Turbo 2 Project: 1985 Dodge Omni GLH

The Dodge Omni GLH is one of the most notable hot hatches that America has produced, and of course, none other than Carroll Shelby himself was integral in its development. It’s a shame, then, that the GLH isn’t more of a collector’s item given its street cred and its still-respectable performance. Sadly, many of these cars suffer from being ridden hard and put away wet, which makes survivors rare and expensive. This particular Omni GLH has more than a few cosmetic needs but someone has swapped in the later and more powerful Turbo II engine. Find it here on Facebook Marketplace for $3,500.

The Omni was the perfect candidate for converting into a street-tough turbocharged punk. It was a homely vehicle in its bone-stock condition, meant for cautious grandma and angry commuters to use as their daily transport. It wasn’t meant to inspire joy unless you’re someone who truly celebrates filling up once every other week with low-grade fuel. The Omni was a decent car for commuting purposes, but I’m not sure the bar was ever raised much higher than that. The GLH worked to overcome this image in much the same way the VW GTI took the Golf from humble to hero with the addition of a more powerful engine, snappy wheels, and a gussied-up interior.

When Shelby got involved with Mopar, he tackled the company’s performance problems in phases, with the first run of turbocharged sport compacts using the “Turbo 1” engine. This was a fine motor and certainly a shot across the bow as it related to making sure the Germans and Japanese didn’t sleep on the front-wheel drive econoboxes from Chrysler. From proving themselves on the street to the local autocross course, Carroll’s involvement was a Godsend for anyone who wanted a performance car on a budget and couldn’t stomach the idea of owning a VW. The Turbo II engine that this GLH has is technically from the GLHS, which jolted output to a ridiculous 175 horsepower.

The Turbo II engine utilized an air-to-air intercooler and updated intake manifold to bump power prodigiously from the Turbo 1’s 146 b.h.p. The seller doesn’t mention if other upgrades were noticed when he was prepping this car for sale, but it appears to be more or less stock based on visuals alone. The seller says it will need some TLC and it looks like the missing grill is stowed inside the car. The floor pans and spare tire well are said to be rust-free, which is a good start for the next owner since the Omni could be vulnerable to corrosion. The asking price seems fair, especially given the engine upgrade it comes with.