Dodge
October 20th, 2009 by NZ Classic Car
Of the three classic muscle car nameplates currently on sale over in the United States, the Dodge Challenger has the most retro look. If that’s a good thing or not depends on your personal point of view, but Chrysler is comfortable with it and is further promoting the link to Challenger’s ’70s heritage with a new Plum Crazy Pearl Coat colour option for 2010.
During the American muscle car wars Plum Crazy was the surprisingly popular deep purple hue found on the Challenger and its stablemate, the Plymouth Barracuda. Now, any car originally painted up in Plum Crazy has an intrinsic value to many car collectors, and Dodge is hoping for a similar situation the second time around.
The purple colour is only available on the R/T and SRT models for 2010 and the package also includes Plum interior stitching and a Plum seat stripe on the SRT8. Outside, buyers can choose from either Black Dual Wide Stripes or a newly-optional set of stripes in white (pictured).
September 30th, 2009 by NZ Classic Car
There weren’t too many powerful sports cars built in America in the late Seventies thanks to increasingly stringent emissions requirements, but a few performance vehicles did manage to get produced despite the horsepower-strangling legislation. One of those vehicles was the L’il Red Express Truck built by Dodge from 1978-1979. Easily recognised by its signature exhaust stacks protruding prominently from each side of the tray, the Little Red Truck featured a 360ci V8 and could run the 1/4-mile in 14.7 seconds. That doesn’t seem particularly quick by today’s standards, but L’il Red was suprisingly the fastest American-produced vehicle built in 1978.
As a tribute to the original performance truck, legendary American Mopar hot rodder Norm Kraus, better known as “Mr. Norm,” has put together his own aftermarket package that will turn a 2009 Dodge Ram into the L’il Red Express’ bigger, more powerful grandson. Granted, the new version doesn’t necessarily have the visual impact of the original, but some concessions were made to keep the basic package relatively affordable. To convert the bed into a stepside and mount the exhaust on the outside, for instance, would have cost seriously big bucks.
September 8th, 2009 by NZ Classic Car
As part of RM Auctions Icons of Speed and Style auction a very rare 1965 Dodge Deora Concept will cross the block and go home with the highest bidder. The Deora was built by legendary American hot rodders Mike and Larry Alexander. The special ute went on to win the Ridler Award at the 1967 Detroit Autorama and was immortalised a year later when it became one of the original 16 Hot Wheels model cars made.
The unique design, based on a Dodge A100, includes no side doors but instead a forward-opening glass hatch that is actually the tail-gate of a 1960 Ford station wagon turned 180 degrees. RM estimates that the Deora, which was restored to its original show specs just over ten years ago, should fetch somewhere between $350,000 – $550,000 USD when it goes up for auction.
RM’s Speed and Style Auction will take place at the Petersen Automotive Museum on September 26.’
April 2nd, 2009 by NZ Classic Car
Dodge’s original Li’l Red Express trucks are all now in their third decade, and recreating a modern version is the last thing on troubled Chrysler’s mind. So Mopar high-performance specialist Mr. Norm’s is busy reviving the spirit of the original with a fully modern Red XPress Truck, using the new Dodge Ram as a basis. The name has been tweaked and there’s no fat-fendered bed, but the general idea remains the same.
1978 Dodge Li’L Red Express Chrysler’s 5.7-litre Hemi is the standard fitment, and with 380 horsepower and 403 pound-feet of torque, it makes a good argument. Alternatively, 6.1 litres of SRT crate Hemi will give you about 450 hp, and then there’s the 426 cubic inch version of the SRT engine, which Mr. Norm has modified with forged internals. The 426 gets you about 600 hp, nearly triple the 225 hp developed by the 360 in the original.
Appearance is obviously also part of the package, and there are graphics on the doors mimicking the original, as well as high exhaust stacks as part of a long list of optional upgrades.
February 17th, 2009 by NZ Classic Car
Traditional classics got top dollar at the recent Shannons Sydney Summer auction, showing that keen buyers are still there for the right vehicle.
Strong, period colours were obviously popular with the auction crowd of more than 400, with two collectible Australian muscle cars comfortably exceeding their estimates.
A one owner ‘March the 17th green’ 1972 Holden LJ Torana GT-R XU-1 sedan sold after strong bidding for $70,000 (All amounts in AUS dollars)- well above its $45,000-$55,000 guiding range. The distinctive ‘Bathurst’ sedan in very original, unmolested condition was sold with a complete history, including its original new car documents.
Similar enthusiastic bidding saw a rare ‘Magenta’ three speed manual 1971 Chrysler Valiant Charger R/T E37 coupe sell for $62,000 compared with its $45,000-$55,000 pre-auction estimate. One of only 20 E37-optioned Chargers built in this striking colour, the Charger was initially used as a demonstrator. The car’s Magenta paintwork was refreshed in the late 1980s and after spending most of the 1990s in storage, its straight-six engine was rebuilt to near E38 ‘Bathurst’ specification.
A desirable left hand drive 1955 Ford Thunderbird Convertible recently repainted in the correct period colours of Teal and White with matching upholstery sold strongly on estimate for $51,000.
