The Chrysler Laser Was The Forgotten Twin Of The '80s | Know This Car

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ส.ค. 2024
  • The bleeding edges of car design today are futuristic: all-electric power, semi-autonomous driving. But look back a few decades and you’ll find a different set of goalposts. This is the wonderful, incomprehensible Chrysler Laser, set with a lofty task of being… a somewhat practical sporty coupe.
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ความคิดเห็น • 231

  • @Cursethedawn
    @Cursethedawn 5 ปีที่แล้ว +91

    I owned one. A 1986 Chrysler Laser Turbo. It had voice notifications and everything which seemed pretty fancy back then. But once we got in the car and it said, "Your right rear door is ajar." It was a two door. But both of us still turned around and looked. :P

    • @albear972
      @albear972 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Door is ajar! Holy crap! That Speak and Spell voice! My junior high school librarian had a Dodge Caravan minivan and she told me that she hated it so much. She I kid you not told me that she hoped someone would steal it. And she told me about the door ajar 80's robotic voice. She gave me a ride on that machine a few times as she was getting off work and going te same direction. And yes, that will NEVER happen now, That is school staff giving rides to students.

    • @jrjtitanic
      @jrjtitanic 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I guess she didn't know there was an easy way to mute it. Lol

    • @Trance88
      @Trance88 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@albear972 I got very occasional rides to school from my first grade teacher. She was such a nice and caring lady.

    • @frankdenardo8684
      @frankdenardo8684 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      CurseTheDawn Chrysler was trying to lure younger buyers. the average buyer was over the age of fifty.

    • @AlbertoDsign
      @AlbertoDsign 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      *YOUR. It took me too long to realize it wasn't saying that you were right about the door being open.

  • @isaakwelch3451
    @isaakwelch3451 5 ปีที่แล้ว +23

    When I was 17 one of my teachers told me about the chrysler laser she had in '86. It was one of her favorite cars ever. She ended up selling it because she was getting too many tickets. I now own an 87 Dodge Daytona. They really aren't that bad of cars.

  • @jrjtitanic
    @jrjtitanic 5 ปีที่แล้ว +21

    But I drive an 86' Daytona Turbo Z daily still. And many people still get excited at shows for it

    • @OscillatorCollective
      @OscillatorCollective 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      I love those cars man...probably my favorite car of the 80s...(next to STARIONS and Buick T-types)

  • @johnccargill4665
    @johnccargill4665 5 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    I worked in a Chrysler dealer in 84/85, these cars were quite good and strong when compared to the Camaros and Mustangs .

  • @DasE30Cuz
    @DasE30Cuz 5 ปีที่แล้ว +30

    My first car was a low mileage 1990 Daytona I got in 2010 and I still have it!

    • @mbach2826
      @mbach2826 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @ZachBuchowski: that's pretty impressive!! How has it held up?

    • @jjgibbens
      @jjgibbens 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      WAnna sell it?

  • @HyperRidemx
    @HyperRidemx 5 ปีที่แล้ว +29

    The Late Carroll Shelby would totally disagree with you, the much older and less fancy platform Charger and Omni impressed performance enthusiast of the day, including this model. It was one of the best performance handing cars of the 1980's and by the time this platform reached 10 years old it was producing over 224hp and was very competitive. Compare the 80's with the 80's This was the right car for the times and Chrysler is still around today because of it.

    • @davidg4026
      @davidg4026 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      I was of driving age in the '80s and it didn't impress me one bit!

    • @666cemetaryslut
      @666cemetaryslut 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      It's kinda like the SRT4 of its day. Sure, it was Chrysler's second fastest car (behind the viper) but no one really gave a crap because it was a neon.

    • @thetreblerebel
      @thetreblerebel 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Heck yea! He put his name on two of some extremely potent cars of its day! The GLHS, and the Shelby Daytona/Charger. People don't get it, but it makes alot of sense compared to say a Kia K5, Stinger, or Honda Integra Type R, or any other FWD sports coupé. RSX Type S for crying out loud! Pop up head lights in later models. The L Body Turbo Z's were American made JDM sports cars.

  • @jay92889
    @jay92889 5 ปีที่แล้ว +25

    But the Plymouth Laser soldiered on to a new model Eclipse later on.

  • @sergiol.aponte13
    @sergiol.aponte13 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I had an 85 Laser 5 speed turbo (bought it 90 to 92 or so) and it was a lot of fun for a single driver, sporty, very well priced (I got it used), not bad on gas, and it moved along quite nice. The seats were very sporty and held you in place very securely.

  • @Drakeworkes
    @Drakeworkes 5 ปีที่แล้ว +25

    Watching this video while replacing belts on my 86 Chrysler Laser ❤

    • @frankdenardo8684
      @frankdenardo8684 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Drakeworkes the car practically resembles a. Porsche 928.

