Karl on Cars
Muscle Car
June 30, 2009
It's summer time, and that means everyone, (including me) is traveling the country, taking in the sights and visiting new (or maybe old, familiar) places. I'm personally spending today flying to New York City to enjoy the sites and sounds of that singular metropolis. Even more exciting, I'm picking up a new, 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T as my ride around the Big Apple.
As you may have guessed, this is a press vehicle. However, according to the window sticker (it was faxed to me last week) this Challenger is equipped almost exactly as I would equip one for myself -- right down to the Deep Water Blue color. On one hand I'm thrilled to be driving a performance car I'm personally drawn to, but on the other I don't really think of New York as a car town. It's crowded with narrow streets, lots of stop lights and no where to park. Heck, you can't even drive through Time Square anymore.
That got me thinking. If I had access to this Deep Blue Challenger R/T and could go to any city to enjoy it, where would I go?
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- Karl Brauer June 30, 2009, 6:00 AM
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- Dodge, Driving, Muscle Car, Road Trips, Talk Back Tuesday
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- Talk Back Tuesday America's Real Car Town
May 19, 2009
That seems to be the question on everyone's mind these days. With Chrysler filing for bankruptcy a few weeks ago, and with last week's announcement of 789 dealership closures, it seems anyone can walk into a Chrysler, Dodge or Jeep showroom and get a new car for 50% off the MSRP.
Or maybe not...
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- Karl Brauer May 19, 2009, 6:00 AM
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- Car Buying Advice, Domestic Manufacturers Problems/Challenges, Muscle Car, Talk Back Tuesday
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- Dodge Challenger Chrysler Dealerships Bankruptcy
April 28, 2009
With the death of Pontiac official I'm experiencing the same emotions any nostalgic car guy is feeling. Surprise? Shock? Disbelief? Hardly. Try relief. Like the kind you feel when you're favorite aunt finally rests in peace after suffering years of painful terminal illness. If you're a remotely functional car guy you've seen this coming since...well, that's the question.
When did the concept of Pontiac going away first strike you as a likely possibility? When did Pontiac jump the shark?
How many of you just shouted "AZTEK" at your screen? That's a reasonable response, but I would suggest the first indications of Pontiac as a "damaged brand" came much earlier.
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- Karl Brauer April 28, 2009, 6:00 AM
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- Domestic Manufacturers Problems/Challenges, Muscle Car, Pontiac, Retro Revivals, Talk Back Tuesday
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- Pontiac Aztek Fiero
April 21, 2009
In case you missed it, the Ford Mustang turned 45 last Friday. It was August 17, 1964 when the car debuted at The New York's World Fair, effectively creating a new category of vehicle -- the Pony Car.
In the next three years over one million Ford Mustangs were sold. Think about that for a minute -- one million units in three years. We're not talking a million full-sized trucks or four-door family sedans. The Mustang was a two-door coupe with clearly sporting intentions. That would be like selling one million Hyundai Genesis coupes in the next three years (like the original Ford Mustang, the new Genesis is a sporty, rear-wheel-drive coupe that offers good value and performance).
Now I like the Genesis coupe, and judging by our site traffic reports and anecdotal evidence so do many of you. But one million units in the next three years? Not gonna happen.
But then a lot of things have changed over the past four-and-a-half decades. GM once owned over two-thirds of the U.S market with mulitiple models hitting the million-plus mark in three-year sales. Back then many Americans had never heard the words "Honda" or "Toyota" (let alone "Hyundai"), as both the manufacturer and model count was substantially lower. Did you know there are over 40 manufacturers and 330 U.S. vehicles for sale as 2009 models?
Which brings me to today's question: Could a future performance car ever see the level of economic and cultural success that the Mustang has seen over the past 45 years?
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- Karl Brauer April 21, 2009, 6:00 AM
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- Cars in Entertainment, Ford, Muscle Car, Retro Revivals, Talk Back Tuesday
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- Ford Mustang Sales Success Pony Car GM
March 24, 2009
So I'm cruising through Beverly Hills last week, returning from the Infiniti G37 Convertible event, when I spot this sign on the corner of Sunset and La Cienega. Between logistics and time I rarely drive on Sunset these days, and with the near constant state of traffic on this famous boulevard I don't much miss it.
