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autorama
Plymouth Rat Rod With Machine Gun Intake
A 1934 Plymouth sedan isn't a typical starting point for a hot rod, but that's just the beginning of the uniqueness of this car. It's a hodgepodge in the best sense of the term; '79 GM A-body rear suspension, 400 cubic-inches of '73 Plymouth V8 power, a custom intake manifold, and 3 Rochester 2bbl carbs. The wood headliner is actually made from a tree that was growing in the owner's yard. That machine gun styled air cleaner even utilizes the leftover portion of the shortened driveshaft. And would you take a look at that homemade hood ornament; its a "screw" flying though a "U." The best part? The owner bought the car just to get one part for another car, but ended up deciding to build this up just for fun. It's stuff like this that make us love Autorama.
industry news
A Chrysler Challenger? Chrysler May Re-Assign Products To Specific Brands
The Fox-owned Journalof wiley-watchers of the street at Broad and Wall are reporting today Chrysler's mulling over an interesting brand strategy:"A plan now being discussed calls for Chrysler dealers to sell all of the auto maker's passenger cars under the Chrysler name. Dodge dealers would exclusively offer pickup and commercial trucks, while Jeep dealers would sell Jeep and sport-utility vehicles, according to three dealers familiar with the discussions."Now wait, here's the fun part — and it should make any Mopar meatheads out there jump for joy: More »
sema
SEMA 2007: Plymouth GTX Wagon for 1968
The story goes the original owner of this wagon was dismayed to find that the Plymouth GTX came out just weeks after he purchased the mighty land yacht. So dismayed in fact he took it back down to the dealer and made them option it the same as a Belvedere-based Plymouth GTX coupe. A 440 with six-pack bolted to a 4-speed get the heavy moving in modern times. We found the wagon at the Hotchkis booth, serving as a platform for a new line of sport suspensions for Mopars coming next year. We swear the lines on these wagons drifted right off sixties top fuel slingshot dragsters - or F-104 Starfighters. Sport wagons, ho!
sema
SEMA 2007: Dodge Caliber "Stormtrooper Jr"
If the Mopar-built Dodge Avenger concept we showed you earlier is named "Stormtrooper," then this here DUB edition Dodge Caliber is most assuredly "Stormtrooper Jr." Or, "Mini Stormtrooper" if you will. We've got no other information on it to give you, but we found it so gleamingly bright and white we thought we'd better snap some shots of this over-DUB-bed Caliber that's anything but cute.
sema
Chrysler just revealed some Baja love with a couple of Dodge Ram pickups that'll be hitting the Baja trails. The first is a Mopar-sponsored Dodge Ram Off-Road Trophy Truck for Collins Motorsports to field in the SCORE International Off-Road Racing Series. The second's a stock 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 also for Baja truckin'. Full press release after the jump.
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SEMA 2007: Dodge Baja Trucks
Chrysler just revealed some Baja love with a couple of Dodge Ram pickups that'll be hitting the Baja trails. The first is a Mopar-sponsored Dodge Ram Off-Road Trophy Truck for Collins Motorsports to field in the SCORE International Off-Road Racing Series. The second's a stock 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 also for Baja truckin'. Full press release after the jump.More »
sema
Just like last year we managed to find ourselves a way to sneak on to the show floor to snag some first-look shots of some of the sights, sounds and supremely over-powered wonderfulness on the SEMA showroom floor here in Vegas. First sight of the day was a vehicle we told you about just a few hours ago, the 392 Hemi crate engine-powered SR-392 Roadster, a product of Chrysler's Mopar Underground SEMA design team and Quality Metalcraft out of Livonia, MI. If you'll remember, Quality Metalcraft is the same company that owns AEV, the company that made the most awesome mod ever for a Mopar product — the "Brute" conversion kit. So why did the design team (featuring such heavyweights as Chrysler Truck Design chiefs Ralph Gillies and Mark Allen, plus Quality Metalcraft's Michael Chetcuti) decide to shoehorn a 6.4-liter Hemi crate engine into a classic street roadster? Because they could. Full press release below the jump.