    • @chryslerlazer8366
      @chryslerlazer8366 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      HAHAA I'M OLDER THEN YOYR CAR!

  • @gfdia35
    @gfdia35 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I remember kids around the neighborhood running up to us asking if this is the car that talks and showing off by letting it cycle through the audible check list ,,, whew we were so easily impressed in those days😂

  • @lesliedeana5142
    @lesliedeana5142 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I absolutely LOVED mine! There were SO MANY THINGS that were unique in the day. Driver lumbar support adjustable pneumatically, Electric defrost side mirrors. Of course the digital dash & voice. A 4 seat vehicle that the rear could fold down and you could carry a dresser inside. I'm sure that I'd still have it today if it wasn't stolen from the mechanic's that left it outside.

  • @jacobirvine704
    @jacobirvine704 5 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    You proved that you don't even "Know This Car"! The incredible number of errors and personal opinions that crept into this video have proven that you either didn't live through the 80's, or that your head was in a hole in the ground during that era.

    • @jeremystout412
      @jeremystout412 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Jacob Ervin he was very incorrect with the majority of it(if not all,) especially when he said “was it as muscly as the Camaro?” “No.” That is a joke itself, because the turbo four cylinder with a five-speed manual whooped most “muscle cars” in the 80’s especially the Camaro. If they didn’t beat the opponent they stayed right next to them. Plus with the performance variants of the Laser/Daytona Carol Shelby himself fiddled with them as in the performance upgrades with the suspension and such. He mentioned the K-Car well the K-platform, yet this is a Chrysler G-Body. I was actually looking into purchasing a Daytona, but I never actually had a chance to go look at it. I actually do research before considering purchasing a car, so I know what I’m getting into. Aside from my 1984 Dodge W150, I now have a 1997 Stratus. I still wish I bought the Daytona, but the Stratus and the pickup will do. I may also add that your Laser looks immaculate.

    • @jacobirvine704
      @jacobirvine704 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@jeremystout412 thank you! It's so relieving to see more people like yourself who agree that this video is chock-full of false statements.
      As for my Laser; thank you very much! It's my pride and joy, one of two built in its' color combination. I hope you get another chance at a Daytona, they're very fun cars!

    • @jeremystout412
      @jeremystout412 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @Jacob Ervin you’re very welcome! Hopefully one day again I can get a Daytona; maybe even a Laser who knows. That’s awesome that you have a rarity in your hands, continue to cherish it!

  • @brooksrownd2275
    @brooksrownd2275 5 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    You could say the same about a ton of cars of the era. These cars sold fairly well, and were not at all abnormal for the 1970's/1980's. The economy was crawling out of the trash and people just wanted some cheap transport that looked snappy.

    • @frankdenardo8684
      @frankdenardo8684 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Brooks Rownd the Chrysler Laser was a car that they were trying bring in younger buyers. most buyers of Chrysler's were over the age of fifty.

  • @CardboardSliver
    @CardboardSliver 5 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Ya know, for a Jalopnik video, this felt very low budget. Audio quality, same few seconds of video, and next to no actual research.

    • @QuadMochaMatti
      @QuadMochaMatti 5 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Not to mention, annoying attempts at snarkiness that fall on their face like a turtle doing the Disco Duck on a floor of BBs, with Ethel Merman strapped on for a ride.

  • @slowanddeliberate6893
    @slowanddeliberate6893 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    The video had a tone like this was a bad car, but I don't see anything wrong with the car. It looks kind of cool to me.

    • @jacobirvine704
      @jacobirvine704 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      It seems like whoever wrote the script for this one either personally didn't like Lasers, or just did minimal research and only picked the bad information...

  • @cimism610
    @cimism610 5 ปีที่แล้ว +25

    I had a 5 speed laser it would beat stock 5.0 camaros and mustangs
    Facts.

    • @That_AMC_Guy
      @That_AMC_Guy 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      The later Shelby Daytonas or Daytonas equipped with the Intercooled Turbo could whomp all over a stock 5.0 Mustang or V8 Camaro. They would run with a 350-equipped Z/28. In my hometown growing up, the kids that had the Turbo Daytonas were seen as Boss. Mustangs and Camaros were considered "also-rans".
      Hell, my boss had one and he could keep up with my 360/4barrel AMC Javelin! He never beat me, but damn he could keep up!

    • @clark83emt
      @clark83emt 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I had a Shelby Daytona Z and it outran nearly everything in its day if you knew how to abuse the clutch just right. Premium fuel on a cool day would result in spiking the boost gauge to 15psi instantly and hold it there through the gears.

