Steve when My father retired after 46 years with the city of Danbury ct. He bought a 1984 k car, He loved it ,After rising 10 kids his first new car, He wax that car every week, Drove it 10 years, Just had to share that.
My sisters first car (used in 96). Only thing I really remember about it is that it broke down on the freeway in the fast lane. Don't ask me why she was in the fast lane in a dodge Aires lol
My aunt worked for postal service as a route/mail deliveries, she bought a Dodge Aries new and used it as her mail route car, she says she wished she had bought a couple of them new and put them in storage for future use, she loved that car because it never let her down or gave her any problems other than normal maintenance. I had a dodge omni with 2.2/manual transmission, drove that for many years with no issues other than a broken clutch cable. My friend's mother had a chrysler lebaron with 2.5 turbo, we spent many saturday nights terrorizing the local mustangs and camaros in La Crosse. The friend also had the blue/silver shelby charger that he had built with weber carbs, headers/cam swap and later a ported/polished head. the local mustangs/camaros got wise to this shelby pretty quickly, it was a beast then.
I am one of the few people to ever drive a K-car on the German Autobahn. Drove the base commander around in the USAF! K-car with a 2.2 liter motor that did about 85 mph so I stayed in the right lane :)
A long time ago a buddy of mine had one of these, an '82 Reliant. He routinely drove it from Maine to Florida and back, hardly did any maintenance on it, and owned it for years. Definitely earned my respect.
I currently own a 1985 Dodge Aries Wagon with a 2.2 liter Engine and a 4 speed manual transmission. It was definitely a rescue, because I had bought it with a cracked head, and a whole bunch of other issues from neglect. I got rid of the electronic feedback carburetor for a Weber, which helped it a lot. You are so right about this car helping Chrysler get back on it’s feet. I also have a 2013 Dodge Challenger R/T that wouldn’t exist if it hadn’t been for this K-Car wagon. The K-car wagon has actually been a hit at local Cruise-in’s and Cars and Coffee Events over the years, and I hear alot of stories from people who had them when they were growing up. I think more then anything, I enjoy the “Underdog” nature of this wagon. I actually have a road trip planned for it in Mid-October because I have it entered in Concourse D’ Lemons at the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival. I’ve been working on getting it ready for it’s adventure.
I had a 1981 4 door sedan grey very basic loved it wish I still had it today. Head gasket blown on it after 2 years I own it. Should have kept all the older trucks and cars I had some where on some land. Now I am 40 years old. Way better reliable cars back then than today.
I think 1985 was the last year for the small (10mm) head bolts and I think in 1986 the 2.2 liter went to the turbo engine's larger (11mm) head bolts and turbo head gasket that solved a lot head leaking problems with 2.2 liter. Might have been 87 for for non-turbo engines, but I think it was 86. 85 had the small head bolts and old head gasket.
I love the K car. Saw the first plymouth reliant, a white in the winter of 1980. Fell in love. Owned two , a green 81 and white 89. The 89 had the most comfortable bucket seats ever! Had for 14 years. Great episode.
I had a 1987 Reliant LE as a first car. It was a tank driving through the snow nothing could stop it, took it out in many snowstorms where the roads weren't plowed and it would go right through 2 feet of fresh powder. Severely underpowered especially when you have 3 other teenage friends in the car. The northeast winters killed the floorboards pretty quickly because of the road salt. It was a 3 speed automatic with no overdrive.
My first car was a 2 door k car. That thing really was a tank. I stopped driving it when the body started to break in 1/2 from the rust. It if wasn't for the rust I bet I would be still driving it. And as sick as it is. I like the simple but usable styling of them. And I even towed with my k car. Always was up for every task. Good memories
Steve I have a 1982 two door Reliant that was My fathers first car, when I was 17 My father give it to me ando I have it since then, I went to the hischool in it and I have a lot of fun with it, It's a great car 👍😁. Thanks For your show ! !!
The Original Minivans when they cam out in late 1983 shared many parts with the K car including the 2.2 liter 4 banger My grandfather was there and was one of the guys that put together the very first Minivans in Windsor Ontario. My uncle still has a first year Minivan with a 2.2 and a 4 speed manual trans it's sort of rare today but that's how you could get them back in the day before they started going with a V6 and it's own platform
I never understood the hate for K cars. I had a Horizon and still have an Omni. Friends had K car variants. I bought one for an exchange teacher and he sold it for more than I paid for it after adding 10,000 miles in a year of travel (and having a car him in Washington D.C....we popped out the dent and replaced the tail light in about 15 minutes for $10). Those new products/platforms were planned and related to the Simca/European Chrysler models. Renault built the Espace from the same basic plan that led to the Voyager/Caravan. They were sort of the successor to the Valiant/Dart that the Aspen/Volare weren't.
Many families in my hometown owe their livelihood to the K car. Chrysler was and is a major employer in Windsor Ont Canada. Without the K car and Chrysler that town would be much much different today. God bless Lee Iacocca saviour of the middle class in Windsor. Brilliant man and marketing genius.
I bet every second car in Windsor was a K car in the 80's. I was visiting family there a few weeks ago and I saw a mint late 80's Aries. Wanted to stop and check it out.
@@povertyspec9651 liar. Chrysler Corp. is Thee Best..I Got My 1st. Dodge Truck a 1973 D100 in Spring 1988. And i have Never Been Sorry to this Day. Sept.4th. 22 11.25 am Since then, I've had MANY Chrysler products. To this Day i've got a 1997 Dodge Ram 1500 V6 5 speed, Rust Free 25,000 original miles as my summer driver. Chrysler products have NEVER left me stranded unlike A POS FORD!
I have family members that worked for Chrysler Assembly in Windsor my grandfather worked there forever until his retirement he worked all over from the Big Van plant on Pillette Road to the Chrysler Cordoba and Minivan plant on Chrysler Centre he worked all over my uncle worked there too in the Minivan Assembly and the Chrysler Pacifica
Drove one in 80’s as a response vehicle drove the wheels off of it, once on my shift the previous driver did not put oil in it drove it 20 miles no oil it froze up, next day their it was full of oil and running you couldn’t kill that car it had 300,000 plus miles when retired, !,
Steve, my first car when i was 17 (1988) was an 82 Dodge 400 with a 2.2 I got off the original owner. It was a 2 dr with factory air. It was a great little car, and I kept it for 3 years and sold it to a father buying it for his daughter and got most of my money back. Really reliable and the air blew ice cold. 🧊. Good memories. Great vids.., keep them coming.
I had a (not so) Reliant built in 1982. What a junker!!!!!!!!! It broke a crank key in the middle of a busy intersection in Puyallup,Wash. and left us stranded. It was so gutless that it wouldn't take me and my family up a steep hill in Edmunds,Wash.
Great video, love your knowledge and I'm also a Mopar guy. I remember staring out 1973 Dodge Polar 440 in the WNY Winters, used to have to pump the gas pedal and listen to the unique Chrysler starter.
Back in the early 1990s, I bought a (if I recall correctly) 1986 Chrysler LeBaron 2 door as a cheap, winter beater with a heater. I think I paid a little over $1000 for it and figured I'd get my use out of it if it got me through until spring. That beater ended up staying around for nearly 3 years with just a set of tires, a rebuilt alternator and regular maintenance being my only investments. It was one of the best winter beaters I ever bought. It actually was a pretty nice car too. Rust ended up killing it eventually.
My Dad had 3 of those in the 80s, one was a green 2 door with the hemi badges and sporty omni wheels, he had an hour commute both ways to work in eastern Pennsylvania and he went through cars pretty quickly, as a kid I learned to work on cars with him on those cars, I took alot of trips with mom to the store, fun family vacations. I Learned to drive on an 85 turbo lebaron, I still smile when I see one still on the road. Will always have a soft spot for those K cars.
