When someone says “Best on the East Coast,” you might expect to see a Corvette or Ferrari in the picture. Nope – we’re looking at the best Dodge Aires on the eastern seaboard, found in New Jersey. A few years ago, this would have been a laughable claim and the seller would be perceived as a comedian; now, I think the winds are shifting as cars from the 80s increasingly come into vogue. Find this supreme Aires here on craigslist for $2,700.
The Aires is claimed to have nicely preserved and original Ruby Red paint and an impressive maintenance history file from the last few years. The seller mentions in the listing he is a cancer patient who has lost the ability to speak and needs to sell the car for medical reasons. There’s also a mention of a GoFundMe page in the description. Rich, if you’re reading this, we wish you the best and hope your Aires finds a new caretaker. Nice job keeping this one alive.
The interior is red cloth and is also said to be in excellent shape. Recent maintenance items include “….front brakes, struts, starter, radiator, tune-ups, battery, oil changes every 2,000 miles and coolant system flushed out with a new thermostat.” Basic stuff for sure, but that’s likely all this Aires really needs to keep humming. When it was introduced, the car was intended to set new benchmarks – not become a laughing stock.
This Aires doesn’t have the turbocharged drivetrain that found its way into many Mopar products of the 80s, but that’s OK – simplicity if what makes this so attractive as a hobby car. The only non-functioning item reported is the A/C compressor, and the rest of the car is simple enough that there’s not much to break, from manual windows to a basic AM/FM radio. Mileage is low at 65,500, so there should be plenty of life left in the time-warp Aires. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Bill for the find.
A “K” car will always be a “K” car……..just saying.
I had 2 of these, one was a wagon this same color and the other a Dodge 600. The wagon took us to Florida ( from Wisconsin) got super mileage, not a speck of trouble. Even took the ex-wifes abuse. The 600 got cheap, bad trans, or something, swapped the entire front suspension, motor and trans in an afternoon. I sure wish people wouldn’t rip on these cars.( and vans) I had the best of luck with all of them.
I agree with Howard. Sold these things and they were plain but did exactly what they were supposed to do. Got great mileage and puttered along long after the Diplomats, Lebaron convertibles and 600s took a crap. You’d rather have had a 1988 Tempo? Hah.
Tempos suck! K cars rule!
I had a Tempo, an ’84, 2 door, I think. Not a bad car, but sadly couldn’t take the ex’s abuse, and one night( with her foot to the floor, I’m sure) boiled all the coolant out of it, and it was good-bye Tempo.
cjm.blm, I agree Tempos suck, but I do not agree K cars rule.
I see $1400.; tops. All I would want this for, is a winter beater to get back-forth to work. About as generic, blah, unassuming as they get. Heck, even thieves would ignore this sad little box.
I’m with Howard and Rodney on this. Had a wagon when I was young and it took alot of abuse from me and the road salt in MN winters. Wound up going through 2 trannys then finally gave her up to the crusher. Got fantastic mileage and was actually pretty damn comfortable.
A newspaper bag sure beats a dirty, less than well-manicured thumb.
I’m still wondering what people think the point is of covering something that is required, by law to be in full unobstructed view at all times when on the road. Some people just don’t think…
Could not agree more. The Craigslist finger has become a thing in itself.
Because a license tag photo posted on a web site potentially exposes one to a much wider range of crazies than you’d get by simply being seen driving down the road.
The fear of exposure to the crazies is far too exaggerated – I put my phone number in every Craigslist ad I post and never get crank calls.
It only takes one to make your life a living hell.
The highly-coveted, and rare, MOPAR custom license plate cover. Might be worth more than the car.
Around 1990 my grandparents were on a road trip in their new Honda Accord when they totaled it in a remote area. The insurance company rented them a K identical to this one (right down to the color) for a few weeks while it figured out what to do with the Accord, during which time they put a couple thousand miles on it. When the rental ended they were shopping for a car to buy to complete their trip. They had so thoroughly enjoyed their rental that they tried to buy one just like it. Roomy for its size, easy on gas, adequate power, decent handling. Unfortunately, Chrysler had just discontinued them. I talked them out of buying the rental, as I felt that it had probably been abused. They ended up with a Nissan, but probably would have been just as happy with the K.
My grandparents had been Dodge Dart owners. I think the K had similar appeal. Certainly no luxury car, but good, honest, basic transportation. I didn’t care for the front seat they put in these last of the K cars, but otherwise they may have been the best of the original models. I could see myself buying one like this and using it as a hobby car and backup commuter.
Shhh take this down fast as these cars only survive by not showing them on websites in public …
Hundreds of people hunt K cars down to scrap them to avoid people breaking down in old 80s non expensive Chrysler K cars 😜 on roadways 😆👀
Remember the “If I had a million dollars “ song spoof like me on buying a nice K car..
Seriously…This is a 2000 dollar maximum price car..
Yesterday a Ford Falcon was featured, this car is a relative equivalent. It’s not for me but even an econobox has it’s merits.
Oil change every 2,000 miles, so basically once a year!
These boxy people movers were all over the place, even for years after they discontinued them. Glad to see a survivor in this shape. Rich, hope she finds a good home and best of luck to you.