But seeing this sign unexpectedly sends my mind cascading back 20-plus years, to West Colfax Avenue in Denver. It's the summer of 1986, and I'm spending nearly every night (certainly every weekend night) crusing "the 'Fax" in a 1969 Plymouth GTX. Blame one too many viewings of American Graffitti if you must, but the thrill I get immersing myself in a cornicopia of cars piloted by similarly bright-eyed youth is addictive -- I simply can't get enough. The stories from those days are many -- most of them unfit for print.
But for the first time, gazing at this sign, I came to a sad realization: cruising is a dead past time. Between its ecological implications and modern's youth's preference for technology over traffic it's hard to imagine anyone under the age of 30 choosing to spend hours in low-speed cruising on a Saturday night (though plenty of Angelenos are forced into it against their choice, and not just on Sunset).
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- Karl Brauer March 24, 2009, 6:00 AM
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- Driving, Muscle Car, Talk Back Tuesday
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- Cruise Traffic
October 14, 2008
If you're like, well, everybody these days you're probably watching one or more financial indicators and thinking your given investment choice wasn't too wise. But because pretty much
everyone is feeling this way right now it doesn't seem like there's a safe port in this storm.
Or is there?
I remember back in the "greedy" '80s (because, you see, there was no greed before or since that decade...) when
Black Monday hit and everyone was convinced financial armageddon had arrived. In the midst of people calling for Reagan's head on a platter, even after seven years of strong prosperity under him (sound familiar?) there was the looming question -- If not the sometimes-turbulent stock market, where should I invest my money?
This was a particularly interesting question from my perspective because, at that time, American muscle cars were in the early stages of their first run-up in value. Seen as little more than old cars (actually big, gas guzzling old cars) since their demise in the early 1970s, there was suddenly growing interest in these metallic beasts from another era, with cars like a 1971 Hemi 'Cuda convertible (one of seven) going for as much as...$30,000!!
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- Karl Brauer October 14, 2008, 6:00 AM
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- Motorcycles, Muscle Car, Talk Back Tuesday
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- Stock Market Muscle Cars Triumph Hurricane
September 10, 2008
It's that time again. Time to buy a long-term car for the Edmunds fleet. As you probably already figured, we're adding the always-worth-a-few-page-views Dodge Challenger to our parking garage.
We waited for the 2009 model year to widen our engine and color choices (and to avoid the idiot dealers asking stupid money for the '08s, many of which are still on dealer lots -- HA!).
So we know we're getting a 2009 Challenger, but beyond that we're still considering our options. What should we get?
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- Karl Brauer September 10, 2008, 6:00 AM
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- Dodge, Muscle Car, Retro Revivals
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- Dodge Challenger
July 21, 2008
I'm back after 2,200 miles, six days and two high-school reunion events in Denver.
I'll chronicle the Ford GT's road trip aspect in our long-term blog, but let's just say the car was trouble free and an easy partner to live with during the journey (big surprise, right?).
As for the 20-year high-school reunion, the thought of bringing my 1970 Plymouth GTX back to Denver last summer, and then driving it to the event this summer, worked out pretty well. The first of two night's reunion festivities took place at Braun's Bar & Grill in downtown Denver. I arrived at the event early to beat traffic and try to get a decent parking space (limited parking downtown because of early preparations for the DNC in Denver next month). Much to my surprise, I actually ended up with "showroom" parking right next to the entrance.
This made it tough to miss the car, and plenty of people remembered it from two decades ago. Lots of "As soon as I saw that car I knew you were here" and "I can't believe you still have it. Very cool!" comments.
BTW, despite the GTX's 11-month "nap" since last August it fired right up after a night on a Battery Tender, and it ran great while I was back there. Can't wait to bring it back to L.A. this fall.
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- Karl Brauer July 21, 2008, 6:00 AM
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- Ford, Muscle Car, Road Trips
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- Ford GT, Plymouth GTX
July 15, 2008
I'm driving the Ford GT (pictured above on the assembly line in June 2005) back to my 20-year high school reunion in Denver this week. You can follow the details of the trip on twitter if you're really bored.
There are a number of reasons I could list for this action. It provides great blog content. Edmunds will pay the gas bill. The car's warranty runs out in August, meaning this is my last chance to really utilize the car with some level of factory protection against mechanical defects.
But I think we all know the best reason -- to do what The Bandit did best: Show Off.
I was a certified car guy back in high school. Actually it started in junior high, when I drove my 1969 Plymouth GTX to the last day of 9th grade (so what if I only had my permit at the time). By 11th grade I owned a second, 1970 GTX. Between the two of them I had the most notorious cars in high school. The '69 was sold during my senior year, but the '70 GTX is still in my possession and already back in Denver, waiting for the festivities. The reunion schedule includes two night events and one daytime event, giving me ample opportunity to drive (show off) both cars.