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SEMA 2007: The Hemi-Powered SR-392 Roadster Gets Revealed A Wee Bit Early
Just like last year we managed to find ourselves a way to sneak on to the show floor to snag some first-look shots of some of the sights, sounds and supremely over-powered wonderfulness on the SEMA showroom floor here in Vegas. First sight of the day was a vehicle we told you about just a few hours ago, the 392 Hemi crate engine-powered SR-392 Roadster, a product of Chrysler's Mopar Underground SEMA design team and Quality Metalcraft out of Livonia, MI. If you'll remember, Quality Metalcraft is the same company that owns AEV, the company that made the most awesome mod ever for a Mopar product — the "Brute" conversion kit. So why did the design team (featuring such heavyweights as Chrysler Truck Design chiefs Ralph Gillies and Mark Allen, plus Quality Metalcraft's Michael Chetcuti) decide to shoehorn a 6.4-liter Hemi crate engine into a classic street roadster? Because they could. Full press release below the jump.More »
sema
SEMA 2007: Big Daddy and Mopar to Burn Nitro Again
Big Daddy Don Garlits has always liked his Chryslers. He stuck with the hemispherical variety of engine even when the dark forces of moneyed sponsorship tried to convince him otherwise. Back in May we found out that he continues to enjoy stuffing hemis down into the framerails. The Swamp Rat XII is now finished and rolling out to SEMA from Florida. The vintage 6:71 blower looks better than bitchen raking down on top of the modern 392 mill. Release and specifications after the jump. [Big Daddy Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing] More »
engines
Workhorse Engine of the Day: Mitsubishi Astron
From a distant galaxy of single overhead cam engines comes the Mitsubishi Astron series. The mighty Astron began life in 1972, and is still ticking away under the hoods of everything from Mitsubishi Starions to the panoply of Chrysler K-Car variants. In the beginning, the Flying Sikh himself pummeled an Astron equipped original Lancer to numerous rally victories. Patented silent shaft technology canceled out harmonics as the engine grew in displacement from 1.8 to 2.6 liters of four pot fury. The last production car to pack the Astron was either the the 1991 Pajero or the 1990 Starion, but only if not counting the diesel version of the Astron - which motored on with turbo until 1993 amid Galants. 21 years of Astron! In sourcing a new cylinder head sans jet valves for one of the two 2.6L G54B turbo variants of the Astron in our garage we learned that the 'ol G54B aspirated on propane with propane accessories serves in many forklifts to this day. The odd marriage of Mopar, Mitsubishi, and K-Car station wagons also led to some innovative badging - as seen in the bonus pic after the jump. [Mitsubishi Astron] More »
question of the day
My Favorite Mopar: Hemi 426 or 440 Magnum?
We were a little perplexed yesterday by the lack of cat scratching over engines when it came to the Charger/Challenger challenge. As we mentioned in the feature, our hands were up in the air and our shoulders shrugged. How do you choose? On the one hand you have mega-displacement in the form of the 440 Six Pack, which every pistonhead worth his salt knows there is no displacement for. On the other, what's 14 cubic inches? Besides that, like, Hemi! Besides sounding potent, all that complicated valve stem/rocker arm tomfoolery and massive cylinder heads make the Hemi 426 look bigger than any other engine (except for the 5.3-liter Jaguar V12, which is the most gigantic thing we've ever seen stuffed in an engine bay). Anyhow, Murilee and I were discussing the various merits and demerits of each and we reached the conclusion that you kind-hearted folks, our
chrr
Mopowered Shopping Cart
Taking the big box philosophy one step too far are these drag race fans. It's always a good idea to bring a shopping cart to the California Hot Rod Reunion. Just make sure the cart is large enough to seat many, and make absolutely sure to stuff a Mopar V8 and TorqueFlite into it. Wing optional.
