Plymouth Acclaim purchase advice

A Spirit/Acclaim in good condition with the 2.5/auto is a *very* solid buy.

That's a shade over 100K miles, which makes the $2500 price a tetch high unless the car is *really* clean, completely rust free and in top mechanical shape. The available selection of these cars up here isn't what it is down in the States; Canadians seem to hold onto them forever. I'm in the market myself, and I missed a 70k km '89 Spirit turbo for $2795 locally...*sob*...occasional low-KM examples come along, but you can practically die waiting, or so it seems. This is also the off season for used-car sales.

It's the same engine with some updates and improvements, and the Acclaim is a direct descendent of the original K-cars, but with *huge* improvements in virtually every aspect. Handling, braking, body fixture durability, build and materials quality, interior comfort. One thing that is the same between the '88 and the '95 is ease and low expense of parts and service.

Have a listen for the typical 2.5 piston pin "nuk-nuk-nuk" noise at idle. It doesn't mean the engine's in ill health, but the lack of it can indicate better-than-average maintenance. Pay close attention to the behaviour of the engine temperature gauge. If it cycles (goes up near the high end of the Normal range, then drops way back down, then back up, then back down, etc.) it's usually an indication the engine will require a replacement head gasket in the not-too-distant future.

Go have it inspected by a tech if you're serious, but if it drove satisfactorily and you didn't notice any poor running, odd shifting, alarming brake behaviour, weird noises, etc., there's very little on a '95 Acclaim that could blindside you with big-dollar repair expenses.

Given the choice between trusting a basically-sound '95 Acclaim and trusting a basically-sound Taurus of *any* model year, I'd trust the Acclaim first, every time. The likelihood of any kind of stranding failure is just far lower in the Acclaim. The Tauruses tend to have electrical problems and transmission problems that render them rather untrustworthy, in my experience.

No. This can be avoided by (a) not buying an old clunker, but selecting a car -- of whatever age -- in sound mechanical condition and keeping it that way, and (b) not skipping maintenance just because the car's old. I sold my '92, with the 2.5/auto, when it had 264,000 km on it. The engine was beginning to get a little tired, as was the driver's seat. I miss that car, should've freshened the engine and driver's seat and kept driving it. I bought it with 198,000 km on it (from a family member who'd bought it with 110,000 km on it), put an exhaust system and set of shocks/struts on it, and drove it 66,000 of the least-expensive, most-reliable KMs I've ever driven any car. It *never* stranded me, *never* failed to start,

DS

Yes, it's the same basic engine and transmission, unless you had the

Can't comment on the price, I'm in Michigan, and your market is different.

The last 2.5L/3 speed auto we had in our family was an '87 LeBaron GTS, and it was traded in good running condition at 165K miles. My dad was just tired of it; he owned it for 10 years and wanted something newer. The car was still quite sound, the engine had a little valvetrain noise and some minor oil leaks, but I imagine it could still be running out there somewhere with well north of 200K miles on it even yet today. That thing was used in a *very* tough urban freeway driving environment, with even some occasional light towing of an 18-foot fiberglass boat and trailer. Did I mention that I was 17 when he got it, and drove it frequently? :-)

No major problems -- no engine or transmission rebuilds. He had a plugged catalytic converter one time, and the EGR valve went bad on it another time. The vehicle speed sensor went bad once, making the digital dash pretty much useless. The MAP sensor went out once, and he was able to fix it in a parking lot after being tipped off as to what to look for. I think the radio crapped out once, too. Other than that, just normal fluid/filter maintenance and brakes.

You won't win many stoplight races with a 2.5L Acclaim, but yes, the underlying design is very sound. It was said at the time to be the most refined of the extended K-car platform vehicles, and there's still a lot of them on the road with mileage similar to what this one has. I would say that a well-maintained example is probably quite serviceable with

Oh, they occasionally have problems with the Hall-effect pickup coil in the distributor, but the fix is cheap and easy. You will want to inspect the ball joints and the CV boots, of course, and be sure the brakes are in good shape. Check any electronic goodies (power windows, locks, etc.). Other than that, the 2.5L/3 speed combo was well sorted out. The 3.0LV6/4-speed combo was a bit of a problem child. The 3.0LV6/3-speed combo was better, although the engine is prone to leaks and oil burning.

