The Chrysler K-Car Club

Just blew the engine, thermostat stuck. Will sell for parts, or will consider buying a good used engine. Would a 2.5L turbo charged engine hook up to my trans axle. The body is strait, and I had hopes of restoring this car. However, money is short. If interested, please reply. Bill 408-568-2964

Welcome to the club Bill. So happy to have another Californian as this club is based in California. Thats too bad. They only made 3,500 Reliant Coupes for 1989. Now, when you say blew the engine, how bad? Is it just a headgasket? How many miles? Is oil mixing with coolant? Yes, I believe a 2.5 Turbo will bolt into a Reliant Coupe. I drive a car just as rare as yours thats going to be in our biggest K-car meet ever this Saturday. It is a 1989 Dodge Aries LE Coupe with 141,000 miles and 1 of 3,200 made. I just blew a headgasket myself, but the damage was minor and I got extremely lucky where no fluids mixed and no damage was
done to the internals. We have some great technicians on this board and there are still a few Ks left in pic-a-parts where you might find the turbo engine of your dreams. Good luck.

Thanks for your reply. I haven't been underneath it yet. My son borrowed my floor jack, but it was blowing black smoke when it went down, and was leaking alot of oil when we put it on the tow truck. I realy like the car, it was a real mess when I got it. It definitly needs more hp. My last car was a Shelby GT500 Cobra 2007, the repo man got that one. Just as well, I will never be old enough to drive a car like that. Don't have to worry about getting an exhibition of speed in my K-car. How much would a used 2.5L turbo set me back? Please keep your ear to the ground for me. Also, I would be willing to sell "as is" for parts.

billsu333, 408-568-2964
San Jose, CA

The 2.5 Turbo will bolt in, BUT you'll have to swap over the ECU and wiring harness. Sounds like a rod broke windowing the block. Since the car is dead you might as well pull the motor for GP. Doing that swap, your best bet would be to buy a parts car and read, read, read the turbo database at this site.....http://www.thedodgegarage.com/

You would save a lot of money if you bought a turbo car.

I work for a salvage yard in Bonaire GA. We have a few N/A 2.5s sittin around,but that won't help you much way on the other side of the country.Here is what WILL help you; Go to Car-Part.com.When the Google results page comes up click on the one that says Used Parts marketplace.This site is dedicated to showing the inventories of all the major salvage yards in North America.All you have to do then is type in what you are lookin for and localize your search by zip code.But don't be surprised if there aren't many K car parts to choose from.Although, you will probably find plenty of Shadow,Spirit,Daytona parts that interchange.

Turbos are a crapload of work I just finished one. DON'T DO IT Too many parts are NO LONGER AVAILABLE!!! I'm pulling my Hair Out...

This is for you!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-86-8 ... 3f032f9b32


I bought one of these. 350+145 Terminal to Terminal Shipping 500 for a long block is CHEAP!!!! Came with a FULL Gasket Set and Brand New Oil Pump With Sump Screen/Tube. You might need to change the crank sprocket. the one that came on mine was Bizarre, pulled it off reused mine, and reset the timing. No Biggie.

Not in California. In California, they have all but destroyed all the early K-cars, except convertibles. Marty Mopar of Arizona has a lot of K-parts. Florida and California our king when it comes to surviving convertibles. K-vertibles have survived at a 10% rate. Early non-convertibles have survived at a .1% rate. It upsets me that too many people still call our cars disposable even now that the pic-a-parts are running out. Ignorance.

89ARIES wrote:Not in California. In California, they have all but destroyed all the early K-cars, except convertibles. Marty Mopar of Arizona has a lot of K-parts. Florida and California our king when it comes to surviving convertibles. K-vertibles have survived at a 10% rate. Early non-convertibles have survived at a .1% rate. It upsets me that too many people still call our cars disposable even now that the pic-a-parts are running out. Ignorance.

AMEN