More Mopars for my Daughter...

[thrashingcows]

Looking for more info and insight from you fine people on helping me make a decision on a car for my daughter.

I took your previous advice and passed on that little Plymouth Horizon, and just got back from a 760Km round trip to go look at a 79 Mercury Zephyr 2dr, 200 L6/auto....Had way too many red flags so I passed on it. So now I'm looking at a couple other cars.

1st is a 1981 Plymouth Reliant 4dr with 26K original KM's, with the Mitsubishi 4 cyl 2.6L Hemi motor and an auto. Been sitting a lot of years in high desert area of the province, but appears in overall great shape. Seller says it Runs with fuel poured into carb...no other info given on as to why or what was tried to get it to run, still playing phone tag and need to talk to him in person.

2nd is a 1986 Chrysler Aries 4dr with Mopar 2.2L or 2.5L motor? and an auto. 67K original KM's and in beautiful shape. E-mail has been sent for more info and contacts.

Thoughts, opinions and warnings are very much appreciated.

 

[FURYGT]

From the perspective of a former insurance claims manager and a current insurance agent if your daughter is in the 16 - 21 range get her something with air bags and anti-lock brakes and nothing too small. If something like the '86 is what is in your budget that sounds like the best choice. The Ford Fox body cars don't hold up great in front end accidents and the 2.6 Mitsubishi engine is known for valve seal problems. I'd avoid a turbo due to the extra repair costs. Just my 2 cents. Maybe find a Dynasty or New Yorker from the early '90's but avoid ones with anti-lock brakes as the systems used on those cars were problematic.

 

[mr. fix it]

I like the K car series itself but not the engine... They were prone to head gasket & valve guide/seal issues...
If you get the 2.5 for a great price, if it blows up, I would swap it out for a 2.2 setup from a newer K car...

I personally would go for the Aries if you are set on getting a Mopar of this era.

also, make use you use the recommended oil viscosity & nothing heavier.
Heavy oil will starve the top end overhead cam

 

[SportFury70]

The Ford Fox body cars don't hold up great in front

Not to mention they can get sideways real easy.

 

[SportFury70]

I like the K car series itself but not the engine... They were prone to head gasket & valve guide/seal issues...

My stepdad had a 2.2 back in the day and had to replace about 4 to 5 head gaskets. Then sold it.

 

[Big_John]

I had a K car and I liked it. The biggest issue with them was k-frame rust. Chrysler had a recall on them and while that sounds good on first blush, their "solution" was to install some hooks to catch it when it eventually gave way and tried to detach itself from the rest of the car.

If you do decide on one of those, spend some time, preferably on a lift, under the front end. Then don't expect to drive it in winter weather for long because once they start, it's a very short window of time before they are toast. Mine looked perfect everywhere else except the k-frame.

I'd stay away, if it were me.

 

[Ripinator]

Looking for more info and insight from you fine people on helping me make a decision on a car for my daughter.

I took your previous advice and passed on that little Plymouth Horizon, and just got back from a 760Km round trip to go look at a 79 Mercury Zephyr 2dr, 200 L6/auto....Had way too many red flags so I passed on it. So now I'm looking at a couple other cars.

1st is a 1981 Plymouth Reliant 4dr with 26K original KM's, with the Mitsubishi 4 cyl 2.6L Hemi motor and an auto. Been sitting a lot of years in high desert area of the province, but appears in overall great shape. Seller says it Runs with fuel poured into carb...no other info given on as to why or what was tried to get it to run, still playing phone tag and need to talk to him in person.

2nd is a 1986 Chrysler Aries 4dr with Mopar 2.2L or 2.5L motor? and an auto. 67K original KM's and in beautiful shape. E-mail has been sent for more info and contacts.

Thoughts, opinions and warnings are very much appreciated.

I must be missing something here. . . Why are you looking at thirty year old shitboxes for your daughter to drive? Surely, there are much better and newer alternatives that are safer, more reliable and economical to purchase and maintain. Please enlighten me.

 

[cbarge]

As a former K car owner get the more reliable 86. Parts are more common and easier to get compared to earlier models.
The Trenton built 2.2 or 2.5 are good motors. Head gaskets are not all that bad to do and were common back in the day.
The older K with the Mitsu-shitty motor.... RUN AWAY FROM IT!!
If it has fuel problems now things will get worse when trying to find any parts for it.

 

[413]

Why you looking for junk cars for Her? That ford L6 is total crap. K car, well no so good. Get a neon, you know, multiport FI, not throttle body or carburetor.