    • @sniperdoug1969
      @sniperdoug1969 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Thank you

    • @chicagodaddy1
      @chicagodaddy1 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      cimism610 Mine too. I raced an ‘85 Z-28 and kicked his ass.

    • @jjgibbens
      @jjgibbens 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Mine had turbo, but it was all screwed up. As I would hit the point where the turbo should kick in, it would belch and lurch and leave a HUUUUUGE black smoke cloud behind me that all my friends would laugh at.

  • @dougglaus9256
    @dougglaus9256 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I had an 86 laser. It was and still is the car of my dreams. It was the car I met my wife in. It was the car I brought my son home in. It was the car I traded for my first truck. I loved that car. It is the car of my youth. It was the car of my innocence.

    • @rjcupid
      @rjcupid ปีที่แล้ว

      Great memories and a great comment.

  • @kirka127
    @kirka127 5 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Had an 85 with the 2.2 non turbo mated to the 5 speed. Was the first brand new car I owned.

  • @judethaddaeus9742
    @judethaddaeus9742 5 ปีที่แล้ว +27

    1. Chrysler had 2 efficient small cars at the time - the L-body Omni/Horizon/Charger/Turismo/Rampage/Scamp whose architecture debuted in 1978, and the K-car.
    2. The Laser replaced the Cordoba in Chrysler’s lineup. The car that replaced the Laser was the 1987 LeBaron coupe.
    3. The Conquest already existed alongside the Laser in Chrysler-Plymouth dealerships from 1984-86, but wore Plymouth badges. Chrysler simply swapped them for Chrysler badges for 1987-89.
    4. Certain versions of the Daytona were actually faster than the Camaro Z-28 and Mustang 5.0.

  • @MrJayrock620
    @MrJayrock620 5 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    140hp doesn’t sound like much now, but in 1984, the stock 5.0L Mustangs only made 140-150hp. Even the Camaro was only that, and no ones laughing at them.

  • @kevinb9407
    @kevinb9407 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I worked for Chrysler back then, and they sold like hotcakes in their day (the design you so easily dismissed was truely "cutting edge" for their time -- I do remember when we got the first ones in the dealership -- and, I was simply stunned as they were just so amazing). Yes, they are silly looking today, but then they were the cars just about everyone wanted, and to compare them to semi autonomous cars of today is simply ridiculous. From the technology of the 1980's to today? Hhmm, do you still use a Commodore Vic-20 computer, too?

    • @unitedcity_mc4421
      @unitedcity_mc4421 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

      No, they are not "silly looking today". They look so much better than they did at the time.

  • @brentboswell1294
    @brentboswell1294 5 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    It's amazing how many people thought these were Camaros...

  • @DaveBuildsIt
    @DaveBuildsIt 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    The Dodge Daytona/Chrysler Laser was never meant to be a competitor to the Nissan 300ZX nor the Toyota Supra. The MSRP was several thousand less than the imports and for the money, it was a sporty alternative. While the Chrysler Laser (in it's original iteration) may have only existed for three model years, the Dodge Daytona existed for a decade.
    The late 1980s and early 1990s brought about the return to American horsepower, i.e., Mustangs and Camaros. Chrysler and Mitsubishi answered the call with Diamond Star Motors. I recall the Chrysler Laser RS Turbo as a badass little car for the time.
    Less Gawlopnik, more Jalopnik, please.

  • @brianervin2035
    @brianervin2035 5 ปีที่แล้ว +34

    Unfortunately this commentary is completely inaccurate and clueless. No attention to the market at the time, no actual performance statistics, no experience with what was contemporary. Wow how does this guy actually get anybody watching his videos?

    • @LostNbound
      @LostNbound 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Kind of my thoughts. All we heard was "It's weird" "Its weird". Well ok why is it weird?

    • @strzeldrob6422
      @strzeldrob6422 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      they tried to rip off the donut media style and it went tragically lol Jalopnik is diffrent and should stay like this and the fact that donut media got popular doesen't mean that it should be replicated. People like donut cause it's a breath of fresh air and ripping it off is completely stupid. Jalopnik has its own loved by many style and should stay at it instead of this whatever the fuck this is

    • @1998Wakefield
      @1998Wakefield 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Yeah man I agree. I own a 1986 Chrysler Laser XT and it runs and drives well. For it's day after the gas crisis and the new emissions requirements came in it really hit all performance cars hard. My cousin owned a 80's Mustang GT V8 5.0 it has a carburetor, my laser has fuel injection and a 2.2 turbo and could still meet or beat my cousin's mustang in a quarter mile. More interesting tid bits about this car compared to my cousins mustang is it has electric and heated mirrors and a more modern looking interior. My car was also cheaper compared to the GT and still offered just as good or better in performance and features. So really just do you research on the time frame when the car was made ask around to people who actually drove one of these during that time and ask them how does it perform? Also the big misconception about the laser being trashed is the Daytona was a little cheaper offered basically the same performance and it did look sportier that's it, same body just a different trim and wrap around wing. Not even close to the comparison of the dodge charger and the 300. So to the buyer why would you go for the laser when you could buy a better looking version for cheaper. Also It's a damm hatch back, not a coupe the back window is about 2 times the height of the windshield tell me how that's a coupe.

