Our resident Japanese survivor-car fanatic Scotty G. may want to check out this unmolested 1981 Plymouth Champ, a rare variant stemming from Chrysler’s affinity for re-badging Mitsubishi economy cars. This particular example is less frequently seen, as most of the remaining examples still on the road are the Dodge Colt variety. More than that, even fewer have the rare Mitsubishi-designed “Super Shift” transmission, sold in the U.S. as the “Twin Stick.” The seller claims to be an expert in these obscure front-drivers, and you can find the Plymouth here on eBay with a $3,995 Buy-It-Now.
The Champ has resided primarily in California and Texas, a big reason why its bodywork is still so clean. Although this isn’t the hotted-up RS version, I suspect it’s at least a “Deluxe” trim due to the wheel covers, exhaust tip and AM/FM radio in the dash. The bodywork looks excellent, and the two-tone paint job is certainly period correct (but it is a repaint, as noted by the seller). Like so many other “world” cars, the version sold in the U.S. got saddled with those ugly park-bench safety bumpers.
The interior is spotless, with clean carpets, an uncracked dash pad and original radio still mounted in the dash. There is a tear on the driver’s side bolster, but that seems to be the biggest sin. There’s also the thoroughly weird and wonderful Twin Stick transmission, which offered eight forward speeds and two reverse speeds, and may have partially contributed to the Colt / Mirage twins being ranked one of the most efficient vehicles in the country by the EPA at the time. The air conditioning does still work, sort of, as it still cools but could be colder.
This example has the later 1.6L 4G32 Saturn engine, good for about 80 b.h.p. It may not sound like much, but with the light weight and manual transmission, it’s likely more than enough to move this Champ down the road. Champ, Colt, Mirage – so many names for such a simple car. Although its value likely won’t change for the foreseeable future, survivors like this one are getting harder to find, and the novelty of the Twin Stick transmission will always be a hit at car shows. Lots of fun for little money – always a good combo.
Uuuhh.. this is painful, Jeff. (caution: lame excuse ahead) If it was a GTS Turbo I’d have to think much, much harder, but that twin-stick is great. Mark my words, this will have been a bargain in a year or two. Nice find, sir.
You wouldn’t have to go all the way to the Turbo version to have a lot of fun. The GTS package was sold with the N/A 1.4L engine, and it was a gas!
Fun, economical and reliable cars with terminal understeer. The Twin-Stick/Super-Shift was a great chatschke (apologies for the bad Yiddish spelling), that I never thought had a practical purpose, but was a kick to use.
I had the base model *Mitsubishi Mirage, as a company car, in the early 1980s. Outside of the dreaded, aforementioned understeer, it was surprisingly good on long trips. At the same time, a buddy of mine back in SoCal had a Champ a.k.a. the ‘Chump’, equipped much like the one Jeff posted, above.
He played with the suspension (sway bars, shocks, etc.) and was able to dial-out the understeer. He said it was quick enough for him to pick up a rather large speeding ticket, blasting around a corner just outside Traveltown in Griffith Park.
Scotty’s right: If you’re into ’80s Japanese machinery, this one is probably going to be pretty good buying. I’m sure if someone here bought the Champ, I could ask my ol’ bud back in SoCal (who now drives/races a Subaru WRX Sti) what he did to improve the handling on his old one.
*In NZ, this is pronounced ‘Bits-are-missing’.
Tin can death trap…
I had a neighbor with one of these, although, I don’t recall the twin stick. It was a cheapie, and he was a carpenter, like 6’8″ (so a tall person can fit) with all his tools in the back, and drove the behoosis out of that car. We joked about how tall he was getting out of a car like this, but it served him well.
That story reminds me of a Simpsons episode.
Rare find. There are pretty much no more of these cars around any longer. In 1986, I had a basic yellow 1981 Dodge Colt 2 door, which was the same as this car with a 4 speed and a bad muffler. The Colt’s didn’t have the twin stick. Loved it. I still miss that car!
Yes the Colts did have the twin stick. It was optional on both the Dodge and the Plymouth versions.
I had both.