IMHO, better to ask yourself, do I want to risk stranding my wife by letting her drive the Taurus?

I'm only serious. :-\ Personally, I avoid Ford vehicles, even though they're a large portion of the source of my paycheck. Transmission problems are fairly common, from what I understand. I don't have any professional experience with Tauruses beyond the 1992 models, but those were *crap*.

We've got a '95 Caravan and a '98 Intrepid. The vehicles are pretty reliable, it's the human factor you have to consider. I can reliably count on my wife locking herself out of the van at least three times per year. An AAA-Michigan membership costs US$65/year with five service visits built into that price, plus their travel and map services and discounts. One non-AAA tow-truck call for an unlock runs about US$50. You do the math.

So far, the only time I've used the towing benefit is when some drunk asshole rear-ended the Intrepid. It could have been driven, but I didn't want to see a car with badly damaged lighting operated on a public road. (I must be in the minority around the Detroit area, because it seems most people here don't think twice about it.) Knock on wood, I haven't had a major on-the-road breakdown in a Chrysler product in a long, long time, although I have spent boku time and money fixing 3.0L cylinder head gasket leaks in the past 15 months.

If my choices were a 2.5L/3-speed Chrysler vs. almost anything else, for the money I'd pick the Chrysler. And I'd make it the commuter pony.

Good luck.

--Geoff

Hi,

I've got a '91 Spirit (same thing as Acclaim) with 221,000 miles on it. Don't know what that is in kms, but it's alot of miles...

Been the best car we've ever had, original engine, and trans. Done just normal maintenance, and wear items (brakes, struts, etc).

I also had a 98 Taurus (wife's car) that went through three tran$mi$$ions, and two head gaskets.

Though the price seems kinda high, if you like the car, I'd go ahead and get it. You'd probably save the $$ in overall cost compared to a cheaper car in worse shape.

As for who drives what, I'd drive the Taurus, so the wife wouldn't have to walk when that "coast to the side of the road in the rain/snow" day does come.

I'd also take the Acclaim on long trips- my Taurus ruined two vacations in a row- 1st year the trans., second year, the head gasket.

I don't know if my Taurus was a lemon, but I'm not gonna take a chance on another one.

Hope this helps, Gary

These things are getting scarce as hens teeth anywhere,, believe me there aren't that many of them in the states either... I put over a 1,000,000 miles on 4 of them ,, yup you read it right,,, am looking to find another. Missed a great one on eBay because I didn't want to trave 1000 miles to get it... boy am I crying in my beer, been 4 months since then and haven't seen anything even close...

My opinion..... these are without a doubt the best cars ever made in this country.... easy and cheap to repair and they just seem to run forever without costing you a dime in anything but maintenance..

Worst (most expensive) problem I had on any of them was the fuel pump on a

That's not *quite* true. There was something almost exactly like them (except for two-three decades' technological differences): The Dodge Dart and Plymouth Valiant.

DS

Dart's were good, but IMO the Acclaim and Spirit really had them beat in economy, quiet, comfort,,, I had a couple Darts,, one good one, one with a bad trans,, both slant 6's but when I look back I think they were really good, but, they were rattle traps by comparison, but then again less than half the price,, OK you win !

I feel the need to respond to this, as I presently have a '91 Acclaim.

At its age and the bevy of problems I'm having with it lately, mine is presently reaching its final days on the road unless I opt to throw money into repainting, putting in a new head gasket + other opportune repairs, finding a new wheel hub to replace one my sister damaged driving the car over a curb, etc.

That may sound like a bad review, but in the 6 years I have been driving this car I have not had one single complaint. My first car was a POS that whenever the temperature dropped below 40F, the car was prone to not starting. It randomly dropped engine power. Rarely worked properly.

