Chrysler - Chrysler 180/2 litre

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
View Threaded
Fri 11 Sep 2009 21:18
Chrysler 180/2 litre - Marc
When was the last time you saw one of these :

www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C112472/

As a youngster, I remember a guy round the corner having one of these in metallic mid green. Looked like a bloated, more luxurious Avenger.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 11 Sep 2009 21:46
Chrysler 180/2 litre - Pugugly
They were rusting as they were pushed off the production line.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 12 Sep 2009 07:44
Chrysler 180/2 litre - L'escargot
They were rusting as they were pushed off the production line.


I worked in R&D for the company from 1964 to 1975, and I can tell you with authority that your statement isn't true.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 12 Sep 2009 08:40
Chrysler 180/2 litre - perro
I remember these cars with fondness, having worked on many of the critters, leaving reliability and rust aside - I'd rather drive one than an Avenger or the awful Tagora.
The carburettor was a suitable case for treatment, if my memory serves me well.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 12 Sep 2009 09:12
Chrysler 180/2 litre - Pugugly
It might be literally true, but they were rustbuckets that died from tin-worm.


Edit:-meant to type not literally true. - These were bought by the MoD as staff cars in the 70s - they were pulled out of Germany after one winter due to them rusting, despite fastidious cleaning. Dynamically I have no clue what they were like, they probably had good engines but the bodies rotted from early on in their lives.

Edited by Pugugly on 12/09/2009 at 09:51

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 12 Sep 2009 09:36
Chrysler 180/2 litre - djs.69
I'm just glad I got one of the few left, even though it isn't yet MOTd I do drive it in/out of lock-up to tick it over and move it, ready for next spring hopefully. My other car is a Chrysler too (PT Cruiser diesel 04/04), previously had a Neon as well. Any more info or stories on them is appreciated, good or bad as is a good read.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 13 Sep 2009 17:41
Chrysler 180/2 litre - Altea Ego
>> They were rusting as they were pushed off the production line.
>>
I worked in R&D for the company from 1964 to 1975 and I can tell
you with authority that your statement isn't true.


Clearly then, the rust was a feature added at the dealership, because they all had it as standard.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 11 Sep 2009 22:40
Chrysler 180/2 litre - Harleyman
Looked like a bloated more luxurious Avenger.
>>

Not a bad description; the Avenger was a better car all round though.

I'm only surprised that four people have bothered to keep one.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 11 Sep 2009 22:45
Chrysler 180/2 litre - bell boy
they never sold well
horrible rusting things
i never wanted one even at £35 which was what they did in the auctions at the time
anybody remember the avengers pushing their rear springs through the trailing arms?
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 11 Sep 2009 23:41
Chrysler 180/2 litre - djs.69
Good evening
Just strayed onto the site and registered 5 mins ago after reading the question. I got one of the few remaining ones left, a 1978 2-litre in Copper with a tan vinyl roof. You're right about the rust, mine is going to be restored over the coming months and hopefully up for showing next year. Always wanted one since a kid, now 39 I found it earlier this year.
Shame there isn't a facitity to post up a pic.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 11 Sep 2009 23:48
Chrysler 180/2 litre - bell boy
join photobucket.com
upload the pictures
then copy/paste the second link down
i thank you

Edited by bell boy on 11/09/2009 at 23:49

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 11 Sep 2009 23:44
Chrysler 180/2 litre - AlastairW
I knew an old bloke who had bought one as his 'retirement car'. Even when he was too infirm to actually drive, he still sat in it at the roadside most afternoons, until he passed away.

The car was replaced by the shortlived Talbot Tagora in the pricelists, istr.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 26 Apr 2013 10:43
Chrysler 180/2 litre - rafolian
I had one of these for a couple of years in the 70's (along with many other cars).
The constant reference to rust makes me smile, did n't most cars from then rust?
The biggest rust buckets I have ever owned were Fords, the worst being a mark 3 cortina! The wings on my 180 were rotten which I replaced with almost new ones sourced from a breakers and easy to fit as they were bolt on. Other than the wings, the rest of the car was ok. Mine was very reliable, comfortable, quite quick for the time (quicker than my mates brand new Granada 2.3 v6, and more economical!) Had good brakes (discs all round). I personally liked mine and think they were underrated at the time and as to the Avenger being a better car, you obviously haven't a clue about the car let alone driven one.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 26 Apr 2013 10:50
Chrysler 180/2 litre - TeeCee

You are right of course, everything rusted for fun back then.

