"Long-Voyager" (long-voyager)
07/20/2018 at 07:20 • Filed to: Oppo review
11
9|
"Long-Voyager" (long-voyager)
07/20/2018 at 07:20 • Filed to: Oppo review | 11
| 9 |
Every one has read about the struggles of building my little Acclaim, I decided to write instead about what it’s like to drive.
Impressions:
In it’s current state, it’s not much to look at, although I find the simple square design to be clean:
Slide into the driver’s seat and you find a pretty utilitarian interior. Manual windows, manual locks, column shifter. The seats are comfortable for long hauls with mild side bolstering, the inside is very roomy for a small car. The dash is simple and understated (exception to my seafoam cluster):
With knobs, buttons, and sliders for all important functions. Gauges are basic, giving speed, fuel, temp, and battery. Housed next to the wheel are simple HVAC controls and an aftermarket JVC head unit (not pictured).
Easy driving:
Easy driving is an extremely simple, comfortable, worry free process.
Handling is light and smooth.
The ride is smooth and compliant, while not being too soft.
The engine and trans are quiet, shifts are butter smooth, and happily chug along in town or on the highway.
Hard driving:
Pushing this car is both a riot and scary in it’s current form.
Engine: The engine is strong, with even power delivery from idle to the rev limiter. Currently the sound is not so great, due to the exhaust situation, but the sound coming from under the hood is a thing of beauty as the engine screams through the rpm range.
Transmission: The trans is tight. Shifts are quick and precise. It allows the engine a sultry blip off the rev limiter before grabbing the next gear. Step on it mid corner and it seems to always hit the correct gear and start pouring on the power.
Handling: Remember that smooth, compliant ride? That comes back to bite it in the ass here. Push it around corners and the 185/75r14s fight and complain the whole time. Push even harder and you end up buckling them under. Lift off mid corner however, and the rear will rotate into place, setting the car up for quick cornering (which the tires cannot handle).
Brakes: The brakes are quick stopping and carry the car’s weight well. However, start pushing on a curvy road and they will begin fading 4-5 corners in when used hard.
Final Thoughts:
I love this car more than I thought I would. All in all it is a joy to drive. Its current downfalls will be mostly solved when I get the SRT4 wheels, new struts/shocks, and new exhaust installed. These should give the engine a great tone, while tightening the handling up tremendously. At that point I will drive it as is until brakes are needed, then I will search for the RT rear disc and convert it to 4 wheel disc, that will clean up the brake fade.
Added Note:
Checked mileage for the first time last night. 24.8mpg, which is actually quite impressive seeings I’ve been wringing it out pretty hard this whole tank to see what breaks. Guessing it’ll be in the low 30s if I keep my foot out of it, perfect for a run around vehicle.
Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru
> Long-Voyager
07/19/2018 at 08:11 |
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Which motor is in your Acclaim? Growing up my best friend (and still best friend haha) his dad had an acclaim that was light blue. He had it for ages and they are raging mopar fans.
Always loved these old cars.
shop-teacher
> Long-Voyager
07/19/2018 at 08:35 |
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She's a cruiser.
and 100 more
> Long-Voyager
07/19/2018 at 08:40 |
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If I may be so bold, how much money do you have into this project?
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Long-Voyager
> and 100 more
07/19/2018 at 10:04 |
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Including buying the car, the parts donor for the trans, harnesses, computers, etc I’m under $600 on it.
By the time it’s done I will still be under $1k.
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Long-Voyager
> shop-teacher
07/19/2018 at 10:04 |
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Which was my main intent. Simple, comfortable, efficient cruiser with some shit and git when needed.
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Long-Voyager
> Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru
07/19/2018 at 10:06 |
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It is the Mitsu 3.0, mated to the 4 speed auto (a combo not offered in 95) now.
Originally it was the 2.5L, mated to the 3 speed. Too many poor repairs and poor maintenance to fix, so I used the drivetrain I had sitting in the garage.
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and 100 more
> Long-Voyager
07/19/2018 at 10:06 |
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Dude, that’s kinda amazing! Thank you for indulging me.
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Long-Voyager
> and 100 more
07/19/2018 at 10:12 |
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Not a problem. I bought the car for $100 running and driving . The trans donor was $275, $175 of which I got back in scrap, another $200 in harnesses, and $100 in random parts.
We tallied up the van a few weeks back as well, we’re still under $2k on that, which I figure isn’t bad considering we’ve been driving the hell out of it for 5 yrs.
It’s part of why I love this era Mopar. They’re cheap to buy, cheap to maintain, and easy/cheap to modify.
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shop-teacher
> Long-Voyager
07/19/2018 at 11:41 |
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Mission accomplished.