I also had a Colt – ’82, silver exterior with red interior (remember when interiors had colors?!) and the Twin Stick. Relatively basic model, no A/C but did have AM/FM – probably 2 speakers! That was a fun little car, my first new car. I don’t recall it having two reverse gears, though. I guess depending on whether you were in Power or Economy, it could be a different ratio, but don’t recall it being much different.
My Colt was a bright orange ’79.
I really liked that car.
I didn’t realize at the time how hard it would be to find another one.
For sure you could change from the power to economy range when backing up, amazing and mystifying your friends…. :-)
I had the Dodge Colt turbo twin stick. Under steer was an understatement. Nail it in 1st get low and you could make a 90 degree turn without moving the steering wheel. Great fun though…
The phenomenon you describe is called “torque steer”, not “under steer”. Not much of that with the NA 1400 motor in mine. I drove several of the Turbos, and spinning the front tires could be an issue at low speeds with aggressive throttle application. The one with a grafted-on intercooler from a Fuego made right-foot modulation even more important.
Unlike the recollection of +Beatnik Bedouin+, my ’83 Plymouth Colt GTS had zero issues with understeer, it cornered like being on rails. Loved the Twin Stick, fun to drive.
The nice thing about the 1400 engine, it was non-interference. The cam belt lost a ton of teeth on an interstate highway, and I coasted the car off at an exit ramp and into a gas station. Changed the belt the next day and drove the car more than another year before selling it.
In NZ it was called “super shift” (your twin stick). My parents had two of them. I can remember going through all 8 gears for a bit of fun.
Don’t forget the 2 speed reverse capabilities!
What a great find! I haven’t seen a Champ in YEARS, and I have never seen this twin-stick in anything other than a Rambler! I miss Plymouth. Neat being reminded that the ‘80’s did offer up some diamonds.
Mine was a 1980 twin stick, silver, hounds tooth type seat pattern. Fun to drive and the twin stick was nice in the mountains where I was living at the time; did fine in the snow as well. Drove it ten years, a bit over 100K, one timing belt and water pump, one exhaust, a few sets of tires, and regular maintenance and it never let me down. Even started right up on a minus 30 winter day when the Mercedes diesel at the fancy resort wouldn’t start even after the owner tried to warm it up with a electric blanket. It did all it was supposed to do and was as advertised, what more could you want in an econobox? (40 mpg on the road too!)
Cool little car and very dependable. A bit of an oddity today you would think until i test drove the new KIA Stinger last weekend that has a 8 speed auto gearbox.
That is my next step, to drive a Stinger. I hope to find a 6 cylinder to test.
I have a daily search on Ebay for Dodge Colts. Apart from the 1979 white with red trim that has been for sale for months and months, this is the first front wheel drive Colt that has come up in a very long time.
They are indeed rare, unless all the owners are just keeping them.
I lived on Puerto Rico from 80-83. Only place I saw a Champ–and MANY of them was there. This car is worth 4 grand. I HATE Jap cars, but If I had 4 to spare, I’d buy this one.
A former girl friend bought one of these used back in about 1985 to replace her old 1200cc Corolla, which had severe tinworm issues. She loved the Champ, and I know she drove it long after we went our separate ways, as we shopped at the same grocery store for several years. Nice lady, nice car.
Those are not wheel covers, those are the wheels. Owned a 79 and a 81 model, both 1.6 with twin stick. Very peppy. Autocrossed the 79, did pretty good. Just shortened the motor life by about 80K miles though. Engines with the 2 valve/1 jet valve setup were very quick, but very undependable.
source the twin OHcam efi, dual solex or turboed 1.6L 4G32 for some fun…
These motors R ‘cross flow’ so very adaptable
The engine you refer to (DOHC 16V 1.6L) was the 4G61. Baby sibling of the often-hotrodded 2.0L 4G63. Available in N/A or Turbo versions, it was (and is) a great motor. I own three 4G61T cars from 1989. The 4G32 is what is in this car I think, SOHC 8V. I’d still like to have this one. IIRC, they weigh right at a ton, or slightly under. The ’89 cars are very heavy by comparison,tipping the scales about 2600 lbs.
I had one in high school. We would take the rear windows out and speed down the road late at night throwing green under ripe grapefruits at mail boxes……what a blast :)