 

[Dobalovr]

I actually agree with @413. Both my daughters drove Neon's for years for $500 initial investment. I put about $1500 in making them safe and they drove the wheels off them. When they were all used up I sold them for the $500 I initially spent.

 

[cbarge]

Pt cruisers can be found cheap.
Roomy and reliable too

 

[cbarge]

Brian, are you looking for an older car to avoid the B.C.emission laws? Is there a cut off like say 25 or 30 years???
Just wondering....

 

[thrashingcows]

I must be missing something here. . . Why are you looking at thirty year old shitboxes for your daughter to drive? Surely, there are much better and newer alternatives that are safer, more reliable and economical to purchase and maintain. Please enlighten me.

Well she loves anything old this includes fashion, not just to look at but to wear! And she really does not like newer vehicles.....I have tried to get her to consider a Neon, cavalier or ??? but she hates the cookie cutter/jelly bean look of them. But I did purchase a 2002 Neon for my eldest daughter BTW. ;)

She is just drawn to the older vehicles, much like her old man I guess. I have never owned and driven anything newer then 93 (No air bags or ABS ever), and my current W350 Cummins crewcab truck is a hodge podge of years from 1980-2009.

So short of forcing her into a vehicle she does not like or want I can only try and find her the best older vehicle I can.

Brian, are you looking for an older car to avoid the B.C.emission laws? Is there a cut off like say 25 or 30 years???
Just wondering....

Nope not trying to get around insurance or emission laws either.

 

[Dobalovr]

A member here has a beautiful Cordoba for sale....just sayin

 

[SportFury70]

My suggestion is non mopar related, however I would try to look for a 2010-2014 Ford Fusion. My stepdads company has a few as company cars, and they whip the **** out of em and they keep comin' back for more. One I believe has over 300,000 miles. They also have lots of power for the motors they have too. Just my two cents

 

[Fury440]

My youngest daughter was in a similar situation. I happened to be in one of my customer's office and his daughter was buying a new car and trading in her 1989 Chevrolet Cavalier Z24 Convertible. I asked how much the dealer giving her for the car and she said $2,000. I said, heck I'll buy it right now. So I took the car to my mechanic and said fix everything that needs it. In the end I had about $4,000 in the car. My daughter was in Edmonton at university so the car made many trips back and forth to Calgary. When she graduated, she moved to Vancouver for her MBA. The little car handled the 1,000 km trips each way like a champ. Eventually she moved back to Calgary and in 2012 bought herself a fully loaded Jeep Grand Cherokee Overlander. She sold the Z24 privately to some guy for I think $2,000

 

[mr. fix it]

My youngest daughter was in a similar situation. I happened to be in one of my customer's office and his daughter was buying a new car and trading in her 1989 Chevrolet Cavalier Z24 Convertible. I asked how much the dealer giving her for the car and she said $2,000. I said, heck I'll buy it right now. So I took the car to my mechanic and said fix everything that needs it. In the end I had about $4,000 in the car. My daughter was in Edmonton at university so the car made many trips back and forth to Calgary. When she graduated, she moved to Vancouver for her MBA. The little car handled the 1,000 km trips each way like a champ. Eventually she moved back to Calgary and in 2012 bought herself a fully loaded Jeep Grand Cherokee Overlander. She sold the Z24 privately to some guy for I think $2,000

View attachment 295271

And to me the chevy's of this model line were worse than the K car series.

These kept us busy all day...

 

[mr. fix it]

My stepdad had a 2.2 back in the day and had to replace about 4 to 5 head gaskets. Then sold it.

I found once you milled the head and used the correct gaskets with brand new head bolts they were good for 100,000 plus miles
It was the stupid magnetic pickup coils in the distributor that liked to fail which were easy to get at fortunately

 

[tbm3fan]

1979 Mercury Zephyr! Good god why???

I could name you a car between 1981-84 that was bullet proof and jelly bean in shape but it isn't a Mopar nor is it American.

 

[thrashingcows]

1979 Mercury Zephyr! Good god why???

I could name you a car between 1981-84 that was bullet proof and jelly bean in shape but it isn't a Mopar nor is it American.

My brother and I had many Old fords, mostly comets and mavericks with the 200 L6's and we could never kill them....we had them as drivers and field/beater cars and they would just keep going no matter the abuse we gave them. On the other hand we had a couple old mopars /6's and we killed those motors in short order.