Never heard of that model Challenger. I'd heard of the Conquest and read about them but never saw one IRL, that 87 looks good in black though. All these cars were stylish for their time, with the integrated bumpers marking a significant styling change from the past. These were lean years for all the performance cars but the way forward was becoming clear with technology replacing raw engine displacement for power. 0 to 60in what would have been good 1/4 mile times for a really hot street car a dozen before is telling of what the EPA had done to engine power. The GLH and the GLHS was where the real fun was back then and a lot of folks got surprised with them at the stoplight rallys. You can see Iacocca's marketing background in these cars by them making more with less and a different model being offered to please everyone. Such diversity would fade out in time though and we now have fewer choices though folks seem OK with that. Though some of these are rare, I have to wonder if they'll ever reach the realm of being very 'collectible' as there's really little interest in these years of American cars; even the Mustangs and Camaros don't garner a lot of attention now. Maybe that too marks a change as much the same can be said of most cars since these times. We've got the "Brass era" and the "Malaise era"; maybe this marks the beginning of the "Appliance era" we're still in now where you don't fix and keep a car but use it up and buy another instead. Anyway another nice trip back in time- keep 'em coming!
Thank you as always! Yeah...That "Challenger" was basically a Mitsubishi Gallant coupe. Another commentor this morning has a GLHS Charger and GLH Omni. Said they go for about 20k now, so there's a market for them.
That challenger/ galant is rad. Mitsubishi rallied them. Back in high school (early 00'S) there was one running around my town. In a pre Google/CZcams world I thought the guy put challenger badges on a junker. I'd kill to have that car now, it's the only one I've ever seen in person. I have seen 1 or 2 for sale on marketplace. And the starion conquest is a dream car of mine too.
@Carvania Those Challengers were not bad cars. It was just more a Mitsubishi Celica than a Pony car competitor then. Old guy in town had a blue Conquest TSI I tried to get him to part with for years...Never would.
Had a Conquest TSI, a ton of Turbo Lag, just like my Peugeot 505 Turbo,but once boost hit,both cars very quick and would run out of steam around 135-140mph.
I love the Daytonas and Lasers! My mom's boyfriend at the time had a black '86 Laser with black leather and loved it!! I wish they still made cars like this!!
I had a 1991 Daytona Shelby. I should have kept it. It was the best car. I still have a couple Shelby Chargers (one is a GLHS). Front drive turbo Mopars are great cars and the 2.2 is super dependable.
Wow..Is GLHS Charger worth somthing now? There can't be many left. The Spirit R/T I mentioned I had the opportunity to buy about 11 years ago that was at a public auction. Was buying a few there for my car lot at the time. White with 76k miles.Wonderful shape except the clearcoat on the hood was peeling off. I knew it was rare but stopped at 2k. My buddy ran up the bid to 2500. Guy who bought it was a title flipper and it sat on Craigslist for months.
@@autochatter The GLHS Omni is worth a little more than the Charger GLHS. Both cars can get around $20k for nice low mile cars. The IROC Daytona is close to both of those cars in value. I had a Spirit R/T that I bought with a disassembled engine. It was red. I brought it home, cleaned it up and found the body and interior were near mint. I made a quick $1000 on it. The guy who bought it from me had it running in 3 months. 11 years ago, a good running nice Spirit R/T would be worth over $5000. Now, it would be a $15,000 car. You should have bought it.
@GLHS592 I prob should have, but I was out to buy quick movers then. I wish you could have seen it. The interior was flawless. It had a Mopar tape/CD but I remember thinking at the time it may have been from a newer car....Maybe a Intrepid. But I had to allow for passing inspection, unknown mechanical needs, getting the hood sprayed, etc on top of buying it. At the time, I didn't think I could get more than 3 to 3500 retail. That Spirit was just so weird because it looked like the most generic rental car if not for the wheels. Love quirky stuff like that.
I had a 1993 Daytona ES IROC V6. Loved that car! First one I purchased brand new. The car held up well, had it for about 6 years. Fun to drive with lots of cargo space.
A relative owned one of those Chrysler Lasers in the 80s. As a kid, I thought it resembled a contemporary Camaro. Those Lasers have all but went extinct from the automotive landscape. Great chatter!
When it comes to the Dodge Daytona, possibly the most famous one is Sgt DeDe McCall's ride on the 80's TV cop show "Hunter". She drove a red Dodge Daytona for many seasons, plus Stephanie Kramer, who played DeDe McCall, was also good looking❤❤.
Enjoyed the video. I bought a Daytona Turbo new back in 84'. Overall it was a very good car and had very few issues for a first year model. I've had several Daytonas over the years, all turbos and they were all great cars. My 87' Daytona Shelby Z was my daily driver for 9 years and went through the miserable northeastern winters like a trooper. Style wise I love the first gen. the most. I currently have a 84' Turbo Z, 5spd with 58K original miles I purchased from the original VA. owner about 20 years ago. It's my toy that I enjoy in my free time.
I loved the Daytona, had an 85 Daytona Turbo, loaded, black on black checkered cloth and an 87 Daytona Shelby Z, black on gray cloth. Both were fun cars. Both got mid 30s mpg highway, I got 38 in the 85 once! I almost bought an 87 Conquest TSi instead of the Shelby Z. I would have named it Tessi. I then traded for a 90 TBird Super Coupe but went to DSM for a 91 3000GT VR-4 followed by a 95 3000GT VR-4. You should do a video on the 3000GT and Stealth. They took performance and tech to the next level.