Like you say Steve, " these were the best cars for the time".....I'm a Mopar guy too and as much as I like to drive my '70 Duster I can't ignore the superior handling/braking and over all performance from my '86 GLH Turbo. Yes a GLH Turbo and I consider it a high performance car. If there is any lessons to learn from these cars is that a vehicles mass makes a big impact on Gas mileage and I think todays cars are way too heavy but thats just me. Thanks Steve, I like these videos alot!
Takes me right back, that, Steve! Dad had a 2.2 auto Reliant that colour, bought new in 1982 - the only one time in his life he ever bought a new car. He ran us off the road in it once - not badly but enough to need a tow. It was undamaged and carried on down to New York State. Odd that you mention comparative interior space - I had a rental Aspen at the same time Dad had this and it seemed way bigger inside. Maybe just because it was easier to get in and out but to be fair we rode 6 up in the Reliant plenty of times. Don't know if it is faulty memory but I seem to recall those rear door glasses didn't have an opening facility on them. I thought it was a runty little car back then but hell I would have one now instead of all the modern blobs. God bless the Square Automobile!
@@eldonerc2524 They changed that for 1982. The 1981 model year got so many complaints that they costed out the rear roll down windows that Chrysler changed it in a hurry for 1982.
Some of us like K cars too, love the woodie wagon, had a 95 Lebaron convertible. I think the first generation convertible is a fun car today, simple and reliable.
When I saw the thumbnail, I had to watch this. In fact, if that interior would've had cloth seats, I would have sworn it was the 1982 Plymouth Reliant we owned when I was a youngster! We bought it with just 4,000 miles on it. Dad paid more than he would've liked, but it was a great investment. It had the 2.6L Mitsubishi motor. That car was gold! Mom and dad put more that 300,000 miles on it. The 5 year 50k mile warranty was a huge seller for Mopar cars of that day. We did have to use that warranty a few times but otherwise, the car gave us little trouble after warranty ran out. Mom and dad sold it to some youngster in 2003 or 2004. BTW, that well in the trunk wasn't for the spare. The spare was a little donut tire tucked behind the back seat. The well was for extra trunk space and that was one of the selling points that led us to buy a sedan rather than another station wagon at the time. Nice video and a great trip down memory lane. I wish dad would've kept the car but he's always been one of those that if you don't need it, it has to go.
My first car... inherited it running on 2.5 cylinders (zero compression in one, and half in another) Rebuilt the engine, put on some over-sized Tiger Paw tires I bought used, and got several years out of it, winter and summer. Eventually went to the wreckers when the front subframe cradle rusted in half... for the second time. :) Was a good car though... lots of memories.
had that same color in an 82 Aries, it had a Mitsubishi engine that ran the balls, at a set of lights you could get the left tire to squeal, it didn't make you go any faster, but, drove it for about 4 years and would have gone further, but ran over a man hole cover that was loose and blew the left strut tower out, still got me home though
This is my wheelhouse! Like you Steve I’m a fan of many different cars but as odd as it sounds the K platform (and it’s close cousins such as the AA, G, P, L etc) has a special place in my heart. I learned to drive on an 87 reliant. I then had my first experience with a turbo 2.2 in an 87 Daytona Pacifica (that’s the T1 engine, 146hp). As the years rolled on I’ve had stage 2 and stage 3 Chrysler turbo engine cars (they’re referred to as T2 and T3 engines) such as the 89 Daytona Shelby (T2) and the 91 Dodge Spirit RT (T3). Currently in the stable is a largely original 87 Shelby CSX and an 87 Reliant two door. The reliant is in mid modification to have the T3 engine out of the Spirit RT swapped into it for what might be one of the ultimate sleepers lol. The T3 engine for those not familiar is a Chrysler 2.2 but with a 16 valve Lotus head, larger turbo, intercooled, making a stock (and for 1991 very impressive) 224hp and 7000rpm redline. I have videos on my channel for those curious
I had a friend in college that had a zero rust white spirit RT with red interior. I had no clue what it was until he showed me. WOW! That was a cool car. He also had a an 88 starion ESIR and a 92 steath RT TT AWD. He let me drive the starion and the stealth but the spirit was his baby.
@@mikem3695 if you click my username it’ll take you to my channel. The CSX video is no longer on there for some reason I just noticed. I’ll have to reupload it
I had an 88 Lancer 2.2 turbo. I liked the car in most respects (nothing like a 4-door hatchback for carrying stuff around) but it made me swear off turbochargers forever, at least turbochargers without an intercooler. On cold days it ran like a raped ape but in hot weather old ladies on bicycles would beat me away from stop signs. I'm sure they've made advances in turbo technology since then, but considering that my wife's Hyundai makes more power from a 2.0 liter engine without a turbo, I'd rather avoid them.
I had the "ultimate" version of the K-Car in my shop recently, a 1989 LeBaron Turbo GTC, actually a sweet car. It's amazing how much diversity they've managed to make with a single platform.
During the same period, Chrysler also sold off the one asset they had that was in profit - Chrysler Australia Limited. Mitsubishi, who Chrysler did a lot of technology sharing with at the time, bought C.A.L., and turned it in to Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited, with the last of the Down Under Valiants being sold with a "Chrysler, by Mitsubishi" badge on the rear.
The K-cars with 2.2 liter engines had American engines, but the optional 2.6 liter engine was made by Mitsubishi and had a timing chain, instead of a belt that required replacement. When the chain became worn, it made a lot of noise though.
@@jimjungle1397 We had the same 2.6 engine here in the rwd Sigma and fwd Magna. A customer once told me it was also in the Canter light truck with different cam, and when dropped in to a Sigma, that variant had enough torque to just about lift the front tyres from the ground on a hard launch.
@@jimjungle1397 Didn't the 2.6 have the "silent shaft" to cancel second-order vibration? It must have been less shaky than the 2.2 once it warmed up, but I remember reading that it was a little rough when cold.
My wife used K cars on her mail route for many many years. We would run them about 300,000 miles and give ‘em to one of the grand kids. They were great easy to work on cars. Could change front brake pads while she ate a sandwich at lunch.
If oil prices had continued to remain high throughout the '80s, these K-cars would have a hero halo sticker on them. My K turned out to be the best car I ever owned and made me a Chrysler loyalist for for three decades, until President TeleprompterHead handed the company over to Fiat in 2009/2010.
Lee Iacocca was an awesome businessman and an innovator. I did a report in college about him. A couple of things I remember about the report is; he originally wanted to be an engineer and one of his professors at his school was called away for a little known Manhattan Project (IIRC is was Einstein). When he wanted to ad some excitement to the Daytona lineup, he took a finished assembly line car and removed the top with a chainsaw and drove the car around as his daily driver for a while.
For years, several rural postal carriers in my community used K-cars. They preferred the original Aries and Reliants with bench seats and column-mounted shift lever. They could put mail in the seat beside them with plenty of room. I don't recall any having a right-hand conversion - they sat on the passenger side and reached over for the steering and pedals. They purchased used ones which were cheap to buy and maintain. Besides oil changes, the brake pads had to be replaced often due to frequent stops. Over the years, the supply dried up and they would approach owners with offers to buy. Ultimately, they had to get later versions such as the Spirit but they never fully replaced the first editions. Most have gone to Jeeps now but remember the K-car fondly.
I owned a 1989 Aries and drove it daily, rain or shine, for ten years. It was the BEST vehicle I’ve ever owned, and the first of many Chrysler products in my garage.
