Cheapest Plymouth Prowler in U.S. Conceals Surprising Secrets
Prowler’s striking bodywork conceals secrets that include lightweight materials, racy hardware and satisfying power.
The Plymouth (and later Chrysler) Prowler is one of the most wildly styled and distinctive cars in modern history. Inspired by the design of classic hot rods and a stunningly retro 1993 concept car, the Prowler stood out from other cars of the late ’90s and early 2000s with its separate front fenders, chopped windshield and low-slung body. But there’s more to it than just its immediately recognizable exterior. In one of his latest videos, Tyler Hoover of the popular YouTube channel Hoovies Garage discovers some of the Prowler’s secrets.
Hoover has a habit of buying the cheapest version of a particular car in the U.S. His latest acquisition is a 1999 Plymouth Prowler with 68,000 miles on it that he got for $15,000. Like most people, he is not immune to the shock of its exterior. But he’s able to look beyond that and explain all of the other things that make the Prowler cool, such as the engineering and materials that Plymouth put into it.
Chrysler chose to use the Prowler’s smaller-scale production to experiment with aluminum bonding techniques. Hoover says, “It means that this is a very advanced chassis. It’s made of mostly aluminum and composite materials that makes it very lightweight.”
Behind the Prowler’s thick black plastic front bumpers (the automotive equivalent of Groucho Marx’s eyebrows) is another one of its surprising features. “The front suspension looks more like an Indy car than a hot rod with this double-wishbone suspension.”
Under the pointed hood is a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6. Many people bemoan the fact that Plymouth didn’t jam a proper V8 in there. Hoover is more positive. His ’99 model benefits from an engine upgrade that bumped horsepower up to 253 (and torque up to 250 lb-ft). Hoover points out that “that’s more [horsepower] than most V8s that Dodge had in their trucks back in the day.”
Another upside to the Prowler’s V6 is its positioning. It sits behind the front wheels and routes its power through a torque tube that connects to a four-speed “Autostick” automatic transmission at the back end. That layout contributes to the Prowler’s near-50/50 front/rear weight distribution.
Plymouth made liberal use of its parts bin at the time to furnish the Prowler’s cockpit. One notable design flourish is the separate tachometer on top of the steering column and the placement of the other gauges in the middle of the dashboard.
Despite its over-the-top styling, the Prowler has generously padded, comfortable seats. That’s a good thing because when Hoover takes his new purchase out for a prowl spin, he mentions how stiff the suspension is. Gearchanges from the Autostick, on the other hand, are smooth, although a little delayed. But the higher the revs go, the more of the V6’s pleasing exhaust note Hoover gets to hear.
Given that Hoover bought the absolute cheapest Prowler in the country he could find, it’s undoubtedly going to have some problems. That’s one thing about it that’s not a secret at all.
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