Thank you! I kinda did about a year ago with this one czcams.com/video/RBMogvATZZc/video.htmlsi=dhPyXM20TfcUunTY. It's about the sporty Mitsubishi models sold in the U.S. I liked the VR4 alot. Real high tech...Real expensive then too LOL. Especially a Spyder VR4! I'm from N.C. Guessing by your name, you may be too.
Being in high school when these cars came out (graduated in 86), I prefered the Daytona and Laser"s looks over the Mustang and Camaro. Maybe not as fast, but so what. The Conquest and Starian I'm sure were better built. The Camaro's and Firebird's came from the factory rattling.
If you haven't already, you should make a video about the Diamond-Star models that Chrysler and Mitsubishi made in the 90s. Heck, I wouldn't mind having one of those AWD turbo models today!
czcams.com/video/RBMogvATZZc/video.htmlsi=8VH9FB7mtIqw4BcO. Kinda did already with this one. Plus discussed the Eagle Talon here czcams.com/video/BVhorWnMs_8/video.htmlsi=qETWiS_3ihRsf5D1
Good video, as always. The Conquest with the wide body styling was awesome. Beautiful cars and a rare sight today. The Dodge Daytona was my first car at 17, in 1995. It was an 87, just like the one shown at 13:12, but in gold. I got it for $800 at an auto auction and it looked to be in beautiful shape. T-tops, pop up headlights, 5 speed manual, and a set of 12" subs in the back. It was on! I had the portable CD discman with the tape deck converter. You know what im talking about! I was disappointed that it wasn't a turbo, but it would still chirp them into second. And then everything broke. Chryslers famous (infamous?) build quality came knocking. You didn't need a key to start it, the wheel lock pin didn't work, the seat belts didn't work, the front shocks gave out, the battery ground wire rotted, the battery died, the engine seized, and on and on.... Everything that could possibly break on a car did, all in about a year. It was an amazing hunk of shit, but I did have some fun in it.
Thank you! Yeah...Chryslers build quality in full effect lol. I remember it seemed like alot of their products then were easier to steal than some more current Hyundais and Kias LOL. I've never been a FWD guy, so had no interest in one for that alone. I was rocking a Discman with a tape adaptor back in the day too!
Would be interesting to know how many miles were on it. Had an '84 n/a model, bought new, drove for 5 years, no issues, except the lousy Firestone tires on it fell apart.
@boardskins It's been 30 years, but I think it had about 100kmi. After the first engine seized and I had the replacement being put in, my mechanic informed me that the "entire front end" came out of an 84. So, let's assume it had suffered a horrible front end collision, was repaired and sold. It actually looked nice. Remember, at the time it was only 8 years old. The paint was shiny, no rust, no cosmetic issues at all. At first, riding it was super fun, but the true cost reared its ugly head quickly. The beauty was only skin deep. All of the horrible issues were lurking just below the surface, like many women.
I loved the '92-'93 model year Daytona design. But it is interesting to note that the Laser/Talon/Eclipse would be it's replacement in the '90s. But before Chrysler and Mitsubishi created the joint-venture Diamond Star Motors (DSM), it was very evident BOTH automakers had a really strong relationship back then. I think Chrysler Corporation really helped Mitsubishi Motors establish an American branch back then. By that time, they already brought over the Colt which IIRC, it sold not only under the Mitsubishi moniker, but it also sold under the Plymouth and Dodge nameplates.
Yes the first Colt was sold here starting in 1973.Misubishi didn't sell anything here under their own name untill the early 80s. I'm not 100% the Eclipse and friends were considered direct replacements for the Daytona. Why keep the Daytona around another 3 model years after they came out?
Turbo Lovin I used love headin down to the block and laying some rubber in my Turbo Z. Gold and black turbo used to whine the car talked and it was fast. I was 25 and in heaven. I lost the car due to speeding 8 tickets 12 points. then the little white ford escort.
Thank you. You did your homework with these models. I recall the Daytona, Laser, the Stealth, the Conquest and Challenger. We know the Challenger returned strong years later. There was a Plymouth version called Sapparo or something like that. Chrysler always had a Dodge, Plymouth, Chrysler and Eagle version of a model. I do recall those engine upgrades they got over time. they needed the power. I recall the performance versions of the Omni also. Years later Chrysler came to the fight loaded locked( Charger and Challenger and 300). Thank you for the video.
When I was very young, I thought that conquest TSi was the epitome of cool! I even ended up buying an older one as a young man. Cool, yes, but it turned out to be a money pit. At least the used example I bought did anyway. Still felt cool to drive though. And I felt cool sitting in it - with all of those classic 80s-style interior lights, including an equalizer and digital dash. What wasn't cool was the amount of repairs it needed and the staggered tire sizes between front and rear, which likewise looked cool but cost more. Sometimes I still think about buying one to restore and drive as my toy, but I'm not sure that the nostalgia trip and novelty would be worth the trouble and expense.
@@autochatter Yeah. Honestly, I doubt I'll ever do it. I'm getting older and part of me really wants to restore a classic sports car from the 80s or 90s. Something like a second-get Supra, or first gen MR2 or maybe even a Z32-gen 300ZX. But, as cool as that would be, I'm just not sure if I am truly willing to invest the time, effort, and money into that type of project. Time will tell.