Another outstanding result at the auction was the $24,000 achieved by an immaculate, fully restored 1964 MGB finished in ‘Buttermilk’ with matching tan trim. The locally built three-bearing car was No 984 off the BMC production line in Sydney and had completed just 7,000 miles since its total nut and bolt rebuild
December 9th, 2008 by NZ Classic Car
The annual RM Auctions in Arizona, U.S.A are a little more than a month away, and an impressive lineup of American vehicles that will be crossing the block. The highlight will be an original 1963 Corvette Grand Sport (click here for news item) but two 1950′s show cars should grab some attention as well. The first is a Dodge Firearrow III Sport Concept that made its debut at the 1954 Detroit Auto Show. The concept was Chrysler’s answer to the Ford Thunderbird and Chevrolet Corvette. The car was restored to show condition in the early 90′s, and after being exhibited at numerous museums around the country, it is being offered for sale for the first time in more than 20 years with bids expected to exceed one million dollars US.
The second vehicle, known as the Saturn ‘Bob Hope Special’, is a one-off custom built in 1950 at a reported cost of $12,000. The car is built on a modified Mercury chassis and features handmade bodywork and an airplane cockpit-styled dashboard with 32 individual controls. American entertainer Bob Hope owned the car, and even planned to include it in one of his movies. The car never made it on to the big screen but Hope drove the car around Hollywood regularly.
The Automobiles of Arizona event will take place on January the 16th in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A.
December 2nd, 2008 by NZ Classic Car
After-market parts specialist Eibach has taken a nostalgic look at the Dodge Challenger with its latest project car released at the Essen Motor Show in Germany. Returning to a time when American cars were undisputed kings of the quarter mile, the Challenger project car is designed to be reminiscent of the original R/T of 1969.
With its muscular shape, its orange paintwork with two black racing stripes, the set-back radiator grill and the light-band going around the rear, the new Challenger of the SRT8 range certainly looks the part. Eibach also reminds us of the memorable debut with its choice of number plates. With 425 HP the nominal performance of the 6.1 litre V8 engine also corresponds to that of the legendary 426-cid Hemi engine, the most powerful standard motor of the first series.
But sheer power itself is not enough on European roads. So, Eibach has equipped the Dodge with the Coil-Over Suspension System Multi-Pro-R2 from its US product portfolio, to give the challenger crisp handling. With integrated independently adjustable rebound and compression damping with a remote reservoir, the set up is fully adjustable for different driving styles and appearances. Even in the choice of tyres nothing is left to chance with the driving dynamics: in order to make sure that the horses under the boot come to heel properly, wide tyres with extra grip are used to make contact with the road surface. Toyo Proxies are used with the massive dimensions of 265/30 R22.
The Eibach Challenger has also been given a custom-look. The outer rims of the three-piece multi-spoke wheels have been painted to suit the colour of the Dodge, the legendary Hemi-orange. Another special design is the dark powder-coating of the forged star, while the carbon hub cap, on the other hand, is also available in standard production.
April 21st, 2008 by NZCC Editor
On the cover of our May issue — on sale 29th April — we feature a superbly restored 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T — a car which achieved considerable fame for it’s starring role in the ’70s cult movie The Vanishing Point. Our featured Challenger hardtop has been immaculately restored over a period of three years and has to be one of the best Mopars currently resident in New Zealand. Our popular My Classic & I series returns this month as one of our enthusiastic readers talks about his Jaguar 420, and compares it to a mate’s Daimler Sovereign. In effect, these two luxuriously appointed saloons were rivals in the executive car market during the late ’60s, even though both came from the same manufacturer. This month, we’ll also be looking at a handful of Kiwi-made classic recreations. First up, we check out a thoroughly modern MGA. Fans of the MG marque will, no doubt, remember the thrilling but unsuccessful MGA Twin-Cam — well, we found one MG enthusiast who reckoned that he could go one better on the original. He took a battered and engine-less MGA; then kitted it out with modern Japanese mechanicals. Purists may groan at the thought of a Toyota-powered MG but, as we discovered, the end result is a superbly drivable, handsome and very modern sports car. Along the same theme, we explored New Zealand’s West Coast in two stunning replicas — a V6-powered sports car designed to evoke the spirit of a ’30s Alfa Romeo and a Porsche 928 which has been cunningly rebuilt as a Maserati 450S. Once again, these cars are the result of Kiwi know-how and, even more amazingly, both of these cars are available for hire by those who wish to travel around the wild West Coast in style. For those more into Vintage cars, we also feature a report on the recent Austin 7 Tour of New Zealand — following a convoy of these cute little cars as they travelled from Cape Reinga to The Bluff during their extensive tour of New Zealand. On the classic motorsport front, we report back from the huge classic racing meet at Phillip Island and talk to Chris Hyde — who was confirmed as this year’s Tasman Challenge champion at Phillip Island after beating off the opposition in his Kiwi designed and built McRae GM1 F5000 single-seater. In Motorsport Flashback, we talk to Merv Mayo — the Kiwi racer who was nominated alongside Bruce McLaren and Phil Kerr for the original NZ Driver to Europe scheme in 1958. And, of course, all your favourite monthly columns and features — it all adds up to pages and pages of New Zealand’s best classic reading.