    • @MoparTechWill
      @MoparTechWill 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      this is Raphael Orlove reporting on Jalopnik. You obviously don't follow his articles on the actual website.

    • @shmiggz
      @shmiggz 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I mean it is jalopnik so not really a trustworthy source

  • @danc7904
    @danc7904 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Oh, I so loved my '86 Laser XT, Red, T-top. To this day I remember the first time I felt the turbo spool up and push me back in the seat. The seat had the air bulb you could pump up the lumbar and thigh support. The trip computer was a fun toy. I regret selling it. The only option it didn't have was the louvered rear window.

  • @dewolf49
    @dewolf49 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Holy shit, when I saw this video I thought- "Hey, I remember one of these parking across the street from my middle school." Only to see that exact car later in the video

  • @wowomg1980
    @wowomg1980 5 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    Shame cuz I think it looks pretty cool

  • @CMFL77
    @CMFL77 5 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Yeah... missing some facts and clearly biased (for...reasons?). These were not marvels of their time but they were much more competent than the video lets on and as the series developed they produced some of the better numbers in the late 80's and early 90's. Also, the PLYMOUTH Laser is plenty well known

    • @frankdenardo8684
      @frankdenardo8684 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Chris Laib a carbon copy of the Porsche 928.

  • @sniperdoug1969
    @sniperdoug1969 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Back up a minute. My 86 laser XE had a vacuum controlled cowl inducted 2.5 4 cyl. It definitely was not a standard rebadged Daytona. My uncle ran a performance shop at the time and it dynoed at 235 hp. With a new Lawrence performance cpu and about 1200 dollars in performance parts it pushed 300 horses at 4500 rpm. The 2.5 Chrysler had a twin screw counterbalanced system and my gears were completely different than a Dodge Daytona. I’ll give you the talking dash was a pain but it could be silenced with a switch in the glove box. I used to eat Chevy camaros and Ford Mustangs lunches and diners in the 1/8 th mule heads up drag racing. I could hold my own in the 1/4. My 2.5 had larger intake valves and a higher duration twin overhead cam system. Plus lotus helped design the suspension. So new it cost about 3000 dollars over a turbo Daytona. However it was very well worth it. Considering at the time the 2.8 v6 cavalier z24 was Chevys best selling budget sports car and fords was the graphics only gt escort kit. Now in the end I had a fully blown 2.5 with about 7 pounds of pressure going through it. But it started its life a lot more powerful than a 2.2 Daytona/Duster.

  • @GamePlayWithNolan
    @GamePlayWithNolan 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I am a senior in high school and most the cars in our auto shop are from the 1980s and we have a Dodge Daytona. If someone comes in the shop for the first time, they usually check it out first because it looks like a "muscle car..." Also an 1987 S10 with 180 miles on it and no rust. Even has the sticker in the window for the dealership. Chrysler fifth avenue from the 1980s which still has the sticker on it too. mid 80s toyota corolla. S10 and Corolla are both manual. I kind of like the Daytona tbh

  • @AiOinc1
    @AiOinc1 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I really want one still
    The turbo was optional. The digidash was phased out after a while, and the EVA system was only available on Laser Turbo XE models between 1985 and 1987 when the module was discontinued. Lasers with this option are incredibly rare because seatbelts were not compulsory and the voice message got annoying to people who wanted to go through windshields.
    You could get these with a V6, if you wanted. It was of foreign design if I recall, though.
    I wouldn't call a 1981 Honda Accord "more advanced" than a 1981 Buick Regal. AC was barely an option and fuel injection wasn't even an option until 1988, and wasn't standard until 1990 on the Accord. On many domestic cars, computer controlled feedback carburators had become common and were soon replaced with TBI and MPI injection systems.
    By 1985, the Chrysler Laser was fully port fuel injected versus the two barrel carburator of a top trim Honda Accord LX. The 140HP the base model NA I4 was pushing out for the 1984 Chrysler Laser was more than the top model NA I4 of a 1989 Honda Accord LXi, which only made 120HP and weighed roughly the same. It was also front wheel drive and cost about $2000 more.

