The current 6.1L HEMI has been the heart and soul of Chrysler’s SRT-8 line since 2006. It packs 425-horsepower and 420-lbs/tq. and pulls like a hammer. Over the last four years we’ve also heard about Chrysler’s 6.4 liter HEMI and those of us with SRT’s have literally been drooling at the mouth in the hopes that this engine would find itself in the new upcoming crop of SRT-8 models. The engine, as of November and according to Ram trucks chief Fred Diaz, was originally supposed to appear in Ram’s heavy-duty trucks. Now however things seemed to have changed as Joe Veltri, Chrysler VP of product development stated that the new engine was designed not for heavy hauling, but for performance and will indeed be the mill of choice for hopeful SRT-8 owners.
If you’ve got a need to own a brand new, dealer-purchased Dodge Viper, you’d better get your financing in order quickly. Unconfirmed rumors seem to indicate that the last production run of the 10 cylinder, 600 horsepower Corvette fighter will start by the end of the month. This makes sense, since dealers have already begun accepting orders for the “Final Edition” models.
If the rumored replacement for the Viper is still in the cards, we won’t see it until the 2012 or 2013 model year. Given Dodge’s current financial situation and new ownership, I suspect they’ll have to move a whole lot of Fiats to justify the expense of a new high performance image car. Speaking for gear heads everywhere, I hope it happens.
Chrysler has announced the recall of 312,00 minivans from model years 2005 and 2006. Models impacted are the Chrysler Town and Country, the Dodge Caravan and the Dodge Grand Caravan. Under the right conditions, water can enter front crash sensors, causing them to fail.
Only vehicles sold or registered in “cold weather” states are being recalled, and Chrysler dealers won’t have replacement sensors in stock until June. Faulty sensors will trigger an airbag warning light, so there’s no need to be concerned if you’re warning light isn’t activated.
Vintage muscle cars have a reputation for being the biggest and baddest automobiles to have ever been produced. Names like Charger, GTO and Shelby conjure up visions of tire smoke and hooliganism. Factory lift-off hoods, shakers and air-grabbers were options that were so outrageous that today’s automakers would never even think of offering them, and let us not forget the stories. Mention the word HEMI and it brings up visions of an engine that had almost mystical powers. The real question is, what were they really like and did they live up to all the stories that have been told about them over the years.
How about a 1970 Dodge Challenger, rough but salvageable, at the bargain basement price of $2,500? The car was originally a big block with the slap stick automatic transmission, but judging from the owners comments another motor was dropped in somewhere long the line. It looks mostly complete and comes with a trunk and interior chock full ‘o mystery parts. Besides, what isn’t there can be sourced from the internet or the Mopar aftermarket. Depending upon how good you are at mechanical, electrical, body, paint and upholstery work, this could be the bargain of the month.
Remember years ago when “Limited” numbers meant that it was going to be produced in small quantities? Nowadays every company out there produces a “Limited Edition” something or other. Automotive manufacturers are notorious for this. Take the current crop of “Limited Edition” vehicles for the 2010-2011 model year.
Here’s something I had to post about. What you are viewing here is an eBay auction for a replica of Bobby Allison’s #22, 1969 Dodge Daytona. Now, in the past few years there’s been a few Bobby Allison replica’s out there, the last one, supposedly a prototype car for NASCAR, popped up at the recent Mecum Auto Auction but went due to false representation.
Not all classics are old, as Ron Small’s 2006 Dodge Magnum illustrates perfectly. Like our own Mr. Angry, I’ve got a place in my heart for these cars, grossly underappreciated when new. Built on the Chrysler LX platform (shared by the successful Chrysler 300), Magnums were available in models ranging from ‘grocery getter’ (SE, with a 190 hp V6) to ‘holy crap what the hell just passed us’ (SRT-8, with the 425 hp Hemi motor). For added versatility, AWD was an available option on SXT and RT models, making the car more appealing to buyers in northern states. Manufactured for only four model years, Chrysler declared that the Magnum was not “earning its keep” and halted production in March of 2008. Magnums are destined to be collectible, as they represent one of the high points in the joint venture between Daimler and Chrysler.
I play a little game during night drives. I try to identify the make, model, and year of cars by the shape of their taillights or headlights alone. I’m pretty good. See, I have an Asperger’s-like obsession with cars and I’m rarely stumped. So when most of the cars at an auto museum absolutely confound me, I know it’s good. And thus, the Blackhawk Museum in Danville, Ca., is good.
The Blackhawk Museum is tucked in the foothills of Mt. Diablo, technically in Danville, just south of the upscale community of Blackhawk. It was built in ‘88 and has 70,000-square-feet of gallery space. The place may be small, but it’s crammed with a stunning, bizarro collection of contraptions. On average, it houses about 90 cars, most on loan to the museum from private collectors.
And it’s quite a collection, spanning automotive history from the early teens right up through the Malaise. But enough talk, let’s take a look at some of these rides.
Is it me? Am I the only one that doesn’t get it? Dodge’s ad strategy over the last few months has been bugging the crap out of me. It seems as though they are grasping at straws when it comes to ideas about how to advertise the Charger. We all know that there is a new Charger on the horizon and that Dodge is desperately trying to sell off the current ones and why not, they’re great automobiles.
I just feel that they’re missing the mark with this car. Five years ago they revived one of the most iconic names in automotive history, only to watch it flounder because of either corporate or creative blockage. The ad you see above, does offer a glimmer of hope. This appeals to both sexes, has some nice tire smoke and a good edge to it. It also has a pretty lady doing a burnout and that makes us man-folk frisky…
