Category Archives: MOPAR

The Value of 4 Door Collector Cars (And my 500th Post)

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This is my 500th post for Average Guy’s Car Restoration, Mods and Racing blog (my one and only blog).  It has become a bit more board in scope than what I originally intended, but if you are a total car nut case, like me (my wife uses the “o’ word)  and have AADD (automobile attention deficit disorder…..HEY..that could be REAL…you don’t know that it’s NOT!!) you want more than just a Chevy or more than just 1950’s cars.  You’ll be drawn to others. (“Drawn” makes it sound like a slow process…but picture a disco era strobe light…yeah that’s a but closer to what I’m trying to describe.)  I’ve moved fairly close to the edge, having a ’70’s car and a 2007 model and mixing technologies and brands, Ford and Chevy. (I need a MOPAR and a Citroen.)

Of course one of the fun things that keeps me blogging are comments, not so many posted here, but a ton on Facebook and Twitter and now even Google+.  I like when a reader’s comment sparks a blog entry instead of just sitting there.  That brings me to the subject of this piece.

Bill is a frequent reader and leaves comments on a regular basis.  In my recent entry on the 1957 DeSoto Adventurer sold at Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale, last weekend Bill wrote this:

Bill
Submitted on 2012/01/28 at 6:12 pm

DeSoto was Chrysler’s Oldsmobile, and I think it was unappreciated both by the public and Mother Mopar herself.

Back when I lived in San Jose, CA (actually Santa Clara) in the early 1990s, there was a 1957 Adventurer 4 door parked in a driveway with four flat tires in a neighborhood near mine. I think the car had been registered last in 1979. The body, chrome, glass, and even the interior seemed in excellent condition, yet I knew the car needed more than just TLC to become roadworthy. Each time I passed that car I wanted to leave a note and see if I could get it cheap enough to restore.

I know that 4 door DeSotos would not be collectible, or bring the big money, but somehow this car seemed to be in good enough shape that it was worth saving from being just a donor parts car. I’ll be in San Jose on business soon, and will make it a point to drive by and see if the car is still there.

Have a nice day, Bill

It’s true that in the past 4 door versions of classic cars of the 50’s and 60’s lagged as far as pricing and collectivity.  But that is changing.  I as work to finish up my classic car auto appraisal certification, I’m finding that, much like the cars of 1910-1940’s, 2 extra doors aren’t hurting the price they’ll bring. Just take the trend of station wagons – sure at Barrett Jackson’s you’ll only see the two door(plus tailgate) and they’ll bring ‘bigger’ money, but 15 years ago, only crazy people had wagons restored. But the prices for cars like the Pontiac Safari wagon and the Buick Vista Cruiser (Sports wagon) are bringing higher prices. (Actually I think it was Olds Vista Wagon and Buick Sports Wagon.)

58 Safari Wagon

69 Buick Sports Wagon

I’m still quoted as saying that my Mustang, because it’s a coupe and not a fast back or a sports roof, will never to be worth what I’ve spent in restoring it.  Interestingly enough, you can start finding them on the web and Ebay for $16k.  One recently sold for a bit more than that and it to was a 302 with 351 heads and a wing.  So these things are changing.  Publications like Hemmings and others are often recommending the purchase of 4 door 50’s and 60’s cars.  In part because they are well priced and with the after-market bolt ‘ons’ and drop in crate motors, you can take what was originally under powered 4 door and make it a rubber melting monster.

So go get those 4 doors.  Winch them out of the barns and ditches, drag ’em home, restore them back to life and drive ’em!!!!

And I hope that Bill’s DeSoto (see I already have him owning it) is still there and at the least can grab us a few pics.  And if you can get some contact info for the owner, I might add a pre-MOPAR to my driveway.  Thanks for the comment Bill.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Buy a Car get a Track Day!!!

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So I’m read a few articles online and a few have touched on Fiat and all the issues they are apparently having with bring the brand back to the US.   There are some individual that say the 500 won’t be back and that they tried too
soon or that they didn’t have any dealerships lined up to handle the turn.  But I don’t really care much, I’ll never buy a Fiat, unless is an older classic, and then maybe….ummm…naaahh…not even then.