And then I got into the Acclaim, and I haven't looked back since.

There has only been one time when my Acclain wouldn't start for me, and that was when the battery gave up during last winter's cold snaps here in NH. Even then, I can't be too sure but it could have even been the original battery - hard to tell as the label was unreadable.

In the snow, with a good driver who knows what you can and can't do in snow, this car is a tank. 5 of my driving years has involved driving in all kinds of winter weather conditions, from 6+ inch snowfall poorly-maintaned roads to ice and sleet, and I never once got into an accident or spun off the road. (In contract, my mother's D*dge Caravan is rendered virtually impotent at the first flake of snow on the ground.)

For 5 years I have been driving this car not only to and from work in all kinds of weather, but also going on longer trips across state. I have never broken down, never limped home, never needed a tow, and the only repairs I have had to make are what to me seem to be normal maintenance-type things, like brakes, the muffler, and the occasional tire. My first car, I couldn't even drive 5 minutes without having to pull over or push it somewhere.

My only major complaint is one that I'm sure all Mistu 3.0L owners have - my car leaks oil. Badly. Given the later date and the 2.5L you're looking at, I imagine this won't be a problem though :)

Sadly, the last year has been rather rough for my Acclaim - aside from the oil leaks getting worse, the head gasket is going. Last summer it became clear that the oil leak was not only worse but that the car was likely consuming oil, and just the other day I found out she's also drinking coolant now as well - so the head gasket is definitely going bad. The transmission this winter has gotten unreliable, randomly dropping engine power for the first 5 minutes after a cold start unless I literally gun the engine and reverse-race the car out of the driveway. And I am the victim of the "primer gone bad", which is turning into a loosing battle (fix one patch, 2 more begin peeling).

However, at 135K+ miles, I haven't even worn the driver's seat out yet. (I have, however, worn off the catalytic converter's heat shield.) And unless I can easily find another Acclaim (which it sounds like that won't be the case), I would rather sink the cost of buying a used car into making repairs. Anything I have asked for from this car, it has delivered.

Things to watch out for - keep in mind I'm talking the '91, so I'm hoping some of the issues were fixed by the '95 model:

- Leaky Trunk

Didn't actually have this problem until 3 years ago, though I've heard on some it's more problematic. Very easy fix - just caulk up some spots around the trunk hatch and it's fixed. You can probably check for this by looking in the spare tire compartment - look for excessive moisture, musty odor, mildew on the hatch cover, or as happened in mine, a lot of rusting of the tire changing equipment. (Being winter, it'll be hard to spot this, so if it is something on the '95s too, just be aware of it.)

- Leaky Signal Light Housing

This developed at random and was an intermittent problem before it just up and vanished. Look at the light from the outside - if there's any sign of moisture inside, keep in mind that it can (and will) burn out the signal bulb. Not an expensive fix until they keep piling up (and up and up - I still carry a spare bulb around for just such a reason.)

My $.02:

Different year, different engine, but based on my own experience with the model, I'd say grab that Acclaim. I know that if I ever have to give up my '91, I'll definitely be looking hard to try to find another one to call my own.

- Dennis

On Wed, 11 Feb 2004 02:55:59 GMT, "Jim Andrews" wrote in ten foot tall digital flames:

I had mostly good luck with my 1990 Spirit, with the following exceptions:

1. Column mounted gear selector wore out at 85,000 miles and had to be replaced.
2. Thrust washer in three speed automatic failed at 110,000 miles, causing mainshaft to require replacement. I had the transmission rebuilt.
3. Headgasket failed at 112,000 miles.
4. Peeling paint. Car was garaged during the first nine years. Last 4

All has been fine since the headgasket problem almost a year ago. I find it interesting that some have gone to 200,000 miles and beyond without any transmission or headgasket problems. I performed the maintenance at the suggested intervals.

-Kirk Matheson

Wonder if yours was an early-production '90 (w/round steering column, cruise control switch on turn signal stalk) or late-production (square steering column, cruise switch on steering wheel?) The early-production shifters were somewhat less robust.