    • @jacobirvine704
      @jacobirvine704 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      The digital dash system was actually available for all three years of Laser production, 1984 1985 and 1986. The Electronic Voice Alert (EVA) came standard on all XE models, but was available as a (very expensive) option on all Lasers. The V6 was offered as an option for the 1990-93 Dodge Daytona; the Laser was only available with the 4-cylinder.

  • @johnr9528
    @johnr9528 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    1986 Laser Turbo, but analog gauges and no talking computer, garnet red, black interior, 146 hp / 170 torque. Drove it to 153,000+ miles on original everything, including turbo, but I had 3 kids and no place to put it, so it sat at my mom's house outside in the northeast and rusted. Got rid of it finally in 2003 after failed inspection on rusted brake lines. Great car.

  • @TomTheTaxPayer
    @TomTheTaxPayer ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thank you for the nice videos. My first new car was a turbo Laser with leather seats and a sun roof. The seats were the most comfortable I ever have owned. The turbo was fun for the weak powered era of the early 1980's. The stereo system was excellent. Handling was good, but braking was undersized and tended to warp the rotors. Racing around with a Toyota Supra was no problem. It had electrical glitches that were annoying. The engine and manual transmission were strong, and I sold it with 165,000 miles. Not bad for a first car. I have fond memories of burning rubber in three gears.

  • @theejoeylee
    @theejoeylee 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I owned its twin, the daytona when i got my licence in 97. had a Pacifica turbo too, not the failed crossover or the minivan

  • @rick49721
    @rick49721 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I bought a 1984 Laser in 1986. Absolutely loved it!

  • @alvitransport8982
    @alvitransport8982 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I have an 84 turbo with the 5 speed. Like you a neighbor had one when I was a kid and I thought then it was the fastest coolest car I had ever seen

  • @revnto7k
    @revnto7k 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I always wanted a Dodge Daytona growing up.. I grew up around turbo Mopars. Love them.

  • @JustAnAverageBrad
    @JustAnAverageBrad ปีที่แล้ว

    i remember one of dads friends owned one and everytime it came here for repairs i was fascinated with the seats....it had a bulb you pumped up like a blood pressure monitor to inflate airbags in the seat...and they were very comfortable....the dash made me think that whoever designed it was probably a fan of the knight rider tv show

  • @dupont4sure
    @dupont4sure 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    i used to have the 86 laser xt turbo..mine ran really good..it would haul ass for what it was.lol people used to trip out when i would put it in reverse.you had to pull up on a lever kinda thing under the shifter handle and put the shifter up where first would go to put it in reverse..some crackhead stole my car and junked it and the sheriff did nothing about it and this was 20 years ago. i wish i still had this car. mine was blue and had a sunroof.

  • @gilbertg.8501
    @gilbertg.8501 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I have an old toy laser from 1984. I never could figure out what it was until a few years ago when I learned of the laser

  • @unitedcity_mc4421
    @unitedcity_mc4421 ปีที่แล้ว

    I think this car looks so much nicer than the stuff today.

  • @subtlez28
    @subtlez28 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Funny the more known Plymouth Laser was not mentioned. It DOES have a wiki page.

  • @chrislemaster2695
    @chrislemaster2695 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Yes this was Chrysler's version of the Dodge Daytona (K-car) Only made from 1984-1986 and it was the luxury version for the older person geared toward the older crowd.

  • @jareknowak8712
    @jareknowak8712 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I really like the desing of this car.
    20 years ago there was one in my city, which is "nowhere" in Europe.
    Car was a piece of architecture, never have seen it driving on the road.

    • @Drakeworkes
      @Drakeworkes 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      They're beautiful cars. My 86 is near mint and it is sooooo fun to drive

  • @brianoregan4477
    @brianoregan4477 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I had a 86 2.2 turbo, I loved my car, and I replaced the timing chain. this car was actually a fast little buggy. And it was great in the snow.

  • @kristinajayne9191
    @kristinajayne9191 ปีที่แล้ว

    I used to have a blue 86 laser. I wish I would've kept it. It was ahead of its time as no other car in its class had the digital display and the electronics like it did. I drove for four and a half days when I moved to B.C. back in 94. Five tanks of gas and 450 dollars later I arrived at my destination. I don't remember the mileage though. The car ran beautifully the whole way. The problems with the car started after they stopped manufacturing them and parts were literally non-existent and extremely expensive.

  • @askjeevescosby2928
    @askjeevescosby2928 ปีที่แล้ว

    If it was rear wheel drive it would have been a cult classic. This car just oozes 80s charm.