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- Karl Brauer July 15, 2008, 6:00 AM
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- Ford, Muscle Car, Road Trips, Talk Back Tuesday
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- Ford GT, High School Reunion
April 21, 2008
As one of the oldest existing vehicle nameplates in the automotive universe it seems only fitting to ask the inevitable question: When (if ever) did the Ford Mustang jump the shark?
I'm going to take the suspense out of this discussion and tell you up front when I think the Mustang topped out: 1969. That's actually one year after my favorite Mustang of all time -- 1968 Shelby GT500KR -- but there were enough exciting models in 1969 to validate the model's sustained health. The Boss Mustangs (302 and 429) both hit showrooms that year, as did the Mach 1. The 428 Super Cobra Jet was going strong, and Shelby still had a couple models in the line-up (though I don't like them as much as the '68 versions).
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- Karl Brauer April 21, 2008, 6:00 AM
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- Cars that Jumped the Shark, Ford, Muscle Car, Retro Revivals
April 18, 2008
Seemed like a fitting end to "Dodge Challenger Week" around here, so I drove my old bomb home for this weekend. Also seemed fitting to provide a fair picture of the old girl, without flourescent lights or parking posts in the background (I posted a similar photo back in August of 2006).
It's interesting -- 1 and 1/2 years ago I blogged about how much modern cars have improved and how old cars really feel old when you drive them. But this is the first time I've driven my 1970 Dodge Challenger after driving the 2008 Dodge Challenger. You know what? The new one drives better -- but not as much better as I think it should. The biggest improvements are (in order of magnitude) body-roll control, steering accuracy and braking confidence. I actually expected that order to be reversed, but steering on the new Challenger isn't as good as I'd hoped, while the steering and brakes on my old one seem better than they should be. Body control remains floaty on the purple car, even with brand new shocks.
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- Karl Brauer April 18, 2008, 6:00 AM
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- Dodge, Muscle Car, Retro Revivals
March 18, 2008
Someone brought up this topic a few days ago, asking me what my dream cars were as a child.
If you're an automotive enthusiast you can likely rattle off the dream cars of your youth without taking a breath. Dozens of images flow through my mind when I think about what cars fascinated me as a kid. But to give the question merit I think you have to define "childhood." The cars that excited me in grade school, late '70s Firebirds and '57 Chevys, weren't the same ones I lusted after in my teens. For me, I'll define "childhood" as 16 years old, or the year driving cars went from being fantasy to reality. At that age, these were my favorite vehicles (with period-correct photos to prove the point):
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- Karl Brauer March 18, 2008, 6:00 AM
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- Cars in Entertainment, Muscle Car
December 28, 2007
We could talk about shopping and gifts and family get togethers, but let's talk about the real meaning of the holidays -- getting things done! This nether-week between Christmas and New Year's is pretty useless from a professional point of view, with few businesses firing on all cyclinders. At the same time, it's an excellent opportunity to tackle that perpetual "to-do" list we all have.
I've jumped on mine, with the passenger window in my 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T SE being replaced by a used one I found on eBay. The Challenger's original window had some nasty scratches running in a vertical line along the rear edge. With the window pulled I diagnosed the cause as a felt window guide worn down to bare metal (some "love taps" with a hammer cured that problem). I went into this job having minimal knowledge of - or experience with - replacing old Mopar windows. That's good, because once I realized how tricky the job was it was too late to go back. I re-attached the door panel, and gazed through my scratch-free window, just as the sun set and the Southern California temperature dropped below 50 degrees.
Other major items on my "to do" list for this week include:
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- Karl Brauer December 28, 2007, 7:00 AM
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- Dodge, Muscle Car
December 12, 2007
I can't believe I'm going to say this -- but the 2007 Ford Shelby GT500 is too much of a muscle car for me. Maybe I should add, "...old-world muscle car..." to that statement for better clarity. I just had possession of a GT500 convertible for a couple days, and I was fully ready to hand the keys off when my allotted time was up.
A comparison between this car and a 1971 Hemi 'Cuda can not be avoided. Both cars make approximately 500 horsepower. Both cars weigh approximately 4,000 pounds. Both cars use a live-axle rear end. And both cars are about as subtle as 50 Cent lyrics when their engines rev past 5,000 rpm.