@stevenjames1138 Might not be your cup of tea, but I'd suggest a first gen Miata. Parts are available and they sold enough there's alot of aftermarket for them.
Great video as always!! My mother was going to buy a Daytona but purchased a Turismo Duster instead. Still have the Turismo, its held up pretty good for being a 40 year old car!!
That's cool you still have one! Friend of mine had a older brother with one. He drove it for years. Thanks for watching this one too and glad you liked it!
I had a real Challenger.... a '74 with a smogged out 360... but it had a 4 speed so it was fun to drive if not overly quick. Top speed I ran it to was just over 120 mph so not too bad. I also had one of the fake Mitsubishi ones.... mine was a '79.... gutless, of course, but not a terrible driver. It was the Malaise era after all. I wasn't a fan of Chrysler, really, but had several of them.... mostly shitboxes for winter cars... pretty dependable but uninspired. Thus ends my comment and my offering to the algorithm gods.
I suspect alot of people were offended with Chryslers decision to slap the Challenger name on a economical import coupe. Your algorithm payment has been accepted and I appreciate it!
Got my sub I remember when they came out the GT and the Z28 and TrannsAm every high school boys dream. I got my Z28 while I was in Army. Got me women and tickets
The Daytona and Laser remain from the day I first saw one in 1983 to now, my favorite car. I'm still obsessed. I own a 1990 Daytona ES V6 with the 5MT, I've owned it since 2000 and I'm the second owner. I love it! I'm always looking however for a 1984-1989 turbo to buy, every now and then there will be one out there, I just haven't done it yet. The sticker from my 1990 ES states a MSRP of $17,849 which doesn't quite seem to fit into your pricing for that year, curious.
As part of my research, I read a Car and Driver article where they tested a pretty loaded up Daytona ES v6 with a 5 speed.About 15500 as tested. www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15141848/1990-dodge-daytona-es-archived-test-review/ Are you Canadian by chance? I usually use Car Gurus to obtain original MSRP pricing.
I'm certainly lacking the authority to take it away. I've never owned anything Mopar! I liked the F Bodies too, but the 87 and up refreshed Mustangs started looking decent.
The challenger was a 70s galant. I would love to find one . Same with a starion conquest. I want one bad , if I get one the plan would be to 4g63t swap. I have had many dsm's.
I guess there was a intermediate shaft in the setup to allow it? My personal favorite way to eliminate torque steer is simple...Buy somthing rear wheel or all wheel drive LOL.
3:39 - Not sure how much "courtesy" was part of the deal. Poor Mitsubishi. 😔 I wish they were able to grow more like Toyota, Nissan, and Honda. Those brands didn't have a US brand acting as a leach. Wonder what Mitsubishi could have been here.
LOL..I meant it more in the context that it was one of their Cars. I will say this though. Chrysler made it clear by badging and advertising that they were "Imported for Chrysler". I found it funny then seeing that and then a commercial with Iaccoca comes on with the big buy American taglines. Mitsubishi had Isuzu problems. Failure to keep up.with the competition. I'm still surprised they are still in the U.S.
There was actually a Daytona prototype with a Lamborghini v-12 built at some point, when Chrysler owned Lamborghini for a short while in the 80's. Saw an article years ago but don't remember the specifics.
@sczuylevch13 Yeah...I almost made mention of it, but it never went aywhere. I think it was AWD too. Chrysler was lighting cigars with 100 dollar bills at that time.
Speaking of brands that relied heavily on Mitsubishi engines, have you done a video on the Hyundai Pony/Excel/Accent? Mitsubishi was such a crucial part to Hyundai's success, too.
czcams.com/video/XHBdaHZkDxM/video.htmlsi=ioc6e93-Y97LbexT. About a year ago. Disclaimer. I mentioned the Precis was made in the U.S. but that wasn't the case! Hyundai leaned on Mitsubishi heavily for all the mechanicals then. The Excel was basically a Dodge Colt built under Licsence but had its own sheetmetal.
I never owned one but always wanted one. I think if Chrysler would have kept the DSM coupes out of their own dealerships and gave the Daytona a proper next generation version on a new platform (loosely based on the LH platform), using updated engines, It probably would have sold better. If this was done, the company would have had potentially more flexibility to have a more diversified coupe line up powertrain wise catering to different divisions for different customers. For eagle, they could offer a DSM competitor using the Neon engine family, for Plymouth and Dodge, they could pick between which division would work better offering a 4-cylinder base engine and Chrysler's more powerful 3.5 making a more competitive car than what the Avenger ended up being and the other having rear wheel drive using the 3.3 V6 and a 360 V8 since the LH platform was designed with the capability of being switched over to rear wheel drive.
Yeah a LH based AWD coupe might have been cool! But the coupe market started drying up in the 90s, so I guess it's good Chrysler didn't try to go nuts with them. The Avenger was easy to slap together.
@@autochatter yeah, the market did dry up but the Avenger was completely devoid of performance unlike the Daytona. The Avenger only had like 163 horsepower which the turbo Daytona's had long exceeded that back in the late '80s. I also think the fact that the same thing that harmed the '80s Challenger with it being just a Mitsubishi wearing a Chrysler badge also hurt the Avenger sales. As a Chrysler fan, I liked the looks of the Avenger but I could never convince myself to buy it because I didn't want a Mitsubishi. To illustrate the point that I'm trying to make, some of the ideas like the all-wheel drive might have been a little bit excessive and maybe it did make more sense just to make a eclipse clone for eagle and Plymouth. But I think that given how large the Avenger was, it was debatable what it was really supposed to compete against. I think that a LH based slightly shortened coup aimed to compete against the Monte Carlo / Grand Prix might have been the smarter move considering how large the sales were for those.
