Tag Archives: dodge

US Cars Overseas – Sweden

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Thought I’d share this.  It’s amazing how many and the variety of  US cars made in the 50’s and 60’s made it overseas.  It’s also very interesting what they do with them.  Check out these MOPARs in Sweden.  Way Cool!!!

From:   http://www.streetlegaltv.com/news/a-variety-of-mopars-in-sweden-to-envy/

A Variety Of Mopars In Sweden To Envy

Michael Hardingby on April 23, 2012

You can always tell a car guy by looking in his garage and seeing what he has in there. If you see a couple of cars, that’s could be your first clue. But when you see muscle cars from the 60’s and 70’s, and engines on pallets, car lifts, stickers from internet performance shops, and various parts on the shelves, then you know that garage isn’t the run-of-the-mill garage.

Looking at Anders Ohlin’s garage in Sweden lets you know that this guy is into cars and performance – particularly Mopar performance. His collection of Mopar muscle cars is enough to make you drool.

Anders collection is interesting, and he says that some of his cars are the only ones that he knows of in Sweden. He considers himself a fanatic, as do many of his friends. Just looking at the pictures in his garage and you can see that he likes to surround himself with performance.

Some of his cars include a 1958 DeSoto Fireflite with a 361 Wedge, a 1965 Dodge Coronet A990 Super Stock Clone with a race HEMI that he imported in 2010, a 1964 Dodge 440 that has a 426 Wedge with dual carbs, a 1962 Chrysler 300 Sport Coupe that appears to have a 413 with dual carbs, and also a 1964 Dodge 330 to round out the cars we know of.

You can check out the YouTube video and see him moving his 1964 Dodge 330 around the garage. It’s a very healthy sounding Mopar, and if the deep rumble of that exhaust doesn’t sound like music to your ears, then you need to turn your speakers up!

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Car Swap Meet Gems

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It’s not that often that I get out to a car swap meet.  Here in Arizona you are in  for a hot time…tempature-wise, do to the lack of shade.  Car parts so hot you’ve got to have oven mitts to handle ’em.  But the are still fun.

Down the street at the local drag strip they had one this weekend and I thought I’d pass on a few of the gems they had for sale.  There was a bit of a car show there as well.

You could pick-up some ‘Field Fresh’ projects like this coupe:

 

“Trailer Not Include”read the sign

 

Love the rear window

The floors are solid.

 

$3500 and the cob web are no extra charge.

 

 

Or this Pick-Up:

You could also find some project that the owner just couldn’t finish…some with some very extensive ‘restoration damage’  like tons of bondo holding the fender together.

This Chevy wasn’t the worst, but it had a lot of bondo.

This Dodge pickup wasn’t horrible. It would make a nice starter project.

This Plymouth Barracuda was pretty stripped down.

I actually think the owner had a lot of the parts laying on the ground for sale separately.

This ’65 Chevy is has been lowered and that’s about all.

Lot work left on this project.

Some cars did find new homes:

This Dodge found a new home.

This Imperial looks like it’s going to its new garage under its own power.

 

I love this car!!!!

Going to need some interior work. This one sported the push button shifting.

 

Coming up… some of the show cars.  Some nice rods.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

New ‘Cuda or Here We Go Again!!!

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So I’m thumbing through one of the latest “here are the new cars” periodicals (I don’t spend much time with them…I don’t care much if a Mazda sedan and out perform a VW sedan…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz) and ran across  that stated “Chrysler looks to the ‘Cuda to replace Dodge‘s Challenger.”

Ok…come on heee…er (New York accent).   Didn’t we just have the conversation about the “Dodge Dart“???  Like how it looked more like a Neon!!! And correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t we all agree that the Charger was a cool as “Honda Accord“?     Yes, I believe we did!

So now lets take the Challenger the one they got “right’ in a retro sense.  So why replace it?   Well some could argue in the 70’s the Cuda was a better looking car and you know they bring a lot more money.  So just maybe….but read this!!!