  • @jjgibbens
    @jjgibbens 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    My 4 yo found out I had a car that talked and he didn't believe me, so I found the TH-cam video of it talking. He was not impressed but I then stumbled across this video too. Right in the nostalgias. Why am I looking up to see if there are any 84 Chrysler lasers for sale? My 84 (bought in 91) was my first car. It was unreliable, had many gremlins, the turbo didn't work and would belch black smoke and lurch if you hammered down from a light. The paint was peeling and I only had it for about 12 months when I got a high school dream car Camaro my senior year (that I kept for 8 years)

  • @gurutimes2
    @gurutimes2 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    my mom had one and it was actually pretty cool, if i could have it today in the exact same condition i would love it!

  • @TheDefinables
    @TheDefinables 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    My dad bought one of these cars when he was younger and we still have it today. We barely drive it though

  • @thatface3
    @thatface3 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    I liked these cars. I had an 85 Turbo Laaer. And a few yrs later i had a 93 Daytona.

  • @Luke_SkyWalk3r
    @Luke_SkyWalk3r 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    My sister had one in the 90's. It went like a bat outa hell, from what I remember.

  • @geoffallan3804
    @geoffallan3804 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    This video is wrong on every level.
    Dodge was ALWAYS targeted at the performance and economy market, and Chrysler was ALWAYS the "prestige" nameplate. Just because you never noticed it doesn't mean it wasn't always so.
    Lasers were targeted for the Country Club market, Daytonas were targeted at the Country Bar market.
    Were you even alive in the 80s???

    • @QuadMochaMatti
      @QuadMochaMatti 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Just another Millennial/post-Millennial attempting to pass themselves off as something else, like a can of cheez whiz at a wedding reception for a Jupiterian robot muscleman.

    • @JoeUrbanYYC
      @JoeUrbanYYC 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@QuadMochaMatti I have no idea what this means but I've added it to my quote list.

  • @JustinWild
    @JustinWild 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    You're just inviting someone to target that guy's beloved car for theft and providing explicit directions to find it.

    • @wowomg1980
      @wowomg1980 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      He's probably gonna put in the garage now.

    • @raphaelorlove
      @raphaelorlove 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      you may be overestimating the desirability of a chrysler laser sitting for an unknown number of years

  • @goofydog2
    @goofydog2 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    I had an 84 Laser. Everything on it! I loved it. Kept it for 5 years and got too many speeding tickets out running Camaros...

  • @paulmuaddib451
    @paulmuaddib451 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Had a 1984 Chrysler Laser XE, turbo, 5 speed in turd brown metallic and I loved it.

  • @jacobirvine704
    @jacobirvine704 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Your dislike of this car is showing a little bit.

    • @1998Wakefield
      @1998Wakefield 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Yo, do you still own your laser? I own one it's a 1986 XT love that car. Still runs and drives just fine.

    • @jacobirvine704
      @jacobirvine704 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@1998Wakefield yes, I do! It's a 1985 1/2 Laser XE that my father bought new in 1985. It's all-original, like-new, and is one of two built in it's color combination!
      I'm also a Chrysler Laser and Dodge Daytona O.E. Restoration/Preservation Consultant, so I guess you could say I know and love these cars a LOT...

  • @frankburns8871
    @frankburns8871 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I never forgot it. Preferred it over the Dodge version, really. Cleaner styling, and more "upscale" than its Mopar sibling. I lusted for one so bad, probably due to clever marketing more than anything else. They were pretty solid cars performance wise for the day, but reliability...not so much.

  • @jakespeed63
    @jakespeed63 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Loved mine

  • @matthewjohnson2853
    @matthewjohnson2853 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    It wasn't bad for the time, the 1980's didn't offer much anyway! Some assholes love shitting on something they don't like!

  • @TomTheTaxPayer
    @TomTheTaxPayer ปีที่แล้ว

    I owned one when I lived in LA, but didn’t keep it under cover. It was a nice looking car for its time. The seats were excellent for comfort and support. The stereo system was top in the class in power and clarity. Power and handling were good enough to keep up with the Supras. I could squeak the tires in three gears. Unfortunately, it had electrical issues, undersized rotors, and other QC issues below the quality of the Japanese sporty coups and probably on par with the Camaro and Mustang.

    • @North49191
      @North49191 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      that never kept up with a Supra, never I say

  • @Nathankinamorh
    @Nathankinamorh 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    The all leather interior with the t-tops. You could lay the back seat flat and lean the seats forward and be able to sleep in it. It was an interesting design.

  • @green_bay_cheesehead1248
    @green_bay_cheesehead1248 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I got a 90 Daytona I love it!

  • @thetreblerebel
    @thetreblerebel 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    It makes all the sense in the world... A FWD sports car is the norm of today, yet, Mopar had one back in 84

  • @1TitanicFan1
    @1TitanicFan1 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Hay could you do a mother 80s car for me? It is called the Pontiac Tojan and it is the forgotten superstar of the 80s.