@colinschmitz8297 Hindsight is 20/20, but considering the Avenger wasn't really a sales success, your larger coupe idea may have faired better. I never really understood a Avenger then either. You wanted a Eclipse, but needed more of a back seat?
@@autochatter I think the class of vehicles became very muddled by that point. I think it was an attempt to go in a more luxurious (instead of performance) direction hence the choice to make it longer, V6, no AWD, and (if I remember correctly) no rear windshield wiper. The Avenger and Sebring coupe (not to be confused with the convertible) were pretty much the same vehicles. With the fact that they had the Stealth and the Talon, I guess they were trying to make something that didn't compete against those models that potentially could maybe compete somewhere between the Grand Am/Beretta and the Lumina/Monte Carlo/Grand Prix. As great as Chrysler's styling and handling was during the Eaton/Lutz era, they kept bringing a knife to a sword fight engine wise.
Yeah it had a look then that seemed like a hodgepodge of several cars at the time..Camaroish headlights..Kinda import looking from certain angles. Resembled the 80s Chargers some too. I liked the look of the Later Conquests though.
Before watching the video: My guess is that the Conquest would compete with the Camaro and Mustang, while the Daytona looked like the Rx7 and compete with the corvette.
@@averyparticularsetofskills That was not a guess. That is accurate. The Daytona was a challenger for the Mustang and Camaro(not a good challenger, though). The Starion was a challenger for the Toyota Supra, Nissan 300ZX, Mazda RX-7, and Chevrolet Corvette.
I owned a 1985 Dodge Shelby Charger that I bought new. That thing was balls out fast, but that's about all. Build quality was horrible. The materials used were not the best quality and that ugly steering wheel!
Never heard of that model Challenger. I'd heard of the Conquest and read about them but never saw one IRL, that 87 looks good in black though. All these cars were stylish for their time, with the integrated bumpers marking a significant styling change from the past. These were lean years for all the performance cars but the way forward was becoming clear with technology replacing raw engine displacement for power. 0 to 60in what would have been good 1/4 mile times for a really hot street car a dozen before is telling of what the EPA had done to engine power. The GLH and the GLHS was where the real fun was back then and a lot of folks got surprised with them at the stoplight rallys. You can see Iacocca's marketing background in these cars by them making more with less and a different model being offered to please everyone. Such diversity would fade out in time though and we now have fewer choices though folks seem OK with that. Though some of these are rare, I have to wonder if they'll ever reach the realm of being very 'collectible' as there's really little interest in these years of American cars; even the Mustangs and Camaros don't garner a lot of attention now. Maybe that too marks a change as much the same can be said of most cars since these times. We've got the "Brass era" and the "Malaise era"; maybe this marks the beginning of the "Appliance era" we're still in now where you don't fix and keep a car but use it up and buy another instead. Anyway another nice trip back in time- keep 'em coming!
Thank you as always! Yeah...That "Challenger" was basically a Mitsubishi Gallant coupe. Another commentor this morning has a GLHS Charger and GLH Omni. Said they go for about 20k now, so there's a market for them.
That challenger/ galant is rad. Mitsubishi rallied them. Back in high school (early 00'S) there was one running around my town. In a pre Google/CZcams world I thought the guy put challenger badges on a junker. I'd kill to have that car now, it's the only one I've ever seen in person. I have seen 1 or 2 for sale on marketplace. And the starion conquest is a dream car of mine too.
@Carvania Those Challengers were not bad cars. It was just more a Mitsubishi Celica than a Pony car competitor then. Old guy in town had a blue Conquest TSI I tried to get him to part with for years...Never would.
Had a Conquest TSI, a ton of Turbo Lag, just like my Peugeot 505 Turbo,but once boost hit,both cars very quick and would run out of steam around 135-140mph.
80s Mopar turbo cars were the coolest cars in history IMO. So many dope designs.
They had some variety then!
I worked at a Chrysler dealerships in the 80's and 90's when these cars were new. Hard to believe how long ago that was.
I started in the business in 94, but I hear ya!
I do still have a kit of the 86 Shelby Charger I built back in the day...
I did a model kit of the 80s Daytona back in the day.... I would love to find another one to build someday...
I'm sure someone has one. I have a 280zx model kit never opened in a closet somewhere.
I love the Daytonas and Lasers! My mom's boyfriend at the time had a black '86 Laser with black leather and loved it!! I wish they still made cars like this!!
Had that 80s "high tech" dash!
Of chryslers best. Loved it without the pop-ups. I think the only car I like better without pop-up lights.
@@joellamoureux7914 I preferred the pop-up headlight ones myself.
What I remember from working on the turbos was how the rubber vacuum hoses would become brittle from the heat and break by just touching them
Alot of 80s cars seem to have miles of that under the hood just waiting to have issues. 80s Hondas was a Nightmare of them.
I replace the vacuum lines on my 1985 300ZX turbo with silicon ones. Much better and lasted longer.