Problem is, I don't have much interest in driving a 1971 'Cuda convertible these days, and the same holds true for the most radical version of Ford's new Mustang. In both instances, a more balanced version of each car is available (AAR 'Cuda in one case, Bullitt or Shelby GT in the other).
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- Karl Brauer December 12, 2007, 7:00 AM
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- Ford, Muscle Car, Retro Revivals
August 24, 2007
I wrote about the concept of crushing older cars to reduce vehicle emissions waaaaay back in the summer of 2001. This subject comes up every few years when the latest batch of legislators is looking to put an environmental feather in their cap. As I stated in my original editorial column, crushing older vehicles not only doesn't reduce emissions, it often raises them. Beyond the editorial I linked to above, here's another interesting take on the subject.
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- Karl Brauer August 24, 2007, 6:00 AM
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- Driving, Fuel Efficiency, Muscle Car
August 16, 2007
After two days and 1,000 miles my 1970 Plymouth GTX is safely tucked in at its new home in Denver, Colorado. My Dad has room for the car in his garage, and next year I'll be attending my 20-year high-school reunion. I've had the GTX since 1986, and the pair of us were well known throughout my junior and senior year (I don't know if it was really the fastest car at my school, but I know I never lost a race). I'm looking forward to showing up with the GTX next year, as plenty of people asked about it during the 10-year reunion...
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- Karl Brauer August 16, 2007, 6:00 AM
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- Muscle Car, Road Trips
August 8, 2007
Well, after about two months and at least 50 weekend hours, plus the work of a capable (once again, capable) body shop my 1970 Plymouth GTX is looking surprisingly good. I personally dug into the interior mess, removing the shelf paper from the woodgrain surfaces and removing/re-installing many trim pieces with the correct screws and bolts (just about every item disassembled by the first body shop was re-assembled with missing and/or improper fasteners). Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I repaired the vacuum lines and got the Air Grabber hood working.
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- Karl Brauer August 8, 2007, 6:00 AM
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- Muscle Car
June 6, 2007
To protect the guilty I will not use any specific names, but I did spend a good chunk of yesterday effectively repossessing my 1970 Plymouth GTX muscle car. I gave this vehicle to a shop to do restoration work in August of 2005. I didn't want a "complete restoration" because the car simply didn't need it. The picture above shows the car a few years ago, and as you can see (hopefully through the smoke) it's pretty clean. But it did have some minor rust around the rear wheel wells and some dings and scratches. Long story short, 22 months later I still didn't have the car back and was greatly disappointed in the "quality" of the work when I inspected it on Monday (wrong exterior color, "restoration" work on the interior that destroyed rare, original -- and effectively irreplaceable -- components, etc.)
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- Karl Brauer June 6, 2007, 6:00 AM
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- Muscle Car
May 25, 2007
...we've got a good one going up on Monday about Smokey and the Bandit, a classic car movie that turns 30 this week. If you're of a certain age group this movie likely left an indelible impression on you when it premiered in 1977. It was the second-highest-grossing film of 1977 after Star Wars (another movie that left a large impact crater on my young psyche). The harsh truth of 1977 is that there wasn't a lot to celebrate in the world of automotive enthusiasm. Cars were weak, gas was no longer cheap, and it looked like we'd all be pedaling front-wheel drive hatchbacks before the end of the decade. Bandit was a total departure from this line of thinking, which is probably why it resonated so well across the fruited planes.
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- Karl Brauer May 25, 2007, 9:01 AM
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- Cars in Entertainment, Muscle Car, Pontiac
May 23, 2007
After three days in a BMW 335i coupe the transition to Dodge Charger SRT8 Superbee is a bit jarring. First, this car feels BIG compared to the lithe 3 Series, and if you allowed first impressions to dictate your opinion you'd file the Charger in the "unwieldy boat" bin and move on. But just like that first Chrysler 300 SRT8 I drove back in 2005, the Charger version is downright surreal in its ability to turn 4,100-pounds of Detroit iron into two-tons o' fun when the road goes twisty. Not as rewarding as the 335i, of course, but good enough to...well...in theory at least, embarass G35 sedans on the twisty parts of PCH (again, in theory).
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- Karl Brauer May 23, 2007, 6:00 AM
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- Dodge, Muscle Car, Retro Revivals
April 23, 2007
...is how many times they'll buy the exact same toy!
