Noob to forum. Love/Hate/Love again relationship with Dodge.
#1
03-23-2009, 09:00 PM
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Noob to forum. Love/Hate/Love again relationship with Dodge.
Hi everyone! After a LONG 10 year hiatus, I'm beginning to warm back up to Dodge. Yep, you-know-where is starting to get a bit cooler. Allow me to explain. You see, I was a huge Dodge fan and grew up on Chrysler. My Dad bought only New Yorkers. I've owned an '86 Ram, '92 Dakota and '96 Ram. '73 Polara and a 99 Durango. I even had a 99 Wrangler! I should have kept that Wrangler. All was well until the "96 Ram and the Durango. The Ram was OK until the trans lines puked its guts out twice from the coolant lines. No biggie, as I just modded the connector the SECOND time the snap tite connector failed. I whacked it off and put a flared tubing fittting in its place.
Then the Wife's Durango was just a nightmare. It was not a year old with 22k miles when the motor blew. (sucked in intake lip seal and a leaking coolant filler neck sucked God knows what into the lifter valley) Before this, the battery just failed. Can't blame Chryco for a supplier made battery. Ok, no problem, battery covered under warranty. That and a host of minor annoyances. Still no big deal for me. But when the blown (sludged) motor was denied warranty and I had proof of oil changes, that just broke the whole love affair for me. I switched to GM, with good reliablilty. I'm not the kind to go crying for warranty for every little thing like the ashtray light not working, but I dont want major sub assemblies failing with low miles on the car.
Anyway, I'm starting to warm up to the Challenger. I have an 06 Vette, and I love it! I also have an 01 Silverado that has been just stellar. But I have always wanted a Hemi E body Mopar, like everyone else, but who would'nt want one? I mentioned this to my Wife and she gave me a surprised look of astonishment. "You want another Chrysler? After all the venom you've spewed all these years about them????"
Yup. But you can be sure that the service advisor and I will have a nice first name relationship while it's under warranty. And I'm going to shop by looking at several dealer service departments BEFORE talking to a salesman.
Going to the museum in Auburn Hills helped get me interested in Chrysler again also.
By the way, I'm thinking I want a TorRed R/T or SRT with a 6 speed and no sunroof. Not sure which one yet. I want to see my favorite beloved B5 blue color (drool) also before deciding. I went to the Mopar event at the Milan Dragway here in Michigan last summer and had quite a time there taking pics.
I am starting to love the Challenger, but I still have a nagging uneasiness about it. I was leaning toward the Camaro, but it's a Vette with a back seat, a small backseat. Seeing that the Challenger is on sort of a 300 chassis, it seems that it would be a nice cruiser that I can ride in for more than 4 hours without getting sore. And it's nice and big and roomy. I Guess I'm getting old. I havent driven one yet. I'm holding off on that until I get over this nervousness about reliability. Maybe some of you good folks can help me with this.
Anyway, it's good to be here!
Then the Wife's Durango was just a nightmare. It was not a year old with 22k miles when the motor blew. (sucked in intake lip seal and a leaking coolant filler neck sucked God knows what into the lifter valley) Before this, the battery just failed. Can't blame Chryco for a supplier made battery. Ok, no problem, battery covered under warranty. That and a host of minor annoyances. Still no big deal for me. But when the blown (sludged) motor was denied warranty and I had proof of oil changes, that just broke the whole love affair for me. I switched to GM, with good reliablilty. I'm not the kind to go crying for warranty for every little thing like the ashtray light not working, but I dont want major sub assemblies failing with low miles on the car.
Anyway, I'm starting to warm up to the Challenger. I have an 06 Vette, and I love it! I also have an 01 Silverado that has been just stellar. But I have always wanted a Hemi E body Mopar, like everyone else, but who would'nt want one? I mentioned this to my Wife and she gave me a surprised look of astonishment. "You want another Chrysler? After all the venom you've spewed all these years about them????"
