The 1988 Dodge Omni America 5-door hatchback
September 1987...Paul buys a brand new "sky blue" 1988 Dodge Omni America. It had the 2.2 litre engine, a 5-speed manual transmission, and a stainless steel exhaust system. Paul owned it until 1996. It was quite simply the best car ever made. Here are some highlights of his ownership:
- The best mileage he ever got it it was 44mpg driving from Alfred, NY to Washington, DC
- When he got sold it in 1996, it had 170,000 miles on it
- It still had the original clutch when he sold it
- Paul never replaced the shocks....in 170,000 miles (and to ride in the back seat you would know it)
- It had only 3 sets of tires -- Goodyear Vectors which lasted seemingly forever
- The stainless steel exhaust system was never replaced (a monumental achievement for having been driven in the heavily salted roads of upstate New York)
- Paul and his brother David drove the Omni across the country in 1988
- An unloaded Utica, NY water department dump truck temporarily held the lead in a drag race between it and Paul's Omni. Despite the fact that the Omni was fully loaded with passengers, it easily overcame this handicap to beat the dump truck.
- Paul's brother David hits a deer in Minnesota during their cross country trip. The deer survives but the Omni sustains $35 worth of damage (in 1988 dollars).
- Why Paul ever sold it.
In 1996 Paul sold it for $300 to someone from Maine. The final fate of the greatest car ever built remains a mystery to this day.
Here's the (somewhat) official specs on the car:
- Wheelbase: 99.1"
- Track: front, 56.1"; rear, 55.7"
- Overall length - 163.2"; width, 66.8"; height, 53.0"
- Curb weight: 2,296 pounds
- Headroom, front and rear: 38.1" and 36.9"
- Legroom, front and rear: 42.1" and 33.3"
- Shoulder room, front and rear: 51.7" and 51.5"
- Hip room, front and rear: 52.6" and 46.4"
- Cargo volume: 15.6 cubic feet - Interior volume: 100.2 cubic feet
- Tire size: P165/80R13
- 93 hp 2.2 Litre engine; 121 ft-lbs of torque; Fuel Injected
- Fuel tank: 13.0 gallons - Gas mileage: 26 city, 35 highway (manual)