Since I have owned this old clunker very little has gone wrong with it.
It leaks oil and must be topped up often, on a weekly basis.
The carburetor is worn out, and when it's cold, it will not idle well.
Other than that, this has been an absolutely fantastic old piece of American machinery.
As for the interior, I can't complain. I bought it with no functioning odometer, but I think the stuck odometer reads about 79 000 km. The previous owner said it had high mileage, but who cares, old american cars are cheap to fix.
The only real problem that I have had with this car is the wipers. Mirada wipers are weak and flimsy, and Chrysler no longer makes parts. We had to buy a second P.O.S. Mirada for 400 for the wiper part. So don't buy a Mirada unless you are sure that the wipers work.
I love this old beast. It's a perfect mixture of luxury and sports car. Not a lot of power, but the sound of the engine and just the overall unique look turns a lot of heads.
I love this car because it is really rare; 1474 1982 CMX's were all that were sold. This car turns lots of heads with its gills and 10 spoke wheels.
The interior is great and stylish, with the challenger like sports wheel and white leather seats. Typical of American auto producers of the early 80's, the quality of the build is not great and cheaply produced, but still cool and pretty solid. I replaced the wood grain dash with a brushed chrome one, which looks really good. The gauges are easy to read, and the only drawback to the dash is that this car should have a tachometer.
The transmission has 3 gears. The first two are a little sluggish, but the 3rd really gets it going. The horsepower is an unimpressive 318, but the torque is a pleasing 245.
One of the most comfortable old boats that you will ever drive. Extremely easy to see out of, and great for just cruising. I bought this car from a body man, so the body is perfect.
Sorry, but even with "gills", a Mirada with a 318 ain't no "mopar muscle car"!
"318 hp"? Try 130. The 245 lb. feet of torque is correct---and less than the current Honda Accord V6, which beats it with two less cylinders and about 80 cubic inches less displacement.
Why would you need a tachometer with an automatic transmission?
I did not say the Mirada was fast, nor did I say it was a formidable opponent. That was a mistake with the hp though, it is 130, I mixed it up with the engine size.
We have a 360 for it, so lots of power to be discovered.
And so what, my grandma has a Honda Accord, who do you think gets more looks going down the street? A Mirada or an Accord?
I'm only 17, anything else you wanna say to bash my first car?
You did not say your Mirada was fast, but you did describe it as a "muscle car". Please explain how it can be "not fast" but still be a "muscle car". Gills can only count for so much, you know.
As far as who gets the looks I will grant you that there are a lot more 1982 Honda Accords still driving around than Dodge Miradas, so you can expect the Mirada to get more looks due to its scarcity. This does not mean it is a better car, it just means more have gone to junkyards than are still on the road.
Well only 6000 Mirada's were produced in 1982, making them rare. A total of about 52 000 Mirada's produced between 1980-1983. The Honda is dorky so just come off it man. Usually its the noise the 318 makes that makes people turn their heads, it is bloody loud. I like that car, I get comments on it. And it's unique. I will grant you that you are correct that the Mirada is no muscle car, silly exaggeration on my part, at least not until the 360 is in there, then we'll see how fantastic your Accord is. Oh and come off it, without the gills, they have nothing to do with performance, they just look cool.
The Honda is "dorky"? What do you think the Mirada is?
See you in my rear view mirror!
Dude I just did some research and it says the '82 Accord had a 1.8 with 75 horse power, don't waste my time. That's 55 horsepower less than my Mirada, and besides where did you even get the evidence that the Accord could beat the Mirada?
The Dodge Mirada is a far cooler car than ANY Honda Accord EVER MADE. Given the choice between the boring Accord, and a rare oddity like one of the last V-8 sedans made by Dodge before plunging into the K car, the more desirable car is obviously the Mirada!
By the 1980's, the 318 had been strangled by emission controls, while the Big 3 tried to figure out how to make better 4-cylinders to meet emissions requirements. However, when you install that 360, maybe with a pair of 1972 340 heads, headers, an Edelbrock throttle body fuel injection manifold, and the Mopar Performance electronic ignition kit, it will be a muscular V-8, rear wheel drive Mopar.
Hey man thanks for the advice and thanks for agreeing with me on the fact that the mirada is cooler. You ever owned a J-body before?
...one of the last V-8 sedans made by Dodge before "plunging" into the K-car?
Sorry, but that distinction belongs to the Dodge Diplomat, which was around long before the Mirada ever showed up and continued to be made long after it was history.
"14th Feb 2008, 12:51
...one of the last V-8 sedans made by Dodge before "plunging" into the K-car?
Sorry, but that distinction belongs to the Dodge Diplomat, which was around long before the Mirada ever showed up and continued to be made long after it was history."
Are you saying that the Mirada was not one of the last V-8 sedans made by Dodge? You see, both the Diplomat AND the Mirada can be "one of the last". "One of" is not the same as "the only".