1987 Dodge Shadow and Plymouth Sundance | Retro Review
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- Опубликовано: 17 июн 2024
- Chrysler ushers in the P-car with the value packed Dodge Shadow and Plymouth Sundance.
Show 516 | Original Airdate 03-04-1986
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How does motorweek not have 1 million subscribers at this point. These retro reviews are the best. Nostalgia at 100 percent
It puzzles me too. This is top tier car channel, been around since before my time
@@TheRealHungryJoe dude and the fact John Davis is still the host speaks volumes. He's an absolute legend
Because they had some really lousy presenters in the last few years. Fans can sniff out the posers.
We are a unique bunch
bro fr!!! preach it!!
The design of this car aged extremely well.
and even the very low and functional window line make it a modern looking body , the complete opposite of slit window like on chrysler 300.
They were a good looking small car. An early 90’s Plymouth Duster in British racing green with gold stripes and wheels back then looked really sharp IMO
um… no
@@marymorenomariposa good odds you weren't alive in 1987 then
My family still owns a 92 Plymouth Sundance in Mexico. Dad bought it back in 99 for $1,000. Still runs every year we go to Mexico.
That must be the trick to avoid the rust! All of the northern ones rusted away decades ago.
@@mattt198654321 this was like 8 years ago when I was in Mexico. I was waiting for something inside the car and a guy in his mid 60s came by and said "are you selling the car."
I said no. He said that he haven't seen an excellent condition car from the 90s to be running in Mexico.
@@mattt198654321and your government took them off the road to.
@mattt198654321 or the engine blew up and transmission went out 😅😅😅
Sold well in Mexico
My Grandma Marie got a 1989 Dodge Shadow 4 door lift back to replace her light blue 1982 Chevrolet Cavalier that had umpteenth million miles on it and it was starting to fall apart. It was the last car she would own as she passed in 1995, it had the 2.5 4 cylinder and it was a comfortable car. I miss that Dodge Shadow and I miss my Grandma Marie, we had a lot of great memories in that car, her cocker spaniel loved riding in that car as well.
Must have been a big "grandma car", as I see other comments about this, and my grandma had one too, a '90. I eventually ended up with that car when she got to the point where it was unsafe for her to drive. I "inherited" it in 2003 and it had 26K miles on it 😂. Kept it for a winter car for two seasons and sold it to a coworker for her to give to her daughter. Left that job in 2009, and ran into that former coworker several years after that and she told me her daughter was still driving it!
@@digitalfootballer9032 She didn't drive a lot, if it got miles on it, it was because I drove it. She didn't mind driving around town but outside of that I would drive long distances. The Dodge Shadow never really gave her any problems and I don't recall it ever breaking down, the 2.5 was a great engine. The last time I saw a Shadow or Sundance was probably 5 years ago or more, I always loved the styling of them, they reminded me of a smaller version of the Dodge Lancer and Chrysler LeBaron GTS. Those were another series of cars we had in our family as well. We were Chrysler people back in the day, the funny part is I'm still driving a 2007 Chrysler Sebring Touring and that was a Grandma car when I bought it 2 years ago.
A buddy of mine worked as an engineer for Chrysler back in the day, and he came home once with a Shadow Turbo pre production model. He was like "man, this thing is so fast. I can't believe they let me take it home for the day." Oh, how the times have changed.
My grandma had a 1991 two tone red and silver Shadow ES turbo 5 speed sedan back in the day. Fully loaded and it had an infinity stereo system!
Those infinity systems were top tier I had it in my first car, a 2000 Sebring convertible after HS graduation ❤
Ah yes. Back when things were more interesting in a non-SUV world.
and garbage
@@SantanKGhey1234 Funny. Yet I still see a lot more Shadows, Sundances, Daytonas and Lasers rolling around than I see early 2000's Explorers, Minivans or Tahoes.
Or CUV 🤢
@@oliverdelgado6952 Potato, potahto.
@@That_AMC_GuyReally? I haven’t seen a single Chrysler P-Car in probably at *least* 7 years now, that’s being generous. Haven’t seen a Daytona in years too. I probably see over a dozen Chrysler, Toyota, Honda, and even GM minivans from the 2000’s, Explorers, and Tahoes daily. I cannot fathom where in the US you live where you see these 35 year old Chryslers with their transmission products more often than dime-a-dozen GMT800s or 4th gen Caravans
I worked for Chrysler for 6 years,I cleaned showroom cars, coffee runner when I started to drive,then became a b mechanic changing brakes, tires, etc.i did new car get ready too,my sister bought a Sundance cherry red interior and exterior,had fun driving to NYC!
