Plymouth Fire Arrow

[powderfinger]

Posting this here to get any feedback possible since I know there are several people here with vast back grounds dealing with various different types of vehicles. I went and took a look at one of these this past weekend and fell in love with it, haven't driven it yet will be doing that this Saturday. Wanted to know if anyone here has any experience with these cars and can provide any feedback positive or negative. It's a rebranded Mitsubishi Lancer I believe this model was also called the Mitsubishi Celeste. It has a 2.6L 4cyl in it with a 5 speed transmission. Same engine and trans combo that was used in the Dodge D50 / Plymouth Arrow trucks. 

 

Unfortunately, these fall into a category that really sucks for the owner of one. They are rare and at the same time aren't really worth much at all lol. Impossible to find most parts without finding and purchasing spare cars which also isn't easy. The current owner knows a lot about these cars. Pretty sure he used to run the website plymouthfirearrow.com and he has been racing these cars for many years. It has a brand new rebuilt engine with all new internals (stock build) and was painted 6-7 years ago. There is one small rust bubble popping up on the bottom of the drivers fender and the only filler is on the right rear above the wheel well. Owner is very up front about the cars history and everything that has been done to it.

 

Here are a couple of pics of the car. It comes with boxes of spare parts. The dude also has a black Fire Arrow race car that he is selling pretty cheap because the motor is bad. I would love to be able to get both off of him to have spare body panels, if the panels on the race car are straight. I think he is getting completely out of racing all together. I really love the car but would basically have to commit myself to becoming the "plymouth fire arrow guy" if I get it meaning I will likely have to collect most of them I ever see come up for sale just to have for spare parts.

 

Edited August 16, 2023 by powderfinger

[datzenmike]

A coworker bought a new '76? ish Arrow when they came out. Mitsubishi engine with balance shaft IIRC. It was pretty fast compared to all the de-tuned low compression post muscle cars on the road at the time. I like the looks. He promptly rolled it. Parents bought it for him, figures.

[powderfinger]

Yes Mike you are correct on the balance shaft. This is the Fire Arrow. The difference is I am pretty sure the Arrow had a 2.0L instead of the 2.6L. Also the fire arrow had 4 wheel disc brakes and limited slip diff. Issue is they only made the fire arrow in 79 and 80. Arrows are hard enough to find fire arrows are even worse. All body panels are the same but everything with the rear diff and axles are different and cannot be purchased new of course. There were also a few interior differences to make the Fire Arrow sportier looking. These cars were popular for racing back in the day so a lot of them were destroyed.

Edited August 16, 2023 by powderfinger

[powderfinger]

It has also had a coilover suspension put on and it feels very stiff. We'll see just how stiff when I drive it this weekend. Rear leafs were also de-arched.

[Tucson620]

Cool! Dad dragged a beat-up Arrow home for sisters to use in high school, eventually I drove it for a couple years. 2 liter, not the fancy-ass Fire Arrow. Was actually a comfortable and practical car with hatch - and surprisingly good performance. I remember I could easily beat my friend's gold Firebird off the line due to low gearing - and handled well too.

 

I've got a service manual for the Arrow - been trying to find someone who wants it for awhile!

 

 

[powderfinger]

Awesome, I am pretty sure guy has the factory service manual with the car I am looking at but if not I may be interested in yours if I end up getting it.

Edited August 16, 2023 by powderfinger

[bilzbobaggins]

I say do it.  You only live once.  Cant take money with you after you croak.  Id rather be known as plymouth arrow guy rather than sucks cock for crack.  And more importantly, who gives a fuck what anyone thinks with in reason.  

[powderfinger]

I certainly couldn't care less what anyone thinks. This post is here in case someone on this forum is familiar with these cars and knows about that certain thing you really have to watch out for on these cars. Kind of like when a good friend of mine told me his son wanted a 720. I told him they are bad about blowing head gaskets so retorque the head bolts and to listen very carefully the transmission when testing it out because they are notorious for having bad bearings. 

 

He recently changed the trans fluid in the 720 they bought and pieces of a bearing came out.

[Duncan]

I can't recall seeing one of those, but that looks like a very nice example.  I think it's cool!