Good day to you Mr Magnante! Let me start be expressing my gratitude for these great informative videos. I don't know if you get to read all the comments but I gotta tell you how much I enjoy these little video essays. Your encyclopedic knowledge on the subject is such a refreshing alternative to so many half assed vids where the writer knew little and the narrator knew less! This video really takes me down memory lane. In 1984, my parents bought a new 1985 Chrysler Lebaron, navy blue with the 2.6 Mitsubishi which indeed had hemispherical combustion chambers and a counter-rotating balance shaft to manage the vibrations on such a relatively large displacement for a 4 banger. It had a sticker on it that read "MCA Jet" with I guess alluded to the carburetor. Anyway, we lived in East New York section of Brooklyn and my parents would commute first to Downtown Brooklyn to drop off Mom at work, then on to E39th St Manhattan where my Dad worked. The commute was riddled with potholes and my Dad, in true NY fashion, would dart around traffic accelerating, braking accelerating, braking hard over and over for until 1989 they replaced it with a 1989 Mazda 626 after about 175000 miles. Well that little bastard of a car took the beating day in and out and never left them stranded. They only had to replace the struts once ad the exhaust once. That's it. For a car that cost a fraction of the price of an accord or Camry as well as also having a fraction of the perceived quality, the LeBaron really held up. It was passed on to my older brother in 1989 an then to me in 1992. We both thrashed that little car and it STILL kept going. I ended up getting $500 for it when I traded it in for a 1995 Aerostar. What a mistake!! I bet it's still tooling around somewhere. I don't know if it was a fluke but it really was a surprisingly good little ca. Thanks again for the vids, I'd like to hear more about your time at HOT ROD. You've earned a new subscriber!
I had three of these over the years I used for “winter cars”. I wouldn’t drive my nice stuff in New England winters, so I always had winter cars. Beetles were good back in the day, but not much heat. These were perfect in the snow and slush.
I loved my 1988 2 door dodge K . Nimble, fun and good mileage. I only sold it to get the 1990 dodge with driver side airbag. My sister had a top of the line OMNI. Quiet smooth and somewhat elegant. All three saved Chrysler minivan, omni, and K.
Had 1 in the late 80s...a friend.had a wagon that he worked.tje engine over with a cam and other goodies he cross drilled his rotors he made a very capable news.paper deliverer...
1987 Chrysler LeBaron Turbo 2.7L Turbo, my first new car. No intercooler, Oil cooled turbo only....I changed oil every 3,000 miles and never had any engine or turbo related failure. When Lee Iacocca died, I read an article about him, these cars and contacted the writer. "What a sh*t wagon" was his response. The car looked nice and served me well until sold with 125k miles on it. It was still running.
My mother had a Sky Bule K car back in the early 90's when I was child, I loved that car it was nice and fancy, we took it everywhere, loaded it up for camping trips went to New Youk once in it on a long road trip back when I lived in New Hampshire. My folks where so happy to have it, because they went from a old 2 door hatchback Turismo on its last lag to the Reliant. I almost wish to find that old car and restore it for my mother.
My late father when he retired back in 1983 bought a 1983 Chrysler Newyorker the fancy K car . The car was constantly at the dealer because of front end alignment issues. When driving down to Florida one year from the Philadelphia region he suffered a blowout on one of his front tires ,these were brand new tires just put on by the dealership. Both front tires were worn out on one side only with the wire belts being exposed. He had the tires replaced drove the car to a Acura dealership traded the car in for a new Acura. This is after being a diehard Chrysler guy for 30 years.
Started selling Chrysler poducts in the fall of 1978 and worked at Chrysler dealers till 2000. I raised my family selling Chrysler Produucts and in fact personally pre-sold the first Dodge Aries K Car we received.
I had a 1988 Reliant two-door with the 2.3L. and automatic. It got 30mpg with regular and 33mpg with high-test, and was absolutely trouble free for well over 100,000 miles. I never changed the timing belt as the engine was non-interference, so would not bend valves if the belt broke. Knowledgeable mechanics told me the cast-iron block with the alloy head was good for 200K miles with proper care, and mine managed it, although in another chassis. Wouldn't mind having that car again!
Was a great car, never let me down during the Canadian winters, my buddy and I both had one, miss that car still today, was reliable set of wheels to drive
Steve, I'm 1 of the Mopar no Car guys that actually liked these new front wheel drive cars, thought the 2 door and the wagon were cool looking. Really liked the later years convertables as well.
Funny I remember reading that article on the I5 drive back in 1981 when I had subscribed to MT.My aunt and uncle had an 81' Reliant wagon and an 86' Reliant wagon and loved both of them.Moved on to a front drive New Yorker in 1990 and grabbed a 1994 Lebaron sedan as a 2nd car.All K based cars and other than a new transmission at 150000 miles on the New Yorker they never had a problem As far as the loans go.The government guaranteed the loans.They made a nice commission when Chrysler paid the loans back early.
Ahh my first car. 85 Reliant se with the HEMI mitsu 2.6 that I got in 2000 and saved it from the junkyard. It gave me 3 relatively reliable years of motoring. It couldnt pass emissions (drove with R sticker never got busted), it was a gas guzzler (15-21 mpg depending on the wearher) cuz it ran rich and the minuki carb was a black box. It dominated in the snow though! Best car Ive ever driven in the snow to this day! In the end it was done in by the nylon timing chain guides which the mitsu 2.6 was infamous for. Good memories but yea I wouldnt want to be driving it today.
I bought a used 89 Reliant after my Grand National was stolen. The Buick was recovered, but I had to use the K car for a daily driver. I laughed at the acceleration, but is was far more reliable than the GN, and a hell of a lot cheaper for parts. It had the 2.5, center console automatic, ice cold air and an awesome stereo with a joystick speaker control. One amazing automobile!
Good stuff Steve ! Thanks for sharing My moms life time friend had a 62 or 3 ford sprint convertible 260 V8 chrome valve covers and aircleaner.. cool little car and she traded it in for a new K car and was never happy with it... me and my bro were chevy guys but thought that sprint was cool. Those were the early 1980s
I was not a fan of the K car but after owning one they are a great little A to B car if you need car to drive long distance or to work and are not worried about passing everyone the car is a great car with the 2.2 and the 2.5 liter engines they were real reliable and they were comfortable too you can say what you want about them but they were a Great Cheap Reliable transportation and I would drive one today if I had one
My firat new car was an 81 Aries K. I ordered it and took delivery Dec 12, 1980. I drove that thing 10 years and 120,000 miles. Virtually no problems. It had the standard 2.2 and 4 speed manual. We up graded after having 3 kids, just too tight for a 2 door car. Sticker price was $7528 and got a $400 rebate. I'd love to have it back red with a white half vinyl top. Actually a sharp looking car. Got $800 on trade for a 1988 Olds 88.
I just sold my two 81 Reliant Two doors... One was a base 2.2 with 23k original miles and the other was optioned up like an SE but was not an SE with the 2.6... I think they are great cars for what they are....
Wow this takes me back!! I had a few variations such as a 79 Omni, 80 Horizon TC3, 83 E class and even had an 86 Omni 4 door with running boards installed because every parking Lott in metro Detroit was riddled with them and I could tell which one was mine!!! They were all very, very slow but the gas mileage was incredible and for the most part pretty reliable. Great video and I look forward to your next one!!!
In the 80's those cars where everywhere.. when I was in high school in the 1980's everyone knew someone's brother, sister, father, mother, aunt, uncle that owned some variation of those.. they really did sell a lot of those cars.. my dad even bought a white dodge Aries 4 door in 1986 and when I got to drive it I thought it was a fun zippy little car.. I kind of developed an admiration for that little "brick" on wheels.. always said to friends "I'm K-car cruising" when I drove it..
