Starting and driving a 1984 Plymouth Reliant

[araflygare]

How could chrysler be related to mitsubishi? :-|

[uxwbill]

@araflygare Chrysler and Mitsubishi formed a partnership with each other to share products and technology. Chrysler used some Mitsubishi products, Mitsubishi used some Chrysler products, and both companies rebadged whole cars for each other. They even operated a jointly owned production plant known then as Diamond Star Motors IIRC. This car was a Chrysler in every way except for the engine.

[SeriousAboutAudio]

@araflygare theres also the mitsubishi 3000gt and the dodge stealth there the exact same acr just differnt badges amd the the plymoth lazer is also just a eclipse/talon

[Annihilator1111]

the 1981-1989 Plymouth Reliant was assembled in

Newark, Delaware, United States

Detroit, Michigan, United States

Toluca, Mexico

[mrceleb2006]

@weightfeather1 Indeed, the Chrysler K-cars equipped with a standard transmission (4-speed/5-speed) were extremely rare...if anyone ordered that type of tranny on any K-car, they were forced to get the 2.2L inline-4.

[jdwinger2002]

it bring back memeriors about the old 1987 chrysler lebaron that i had it had a 2.2 liter 4 banger in it nice car

[mrceleb2006]

@weightfeather1 When the 2.6L Mitsubishi "Silent Shaft" inline-4 engine with stainless steel exhaust was offered on FWD Chryslers during the 1980s, the customers were forced to get the 3-speed automatic transmission.

[urah2525]

Love the digital "Stick-on" clock, nice period touch, had mine on the other side of the wheel on my 1981 Dodge Aries which was 4 on the floor. Hotwad, an'88 wagon is a rare piece, they went out of production in March '88 as I recall.

[urah2525]

Love the digital "Stick-on" clock, nice period touch, had mine on the other side of the wheel on my 1981 Dodge Aries which was 4 on the floor.

[sketchyinc]

I actually like the fake wood accent. Nice sentiment to break up the monotony of an economy car. In the 1980's even economy cars seemed to be more plush compared to compared to even medium priced cars today that seem to come in cold austere colors are full of hard plastic.

[Motorfordtoyota]

My mom had to drive a kcar car as a company car, every time she drove it, it would stalland not start back up. What a pos it was. This one seems better though!!

[dstarks80]

The best defense against auto theft is driving a K-Car.

[uxwbill]

@dstarks80 Now you know the truth...

[cmarshall1018]

i love those little k-cars i can never remember what the Chrysler version was of this

[uxwbill]

@cmarshall1018 Chrysler didn't sell a K car under their own name, all of them were badged as a Plymouth Reliant or Dodge Aries. To tell the truth, I like the "Reliant" name better.

[cmarshall1018]

@uxwbill i have to agree with you aries sounds retarded

[TheSqeeek]

@uxwbill I thought the Chrysler LaBaron was a K-car variant?

[uxwbill]

@TheSqeeek Hmmm...I'd thought the LeBaron had a different platform and then I researched it some more. I guess it too was a true K car, although I wouldn't have expected that. Also to be added are seemingly the "Chrysler Executive" and a "Town and Country" version of the K-wagon. So...I stand corrected!

[andrewps84]

@uxwbill The Lebaron could be considered an offspring of the K-platform, like the 400, 600 and Caravelle were. As I understood it the Reliant/Aries were the only two K-cars being marketed in the beginning, and the LeBaron (I would think) was an afterthought....

[rmx77]

@uxwbill actually chrysler made a small version of the chrysler new yorker that was in the k car line but that didnt last to long.

[HDXFH]

I have an engine just like that, Installed in a 1988 Mitsubishi Express Van, except it doesn't have the external pulley coming from the back of the rocker cover

[uxwbill]

I've also seen this engine used (in an RWD configuration no less!) in a late-80s Mitsubishi Montero with a 5-speed and 4x4.

[HDXFH]

@uxwbill I have a vid posted of this model engine, they were popular in Australia, they were used only in Rear wheel Drive Configuration, Same as the Buick 3.8's, used in Holden Commodores

[vcval]

the same engine was used in australian cars called "magna" and is and is the same engine from about the mid 70's to the mid 90's carby and efi versions , brand new replacement motor from mitsubishi were $1500.00 AUD about 3 years ago

[mikee286]

We used to have one of these cars except it was an 86. It was a decent car but it just got too rusty to maintain and the speedometer died and the brakes gave out soon after. When we tried to fix it when we jacked it up we seriously underestimated the amount of under body rust and the jack went through the floor and the car came crashing down.

