The late-1970s were a funny time, and not ha-ha funny, at least for Chrysler. They were losing money but they were still producing interesting cars, at least for the times. This 1979 Plymouth Horizon TC3 is for sale here on Barn Finds and the seller is asking $3,375. It has 87,000 miles on it and it’s located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Let’s check it out.
The Plymouth Horizon TC3 and the related Dodge Omni 024 were based on the Plymouth Horizon and Dodge Omni which were themselves based on Chrysler’s European division cars and sold under the Simca/Talbot/Chrysler name. The Horizon TC3 was made between 1979 and 1982 and then it lived on as the Plymouth Turismo – the Dodge Omni 024 version continued on as the Dodge Charger.
This car looks absolutely perfect for the most part but you can see something going on with the rear bumper and the seller says that there is some minor surface rust at the very bottom of the right rear wheel well and at the base of the windshield.
The interior looks as close to being new as I can imagine any 41-year-old car could possibly be. For a Wisconsin car, I’m surprised to not see cracks on the vinyl seats from cold weather. Other seat fabric options were available, of course. This one has Chrysler’s three-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission which is unfortunate for those folks who like to shift for themselves but not for those who either don’t want to or can’t shift for themselves anymore. These cars can be fun to drive even without as much horsepower as most of us are used to now.
There are no engine photos, unfortunately, but maybe the seller could add one to the listing or send one to any interested parties. It should be a 1.7L inline-four made in the US by Volkswagen and it would have had 70 hp. The automatic transmission zapped a full two seconds from the 0-60 time. It has a newer carburetor that needs a little fine-tuning but they’re going to get to that asap. Have any of you owned a Plymouth Horizon TC3 or Dodge Omni 024?
My sister had one of these, an 024 in white/red, and was wildly in love with it. It served her well for a number of years; however, when it became time for a major repair (I can’t remember if it was water pump, or timing belt) My BIL and I discovered that n order to effect the repair, it would be necessary for the engine to be pulled! I advised him that if a guy who was pestering him to sell it really wanted it, to let it go! I still think these were smartly styled cars, and the later side window plugs didn’t do them any favors! :-)
Hey, my old stompin’ grounds. Guess you never know what’s in those garages, hey? Actually, I’m not surprised to see this from Wisconsin. These were actually very popular. People that bought these, generally had Omni/ Horizons that they wore out, and wanted something a bit sportier. I had several K-cars and vans, and every one was good vehicle. Most peoples bad opinions of these cars, comes from the fact, Americans were used to 455’s, and they drove these too hard and maintained them poorly. The old V8 could go for years without an oil change, but 4 cylinders need extra care. Nice find, parts galore, I’m sure.
I remember these and liked them alot! When I was a little kid my babysitter’s family had 3 of them. This car if it only was here in upstate ny would be mine.
The first car I ever bought, piece of crap. In 1987 my 1979 TC3 had 80K miles and was rusting to pieces and what parts couldn’t rust were breaking and falling off. At least the 1.7L VW engine was trouble free even though the 10 miles of vacuum lines were always cracking or coming loose. The manual transmission made it a little fun and allowed the little VW block to give all it had. Overall these cars were complete junk.
I think all the painted bumpers back then were yellow plastic painted body color
Any scratch or rub and you see the yellow underneath
We bought a 79 TC3 brand new. We were enamored with the look. We picked it up on a Friday night. The next day I showed it to my father in law because we were so proud. He asked to drive it and before he could get down the block the gear shift lever let go of the linkage. This problem manifested itself numerous times over the next eleven months. My wife drove it to the veterinarian with our 110 pound Irish Setter in the back. It was a super hot Alabama August day and the car stopped running. It was not the first time it left us stranded but it was the last. In order to open or close the doors you had to lift them because the hinges stretched.
We had no problem with the way it drove when it ran but it remains the only car I ever traded in the first year of ownership.
I bought a used 1971 Fiat 850 Spider and I thought I would never own a worse car but then here came the Horizon.
One of the things I continue to like about this site is the time its writers take to highlight regular, albeit unique, “forgettable” cars.
I haven’t seen one of these in years!
Liked them then; find myself still liking it now.
