It's like the ugley ducklin that can swim faster than all the rest!
The transmission bearings are weak!
After sitting for 23 years in storage, we added new gas and fuel filter, and it fired right up. Our friends think it's homely.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 31st January, 2011
Good car, caught up in bad times
Heater core blew up two weeks after purchase, and it soaked the interior with glycol. Dealer warranty.
I had a heck of a time with the clutch. It turns out that the clutch pedal bracket was made from stamped steel, and it would bend allowing slack in the cable. The slack could not be taken up, and the throw out bearing would burn up. This was the reason I got rid of the car.
My brother in law purchased the car and had a solid steel clutch bracket fabricated, and never had a problem with the clutch again.
I bought the car new in Oklahoma City. It was Candy Red with tan vinyl interior. The bucket seats were comfortable and it drove solid.
The engine was responsive, but had a hard time moving the heavy car. I was impressed with the fuel economy at the time, close to 30 mpg, and with a 21 gal. tank, that was a 600+ range on a tank.
No A/C, but only my wife complained.
I took good care of the car, and competed all the maintenance on time, and it never let me down.
I think if it had been a V8 auto car, I might still have it. My brother in law drove it for a year, and sold it to buy a Fiero, which he blew up after a month.
Should have kept the Spirit!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 30th January, 2009
The Spirit was a good dependable car
Rear window squeaked.
Carburetor needed replaced.
Rear springs needed replaced.
Silver paint was very thin.
My parents bought my new silver with black vinyl interior 1979 Spirit sedan (Gremlin rear) for me to drive in high school.
It was a 2.0L with automatic. A/C, manual disk brakes, power steering. AM/FM radio.
The car came with very skinny Firestone non radial tires. My parents replaced them with larger radials on a set of factory rally wheels. The car was not the coolest for a guy in high school. The fact that I had a new car was cool. Everyone still called it a Gremlin. I drove it very very hard. Trying to keep up with friends with V8's you had to keep it floored most of the time. It was a fun car to drive, just very slow. Handling was good for the time. I could drive circles around guys in Impalas or Delta 88's.
The Holley carburetor had to be adjusted often. It would develop a large flat spot at take off. The dealer replaced the carburetor to fix the problem.
The rear glass hatch window would sometimes squeak .It was maddening at times. Silicon spray fixed it for a time. but it always returned.
After about two years of hard driving the rear springs began to sag and cause the rear wheels to hop over bumps. New shocks did nothing to fix the hop. The dealer replaced the springs.
One of the best things about the car was the dealer. They provided free service for oil changes and a loan car free for the day when your car was in the shop. When I left the lights on and ran the battery down, they sent their road side assistance truck at no charge to jump me. This was 1979 remember. common today but very rare then.
I kept the car 4 years and traded it in on a low mileage M G B. Big mistake. Should have kept the A M C.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 13th December, 2008
9th Nov 2012, 22:02
I just found one of these cars, but I was wondering - are they rare? I'd love to know what they are worth. This one has been in a garage, is like new, one owner.