Very beautiful theses cars
I love these cars
Got to drive one of these once and I was very impressed at how well appointed it was for such a small car! It seemed well made and pretty solidly built and was even a little fun to drive. Wish they made simple fun cars like this still.. Back then you could actually save up for the Full Price of a new car!
I had a 92 Dodge Shadow ES and I loved it! Had it for 7 years.
Was it green with gold trim?!
@@march24-lp4pv Ha no it was red with silver trim
@@anthonysaturno8265 I was thought these looked a lot better than their GM Ford counterparts.
I had an '89 Shadow that I drove until it was 20 years old. Great car.
Wife had one while we were dating - followed us from stops in Albuquerque, Kansas City, Minneapolis, and finally, Houston! The thing just ran and ran and ran…….!!!!!
Haven’t seen one in the “wild” in ages……..🤔
Grandfather bought a 1990 Sundance 2.5 over an Accord because the seats were more comfortable. Paid 9k and NEVER had any issues. Downside reliable but slow 3 spd. auto transmission. Well made and rock solid reliable
These were a blast to drive when they had the 3.0L V6, 5 Speed.
Oh yeah I forgot that these got the V6..I had that same V6 in a Chrysler minivan.
John seems incredibly calm and mellow in his intro.
Love that the hatch blended so well that it looked like a trunk. Versions of these were fun to drive - certainly more fun than any Cavalier.
V6 Z-24s were pretty fun though, jussayin
My Grandma Marie replaced her aging 1982 Chevrolet Cavalier with a 1989 Dodge Shadow, the Cavalier was a good car but it had soo many miles and it was starting to fall apart and was going to need a whole new front end. The Dodge Shadow would be the last car she owned, we had a lot of great memories in that Dodge Shadow. I miss my Grandma and I miss that Dodge Shadow, it was a reliable and comfortable car.
This was our driver's ed car in high school. It was nice but so gutless I almost got in trouble for causing it to kick down in gear in what would seemingly be an inappropriate situation. But I think my teacher totally understood, because he didn't say one word and passed me with flying colors. 🤣
blame the 3-speed auto
My high school too. Local dealer would loan and bunch to the school and we had an obstacle course etc in the parking lot on a saturday. good times
@@AltaSonata100%. The cars were fairly heavy for their class as well. Had both a 1990 4-cylinder shadow and a 1991 Escort and the only difference was the Escort was a 5-speed stick and the Shadow was a 3-speed auto. Oh yeah and the Shadow had a whopping extra 2 hp over the Escort, but was much heavier. It was much slower, and also got way worse fuel economy.
My first cat was a Black 87 Shadow Turbo with a red soft cloth interior. Killer combo and WOW was that car fun to drive. Still one of my favorite cars till this day
Back when cars were comfortable and went over bumps smoothly because of plush seats , taller tires and soft suspension , now a days everyone wants a vehicle that handles like a formula 1 car , so automakers have ditched all the things that makes a car comfortable, so now you get a car with more tech than anything else.
So true. Most of today's cars have the same firm, flat, uncomfortable leather seats. The seats in these cars were very squishy and plush like the Dodge Omni's. I had a 87 Daytona Turbo T-Top that had very bolstered and sporty seats but were leather. They were pretty comfortable as the leather was very nice quality.
I had a 2000 Buick that was like driving a big sofa on wheels 😂. They don't make 'em like that anymore!
As a car enthusiast, I know that this might sound crazy, but I have a 2022 Prius that sticks to this formula. It has 15 inch wheels and a soft and composed suspension so it soaks up bumps really well. My vehicle is slow compared to modern times, but it’s just as fast the vehicle featured in this vehicle. Anyhow, I enjoy driving it over my much larger SUV with 21 inch wheels. It’s a throw back to simpler times.
1:57 I like how enthusiastically he emphasizes FiFTEEN INCH cast rims. Oh the 80s - when having 16" was considered extremely luxurious. So 15s on a little Shadow/Sundance must've been something.
Typically on a small car like these back in the late 80's and early 90's the wheels were standard 13". So 15" back then was like 18" or 19" today.
