Plymouth Acclaim purchase advice

I got a new job that I'm going to have to commute to, so my wife and I need
to buy a second car. Money is tight so I can't really buy anything new. One
car I'm thinking of buying is a 1995 Plymouth Acclaim. It is $2500CDN with
170K on the clock. It has a 2.5L 4 cylinder engine and a 3 speed auto. I had
a 1988 Dodge Aries with a 2.5L engine and I had very good luck with this car
[till it was written off :'( ]. Is this the same engine? Is this a good car?
Is there anything I should watch out for in this car? I took it out for a
test drive and it seemed to drive pretty good. I also had a look under the
hood and I don't see anything that looks suspicious. The trans fluid and oil
seem fairly clean, and the guy does have service records. I checked the
tires and they seem fairly new and doesn't seem to have abnormal wear.

A second question: Our current vehicle is a 2000 Taurus. What car should I
take and what car should my wife take? Should I risk being stranded on the
side of the highway in an old clunker while my wife drives the Taurus? I
think that would be safer for her than having her drive the clunker and be
stranded while I'm an hour away. Would a CAA membership be worth it?

 

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,
*never* gave me even the barest hint that it could not be trusted to take
me wherever, whenever, and get me back home.

DS

 

Yes, it's the same basic engine and transmission, unless you had the
5-speed manual in your K.

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

170K miles or KM? 170K KM is only about 102K miles, if I remember the
conversion factor correctly. That's well within the 2.5L's useful lifespan.

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
170K--miles, although you have to understand that maintenance will be
something you would have to perform regularly at that mileage.

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
93 went bad @ about 150,000 miles and I did get rid of that one early with
about 175,000 on it because a bearing went bad in the differential and the
trans started leaking... bought a Voyager,,, I am still crying...could have
had the trans fixed and seats covered and new padding for less than 1700
some people never get smart.....Dan is right, seats wear out before the
doggone cars do, nothing been like them don't think there ever will be
again.

 

On Thu, 12 Feb 2004, Ted wrote:

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

 

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
1/2 have been outside. Having it outside seems to have really
accelerated the paint problem.

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,
19K-original-mile '65 Dart: Ebay item 2459396175

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
1989.

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

 

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.