 

 

 

[iceman510]

These pre-date my time working for Mitsubishi, but they were captive imports for Chrysler to get some non gas-guzzling cars to sell.

 

I don't know much about them, but is it really true parts aren't available at all?  Dodge sold a lot of D50's, but I guess the brakes would probably be very different even if engine parts are available.

[datzenmike]

If the engine packs it in stuff a VG something and 5 speed in.

[JackRT]

That's a nice fire arrow! Never seen one that beautiful

[powderfinger]

13 hours ago, iceman510 said:

I don't know much about them, but is it really true parts aren't available at all?

 

Engine and transmission parts can be found because there were so many D50s sold but that's the extent of it. If you want anything else you better have parts cars. That's the only reason I am hesitant. Even with a parts car if the windshield gets busted can the seal be saved if I wanted to use the windshield out of a parts car? Not sure and you definitely are not going to find and seals/molding for this car.

[powderfinger]

13 hours ago, datzenmike said:

If the engine packs it in stuff a VG something and 5 speed in.

 

If I end up getting the car I will take more pics but the engine bay has a ridiculous amount of room. They were commonly drag raced with V8s in them.

[datzenmike]

Haven't seen one in 30-40 maybe more, years. Onterrible is rough on car bodies. Worse than the drivers.

[EDM620]

Possible other source for engine, but can't say my memory is correct. I think 1st gen Caravans were available with the Mitsu 2.6 and manual trans, I recall a buddy used one as his race car hauler. If that is correct, then there might be other driveline parts that would swap assuming you can find any 1st gen around

[datzenmike]

Yup, seen them in the 'yards'. 2.6 is large for a 4 cylinder and likely why the counter rotating balance shaft.

[powderfinger]

Well, I went and drove the car today and loved it. Well, at least the first half of the drive. On the way back to the guys house the car lost oil pressure and the motor started rattling so we shut it down pretty quick, not good. I left without the car. I am still not 100% decided that I am not going to get it. He seemed willing to get rid of both his cars and all his parts at a reasonable price now because he doesn't have time to tear into the motor.

 

He said he had all the parts needed to rebuild the engine. I am going to talk with him again and see just what parts he has and doesn't have and what his bottom dollar is on everything.

Edited August 19, 2023 by powderfinger

[datzenmike]

Maybe why he's selling. Has problems

[powderfinger]

Possibly but I don't think so, he is selling his other stuff as well. Retired and wants to get rid of everything but his MGB's. Car ran really strong and sounded great until it didn't lol. He also seemed like a genuinely good dude.

Edited August 20, 2023 by powderfinger

[powderfinger]

Well, I am buying everything the dude has. The orange car, the black race car, and all the parts. I'll post pics as I get everything. Going to get the parts and the orange car this weekend. Likely next weekend before I get the race car. He mentioned having another partial car in a field. If he'll throw that in I'll bring it home as well lol. Now I need to get some of the 720 parts and pieces out of my shop and into my shed for storage to make room for Arrow parts.

 

First order of business once I get everything sorted will be pulling the engine and tearing into it. 

[Tucson620]

On 8/16/2023 at 5:49 AM, powderfinger said:

commit myself to becoming the "plymouth fire arrow guy

I notice the domain http://www.plymouthfirearrow.com/ is available!!

[Tucson620]

Found a pic of the family Arrow - ca. 1984? The day Dad dragged it home for teen driver project. Fender was replaced, rough body work elsewhere, a hideous orange-peel blue paint job - was like lava on the hood (you could squish it around with a finger) 😄 Chunk of c-channel aluminum for front bumper - no grill (looked mean). We drove it for 5 years, eventually a HS car for me.

Edited August 23, 2023 by Tucson620

[powderfinger]

Yeah the guy that currently has the car used to run that website and he stopped doing it. Not sure if he still has any of the info from it or not, but if so I will get everything I can. If you look through google images you can see a couple of old pics that reference the site. One of them is of the car I am buying back when it was the original white, shown below. There are also two or three of it after it was painted orange floating around.

 

[powderfinger]

Here is an older pic of the race car I am getting with it. Both cars currently have these nice 13" Panasport wheels on them. Finding tires is fun though. I have only found one company that makes a 205/50/13 street tire but no one has them in stock. Michelin makes a 195/55/13 which is likely what I will go with.