Nice find, nice write-up – Miss you Plymouth!
Tinworms feasted mightily on these here in western Pennsylvania. The smogger 4 cylinders struggled on the hills and it was often a close race as to whether rust of engine failure sent the car to the junkyard.
Imagine a 15 year old waking up Christmas morning with a brand-new 1981 Dodge Omni 024 in the driveway! I LOVED my 024. I drove the HELL outta that car (put 3K miles on it “night driving” before I even HAD a driver’s license –don’t do that kids!) While it was NOT a fast car, it was certainly fast enough! I was even pulled over doing 110mph in it at 3am one morning.
The sheriff said, “Do you know how FAST you were going?” I said, “Well, the speedometer only goes up to 85 but it was bouncing like crazy!” He said, “You were doing 110 in a 55!!” I said, “I didn’t think this car could DO 110!” He said, “Neither did I…” I saw the radar readout…110mph. He gave me a ticket for 85mph (30 over).
Kept it until I was 18 and then got a cherry 1964 Valiant Signet 200 that I wish I still had. Only real mechanical repair with the 024 I ever had was replacing the muffler when I tore it off driving up the steep incline into Pizza Hut’s parking lot with 9 pom pon girls riding with me inside. THAT ride and repair was well worth it.
I have a LOT of fun memories when these come up on Barnfinds. Thanks for the synaptic trip through time! I’d buy the car for nostalgic reasons, but I like my memories and the luxury and speed of my MKZ AWD 2.0T Reserve a lot better.
Hey folks, this is my car. I was taking pictures when another car came down the alley so I just said “screw it” & parked. I didn’t want to be a pain to the neighbors lol.
I will be happy to send any pictures a potential buyer might want. Under hood is no problem, close ups of any vit of rust is also no problem.
I have a friend with a repair shop and a hoist, so I can get under body shots too, if desired.
It is currently at that repair shop to get the carburator dialed in. I don’t do well with carburators & decided to take it somewhere that does.
The car was never equipped with a/c, so keep that in mind. Not a matter that it doesn’t work, but never equipped.
Very roomy inside, my 6 foot tall 320 pound frame fits in it comfortably, although I bet I look like I am wearing it lol.
All in all a VERY nice car.
I am new to this community as a whole, been in it for only about a year (back from a hiatus due to some schmuck who was trolling me), and I certainly don’t want to ruin my reputation here for an inexpensive car. I will be straight with anyone regarding issues or potential issues with it.
If any questions, please call me at (414)940-1392. If not, call anyhow lol! I am going out of my mind sitting here in these 4 walls, laid off from work due to world affairs.
Stay Corona-free!
P/s Howdie Howie
I bought a ’79 024 new from North Shore Dodge. Still have it and take it to Georgie Porgie’s some Saturdays. Did you sell it?
I did sell it, it went to a great home in Texas.
Let me know when you go to Georgie Porgies. I would love to check your car out!
Feel free to call me at (414)940-1392.
Does anybody that had one back in the day pine for another one today?
Hey S, well, there you have a testimonial you can take to the bank. I happen to know Steve, and he can be trusted. I also happen to know, that Wis. collector plate , being a 3 digit number, is one of the original collector plates ( B indicating 3rd plate for this #). How it escaped the tin worm, I’m sure is on everyones mind.
As far as cabin fever, I’d like to thank BF’s as well, for keeping the “shop” open. I’m lucky to live in an area with almost no cases, and no travel, so not many visitors. Stevie, I got a dual sport bike, and have been going back in the mountains. It does nothing for the “cause”, but keeps me sane. (O’Havre Lake, Chaffee County, Co. elev. 9200 ft)
Thank you Howard for the kind words.
I’m glad you got your knees in the breeze, I’m more than a little jealous. My scoot is up in Hayward yet, still snowed in.
Yeah, I for the life of me would love to hear the history of this car. It is VERY solid and clean, and that never happens around here (as you know). It should resemble swiss cheese by now lol.
I lost your email address, otherwise I would have kept in touch with you on my hiatus from this website.
Take ‘er easy buddy! Gimme a call if you wish. My number is in a response above. Same number for 2 decades, it will never change.
