My Family were Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth people

[Tom Sweetnam]

1970 Cuda....

Loved that car....

sweet

 

[DGS49]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but there is no such thing as a "440 hemi." And I don't believe the 426 hemi was available in 1973.

I have always liked MOPAR's, but it would be an understatement to say that they have had their problems over the years.

In the 60's they were notorious for crapping out in the rain (various shorts in the wiring), which is why they were the first to go to electronic ignition. They were the first American manufacturer to make large cars using "unibody" construction (no frame), and the early ones had so much body flex they felt like amusement park rides.

I was big on the Chrysler turbo's in the 80's and had three LeBaron's with different versions of the 2.2. last one was a '90 coupe with the VNT turbo, which was a lot of fun to drive. I never had any problems with them, but I only kept them until they had about 50k miles.

I currently drive an '06 PT Cruiser with the 2.4L DOHC H.O. turbo and Getrag 5-speed. I wish it got better gas mileage, but from a performance standpoint it is very, very adequate. I'm trying to sell the damn thing, but getting no serious takers.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Ye gods...here we go again...

The street Hemi ran 1966-71.

The only major wiring problem was the bulkhead connector, the main power feed to the ammeter. (If there was no ammeter, this was not present.) This is a pretty easy fix.

Solid-roof unit body cars are generally stiffer than full frame cars. Having owned both, I have found that to be the case. Pillarless hardtops flex a bit, but sedans and post coupes are very solid.

 

[SmarterThanTheAverageBear]

Ye gods...here we go again...

The street Hemi ran 1966-71.

The only major wiring problem was the bulkhead connector, the main power feed to the ammeter. (If there was no ammeter, this was not present.) This is a pretty easy fix.

Solid-roof unit body cars are generally stiffer than full frame cars. Having owned both, I have found that to be the case. Pillarless hardtops flex a bit, but sedans and post coupes are very solid.

why don't you just stop pretending you know EVERYTHING about everything?

The first hemi motor was the 331 in 1951 used by Chrysler, Desoto had their own hemi in 1952.

You are of course referring to the Elephant when you say hemi, the 426 , and guess what ? it was produced from 1964-1971, not '66.

Also, the early Chryslers did have a ton of electrical issues. Well known, and they handled like shit, not because of of body flex, but because of their shitty torsion bar front end design.

 

[Jarlaxle]

No...the 426 street Hemi ran 1966-71. The race Hemi was available 2 years before the street Hemi. The 331/354/392 Fire-Power Hemi ran 1951-58.

The torsion bar suspension is actually a superb design...far superior to what Ford and GM had at the time.

100% stock Chrysler suspension geometry (and brakes, and steering) here...and yeah, that plate is "NUKE GM":

 

[HenryBHough]

Last Chrysler product anyone in my family had was a Plymouth, about 1975. The tops of the front fenders rusted through in about 3 years. After a long battle Chrysler had them repaired (there was a government-ordered recall) and the repair lasted long enough that the car developed an ability to shut down in traffic. Something they could never fix.

But it could have been worse. We had a Chevy Malibu, 1965. First thing to rust through was the bracket for the clutch pedal pivot. On day the clutch went to the floor and stayed there. It was repaired by a welding shop since the dealer wouldn't touch it. Later it was sold to a college student who got one good year out of it. Then, on a turnpike there was a "whump" and the supports for both rear springs collapsed so tires dragged on the wheel wells but the bumper dragging on the pavement stopped the car before it could catch fire.

These days it's Ford or it's foreign.

 

[Vigilante]

707 Horse power of 2015 Doge Challenger HELLCAT.... Who would have thought a street driven new car would OUT PERFORM the legendary 426 HEMI Cuda!

Matter of fact, it out performs a new 650 Horse power Chevrolet Corvette!

 

[Jarlaxle]

Last Chrysler product anyone in my family had was a Plymouth, about 1975. The tops of the front fenders rusted through in about 3 years. After a long battle Chrysler had them repaired (there was a government-ordered recall) and the repair lasted long enough that the car developed an ability to shut down in traffic. Something they could never fix.

But it could have been worse. We had a Chevy Malibu, 1965. First thing to rust through was the bracket for the clutch pedal pivot. On day the clutch went to the floor and stayed there. It was repaired by a welding shop since the dealer wouldn't touch it. Later it was sold to a college student who got one good year out of it. Then, on a turnpike there was a "whump" and the supports for both rear springs collapsed so tires dragged on the wheel wells but the bumper dragging on the pavement stopped the car before it could catch fire.

These days it's Ford or it's foreign.

So...because of something that happened forty and fifty years ago, you rule out two car manufacturers. You are a truly special kind of stupid!

PS--the 75 almost certainly had an intermittently-bad ignition module.

 

[HenryBHough]

Damn, Vig....but for the colour that looks SO much like my late sister's '67 Camaro! The one she called "Paper Tiger". But that's only looks.......

 

[HenryBHough]

PS--the 75 almost certainly had an intermittently-bad ignition module.

Yeah! Exactly what the Plymouth dealer said each time it came back in with the same problem. DealerS, that is. Plural. One on each coast.

As to 40-50 years ago, remember, we Irish do NOT bear grudes. We CHERISH them.

 

[Vigilante]

Damn, Vig....but for the colour that looks SO much like my late sister's '67 Camaro! The one she called "Paper Tiger". But that's only looks.......

I absolutely LOVE that green, it stops traffic, and with a decent pair of Drag radials, it runs 10 second quarter miles at 127 MPH....through the mufflers on 93 octane gas! The new 8 SPEED automatic is geared as if you had a 4:11 rear in first, and a 50% overdrive in 8th gear! 60 MPH at 1500 RPM, just above a high idle!

