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K Car
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down on the street
There was some grumbling about the first Chrysler K Car we saw in this series, but there's no way I can run across a Government K sedan and not share it with the world. The Taurus and Lumina elbowed aside just about all the "official vehicle" K cars way back in the early 90s (and, to be fair, the K wasn't the most reliable car ever made, especially when operated by lead-footed public servants), but this plain-gray-wrapper Aries managed to beat the odds and stay on the road. It appears to be owned by the same guy who owns the second-ever DOTS vehicle, and it looks like he's fixing it up. Those of you who feel strongly about the idea of DOTS K-cars (for or against) be sure to vote in the poll after the jump.
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Government-Issue 1986 Dodge Aries LE
There was some grumbling about the first Chrysler K Car we saw in this series, but there's no way I can run across a Government K sedan and not share it with the world. The Taurus and Lumina elbowed aside just about all the "official vehicle" K cars way back in the early 90s (and, to be fair, the K wasn't the most reliable car ever made, especially when operated by lead-footed public servants), but this plain-gray-wrapper Aries managed to beat the odds and stay on the road. It appears to be owned by the same guy who owns the second-ever DOTS vehicle, and it looks like he's fixing it up. Those of you who feel strongly about the idea of DOTS K-cars (for or against) be sure to vote in the poll after the jump.More »
classic ad watch
Spend The Malaise Winter In An '82 Plymouth!
You could be stuck in a snowdrift, spinning the rear wheels on what appears to be a mid-70s Buick... or you could head on down to your Plymouth dealer and buy one of the fruits of the US Government's bailout of Chrysler Corporation: The 1982 Horizon, Reliant, and TC3! Remember the TC3? Yes, the Plymouth clone of the forgettable Dodge 024... and who could forget the Horizon Miser? Still, these cars helped haul Chrysler out of the abyss.
classic ad watch
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Like Tina, It Sure Ain't Built For Speed: 1990 Plymouth Acclaim
While the ol' Chrysler K platform (or, in this case, its AA cousin) was getting a bit long of tooth by 1990, Chrysler was still able to slather plenty of Virtually Velour™, Simu-Leather™, and Petroleo-Wood™ all over the interior, then pay Tina Turner to reference some Willie Dixon:Some folks built like this, some folks built like thatAnd, now that we've got that song on our minds, let's hear what Herr Schenker has to contribute to the discussion:
But the way I'm built, you shouldn't call me fat
Because I'm built for comfort, I ain't built for speed
But I got everything all the good girls need
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down on the street
OK, so maybe it wasn't fair that Uncle Sam bailed out Chrysler but told AMC to drop dead, back in the Malaise Era. It seemed like the Chrysler bailout worked out as hoped, though, once the K Car emerged from factories that had long created gas-swilling behemoths. With so many early Ks made, you'd think there would be more of them still on the street nowadays, but that's not the case; I went out looking for a non-beater example and it was tougher than I'd expected. Finally, I found this '84 Reliant parked just around the corner from the '84 Porsche 928 (and, yes, I see that 70s Firebird in the background, next to the 70s Mercedes; unfortunately, driveway-parked cars are on private property and thus off-limits to DOTS... which is a shame, because there's a very clean 4-speed AMX parked in a driveway nearby).
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1984 Plymouth Reliant
OK, so maybe it wasn't fair that Uncle Sam bailed out Chrysler but told AMC to drop dead, back in the Malaise Era. It seemed like the Chrysler bailout worked out as hoped, though, once the K Car emerged from factories that had long created gas-swilling behemoths. With so many early Ks made, you'd think there would be more of them still on the street nowadays, but that's not the case; I went out looking for a non-beater example and it was tougher than I'd expected. Finally, I found this '84 Reliant parked just around the corner from the '84 Porsche 928 (and, yes, I see that 70s Firebird in the background, next to the 70s Mercedes; unfortunately, driveway-parked cars are on private property and thus off-limits to DOTS... which is a shame, because there's a very clean 4-speed AMX parked in a driveway nearby).More »
engines
Workhorse Engine of the Day: Mitsubishi Astron
From a distant galaxy of single overhead cam engines comes the Mitsubishi Astron series. The mighty Astron began life in 1972, and is still ticking away under the hoods of everything from Mitsubishi Starions to the panoply of Chrysler K-Car variants. In the beginning, the Flying Sikh himself pummeled an Astron equipped original Lancer to numerous rally victories. Patented silent shaft technology canceled out harmonics as the engine grew in displacement from 1.8 to 2.6 liters of four pot fury. The last production car to pack the Astron was either the the 1991 Pajero or the 1990 Starion, but only if not counting the diesel version of the Astron - which motored on with turbo until 1993 amid Galants. 21 years of Astron! In sourcing a new cylinder head sans jet valves for one of the two 2.6L G54B turbo variants of the Astron in our garage we learned that the 'ol G54B aspirated on propane with propane accessories serves in many forklifts to this day. The odd marriage of Mopar, Mitsubishi, and K-Car station wagons also led to some innovative badging - as seen in the bonus pic after the jump. [Mitsubishi Astron] More »
classic ad watch
Related: Shelby Dodges: More Turbo Emblems! [Internal]
'87 Plymouth Sundance: 47 Standard Features To Convince Ya!
The pride is back! Just ask Lee Iacocca! Featuring Lite-Brite-style graphics and Reagan-era patriotic fervor, this ad captures both the optimism of Chrysler's rebirth and the gloom of the still-fresh-in-memory Malaise Era that nearly doomed the company. The Sundance, sibling to the Dodge Shadow and based on the P-body variant of the jack-of-all-trades K platform, could be had with the base 96-horse 2.2 four, but the smart buyers plunked down the extra $815 for the 146 horses of the turbo 2.2. Actually, the really smart Mopar buyers in '87 went straight to Mr. Shelby for the Omni GLH-S!Related: Shelby Dodges: More Turbo Emblems! [Internal]
k-cars across america
Chryslerati: Gorman Edition
A recent stop in lovely Gorman, California for some overpriced gasoline and a bag of peanuts revealed this Chrysler TC. A ghostly sheet covered what was assuredly a fine interior, and also hinted at possible hard or soft top trouble. Out of state plates and location next to one of America's numerous yet fine numbered hotel chain and Sizzler oasis told us this TC was traveling. Not just any TC - Chrysler's TC. Go Chryslerati go. More »
alphabet soup
Ultimate K-Car: PPG Dodge Twin Turbo Interceptor
Although based on an eighties Dodge Daytona which is technically a G-platform, the Indy World Series Dodge Pace Cars nonetheless represent the apex of K-platform engineering. A Chrysler 2.2L topped with a Cosworth twin-cam head served as the mid-engine heart of this eighties automobile of the rear-drive future. Twin turbos helped the mill create 440 horsepower. An even more futuristic version of these cars known as the M4S Turbo Interceptor starred in The Wraith alongside Charlie Sheen. Though a slew of the cars were built for the movie, the M4S was never put into anywhere near production. Gullwing doors made for star quality egress More »
k-car
Feel the Turbo Activated to Serve You Forever
We just can't make up a better line than used by the seller to describe this 1986 Plymouth Caravelle. The turbo sedan also features a cassette deck, and enough burgundy velour to make even Ricardo Montalban jealous. Where was this guy in 1986 when Plymouth needed a catchy ad slogan for this fine Chrysler Corporation K platform derivative? More »
chrysler