@lb7144 I had a 85 non turbo 300zx that I replaced some with that too. Only problem I had with that car was the module for the digital dash.
I had a 1991 Daytona Shelby. I should have kept it. It was the best car. I still have a couple Shelby Chargers (one is a GLHS). Front drive turbo Mopars are great cars and the 2.2 is super dependable.
Wow..Is GLHS Charger worth somthing now? There can't be many left. The Spirit R/T I mentioned I had the opportunity to buy about 11 years ago that was at a public auction. Was buying a few there for my car lot at the time. White with 76k miles.Wonderful shape except the clearcoat on the hood was peeling off. I knew it was rare but stopped at 2k. My buddy ran up the bid to 2500. Guy who bought it was a title flipper and it sat on Craigslist for months.
@@autochatter The GLHS Omni is worth a little more than the Charger GLHS. Both cars can get around $20k for nice low mile cars. The IROC Daytona is close to both of those cars in value. I had a Spirit R/T that I bought with a disassembled engine. It was red. I brought it home, cleaned it up and found the body and interior were near mint. I made a quick $1000 on it. The guy who bought it from me had it running in 3 months. 11 years ago, a good running nice Spirit R/T would be worth over $5000. Now, it would be a $15,000 car. You should have bought it.
@GLHS592 I prob should have, but I was out to buy quick movers then. I wish you could have seen it. The interior was flawless. It had a Mopar tape/CD but I remember thinking at the time it may have been from a newer car....Maybe a Intrepid. But I had to allow for passing inspection, unknown mechanical needs, getting the hood sprayed, etc on top of buying it. At the time, I didn't think I could get more than 3 to 3500 retail. That Spirit was just so weird because it looked like the most generic rental car if not for the wheels. Love quirky stuff like that.
I had a 1993 Daytona ES IROC V6. Loved that car! First one I purchased brand new. The car held up well, had it for about 6 years. Fun to drive with lots of cargo space.
Wow..Thats a rare one as you know!
@@autochatter Yep, so true. Thank you for these videos, they bring back a lot of good memories. 👍🏾
1:40 - 2.6L 4-cylinder, but it was a HEMI! 💪
ROFL.. Yeah I didn't mention in this vid that 2.6 was technically a Hemi!
A relative owned one of those Chrysler Lasers in the 80s. As a kid, I thought it resembled a contemporary Camaro. Those Lasers have all but went extinct from the automotive landscape. Great chatter!
Thanks Rob! I'd be curious to know how many Lasers still exist.
When it comes to the Dodge Daytona, possibly the most famous one is Sgt DeDe McCall's ride on the 80's TV cop show "Hunter". She drove a red Dodge Daytona for many seasons, plus Stephanie Kramer, who played DeDe McCall, was also good looking❤❤.
LOL..Remember the show but never watched it. I was more of Magnum P.I. guy
Enjoyed the video. I bought a Daytona Turbo new back in 84'. Overall it was a very good car and had very few issues for a first year model. I've had several Daytonas over the years, all turbos and they were all great cars. My 87' Daytona Shelby Z was my daily driver for 9 years and went through the miserable northeastern winters like a trooper. Style wise I love the first gen. the most. I currently have a 84' Turbo Z, 5spd with 58K original miles I purchased from the original VA. owner about 20 years ago. It's my toy that I enjoy in my free time.
I'm glad you liked the vid thank you! The 84 you have probably gets some Cars and Coffee attention, as you just don't see them anymore.
Another great video! Such awesome little Chrysler cars only the ‘80’s and early ‘90’s could have produced! 👍
Thanks! I'm happy that you liked it!
I loved the Daytona, had an 85 Daytona Turbo, loaded, black on black checkered cloth and an 87 Daytona Shelby Z, black on gray cloth. Both were fun cars. Both got mid 30s mpg highway, I got 38 in the 85 once! I almost bought an 87 Conquest TSi instead of the Shelby Z. I would have named it Tessi. I then traded for a 90 TBird Super Coupe but went to DSM for a 91 3000GT VR-4 followed by a 95 3000GT VR-4. You should do a video on the 3000GT and Stealth. They took performance and tech to the next level.
Thank you! I kinda did about a year ago with this one czcams.com/video/RBMogvATZZc/video.htmlsi=dhPyXM20TfcUunTY. It's about the sporty Mitsubishi models sold in the U.S. I liked the VR4 alot. Real high tech...Real expensive then too LOL. Especially a Spyder VR4! I'm from N.C. Guessing by your name, you may be too.
Being in high school when these cars came out (graduated in 86), I prefered the Daytona and Laser"s looks over the Mustang and Camaro. Maybe not as fast, but so what. The Conquest and Starian I'm sure were better built. The Camaro's and Firebird's came from the factory rattling.
LOL..Those F bodies did!
The Mitsubishis had so many early electronics that they were an electrical nightmare
@boardskins you would think that would be their strong suit since Mitsubishi had so many electronic devices they made too.
@@boardskins The 3000GT yes. A lot of tech on those cars. The Starian and Conquest were ok.
If you haven't already, you should make a video about the Diamond-Star models that Chrysler and Mitsubishi made in the 90s. Heck, I wouldn't mind having one of those AWD turbo models today!
czcams.com/video/RBMogvATZZc/video.htmlsi=8VH9FB7mtIqw4BcO. Kinda did already with this one. Plus discussed the Eagle Talon here czcams.com/video/BVhorWnMs_8/video.htmlsi=qETWiS_3ihRsf5D1
Very nice 👌 thank you for sharing 👍
Thanks! Glad you liked this one too!