The only difference between cars was how many "rust traps" they had, to provide a good place for the tinworm to take hold and how thick the steel was, which dictated the length of time it took for the rot to become terminal.

Edit: One of the more famous I recall was the cunning mechanism that Alfa put in the Alfasud that allowed the driver to tell when the original tyres were wearing out. By the time the tyres wore down you could see the tread from the driver's seat, through the holes in the tops of the wings.

Edited by TeeCee on 26/04/2013 at 10:52

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 11 Sep 2009 23:50
Chrysler 180/2 litre - Avant
If I remember right, this car wasn't as bad as some in tgerms of design, and the Talbot Tagora which followed it had quite good write-ups.

If only they'd sold them as Humbers instead of imposing names (Chrysler, Talbot) which were familiar only to people who drove in the 1930s, they might had had some success.

Edited by Avant on 11/09/2009 at 23:51

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 11 Sep 2009 23:57
Chrysler 180/2 litre - bell boy
avant they were dreadfull cars, i remember them well ,rotten to the core at 7 years old
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 12 Sep 2009 00:09
Chrysler 180/2 litre - djs.69
My local garage still sells 4-star petrol which I get for it ticking it over in the lock-up I have, £1.50/ltr (£6.73/gallon). Has been waxoiled and stored for years, so a seam and boot weld needs doing plus brakes, otherwise rolling restoration. A hark back to childhood for me.
(Trying photobucket for pics, not used it before so reading all the rules of posting etc.)
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 12 Sep 2009 00:11
Chrysler 180/2 litre - bell boy
you can lie through your teeth on photobucket
just make sure your email address is true
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 12 Sep 2009 00:26
Chrysler 180/2 litre - 1400ted
Welcome to the forum...hope you stay with us.
I had a Chrysler 2 litre...probably about 22 years ago. It was a red one. I bought it from a local Lada dealer, we were buying his cheaper trade- ins at the time. I don't remember much about it now but I know it took some time to sell on. Probably took a loss on it just to get rid !

Ted
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 12 Sep 2009 00:28
Chrysler 180/2 litre - wazza
Father's friend had one back in the 70's. I remember the comfortable front seat which he installed from another car. I always remember it with the bonnet open.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 12 Sep 2009 00:37
Chrysler 180/2 litre - djs.69
Cheers for the welcome. Yeah, the front seats are velour and very comfy, almost sink into them like armchairs. The smell is old Chrysler musky. Very brown everywhere. Engine is sweet at 58,773 miles from new, nice project for my spare time, like the rarity side. Hoping to get it MOTd and preserve best I can. Is my escape from the world.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 12 Sep 2009 00:55
Chrysler 180/2 litre - bathtub tom
A guy I worked with had an auto. It self selected reverse while going forward.

He scrapped it.

I used to regularly drive past a place that had a garden full of them, I've had a look on Google and MSN mapping, but they don't show enough detail. I'll have to take a camera next time I'm around there.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 12 Sep 2009 02:37
Chrysler 180/2 litre - Rattle
From what I have read in the books is that they when Chrysler took over they modernised and cheapened it at the same time and of course got rid of the Hillman badge.

I have vague memories of these cars, usualy with different coloured front wings. I remember the Talbot Sunbeam a lot more though.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 12 Sep 2009 10:05
Chrysler 180/2 litre - SpamCan61 {P}
you can lie through your teeth on photobucket
just make sure your email address is true


Alternatively use one of the services that doesn't require signing up, e.g. imageshack:-

www.imageshack.us/

Although having a photobucket / fotopic / flickr account is useful anyway.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 12 Sep 2009 11:07
Chrysler 180/2 litre - mike hannon
I would have liked to see your (missing) comment above, Mr Snail. Weren't you involved in making them?
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 12 Sep 2009 14:01
Chrysler 180/2 litre - Sofa Spud
I have an idea I did see one within the last 2 or 3 years, in very poor condtion with badly repainted metallic paintwork over very uneven filler.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link