[paintedbird]

(Reliant) Not the greatest car ever but all in all not a bad one either.

[yosefwanger]

is it a carb

[hylander89]

heheehehe "the jet" Roll on floor laughing LITERALLY! lol my parents had an 85 voyager with that motor..... thing took like 15 seconds to sixty geez....... slow as molasses! good motors though......

[jakesaintsrow123]

uhh those 2.6,s had lots of problems the 2.2l chrysler motors were much better...the 2.6l had lots of problems ,especially with the carbs they had they had so many problems when i do end up getting a k-car if its an older one i will make sure its got the chrysler 2.2l those motors were built to last.. the 2.6,s were horrible everything went bad

[hotwad88]

K cars were some of the best and most relable cars ever made. We hadd a 1988 Dodge Aries wagon that lasted well over 200,000 miles before it finally went to Chrysler heaven. By the way, it was a work vehicle its whole life!!!!

[hondolespaul]

Wanna sell it?

[Lumotaku]

Rather have the 2.2

[ajmcguinness334]

oh now thsts a trip to the dentist funny bill

[brendandanny2000]

in australia mitsubishi called the engine the astron 2.6.

[Infinitrium]

In North America, they're just called crap.

[peeweecee]

My dad had an 85 Nyer with that 4 cyl mitsu engine, and it was a nice car but so many carbureutor problems!  I think that was the last year for carbs; fuel injection came out the next year, thank God. You could never rely on that car to pull out in a hurry; it might go, it might hesitate. But that 2.6 litre engine ran forever.

[Infinitrium]

My mother had an 84 New Yorker and my dad had an 85 New Yorker, both with the 2.6 Mitsu motor and they both had the EVA. I don't know if they were fluke engines or not, but neither car ever had any engine problems for as long as we had them. They both always started right up and always ran great. Interesting to note the cruise control on my dad's 85 would work right down to 10 miles per hour. Rust eventually claimed both cars, the 84 went first then the 85 about 8 months later.

[ad356]

that engine looks like a MESS. looks more complicated than any other engine that i have seen from the era. good god, look at all those vaccum hoses. i have a 91 chevrolet cavalier with a 2.2L TBI. it is far, far simplier than that. that thing is yikes.

[coolbluelights]

OMG! That was the car of my childhood! we had a red '84 2 door too, the only difference was it didn't have the misubishi engine.

[uxwbill]

Cool...I'm glad it brought back some memories. Hope they were good ones! This one is really a four door, and of course it has the Mitsubishi engine, which is definitely a mixture of blessing and curse. They did a good job in some spots (the alternator is a nice heavy unit) while making it annoying in others (the Mikuni carburetor).

[coolbluelights]

Yes it brought back some great memories! we might have still had it today but we had an accident in 1993, and I gotta say that car was pretty darn safe! my mom got distracted and we rear ended a truck at 40mph, and everyone walked away with minor injuries except me because I was in the back and since there were no shoulder straps, my head hit the seat and I was knocked out. but my mom and grandma were ok! the car served us very well^^ I miss it

[blinkfan305]

@uxwbill We had an 85 caravan with the 2.6, my dad told me that in the cold weather while he was driving on the highway, the engine would sometimes just die. I think the carburetor would freeze up? So be careful.

[appleimacuser]

The one and the only red rocket!

[StopDropandLOL]

Your vey-HIC-le looks awesome.

[uxwbill]

I'm not too proud to drive it. It's been one of the better things I ever spent $100 on, and I'd do it again or have another one any day of the week.

[cardwellave]

Does your Reliant have a door buzzer? My 84 Aries either doesn't have one or it doesn't work..

[uxwbill]

Yes, it's up above and to the right of the glovebox door. You can reach it just by popping the glovebox out.

[Gromitdog1]

Mitsu 2.6, a renowned piece of steaming shit, amazingly chrysler used to talk up the 'japanese engineering' where the american iron 2.2/2.5 blew the mitsu out of the water in reliability, simplicity, drivability and power. Why on earth after the 2.6 debacle chrysler went with mitsu for the 3.0 is beyond me, perhaps they didn't feel that chrysler owners had suffered enough.

[uxwbill]

I like the car, but I put up with the engine. I always find it strange to pop the hood on this Chrysler and see a Mitsubishi engine there.

[masterlee123]

I own a 1989 Dodge Caravan, and is a K-car and I love it.

[ajmcguinness334]

Kool kar

[Hiei2k7]

a K-Car....Biggest waste of materiel in a long time.

[uxwbill]

Sorry, but you'll have to do better than that. It really is a great car in my book.

[andrewps84]

I concur...I've had two of them, and they were and are great cars.