Good video, as always. The Conquest with the wide body styling was awesome. Beautiful cars and a rare sight today.
The Dodge Daytona was my first car at 17, in 1995. It was an 87, just like the one shown at 13:12, but in gold. I got it for $800 at an auto auction and it looked to be in beautiful shape. T-tops, pop up headlights, 5 speed manual, and a set of 12" subs in the back. It was on! I had the portable CD discman with the tape deck converter. You know what im talking about! I was disappointed that it wasn't a turbo, but it would still chirp them into second. And then everything broke. Chryslers famous (infamous?) build quality came knocking. You didn't need a key to start it, the wheel lock pin didn't work, the seat belts didn't work, the front shocks gave out, the battery ground wire rotted, the battery died, the engine seized, and on and on.... Everything that could possibly break on a car did, all in about a year. It was an amazing hunk of shit, but I did have some fun in it.
Thank you! Yeah...Chryslers build quality in full effect lol. I remember it seemed like alot of their products then were easier to steal than some more current Hyundais and Kias LOL. I've never been a FWD guy, so had no interest in one for that alone. I was rocking a Discman with a tape adaptor back in the day too!
Would be interesting to know how many miles were on it. Had an '84 n/a model, bought new, drove for 5 years, no issues, except the lousy Firestone tires on it fell apart.
@boardskins Well...He was 17 and bought it used at a auction...Id wager it wasn't a low mileage cream puff when he got it.
@boardskins It's been 30 years, but I think it had about 100kmi. After the first engine seized and I had the replacement being put in, my mechanic informed me that the "entire front end" came out of an 84. So, let's assume it had suffered a horrible front end collision, was repaired and sold. It actually looked nice. Remember, at the time it was only 8 years old. The paint was shiny, no rust, no cosmetic issues at all. At first, riding it was super fun, but the true cost reared its ugly head quickly. The beauty was only skin deep. All of the horrible issues were lurking just below the surface, like many women.
@@arieljones4595 Tragic story but happens often.
I loved the '92-'93 model year Daytona design. But it is interesting to note that the Laser/Talon/Eclipse would be it's replacement in the '90s. But before Chrysler and Mitsubishi created the joint-venture Diamond Star Motors (DSM), it was very evident BOTH automakers had a really strong relationship back then. I think Chrysler Corporation really helped Mitsubishi Motors establish an American branch back then. By that time, they already brought over the Colt which IIRC, it sold not only under the Mitsubishi moniker, but it also sold under the Plymouth and Dodge nameplates.
Yes the first Colt was sold here starting in 1973.Misubishi didn't sell anything here under their own name untill the early 80s. I'm not 100% the Eclipse and friends were considered direct replacements for the Daytona. Why keep the Daytona around another 3 model years after they came out?
I had a '84 Daytona, one of the biggest pieces of junk I ever owned, that thing ate computer chips like candy.
Wait...So your telling me the first year of an 80s Chrysler product had issues????? 😀.
@@autochatter 🤣
I did build a kit of a 94 Stealth RT turbo-( which more or less replaced the Conquest ) last fall and I believe it came out rather nicely.
They were cool cars!
Good Stuff Chatter!!
Thank you!
Turbo Lovin I used love headin down to the block and laying some rubber in my Turbo Z. Gold and black turbo used to whine the car talked and it was fast. I was 25 and in heaven. I lost the car due to speeding 8 tickets 12 points. then the little white ford escort.
After that many tickets and points, I could see that!
Great episode man, thank you!
Thanks Hawk! Glad you enjoyed it! Looking forward to your next one!
I had a black Chrysler laser with the Swiss cheese wheels..lol
Did it have the super cool 80s digital.dash? I didn't mention it in the vid, but James Earl Jones narrated the Laser commercials.
Thank you. You did your homework with these models. I recall the Daytona, Laser, the Stealth, the Conquest and Challenger. We know the Challenger returned strong years later. There was a Plymouth version called Sapparo or something like that. Chrysler always had a Dodge, Plymouth, Chrysler and Eagle version of a model. I do recall those engine upgrades they got over time. they needed the power. I recall the performance versions of the Omni also. Years later Chrysler came to the fight loaded locked( Charger and Challenger and 300). Thank you for the video.
Thanks Olds! Glad you liked it and sorry no mention of Oldsmobile in this video 😀
@@autochatter LOL! A mention of New Yorker or Imperial will suffice in a Chrysler video.
@@OLDS98 I guess it could have yes 😀
When I was very young, I thought that conquest TSi was the epitome of cool! I even ended up buying an older one as a young man. Cool, yes, but it turned out to be a money pit. At least the used example I bought did anyway. Still felt cool to drive though. And I felt cool sitting in it - with all of those classic 80s-style interior lights, including an equalizer and digital dash. What wasn't cool was the amount of repairs it needed and the staggered tire sizes between front and rear, which likewise looked cool but cost more. Sometimes I still think about buying one to restore and drive as my toy, but I'm not sure that the nostalgia trip and novelty would be worth the trouble and expense.
I'd be worried about parts availability for them. Even newer Mitsubishis like the 3000GT I've read can have some hard to find parts now.