But I did notice that they are now offering a race ready version of the 500 Abarth.  That’s right 160 hps of rubber melting power, not too bad when you are starting out with 101 hp.  Drop a turbocharger and you’ll get 160.  They
tuned the suspension for the track and its light curb weight might make it a bit fun to drive..might.

160HP..enough said...HEY..who snickered???!!!

But the cool part is that included in the price is a ‘Track Day‘.  Supposedly you will get (I think car will be available in the spring) a day at one of the Richard Petty Driving Experience events.  What would be really cool is if you could return it right after that!!!

Anyway, I got to thinking if any other auto makers offer a track day.  We all know that the Big Three are making track ready cars’ some for track only and some for street and track.  Here is what I found out.

Fiat got the idea from Chrysler.  They are  offering a track day with the purchase of some of their SRT models (300 SRT8 and the Challenger SRT8).

GM via Cadillac offers their own at various tracks across the country.

Purchasing a Corvette ZR1 will get you a trip to Ron Fellows Performance Driving School or Bob Bundurant School of High Performance Driving, in Chandler, AZ.  (OK….even you can’t afford the ZR1, sell the spouse’s daily driver, rent out your man cave (gal cave) and go to the Bundurant school.) They have a lot of classes at all levels and some fair prices.  I did the Formula 1 event at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) and it was outstanding.    Here is a link:   http://www.bondurant.com/?gclid=CJD93Luc2K0CFQduhwodNyU1mQ

2012 ZR1 Vette

Not to be out done Ford as a similar deal with the 2012 Boss Mustang. This is at the Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah.  I chatted with one of the Miller Motorsports reps at the 2011 Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction in Scottsdale and he showed off some video of their facility and it is extremely nice. I’d make that trip.

2012 Boss 302

If you got to have an “import” (and the Fiat ain’t doing it for ya) Mercedes-Benz will be offering a track day at course across the US if you purchase their top of the line models. (Although I didn’t find mention of which ones.)

So if you are going to spring for a new car, you’ve got some options if a Track Day  is part of the deal. Of course the Fiat will run you about $22K and the ZR1 about $108K, tough choice?

Thanks for reading

Tim

First Look: Hyundai Genesis Coupe – 2013

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Ok  match this one up the 2013 Dart in the previous post.

What would rather pruchase?

Engine:    3.8-liter V-6 now goes Direct Injection, which helps bump the horsepower to 348 and torque to 295 lb-ft (using premium fuel). 

BUT TIM!!!..COME ON NOW.  The Dart only has 4 cylinders!!!   True!!!

So for the Genesis – 2.0-liter inline-four is now paired with a twin-scroll turbocharger and improved intercooler, with that yielding 274 hp and 275 lb-ft, again with premium fuel. 

It even looks similar to the Dart –

Not bad---missing the second of door..but.....

Enough said?
 
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

First General Lee to be auctioned at Barrett-Jackson

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Yes another posting for the up and coming Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottdale.  If you are going in person or just watching on the Speed Channel, you’ll enjoy the cars they have coming up.

I recommend going in person.  There is a ton of things going on at Barrett-Jackson events, it’s even fun for non-car people.

If you are going to Scottdale this year…give me shout.  It would be fun to meet up and say “hey”.

This from Hemmings Daily emails.

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Photos courtesy Barrett-Jackson

One of the most famous television cars in history will cross the block in Arizona later this month at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale. Lot number 1291, a 1969 Dodge Charger base model with a 383-cu.in. V-8, is said to be the very first Charger used in the making of The Dukes of Hazzard. It’s also the very first Charger destroyed in the making of the show as it was laid waste and left for dead after being used to jump over a Hazzard County police cruiser (presumably that of Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane).