My dad had an ES when I was a kid and they seemed GIGANTIC to me lol. I recall them stacked in the basement each winter, those Eagles seemed wide AF.
@@markb3756Yup, in fact I had a 72 Datsun 1200 that had 12's!
One positive of having a car with 13" wheels was inexpensive tires! Later had a car with 18 inchers and you couldn't even get a sniff at a set for under a grand, even the cheaper brands. And this was 15 years ago!
4:32 John: AND EVERYTHING EXCEPT AN OIL PRESSURE GAUGE STANDARD! LOL
I remember seeing lots of these on the roads and highways
Ahhhh the driver's ED car we used in 1998 in high school along with several Dodge Omni/Horizon models.
These were EVERYWHERE back in the day.
When I was in high school a friend of mine had a dodge shadow. He used every bit of power out of that car. He ran the piss out of that car and it just kept running.
My daily driver is a 1989 Dodge Shadow 2.5 turbo 5 speed MT. A European export version of it called Chrysler ES. The car is super reliable and super fast. I have never lost a street race with it. Total sleeper.
Had a '91 Shadow with a bajillion miles. The 2.5 quit when it couldn't make oil pressure at almost any RPM. Gave it to my then father in law's girlfriend's uncle and it was back on the road a few months later. It served me well for the 5 years I beat the hell out of it.
Any Shadow / Sundance lover out there? Gotta take a look at the original 87 commercial. It’s like a remake of “Christine” with neon backlighting and 80s horror music alerting to the unsuspecting compact car world what a badass little car this is! Enjoy 🙂
I had a 1989 Dodge Shadow with a 5 speed transmission. Black with a red cloth interior. 4 door with the hatch. It was a formal looking little number. I had it till 2003! Never had an issue with it!
With the 2.2L or 2.5L engine, these were great cars. Affordable, well-built, dependable, comfortable, and smooth to drive. I owned a 1990 Sundance 5-door. I loved it!
I’d forgotten about these cars. This vintage video brings back memories. The P-cars sold fairly well, but not in large numbers. Chrysler and Lee Iacocca certainly made a variety of vehicles trying to compete with Japanese and German imports. I wish Chrysler would have stuck with it and refined their vehicles to be more competitive. Decades later all of the Chrysler, Ford & GM no longer produce any those cars, but Honda and Toyota still manufacture Civics, Accords, Corollas & Camrys which sell well. Same for Nissan.
True. But we must also factor in that the Big 3 are rather truck-focused vs car.
There was also a Shelby version called the CSX.
There was also a CSX-T through Thrifty Car Rental. It had a slightly tweaked 2.2 Turbo I of 149 HP instead of 146.
@@JrGoonior Yeah that had the turbo 1 motor. The CSX had the turbo 2 motor with a out 30 more hp.tgen there was a CSX with the turbo 2 and a VNT turbo with movable turbine blades. Supposedly they had that up to 156 mph on a track.
My first new car was that exact same black '87 Shadow ES 2.2 Turbo with popup sunroof and five speed. Loved that car! Removed the catalytic converter to drive in Italy as unleaded gas was just coming in there and wasn't supposed to be readily available. Reduced back pressure and really allowed the turbo to spin up faster. Was a real pocket rocket then! Had to reinstall it when I brought it back, though.
I remember being so impressed by the big improvement these little critters were over the Omnis and Horizons they replaced...at least in terms of styling. Hey, I was a kid, sue me. (Still think I was right though)
Had a Sundance. Turning off AC when going up hills for more power was a common occurrence. Ah, the 80's, Good times!
My sister's first car. Though it was a 5 speed, it was the base model...NO AC! Mine a little older but super rare.. 1981 Audi 4000s 5+5! I'm in retro mode and I'm buying a 1987 Alfa Romeo Milano Gold it's getting delivered on this Sunday.
I had an 89? Sundance that I bought from my boss. Got over 40 mpg on a trip from Michigan to New Mexico and back. I had it over105mph racing my brother in his f150! Car never missed a beat and was rock solid!
I had an 87 Plymouth Sundance and I loved it
80's Mopars rule! 😄
Late 80s Chryslers we’re great. Nice styling, pretty reliable, and very comfortable.
Good job, Beth.
Dad had an 88 air conditioning and windows crapped out after 4 years. Engine was pretty reliable though.
