OT: Talking Cars Tuesday - Mopar or No Car
After a brief hiatus we're back like a Demon. And I don't mean the little roadster concept. We talked about Ford's and GM cars, now it's time for the folks from Auburn Hills. What are your biggest FCA / Chrysler Group / Diamler Chrysler / Chrysler / Etc memories? Did that thing have a Hemi? Do you know what a Hemi is? Are you like me and a 2 time Jeep owner? Do you sigh when you pass steel blue TJs on the road?
Let's hear your Chrysler stories!
The single most expensive "superflouous" automotive accessory that I know of is the horn for the original Plymouth Road Runner. They spent TONS of money to make that horn go "meep meep"
Chrysler's headquarters is one of the biggest buildings in the US, at about 4.4M square feet
The Fiat 500 Abarth has no muffler and sounds amazing
Chrysler can lay claim to the first minvan (Voyager) and the first unibody SUV (Jeep Cherokee)
the 'Meep Meep' horn.
I loved the Chrysler building when I'd drive by it at night after getting out of my first 'real' job in the '90's.
of the convertible in the 80's? Or is that something that was just a bit from the Iacocca book where he was a bit too optimistic?
in the country in rural Michigan but he sold out his half to his nephew a number of years before the BK (which lead to the dealership being de-listed after 80+ years).
He used to tell me, even given they were a small dealership, that he stocked transmissions for Ram trucks and minivans due to chronic issues with them.
He started driving a Lexus and a Prius soon after selling out even though the dealerhip is about a five minute walk from his house in a Mayberry, RFD analogue village.
Ouch!
They have a museum of Chrysler vehicles that is quite impressive (including a '72 Superbird with a 440 six pack with 3,500 miles on it and a '68 hemi Barracuda with 4,000 miles).
I'm going to hop on the proverbial soapbox here with regards to your last paragraph. I mean no offense to your family, this applies to everyone that doesn't drive the amazing vehicles they have.
Among things that have no bearing on my life whatsoever, nothing displeases me more than people who own cars and don't put miles on them. You know what's cooler than 45+ year old cars with fewer than 4000 miles on the odometer? A 45 year old car with some legitimate history and stories on it's 90000 mile journey. With a little bit of TLC, you can drive 2000 miles a year and keep the car in fantastic shape.
It happens with new cars too. People buy brand new Ferraris, Porsches, etc., and then don't drive them. They make museums out of them, except that there are (with some exceptions) 500+ "pieces" existing globally. I just can't fathom owning a car like that, one that's so enjoyable to drive, but never using it for that purpose. It just seems like such a waste for everyone.
Sorry for the rant. I just like to see cars being driven and enjoyed how they were designed to be enjoyed. A cool car is always better to see randomly in the wild than in some climate-controlled garage/warehouse/showroom.
Some guys seem like they like just owning a nice car, they take it for a sunday dirve now and then and spend the rest of the time just polishing it. To me thats okay as they bought it and they can do what they like with it. Their vehicle will also hold value better.
And for the record, I am not one of those guys. While I dont have a Ferrari, I do have a 2013 Shelby GT500 that is my daily driver in the non winter months.
Despite being a Ford guy now, and having had that beautiful machine of a Pontiac station wagon growing up, our family was mostly a Chrysler family, since that's where my granddad worked. We had some great ones. Mid-'80s Fifth Avenue with faux fur-lined doors. My grandma's Chrysler something-or-other with the nudgy voice she called Walter. My dad's Concorde, which I drove my prom date in even though my date's dad offered the use of his Corvette. (My date said if I went in the Corvette, I was going alone, because she hated it.) And like every red-blooded American family, the ol' minivan, which achieved the 250,000 mile mark.
Chryslers are a bit notorious for transmission issues, but not one of ours ever had that problem. These days I've come to realize Chrysler is a company that has always made basically average cars, always pretty nice, mostly unspectacular, except for the occasional Hall of Famer that keeps the company churning as a raging success. Mainly that's been K-cars, minivans, and the PT Cruiser. The 300 is pretty sweet too. Nowadays it's everything they slap a Jeep logo on. I sure do root for FCA to do well, though. Jeep is the only one of their domestic brands that would survive a merger.
Jeep, Ram, and the minivan may be the only vehicles that survive going forward. FCA is not-so-slowly exiting the car market, it would appear.
Chrysler will probably still continue to peddle 300s. And Dodge has a pretty good case for existing, at least while it's still under the FCA umbrella. For one, it's their performance brand, and for two, Durango sales are up and Journey sales are exploding, and they seem to have decided they can sell Caravans alongside Pacificas and still have both do very well.
Actually, I'm a little surprised they killed off the 200. It wasn't selling badly. Probably just wasn't selling as well as a Jeep would've, and they needed the plant capacity.
I've sat in a 200 and thought it was a decent car. I'd buy one at the right price.
To me Chrsyler has always been about decent design, practicality, and low costs.
