Well, that’s you. I’d love to have a 1992 Spirit, though I’d very much prefer the one with a 3.0L V-6 and 3-speed automatic transmission. And of course, hand-crank windows, front bench seat, etc.
why the bench seat?
Uh-oh, I just checked on Rockauto for a timing belt for this car’s 2.2L turbo. All ‘out of stock’. And this is one of the first parts I’d want to replace.
So getting this car up and running could be very difficult.
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Bench seats are very comfortable. And my entire family could sit up front. The only reason front bench seats are extinct is because modern safety regulations require multiple airbags for each seating position, one of the many reasons why new vehicles are too expensive.
Even trucks have ditched bench seats in favor of buckets
I’d say your thinking is outside of the modern mainstream
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No they are not comfortable ( especially for passengers ) and having children up front is just plain dumb.
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I checked Gates and they say that their belts, Delco, and NAPA parts are still active. A timing belt kit should be available somewhere. NAPA shows that they have timing belt kits in stock for the 3L Dodge Spirit, which would be the R/T.
The 2.2 turbo needs a different belt. The 3.0 V6 is not the R/T.
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No timing belt available is an automatic deal breaker, as far as I’m concerned
But like I said earlier, I think the idea of “restoring” this Spirit to use as a daily driver is a really bad pipe dream
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The $ 1476 budget is also not realistic .
I believe all of the “K-car” 4-cylinder engines were non-interference, including the turbocharged versions. If this is correct, it should be possible to find a timing belt for a different vehicle, which is “close enough” to let it function.
The Chrysler 2.2 l DOHC engine is an interference engine.
Tester
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Ah, a science experiment. This 2.2L turbo had its hp increased from 93 to 225 with the help of lots of special parts. I’d be surprised if some other belt was a good fit. That should show up in a parts search.
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I absolutely endorse this, but I’d add that if this was an older car with a distributor, before cranking the engine with the starter, pull the distributor out, and use a cordless drill with a 12" long drill bit that has been ground into what looks like a flat blade screwdriver to spin the oil pump until the oil pressure light goes out. This prelubricates a lot of vital engine components.
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Everything rubber will need to be replaced. tires, belts, hoses, ect. new battery, gas tank and fuel lines need to be cleaned out of all the fuel that varnished. I think you will need more money. and you don’t know if the engine or tranny are still good. It does more harm to a vehicle just letting it sit for 10 years then it would driving it for 10 years. best of luck, but I would pass on it with your budget.
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You folks must be quite slim and trim. I can’t imagine that happening with any sort of comfort. Two adults are just about shoulder to shoulder in a Spirit.
I’ll bet some Mexican engineering would get that car quite a ways toward roadworthy.
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Some Dodge vehicles sold in the Mexican market had different engines than the those sold in the USA. A common sight in mid trim level Spirits was a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter multi point fuel injection engine, all USA non-turbo four-cylinder engines has throttle body fuel injection. Mexico received the better fuel injection system.
Your uncle’s Spirit may have the 2.5-liter Turbo II engine, those engines were used in other Chrysler vehicles and replacement parts are available. If that car has an automatic transmission, it has the 2.5-liter Turbo II engine.
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That number was based on someone’s appraisal of a used car, forget about what anyone thinks your car is worth, the old car hobby isn’t about resale or trade-in value.
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Yeah my torque converter and the transmission that I built for my fun car probably worth more than the car… But I have had it since 1987 and it is in great shape for the most part… Then you have to add the built rear end, the custom made driveshaft (handle 700hp) and then there is the engine… lol
If you love the car, then money is not part of the equation…
“… modern safety regulations require multiple airbags for each seating position, one of the many reasons why new vehicles are too expensive…”
I would say “more” expensive, not "too"expensive.
Safety costs. How much for the first ER visits for a concussion or broken shoulder?
Limiting front seats to two buckets with good seatbelts and airbags seem like a good dollar-for-dollar tradeoff. Not to mention the pain and suffering, assuming everyone lives…
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