As a kid from the 80's I loved my 1985 Plymouth Reliant. The Reliant was my first car that I could put on the road, after buying a 70's Aspen wagon with a broken frame, and a Mercury Lynx with a broken motor. I used it to go back and forth between my hometown and Loch Sheldrake, NY 5 and a half hour drive south.(college in upstate NY) They were way better then the competition . Granted definitely slow and the door handles usually broke, especially in the winter. Of course being from northern NY, 5 and a half hours away from NYC, these cars were great in the snow. Way better than many other front wheel drive cars I've owned, also they were great for working on! You can squeeze a v8 under the hood, so there was plenty of room around the 2.2 4 banger, and personally i thought the 2,2 was a great engine, with the turbo's you could easily bump it up to 300 HP. th-cam.com/video/5lZvoycYrKk/w-d-xo.html
Great video as always Steve, there was a LeBaron convertible at the top of my street when I was growing up. Also, back in 2010, I stumbled upon a Canadian show called The littlest hobo and there sponsor at the end (along with the Marriott hotel) was a rental agency called Til-Den and they rented K cars. I respect these like I do the first gen Boxter that saved Porsche
My dad bought a brand new 83 Plymouth Reliant K car. The next year I bought a very beat up 1975 Camaro Rally Sport. Dad loved the Rally sport and borrowed it all the time. Dad sold the K car a year later and bought a used 81 Z 28 Camaro.
In 1994, I was in a collision with a 1984 K car, I don't recall which one. I drove a (huge) 1974 Mercury Cougar. Damage on my car was entirely cosmetic, limited to a cracked front signal light lens, scratched chrome on the immense bumber and paint transfer on the fender. The K car took a heavy beating and was written off.
I had one of the slant-6 Dodge Aspens that these things replaced. It was probably less exciting to drive than one of these K-cars! I worked rebuilding engines for a while at the end of the 90's, those 2.2 fours were our bread and butter! I have no idea how many of those things I took apart! They only burn oil when they are running! HAHA!
I worked in a garage back in the 80's early 90's and worked on a lot of Chrysler cars back then. Seems like what I remember most is CV joints and struts! I've replaced hundreds of CV joints in the k cars.
I would love to get one of these K cars today ( 2022 ) . This was the car that saved Chryslers bacon . The K cars were simple and fairly reliable cars back in the day .
Bernard's ton. The yard started when Bernard accumulated his first full ton of scrap metal, and was fortunate to sell into a booming market... I'd rather have the Aspen or Volare... This one time in high school...It was '83 or '84, and four of us were riding around in my buddy's Dad's light green K-car wagon. I was in the back seat but I forget which side. Passenger side I think. I threw my empty beer bottle at a road sign and hit it - but almost immediately after the report from the road sign, came the report of the bottle, having ricocheted back, hitting the car. I remember hoping that it didn't leave a dent. No one acknowledged that second report, so I didn't say anything either. A few minutes later we came into town where there were street lights, and someone else in the car looked back for whatever reason and said "hey, the back window is broken!" The passenger side rear stationary window was shattered and hanging from its safety lamination. It was at that moment that we all realized that I was the dumbass. Insurance...
My Dad bought a 1981 Plymouth Reliant K car brand spanking new. It was meant to be his daily driver work car and it was pretty basic. The car was silver with red interior, bench front seat, had a manual transmission with a long shifter, and only had an AM radio. My Dad taught me how to operate a manual with that car and I remember squealing the tires in it. The car turned out to be a little too basic for Dad so after a few months he bought a 1981 Oldsmobile Cutlass Brougham 4 door to use as his daily driver and then sold the K car to his sister and brother-in-law who lived in Colorado Springs, Colorado stationed at the Air Force Academy at the time. I remember my uncle telling me that the little car would go anywhere in the snow and they loved it. A few years later my parents would buy a Chrysler LeBaron K car that was the black and silver "Medallion Edition". These may not be considered "cool cars" in the automotive world but they are very relevant cars and well, anything old is kinda cool no matter what it is.
I grew up riding in a Dodge Aries K wagon....then our family upgraded to a 1984 Plymouth Voyager minivan with a 4 cylinder, 5 speed manual transmission....lol
Owned a Plymouth Caravel back in the day. It was a K car with a slightly extended wheelbase. It was boring as hell but 'rock solid' dependable. And the first used car I ever owned with a working air conditioner. The sloped front facia & longer wheelbase gave it a more pleasing appearance than the Reliant. It was also fantastic in Chicago area winter driving...
I loved 😍 my 1984 Dodge 600ES 4DR With Electronic Fuel Injection System. It was fully loaded. Wish I still had that car. It was so reliable, Fuel Efficient, quick, and handled like a Dream.
Steve when My father retired after 46 years with the city of Danbury ct. He bought a 1984 k car, He loved it ,After rising 10 kids his first new car, He wax that car every week, Drove it 10 years, Just had to share that.
10 kids? Your poor parents lol
Awesome story Brian people had pride on what they had worked hard for
My sisters first car (used in 96). Only thing I really remember about it is that it broke down on the freeway in the fast lane.
Don't ask me why she was in the fast lane in a dodge Aires lol
Very ambitous!
Ikr. Painfully slow vehicle
My aunt worked for postal service as a route/mail deliveries, she bought a Dodge Aries new and used it as her mail route car, she says she wished she had bought a couple of them new and put them in storage for future use, she loved that car because it never let her down or gave her any problems other than normal maintenance. I had a dodge omni with 2.2/manual transmission, drove that for many years with no issues other than a broken clutch cable. My friend's mother had a chrysler lebaron with 2.5 turbo, we spent many saturday nights terrorizing the local mustangs and camaros in La Crosse. The friend also had the blue/silver shelby charger that he had built with weber carbs, headers/cam swap and later a ported/polished head. the local mustangs/camaros got wise to this shelby pretty quickly, it was a beast then.
I am one of the few people to ever drive a K-car on the German Autobahn. Drove the base commander around in the USAF! K-car with a 2.2 liter motor that did about 85 mph so I stayed in the right lane :)
I drive a 1986 Dodge 600 convertible. I park it in September and pull it out in June and it just keeps going.
WE had an '86 Aries station wagon. It was just the car we needed at the time.
I liked the K car and rented one while vacationing in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
A long time ago a buddy of mine had one of these, an '82 Reliant. He routinely drove it from Maine to Florida and back, hardly did any maintenance on it, and owned it for years. Definitely earned my respect.
I currently own a 1985 Dodge Aries Wagon with a 2.2 liter Engine and a 4 speed manual transmission. It was definitely a rescue, because I had bought it with a cracked head, and a whole bunch of other issues from neglect. I got rid of the electronic feedback carburetor for a Weber, which helped it a lot. You are so right about this car helping Chrysler get back on it’s feet. I also have a 2013 Dodge Challenger R/T that wouldn’t exist if it hadn’t been for this K-Car wagon. The K-car wagon has actually been a hit at local Cruise-in’s and Cars and Coffee Events over the years, and I hear alot of stories from people who had them when they were growing up. I think more then anything, I enjoy the “Underdog” nature of this wagon. I actually have a road trip planned for it in Mid-October because I have it entered in Concourse D’ Lemons at the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival. I’ve been working on getting it ready for it’s adventure.
I had a 1981 4 door sedan grey very basic loved it wish I still had it today. Head gasket blown on it after 2 years I own it. Should have kept all the older trucks and cars I had some where on some land. Now I am 40 years old. Way better reliable cars back then than today.
