Jay Leno interviewed the Chrysler K-Car Club

[89ARIES]

After all these years, Jay Leno chose a K-car to host on his show. I got a few minutes to talk with Jay on live television.
He chose my wagon. I even got to tell him about our car club. Video below. Thanks to Mr. Weaver with the pick up that sent it to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po8WoQ2YAxI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4Vu6hNheBM

[Pete in NH]

Well, I have to say to me it looked like "real car guy" Jay Leno was just looking to get a few cheap shots in on the poor lowly K car. That's nothing new its been going on for 30 years. What he did manage to show was a lack of any knowledge on automotive engineering.

In many ways the lowly little K car is quite a good piece of engineering design. it was designed to be a low cost, practical, reliable automobile to get people from point A to point B. If you have spent any time working on these cars you will see that almost everything in its design is simply and elegantly done. Almost any engineer can design something by throwing money at the design. Real engineering is making something strong, reliable and long lasting without throwing a lot of money at it. I'm a retired engineer so I have some experience in this area. The K's were built to a price point and they succeeded very well, beating the competition nicely. The General Motors X cars were cheap, shoddy junk that disappeared quickly and no one can even remember the offerings from Ford. The k's are still out there surviving and doing what they were intended to do. They were the last efforts of the legendary Chrysler Engineering group of the 60's and early 70's. The 2.2's and 2.5's borrowed tricks learned from the indestructible slant 6. The transmissions followed from the best in the industry 904 and 727 Torqueflites. And, the little lowly K car saved Chrysler and thousands of jobs, while Chrysler continued to steadily improve the design.

They were not flashy, fast or powerful as people think a real car should be but, they were an amazingly successful design in the ways that count. So, okay Jay you've had your laughs, but, some of us know better.

[surgeman]

Very well said Pete...My hat is off to you...K-cars were great machines but was under estimated at the time,and not well preserved at the time they were sold.Most people didn't understand the aluminum aspects of the head design and always had the thoughts it would survive heat like the big bodies from the 60's and 70's would.Most went to the crushers because of it,and that was sad for these little cars.When I was a lot younger I have spent many hours myself putting these back together,and learning from my mistakes.Many cold and hot days I have beat myself to get them back on the road and always succeeded one way or the other.To this day I have never forgot how much my little ones always enjoyed riding in dad's 84 Lebaron 4-door sedan.I have owned Chrysler cars most of my life,and just about every one I have ever owned has always been there when I needed them the most..I recently come across one in a auction in Nashville and was like yep lets go look at it.I was the only bidder at $475 for a 1985 Lebaron convertible.It was still running strong but needed the top and a transmission re-work.And got it home looking for parts,and nothing to be found salvage.So...the next search got me a 1985 Dodge 600 Convertible same color and all for $500.It was intended to be a parts car but the more I sat and looked at it the more I said nope I'm not going to do it...So...I will have both up and running soon,and that's 2 I have saved..So long live the K's and what they stood for and that's engineering at it's finest...