What started out as a "can't think of anything better to do" trip to Target with the eight-year-old son turned into an $85 bill for a Hot Wheels Sizzlers "Giant 'O' Race Set." I should probably clarify a couple points here. First, while Sizzlers have been around for close to 40 years I've never owned one before. I was too young to be into them in the late 1960s, and they were pretty much gone by the time I was old enough to care (I faintly remember some commercials for them). Second, as much as I like the idea of what these toys are, it was the combination of the original, 1969 packaging and the availability of several very cool cars (among them a 1967 Ford GT Mark IV) that forced me to buy.
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- Karl Brauer April 23, 2007, 6:01 AM
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- Muscle Car, Retro Revivals
April 2, 2007
At the risk being kicked out of a future Barret-Jackson auction for saying this (ala Keith Martin), I find it necessary to state the obvious: the bubble has finally burst on the muscle car market in general, and the Hemi market in particular. I watched the latest B-J auction in Palm Beach, Florida this weekend (actually I stored it on my DVR and then ran through all 16 hours in about 1/4 the time -- thank you technology!), and it was clear that muscle car prices are finally getting back to reality. As the owner of a 1970 Plymouth GTX and a 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T you might expect me to be bummed, but I'm not. Why? Two reasons:
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- Karl Brauer April 2, 2007, 6:06 AM
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- Muscle Car
February 14, 2007
Drove home in our long-term Ford Mustang last night -- my first real road time in it since all the modifications were completed for the "Ford Mustang versus GT500" story (previously I'd only driven it around the block in Santa Monica). The car is cool on several levels. First, like any modified vehicle, all the aftermarket parts don't work seamlessly. If you try to roll into the throttle it will sort of buck and lunge; if you floor the throttle a noticeable cloud of unburned fuel goes out the back; and if you take it to redline the throttle cut-off hits with a loud "BANG" from the tailpipe as the engine goes lean and backfires...
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- Karl Brauer February 14, 2007, 7:09 AM
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- Ford, Muscle Car, Retro Revivals
January 29, 2007
If you haven't already checked it out you should read our "Project Mustang GT vs Shelby GT500" story that just posted on Friday. This is the one where we basically took a factory 2005 Mustang GT and tried to make it go faster than a Shelby GT500 for less money. We didn't want to beat the GT500's price by $5 or $50 or even $500. We were after a definite performance advantage while spending considerably less money (around $5,000). The final results aren't going to be posted until next week, but the first part of the story is a good look at just what we did, why we did it, and how much it cost.
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- Karl Brauer January 29, 2007, 7:49 AM
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- Ford, Muscle Car
November 27, 2006
As part of the holiday weekend festivities I took a cruise over to Village Coffee Roasters in Woodland Hills at the 101 and Valley Circle exit. Every Sunday morning between about 8 and 10 a.m. a collection of interesting iron will show up, but on the fourth Sunday of each month it's "exotics" day, meaning you'll see a collection of Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches. Of course, knowing exotics are going to show up somewhere just ensures everything else will show, too...
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- Karl Brauer November 27, 2006, 7:58 AM
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- Dodge, Driving, Muscle Car
October 18, 2006
I like the new Dodge Charger more and more every time I drive it. I know there's a hardcore group of Charger fans who have never forgiven the new car for having four doors, and I'll admit I wasn't a fan of the idea myself. But this car is just soooo good on so many levels. The steering is exceptional in terms of feel and precision, and the ride quality manages to be comfortable and controlled, despite the car's weight and size. Just like the current Mustang manages to maintain what was cool about the original's look and attitude -- while injecting all that's great in the modern world of automobiles, the Charger manages to feel large and powerful like the old one, but also controlled and confident,
unlike the old one (thank you Mercedes-Benz!). The wife took it to drop off the kids at school and came back asking about price and availability. Of course she was already sold on our long-term Magnum, and this is just a flashy, sedan version of that car.
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- Karl Brauer October 18, 2006, 8:38 AM
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- Dodge, Muscle Car, Retro Revivals
October 12, 2006
Drove the 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T in today, and it again occurred to me how radically my vehicle standards shift -- depending on what I'm driving. For instance, the 36-year-old Dodge has amazingingly precise steering, minmal road noise and excellent throttle response -- for a 36-year-old Dodge. Compare it to our long-term Chevy Cobalt and it just plain sucks (actually it might still have lower road noise at highway speeds, depending on whether the long-term Cobalt's sunroof is working or not that week). As old muscle cars go, this Challenger R/T has some of the best driving characteristics I've ever experienced...