My mother bought a brand new 1989 yellow Sundance remember that car well.
Thank you MW I had been asking for a plymouth Sundance review 😊
Love seeing these old reviews
This was the official car of a Midwest High School student parking lot in 1995
Not the neon?
I had a 1989 Horizon with a 2.2 litre and a five speed, it flew, giving eight cyl. acceleration.
My mom bought a 1994 Dodge Shadow in 1996. I got it in 2003 when I got my DL, and I still have it. It has an NA 3.0 V6.
My favorite thing about these retro reviews is that so many of the cars had manual transmissions.
Very beautifuls theses cars
This was right in the midst of Chrysler's ultra successful minivan.
My lord I haven't seen one of these in years
My sister had a used late 80’s dark blue Sundance 2 door. Had the passive restraint seat belts, and my grandma hated those.
Was a flexible model with versatility that was convenient for her with 3 kids.
My first car at age 16 was an '88 Sundance with the base 2.2 engine. Woefully slow and a real POS. Head gaskit blew at 88k after only driving it for 11 months. The automatic was beginning to slip too. Next car was a '91 Tercel with the 16 valve engine with a 5 speed stick. Reliable, efficient, and was a damn tank. Got rid of it with nearly 300k on the odometer for $1k in 2000.
Those wheels are stunnin!
My sister bought a new Dodge Shadow two door. It was teal with a grey cloth interior. She drove it for a number of years, I don't think she had to many problems with the car.
My dad had the 1987 Sundance turbo that he bought about a week after I first got my license at 16. That was a fun zippy car to drive!
Haven’t seen one of these in decades. They must have all ended up in that great car crusher in the sky
Most didn't make it out of the 90s
My high school best friend's mother bought one of these and she'd let me drive my friend and I to school now and again (I had my license before he did). Really liked the car though I seem to recall she had to have the engine replaced under warranty.
She never said anything, but she blamed you for blowing up the engine.
Reminded me of a mini-Lancer or mini-LeBaron GTS. A very '80s car and as I recall, not a bad one.
I seriously wanted one of these back in the day. I’m now glad I didn’t waste my money on one as they had typical Chrysler quality.
With my dad's help $ ...my first new car was a black 87 4 door dodge shadow ES turbo with the automatic and the red moulding around the midsection , from the new for 1987 lot at the Manhattan dodge dealership in NYC...not the grand national I really wanted ..but I made it do what it do . ...Direct Connection sourced race head , high lift camshaft , and cam keys for adjustability ...also their race plug in computer to raise the the turboPSI to 14lbs and extra fuel ....75 shot of Nos ..MSD 3000 to 6000 chip engagement of the Nos ...shift kit ..8"stall converter .. 3" exhaust from the down pipe back to 40 series flow master muffler with factory style turn down ..3" of course , and wider stock daytona wheels that allowed me to run fatter slicks that no one picked up on 😅...no tinted windows , no attention grabbing anything ...when I wasn't the mild mannered MTA Bus operator from Flatbush BK ..I was on Fountain Ave lighting up the goodyear gatorbacks then the Micky Thompson cheater slicks ....then I got married ...and my sons came ...then it was get that POS out of the driveway ..you don't even drive that anymore ! ...the end.😅
Had a sundance..it was GREAT until a front end accident..endless weird problems after I got it back
Notice the "Sundance" script is actually dancing.. Pretty cool Plymout😊
Known as "hidden hatchbacks", the P-series (a shortened K-car) were actually 3/5-door hatchbacks that could pass for 2- and 4-door sedans. Introduced as early 1987 models to replace Omni/Horizon, the latter continued to 1990 since all engineering costs were paid off and each vehicle sold would be huge profit, allowing them to stay on as value leaders.
The OG Neon.
Awesome thanks
I miss my sisters turbo 4 door Sundance...thing was a sleeper
I remember when these were introduced and thought they were much more attractive than the K-cars and J-series GM's. Would I have picked one over a Civic? No way. But, it was a decent enough car.
I owned an 87 shadow 2.2 turbo 2 door. That was a fast little thing, opened a few eyes when I won races with it when they saw it was a 4 cylinder 😅😅😅😅
I've always loved these cars...if I could find a clean example I'd buy it on the spot. My dad had an '88 2.2 5 speed and got 55 mpg!! Can't get that in any modern, non-hybrid cars.
