1981 Plymouth Reliant

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAP...5395&item=301073615395&lgeo=1&vectorid=229466

 

Hmm,, another 'dreamer' type... *** Starting bid:US $2,000.00 [ 0 bids ] ***
I especially like the part where lister states:
"Everything is functioning properly on the car"

Ok,, so everything except the things that don't function properly, correct... ???????


Seller Notes: “Vintage vehicle in very nice condition. Great looking and runs fine. Automatic transmission and power steering are fine. Nothing needs to be attended to for it to be driven.
The air conditioner is not in working order. Mild scrape or peeling in a few places along the tan thin molding strip mostly on the driver side (see photo) . A little bit of the silver paint on the
top of the front grill has a few cracks, not very noticeable. The cylinders that support the tailgate when it is opened up need to be replaced, they are not holding the tailgate up.
Driver seat has some wear, rest of the upholstery is fine. Has always been in a garage which accounts for the very nice original paint finish. The car has a working cruise control
and tilt steering wheel. It also has new tires. When rolling up the driver side window there is an area where it is a little bit resistant and it squeaks but the window rolls up and
down fine. Everything is functioning properly on the car, horn, wipers, heater, etc.”

 

2.6 makes me not want it. But a first year K-wagon with woodgrain for two grand or so is worth it to me even if it needs a full AC replacement and a couple of hatch shocks.

 

What's the deal with the Mitsubishi 2.6? I always thought it was a good engine......

 

In Australia, the early 80's 2.6 Astron was incredibly thirsty for both petrol and oil.

 

No reserve.

 

The 2.6 is an oil burner from what I have seen. Almost every one of these with that engine used to have a blue plume behind it. I was told that it doesn't like being rebuilt, either, so the only option is to replace it, and the replacement will burn oil, too.

 

The 2.6L Mitsu Hemi is a good engine - until it breaks. It is a difficult and expensive engine, for what it is. I scrapped a 1982 Aries K wagon in 1990 because the engine was too expensive to fix, even then.

 

To me it looks like a fairly nice car for 2K ish and no reserve, really what can you buy in the used car market for $2000 any more? Aside from the Mitsu engine of course

 

http://www.allpar.com/fix/26.html

 

Pretty well sums up why the 2.6L is crap when it's time to do any work on it.

 

So it seems the 2.6 is a pretty good little engine - as long as it's new. After 50k miles - not so much.

 

You nailed it KK, The guy who rented a shop beside mine loved these cars/engines because of the blow up factor and he had hords of them rebuilding back yard style for swapping. He made $ on them because everyone was under the impression of how great these were. His exact words were, "once they reach 80K/kilometers = 50K miles the head is normally the first of many things to go. He was a beater flipper of these and made $ yet he all ways said never buy one, and this was in the mid 90's. He also said CV joints were "glass" in the early years.

I can still remember him saying, "friends don't let friends buy FWD Chryslers", and he was a mopar guy

Mind you, through him I did get top drive a Turbo Shelby Horizon and I have to admit...... That thing blasted!..........after he replaced the head


I will ad, he never did or took anything that needed body work, he also refused any of the 4 banger Hemi engine cars.

 

Actually, the first Shelby cars were Chargers and Omnis, and had the turbocharged 2.2L Chrysler engine. The 2.2L did have minor head gasket issues, but nothing at all like the 2.6L engines

 

Sure and I agree, but Omni....Horizon... In a way that's like comparing a Volarie to a Aspen, Zephyr to a Fairmont..... all and all, the same car. To be honest, I don't recall what engine it was, all I remember was 'don't ever.......'


It was one of these..... Gawd, doesn't that just scream "chic magnet?"



....But it did go fast, best part was, it went fast enough you could pass your friends and they didn't see who was driving..... but then the head would blow a gasket at the next stop lite and.....