Classic cars are a much-vaunted buy and perhaps at least one of them is on every car lover’s bucket list. Some of them can be pretty reliable as well, and once checked-over and worked-upon by a classic car restorer, they can last you many miles to come, even if you use them as a daily driver.

That said; not all classic American cars are a good buy and some can be downright money traps. Not only will your initial investment of buying and restoring them go down the drain, but these cars were also always problematic, to begin with, and maintaining them turns into a never-ending nightmare.

RELATED: These Classic Muscle Cars Make The Best Daily Drivers

It’s not always the money too. Having a car that breaks down more than it runs is a morale buster, and the time spent on trying to get it back on its wheels is also a waste.

So here are 10 classic American cars you should eschew because they may crumble after 50,000 miles. Or even earlier…

10 Ford Edsel: The White Elephant

via Twitter

Which Edsel model are we talking about here? Since the marque was just a short-lived two year one from 1958 to 1960, so we mean all. E-Day, as in the day Edsel debuted was supposed to be a big day for Ford, instead, it turned out to be dreadful for not just the company but also any and all people who bought any of the Edsel cars.

via BusinessInsider

Engine malfunctions, electrical failures, and rusting plagued the over-hyped and over-expensive cars from the start, and finding aftermarket parts for them is also a big pain. Even if the Edsel cars do look good, all that glitters is not gold.

9 Dodge Royal: Only In Name

via Classic

Released at the same time as the Edsel, the 1957 Dodge Royal may have looked and sounded grandiose, but it was a disaster from start to end. Assembly line quality control was non-existent and there were reports of the cars missing nuts and bolts and rattling while being driven.

via Pinterest

Plus, a little rain and the Dodge Royal would leak in places you did not know could leak. When a car is this badly made from the start, expecting it to last as a classic is a bad idea and as pretty as it may look, the Dodge Royal should be given a pass.

8 Ford Pinto: The Kaboom Car

via ClassicCars

In 1971, Ford wanted to launch a cheap and light car and unleashed an unmitigated disaster on the public in the form of the Pinto. The Ford Pinto was a car that tended to catch fire and sometimes explode if it was nudged in the rear, and was the cause of plenty of casualties and malpractice suits.

via BuffaloCars

Later, as ordered by the law, Ford did recall and fix the Pintos but this was a car made in a hurry and under duress to be cheap and light. Expecting it to last is like expecting water to turn into oil.

RELATED: Ford's Most Disappointing Cars Of The Decade

7 Dodge La Femme: A Misogynistic Ride

1955 Dodge La Femme
via BarnFinds

In 1955, Dodge decided to degrade women the world over by launching an overly pink car to appeal to feminine sensibilities and called it the La Femme. It came with pink tapestry interiors that might make the Pink Panther fall in love with it and tried to lure women with a free umbrella, rain hat, and rain cape.

1955 Dodge La Femme
via Autoweek

They also added in a pink bag with pink makeup in it and pinked themselves out of existence pretty quick. Unless you live in a pink-circus, please excuse and move on.

6 Cadillac Eldorado: The Infamous V8-6-4

via Kloompy

Cadillac did have the concept right. They brought out a V8 engine that could deactivate cylinders and turn into a V6 or a V4 when the car was cruising and did not need much power, thus saving on gas and being an economically savvy car.

via Mecum

The execution of the engine failed, big time. The engine bucked worse than a bronco, and people dumped the car back at the dealerships as soon as they bought them. A prime example of a good car with an engine gone bonkers is the Cadillac Eldorado. Pass…

5 Dodge Aspen: The Most Malaise-Stricken Of all

via ClassicCars

Its 1976 and its peak malaise era. Gas is not only rationed but far too expensive and new emission controls have strangled all muscle cars into nothingness. What’s a man to do?

via Moviemachines

Dodge tried to “fix” this with the Aspen, and it was a truly beautiful design, only they did not put it right. Meaning, it was a beautiful shell with so many problems, it turned into the worst of the lot, to come out of the ‘70s. The quintessential rust bucket, the Aspen, along with the Plymouth Volare had so many problems back in the day, you’d be hard-pressed to even find one of these on the classic car bazaar today.

RELATED: The 10 Most Disappointing Cars Dodge Ever Made, Ranked

4 Ford Maverick Grabber: Lifeless From The Start

via Pinterest

The Maverick was launched in 1970 with a 5.0-liter V8 that made 210 horses and targeted those who could not afford a Mustang. Well and good. As long as you got this engine option. For the poor fool who bought a base model, you got stuck with a 2.8-liter straight six that jetted a feeble 105 horses.

via YouTube

The Grabber trim was more of an insult with soft vinyl seats and woody panels on a car that couldn't “go” to save its own life if need be. This lackluster longhorn is better left in a barn, in case you come across one.

3 Cadillac Seville: Drop The Diesel

via OrlandoClassicCars

More malaise era classics. In the forty or so years that have passed, the Cadillac Seville has still not managed to retrieve its lost pride since the day they decided to introduce the Olds V8 diesel engine in it. Initially, the Seville was a good car, small for a Caddy but a zippy drive.

via Pinterest

But in 1981, they put in the Olds 350 V8 in it, and the Seville went down in a hail of blown gaskets, clogged fuel lines, and major maladies that bring a car to a halt in the middle of a road. The worst of all Caddy classics to buy, steer clear of a diesel Seville.

2 Chevy Vega: The Biggest Lemon Of All

City-Data

With the dubious success of the Ford Pinto, Chevy wanted to launch its cheap bestseller to make the best of the malaise era. And they did exactly what the Ford did with the Pinto. Launch the Vega in a tearing hurry in 1976 and forget to make it right.

via MOMENTcar

While the Pinto caught fire and exploded, the Vega heaved, bellowed, and steamed its way into junkyards and abandonments. It is said that at one point, even junkyards refused to take in another Vega since they were chock-a-block with them. A failed car that Chevrolet probably regrets making, it’s one of the worst classics to buy.

RELATED: The 10 Most Disappointing Cars Chevrolet Ever Made

1 Dodge Challenger: A Blot On the Name

via StreetsideClassics

A classic Dodge Challenger sounds so cool on paper, and if you do get one from 1964-1974, well, you are a lucky one indeed. But if you are thinking of buying a 1978 model, stop and desist.

via StreetsideClassics

The second-generation of the Dodge Challenger was a glorified passenger sedan and nothing more than a rebadged Mitsubishi Galant Lambda that came with 1.6-liter and 2.6-liter inline-four engine options, the latter of which made just 105 measly horses. Not the kind of classic you’d want, or even need…

NEXT: Ranking The 10 Most Powerful American Pickup Trucks Ever