I think 1985 was the last year for the small (10mm) head bolts and I think in 1986 the 2.2 liter went to the turbo engine's larger (11mm) head bolts and turbo head gasket that solved a lot head leaking problems with 2.2 liter. Might have been 87 for for non-turbo engines, but I think it was 86. 85 had the small head bolts and old head gasket.
the 4 speed makes it worthy
@@frankfurther3828 The automatics are iffy.
Any writeups on that Weber swap? My 84 Turismo's carb isn't happy!
I love the K car. Saw the first plymouth reliant, a white in the winter of 1980. Fell in love. Owned two , a green 81 and white 89. The 89 had the most comfortable bucket seats ever! Had for 14 years. Great episode.
My step-dad bought an 83 reliant bran new, drove it till 92 when he traded it in, to get a gran am.
I had a 1987 Reliant LE as a first car. It was a tank driving through the snow nothing could stop it, took it out in many snowstorms where the roads weren't plowed and it would go right through 2 feet of fresh powder. Severely underpowered especially when you have 3 other teenage friends in the car. The northeast winters killed the floorboards pretty quickly because of the road salt. It was a 3 speed automatic with no overdrive.
My '84 Skylark was like that, too, it would go anywhere in the snow.
I think any car made would go right through 2 feet of fresh powder
@@danamuise4117 Now try it with a flat left rear tire you can't change because a lugnut is rounded off
My first car was a 2 door k car. That thing really was a tank. I stopped driving it when the body started to break in 1/2 from the rust. It if wasn't for the rust I bet I would be still driving it. And as sick as it is. I like the simple but usable styling of them. And I even towed with my k car. Always was up for every task. Good memories
The underpower probably helped in the snow
Steve I have a 1982 two door Reliant that was My fathers first car, when I was 17 My father give it to me ando I have it since then, I went to the hischool in it and I have a lot of fun with it, It's a great car 👍😁. Thanks For your show ! !!
The Original Minivans when they cam out in late 1983 shared many parts with the K car including the 2.2 liter 4 banger My grandfather was there and was one of the guys that put together the very first Minivans in Windsor Ontario. My uncle still has a first year Minivan with a 2.2 and a 4 speed manual trans it's sort of rare today but that's how you could get them back in the day before they started going with a V6 and it's own platform
I never understood the hate for K cars. I had a Horizon and still have an Omni. Friends had K car variants. I bought one for an exchange teacher and he sold it for more than I paid for it after adding 10,000 miles in a year of travel (and having a car him in Washington D.C....we popped out the dent and replaced the tail light in about 15 minutes for $10). Those new products/platforms were planned and related to the Simca/European Chrysler models. Renault built the Espace from the same basic plan that led to the Voyager/Caravan. They were sort of the successor to the Valiant/Dart that the Aspen/Volare weren't.
Many families in my hometown owe their livelihood to the K car. Chrysler was and is a major employer in Windsor Ont Canada. Without the K car and Chrysler that town would be much much different today. God bless Lee Iacocca saviour of the middle class in Windsor. Brilliant man and marketing genius.
I bet every second car in Windsor was a K car in the 80's. I was visiting family there a few weeks ago and I saw a mint late 80's Aries. Wanted to stop and check it out.
I remember when he died, I was sad and prideful.
They sure built an utter pile of junk!
@@povertyspec9651 liar. Chrysler Corp. is Thee Best..I Got My 1st. Dodge Truck a 1973 D100 in Spring 1988. And i have Never Been Sorry to this Day. Sept.4th. 22 11.25 am Since then, I've had MANY Chrysler products. To this Day i've got a 1997 Dodge Ram 1500 V6 5 speed, Rust Free 25,000 original miles as my summer driver. Chrysler products have NEVER left me stranded unlike A POS FORD!
I have family members that worked for Chrysler Assembly in Windsor my grandfather worked there forever until his retirement he worked all over from the Big Van plant on Pillette Road to the Chrysler Cordoba and Minivan plant on Chrysler Centre he worked all over my uncle worked there too in the Minivan Assembly and the Chrysler Pacifica
My dad bought one in 85’ it was super reliable and overall a great car. 2.2 motor was excellent
My grandfather had one of these. It carried 5 of us all the way from PA to Disney World. Front bench seat, and I'm gonna guess it had the 2.2L.
From 81 to 89 they actually sold 2.1 million aries and reliant k cars! Simple, reliable and successful.
Drove one in 80’s as a response vehicle drove the wheels off of it, once on my shift the previous driver did not put oil in it drove it 20 miles no oil it froze up, next day their it was full of oil and running you couldn’t kill that car it had 300,000 plus miles when retired, !,
Steve, my first car when i was 17 (1988) was an 82 Dodge 400 with a 2.2 I got off the original owner. It was a 2 dr with factory air. It was a great little car, and I kept it for 3 years and sold it to a father buying it for his daughter and got most of my money back. Really reliable and the air blew ice cold. 🧊. Good memories. Great vids.., keep them coming.
I had a (not so) Reliant built in 1982. What a junker!!!!!!!!! It broke a crank key in the middle of a busy intersection in Puyallup,Wash. and left us stranded. It was so gutless that it wouldn't take me and my family up a steep hill in Edmunds,Wash.
I've got an 86 GLHS #329 I understand the FWD Mopar. Fun platform.
Great video, love your knowledge and I'm also a Mopar guy. I remember staring out 1973 Dodge Polar 440 in the WNY Winters, used to have to pump the gas pedal and listen to the unique Chrysler starter.
Back in the early 1990s, I bought a (if I recall correctly) 1986 Chrysler LeBaron 2 door as a cheap, winter beater with a heater. I think I paid a little over $1000 for it and figured I'd get my use out of it if it got me through until spring. That beater ended up staying around for nearly 3 years with just a set of tires, a rebuilt alternator and regular maintenance being my only investments. It was one of the best winter beaters I ever bought. It actually was a pretty nice car too. Rust ended up killing it eventually.
Love the variety of vehicles. A thorough history lesson.
My Dad had 3 of those in the 80s, one was a green 2 door with the hemi badges and sporty omni wheels, he had an hour commute both ways to work in eastern Pennsylvania and he went through cars pretty quickly, as a kid I learned to work on cars with him on those cars, I took alot of trips with mom to the store, fun family vacations. I Learned to drive on an 85 turbo lebaron, I still smile when I see one still on the road. Will always have a soft spot for those K cars.
When I see a K-car, I can't help but recall the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Dare I say, the best use of a K-car EVER!!!
That wasn’t a k car ,,,, is was a Lebaron convertible
@@JonnyMudMower It's okay, they can buff that right out...
@@JonnyMudMower was my understanding the LeBaron was Chrysler's version of the K-car. If wrong, thank you for the education.
@@waynetaylor8082 The Lebaron was based on the K car design. It was Chrysler's version so yes.
Thank you
Like you say Steve, " these were the best cars for the time".....I'm a Mopar guy too and as much as I like to drive my '70 Duster I can't ignore the superior handling/braking and over all performance from my '86 GLH Turbo. Yes a GLH Turbo and I consider it a high performance car. If there is any lessons to learn from these cars is that a vehicles mass makes a big impact on Gas mileage and I think todays cars are way too heavy but thats just me. Thanks Steve, I like these videos alot!
Probably GREAT in better climates, but a RUST BUCKET THROWAWAY RIDE in Northern Mn.!
Takes me right back, that, Steve! Dad had a 2.2 auto Reliant that colour, bought new in 1982 - the only one time in his life he ever bought a new car. He ran us off the road in it once - not badly but enough to need a tow. It was undamaged and carried on down to New York State. Odd that you mention comparative interior space - I had a rental Aspen at the same time Dad had this and it seemed way bigger inside. Maybe just because it was easier to get in and out but to be fair we rode 6 up in the Reliant plenty of times. Don't know if it is faulty memory but I seem to recall those rear door glasses didn't have an opening facility on them. I thought it was a runty little car back then but hell I would have one now instead of all the modern blobs.
