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I recall peeling factory paint, creaky doors, misaligned instrument clusters, stuffy and uncomfortable seats.. And by the late 1980s terribly outdated styling. Shift points in the 3 speed auto chosen to make driving as bland as possible.. They did really sell a lot of them so there must be something to it, and I've had at least one friend who absolutely swears by them, he's had three or four. Not my cup of tea, but they do have fans.
I think some of the last run K car descendants just before the Neon were available with a small Mitsubishi 6 cyl, which was a little more fun to drive, and fairly reliable. Wasn't there a front wheel drive new yorker based on the K car chassis too? Those were a bit nicer than the usual K's. |
#2
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Also, yes, sadly, clearcoat delamination was a problem for those years. Fortunately, the actual paint under it rarely comes off, so it just makes the cars ugly, not rusty. Quote:
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Fortunately both automatic transmissions, the 3 and 4 speeds, are pretty hearty little things (despite what people may say). And very easy to work on. The 3 speeds have a tendency for the governor to stick, giving you only 2nd and 3rd in forward, but you can, you know, fix that. The 4 speed A604 which you find on the later EEKs, people will have you believe are awful. The exact opposite is true. They are a shining example of simplicity AND electronic automation. They have NO bands at all, the solenoids come in a convenient small pack, the computer can actually detect how much of your clutches are left (something I've yet to see even the most expensive and modern cars do), and the only reason people think they're bad is because people used to change the trans fluid out for Dexron II (which was the prevalent fluid at the time), which disagrees with the clutches. Fortunately, you can't even buy Dexron II anymore, so you'd be hard pressed to make that mistake as pretty much any trans fluid you can buy now will agree with it. Last edited by MadMan; 02-26-2018 at 10:55 PM. |
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K cars had a very long and also very successful production run, and as pointed out previously they basically saved Chrysler from the dustbin of history. A little more fun to drive than what? A potato? You've apparently never been in a 2.2 or 2.5 turbo with mild tuning done to it, I promise it shits all over that piss poor excuse for a japanese V6 and its impossible to change timing belt. Transmissions? Yeah the 3-sp torqueflite is sorta gay, but once again with a 2.5 turbo attached it most likely shits all over whatever you're currently in. If you can't tell, I'm tired of people talking shit about my car. And no, I'm not a K-car fanatic. I'm a turbo fanatic. I also have a factory turbo Corvair, wanna fight about it? I'll put my '89 Spirit up against whatever you got, and while it may or may not not win you'll definitely be surprised...
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Speaking as a Mopar or no car sort of guy, cool your jets. Nobody is questioning your masculinity. I agree that the K-cars were the best 'small' cars on the road, with room for six Americans, but there is no need to be so darned hurt. Even the rice burners that were supposed to be the death knell of the U.S. autos are long since shredded and turned into toasters, while Reliants still cruise city streets. By the way, the Diplomat was still the better car. A 318 kicks the hell out of a four banger any day of the week, no matter how torquey it may be.
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#5
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And changing the T-belt is only slightly more difficult than any other car - owing the the adapter plate, a whopping 5 extra bolts - but nothing any competent mechanic can't conquer with ease. Come to think of it, its been many years since I last did the job, I should do it again soon. Also, chill down, nobody's talking shit about your car. |
Audiokarma |
#6
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Even so, it wouldn't hurt to be prepared to just brush off snarky comments. Pretty much anyone into anything other than traditional muscle cars is going to hear others roasting their idea of a fly ride. Been there, done that, got the tee shirt.
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lol |
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I certainly agree that Mopars are awesome. |
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IMHO they probably get the least crap; at least among those who have watched crash compilations on youtube...Those of us in that camp are or should be scared of Ladas. If you see a Lada odds are it is 30 seconds from an accident or about to have parts fall off.
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Tom C. Zenith: The quality stays in EVEN after the name falls off! What I want. --> http://www.videokarma.org/showpost.p...62&postcount=4 |
Audiokarma |
#11
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You had shown me the old VW with the FI conversion and the Mini and IIRC, your wife had some kind of a Japanese SUV. Mopars are still my first choice, but my daily driver is a Prius. I'm not that crazy about leaving that much money at the pump. Still have my 2000 Dodge Dakota and my 2006 Jeep Wrangler, both bought new. BTW, Powerglides and Dynaflows are really Gay. |
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LOL I mean they kinda are. Powerglides apparently are used in drag cars a lot because, well, they're real solid and only two gears. Dynaflows are fascinating... but that's about it.
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#13
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Practically everyone I know had to have the Powerglide transmission repaired once in their time of ownership. How about the early Mopars with the Powerflites that used the same oil for the transmission as the engine. The transmission fluid was changed every time the engine oil was changed. Dynaflows= slush-o-matics. |
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Better to have a Powerflite than an early Torqueflite from what I read. Apparently the pushbutton gear selector is a real dog to maintain. I read that Keith Gordon from Christine had a lot of trouble with it and the crew had to keep someone on hand to fix it.
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In defense of Chrysler's pushbutton mech I've always heard, it was solid and reliable...It was a great step up from the other pushbutton shifter of the time the steering wheel mounted electric selector in the Edsel...Which supposedly liked to short and change gears when turning the wheel...That scares me a hell of a lot more than hitting the wrong button by mistake.
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Tom C. Zenith: The quality stays in EVEN after the name falls off! What I want. --> http://www.videokarma.org/showpost.p...62&postcount=4 |
Audiokarma |
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