prone. Ford was really set to destroy the Mustang with this one, but Mustang II spent only four years on the market.

1 Plymouth Volare

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The Volare was a good idea and a compact sedan that was right for the times. It even had good export results, but Chrysler was in dire financial straits by the end of the `70s, and Volare wasn’t well produced. The biggest problem was the rust and overall build quality.

NEXT: 10 Classic Cars From The 1970s We Wish We Could Easily Drive Today