  • @lesliedeana5142
    @lesliedeana5142 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    The only thing that I found that was bad was in the winter if you didn't start it every day (or other day at least) and let it run for a couple minutes, the electronics screwed up.

  • @die2end
    @die2end 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    I sure do miss mine. Metallic silver. Bought it for 450.00 in 1996 from an old lady. Her husband put less than 1000 miles on it before he passed. It sat covered in her garage until i found it.

  • @chazworm3
    @chazworm3 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    My little brother had a Plymouth Laser in 1990 and it kicked ass. Totally tubular

  • @michaellodge5456
    @michaellodge5456 6 วันที่ผ่านมา

    There is one listed on fb marketplace i have never new they existed til today

  • @jvincent1446
    @jvincent1446 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    My first car was a 10 year old, 1986 Laser. 2.5 Auto with full digital dash and yes, it would speak to me if my washer fluid was low or if my hatch was left open. It had a blood pressure cuff type bulb to inflate the lumbar. It was comfy, slow (but faster than a 4-cyl Mustang...I raced one a few times, my best friend's car) and the heater was great (the a/c was broken). I kinda liked it. Iyt was a nice $1k first car. It was an ugly gold kinda color but for some reason, the paint was like new. I think that color was applied much thicker than the others. I loved the look of the car. Then I saved my money and bought an 86 Trans-Am, my fave car of all time. I still dream about that car, 25 years later.

    • @jjgibbens
      @jjgibbens 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Oh that lumbar inflator....😡😡
      I hated that thing because friends would get in and go"what's this?" As they'd see it As they began pumping it while I'm driving. Quit messing with crap you don't know....
      I never used it so I just tucked it down the side so nobody would see it and start pumping it up

    • @jvincent1446
      @jvincent1446 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@jjgibbens lmao, that's some rare nostalgia there

    • @jjgibbens
      @jjgibbens 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@jvincent1446 this entire car is nostalgia for me. Did you know, in 92 when the song first came out, if 500 miles by pretenders came on, if you were travelling at 57 mph down a road with those divider reflection markers, the "thump thump thump" your tires made while driving over the reflectors would keep tempo with the song?
      Anytime I hear that song while driving, I try to replicate that trick. It doesn't work

  • @stevenfischer9772
    @stevenfischer9772 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    I drove an '85 Laser for most of 1997. I named it the Eightiesmobile. I don't remember mine having digital displays; I remember backlit dash instruments that were supposed to appear digital.

  • @MrTheCamel
    @MrTheCamel 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I had an '85 Laser in College. Paid $3500 for it and drove it almost 200,000 miles. I loved that car.

  • @chryslerlazer8366
    @chryslerlazer8366 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Finally, I'm on a TH-cam channel

  • @JohnDoe-xo7gg
    @JohnDoe-xo7gg 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    In a time when America was losing sales to the imports, these turbo Chrysler/Dodges saved Chrysler

  • @seanjnl1
    @seanjnl1 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Could have been worse. They could have made a 4-door Charger.

    • @LeeePowers
      @LeeePowers 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Dodge Spirit Turbo? Close enough.
      Dodge Omni GLH Turbo,the hot hatch.

  • @laszlopalkonyay4133
    @laszlopalkonyay4133 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

    The Chrysler Laser was a pretty cool car!

  • @MidnightPolaris800
    @MidnightPolaris800 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Jalopnik...didn't that company file for bankruptcy 😂

  • @matthewengelsen2583
    @matthewengelsen2583 ปีที่แล้ว

    My first car, learned how to drivr standard with one of these.

  • @MCatwar
    @MCatwar 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    my dad has an 84 turbo. he had so many problems with it, from wheels, still attached to their hubs, snapping off the control arm, to the cats melting the rear seats

    • @jjgibbens
      @jjgibbens 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      My first car at 16 in 1992 was an 84 laser turbo.
      I was incredibly unreliable. The turbo belched black smoke when it was supposed to engage.
      The worst part was when I'd be driving home, doing 55- 60 and it would just die on me. I'd have to pull over and it wouldn't crank. I'd have to walk home and my dad would swear I ran it out of gas or did something wrong to cause it. He'd bring a Jerry can, put it in the gas and then jump in and the damn thing would crank right up. I never could replicate it. Finally, dad borrowed my car due to his truck being in the shop and while driving, it happened to him. He never admitted I was right but he then bought me anotger car. We lived in the sticks so reliability was pretty necessary.

  • @gohachi5313
    @gohachi5313 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    At the end of this video, I asked myself..."why did I watch this?" At least I got a bit of a laugh.

  • @buggles2385
    @buggles2385 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I had one, terrible quality. Sensors started breaking. Turbo was fun. I traded it in for an Acura Integra.

