2.2 turbo laser

[Rustyrodknocker]

I just picked up a 86 Laser as a project / flipper for my nephew. It seems to be a pretty good car but certainly needs work. Sounds like the drive train is solid. It has some minor mechanical and interior and needs paint. We are going to go thru it and sell it in the summer so he can earn some money towards finishing his first vehicle. He is set to get his license in September.

I don't really know anything about these cars. The only fwd cars I have been around are Toronados and Eldorados.
I certainly remember these from the 80"s and like everybody was around plenty of k cars.
I always thought the Rampage was a good niche and am surprised that that platform has not gained popularity. A friend of mine was all about finding a GLH Omni. Always looking in the autotrader and I didn't understand it. He found one and it was fast.
Which somehow made me like it even less. And that was before it outran my Roadrunner.

Anyhow I'm looking for resources to learn more about these cars. The previous owner gave me a stack of manuals for them so that will be nice.

My inner nerd has always kind of been watching for a dodge caravan panel with the manual trans from this era. So this car is going to fulfill that urge while its here.

If anybody has a tip as to shere I can find a central resource for the 2.2 cars I would appreciate it.

 

[LetMeBeFrank]

Turbo-mopar.com and Turbododge.com are the big forums. I was on turbododge for a long time when I was building my 85 Daytona turbo.

One thing I will say is that there is not allot of money to be made with these cars. People usually build them to keep, not to sell, for that reason. Aftermarket support is mostly fwdperformance.com and forwardmotioninc.com

 

[cbarge]

Check out the K car club of America.
They have a web forum anf FB page.
I had an 84 E class 2.2 Turbo and before that in the mid 90s 86 Lebaron GTS.
The GTS stood for Goes Too Slow when the turbo took a dump. With a low compression ratio in the sevens, no power at all with no boost.
Both cars were junked when I could no longer find any electronic parts to keep them running.
The PCM, and spark control box are all but non existent. Some are 1 year only based on their part numbers and interchanging is very limited--some not at all.
Make sure the waste gate is working and not sticking.
They are great cars when working properly and are FAST!
But they are dogs when they break.

 

[LocuMob]

Make sure it's not rusty, I had an 87 Laser that was pretty quick, but then the brake lines rotted out, and I seemed it too rusty to fix, trailing arms were next to go and I had been through that with another car.

 

[Xenon]

@BLIMP has had these for a few years and can probably be of assistance...

 

[Rustyrodknocker]

Thanks for the pointers. The car seems solid but I did not go over it real close. It was cheap. The guy said it is fast so I I assume the turbo functions.
He had a good stash of parts for it he has collected. He was just starting to get back into it and took some things apart. But it was taking a toll on him due to health issues. He realized he is not in shape for that anymore. So it's time to sell.

 

[LetMeBeFrank]

Oops forgot to add turbosunleashed.com

I had some parts ported and powder coated by him for my Daytona. Really nice guy to work with, probably the best of the 3.

 

[BLIMP]

Really can't add any more info that hasn't already been shared. All I can say is join one of those forums, use the search bar, and read read read! There's so much good information out there, you just need to dig for it. Good luck, share some pics, and if you have specific issues let us know.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

I would like to get a Laser/Daytona roller. I have no use for the original drivetrain N/A or turbo. Floor pans and trailing arms could be rusty also. I do not want to take apart a good car, looking to pick up someone's lawn ornament they want gone.
I am no help other than as mentioned some of the one year only parts are hard to find.

 

[LocuMob]

I would like to get a Laser/Daytona roller. I have no use for the original drivetrain N/A or turbo. Floor pans and trailing arms could be rusty also. I do not want to take apart a good car, looking to pick up someone's lawn ornament they want gone.
I am no help other than as mentioned some of the one year only parts are hard to find.

Want to do something similar to this, but with a hatchback?

 

[70bigblockdodge]

Want to do something similar to this, but with a hatchback?

View attachment 438006
View attachment 438007View attachment 438008

Yes, and I have a 3 gen Hemi for it also

 

[Turboomni]

I would add FWDperformance.com to the list. They also make computers with custom or stock chips in them and have a ton of parts. I run their custom calibration on my 86 Omni glhs Shelby I still own and built. They are fun cars for sure. In my Omni's heyday I was at New England dragway on street night next to this guy with his pride and joy 440 Cuda. We talked and he was braggen this and that ,,didn'y ask about my piece of crap grocery getter with street tires which was fine. Anyways we ended up racing. Fine ,light goes green and my phantom grip front end is torque steering and fighting for traction the Cuda was gone!! By the eighth mile my Omni got her composure and started booken and closing in. By the end of the 1/4 I was on him and he beat me by a half a fender with a 12.9 time also on street tires @ 104 mph, I was a 13.0 at 113 mph. He didn't talk to me the rest of the night. Never did try slicks as mainly I was seducing seducing sports cars on rte 128 in the evenings ,especially on off ramps. That was another life ago.
Here is some fun for ya.

 

[LocuMob]

I would add FWDperformance.com to the list. They also make computers with custom or stock chips in them and have a ton of parts. I run their custom calibration on my 86 Omni glhs Shelby I still own and built. They are fun cars for sure. In my Omni's heyday I was at New England dragway next to this guy with his pride and joy 440 Cuda. We talked and he was braggen this and that ,,didn'y ask about my piece of crap grocery getter with street tires which was fine. Anyways we ended up racing. Fine ,light goes green and my phantom grip front end is torque steering and fighting for traction the Cuda was gone!! By the eighth mile my Omni got her composure and started booken and closing in. By the end of the 1/4 I was on him and he beat me by a half a fender with a 12.9 time also on street tires @ 104 mph, I was a 13.0 at 113 mph. He didn't talk to me the rest of the night. Never did try slicks as mainly I was seducing seducing sports cars on rte 128 in the evenings ,especially on off ramps. That was another life ago.
Here is some fun for ya.

Those things sound funny off the line, but once they get traction and wind out in second gear, they are fun to watch.

 

[Turboomni]

Lol they have a character of their own. My best ever 60ft time was 1.9 on street tires lol. Slicks would have gotten me well into the solid 12's but I built it as an autocross, road race type car.

 

[BLIMP]

1,000 years ago I raced a little bit too.

And my buddies turbovan

 

[Turboomni]

I had a 89 turbovan too that I intercooled, bigger Garrett turbo ,removed balance shafts but never raced it except on the streets once in awhile.

 

[BLIMP]

What are your thoughts about removing the balance shafts? I've done it before and regretted it because of the increased vibration.

 

[Turboomni]

The 2.5 liter in the van was rebuilt and balanced for use without the balance shafts. Spooled up faster for sure and I noticed no difference in running although I had a nasty exhaust on it and more importantly I was alot younger lol. My plan was to pull my Black Omni to the track with my Black turbo minivan. Just cutting the chain and removing them stock I have no idea.

 

[Rustyrodknocker]

Well,
I drug it home tonight. Nephew hit it with the pressure washer and we got it inside.
The respray is terrible and they did not do the jams.
I thought for a minute we might just shoot it back to original but that looks awful.. uncertain what we will do there. We have enough work for now getting the interior back together. And the steering column. The biggest bummer so far was when we dug out the door panel that was not installed it was dyed black. The kicker panels were also black.
Its a saddle/ beige interior. So that sucks. We will either continue the dying which I don't want to do.
Or try to find a door panel. The fabric actually came out ok. But I have never seen the painted plastic work out. Plus the seats would be a pain.
But there is no unblacking that panel.
Oh well we will take it in strides we are in cheap. It"s mainly a labor gig.