Different people view the Plymouth Reliant, and similar Dodge Aries, differently. For some, it was just one of those old and boxy American cars that are considered boring and ugly by present standards. For some, it was just one of the many economical cars that Chrysler have manufactured in the past that doesn’t perform so well. But for Chrysler, it was one of the cars that saved them from total bankruptcy.
The Plymouth Reliant was manufactured and sold by the Plymouth-Chrysler Division from 1981 up to 1989. It replaced the slow-selling Plymouth Volare from Chrysler’s car line-up and thus saved the company from the brink of bankruptcy. It was introduced together with the identical Dodge Aries and the two were considered the very first K-Cars manufactured by Chrysler. They were called K-Cars because they were based on the Chrysler K-body platforms, a body platform used by Chrsyler for most of their vehicles manufactured in the 1980s. With the success of the first two K-Cars, Chrysler designed and manufactured more vehicles based on the K-body platform and other variations of it.
Upon introduction, the Plymouth Reliant was offered in 2-door coupe, 4-door sedan and 5-door wagon body styles. All were front-wheel drive vehicles fitted on the box-type body styles that were popular with American cars during its time. The car is considerably large and roomy, allowing six adult passengers to sit comfortably inside. Initially powered only by a 2.2-liter 4-cylinder carbureted engine with a 2.6-liter Mitsubishi engine offered as an alternative, the Reliant later became available with a 2.5-liter inline-type 6-cylinder engine that performed better than the other two. Standard transmission is a 4-speed manual shift with a 3-speed automatic unit available as the only other option.
By current standards, the Plymouth Reliant may be considered boring, both with its style and its performance. But during the 1980s, it offered something that the Japanese imports don’t have. Although the Japanese imports are clearly more stylish, the boxy body of the Reliant was practically designed to allow it to have an extra roomy interior. The car was also lightweight, so that even a meager engine performance is enough to make it accelerate fast.
But if you want this old car to perform at par with cars being sold today, you better give it a thorough restoration and performance boost. Equip it with high performance Plymouth Reliant parts that can be found here at Parts Train. We assure you that each and every Plymouth Reliant part you’ll find on our website are DOT-approved and have passed our strictest quality standards.
Featured Products
Plymouth Reliant - Seat Belt
"UNIVERSAL 3-POINT RETRACTABLE SEAT BELTS, DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE, SOLD AS PAIR -- This Seat Belt May Require Modification Or Other Adjustments To Your Vehicle Upon Installation, 1-3/4 in. Width x 131 in. Full Extended Length, Comes With Center Push Buckle, Without Air Bag Sensor"
Brand:Replacement
Plymouth Reliant - Oxygen Sensor
"UNIVERSAL OXYGEN SENSOR -- 4 Wires, Quality Construction And Materials Make This Item One Of The Top Selling OE Replacement Oxygen Sensors. This May Require Modification Or Other Adjustments To Your Vehicle Upon Installation, Direct Fit Part "
Brand:Replacement
1981,1982,1983,1984 - 4Cyl 2.2L Custom
1981,1982,1983,1984 - 4Cyl 2.6L Custom
1981,1982,1983,1984,1985 - 4Cyl 2.6L Base
1981,1982,1983,1984,1985 - 4Cyl 2.6L SE
1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986 - 4Cyl 2.2L SE
1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987 - 4Cyl 2.2L Base
"UNIVERSAL 2-POINT SEAT BELT, DRIVER OR PASSENGER SIDE, SOLD INDIVIDUALLY -- This Seat Belt May Require Modification Or Other Adjustments To Your Vehicle Upon Installation, 1-3/4 in. Width x 54 in. Full Extended Length, Comes With Center Push Buckle"
Brand:Replacement
Plymouth Reliant - Oxygen Sensor
"UNIVERSAL OXYGEN SENSOR -- 3 Wires, Quality Construction And Materials Make This Item One Of The Top Selling OE Replacement Oxygen Sensors. This May Require Modification Or Other Adjustments To Your Vehicle Upon Installation, Direct Fit Part "
Brand:Replacement
Plymouth Reliant - Oxygen Sensor
"UNIVERSAL OXYGEN SENSOR -- 1 Wire, Quality Construction And Materials Make This Item One Of The Top Selling OE Replacement Oxygen Sensors. This May Require Modification Or Other Adjustments To Your Vehicle Upon Installation, Direct Fit Part "
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