@@autochatter Yeah. Honestly, I doubt I'll ever do it. I'm getting older and part of me really wants to restore a classic sports car from the 80s or 90s. Something like a second-get Supra, or first gen MR2 or maybe even a Z32-gen 300ZX. But, as cool as that would be, I'm just not sure if I am truly willing to invest the time, effort, and money into that type of project. Time will tell.
@stevenjames1138 Might not be your cup of tea, but I'd suggest a first gen Miata. Parts are available and they sold enough there's alot of aftermarket for them.
Great video as always!! My mother was going to buy a Daytona but purchased a Turismo Duster instead. Still have the Turismo, its held up pretty good for being a 40 year old car!!
That's cool you still have one! Friend of mine had a older brother with one. He drove it for years. Thanks for watching this one too and glad you liked it!
Best looking and best performance has to go to the conquest.... I mean beautiful....
I still love the look of a later model wide body Conquest.
@@autochatter agreed....
I had a real Challenger.... a '74 with a smogged out 360... but it had a 4 speed so it was fun to drive if not overly quick. Top speed I ran it to was just over 120 mph so not too bad.
I also had one of the fake Mitsubishi ones.... mine was a '79.... gutless, of course, but not a terrible driver. It was the Malaise era after all.
I wasn't a fan of Chrysler, really, but had several of them.... mostly shitboxes for winter cars... pretty dependable but uninspired.
Thus ends my comment and my offering to the algorithm gods.
I suspect alot of people were offended with Chryslers decision to slap the Challenger name on a economical import coupe. Your algorithm payment has been accepted and I appreciate it!
Got my sub I remember when they came out the GT and the Z28 and TrannsAm every high school boys dream. I got my Z28 while I was in Army. Got me women and tickets
ROFL! Thank you! I'm a Navy Vet myself, so don't take that sub away please!
Amazing video. I had an 85 daytona turbo z. Hoping to get another one very soon
I'm glad you enjoyed it! I hope you find a good one!
Miss my conquest. But I just painted my 280z conquest Fuji blue in remembrance.
You have excellent taste in cars! Miss my 260z. And yes that blue was awesome. My old car was a 15 WRX in World Rally Blue.
16:11 look at those tail lights, basically the same on the Durango today 😅
Lol yup!
I bought a brand new 1985 Dodge Daytona turbo, wish I still had it
I've had a few Conquests and they are amazing cars.
I'm jealous. I've owned alot of Japanese sports cars, but couldn't find the right Conquest.
I still have mine. 88 Conquest TSi Bought it 25 years ago. Had it at Chrysler Nationals last year as a featured display vehicle in Building Y.👍
@@metalmilitia1o740 Is it the blue? They look so awesome in that color.
The Daytona and Laser remain from the day I first saw one in 1983 to now, my favorite car. I'm still obsessed. I own a 1990 Daytona ES V6 with the 5MT, I've owned it since 2000 and I'm the second owner. I love it! I'm always looking however for a 1984-1989 turbo to buy, every now and then there will be one out there, I just haven't done it yet. The sticker from my 1990 ES states a MSRP of $17,849 which doesn't quite seem to fit into your pricing for that year, curious.
As part of my research, I read a Car and Driver article where they tested a pretty loaded up Daytona ES v6 with a 5 speed.About 15500 as tested. www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15141848/1990-dodge-daytona-es-archived-test-review/ Are you Canadian by chance? I usually use Car Gurus to obtain original MSRP pricing.
My 83 l69 ho z28 on a cool evening when new would run 14.95 which was unheard of then considering the Corvette was high mid 15s
And now days, a new Miata is quicker!
Nice Mitsubishis
I actually preferred the Camaro/Firebird in the 80s, hope I get to keep my Mopar card.
I'm certainly lacking the authority to take it away. I've never owned anything Mopar! I liked the F Bodies too, but the 87 and up refreshed Mustangs started looking decent.
I don't think its nostalgia glasses, I still think these models are sharp. They look pointy and like they'll cut you
I think they look good too, but several other sporty cars then had a similar look
The challenger was a 70s galant. I would love to find one . Same with a starion conquest. I want one bad , if I get one the plan would be to 4g63t swap. I have had many dsm's.
Yeah I liked the RWD old Gallants too. Just don't see them anywhere , but it's not like a ton were brought over to start with.
The 1978-1983 Challenger was a rebadged Mitsubishi Galant Lambda(sold only in Japan). Most pony car fans don't consider those as true Challengers.
@johnnymason2460 I don't really either. It's more a Mitsubishi version of a 200sx or Celica if any anything.
Now do the Hornet.
The real Hornet.
I did the Gremlin some time back. Does that count? 😀
How did dodge make equal length drive shafts
I guess there was a intermediate shaft in the setup to allow it? My personal favorite way to eliminate torque steer is simple...Buy somthing rear wheel or all wheel drive LOL.
3:39 - Not sure how much "courtesy" was part of the deal. Poor Mitsubishi. 😔 I wish they were able to grow more like Toyota, Nissan, and Honda. Those brands didn't have a US brand acting as a leach. Wonder what Mitsubishi could have been here.
LOL..I meant it more in the context that it was one of their Cars. I will say this though. Chrysler made it clear by badging and advertising that they were "Imported for Chrysler". I found it funny then seeing that and then a commercial with Iaccoca comes on with the big buy American taglines. Mitsubishi had Isuzu problems. Failure to keep up.with the competition. I'm still surprised they are still in the U.S.