  • @barbershoppodcast
    @barbershoppodcast 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    I had an 85 but here in Canada it was a Plymouth.

  • @gordonmills2748
    @gordonmills2748 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I had this car. A black 1984 Laser. The non-turbo. Was it a K-Car with some sporty bits? Yes. Was it awesome? Absolutely. Don't hate.

  • @ManiaMusicChannel
    @ManiaMusicChannel 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    That Laser looked and looks nice though but because it was front wheel drive and didn't catch on

  • @seand2711
    @seand2711 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    It's nice.

    • @destineydevereux4722
      @destineydevereux4722 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      I just cancelled my subscription to your channel,,,,, if I want to hear an idiot speak, I'll watch the news!

  • @DocWhiskey1776
    @DocWhiskey1776 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I had an 86 laser. I’d still have it but it was parked in front of my house and lady in the middle of the day smashed into it drunk driving

  • @technoir2584
    @technoir2584 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Don't need to make sense. I would definitely buy one If I had the chance.

  • @devilslayerthesaintofkille1317
    @devilslayerthesaintofkille1317 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    Basically if the Tesla Roadster 2020 was an 80s car.

  • @maroon9273
    @maroon9273 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I wish they had a shelby version and continued with the laser till the early 90s like the daytona. I can't when dodge and chrysler bring back the laser/daytona

  • @johnmccloskey7347
    @johnmccloskey7347 ปีที่แล้ว

    Had one with the turbo at 147HP (before the intercooler versions). It was in the same category insurance-wise as the Corvette/Camaro/Firebird/Mustang V8's of the time, with roughly similar performance of 0-60 @ around 8 seconds. Not a bad car in general, but a bunch of torque-steer. However, some really crappy engineering choices in the production led to it being very unreliable for daily use - it ate head gaskets, ping-ponged off of that torque steer when the turbo kicked in, weak cable for the clutch (a 5spd, obviously) and replacing the power-steering pump required lifting the engine out. Ended up continuously taking my poor 1973 Challenger off of the blocks to use as my daily driver while I fixed this thing - my family loved that I had this "great looking" car and was never thrilled when I drove up in the Challenger in bondo and primer black! So had a love/hate relationship with it - drove it away from my wedding for the honeymoon (which was somewhat local) and then had my friend pick my wife and I up a couple of days later at the DMV where the clutch-cable had broke. We went to my house, grabbed the Challenger and some tools, and then went back to the DMV to try and fix it - which we couldn't do, and I had it towed home in the end. I think that the later Daytona V6 models would be pretty darn good, though.

    • @johnmccloskey7347
      @johnmccloskey7347 ปีที่แล้ว

      Oh, and as an added "bonus" - tried to teach my wife to drive a stick in this car... When she stalled it (as everyone does when they're learning), the voice literally was what is in this video - "Engine Oil Pressure is critical. Engine Damage may occur." So she threw open the driver's door and was upset that she had just killed the car. No amount of coaxing would get her to try it again.

  • @timjacobs9860
    @timjacobs9860 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    neighbor friends dad had a84 chryler laser gold with brown leather digital talking dash cluster road sometimes in the back chair with my sister and on the weekends our friend would drive us around town was the coolest car everyone was always hanging around us when we hang out but the dad always smoked in it with the windows up and a/c on just had that manly smell thought that was normal lol ohboy gota love the 1980S

  • @garbage854
    @garbage854 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    My High school bus driver had a 1989 Silver Plymouth Laser

  • @stanojevicnatasa2514
    @stanojevicnatasa2514 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    I remember one of those near my high school, it sat abandoned and a homeless guy lived in it.

  • @xBrabus76
    @xBrabus76 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    So what was better D. Daytona or the C. Lazer?!?

  • @ZLAKOZILLA
    @ZLAKOZILLA 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    LORD DARTH VADER said we should BUY ONE! IT KILLS EVERYTHING: Z28, Supra ... THE POWER OF THE DARK SIDE

  • @WellbeWelloff
    @WellbeWelloff ปีที่แล้ว

    I still would like one of these... Lol

  • @frankdenardo8684
    @frankdenardo8684 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    Dodge Daytona. the Chrysler Laser was in production from 1984 to 1986. they dropped the car being that the average buyer was over the age of fifty.

  • @rustytoyota
    @rustytoyota 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    One thing that I don't like that you DO ALOT!! Is you show real peoples houses, or talk about streets they're usually on. You should stop doing that before you get sued. They is going to be that one person. You did it in the video about the Nissan on the highway. You gave away the two streets one of the cars in usually on. It's just not safe, or smart to do that.

  • @cjmarsh504
    @cjmarsh504 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    My uncle had one. The Plymouth Laser in the states

  • @ApeChimp
    @ApeChimp 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    its basically a budget delorean