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- Karl Brauer October 12, 2006, 8:16 AM
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- Dodge, Muscle Car, Retro Revivals
September 11, 2006
I spent most of the weekend replacing the carpet in my 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T SE. The car is originally from Iowa, and the one owner (before I got it) lived on a farm that obviously didn't have any paved roads. The good news is he never raced the car, so the engine and suspension are in surprisingly good shape. The bad news comes from every nook and cranny in the car being coated with dust and rocks. Pulling off interior pieces is like an expedition below the Great Pyramids. The car also has a nasty mothball smell, allegedly to keep rodents (farm mice?) out of the car. So I buy some replacement carpet and start pulling up the 36-year-old deep pile and what do I find?
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- Karl Brauer September 11, 2006, 8:14 AM
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- Dodge, Muscle Car
August 11, 2006
I am at the Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan this morning. The primary reason I'm here is to cover (and be a part of) the Ford GT Rally. This rally was set up by the Ford GT owners, but Ford has stepped up to totally support the event with plant tours, interviews with Ford GT team members and a photo shoot of all the owners' cars in front of Ford World Headquarters (we just finished the shoot, and there were over 70 GTs in attendance).
Unfortunately I didn't drive my GT out from L.A...
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- Karl Brauer August 11, 2006, 2:07 PM
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- Ford, Muscle Car, Retro Revivals
August 9, 2006
Holy hammered home, Batman! Ebay Motors just announced that they've sold two million cars! The auction site first opened its Ebay Motors division six years ago, and it is now consistently the highest rated automotive site according to Nielson Net Ratings. Most of us probably remember the days of, "There's no way people will buy a car over the Internet" thinking...
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- Karl Brauer August 9, 2006, 8:00 AM
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- Motorcycles, Muscle Car
August 7, 2006
Okay, so it isn't all new. The interior is still 100 percent stock (and pretty much mint) and much of the paint is original as well (as is the vinyl top). But I did reclaim my 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T SE last week after some body work and mechanical upgrades that had it in the shop for the past three months. A few metal patch panels were put in near the wheel wells to fix the rust, and everything below the side stripes was repainted in the factory FC7 Plum Crazy shade of purple. Shortly after retrieving it I put on a set of American Racing Torque Thrust D 16X8 wheels, with 255/50 tires in back and 225/50 tires in front (replacing the 14X5.5-inch road wheels and 70 series, whitewall tires -- yuck!)...
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- Karl Brauer August 7, 2006, 8:26 AM
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- Dodge, Muscle Car, Retro Revivals
June 9, 2006
I just watched a commercial for the old Dodge Charger. It's on Sylvia's Carspace Page, and it's got to be one of the funniest commercials I have ever seen. The portrayal of women is so blatantly 1970s that many people in today's world won't think it's funny. To me it's a case of something being so bad it's good -- though I wouldn't suggest Dodge revive the "You might be Dodge material" campaign today...
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- Karl Brauer June 9, 2006, 8:52 AM
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- Cars in Entertainment, Dodge, Muscle Car
May 16, 2006
How many muscle car books do we really need? Several more, if they can all be this good. Published by Motorbooks International, this 384-page tome is not just another coffee table book. Heck, depending on your guest list it could be the coffee table...
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- Karl Brauer May 16, 2006, 8:50 AM
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- Muscle Car
May 15, 2006
What's cooler than seeing a glamorous new concept car at an auto show? How about seeing it out in the real world, where real enthusiasts can offer real feedback? That's what we did with the Dodge Challenger Concept this weekend at two Southern California cruise events. Every Saturday morning in Orange County you can visit both Donut Derelicts and Crystal Cruisers (at Crystal Cove in Newport Beach) to see a vast array of special interest automobiles. Donut Derelicts tends toward the street rod, custom and muscle car set while Crystal Cruisers typically hosts exotic cars ranging from Vipers to Enzos to Aston Martins. We visited both events with the Dodge Challenger concept and, as you might expect, it generated a fair amount of interest.
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- Karl Brauer May 15, 2006, 8:49 AM
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- Dodge, Muscle Car
March 24, 2006
But this one ends on a slightly happier note:
March 21st, 10:15 p.m. -- Picked up by my Denver-area Mopar Gurus at the Denver International Airport in Plum Crazy car (notice security guards eyeing it suspiciously). On trip back from DIA a loud screeching sound comes from under the hood, followed shortly by sparks coming out from the front of car. We pull over and find that the air conditioning pulley has seized, but the belts are continuing to do their darndest to try and spin it. Result? It's glowing red hot and small bits of liquid metal are starting to drip off the bottom. My Mopar expert quickly notes, "Never seen that before..." then we turn off the engine, let things cool down (complete with snow scooped up from the parking lot) and then start the engine again. Now the pulley is turning again so we complete the drive back to their house and swap out the pulley after confirming the bearing is fried (apparently, they don't like glowing red hot...). We unplug the air compressor to keep that from happening again.
