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Dodge Challenger appreciation thread - Page 2

post #16 of 29
1/10/09 at 3:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim View Post
Yeah, same goes for buildings and clothes too. Damn those classic designs!
Yes, damn to the flipped collars. Some things just need to be forgotten.
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post #17 of 29
1/10/09 at 3:42am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by DarkNWorn View Post
Yes, damn to the flipped collars. Some things just need to be forgotten.

And denim! WTF, you'd think that after all this time, they'd stop ripping off the classic designs.
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post #18 of 29
1/10/09 at 3:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DarkNWorn View Post
I just cringe when I see a remake of a classic. Let the classics be classic. Are they fucking lazy? All these years and they have to borrow style from the old cars?

Yes, but compared to some of the crap automakers have been coming out with recently, I'd personally rather them stick to a variation of a classic design.
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post #19 of 29
1/10/09 at 4:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim View Post
Not just conveniences either. Things like ABS, airbags, decent seatbelts, crash protection, stiffer chassis (because of new and better torsion control methods, and honestly - better parts) suspension, paint, and the interior elements are better than they were in the 70's (may be some of the only "iconic" cars that are higher quality now than they were originally!) Not to mention more horsepower, AND better fuel economy.
+10^100 I'm probably the only SFer who drives a '70's car to work every day. It's not for love. Driving one of those cars every day is, quite frankly, an exercise in fear. I know the guy in front of me is going to outbreak me in virtually any condition, and I will plough into him if I don't keep a larger offset. Going uphill in a heavy RWD car in the snow without a posi is futile. I keep chains. I've used them three times this season. Going downhill in bad conditions in a heavy RWD car with disc/front drum/rear breaks is a dance of death, because they never, ever, break evenly, one side always breaks more, inducing a...wait for it...spin. Plus a Mini could probably overtake me, though I've a 318/4bbl. TopGear once had a show where Clarkson ran around in an XKE that had a full chassis redo -- 4 wheel disks, modern suspension, modern steering. Now that is a proper E-Type that won't kill you. So yeah, classic styling, modern engineering FTW.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DarkNWorn View Post
I just cringe when I see a remake of a classic. Let the classics be classic. Are they fucking lazy? All these years and they have to borrow style from the old cars?
I wonder if the designers are just getting back to ground here -- for two decades and change US carmakers have been making incredibly boring, banal vehicles. Going retro at least allows them to appeal to the...er.. mature generation with memories of cars past, as well as a disillusioned younger generation while proving that design can sell cars. Not medicrity. ~ H
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post #20 of 29
1/10/09 at 4:32pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Huntsman View Post
+10^100 I'm probably the only SFer who drives a '70's car to work every day. It's not for love. Driving one of those cars every day is, quite frankly, an exercise in fear. I know the guy in front of me is going to outbreak me in virtually any condition, and I will plough into him if I don't keep a larger offset. Going uphill in a heavy RWD car in the snow without a posi is futile. I keep chains. I've used them three times this season. Going downhill in bad conditions in a heavy RWD car with disc/front drum/rear breaks is a dance of death, because they never, ever, break evenly, one side always breaks more, inducing a...wait for it...spin. Plus a Mini could probably overtake me, though I've a 318/4bbl.
I hear you. My oldest car was a '79 Monte Carlo that looked just like this, except in dark (almost black) green: That thing was actually kind of terrifying to drive. Especially in the rain (which it does quite frequently here, or so you may have been told)
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post #21 of 29
1/10/09 at 4:50pm
See, you understand properly. My commute is short < 2 mi, but there's a better than 500' elevation change. The first time I hit the brakes at the crest of the hill for a deer, in the rain, I lost it -- two steer-countersteer cycles in, I thought I had it, but no, I didn't. Amazing how fast you can be going the other way, in a ditch. Amazing that now my 'panic' stops have a little modulation on brake application now. We learn. Fortunately, it rains less out my way. This will be the last winter for me and the beast, thank God and all Providence. It is a '79 also, but not as iconic or well designed as the Monte Carlo. ~ H
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post #22 of 29
1/10/09 at 4:56pm
Thread Starter 
My monte had a race tuned 350 in it that I had no idea how to work on... It killed itself before it killed me. I donated it. All in all though, it was a rather fun car on a dry day.
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post #23 of 29
1/10/09 at 5:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim View Post
Not just conveniences either. Things like ABS, airbags, decent seatbelts, crash protection, stiffer chassis (because of new and better torsion control methods, and honestly - better parts) suspension, paint, and the interior elements are better than they were in the 70's (may be some of the only "iconic" cars that are higher quality now than they were originally!)

Not to mention more horsepower, AND better fuel economy.


One of the best examples of this is the auto-x comparison that Grassroots Motorsports did between a Honda Odyssey, Jaguar XKE, and Porsche 356.

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/art...-moms-revenge/
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post #24 of 29
1/10/09 at 5:47pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by DMcG View Post
One of the best examples of this is the auto-x comparison that Grassroots Motorsports did between a Honda Odyssey, Jaguar XKE, and Porsche 356.

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/art...-moms-revenge/

Ha... that was an awesome article.
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post #25 of 29
1/10/09 at 6:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dakota rube View Post
I love the looks.
It's kind of a heavy pig, though.

Sad to think this might be the end of the line for Chrysler. I can't imagine a niche car like this surviving the death throes that we're seeing Chrysler go though. :sad:

Aren't they just doing a limited run of these cars anyway? I don't think the mustang and camaro are getting more than 2 year runs either. Not sure about that though. ..
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post #26 of 29
1/10/09 at 6:55pm
Thread Starter 








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post #27 of 29
1/12/09 at 12:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim View Post
My monte had a race tuned 350 in it that I had no idea how to work on... It killed itself before it killed me. I donated it. All in all though, it was a rather fun car on a dry day.
Oh, nice! Chevy 350s are both awesome and bulletproof, especially those oldies with the four-bolt mains. My father's plow truck is a '73 Blazer that he bought new. The block itself has over 1,000,000 documented miles on it, rebuilt and tuned at a quarter million when he was off-roading. We redid the truck (kind of quickly) in '04, I believe. She's leaking oil past the rings these days and would need another rebuild but I don't know -- lots of hidden rust and the frame's been rewelded at least once in every corner. Lots of memories though. Lots. I'm sure my father will keep her running as long as he's able, and I don't think I could ever get rid of her either. Glad it didn't kill you though --- a tweaky engine on those things can be....but like you said, fun on a dry day. Some guy in the exec lot where I work has this dark gold/grey new Challenger. It is sweet. ~ H
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post #28 of 29
1/12/09 at 4:11pm
Tokyo,

You have spoken to my heart with your thread. I helped a friend pull a '72 (iirc) Challenger chassis out of some weeds, and back to his apartment. For all the neglect and all the things that were pulled out of it, I still hope he got it running and made something good out of it.

That, and two of my old college friends had maybe four Dodge Chargers (circa '69) between them. So, yeah, I have a soft spot for them.
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post #29 of 29
1/13/09 at 1:58am
this is the only way i would want to do a challenger....billet wheeled streetrods make me queasy. it is the stance my brother is shooting for with our great grandfathers last car....a 75 hangten dart...it already has a built 410 finished.
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