 

[Jarlaxle]

PS--the 75 almost certainly had an intermittently-bad ignition module.

Yeah! Exactly what the Plymouth dealer said each time it came back in with the same problem. DealerS, that is. Plural. One on each coast.

As to 40-50 years ago, remember, we Irish do NOT bear grudes. We CHERISH them.

My grandmother's 1971 Town & Country (with a late-70's electronic ignition swap) had the same problem. The potting compound in the ignition module melted, a common problem on the early modules...we replaced the module (from NAPA, as I recall), never another problem.

If that didn't fix it, I'd bet the bad module cooked the coil.

 

[HenryBHough]

Dealers never figured out any cure that lasted more than a day.

Ultimate solution was replacement - with a Ford. Which lasted the owner until the day she died after which it served her grandson for another five years. Then, in a probably drug-fueled state, he bought a Chevy pickup. Kept it for a while, too. Almost two months!

 

[SmarterThanTheAverageBear]

No...the 426 street Hemi ran 1966-71. The race Hemi was available 2 years before the street Hemi. The 331/354/392 Fire-Power Hemi ran 1951-58.

The torsion bar suspension is actually a superb design...far superior to what Ford and GM had at the time.

100% stock Chrysler suspension geometry (and brakes, and steering) here...and yeah, that plate is "NUKE GM":

As I said, stop acting like you know everything Jaraxle . YOU said that the hemi only existed from 1968-1971. You did NOT specify the 426.

Oh, and in 1965 you could get a production Dart or Fury with a 426 Hemi. FACT

 

[SmarterThanTheAverageBear]

707 Horse power of 2015 Doge Challenger HELLCAT.... Who would have thought a street driven new car would OUT PERFORM the legendary 426 HEMI Cuda!

Matter of fact, it out performs a new 650 Horse power Chevrolet Corvette!

Let's be honest. The muscle cars were so fast,mostly due to nostalgia. Compared to today's cars they were average

For instance, a 1969 Dodge Charger with the 426 hemi.

0-60 around 5.4 seconds
quarter mile , about 14 seconds at almost , but not quite 100 mph
top speed 143 mph
12 MPG

for comparison , I'll use my current everyday . a 2013 Ford Focus ST

0-60 5.9 seconds
1/4 mile 14.3 at 100 mph
top speed 154 mph
27 mpg

and would anyone doubt that the little focus would eat the charters lunch on a road course?

 

[Jarlaxle]

No...the 426 street Hemi ran 1966-71. The race Hemi was available 2 years before the street Hemi. The 331/354/392 Fire-Power Hemi ran 1951-58.

The torsion bar suspension is actually a superb design...far superior to what Ford and GM had at the time.

100% stock Chrysler suspension geometry (and brakes, and steering) here...and yeah, that plate is "NUKE GM":

As I said, stop acting like you know everything Jaraxle . YOU said that the hemi only existed from 1968-1971. You did NOT specify the 426.

Oh, and in 1965 you could get a production Dart or Fury with a 426 Hemi. FACT

You REALLY need to work on your reading comprehension. The 426 street Hemi was produced 1966-1971. (not 1968.) The 1965 Hemis were not street Hemis...they were 12.5 compression race engines. The Chrysler Firepower, Dodge Red Ram, and DeSoto Firedome were not "street Hemis". Stop acting like you have a clue...because you DON'T.

 

[SmarterThanTheAverageBear]

No...the 426 street Hemi ran 1966-71. The race Hemi was available 2 years before the street Hemi. The 331/354/392 Fire-Power Hemi ran 1951-58.

The torsion bar suspension is actually a superb design...far superior to what Ford and GM had at the time.

100% stock Chrysler suspension geometry (and brakes, and steering) here...and yeah, that plate is "NUKE GM":

As I said, stop acting like you know everything Jaraxle . YOU said that the hemi only existed from 1968-1971. You did NOT specify the 426.

Oh, and in 1965 you could get a production Dart or Fury with a 426 Hemi. FACT

You REALLY need to work on your reading comprehension. The 426 street Hemi was produced 1966-1971. (not 1968.) The 1965 Hemis were not street Hemis...they were 12.5 compression race engines. The Chrysler Firepower, Dodge Red Ram, and DeSoto Firedome were not "street Hemis". Stop acting like you have a clue...because you DON'T.

Shut up Jarlaxe. Seriously. You look like a fool.

In your first post you claimed that the hemi was available from in 1966 and that's not true, the first street hemi was available in 1951 AND the first 428 was available in 1965. PERIOD.

The rest is just you nitpicking trying to be right.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Jesus fuck...one more time for the slow kid: the Street Hemi was built 1966-71. Now, use you reading finger here: the street Hemi is a SPECIFIC engine! The Chrysler Firepower Hemi is not a Street Hemi, the DeSoto Firedome is not a Street Hemi, the 426 race Hemi is not a Street Hemi! (The first 426 was actually built in 1964, not 1965.)

Keep rereading that until it sinks through that thick skull to your tiny brain!

 

[DGS49]

Just a clarification, it is not rational to make any blanket statement about unibody cars. When Mercedes went that way, the cars were solid as a brick, with no flex whatever. Chrysler just didn't get the hang of it for many years and their cars suffered with horrible body flex. And add to that, many models were actually constructed of compressed rust (e.g. Aspen, Volare), and it was a huge embarrassment to the company.

My dad loved the early K cars for some reason, and owned four of them before he finally gave up. Of course my LeBaron's were all K cars as well, so I can't say anything.

 

[Jarlaxle]

The only unit-body cars that had flex problems were convertibles and (some) pillarless hardtops.