God bless the Square Automobile!
Had an aspen with a slant. Bulletproof motor. Id get 26 on the hwy with that thing.
Yeah the '81 I had the rear window didn't roll down. Always felt like I was in the back of a cop car .
@@eldonerc2524 They changed that for 1982. The 1981 model year got so many complaints that they costed out the rear roll down windows that Chrysler changed it in a hurry for 1982.
@@klwthe3rd Poor old Dad must have been suckered with an '81 then! To be fair it was January 1982 he picked it up....
@@trevorchambers1812 Might have been a 1982 model then..instead of a 1981 if it was picked up on January 1982.
Some of us like K cars too, love the woodie wagon, had a 95 Lebaron convertible. I think the first generation convertible is a fun car today, simple and reliable.
When I saw the thumbnail, I had to watch this. In fact, if that interior would've had cloth seats, I would have sworn it was the 1982 Plymouth Reliant we owned when I was a youngster! We bought it with just 4,000 miles on it. Dad paid more than he would've liked, but it was a great investment. It had the 2.6L Mitsubishi motor. That car was gold! Mom and dad put more that 300,000 miles on it. The 5 year 50k mile warranty was a huge seller for Mopar cars of that day. We did have to use that warranty a few times but otherwise, the car gave us little trouble after warranty ran out. Mom and dad sold it to some youngster in 2003 or 2004. BTW, that well in the trunk wasn't for the spare. The spare was a little donut tire tucked behind the back seat. The well was for extra trunk space and that was one of the selling points that led us to buy a sedan rather than another station wagon at the time. Nice video and a great trip down memory lane. I wish dad would've kept the car but he's always been one of those that if you don't need it, it has to go.
My first car... inherited it running on 2.5 cylinders (zero compression in one, and half in another) Rebuilt the engine, put on some over-sized Tiger Paw tires I bought used, and got several years out of it, winter and summer. Eventually went to the wreckers when the front subframe cradle rusted in half... for the second time. :) Was a good car though... lots of memories.
had that same color in an 82 Aries, it had a Mitsubishi engine that ran the balls, at a set of lights you could get the left tire to squeal, it didn't make you go any faster, but, drove it for about 4 years and would have gone further, but ran over a man hole cover that was loose and blew the left strut tower out, still got me home though
Steve, truly, one of your most informative videos yet - love it!
This is my wheelhouse! Like you Steve I’m a fan of many different cars but as odd as it sounds the K platform (and it’s close cousins such as the AA, G, P, L etc) has a special place in my heart. I learned to drive on an 87 reliant. I then had my first experience with a turbo 2.2 in an 87 Daytona Pacifica (that’s the T1 engine, 146hp). As the years rolled on I’ve had stage 2 and stage 3 Chrysler turbo engine cars (they’re referred to as T2 and T3 engines) such as the 89 Daytona Shelby (T2) and the 91 Dodge Spirit RT (T3). Currently in the stable is a largely original 87 Shelby CSX and an 87 Reliant two door. The reliant is in mid modification to have the T3 engine out of the Spirit RT swapped into it for what might be one of the ultimate sleepers lol. The T3 engine for those not familiar is a Chrysler 2.2 but with a 16 valve Lotus head, larger turbo, intercooled, making a stock (and for 1991 very impressive) 224hp and 7000rpm redline. I have videos on my channel for those curious
What's your channel?
I had a friend in college that had a zero rust white spirit RT with red interior.
I had no clue what it was until he showed me. WOW! That was a cool car. He also had a an 88 starion ESIR and a 92 steath RT TT AWD. He let me drive the starion and the stealth but the spirit was his baby.
@@mikem3695 if you click my username it’ll take you to my channel. The CSX video is no longer on there for some reason I just noticed. I’ll have to reupload it
@@onefortheroad2291 Thank you. I was confused because I did a YT search of your name and some Australian couple came up.
I had an 88 Lancer 2.2 turbo. I liked the car in most respects (nothing like a 4-door hatchback for carrying stuff around) but it made me swear off turbochargers forever, at least turbochargers without an intercooler. On cold days it ran like a raped ape but in hot weather old ladies on bicycles would beat me away from stop signs. I'm sure they've made advances in turbo technology since then, but considering that my wife's Hyundai makes more power from a 2.0 liter engine without a turbo, I'd rather avoid them.
Had an '82 Aries K 2.2 two door 4 on the floor. Barked in 3 gears. Loved it.
Steve magnante can you please make videos of the old motor trend magazines
I was waiting for a K Car video! I have a 85 Dodge 600 Convertible with the 2.6. Still running quiet and strong at 113k miles. That’s my baby!
Awesome car
I had an 86 k car with the front bucket seats but column shift. I loved that little car.
I had the "ultimate" version of the K-Car in my shop recently, a 1989 LeBaron Turbo GTC, actually a sweet car. It's amazing how much diversity they've managed to make with a single platform.
Or even more ultimate the "TC by Maserati". The ultimate lipstick on a pig. LOL.
Which engine did it have? The single over head cam or the double?
Had an '81 Chrysler K-car wagon... 2.6L. SOHC Hemi... broke in half when junkyard tried to tow it away...
Chrysler got their money's worth!
During the same period, Chrysler also sold off the one asset they had that was in profit - Chrysler Australia Limited.
Mitsubishi, who Chrysler did a lot of technology sharing with at the time, bought C.A.L., and turned it in to Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited, with the last of the Down Under Valiants being sold with a "Chrysler, by Mitsubishi" badge on the rear.
The K-cars with 2.2 liter engines had American engines, but the optional 2.6 liter engine was made by Mitsubishi and had a timing chain, instead of a belt that required replacement. When the chain became worn, it made a lot of noise though.
@@jimjungle1397 We had the same 2.6 engine here in the rwd Sigma and fwd Magna. A customer once told me it was also in the Canter light truck with different cam, and when dropped in to a Sigma, that variant had enough torque to just about lift the front tyres from the ground on a hard launch.
@@PiDsPagePrototypes And the turbo version too.
@@carlbentley80 Yep,Sigma Scorpion. There was one in Brisbane repowered with a 340 LA.
@@jimjungle1397 Didn't the 2.6 have the "silent shaft" to cancel second-order vibration? It must have been less shaky than the 2.2 once it warmed up, but I remember reading that it was a little rough when cold.
My wife used K cars on her mail route for many many years. We would run them about 300,000 miles and give ‘em to one of the grand kids. They were great easy to work on cars. Could change front brake pads while she ate a sandwich at lunch.
If oil prices had continued to remain high throughout the '80s, these K-cars would have a hero halo sticker on them. My K turned out to be the best car I ever owned and made me a Chrysler loyalist for for three decades, until President TeleprompterHead handed the company over to Fiat in 2009/2010.
Thanks Steve - your eclectic interests are always fascinating.
Lee Iacocca was an awesome businessman and an innovator. I did a report in college about him. A couple of things I remember about the report is; he originally wanted to be an engineer and one of his professors at his school was called away for a little known Manhattan Project (IIRC is was Einstein). When he wanted to ad some excitement to the Daytona lineup, he took a finished assembly line car and removed the top with a chainsaw and drove the car around as his daily driver for a while.
Great cars back in the day. Simple and dependable.
