Car Culture

I've always been a MOPAR man, what with growing up in the backseat of a '72 'Cuda. And I always thought the Rams were the best looking of the trucks, even if they are complete and utter f#$%ing trash =p But driving past the local lately has me doing a lot of double takes...



OK, so they changed the grille, that's obvious. But there was something else just... off about it. Day after day I pass these things, and day after day I just couldn't stop looking. It's like something is there, something I recognize. I just couldn't put my finger on it.

Today, I got it. And I checked... yup! Dodge is owned by Fiat, and GD, but does it show! That's what I've been seeing all this time. All cars have a face, and Fiat's says one thing - Catfish. The lights are a bit too far apart and a bit too low, that's what they remind me of. And looking at this new Dodge, you can see the genes have been passed on.

I don't like it. Haven't found a redeeming feature yet.

If the racing gods smile upon me, I've been thinking of dumping my car payment savings into a new project, that being a new truck. I'd like to make one my way, for me. Gutted, stripped, just a stout motor, a heater, and comfy seats. Maybe a set of bags to give me a bit of on/off road versatility. I prefer what I grew up with, the box bodies of the 80s.



I could build the above with bags and a 400+hp 383 stroker for less than $10k. I almost can't afford not to =D

I had a couple of Mopar vans, they ended up falling
apart. I like Ford for trucks and GM for cars. I did have
a Chevy van I drove the crap out of, though.

Gotes were bad ass.

Quote: Face

All cars have a face, and Fiat's says one thing - Catfish.

You nailed it, it does look like a catfish.

Quote: Face

I've always been a MOPAR man, what with growing up in the backseat of a '72 'Cuda. And I always thought the Rams were the best looking of the trucks, even if they are complete and utter f#$%ing trash =p But driving past the local lately has me doing a lot of double takes...

I used to be MOPAR. I liked the modern Dodge when it came out in 1992, liked it a whole lot. Reliability is not there, however.

Of all things I have a 50% chance of going pickup by choice next replacement. I like the new Honda, Ford will not have a Ranger and said Rangers coming off lease when I buy. Extended cab, 4x4, automatic. Impossible to find last time I looked. One thing I have found is if you go used truck go Ford. For some reason there is more selection on lots than any other make.

Edge or Escape, I am still not sure.

When I started driving, Ford trucks always
had the rep that you could beat them to
death and they kept going. Dodge looked
good and didn't last, Chevy bodies rusted
out fast but he motors kept going.

Ford makes impressive looking trucks today.
One of these was in the casino lobby, it was
huge. Like a tank.

Quote: Evenbob

Ford makes impressive looking trucks today.
One of these was in the casino lobby, it was
huge. Like a tank.

That's the thing about pickups lately. They just keep growing and growing. Can't they make a Ranger sized like the 1980s?

Quote: AZDuffman

That's the thing about pickups lately. They just keep growing and growing. Can't they make a Ranger sized like the 1980s?

It's so high off the ground you need a
step to get into it. This is the first Ford
truck I had, a 68. I got it in 1982, it
belonged to a friends dad who bought
a new one every two years, and would
sell the old one to his son. It was 14
years old when I got it, drove it for 2
years, put not a dime into it, and sold
it for what I paid. Straight 6, 3 on the
tree, always started. Was just like this
one:

I don't know if there is major car maker that doesn't have at least some good years and models as far as reliability. But you pay more for those used.

...of course if you're gonna hop it up and drive like it's stolen, you can't expect that much reliability. ; )

Cars? I walk in a grocery store parking lot and I can't even recognize the hood ornaments or even the names. Prius? From its stupid ad, I guess it must be American.
Otherwise they all seem to be foreign made even if assembled in the USA from imported engines, transmissions and the like.