frankfurt auto show
Frankfurt Auto Show: Dodge Journey
From the I think it might be a minivan department comes the Dodge Journey. After seeing a surprising number of Chrysler minivans on the roads here in Frankfurt, we can see the appeal a space wagon equipped with a 2.0L turbodiesel from the Dodge might have for the European market. David and Danya changed outfits magically while metallic confetti distracted everybody temporarily, from noticing the Journey had appeared! Steve Perry was not on hand to belt out Don't Stop Believing, and thankfully there was no vocal laxative effect.
gratuitous friday burnout
Dad's Turbo Dodge Caravan
From the 800-dollar turbocharged minivan department comes this 1989 Dodge Caravan SE with genuine simulated woodgrain trim. Along with doing toasty burnouts, the minivan has run the quarter mile in 12.65 seconds at Route 66 Dragway thanks to a set of slicks and 24 pounds of boost pushing through the stock 140K plus miles mill. The initial 800-dollar purchase price has been long-forgotten after all the modifications required to get the Iacocca Special into the 12-second zone. This guy figures if a 14-second minivan can beat most cars on the road, then a 12-second minivan can beat them all! [Dad's Turbo Minivan Bonanza]
gratuitous friday burnout
1969 Dodge Charger Smokes 'Em
From the fusty old Mopar department comes this Friday's gratuitous tire frying. These guys have a junkyard, a soaked patch of pavement, a second-generation Dodge Charger, and maybe another set of tires. Judging by the volume of smoke alone, this thing is packing a 383 big block at the very least. A 440 wedge and and 426 hemi were other choices in 1969. Dodge also built about 500 or so Chargers for 1969 that packed a 225 slant six - for those desiring sporty looks along with economy from the leaning tower of power.
industry news
Save Mopar!
After we learned this morning that part of putting "The New" into "The New Chrysler" includes potentially killing the Mopar performance parts unit, we've decided to stand up for Mopar-lovin' auto enthusiasts everywhere to start a campaign to "Save Mopar!" First things first — we need a graphic of some sort. We mean, come on, it's not a real campaign unless it's got a graphic. How's the above one look? It's good? So — umm, we've got a graphic and so, umm — what's next?
industry news
Chrysler Looking To Axe Mopar?
Say it ain't so, Bob! Gina Chon and Jeffrey McCracken of the soon-to-be Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal are reporting this morning "The New Chrysler" is looking at shedding what they're terming "noncore assets." According to the tag team of Gina and Jeff, one of those noncore's they're looking to shutter or sell as part of union negotiations is its Mopar parts unit. If that happens, wethinks it won't matter how much Bob Nardelli rides around in a Plymouth Prowler — he won't be able to fix the ill will that'll exist among the ranks of classic Mopar-lovin' enthusiasts. We feel like maybe we need a "Save Mopar" campaign or something. (Hat tip to Kevin!) (sub. req.) [WSJ]
woodward dream cruise
Driving about in a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 it's easy to forget that while the formula for American muscle cars is still very much alive, refinements in technology have changed the experience drastically. Case in point is this 1972 Dodge Challenger. I drove this beast last year from Carlisle, Pensylvania to Detroit after having roadtripped from Motor City mostly in the passenger seat. This was not by any means a completely original machine, but the core of what rolled off the line in the '70s was still very much with it.
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1972 Dodge Challenger
Driving about in a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 it's easy to forget that while the formula for American muscle cars is still very much alive, refinements in technology have changed the experience drastically. Case in point is this 1972 Dodge Challenger. I drove this beast last year from Carlisle, Pensylvania to Detroit after having roadtripped from Motor City mostly in the passenger seat. This was not by any means a completely original machine, but the core of what rolled off the line in the '70s was still very much with it.
More »
2:30 PM on Fri Aug 17 2007
By Mike Bumbeck
1,971 views,
8 comments
Latest by KingRoyale: Tastee indeed. Talk about a pretty piece o muscle! more »
the leaning tower of power