“A Barracuda replacement would be much more trim, though still on a RWD platform.  Chrysler and…(cough) Fiat are said to be jointly developing a new platform that’s smaller the current Charger… Gille’s Barracuda will be far less literal interpretation of its namesake.”

So let me see if I have this straight….you’re gonna take the Challenger that looks somewhat similar the orig…and you’re gonna replace it with a car that won’t look like this original?

Smart?  What do you think?

Tim

NASCAR Comment

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My last post  “Dodge Unveils Next-Gen Sprint Cup Car in Vegas…..” (http://wp.me/pKHNM-ZJ), invoked a few comments mostly on Facebook and at least one here that touched on something that ‘bugs’ me about where NASCAR has gone since the 60’s.

Here is an excerpt from Bill:

“….

I’m bittersweet about manufacturers participation in NASCAR, and have been since TOYOTA wrapped themselves in the American flag and joined the series. If manufacturers are to continue participation, then I would like to see rules such as motor sources must be manufacturer sourced, running pump gas, and back to body templates that must match their street versions.

Back when MOPAR was absent from NASCAR, the ideal was that there just was nothing to gain in NASCAR other than name recognition for Chrysler. Even TOYOTA admitted when they joined NASCAR that there was nothing to gain other than getting their logo on the field….”

In another post I talked about loss of innovation and brand loyalty and I have to expand on and disagree a bit with Bill.

When NASCAR started the templates and restricter plates and began the standardization of the cars that participated, I began loosing interest and a lot of other did as well.  One of the biggest complaints I hear among the fan I sit with during a race and talk to is that the cars a so similar there really isn’t much to the racing part.    Those rules are what killed the major benefits for the manufacturers.   It killed individual innovation.   The cars are now tube framed, bland sheet metal, sticker covered shell of what racing use to be, 200 per hour uninspiring billboards.  Headlights and logos…. STICKERS… people!!!!!

How can these compare?

New Dodge Charger for NASCAR

They don’t compare.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Dodge Unveils Next-Gen Sprint Cup Car in Vegas…..

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……OR…WHAT THE CHARGER SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT THE START
By: Jen Dunnaway
                    Posted On: 3/12/2012 9:14AM

SuzyBruisy

Following the precedent set by Ford with its hot new NASCAR Fusion, Dodge unveiled a muscular Charger that’ll be running Sprint Cup during the 2013 season. Dodge enjoys the distinction of being the only Cup car that’s based on an actual RWD V8 civilian version, but the reveal also comes at a problematic time for the manufacturer: with Penske Racing having just announced that it’ll be leaving Dodge for Ford, the only Charger in the field is run by independent Robby Gordon. SRT Motorsports chief Ralph Giles says all options are on the table, including pulling Dodge from the series altogether. What do you think, does Dodge have a future in NASCAR? After seeing this new Charger, I kind of hope so. More info at NASCAR.com, pics via Autoblog.

They Made How Many? 1950

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Oh the cars of the 1950’s were great. So how did they start out that iconic decade?

Some fantastic car and shapes came out in 1950.

Leading the numbers game was Chevy and Ford with over a million each, Chevy with 1,498,590 and Ford with 1,208,912, not bad.

Plymouth was third with nearly 800,000 out of first place with 610,954, Buick with 588,439 and Pontiac finished up the top 5 with 446,429.

Here’s the rest of the 19 makers:

Oldsmobile – 408,060

Dodge – 341,797

Studebaker – 320,884

Mercury – 293,585

Chrysler – 179,299

Nash – 171,782 (produced it’s 2,000,000th car)

DeSoto – 136,203

Hudson – 121,408

Cadillac – 103,857

Packard – 42,627

Lincoln – 28,190

Kaiser – 15,228

Crosley – 6,792

Frazer – 3,700

Do you have a favorite?  I have a couple.  My first would be the Hudson, followed closely by the Studebaker with its bullet nose.

I don't know why but I love the shape of these cars. Here is the 1950 Hudson Commodore.

There is nothing more interesting than the Bullet Nose Studebaker. Here is the 1950 Land Cruisera.

