old yellow 78
Well-Known Member
On another thread here "Replacement Faux Wood Trim" Replacement faux wood trim... I had made a case for the possibilities of the K platform and it's variants becoming collectible in the future. So, to avoid hijacking that thread, here is that post:
On Hemmings Daily there is an '85 Chrysler T&C for sale (see pics below). Although it looks like it's in really nice shape, it is pricey @ $11,000 OBO, with 42K miles. But, as I looked at it, I started to think that the K's (Aries and Reliant) as well as the L's (Omni and Horizon) may actually become collectible in the not too distant future. The reasons for this prediction are:
1. They are actually nice little cars. I had an '87 Aries LE sedan, and I liked it. It was comfortable, fairly quick, nice looking, economical, and inexpensive. No problems with it.
2. They are little. They don't take up much garage space. Easier to store.
3. They are economical. As gas likely fades away in the coming decades, it will undoubtedly become more expensive. I wouldn't want a Hemi in 20 years.
4. They are not difficult to work on. I suspect plenty of parts are still around, although they are seldom seen in junkyards. My Aries was one of the last of my newer cars that I could still work on.
5. They have a huge variety of styles (wagons, sedans, hatchbacks, coupes, convertibles, pickup, limo - even the original minivan if you want to include that).
6. They made them in actual colors other than white, black and silver. Lots of color combos and options available. They could be quite cushy and optioned out.
7. They are fairly cheap and you can still find them if you look.
8. I'm sure that some will roll their eyes at this idea, but ten or twenty years ago who would have thought that a F, M, or J would have any kind of a following. I actually wouldn't mind having one. I'll take an '88 Aries LE wagon with a 5 speed in yellow and no faux wood.
I think they were pretty remarkable little cars, and I just found a YT video on them that is quite good and gives a great history on the K platform. They credit the K with saving Chrysler, which it did, without bashing the F's that came right before them. They correctly state that the F's were rushed into market way too early, just like the '57 Mopars were, only in the '70's "the buying public wasn't so forgiving" as they were in the '50's. Even though most of the problems of the F's were solved by '78, their image was damaged. Just like the Corvair which was trashed by Ralph Nader, the Volare and Aspen suffered from bad publicity and people that love to hate. I still much prefer an F (or M) to a K, but I do think the K's have a lot going for them.
On Hemmings Daily there is an '85 Chrysler T&C for sale (see pics below). Although it looks like it's in really nice shape, it is pricey @ $11,000 OBO, with 42K miles. But, as I looked at it, I started to think that the K's (Aries and Reliant) as well as the L's (Omni and Horizon) may actually become collectible in the not too distant future. The reasons for this prediction are:
1. They are actually nice little cars. I had an '87 Aries LE sedan, and I liked it. It was comfortable, fairly quick, nice looking, economical, and inexpensive. No problems with it.
2. They are little. They don't take up much garage space. Easier to store.
3. They are economical. As gas likely fades away in the coming decades, it will undoubtedly become more expensive. I wouldn't want a Hemi in 20 years.
4. They are not difficult to work on. I suspect plenty of parts are still around, although they are seldom seen in junkyards. My Aries was one of the last of my newer cars that I could still work on.
5. They have a huge variety of styles (wagons, sedans, hatchbacks, coupes, convertibles, pickup, limo - even the original minivan if you want to include that).
6. They made them in actual colors other than white, black and silver. Lots of color combos and options available. They could be quite cushy and optioned out.
7. They are fairly cheap and you can still find them if you look.
8. I'm sure that some will roll their eyes at this idea, but ten or twenty years ago who would have thought that a F, M, or J would have any kind of a following. I actually wouldn't mind having one. I'll take an '88 Aries LE wagon with a 5 speed in yellow and no faux wood.
I think they were pretty remarkable little cars, and I just found a YT video on them that is quite good and gives a great history on the K platform. They credit the K with saving Chrysler, which it did, without bashing the F's that came right before them. They correctly state that the F's were rushed into market way too early, just like the '57 Mopars were, only in the '70's "the buying public wasn't so forgiving" as they were in the '50's. Even though most of the problems of the F's were solved by '78, their image was damaged. Just like the Corvair which was trashed by Ralph Nader, the Volare and Aspen suffered from bad publicity and people that love to hate. I still much prefer an F (or M) to a K, but I do think the K's have a lot going for them.