I had a couple Great cars 2.6 Mitsubishi 1 even with a stick wish still had 1
For years, several rural postal carriers in my community used K-cars. They preferred the original Aries and Reliants with bench seats and column-mounted shift lever. They could put mail in the seat beside them with plenty of room. I don't recall any having a right-hand conversion - they sat on the passenger side and reached over for the steering and pedals. They purchased used ones which were cheap to buy and maintain. Besides oil changes, the brake pads had to be replaced often due to frequent stops. Over the years, the supply dried up and they would approach owners with offers to buy. Ultimately, they had to get later versions such as the Spirit but they never fully replaced the first editions. Most have gone to Jeeps now but remember the K-car fondly.
I owned a 1989 Aries and drove it daily, rain or shine, for ten years. It was the BEST vehicle I’ve ever owned, and the first of many Chrysler products in my garage.
Good day to you Mr Magnante! Let me start be expressing my gratitude for these great informative videos. I don't know if you get to read all the comments but I gotta tell you how much I enjoy these little video essays. Your encyclopedic knowledge on the subject is such a refreshing alternative to so many half assed vids where the writer knew little and the narrator knew less! This video really takes me down memory lane. In 1984, my parents bought a new 1985 Chrysler Lebaron, navy blue with the 2.6 Mitsubishi which indeed had hemispherical combustion chambers and a counter-rotating balance shaft to manage the vibrations on such a relatively large displacement for a 4 banger. It had a sticker on it that read "MCA Jet" with I guess alluded to the carburetor. Anyway, we lived in East New York section of Brooklyn and my parents would commute first to Downtown Brooklyn to drop off Mom at work, then on to E39th St Manhattan where my Dad worked. The commute was riddled with potholes and my Dad, in true NY fashion, would dart around traffic accelerating, braking accelerating, braking hard over and over for until 1989 they replaced it with a 1989 Mazda 626 after about 175000 miles. Well that little bastard of a car took the beating day in and out and never left them stranded. They only had to replace the struts once ad the exhaust once. That's it. For a car that cost a fraction of the price of an accord or Camry as well as also having a fraction of the perceived quality, the LeBaron really held up. It was passed on to my older brother in 1989 an then to me in 1992. We both thrashed that little car and it STILL kept going. I ended up getting $500 for it when I traded it in for a 1995 Aerostar. What a mistake!! I bet it's still tooling around somewhere. I don't know if it was a fluke but it really was a surprisingly good little ca. Thanks again for the vids, I'd like to hear more about your time at HOT ROD. You've earned a new subscriber!
I had three of these over the years I used for “winter cars”. I wouldn’t drive my nice stuff in New England winters, so I always had winter cars. Beetles were good back in the day, but not much heat. These were perfect in the snow and slush.
I loved my 1988 2 door dodge K . Nimble, fun and good mileage. I only sold it to get the 1990 dodge with driver side airbag. My sister had a top of the line OMNI. Quiet smooth and somewhat elegant. All three saved Chrysler minivan, omni, and K.
My parents bought an Aries new in ‘84…..still have it and still use it….great car
Had 1 in the late 80s...a friend.had a wagon that he worked.tje engine over with a cam and other goodies he cross drilled his rotors he made a very capable news.paper deliverer...
1987 Chrysler LeBaron Turbo 2.7L Turbo, my first new car. No intercooler, Oil cooled turbo only....I changed oil every 3,000 miles and never had any engine or turbo related failure.
When Lee Iacocca died, I read an article about him, these cars and contacted the writer. "What a sh*t wagon" was his response.
The car looked nice and served me well until sold with 125k miles on it. It was still running.
Thanks Steve! Like you I'm a big Mopar fan and Lee Iacoccoa was the top business man in my book.
My mother had a Sky Bule K car back in the early 90's when I was child, I loved that car it was nice and fancy, we took it everywhere, loaded it up for camping trips went to New Youk once in it on a long road trip back when I lived in New Hampshire. My folks where so happy to have it, because they went from a old 2 door hatchback Turismo on its last lag to the Reliant. I almost wish to find that old car and restore it for my mother.
You should. Would make a hell of a story to tell.
@@klwthe3rd I would but I'm broke... I wish I could though, it would be fun.
My late father when he retired back in 1983 bought a 1983 Chrysler Newyorker the fancy K car . The car was constantly at the dealer because of front end alignment issues. When driving down to Florida one year from the Philadelphia region he suffered a blowout on one of his front tires ,these were brand new tires just put on by the dealership. Both front tires were worn out on one side only with the wire belts being exposed. He had the tires replaced drove the car to a Acura dealership traded the car in for a new Acura. This is after being a diehard Chrysler guy for 30 years.
How did he drive it for so many years with an alignment problem?
Wow what a great story.
@@mexicanspec He had the New Yorker less than 2 years. He traded it for the small Acura based on the Honda Civic.
@@jeffreycler495 I assumed you dad bought the New Yorker new. Obviously he didn't.
Started selling Chrysler poducts in the fall of 1978 and worked at Chrysler dealers till 2000. I raised my family selling Chrysler Produucts and in fact personally pre-sold the first Dodge Aries K Car we received.
The 2.6 I believe is Mitshubishi.
I had a 1988 Reliant two-door with the 2.3L. and automatic. It got 30mpg with regular and 33mpg with high-test, and was absolutely trouble free for well over 100,000 miles. I never changed the timing belt as the engine was non-interference, so would not bend valves if the belt broke. Knowledgeable mechanics told me the cast-iron block with the alloy head was good for 200K miles with proper care, and mine managed it, although in another chassis. Wouldn't mind having that car again!
Was a great car, never let me down during the Canadian winters, my buddy and I both had one, miss that car still today, was reliable set of wheels to drive
Steve, I'm 1 of the Mopar no Car guys that actually liked these new front wheel drive cars, thought the 2 door and the wagon were cool looking.
Really liked the later years convertables as well.
Funny I remember reading that article on the I5 drive back in 1981 when I had subscribed to MT.My aunt and uncle had an 81' Reliant wagon and an 86' Reliant wagon and loved both of them.Moved on to a front drive New Yorker in 1990 and grabbed a 1994 Lebaron sedan as a 2nd car.All K based cars and other than a new transmission at 150000 miles on the New Yorker they never had a problem
As far as the loans go.The government guaranteed the loans.They made a nice commission when Chrysler paid the loans back early.
Ahh my first car. 85 Reliant se with the HEMI mitsu 2.6 that I got in 2000 and saved it from the junkyard. It gave me 3 relatively reliable years of motoring. It couldnt pass emissions (drove with R sticker never got busted), it was a gas guzzler (15-21 mpg depending on the wearher) cuz it ran rich and the minuki carb was a black box. It dominated in the snow though! Best car Ive ever driven in the snow to this day! In the end it was done in by the nylon timing chain guides which the mitsu 2.6 was infamous for. Good memories but yea I wouldnt want to be driving it today.
I bought a used 89 Reliant after my Grand National was stolen. The Buick was recovered, but I had to use the K car for a daily driver. I laughed at the acceleration, but is was far more reliable than the GN, and a hell of a lot cheaper for parts. It had the 2.5, center console automatic, ice cold air and an awesome stereo with a joystick speaker control. One amazing automobile!
I ❤️ you K-car! If not for you, my modern badass Hemi would have never existed! 🤘
I bought a old K Car in like 2007. Only kept it a couple months. Used it as a trade in on a 88 Toyota 4 Runner.
I've been in a non-automotive "K hole", and it's quite an amazing experience...
Hell yeah, dude
They built them here in Windsor Ontario. The press was assembled for the first car rolling off the line…. It wouldn’t start.
I ran one of those an 84 for 416k miles! darn good little cars when cared for properly!
Wow that's the most miles i ever heard of a K car going? Original motor and transmission? All highway miles?