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- Karl Brauer March 24, 2006, 9:57 PM
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- Dodge, Muscle Car, Retro Revivals
March 23, 2006
I've had approximately three hours sleep in the past two days, but both the Challenger and I have arrived safely on the West Coast. The Challenger was driven under it's own power from Denver, and it was the full-blown adventure you'd imagine when driving a 36-year-old muscle car, that you've only had for 10 days, on a 1,000-mile journey over the Rockies...in March. I'll put full details (and some photos) up tomorrow, but here's a shot of the car taken a few hours ago after a much-needed bath and some quick carb/distributor tweaking. I got it running very well, and then let the wife take her first drive in it tonight...
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- Karl Brauer March 23, 2006, 9:54 PM
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- Dodge, Muscle Car, Retro Revivals
March 13, 2006
I finally rolled into Denver after 470 miles in the Challenger. The fuel gauge wasn't working when I left Lincoln, Nebraska, and the speedo quit 95 miles out. But otherwise the car had been running better with each mile, almost like it was awakening from a 12-year slumber. The AM/FM toggle switch on the radio was obviously gummed up, but by flipping it back-and-forth a few times I got both bands working. The charging system was also proving intermittant at first, yet it seemed to operate more consistently as I rolled west. But when I got to Denver the real fun began.
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- Karl Brauer March 13, 2006, 5:51 PM
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- Dodge, Muscle Car, Retro Revivals
...in a Plum Crazy Dodge Challenger R/T SE on a beautiful, sunny Nebrska day.
This much fun can't be legal...and I'm sure in some way isn't (like using the tags from Dad's Mercury Sable). The gas gauge doesn't work, which wasn't a problem...until the speedo cable snapped 95 miles out of Lincoln. No odometer or fuel gauge can make planning gas stops tricky...
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- Karl Brauer March 13, 2006, 8:37 AM
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- Dodge, Muscle Car, Retro Revivals
March 9, 2006
Ugh! I'm sick, okay! Just sick! Hey, at least I admit it, which hopefully puts me at the first step of the 12-step program...
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- Karl Brauer March 9, 2006, 3:43 PM
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- Dodge, Muscle Car, Retro Revivals
March 7, 2006
No, this isn't an ode to Bruce Springsteen, though I fully admit to enjoying his early music more and more every year. Probably a sign of age. And, like everyone when they get old, I'm finding myself thinking back to the glory days more than I used to. From the years 1985 to 1990 I did a fair amount of street racing. In fact, I probably saw American Graffiti 20 times before I ever got my license. That left me convinced that John Milner was the coolest man ever, and I wasted no time trying to emulate Milner and his yellow '32 Ford. For some reason that I still can't explain my dad let me purchase a 1969 Plymouth GTX just after I got my driver's permit. I was 15 and 7 months old with a 440-powered muscle car, and while it ran okay when my dad first test drove it, my older brothers -- who were both engineers and incredibly talented tuning wizards -- discovered it had a screwed up distributor. They replaced it in about 20 minutes and suddenly this "kinda quick" muscle car was capable of smoking its tires through the first two gears. My brothers figured the car was making close to 400 horsepower at the rear wheels, more than any of the cars they owned at the time. I can still remember them saying "you better not let dad know how fast this car is." Considering dad was a lawyer who could find liability concerns in an unshoveled sidewalk, I tended to agree with them.
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- Karl Brauer March 7, 2006, 9:17 PM
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- Muscle Car
February 3, 2006
It's no secret that I'm a modern-day Mustang fan. Actually, I like the classic ones, too (1968 GT500KR is my all-time favorite). But the oldest one I ever owned was a 2001 Bullitt Mustang, and that was only for about one year -- and 1,900 miles. I loved the car, but never had a reason to drive it. And I ultimately decided that if I'm going to own a pure toy car, a car that gets treated like a museum piece, it had to be something more than a Ford Mustang. That role is now filled, but after driving our long-term Mustang yesterday, for the first time in at least three months, I'm once again smitten with how well Ford executed on this modern-day pony car. Our long-term test period with the Mustang is officially over, but we're keeping the car in hopes of doing aftermarket modifications and covering them on the site. However, even in stock form, I hope Dodge and Chevy are paying close attention to this vehicle. I feel like the new Mustang works on two levels:
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- Karl Brauer February 3, 2006, 10:25 AM
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- Ford, Muscle Car, Retro Revivals
January 25, 2006
My latest editorial column is up, and in it I basically whine and moan about how much it costs to get a decent -- or even a lame -- classic American muscle car. My newest Hemmings Motor News had a 1974 Dodge Dart SEDAN (but it did have a V8 and A/C -- woo hoo!!) priced at $10,900! That car was basically the Chevy Cobalt of its day (and if Chevy Cobalts are ever worth four times their original sticker price I'll start commuting via horse and buggy).