[cardwellave]

my grandpas got an 84 aries, same red interior. head gasket is blown and he wont fix it, but i love that car and hope i can get my hands on it soon and fix it. it's got a 2.2 not the 2.6, thank god. though they were known for munching head gastkets. nice cars.

[sths0609]

I had a 1989 LE sedan... I got rid of it after 6 years and 205,000... got into an accident with it... totaled it with really no effort.

[kcarman88]

i have a 2.2 in my summer k-car and my show k has a 2.5. Id think you would like the 2.2 better, the 2.5 is a little beast

[Cadillacjack01]

My grandfather had a 1982 station wagon with the "woody" trim. Also had the Mitsubishi engine. Great little car. Like Iacocca said, "If you can find a better car, buy it!"

[uxwbill]

I sure wouldn't turn down another one if it came my way. And a wagon model would be interesting...I know of one not far away that might be for sale. Not that I need any more cars or anything...!

[mrceleb2006]

This 2.6L Mitsubishi-powered Plymouth Reliant should have a Road Runner horn ("beep-beep"), eh?

[bryanharricharan]

Nice car

[uxwbill]

I do like it. It may not look like much, but that way I figure nobody's going to steal it. Okay, maybe not *nobody*, but not many people.

It's a joy to work on for the most part (something that cannot be said for most vehicles) and I like driving it.

[coxjoseph]

Great to see your videos on the Reliant. I have a 1984 SE 2-door, since 1994, first car I ever owned outright. I was glad to see the shot of an intact 1984-only grille, they're nearly impossible to find now, aftermarket ones seem to lack the Pentastar center.

[uxwbill]

This one is an SE 4-door, and was pretty nice in its day, with air conditioning and an AM radio. The air stopped working before I ever got it, but the AM radio would still be there had it not gone completely bonkers. I've got a CD/MP3/WMA player and AM/FM radio in it now with stereo speakers.

[coxjoseph]

Mine has an original AM/FM radio but it quit in 2004, I replaced it with a Kenwood AM/FM/CD player from Tweeter. Swapped out the engine with identicals a couple of times, I plan to pull the current one out and rebuild it this summer.

[coxjoseph]

215,000 mi., originally charcoal gray was painted teal by my sister who had it from 1990-1994. She also had a moonroof installed in the roof which is convenient when under traffic lights. Otherwise original equipment. Decent gas mileage. Last year on eBay I even found and obtained a set of unused NOS aluminum 13-in wheelcovers in their original boxes!

[coxjoseph]

Great to see your videos on the Reliant. I have a 1984 SE 2-door, since 1994, first car I ever owned outright. I was glad to see the shot of an intact 1984-only grille, they're nearly impossible to find now, aftermarket ones seem to lack the Pentastar center.

[runforit420]

Those Mitsubishi 2.6L Silent Shaft 4s were very hard to tune, and apparently tended to self-destruct after a while. Look at all those vacuum lines - the engine compartment is much cleaner with the fuel injected 2.2 or 2.5 engines.

[uxwbill]

I've never driven one with the Chrysler 2.2, so I don't know how it would stack up. I did see one, however...and the difference is striking. The Mitsubishi engine can also have an engine computer, and mine does. How's that for different?

I suppose that the engine will fail someday, but if it died tomorrow I wouldn't feel too bad. It's gone more than 3,000 miles now and I paid $100 to buy it!

[uscar17]

i litteraly LOVE these old K-cars, I would like someday to by a Reliant wagon, with the false "woody" sides

[uxwbill]

Now those are hard to find! Well, they are hard to find good condition, anyway. A lot of the time the wood grain decal is peeling off or has missing pieces. I've come to like this car...it's obvious that Chrysler's engineers were trying hard. Most stuff is SO easy to find, get at and work on.

My service manual set talks about the wood grain and tells you how to apply replacement wood grain decals. I don't think I'm that patient...fortunately I don't have to be!

[DerAdventurer]

lol like Vin Diesel would say, in Fast and Furious....

"japanese technology" lol

[Jac2Mac]

Does this car make a chime sound or a buzz sound when you start it up without your seatbelt on?

[uxwbill]

It buzzes, and not just when you don't have your seat belt on. It will also buzz if the key is the switch and turned on with the driver's side door open. Finally, it will also buzz if you leave the headlights on.

It's about to be "debuzzered" when I find the time...

[tpvalley]

A 2.6 engine with 4 cylinders, unusual.

We dont get colum changes here very much, shame, I like these older cheap cars.

[walshmonster2005]

Would have been funnier if the secondary got stuck open!