Good stuff Steve ! Thanks for sharing
My moms life time friend had a 62 or 3 ford sprint convertible 260 V8 chrome valve covers and aircleaner.. cool little car and she traded it in for a new K car and was never happy with it... me and my bro were chevy guys but thought that sprint was cool.
Those were the early 1980s
I was not a fan of the K car but after owning one they are a great little A to B car if you need car to drive long distance or to work and are not worried about passing everyone the car is a great car with the 2.2 and the 2.5 liter engines they were real reliable and they were comfortable too you can say what you want about them but they were a Great Cheap Reliable transportation and I would drive one today if I had one
I've seen one in that exact color driving around in Gainesville back in 2020. I'm taking daily driver here.
Steve, thanks for providing quality content on you-tube😀😀😀
My firat new car was an 81 Aries K. I ordered it and took delivery Dec 12, 1980. I drove that thing 10 years and 120,000 miles. Virtually no problems. It had the standard 2.2 and 4 speed manual. We up graded after having 3 kids, just too tight for a 2 door car. Sticker price was $7528 and got a $400 rebate. I'd love to have it back red with a white half vinyl top. Actually a sharp looking car. Got $800 on trade for a 1988 Olds 88.
I had a K wagon back in the day it was a very good car as long as you took care of it and maintained , it never let me down.
Love the k car, I remember my dad bought a light green bench seat 4 speed wagon in 84.
I had a 88 K car, really liked it. Thanks for the video
I just sold my two 81 Reliant Two doors... One was a base 2.2 with 23k original miles and the other was optioned up like an SE but was not an SE with the 2.6... I think they are great cars for what they are....
I had an 83 Aries as a rental car for three weeks while my car was being repaired from a wreck. It was a comfortable good running car. I liked it.
Wow this takes me back!! I had a few variations such as a 79 Omni, 80 Horizon TC3, 83 E class and even had an 86 Omni 4 door with running boards installed because every parking Lott in metro Detroit was riddled with them and I could tell which one was mine!!! They were all very, very slow but the gas mileage was incredible and for the most part pretty reliable. Great video and I look forward to your next one!!!
Thanks for sharing!
Omnis and Horizons weren't K-cars. They use the L platform and are derived from European model Chryslers/Simca/Talbots.
My mom had one it was her first off the show room car an loved it it was just the right size for her
In the 80's those cars where everywhere.. when I was in high school in the 1980's everyone knew someone's brother, sister, father, mother, aunt, uncle that owned some variation of those.. they really did sell a lot of those cars.. my dad even bought a white dodge Aries 4 door in 1986 and when I got to drive it I thought it was a fun zippy little car.. I kind of developed an admiration for that little "brick" on wheels.. always said to friends "I'm K-car cruising" when I drove it..
As a kid from the 80's I loved my 1985 Plymouth Reliant. The Reliant was my first car that I could put on the road, after buying a 70's Aspen wagon with a broken frame, and a Mercury Lynx with a broken motor. I used it to go back and forth between my hometown and Loch Sheldrake, NY 5 and a half hour drive south.(college in upstate NY) They were way better then the competition . Granted definitely slow and the door handles usually broke, especially in the winter. Of course being from northern NY, 5 and a half hours away from NYC, these cars were great in the snow. Way better than many other front wheel drive cars I've owned, also they were great for working on! You can squeeze a v8 under the hood, so there was plenty of room around the 2.2 4 banger, and personally i thought the 2,2 was a great engine, with the turbo's you could easily bump it up to 300 HP.
th-cam.com/video/5lZvoycYrKk/w-d-xo.html
Had a 2.2 in my Turismo. Good motor!
We're all pulling for you Steve. Hope to see you soon
Great video as always Steve, there was a LeBaron convertible at the top of my street when I was growing up. Also, back in 2010, I stumbled upon a Canadian show called The littlest hobo and there sponsor at the end (along with the Marriott hotel) was a rental agency called Til-Den and they rented K cars. I respect these like I do the first gen Boxter that saved Porsche
My dad bought a brand new 83 Plymouth Reliant K car. The next year I bought a very beat up 1975 Camaro Rally Sport. Dad loved the Rally sport and borrowed it all the time. Dad sold the K car a year later and bought a used 81 Z 28 Camaro.
In 1994, I was in a collision with a 1984 K car, I don't recall which one. I drove a (huge) 1974 Mercury Cougar. Damage on my car was entirely cosmetic, limited to a cracked front signal light lens, scratched chrome on the immense bumber and paint transfer on the fender. The K car took a heavy beating and was written off.
I had one of the slant-6 Dodge Aspens that these things replaced. It was probably less exciting to drive than one of these K-cars!
I worked rebuilding engines for a while at the end of the 90's, those 2.2 fours were our bread and butter! I have no idea how many of those things I took apart! They only burn oil when they are running! HAHA!
And only leak when they stop.
I worked in a garage back in the 80's early 90's and worked on a lot of Chrysler cars back then. Seems like what I remember most is CV joints and struts! I've replaced hundreds of CV joints in the k cars.
I would love to get one of these K cars today ( 2022 ) . This was the car that saved Chryslers bacon . The K cars were simple and fairly reliable cars back in the day .
Bernard's ton. The yard started when Bernard accumulated his first full ton of scrap metal, and was fortunate to sell into a booming market...
I'd rather have the Aspen or Volare...
This one time in high school...It was '83 or '84, and four of us were riding around in my buddy's Dad's light green K-car wagon. I was in the back seat but I forget which side. Passenger side I think. I threw my empty beer bottle at a road sign and hit it - but almost immediately after the report from the road sign, came the report of the bottle, having ricocheted back, hitting the car. I remember hoping that it didn't leave a dent. No one acknowledged that second report, so I didn't say anything either. A few minutes later we came into town where there were street lights, and someone else in the car looked back for whatever reason and said "hey, the back window is broken!" The passenger side rear stationary window was shattered and hanging from its safety lamination. It was at that moment that we all realized that I was the dumbass.
Insurance...
Lol! What a tan line! I couldn't tell you lifted your shirt (@0:15) until I zoomed in!
(I poke fun because mine's no better)
My Dad bought a 1981 Plymouth Reliant K car brand spanking new. It was meant to be his daily driver work car and it was pretty basic. The car was silver with red interior, bench front seat, had a manual transmission with a long shifter, and only had an AM radio. My Dad taught me how to operate a manual with that car and I remember squealing the tires in it. The car turned out to be a little too basic for Dad so after a few months he bought a 1981 Oldsmobile Cutlass Brougham 4 door to use as his daily driver and then sold the K car to his sister and brother-in-law who lived in Colorado Springs, Colorado stationed at the Air Force Academy at the time. I remember my uncle telling me that the little car would go anywhere in the snow and they loved it. A few years later my parents would buy a Chrysler LeBaron K car that was the black and silver "Medallion Edition".
These may not be considered "cool cars" in the automotive world but they are very relevant cars and well, anything old is kinda cool no matter what it is.
I grew up riding in a Dodge Aries K wagon....then our family upgraded to a 1984 Plymouth Voyager minivan with a 4 cylinder, 5 speed manual transmission....lol
Back in the 80s these cars were everywhere! It's like the kia's of today, lol
Owned a Plymouth Caravel back in the day. It was a K car with a slightly extended wheelbase.
It was boring as hell but 'rock solid' dependable. And the first used car I ever owned with a working air conditioner.
The sloped front facia & longer wheelbase gave it a more pleasing
appearance than the Reliant. It was also fantastic in Chicago area winter driving...
I loved 😍 my 1984 Dodge 600ES 4DR With Electronic Fuel Injection System. It was fully loaded. Wish I still had that car. It was so reliable, Fuel Efficient, quick, and handled like a Dream.
I remember that car. The ES was the more sportier version. Very rare to see today.