Bet your car's VIN starts with a 1, and not a 3.

...why do you find this "interesting"?

DS

Bought a new '95 Acclaim for my wife. Her 1st new car. I like the style of the car inside & out. I admit the 4 banger is slightly underpowered for that size car. But is a better choice than the Mitsubishi built piece of crap 3.0 V6 we had in our Acclaim. The 3.0 had more than enough pep but wasn't worth the headaches. 3.0's are famous for leaks & slipped valve guides. Which we had at only 80,000 miles U.S... Make sure the a/c works(I know that's hard to do in the winter). Make sure the drivers seat goes up & back & also reclines. Our drivers seat broke & wouldn't do either. With buying a 9yr old car you can't expect much. Hope my input helps you though. Good luck & let the group know how it turns out... J.L.

Horsepucky.

The newest of my vehicles is 15 model years old. The oldest is 42 years old, and the one in the middle is 33.

And if I had a place to park it, I'd've bought this damn-near-perfect,

DS

I thought you were looking for another car to replace the LeBaron! I wondered why you weren't all over that.

Sell the pickup truck, Dan!

--Geoff

I am.

It's a complicated and sad tale of one-permit-per-resident city parking policies, a garage that's a few inches too short to hold a Dart, and wholesale quantities of salt dumped on the local roads four or five months of every year. Would it really be fair to bring a car like *that* to a climate like *this* and watch it rust away? Of course not.

Precious and few are the vehicles in which my six-foot-four other half fits comfortably.

DS

It doesn't have a cruise control, but does have an airbag. It also does not have a tilt steering wheel. The manufacture date is September

I believe that *3* means assembled in Toluca, Mexico. Do Toluca paint jobs usually hold up better? Yes, mine is prefixed by a *1*. I believe that all 4DR Lebarons were made there, but I don't how many Acclaims and Spirits came from Toluca.

Considering my experience, as well as those others that I read in this NG, I find it interesting that there are those that don't have the headgasket problem, even with high mileage. I am curious why some are lucky and others not.

-Kirk Matheson

Correct.

Yep.

Nope, there were plenty of 1-VIN LeBaron sedans.

The only differences are exceedingly minor (taillamps, grill and trim); all three variants came from both plants. The only variant of this car that ONLY came from US plants (1-VIN) was the Chrysler Saratoga, which was the rest-of-world export version.

DS

Thank you all for your input. I decided to purchase this car. A couple people mentioned the price as one point on this car. Keep in mind that Canadian dollars are worth less than American dollars. Anyways I managed to haggle the guy down to $2200. I couldn't really find anything cheap that was in very good condition, and I need an extra car now. As well I looked on the internet and the blue book value seems to be $3000 retail US. This car is in really good shape. The seller said that it was always kept in a garage, and not driven a lot in the winter. The car was very clean inside and the paint was nice and shiny. The seats still seem to be intact. What part of the seats usually give out? Could it be easily repaired with a seat cover?

Currently I'm looking for a used Chrysler service manual, and I plan on doing most of the minor repairs myself.

I also noticed a lot of early 90s Chryslers have paint peeling problems. Usually they are light blue, white and silver in colour. My car is burgundy. Is this going to be a potential problem?

Also, I hear that this car might be easy to steal. Is there anything cheap I could install as an anti-theft device?

Should I bother getting it undercoated / rust checked?

Thanks again.

No, the upholstery is very durable, it's the seat bottom foam that tends to compress over the years and KMs. I'm sure an auto upholstery shop can rework 'em.

Good thinking. The Chrysler manual is definitely the one to get, not the Haynes or Chilton or any other aftermarket book. The factory manual (actually a 3-volume set) is very complete and well-written.

Probably not; burgundy was one of the less problematic colours; blue was the most problematic. Does the VIN of your car start with 1 or with 3?

?? Not nearly as easy as contemporary cars from General Motors.

The Club, I suppose...

Krown is said to have a very good and effective used-car antirust compound.