Must have a hella tranny to need a front drag chute!! Never seen one b4
In 1980 my parents bought a brand-new Chevrolet Citation after the Ford Granada was totalled. The citation from the first week was junk. Constantly breaking down transmission replaced twice in 6 months you could say it was a lemon. My dad had the last straw when it broke down in front of a Dodge dealership with the introduction of the K car. He traded for a 1981 Dodge Aries K. Best car we ever had then bought a Chrysler E-Class I inherited the “K-mart” car as my friends in high school stated but it ran and ran and ran. After I bought my own car my teenage sister drove it next several teenage cousins drove it we went mud-bogging in it lol. When my parents sold it had 284,000 miles endured several teenage family members I’ll say that was a great car 2.00 worth of gas lasted a long time in that car
why hasnt it been inspected in 2 years
No state inspection in NJ any more on pre-1996 vehicles.
These are a great cars. Simple, reliable, roomy, comfortable transportation. Good looking too, IMO, particularly the wagons and coupes. The later EFI ones are actually very pleasant cars to drive. And great on gas! Can you say 35-37 MPG if driven conservatively on the highway? They handle good, they ride good, they have peppy performance. NO car this small can seat 6 people, today. Its a shame that with all the current government regulations no one can build and sell a cheap simple car like this now. The streets used to be littered with them but now they are a rare sight. So far superior to the competitive models from Ford (Tempo, Topaz), and GM- (Grand Am, etc).
Are you being shot into space??
Parents had one, same color inside and out.
After they drove it home from the dealership, they mentioned that it didn’t feel like it was shifting right. I had a look at the tranny fluid, and there was none!
I filled it and suggested that they take it back and complain, but they didn’t. AFAIK, they never had a problem with it, but it just proves the point that QC was not top priority.
I had a small fleet of them for my surplus company’s employees. We would buy them from government auctions with low miles and run the wheels off them. We learned the fuel injected 2.2/2.5 engines were the best…….the 2.6 Mitsubishi engine was terrible. The cars we looked for had 5 lug wheels. The A/C was great, most everything on the car was cheep and easy to fix. It is a non-interference engine so if you blew a timing belt it could be easily repaired on the side of the road. The only really expensive part was the front wheel bearings. They are sealed and would go out at 120-140,000 miles so we frequently sold them about that time. Always sold them for more than we paid for them. They are the perfect combination of decent size and economy. Anyone that I knew that needed a car eventually got one. I spent many nights careening across some southwest desert at 85 mph with the A/C and AM radio blairing on the way to some auction. we even crashed a few and they held up very well. They have always been under appreciated but wonderful transportation.
For one thing cars are heavier today, largely due to structure and equipment required to meet government safety regulations. A 2018 Corolla weighs nearly 600 pounds more than a Dodge Aries.
Not only are modern cars heavier, but they have to meet much more stringent emission standards than they did 30 years ago.
I had a K-car, a Plymouth Reliant, as a company vehicle in the early 1980s and while it was reasonably economical I don’t recall it ever getting 35 mpg on the road. More like 25, which was good for the time. Since it was a company car I kept accurate mileage and gas purchase records. (Though that Reliant was an earlier model with the carbureted 2.2. It was also a lemon, constantly breaking down and having to be towed.)
There are a huge number of variables that affect gas mileage. To get a true comparison you’d need to compare the K-car against a modern vehicle driven in the same manner under the same conditions.
Somebody call Red Green. He needs this one at the Possum Lodge as a company car for Harold.
That had to be the funniest show ever for a motorhead. ( I’m sure non-motorheads missed a lot of the humor.) If I may quote Red himself, “Give me a K-car, some duct tape and a hacksaw, and I’m a happy man”.
Keep your stick on the ice.
I’d buy it, just to sock it away and drive it every few days. Kids in 2050 need to know the steps in between 1972 and the cars of their time. 1975-1995 were pretty bad times for the American car, but it’s still part of the history.
That is a 2.5 self aspartated! They are far more reliable than the 2.5 turbo! I have a engine just like it in a little car I picked up on! I live 100 miles away from the largest town closest to me! I jumped in that little car a week ago and escaped! LOL, I cruised right along in 80 to 85 mph traffic all the way there and back! I had already recently had the suspension rebuilt and new toyo tires installed! I normally don’t drive that fast anymore, but I wanted to see how that motor would run! I was impressed! Someone buy this one! Nice little car, great commuters, normal maintenance! JMHO!
Mr. Rooney drove one of these didn’t he? Lol
Bought an ’89 Caravan w/ the 2.5L turbo with 147k on it for $500. Only issue? The spark wire ends, that were the contacts in the distributor were burned away, so they thought the head gasket was junk. $11 later it was “All good.” Did put a head gasket on it, a Cometic MLS version with ARP head stud kit and the head got all refreshed & worked a little. Garrett T3 turbo, Shelby intake, FFV injectors, Volvo intercooler, DSM blow off valve, and a 3″ exhaust from the swing valve back (it did have a resonator, so not obnoxious). Shelby wheels, Koni struts/KYB shocks (on a tube w/ rear sway Bar), bigger front brakes, built the trans a bit and had an LSD in the diff. Drove it 308k miles, then a water hose to the turbo blew and it popped the head gasket. Pulled the good bits off, swapped/traded/ sold them off. Greatest S-box ever
I have bought a lot of these. They seem to be worth about the same as they did back in the ’90s.
Here in Mexico this was a very prevalent car.
They are all over the place still. I have been arguing with myself about buying some of the nicer ones and putting them away.
I wonder what the differences are between the smogged out American cars and the Mexican cars that were basically an engine and transmission without all the vacuum hoses running everywhere. A lot of them are stick shifts here though, which is better than the automatic.