Movie and TV cars are tough to estimate before an auction, but The Dukes of Hazzard was all about the car, making the orange Dodge Charger every bit the center of the action as much as Bo, Luke and Daisy Duke. It’s kind of hard to imagine a car upstaging Daisy Duke, but this Charger did. Replete with a Confederate flag on the roof and distinctive “01″ on the doors and known by car fans and casual viewers alike as The General Lee, the Charger has been instantly recognizable for more than three decades since the show’s 1979 debut. And the value of 1968-1970 Chargers today likely owes something to the show’s popularity.

Wearing the VIN XP29H9B193680, this particular car was dubbed Lee 1 by Warner Brothers in 1978. It has the distinction of being the only General Lee to appear on every episode of the show out of some 320 or so used – and used up – by Warner Brothers during the show’s seven seasons and 145 episodes. That first jump over a dirt ramp, 16 feet up and 82 feet long, nearly bent the car in half when it landed on its nose, even with a trunk full of concrete used to balance the front-heavy machine. Although that pretty much wrote off Lee 1, the shot of that jump became an iconic and enduring moment in the show’s opening credits until it went off the air in 1985.

Edmunds Inside Line ran a thorough piece on the discovery and restoration of Lee 1 five years ago that tells a bit more of the background of what was otherwise a pretty ordinary used car back in 1978. The restorers put the car back to its condition as it was used on that fateful day in 1978, meaning hastily and sloppily painted with a nowhere near concours-quality finish.

Like any car up for auction, all it takes is two determined bidders to drive the price up. With a no reserve sale, Barrett-Jackson viewers will know exactly what the car is worth when the hammer falls. The question, really, is how much provenance can a plain-Jane 1969 Charger have with some cheap day-glo orange paint and sloppily applied numbers and flags.

The Barrett-Jackson auction takes place January 15 to 22 in Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information, visit Barrett-Jackson.com.

 

Valiants Down-Under

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I enjoy the off-beat (as in not in the top 20 collectible) cars.  And they really have some of those ‘down-under”.  I grabbed this from this site

I  LOVE Valiant cars!

Found this one in Yarraville, Melbourne.

 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.

The Meaning of Mopar -It Wasn’t Always About Power

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For all you MOPAR fans out there this is a great article by Auto Enthusiast.  I’m not going to repeat it all here.  Grab the link at the bottom of this post.

Mopar is a commonly used word in today’s motorsports and high-performance car scenes, but the origins of the term Mopar had absolutely nothing to do with high horsepower or checkered flags.

Chrysler was a young and growing company in the 1920s. It had bought out the Dodge car company in 1928 and the need for a dedicated parts supplier led to the formation of the Chrysler Motor Parts Division.

As the company continued to grow, Motor Parts Division featured a simple logo with the letters C, D, D and P (Chrysler, Dodge, De Soto and Plymouth) from the years 1933 to 1937.

Nelson L. Farley, a sales promotion manager, decided there had to be a better way of promoting the replacement parts. An “Activities Council” was created. Company records show the results of the Activities Council came to light in the spring of 1937. The group came up with “MoPar,” (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts). The first order of business was coming up with a logo to put the name on cans of antifreeze.

The first MoPar logo was oval and used yellow and red. The new logo and the new name were a big move forward in communicating to the customers. If you needed something for a Chrysler product and got it from the garage that sells the vehicles, it came marked as a MoPar item.

The original brand and trademark logo remained the same from 1937 to 1947. It was slightly changed in 1948. The second logo did not change for six years. MoPar parts were still factory replacement items, nothing more and nothing less.

 

 

http://www.amosauto.com/Articles/Mopar/Features/headline-for-web-5

Thanks for Reading.

Tim

Coming Up.

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Hope everyone has recovered from heavy eating and traveling, I know I need to rest up before Christmas, maybe even drop a couple of pounds ahead of time.

I’m also to attempt to meet my goal of 500 posts before the end of 2011. (Yes this one counts).

I have a couple of contests coming up with some auto related DVD’s to give away and some a couple of parking lot finds, and a feature car or two.

So swing by and drop me a comment.

Thanks for reading.

Tim