I always liked the Daytonas. I just wished Dodge had made it rear wheel drive and put a V8 in it!!
That would have been ideal! I think it showed too because of how many more Mustangs and Camaros sold. I knew so many people with one or the other.
There was actually a Daytona prototype with a Lamborghini v-12 built at some point, when Chrysler owned Lamborghini for a short while in the 80's. Saw an article years ago but don't remember the specifics.
@sczuylevch13 Yeah...I almost made mention of it, but it never went aywhere. I think it was AWD too. Chrysler was lighting cigars with 100 dollar bills at that time.
Speaking of brands that relied heavily on Mitsubishi engines, have you done a video on the Hyundai Pony/Excel/Accent? Mitsubishi was such a crucial part to Hyundai's success, too.
czcams.com/video/XHBdaHZkDxM/video.htmlsi=ioc6e93-Y97LbexT. About a year ago. Disclaimer. I mentioned the Precis was made in the U.S. but that wasn't the case! Hyundai leaned on Mitsubishi heavily for all the mechanicals then. The Excel was basically a Dodge Colt built under Licsence but had its own sheetmetal.
@@autochatterit was recently confirmed that doug6191 is really the legendary Doug DeMuro!
I never owned one but always wanted one.
I think if Chrysler would have kept the DSM coupes out of their own dealerships and gave the Daytona a proper next generation version on a new platform (loosely based on the LH platform), using updated engines, It probably would have sold better. If this was done, the company would have had potentially more flexibility to have a more diversified coupe line up powertrain wise catering to different divisions for different customers. For eagle, they could offer a DSM competitor using the Neon engine family, for Plymouth and Dodge, they could pick between which division would work better offering a 4-cylinder base engine and Chrysler's more powerful 3.5 making a more competitive car than what the Avenger ended up being and the other having rear wheel drive using the 3.3 V6 and a 360 V8 since the LH platform was designed with the capability of being switched over to rear wheel drive.
Yeah a LH based AWD coupe might have been cool! But the coupe market started drying up in the 90s, so I guess it's good Chrysler didn't try to go nuts with them. The Avenger was easy to slap together.
@@autochatter yeah, the market did dry up but the Avenger was completely devoid of performance unlike the Daytona. The Avenger only had like 163 horsepower which the turbo Daytona's had long exceeded that back in the late '80s. I also think the fact that the same thing that harmed the '80s Challenger with it being just a Mitsubishi wearing a Chrysler badge also hurt the Avenger sales. As a Chrysler fan, I liked the looks of the Avenger but I could never convince myself to buy it because I didn't want a Mitsubishi.
To illustrate the point that I'm trying to make, some of the ideas like the all-wheel drive might have been a little bit excessive and maybe it did make more sense just to make a eclipse clone for eagle and Plymouth. But I think that given how large the Avenger was, it was debatable what it was really supposed to compete against. I think that a LH based slightly shortened coup aimed to compete against the Monte Carlo / Grand Prix might have been the smarter move considering how large the sales were for those.
@colinschmitz8297 Hindsight is 20/20, but considering the Avenger wasn't really a sales success, your larger coupe idea may have faired better. I never really understood a Avenger then either. You wanted a Eclipse, but needed more of a back seat?
@@autochatter I think the class of vehicles became very muddled by that point. I think it was an attempt to go in a more luxurious (instead of performance) direction hence the choice to make it longer, V6, no AWD, and (if I remember correctly) no rear windshield wiper. The Avenger and Sebring coupe (not to be confused with the convertible) were pretty much the same vehicles. With the fact that they had the Stealth and the Talon, I guess they were trying to make something that didn't compete against those models that potentially could maybe compete somewhere between the Grand Am/Beretta and the Lumina/Monte Carlo/Grand Prix. As great as Chrysler's styling and handling was during the Eaton/Lutz era, they kept bringing a knife to a sword fight engine wise.
@colinschmitz8297 So they were made more for non enthusiasts that wanted somthing that looked sporty LOL.
Parts cars for GLH Turbos
LOL..I could see that!
Looks wise, the Daytona is similar to the Mustang from the same time. Not my favorite body styles.
Yeah it had a look then that seemed like a hodgepodge of several cars at the time..Camaroish headlights..Kinda import looking from certain angles. Resembled the 80s Chargers some too. I liked the look of the Later Conquests though.
hmmmm Japanese dodges
There's been plenty of those.
Before watching the video: My guess is that the Conquest would compete with the Camaro and Mustang, while the Daytona looked like the Rx7 and compete with the corvette.
Actually...The Conquest was more the lower budget 300Zx or Supra competitor, and the Daytona was gunning more for Camaro or Mustang.
Wow that's one hell of a guess
Idiot.
Idiot.
@@averyparticularsetofskills That was not a guess. That is accurate. The Daytona was a challenger for the Mustang and Camaro(not a good challenger, though). The Starion was a challenger for the Toyota Supra, Nissan 300ZX, Mazda RX-7, and Chevrolet Corvette.
I owned a 1985 Dodge Shelby Charger that I bought new. That thing was balls out fast, but that's about all. Build quality was horrible. The materials used were not the best quality and that ugly steering wheel!
But it was (relatively) cheap speed!
I worked on this trash when I was a mechanic in the late 80's. Absolute crap.
These cars are shit.