The 1980s were special for more than a few reasons, and among the enthusiast car community, we saw the rise of the high-strung sport compact model across a variety of manufacturers. Even among Chrysler Corporation, there were numerous product offerings that included captive imports like the Chrysler Conquest, along with a healthy assortment of Carroll Shelby-blessed turbocharged econoboxes. This 1986 Chrysler Laser XT listed here on Facebook Marketplace is one of the more obscure “cheap” performance cars and is apparently in time-warp condition.
It’s funny to see the “XT” nomenclature considering Subaru has utilized those two letters heavily to denote when one of its flat-four equipped models has a turbocharger bolted to it (what’s cooler – this Laser or a turbo’d Forester?) The Laser shown here is said to have been in the care of a longtime owner for almost 40 years, and it’s clear it was loved in that time. The nicely bolstered bucket seats are still in excellent condition and all of the trim – from the dash to the door panels – appears to be near-mint.
The engine bay is a real treat, as we don’t often see these cars appear with clean strut towers and valve covers. For a very long time, these were considered throwaway cars, even when optioned to the hilt like this one appears to have been. While the first owner may have ordered their Laser to have every bell and whistle, from electronic voice commands to rear window louvers, subsequent owners were simply looking for a cheap runabout. The seller notes that this Laser will come with a large amount of paperwork proving that it has been fastidiously maintained.
The “Turbo” branding looks eerily like the script found on the rear haunches of a Porsche 930; perhaps some creative license was taken here to remind buyers of the potential of a turbocharged engine. This Laser is further optioned out with T-tops and an automatic transmission, which says to me the original owner checked nearly every box on the spec sheet when new. Today, it may seem like an expensive price for a longtime “cheap” car, but it’s also likely one of the best ones left.
Jump on it. Just make sure to change the timing belt and have a cooling system check done to make sure the head gasket aint on the way out. I had an 87 Shadow so i tell from experience. Theyre easy to fix and maintain and parts are cheap. The turbo even in auto guise is decently quick so its worth it
I had the non turbo Dodge Shadow. They rebuilt my engine at 87k because of defective rist, pins. I drove until the ac went at 155k and sold. It ran good but the air was out and I didn’t want to put ant money into it.
Is it difficult to change the timing belt?
No one of the easiest . I used to do one in a hour .
Because I worked for Chrysler back then
Memories. Bought one of these used for a work car, had a blown head gasket. Automatic that had more leaks than Niagara Falls. Found another one that was hit in the rear, had a good 5 speed and most importantly a good head to replace my cracked one. Switched it all over, was a fun car with the 5 speed. But it didn’t last long, somebody had screwed up the waste gate and it was getting too much boost, blowing the head gasket again. New head gasket and tried to hook the wastegate back up correct. No internet back then, so proper information on the turbo system was hard to come by, never did get it right. After another head gasket blew, I sold it for what I had in it. Would have been a fun one to hold on to if I could have ever gotten it right.
Did I miss the price posted somewhere?
Go to FB marketplace via the link. $13,995.00
Crazy ask!
I haven’t seen one of those on the road in at least 30 years! Time capsule for sure!
Hunter TV series
Dee Dee Mcalls
It does not have Electronic Voice Commands”, because it doesn’t have the digital dash.
If they had gauges, they didn’t “Talk”.
Chrysler sure swiped the front end styling right off of Ford’s Mustang. Too bad the rest of the car was a POS.
I had 4 GLHSs, 4 Shelby CSX-VNTs, and 2 Dodge Shelby Lancers and one Dodge GLH Turbo (heavily modified). The GLH-T would consistently turn the quarter in the low 12s It was caged and embarrassed many muscle cars. My teenage son was even afraid of it. They are all gone now and I am now 80, and my son is now a 45 year old oral surgeon with a crazy fast BMW that I won’t drive.
These cars are as much fun as you can have with your clothes on or off. If
I bought it my wife would kill me with my cane. You will not be disappointed.
great looking car,i had a 89 dodge daytona,went through 2 heads,always overheated.was in the garage shop more than on the road,and i had the 2.5 ltr turbo engine,its better without turbo or the 3.0 ltr is better,the electical is bad on these cars to
Looks to be in amazing condition… Which is surprising to me… Had a few friends that had these back in the day… Fun to bomb around in… Drivetrains were fairly robust, but one could watch the rest of the car disassemble itself right before your eyes. It didn’t take to long for them to look very tired…
Depends who was behind the wheel. These cars were quick and held together if driven and maintained properly.