Junk when new, and still is. My Mom test-drove a red one in `79; I went along for the ride. The thing couldn’t get out of its own way, and rode horribly. She never even bothered showing Dad the car. We went right along to some other make.
Hey Will, we all can have opinions, I just don’t understand where people get their reasons from? Now, in Ed’s case^, rust was NOT the cars fault, and in your case, what did you take to the dealer, an LTD? If someone merely took a test drive, or only had one, I can’t take that as a valid truth. I’ve had half a dozen Kcars, 3 mini vans, my daughter had a Shadow, all were good cars, but like all my vehicles, I babied the heck out of them, and it paid off. I got hundreds of thousands of miles on my mini-vans. We take front drive small cars( if any) for granted today, but in ’79, it was uncharted territory, and I think Chrysler did a great job. What did Ford and Chevy have? A Chevette? A Pinto, A freakin’ Gremlin??? I think some have forgotten what the late 70’s were like.
Still have mine. An 82 024. Saved for my son
I went to high school at a catholic school 15 miles from home. There was no bus service so we had to car pool with a couple of other kids from the area. One was a senior who had the exact car as this down to the color. The only exceptions were his was a stick shift and had an exhaust leak. By the time I got to school I felt like Jerry Garcia. Combine carbon monoxide poisoning with my lack of motivation and needless to say school didn’t go well.
That TC3 might be why I found a home in the army.
These were surprisingly entertaining to drive….. with a manual transmission. The automatic cost far more than what appeared on the window sticker.
Yeah, the stick shift ones have way bigger cajones. This one us pretty slow. Hopefully getting the carburator dialed in will make it better.
The stick shift ones were also rated at a even now fantastic 51 mpg’s. The automatic, like this, were rated at 31 mpg’s. Huge jump down just by ticking off that one box.
I’m not saying this car is perfect, but it is a really neat car, is solid and clean, & will make someone an excellent fair weather driver…maybe even me, if it doesn’t sell lol.
All the epa highway ratings back then were garbage. I guess all they did was throw them on a dyno at a constant 55 mph with no consideration for wind resistance. With the 4spd manual my TC3 averaged around 25mpg and maybe a tad over 30 straight highway driving. Never anything close to the
EPA figure.
I’m a sucker for these front wheel drive dodge Chrysler’s. Especially the GLHS, Charger, and Rampage. My GTCruiser turbo is as close as I get to some of those cars. Not cause I can afford them. The wife won’t let me bring anymore cars home.(we’re up to a 5 car fleet)
My first new car! I bought a ’79 TC3 with the sport package, bright yellow and black two tone. Honeycomb aluminum color keyed wheels with raised outline Goodyear GT radials and a spoiler. TC3 graphics behind the doors. 4 spd transmission, no power steering or windows, no A/C. Oh yeah, and the “cool at the time” black and yellow plaid seats! It cost just over 6k brand new. These things were flying off the lots back then, I bought mine on dealer order sight unseen.
Loved that car to death, and actually just about drove to death. 6 years and 105,000 miles and it was pretty much done. Engine burned a quart of oil every 200 miles, 2nd gear was gone, and the water pump was shot. Quite a few dents and starting to rust pretty bad behind the rear wheels.
Great memories, really enjoyed that car!
Reading these stories is fun. I too appreciate the Barn Finds writers featuring the common cars from back in the day. When the Fairmonts and six-cylinder Darts and four-door Chevelles show up, the comments usually light up. Let’s be honest—- that is what most of us have experience with and can relate to. Our first-hand experiences with the Boss 302’s are (beyond seeing them at shows) more along the lines of “I vaguely remember some guy in my town having one, I saw it once or twice.”
Something most of the OEM’s lost 20 year ago: The fun of taking their cheapest sh*tbox line, smash and stretch it, parts-bin engineer it, and make it a fun little inexpensive sports coupe. Didnt need to be a performance monster. Didnt have to re-invent it from scratch and put millions into development. Just cheap transportation with a little fun mixed in. The Fiero was the ultimate realization of this idea. I think only Nissan and Kia/Hyundai have tried this in the last 20 years, with varying success but willingness to take risks.
I had an ‘83, by then known as the Turismo. First car I ever bought on my own without a cosigner. Very economical and versatile.
