It was bound to happen: K Car Club springs up
Unloved as they are, let's give Chrysler's K Car its due. Thirty years ago, the K represented a sea change in the Pentastar lineup. Not only did the K and its derivatives return Chrysler to the black, the architecture proved versatile enough to underpin basically the entire lineup, from minivans to LeBarons to turbocharged Daytonas. Southern California now has an official K Car club – fitting, as that's likely the only place you could find an early '80s Chrysler without lots of rust. Club membership is open to the entire swath of cars that share this similar architecture, known as the "EEK" models, so you won't get kicked out for showing up in a Caravelle instead of an Aries. Now's the time to hunt one of these cars down if you're looking for a cheap, enjoyable way to get into the hobby. They're available for a song, don't yet command any respect (perhaps they never will), yet the K Car is edging its way toward official classic status regardless of what some traditionalists might argue. The K Cars are nearly classic, they're historic and significant and worth saving. The hobby must live on after all the boomers are buried in their Tri-Fives, and a Reliant would be a great way to show an interested kid the basics.
[Hemmings Classic Car - sub req]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Kevin 11:47PM (6/19/2008)
Similar to a colonoscopy club.
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anti-believer 10:24AM (6/18/2008)
This club is definintely for losers.
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Mal Fuller 10:28AM (6/18/2008)
How dare you talk about Autoblog that way.
Spicky Dildo 10:30AM (6/18/2008)
I think they all play Magic the Gathering when not polishing the old Lebaron. Do you use Minwax on the wood?
rouse42 11:30AM (6/18/2008)
+1
Dave 10:19AM (6/18/2008)
The K car deserves a place in history. It saved Chrysler from falling off the edge of the world, it showed the world a small, well thoughtout and modern fwd design would appeal to the believers of rwd and became the standard that GM and Ford tried to copy. It was the ultimate in badge engineering that also showed how platform sharing could work. When equipped with the 2.2L engine, it had a HEMI!
TheK car may not be your favorite, but without it we would be a lot poorer.
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Mal Fuller 10:25AM (6/18/2008)
Good points all, except the 2.6 liter Mitsubishi engine was the hemi, not the 2.2 Chrysler built engine.
John P. 10:28AM (6/18/2008)
The 2.2 was better than the 2.5 liter mitsubishi motors back then. Lasted Longer.
Mal Fuller 10:40AM (6/18/2008)
John P. The 2.5 was Chrysler built and came in the mid-eighties. The 2.6 was a good engine if you changed the oil regularly. My '81 went 210,000 and then the strut towers were the car's demise.
BlazerUnit 12:13PM (6/18/2008)
Good points all around, Dave. Of course, the penile extension...I mean, the enthusiast crowd probably hates K-cars for the same reasons...they reduced RWD to almost niche status (for a while, anyway).
No more of their beloved Granadas, LTDs, Diplomats, or Fifth Avenues...lol
Mike 10:17AM (6/18/2008)
nope sorry....i'm just not feeling it
nowait.....i'm a bit nauseated
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blogged to death 1:18PM (6/18/2008)
Is this more along the lines of a survivor based club rather than appreciation of them?
jamie 6:34PM (6/18/2008)
KOOL!
Do the Klassic K's meet at K-Mart?
Lee Iakokka should be proud. :)
DanMan 10:20AM (6/18/2008)
So when are they starting the club for my old 82 Chevy Celebrity? It had a lower coefficient of drag than a Porsche 911 when introduced.
Actually I always loved that Chrysler would put fake wood on anything with EEK architecture under the skin. It went from "Town and Country" to "Trailer Park and Wrecking Yard"
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John P. 10:19AM (6/18/2008)
Funny how times change. I remember seeing a Reliant in person when they came out and thinking it was a fairly attractive car for what it was. Cheapo Transportation.
My mom went out and bought one, 2.2ltr/4spd manual/4door model in silver. That's the car I took my driver's test on years later when I turned 16. Fond memories.
Oh, it was crap, but it was reliable crap. Nice to see some people saving them.
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MemphisNET 10:22AM (6/18/2008)
Couldn't have said it better. It was reliable crap. After 30-40,000 miles, they rattled, creeked & moaned
But they started, relatively comfortable, and great on gas.
It IS a shame most are rotting away.
As said in the article, give them credit. From econobox's to sedans, limo's and vans - a good (albiet short lifespan) car when North America needed it most.
Keith 10:21AM (6/18/2008)
OH MY GOSH!!! My first convertible!! 1986 LeBaron with out the 'wood' trim on the side. What a beautiful and classy car that was. Thanks for the pic, Autoblog!
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Mal Fuller 10:20AM (6/18/2008)
Okay, GM lovers, if your cars are so friggin' good, then why isn't there a club for "X" bodies?
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slider912 11:19AM (6/18/2008)
b/c in comparison to the K-cars, which some have already mentioned were reliable crap, the GM X-cars were unreliable crap
Dan Roth 10:31AM (6/18/2008)
Hey - a Cavalier X-11 is worth saving, too!