Yup. But you can be sure that the service advisor and I will have a nice first name relationship while it's under warranty. And I'm going to shop by looking at several dealer service departments BEFORE talking to a salesman.
Going to the museum in Auburn Hills helped get me interested in Chrysler again also.
By the way, I'm thinking I want a TorRed R/T or SRT with a 6 speed and no sunroof. Not sure which one yet. I want to see my favorite beloved B5 blue color (drool) also before deciding. I went to the Mopar event at the Milan Dragway here in Michigan last summer and had quite a time there taking pics.
I am starting to love the Challenger, but I still have a nagging uneasiness about it. I was leaning toward the Camaro, but it's a Vette with a back seat, a small backseat. Seeing that the Challenger is on sort of a 300 chassis, it seems that it would be a nice cruiser that I can ride in for more than 4 hours without getting sore. And it's nice and big and roomy. I Guess I'm getting old. I havent driven one yet. I'm holding off on that until I get over this nervousness about reliability. Maybe some of you good folks can help me with this.
Anyway, it's good to be here!
#2
03-25-2009, 10:20 AM
3rd gen Ram, Newbies
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wow, that's a hell of an introduction. welcome back to dodge, and welcome to DF! I'll be honest with you, we hear almost as much about the crap *** service from dodge dealerships as we do about anything else. I've had a bad experience or two myself.
That being said, where else can you get a challenger?
I think you have a great idea there, to check out different service shops before you decide which one to buy from. you may also want to post in the challenger section and see if there are some common problems that you would rather not deal with.
That being said, where else can you get a challenger?
I think you have a great idea there, to check out different service shops before you decide which one to buy from. you may also want to post in the challenger section and see if there are some common problems that you would rather not deal with.
#3
03-25-2009, 08:49 PM
Champion
#5
03-26-2009, 09:11 PM
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Yeah, I live in the Metro Detroit area. Going to the museum was a piece of cake. Wish I had gone years ago! I'm going again this year. There's an as-delivered from the factory '68 Hemi Dart diecast model for sale in the gift shop. I hope they still have some available. I had no idea they made these models! I'm sure I'll get another "WTF???" look from my Wife again when she sees that I bought a 1/2 painted model car.
I did buy a "Yeah, It's got a Hemi" sticker there. It's sitting on my office bookshelf patiently waiting for me to put it on the back window of the Challenger. I also think I'm going to order a Mr. Norms license plate frame.
I'm starting to debate again on the stick or automatic. Not sure again. The lazy old man cruiser and drag racer in me says automatic. The long too dormant inner teenager in me says stickshift.
I never had a young punk type of car as a teenager. I think I missed something there. I could not tell a crankshaft from a camshaft back then also. I didn't get a chance to act like an idiot, partying just wasnt my thing 25+ years ago. And my Dad and older brother were cops! Staying out of trouble worked out well for me later in life, I guess.
The wife and I were discussing the 300C as perhaps the next family car. Again, I got strange looks and a sly grin... I mentioned that the Challenger was a nice looking car to have for fun. Then the Missus commented that the Challenger looks like some teenager's car. Perfect.....
I did buy a "Yeah, It's got a Hemi" sticker there. It's sitting on my office bookshelf patiently waiting for me to put it on the back window of the Challenger. I also think I'm going to order a Mr. Norms license plate frame.
I'm starting to debate again on the stick or automatic. Not sure again. The lazy old man cruiser and drag racer in me says automatic. The long too dormant inner teenager in me says stickshift.
I never had a young punk type of car as a teenager. I think I missed something there. I could not tell a crankshaft from a camshaft back then also. I didn't get a chance to act like an idiot, partying just wasnt my thing 25+ years ago. And my Dad and older brother were cops! Staying out of trouble worked out well for me later in life, I guess.The wife and I were discussing the 300C as perhaps the next family car. Again, I got strange looks and a sly grin... I mentioned that the Challenger was a nice looking car to have for fun. Then the Missus commented that the Challenger looks like some teenager's car. Perfect.....
#6
03-28-2009, 04:19 PM
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