That has always worked well for me. The LH sedans were great for their time. Big, handled well, pretty sylish. Prior to that you could get a K-car or derivative (Spirit/Acclaim) that was a decent car that did alot of things decently and could be had cheaply. Or you could get the fun version like a Spirit R/T that was fast but cheap.
They also did fun things with old designs; like the GLH and Shelby Charger.
The LX sedans are super. They are getting long in the tooth though. Chryslers lack of updates to them tells me they aren't really serious about the car market anymore and are just milking the design for all its worth.
This isn't to say they haven't made some stupid decisions. The A604 was too reliant on the correct Chrysler fluid. If you kept that in there, it was a good transmission. I had one in an intrepid that I put 190K on with towing. But early on many didn't do the research and got the fluid changed or topped off at the Quik-E-Lube joint with conventional fluid. It was a dumb decision.
All in all, I've loved their stuff. I'd kill for a Hellcat, and the Pacifica is nice. The ZJ's/JK's are awesome too.
With 280hp and AWD I'd seriously consider a 200.
who thinks Chrysler is being set up to be sold or eliminated by Marchione. They don't make much in the way of cars anymore, and the profitable segments (Jeep, Ram) are getting narrowed down.
That would be sad for me. And I'd hate Daimler and Bob Stempel forever for starting the trend.
I remember having several arguments with my then-girlfriend back in the day as to whether her Dodge Dart Swinger (1971 four-door) was a great car. She erroneously argued that it was a terrible design, while I correctly argued that it had tremendous style.
Needless to say, we split up.
Also, met my wife while driving a late 1980s Aries K (white with powder blue interior). We both agreed it was a terrible design, and I enjoyed the fact that she clearly was not interested in me because of my car.
ran foreva!
4.0L
'nuff said. That smooth straight 6 runs forever.
My first new car was a '97 Jeep Cherokee Sport with the 4.0L straight six. What a great engine.
I have no idea why I sold that car. It's probably still running somewhere.
But the slant six shouldn't get short shrift. They did some weird performance mods to them in Australia; and they were durable as all hell.
used to say 'Never trust the military industrial complex, and always buy a slanted six'
is that how you earned your name? go ahead, you can tell us. we won't tell anybody.
Only MOPARs I have owned were my three Ram 1500s. Wonderful vehicles, excellent purchases. Never had a problem with any besides the usual maintenance (brake pads, spark plugs, rotors usually need to be replaced by 120,000 miles or so).
Also. I advise you put in a cold air intake if you haven't already. S&B, Volant or K&N. Don't do the VaraRam unless it never snows where you live. It won't give you the horsepower boost they claim to, but it will give you a bit better gas mileage (I went from ~16 to ~18 mpg) and the Hemi breathes much easier with them on. Also, they sound great without having to do the whole flowmaster/borla exhaust kit.
I still keep an eye out for my 1999 Wrangler Sahara. Sold it in 2013, and have missed it every day. Also, loved the old classic Jeep Cherokee. My dad had one and we still bitch about the fact that he got rid of it - just an all around fun jeep with a lot of memories and trips to Michigan Stadium.
SuperBee
I have had a few Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep and most were forgetable.
90's - Jeep Comanche Eliminator - excellent fun
00's Dodge Intrepid - good, nice sedan
00's Dodge Dakota -meh
90's Jeep Cherokee classic - boxy original style - meh
90's Jeep Cherokee - whatever the newer biger verision was - nice
late 90's Chrysler minivan - functional, like my toaster
I do like the new tiny little Jeep Renegade and would love a Jeep truck which is hopefully coming. I'd pick a Mini Cooper over the Fiat 500 all day long.
Now if they would bring back the Power Wagon!
They've been making new Power Wagons for maybe 10 years?
Calling an XJ 'meh'. Its an icon!
(I do love the XJ, but this comment was in jest. They aren't for everyone).
Our minivan most definitely does not have a Hemi. And even if it did, it would still not be cool.
Other than this van, I've not owned any Chrysler products. I really can't legitimately complain about the van, it does what it was designed to do very well. I can complain about the plastic parts they used in the coolant sytem though! I've had to replace a plastic "Y" piece twice now....it can only take the engine heat for so long before it leaks. The first time a few years ago there was no aftermarket part available.. $100 from the dealership I think it was, and then whatever the dealership would have charged for the work. This time there was an aftermarket part available.....$7.99 at AutoZone. Same damn plastic though. Probably should have gotten a brass T fitting at Home Depot.
We owned an 86 CJ-7, which was the AMC/Chrysler transition year. Paid $4700 for it in 1992 and put $6100 into it before we sold it for about $2000 eight years later. It was fun to take the top and doors off and cruise around, but JEEP: Just Empty Every Pocket.
Other than that, it'd be fun to own a Viper or a Prowler. Nothing else they done appeals to me particularly.
My first car was a 1973 Dodge Polara dubbed the Big Brown Beast by my friends. We bought it in 1991 with under 50k miles. 360 V8 but no 4 barrel carb. Still had a lot of power for a 16 year old. It still had the old bias ply tires, which made for easy burnouts. Plus, the back seat was enormous! I loved that car.
