Junkyard Find: 1988 Dodge Omni

Monday, February 2, 2015

Junkyard Find: 1988 Dodge Omni

03 - 1988 Dodge Omni Down On the Junkyard - Picture courtesy of Murilee Martin Members of the Chrysler L-body family, based on the Chrysler Europe/Rootes Group/Simca-derived "Omnirizon," are not uncommon in American wrecking yards these days; why, we just saw this '87 Dodge Shelby Charger a few weeks ago. However, the true Omnirizon— the Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon— those are getting more and more rare as the 21st century grinds on. We've seen this first-year-of-production '78 Horizon, this last-year-of-production '90 Horizon, and a few in between, and now I've found this grimy-looking '88 Omni in a frozen Denver yard.
11 - 1988 Dodge Omni Down On the Junkyard - Picture courtesy of Murilee Martin Not at all related to the Mitsubishi-based Dodge/Plymouth Colt of the same decade, the Omnirizon was a simple, cheap, front-wheel-drive appliance that sold pretty well for years past its seeming obsolescence.
05 - 1988 Dodge Omni Down On the Junkyard - Picture courtesy of Murilee Martin In 1988, a new Omni four-door hatchback (the only model available) listed for $5,995. The wretched Subaru Justy DL two-door hatch was just $5,695 that year, while the barely-qualifies-as-a-car '88 Yugo was only $4,199. It was worth paying the extra for an Omni.
13 - 1988 Dodge Omni Down On the Junkyard - Picture courtesy of Murilee Martin This one looks to have spent a decade or so sitting outdoors with the windows down, so there won't be much worth buying out of its interior.
15 - 1988 Dodge Omni Down On the Junkyard - Picture courtesy of Murilee Martin The Simca and Volkswagen engines that went into the early Omnirizons were gone by 1988, replaced by the Chrysler 2.2. In 1988, this engine made a pretty-decent-for-the-time 93 horsepower.
04 - 1988 Dodge Omni Down On the Junkyard - Picture courtesy of Murilee Martin Will any parts get pulled off this car before it goes to The Crusher? Probably not many.