What else went on in 1950?

Micro Cars!!!  Say WHAT???   Yeah!!!   The IMP – hailed as “The Little Car with the Big Future”. With an MPG of 10 miles per gallon and all fiber glass body, the hopes were high.  But the car didn’t sell and disappeared in the same year.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

First Look: Dodge Dart

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(And my last look, unless someone drives one through my house and parks it in the living room!!!! )

You’d think the heat Chrysler took for making the Charger a 4 door…they would have come up with something better looking than a Dodge Neon look-a-like!!!!  (I’m a previous Dart owner w/318!!)

But wait… the engines….oh I’m sure there something special there:

Dart’s three,  four cylinder engines are:

–          Base 2.0-liter – 160 horsepower, 145 pound-feet torque,

–          Optional 1.4-liter – 160 horsepower, turbocharged using Fiat’s Multi-Air technology

–          Optional 2.4-liter – 184 horsepower, Multi-Air

OH….powered by a Fiat engine….oh…184 hp….um…yeah?

We at least there are 12 colors and 6 wheel choices!!!!

sigh.....2013 Dodge Dart.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

First Look: Dodge Dart.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

The Cars of Cuba: Photos and stories from Havana

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I hope you can view this article.  Has some great cars – although the saying “keep the shiny side up”  doesn’t really translate – these just don’t have one.

I’d love to spend time wandering around Cuba, just to look at the cars.

The Cars of Cuba: Photos and stories from Havana.

This is from Hagerty Insurance Company.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Mopar Introduces Chrysler 200 Super S and Dodge Charger Redline

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January 4th, 2012 aunik_aronno
Mopar, Chrysler Group’s custom parts branch, has announced that a modified 2012 Chrysler 200 and an altered 2012 Dodge Charger have joined its lineup. The 2012 Chrysler 200 Super S and Dodge Charger Redline are dressed in the latest Mopar accessories, giving each an “in-your-face” look. While the Charger already possessed bold exterior attributes even before Mopar’s help, the Chrysler 200 gets a little more self-confidence courtesy of two different packages that can be added on.

“The Super S is Mopar’s interpretation of the Chrysler 200,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “The extensive list of high-quality Mopar parts enhances the performance and appearance of our Chrysler 200.”

Two packages are available to dress up the 2012 Chrysler 200. The first is called Stage One, which is primarily an appearance package which refines overall styling on Chrysler’s smaller sedan. The Stage Two goes under the hood adding a cold-air intake and a cat-back exhaust system. A cold-air intake is added to boost engine efficiency and performance while a cat-back system gives that extra engine note that may be missing while rolling at lower speeds. Coil-over suspension is also added to enhance the overall ride feel.

The 2012 Dodge Charger Redline receives a few more options than the Chrysler 200 Super S. Mopar’s variant of the Charger is based off of the R/T model and can be dressed in three different packages. Stage One adds exterior styling cues such as a Mopar carbon fiber chin spoiler, “crosshair” grille, carbon fiber door scoops designed to enhance aerodynamics, and the interior also gets a few new accents. Stage Two is adds Mopar bolt-on parts to boost power, handling, and braking. These features include a cat-back exhaust system, cross-braces under the hood to enhance handling, and brake linings to bring the Charger’s Hemi V-8 to a halt quickly. Stage Three adds a 426 Hemi V-8 engine which holds the reigns to 590 ponies, 220 more than what’s found in the regular Charger R/T. Known as the “elephant motor” this lightweight aluminum V-8 shaves off more than 100 pounds from its cast-iron siblings. Cast-aluminum valve covers and billet fuel rails are also included in Stage Three of the Charger’s performance kit.

“Since the 1960s, the Mopar Brand has built a long history of adding power and performance to the Dodge Charger—and with the Redline, we Moparized the new Charger with modern-day performance and style while giving a nod to our storied past,” said Gorlier. “With three kits, Mopar offers a tailored choice for every customer.”

Both vehicles are set to debut at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit next week.  Which vehicle are you most excited to see? Tell us which one you picked in the comment section below.