Old man got a 89 Daytona Shelby in 90 and I thought it was the coolest thing in the world.
Not exact car shown here but, exactly like this shown below.
To this day, I still only drive black Dodge's.
I had a Chrysler 200 as a rental car once, and I hated driving that thing. Other than that, I've never driven anything made by Chrysler.
However, I'd commit some petty crimes in exchange for a chance to drive one of the newer Viper ACRs for a bit.
and mainly want to discuss public transit/uber, maybe a threat called 'Talking Cars' isn't for you.
When I was small (early 80's) until maybe age 6, my Dad had a Plymouth Duster. I remember it fondly because I was an only child at the time and the backseat seemed huuuuge.
My Mom currently has a Dodge mini-van which is actually pretty nice and very sensible but I'll never admit it in public.
Never owned any of their cars . I find that Dodge and Chryslers have very bland design and look terrible.. Jeep Wrangler is ok . So is the Grand Cherokee. My question is, how long is Chrysler gonna go before they redo the 300? Seems like that car has been out for like 12 years and hasn't gone through a major redesign at all.
Guess that depends what you consider a major redesign. It still has the same basic design language, but the differences between a 2006 and a 2016 are huge.
Being a GM'er all my life, I stepped over the line and bought a Plymouth Prowler in 2000. Biggest car mistake of my life. Underpowered, quality part failures right out of the factory, and lost my ass big time when I sold it. Now I'm back to driving Corvettes again and love them. "Live and learn" !
Since it falls under the FCA umbrella, I gotta add here that the Giulia is quickly becoming my latest car crush. I hope it takes off and starts selling more than a few hundred a month. That thing is sweet.
I think it looks pretty sweet, too. I think lots of people are waiting to see how it and the 4C's reliability holds up.
1. '66 dodge dart convertible, bought for $500. posted about that one before. first car.
2. '73 plymouth road runner. car i had in college, bought from my brother. representative pic here, virtually identical except no 440. that would've been tremendous: 
3. presently own an '02 2500 4x4 extended cab diesel, our small truck. 200K miles on it. got talked into putting a chip into it a couple of years ago. unbelievably fast for a 7,000 lb truck, gets 20+ mpg. rides like a buckboard and loud, but man does it go. great farm truck.
This is nice.
you have it in you to be a good dude. you should try it.
(i am not the one who neg'd you. at least in this thread.)
I drive a 2010 Challenger R/T. I just went over 100,000 miles in it. The only issue it has ever had is a single wheel bearing that needed replaced because of a flaw in the bearing, and a fix to the parking break cable.
I'll also contend that it is a better daily driver than a Mustang or Camaro. It is certainly a more comfortable long distance drive than either of those. It's a 12 hour trip from my home in Wilmington to see my parents north of Indianapolis. I do it with 3 stops with absolutley no problem. I can do 80mph at approximately 2000 RPM and get about 27mpg. I'm not sure why I would ever want something different.
I had a Jeep Wrangler for about a year. It was not suited for me (or vice versa). I never felt secure taking corners or on the highway. The top was removable but I didn't have a garage or any place to put it, so that was a waste. I also had an Alfa Romeo at the time so the Jeep went undriven a lot. I really only got it for the snow.
I had a Chrysler Lebaron convertable for a year in high school. My Honda CRX was done and I knew someone that was selling it for cheap. Mediocre car and it blew out large clouds of smoke whenever I accelerated. Not only was it embarrassing, but hazardous to my health. If I had the top down and the wind was blowing it would fly right into the front of the car when I stopped and started. I didn't care much because I was already inhaling all sorts of things at that time in my life and it was great for cruising around during and after. That being said I'm leary of ever buying another Chrysler. I know too many people that have had problems with them and dependability is key for me. So should I buy a Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, or Chevy Malibu? I'm buying used, so probably a 2014.
My usual advice on car buying is not to listen to any advice on car buying. All of it consists of "I had this and it was awesome" or "I had this and it sucked." Any car can be awesome, any car can be a lemon. About the only time it's useful is if you get a lot of people all saying the same thing - that can be indicative of a trend. Even gas mileage can vary a lot. The automakers all know how to game the test and even if they didn't, the "highway" test consists of simulating a long drive at 60 mph. Who drives 60?
Among a Fusion, Accord, and Malibu, you'll find plenty of owners of each and the aggregate reviews will all be generally positive. Plus, if you're buying used, you'll find cars of vastly different mileages and therefore, large price differences. My advice: You spend your time inside the car, so sit in all of them and see which one you're most comfortable in. Find a dealer that has them all on the lot, go there, try them out, then leave and start pricing out the one you liked best.
I'll add one thing.
Don't fret. For the most part, any car you get today is a high quality automobile that is way more reliable than even cars from the 90's.
had a LeBaron Convertible with a 5 speed and a 3.0 liter six.
Good Lord was that fun.
currently have a 2011 Ram RCSB Outdoorsman 4x4 and a 2017 Dodge Challenger T/A 392