GREAT, now I have that dumb commercial stuck in my head………
Ply-Mouth Hor-I-Zon TC3 Goes Beyooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnddddddd.
thanks alot……lol
Better looking than most cars today. Everybody bad mouthed these. I had a 024 pickup version. Ran 150,000 before it rusted. Guess what, new Hondas rust worse. Subframes, quarter panels and fuel lines. Jap junk. American cars forever.
My story:
My father bought one of these for my mother: A ’79 Horizon 4 door. Same plastic interior as this one and when I saw the pictures, it made me remember that unique smell of that brand-new plastic, nothing else like it. Everything you touched was plastic.
I must have been impressed. In ’86, I bought a brand-new GLH-T. About as different as 2 platform mates could be. Gone was all that plastic, replaced with those deep and comfortable velour seats.
I am lowering the price on the car, I really need to sell it. I have no idea how to adjust the price on the ad, so I am doing it this way lol.
I am n ok w asking $2,875.00 or offer, and I am cross advertising it on Chicago’s Craig’s List.
The car really runs and drives well. The carburator has been fine-tuned, & now I believe it would actually keep up with a dump truck instead of getting passed by one like before lol.
Thank you all, and I wish you all a Corona-free existence!
I took the car to work (first day back after being laid off because of the Coronavirus) and put the car on a hoist. I took all sorts of underbody shots. If anyone is interested, I can text or email them. I keep forgetting to take shots of the engine, but I don’t mind doing it, if anyone asks for them. Very solid car! I really need to sell it though, so check it out (or have an unbiased person do it, if you are too far away) and make a fair offer.
I will be listing a hearse here next week! I have more to sell after that one too. I need to unload almost everything due to my stupidity, and a pending legal issue. Thank you all, and stay Corona-free!
I don’t know how to delete an ad, so I am notifying the Barn Finds community and administration that I have now sold the Horizon. Thank you all for your interest and support. Please watch for the next one I will be putting up for sale as soon as the paint touch up work is completed. It is a 1995 Cadillac Hearse with the LT1 v-8, targa band, commercial glass and a pullout table.
I wish you all a happy & healthy corona-free existence.
Just for everyone’s information, I just asked the buyer of this car how she found it. She told me she saw it both on Craig’s List and Barn Finds. I did place it on Craig’s list about a week after I ran the ad here.
The buyer was a young chick, 22 years old. That tells me that there are young people who are still interested in the old car hobby. She made it back home to Texas with it, notifying me of her safe return home about 45 min ago.
I don’t believe she would have made the voyage just on a Craig’s list ad alone.
Thank you Barn Finds for assisting with selling the car. I have more to unload before in the near future, due to legal obligations and my eventual move to Arizona. Barn Finds will get my repeat business, the hearse probably will be next.
Again, thank you Barn Finds, and I hope Tristan enjoys her new Plymouth Horizon TC3.
Stay healthy all! Separately, we can beat this Corona crap, then drink Corona beer!
I bought a brand new horizon TC3 in 1979. This was my first brand new car but I owned two other used vehicles before this. This was back when gas was going from 75 cents a gallon to a dollar a gallon. I panicked and got rid of my 10 mile per gallon Cutlass to buy this economy car . I drove mine from 79 till 92. Got 30 miles per gallon on the highway. Yes it didn’t have much horsepower but I had a 4-speed manual and it was fun to drive. This one has already sold but in the future if I come across one similar to mine I will buy it. I never had any big issues with mine until the late 80s when the head gasket went out. Got it fixed and redid the head and after that it never burnt oil again, whereas before it would burn about a quart every 3,000 miles. My opinion it was one of the best economy cars I’ve ever owned and not very expensive to repair over the 13 years that I owned it.
I had one. The body was in great shape. The VW engine was easy to work on. The only problem we had and my wife got rid of it was when it rained, it would stall. We would have to start it back up and it was 50/50 if it would keep running. I was told it was the computer so I covered it with plastic and it never helped. It always ran great when it was dry and got descent gas mileage.
I REALLY wish I kept this car.
I recently talked to the young woman who bought it, she still has it and still loves it. I am glad it went to a good home!