1990's

[Budnicks]

Only thing good from Chrysler Corp during the K-car era was the
Dodge Power Ram (4x4) or Dodge Ram Trucks (2wd)
or Ramchargers, v8 4wd/rwd
they still had turd smog 'lean burn' crap, but still v8s

My oldest sister Lori owned a few Chrysler Voyager (?) "flagship" Mini-Vans
they seemed to be in the shop a lot, cheap junk plastic interiors too...
Door Sliders always broken or stuck...
In their/Chrysler's defense, my oldest sister isn't the smartest
or best owners, when it comes to cars/vans...

I never would, I never will own a K-car of any kind, (except a racecar body)
I drove many of them as rentals or moving them at the dealerships
take for a spin around the block
(IMO total JUNK, even the Shelby's, they were junk with a turbo)

I had a couple Omni/Chagers as racecars
8.90 Super/Comp 84 Charger tube chassis/& an 82 Omni FC,
all BB v8 rwd powered...

My middle older sister Candy bought a 86-ish (?) Chrysler Laser/Turbo,
142 hp/160 tq wahoo POS --- I told her not to...
She wrecked it twice on ice, 1st winter/year on the C st. bridge &
2nd winter on 4th st. when we/she lived in Anchorage Alaska...
She had to drive my old dependable backup, all winter, twice
my lifted 74 Trailduster 400 4 speed 4wd (had to take my plow off the front)
while it took 6 months to fix her POS Laser Turbo each time...
She was sold a bill of goods by the fwd bs, from some jerk salesman,
who that jerk recommended it, "that it's good on snow/ice'
'lame lying ****', it sucks ***

Yeah, it drove nice on 'dry flat ground', it got decent mileage, it looked OK
Not at all, all that powerful & was nothing like some claimed they were...
If they actually thought that, they don't know what real power or
real handling is anyway...

 

[440 PHIXX]

If I had to buy an 80’s American car… it’d be a Fox, F, or G. I have my brother’s ‘85 Monte SS sitting in the driveway. A 454 drops in. And they put 4 speeds in them in ‘79, the 301 Pontiac. Would be a fun car, and GN’s see taillights.

 

[DeltaV]

If I had to buy an 80's American car it would have to be an '81 to '83 Imperial. I had an '88 Fury retired deputy car for a few years. It was rock solid dependable and trouble-free. I wouldn't mind having another one.

 

[JDmac72chrgr]

Always liked the 5th Avenue rwd 318 cars, white, blue top & blue pillow top velour seats. NO LEAN-BURN!!!

 

[Kern Dog]

In 1980 Iacocca authorized the scrapping of all replacement parts for the “old Chrysler Corporation” but railcar loads of E body quarter panels, hoods, fenders, and other sheet metal were scrapped, Also plenty of ‘68-‘70 B body parts. Some of the guys bought up parts including a few shaker hoods. I don’t think he was making the story up, and when I went to the dealer in ‘83 trying to find parts for my ‘70 ‘Cuda, most everything came up NS-1. If you remember back then… Lee was in the commercials touting the “new Chrysler Corporation”.

I am in NO way defending him, but....
THESE cars are classics because enough time has gone by and just about every car between then and now cannot compare. It is rare to know what will be a valuable classic in 50 years. Iacocca had his faults but in 1980, who could predict that cars from the 66-71 era would be so desirable in 30, 40 or 50 years later?

 

[JDmac72chrgr]

Worst thing done was Mitsu chassis & drivelines with "Chrysler" bodies. LeBaron drop tops with Galant underpining were CRAP!!! 3.0 V6 total junk, 2.6 with head gaskets & timing chain guides, & "electronic carb", WTF!!!! Did like the Conquest style, but pass because of driveline & RUST

 

[Detective D]

I am in NO way defending him, but....
THESE cars are classics because enough time has gone by and just about every car between then and now cannot compare. It is rare to know what will be a valuable classic in 50 years. Iacocca had his faults but in 1980, who could predict that cars from the 66-71 era would be so desirable in 30, 40 or 50 years later?