This became the NEON
And that was a huge mistake.
All these comments but not one single mention of blown head gaskets 🤣
My first car was an 87 Shadow ES Turbo 5 speed
I've been with many girls who had theese back in the 90s theese were common for 20 year old girls
Would love to find one of these near me at a decent price.
I think Beth had a glitch at the transition.
My Mom had a 2 dr Sundance and my sister had a 4 door Shadow. Good cars, the Playmouth had a much nicer interior.
That 2.2L turbo was the engine to get. It was zippy, even by modern standards -- you had a lot less weight to push around in those days. Definitely wasn't as reliable as the non-turbo, but that was mostly because people didn't know how to take care of a turbo back then. When you parked it, you were supposed to let it idle for 30-60 seconds or so to allow the oil to circulate a bit and cool the turbo down. Otherwise the oil would get all coked up in there and ruin the bearings. Heck, even in a modern turbo that's still not a bad idea to do that.
My grandma had one of these Shadows brand new. My uncle got drunk and crashed it. Good times.
Is he still with us?
@@Policearegood-mt6kx he is…..he turned out well, just took a while, as it does for some.
@@Deeplycloseted435 that’s good, glad to hear he got sober.
Are any of these still on the road??
No
We had an 88 Sundance. Nice car. Luxurious for size.
Cool
4 door, Black, and the turbo. I am good now.
I thought these were cute and they had good proportions.
Three box design and a hatchback. Always thought these cars were a sedan/coupe.
P-cars have a more fluid line than the 'computer-created' * boxes that are their progenitor the K-cars which gave the impression that an engine was missing under the hood due to their raised front stance .
I thought these look better than the cavaliers and escorts of the time .
Right before my brother and sister-in-law got married, they had a pair of these. She had the Shadow, and he had the Plymouth. I could have sworn his had a “Duster” decal on it. Was that an actual trim level on these, or am I just confused?
Somewhere in America there is a family at a dinner table who has spent their entire lives talking in Autoweek speak.
"Mommy, earlier today the bus picked us up from school, and I must say that the drive was above average! Even though the seats offered no lumbar support, noise insulation was minimal, and the manual windows were stubborn and primitive, we were relieved to find that our driver had a full assortment of instrument gauges and that the power brakes had only moderate fade after 43 stops. Dad? How was the Buick on your drive home?"
I can see Dad explaining the Buick with exaggerated chin jerks in true Mr. Davis style.
It's the turbo models and the V6 models(1992-1995) that I would consider(especially with automatic).
Heavy snow would knock the serp belt off the V6
I worked in a shop on a busy road back then would do a least one every snowstorm
Had a Dodge Shadow. The hatch leaked and rain disintegrated the cardboard cargo floor😅
I had a 90 with the same problem. I took it back to the dealer 5 times before they fixed it. I made them give me a rental car the last 3 times.
@@pxn748mind was a 90 also.
Crazy how the reviewer never brought up that these v6 Plymouths were the fastest cars ever made!
*fastest cars to the junk yard ever made! Sorry I'm on my phone.
He looks high as a kite
Stellaris wants a RELIABLE car... PAY ATTENTION Here
Have you ever tested the Plymouth Champ
Wild to hear "there isnt any stripped base model" given that in my mind, this vehicle is synonmous with the bare bones 'America' trim that the Pentastar introduced across models in the late 80s/early 90s.
I had an ‘89 Dodge Shadow aquamarine 5 door. I was 18 at the time. That car had lots of room for my friends, and good enough style to suit me and the ladies I dated. It had the 2.5 L 4 cylinder matched with a 3 speed auto. Car was flawless, comfortable, and handled well. If you knew how to maneuver the gears - I beat many a V6 Camaro or mustang . Wish I still I had her.
I owned a Dodge Shadow in the mid-90s. It was so generic and bland, that I can't remember much about it except it felt underpowered with the automatic transmission. I traded it in for a Neon. Now that was a memorable car.
I rented a Neon in the mid-90s. I couldn’t believe it when I thought I was cruising along at 60-65 MPH but looked at the speedometer and to my horror was doing 80! The horror was hoping that I hadn’t lit up a police radar, but once I realized that it didn’t need a lead foot, I had a good time zipping through the Denver area. It handled the mountainous terrain well.
Major POS vehicles - im excited to see this!
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