1987 Shelby GLHS Charger 2.2L Intercoooled turbo

Summary:

Still the most fun for the buck ever offered

Faults:

Distributor pickup went at 36,000 miles. Clutch seized at 19,000 miles because of metal fatigue in the clutch itself.

General Comments:

I bought this car new and it is the most fun car I have ever had even though my '69 Barracuda was a high 11 sec. car before I tamed it down for street use. This car is as fast as you would ever need and even 20 years later it out handles just about anything that costs less the $75,000. I has been nearly problem-free for 20 years. It is like using a severely overpowered go cart for every day driving. Too much fun.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th April, 2007

14th Apr 2007, 18:44

Should of kept the barracuda. that fwd econobox cannot compare...

14th Apr 2007, 21:22

I owned a 1990 Omni non-turbo 5-speed and it was one of the neatest little cars I ever owned. My best friend bought the car new, so I knew its history very well.

I bought it from him at 183,000+ miles. Up to that point it had had ONE brake job, ONE timing belt and NOTHING ELSE. I drove the car to 240,000+ miles and did one more brake job, one more timing belt replacement and replaced one heater hose.

When I sold the car it had never had CV joints replaced, never had any lubricant added to the transaxle (or changed either) and still did not use a drop of oil. The A/C still cooled great and had never had freon added.

Boy, would I love to find another car like that for $800!! (Which is what I bought and sold it for).

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1986 Shelby GLHS

Summary:

The best car that I've ever bought

Faults:

Well in the 20+ years, there have been electrical problems, head gasket problems, but the drive train remains intact.

General Comments:

This fine auto was economical to buy, has been very economical to run, and most of all is incredibly powerful and grippy.

Yeah, its boxy and ugly, but that's part of its charm. It's a car that others wish they had.

I'll keep her forever.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th January, 2006

1987 Shelby GLHS 2.2 turbo intercooled

Summary:

Makes a great daily driver, cheap to keep

Faults:

The alternator goes out about once every three years. The 68 amps is too weak to run all the systems on the car.

The water pump has been replaced twice.

The head gasket blew out at about 130000 miles.

The A/C compressor has been changed.

The steering rack has been changed.

The power steering pump and bracket has been changed.

The valve lifters have been changed.

The clutch cable has been changed.

She is in real need of new paint as it is still the factory (read faded) paint job.

General Comments:

I have really enjoyed this car and still drive it fairly regularly (about 3-4 times a week). As one reviewer put it earlier- this is a permanent member of my stable.

All in all it may sound like it has been a pain, but in reality it hasn't. Fortunately all parts are fairly easy to obtain and there are several good websites for advice and parts. It is not hard to learn the "ins and outs" of these specialized little shoe boxes.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th August, 2005

1986 Shelby GLHS 2.2 turbo

Summary:

Very quick, handles great, stops on a dime and gives 5 cents change

Faults:

Alternators fail often, but can be replaced with a more reliable unit from a later model year 2.2.

Door handles break if stressed or latches are sticky.

Stock transmission doesn't hold up to power.

As would be expected, reliability suffers when the motor gets hopped up.

Wheel HP levels above 250 can cause excessive wear on the front frame rail.

General Comments:

Fortunately most repairs on this car are simple and cheap and there are lots of resources for DIY'ers.

This car won't do much for picking up dates, but is amazingly quick, fun, well handling and also.. economical.

1 of 500 makes this a cool exclusive ride too.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 3rd December, 2004

8th Sep 2005, 13:29

Good review! I had one of these in college and grew up in a Chrysler Motors family. I would say that it also had one of the best shifting 5 speeds Dodge produced during the 80's. I just wish it had a higher 5th ger and was not so Ugly.

1987 Shelby GLHS

Summary:

Absolutely the most car for the buck in my experience

Faults:

Fuel pump went out 89,000 + miles. Other than that, no other mechanical failures since I've owned her.

General Comments:

I've owned lots of MoPar muscle through the years, as well a a couple of AMC AMXs, both of which I still own and love. But without a doubt, this car beats them all by far in terms of overall performance. And it goes quite a ways on it's 13 gallon tank! The fun factor is off the scale! My GLHS is a permanent member of my stable! Best car I've ever owned.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 9th November, 2004

1986 Shelby GLHS 2.2 turbo

Summary:

0 to 60 in 5 seconds and 29 miles per gallon!

Faults:

Transmission was too weak for the amount of power and has needed to be repaired 3 times.

Head gasket blew at 110,000 miles, cost 46 dollars to repair.

Power steering rack needed replaced at 120,000 and cost $165 to replace.

General Comments:

I have had 30 cars from Ford's to AMX's to Ramblers to Tigers... this car is more fun to drive than all of them. Plus it gets great gas mileage.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 22nd November, 2003

25th Jun 2004, 00:04

You really shouldn't be comparing a four cylinder with American Muscle like the AMX.

21st Apr 2005, 17:25

No that guy is right, you can't compare a Shelby GLHS to an old outdated muscle car that can't take a turn or stop, the old car will get beat all around.

14th May 2006, 18:03

There were many muscle cars that handled well. The problem is that most people equate muscle car with big heavy block engines and lack of comfort. Remember that most muscle cars were more civilised that the 440,427,429,428,426,454s that are the legend makers. Now I am not saying that the older cars are the best, but I have owned a 440 GTX and did not believe it to be imposable to drive comfortable.