Everyone that stashed things away in sheds or barns or under a cover in their garage.
You would be AMAZED at how many people stashed those cars in the midwest. It is the only reason a single one of them survived. By the time the big block got discontinued most Mopar guys around here saw the writing on the wall. K cars on the lots sealed the deal.
My father in law even stashed his Magnum away with like 19k miles on it for the same reason. Most guys turned their "regular" 2 door car from the 60's and 70's into the weekend cruiser and bought a commuter car so they could save what they had from the good times.
Neighbor growing up stashed his early 70's C3 Vette convertible
Neighbor I have now kept his 77 Firebird in his garage, sold his farm to retire and took it with him to Florida.
Good friend I had in my youth, his Dad stashed the 70 Chevelle he drove to WI from CA in the barn on his property, said it was bad in snow, he mostly drove Volvo wagons.
And so on and so forth, 20 years ago you could drive around and see things in people's yards and peeking out of the old 1800's machine sheds.

At least when it came to the working Joe's around here. I have no idea what the rich guys on the coastlines did in that era.

 

[Ron H]

If I had to buy an 80's American car it would have to be an '81 to '83 Imperial. I had an '88 Fury retired deputy car for a few years. It was rock solid dependable and trouble-free. I wouldn't mind having another one.

My dad bought a used Diplomat fully-optioned 2-door 318. It was reliable for years and handed around the family as an ongoing loaner. No complaints.

 

[68BabyBlue]

Everyone that stashed things away in sheds or barns or under a cover in their garage.
You would be AMAZED at how many people stashed those cars in the midwest. It is the only reason a single one of them survived. By the time the big block got discontinued most Mopar guys around here saw the writing on the wall. K cars on the lots sealed the deal.
My father in law even stashed his Magnum away with like 19k miles on it for the same reason. Most guys turned their "regular" 2 door car from the 60's and 70's into the weekend cruiser and bought a commuter car so they could save what they had from the good times.
Neighbor growing up stashed his early 70's C3 Vette convertible
Neighbor I have now kept his 77 Firebird in his garage, sold his farm to retire and took it with him to Florida.
Good friend I had in my youth, his Dad stashed the 70 Chevelle he drove to WI from CA in the barn on his property, said it was bad in snow, he mostly drove Volvo wagons.
And so on and so forth, 20 years ago you could drive around and see things in people's yards and peeking out of the old 1800's machine sheds.

At least when it came to the working Joe's around here. I have no idea what the rich guys on the coastlines did in that era.

I can speak from personal experience. The rich guy who owned my current GTX, as well as the dealership, stashed it in 1973, when the ugly bumpers came out, and the oil embargo hit. He started driving a '63 Valiant convertible as a fair weather driver, and Jeep Wagoneers in the winter. The GTX only turned 17,000 miles in the next 50 years it was in hiding. Though I had relatively meager means at the time, I retired my own GTX in 1979, and started renting a garage. I drove a '67 Valiant as my commuter car. My friend Dave, who also owned a GTX, did the same, drove an old Chevy pick up to work. He kept his car until he passed 35 years later. In 1983, when I bought Baby Blue for $1800, the car was parked in a garage from day one, and only got driven on sunny days. I had a '75 Valiant for my daily in that era.

 

[YY1]

Yep, those M body cars were pretty bulletproof.

They sold a LOT of 5th Aves.

I'd personally prefer a boat tail Diplomat with T tops.

 

[440 PHIXX]

The F, M, and J cars have an incorrectly engineered front suspension design. The transverse torsion bars, and the camber, caster do not have sufficient adjustment to get the tire wear to be acceptable. E-Berg did a story on that, and the fact that the NYC had major tire wear problems on the M body police cars.

 

[YY1]

I'm not a huge fan of those transverse bars but it did solve the interference with headers issue.

I don't remember hearing any premature tire wear complaints from any of the people I knew who owned them. More than one or two were ex cop cars.

 

[440 PHIXX]

I'm not a huge fan of those transverse bars but it did solve the interference with headers issue.

I don't remember hearing any premature tire wear complaints from any of the people I knew who owned them. More than one or two were ex cop cars.

Here it is discussed on the FMJ Forum.

Alignment problems?

Are you not able to get your FMJ into alignment (not enough provision for positive Camber)? There are three fixes (that I know of): The first option is to remove the upper control arm support plate (or plates, if both sides are needed) – Red arrow. Once plates are removed, you need to grind...

www.forfmjbodiesonly.com

I’m not certain, but I believe the “K” police cars had a solid mounted subframe.