I guess in a world where hundreds of thousands of houses now cost over a million dollars (that's the latest report on California real estate) I shouldn't be surprised that some guy expects to get $40,000 for his 1973 Chevy Camaro Z28. And as a 1970 Plymouth GTX owner I certainly don't mind the rise in value, but I find it disheartening to think that really cool muscle cars are now only available to the Jay Lenos and Nicolas Cages of the world...
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- Karl Brauer January 25, 2006, 9:30 AM
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- Muscle Car
January 12, 2006
I have been back from the Detroit Auto Show for a few days and I think I have a handle on these two cars. While the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger were both presented as "concept" cars we all know there will be a 2008 Dodge Challenger and either a 2008 or 2009 Chevrolet Camaro appearing in showrooms eventually. Heck, Inside Line even broke the story on the Camaro Concept becoming a production car. I find it ironic that the Ford Mustang beat these two to market by several years last time around, and here we go again. But will things be different this time?
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- Karl Brauer January 12, 2006, 6:15 PM
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- Chevrolet, Dodge, Muscle Car
January 9, 2006
(cough-cough) Sorry, still clearing my lungs from the various vintage Camaros that GM had drive past us on a long driveway set up in Cobo Hall. The Smokey Yunick, Sunoco Racing and 1969 ZL-1 and Z28 all drove past. But I'm not complaining. I love the smell of hydrocarbons in the morning. And I think this pretty clearly indicated which era the concept was inspired by.
And here it comes...
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- Karl Brauer January 9, 2006, 9:07 AM
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- Muscle Car
January 8, 2006
Yikes! As one astute reader just pointed out, I haven't yet blogged about one other car from today—the Dodge Challenger! Geez, the Mopar Police are going to show up to repo my 1970 GTX for this blunder! Tough way to lose a car I've had for 19 years...
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- Karl Brauer January 8, 2006, 4:42 PM
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- Dodge, Muscle Car
Mmmmm...Mustang GT500 convertible. I actually like the coupe better because of its lovely lines (just like I prefer the old GT500KR coupe to the convertible). I wonder what the "first" one will go for? It's going to be auctioned at Barrett-Jackson in January with proceeds going to The Carol Shelby Children's Fund...
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- Karl Brauer January 8, 2006, 10:37 AM
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- Auto Shows, Ford, Muscle Car
December 31, 2005
It's 2006! (at least on the East Coast...)
What 2006 model, that I've already driven, am I most excited about/impressed by? The Porsche Cayman. Yes, I still think the Solstice is the most significant vehicle for 2006 on an industry-wide basis, but on a personal note I love what the the Cayman represents -- basically a purebred sports car from Porsche, something the 911 hasn't really been for decades.
What 2007 model -- that I've haven't driven yet -- am I most excited about for the coming year? The Mustang GT500. I think it will provide thrilling performance (both straightline and handling), and it will do this while offering exceptional styling and interior quality -- all at a great price...
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- Karl Brauer December 31, 2005, 10:15 PM
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- Ford, Muscle Car, Porsche
November 19, 2005
In the last three years we've seen all-new versions of several classic nameplates, including the RX-8, 350Z, 300, Charger, GTO, Mustang and GT (Ford). All of these cars use varying amounts of the original model's styling cues, and all of them succeed to varying degress in capturing the original's "mojo" (in my totally biased opinion, I'd put the Ford GT at the "top" of the list of "cool new version of retro car" with the GTO at the bottom). While we can argue the pros and cons of looking backward for inspiration, we can't argue the popularity and improved brand equity (or "halo" effect) delivered by these vehicles. And in the spirit of "if a little is good, more is better" I'm going to do a series of "retro revival" discussions regarding cars I'd like to see brought back. First on my discussion series -- the Pontiac Firebird
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- Karl Brauer November 19, 2005, 3:11 PM
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- Cars in Entertainment, Muscle Car, Pontiac
