Beat The Odds: 1981 Plymouth Champ Twin Stick
File this next car under the heading “beat the odds of survival by a large margin”…because I didn’t think there was a single example of the approx 500k Dodge Colts and Plymouth Champs built by Chrysler for the fourth generation of the Colt/Champ (1979-1984). These cars were NOT built for longevity, but many people swear that the perky little rebadged Mitsubishi Mirage were great cars when new in 1980s…just not so great after 100k miles or 10 years of abuse. Today’s Champ has fought the good fight and looks like it was outlast many of the cars on the road today and it has the desirable twin-stick (Mitsubishi Super Shift) electric transfer case that gives it 8 forward speeds and 2 reverse. Find this 1981 Plymouth Champ Super Stick offered for $3,500 in Pilot Mountain, NC via craigslist. Tip from Spencercat.
From the seller:
1981 plymouth
condition: good
cylinders: 4 cylinders
drive: fwd
fuel: gas
odometer: 138000
paint color: yellow
size: compact
title status: clean
transmission: manual
type: coupe
1981 Plymouth Champ 1.6 engine four speed , double shifter power and economy. Arizona car new tires, exhaust manifold tuned up A/C works radio works good brakes everything works 40MPG tagged and insured clean title in my name needs paint but drive anywhere. IF YOU REMEMBER THIS CAR IS A TIME CAPSULE excellent interior factory very little rust. Call me three three six three nine one seven zero one one thank you. Ready for scammers serious inquirers only no calls after 10 PM.
See a better way to drive like a Champ? tips@dailyturismo.com
This is from those awkward tween years just before fuel injection when they made carburetors fiendishly complicated with a rats nest of vacuum hoses that crumble and pumps that fail.
I’d feel an enormous sense of satisfaction de-cluttering the engine bay of the emissions nonsense and installing a tried and true downdraft Weber. Also, this might’ve been the official car of my high school parking lot, at least for the middle class kids as the silver spoon crowd all had Mustangs.
At first glance, I thought this was a Pacer.