Fell In Love With A Hemi

wrote in news:1168139185.597343.246630@
38g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

> This holiday season I had the pleasure of spending 10 days behind the
> wheel of a Hemi Magnum. While I was previously impressed with the
> Chrysler LX trio a few years ago during some test drives, a 2500 mile
> trip behind the wheel of one has left me lovesick. The driving
> position is very good, the chassis soaked up the bumps and provided
> decent stick in the corners, the brakes are terrific, and the Hemi
> motor is addictive! Stomp on the gas and the Hemi rockets the car
> forward while playing an intoxicating soundtrack. In fact, the motor
> sounded so sweet I found it nearly impossible to keep my foot out of
> it. (The best MPG I could muster the whole trip was 18, the lowest was
> 14 and nearly all my travels was rural or highway.) The Hemi was very
> torquey down low and had a nice surge of power coming on around 4000
> and running right up to its redline at 5800.
>
> Driving the car is a delight! It has the feel of the big V8 sedans of
> yore, but the dynamics are light years ahead. (No retro mod/modding
> would ever get it to the Magnum's level. Evidence: On the return home
> I was able to log 17 hours behind the wheel and I still felt fresh.)
My
> favorite activity while driving was to punch it at about 70 mph, run
it
> up to about 85 then lift off. After getting off the gas the car's
> power/momentum would give a big push before starting to slow back
down.
> Very cool feeling!
>
> My experience with the Hemi Magnum was sublime, but wasn't without a
> few gripes. One: The stalk-operated cruise control sucked! Using the
> blinkers to change lanes and trying to modulate the cruise
> control/speed at the same time left me fumbling between the two
stalks.
> Chrysler, just put the cruise buttons on the steering wheel like
> everyone else and be done with it. Two: The dashboard looks like it
> could wear a Tupperware stamp. Not pretty, but with a Hemi engine
> under the hood I could overlook it. Three: Okay Chrysler, I
understand
> the Hemi Magnum's mission is to appeal to the hotrod dad/mom while
> keeping the sensible mom/dad happy so the exhaust noises are muted
down
> to a whisper, but couldn't you at least off an optional exhaust system
> cutout? Four: The transmission needs a shift kit. When I crank it to
> redline and bang off a shift I want to hear some tire chirp! Five:
> Chop out a few inches from the wheel base, remove the two rear doors
to
> create a 2-door wagon.
>
> Patrick

Patrick, let me know when you try a 6.1. I'd love to hear your
impressions.

Joe
Calypso Green '93 5.0 LX AOD hatch with a few goodies
Black '03 Dakota 5.9 R/T CC

My wife bought a Plymouth Grand Voyager that went through 3 transmissions in
3 years, in addition to a whole slew of electrical problems, etc.

Ford (not just Mustang) Rules!!!

"Ray or Bobbi Adams" > wrote in message
...
>
> > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>> nospam wrote:
>>> I said "buy" not "drive".
>>
>>> "WindsorFox" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>> > nospam wrote:
>>> >> I'll ride a horse or walk before I ever buy another Chrysler product.
>>
>>> > Well that's just plain stupid. I'd drive a bowl legged Yugo running
>>> > on
>>> > 3 cylinders with no A/C and bad brakes before I'd walk anywhere.
>>
>> What was your previous Chrysler expirence?
>>
>> Patrick
>>
>>
>>> > ( www.daveyugo.com )
>>> >
>>> > --
>>> > "I intended that "not stupid" be a requirement." - Seth Breidbart
>>
>
> Any just what does all this have to do with ford mustang
>
>

Ray or Bobbi Adams wrote:

> >> >> I'll ride a horse or walk before I ever buy another Chrysler product.

> >> > Well that's just plain stupid. I'd drive a bowl legged Yugo running
> >> > on 3 cylinders with no A/C and bad brakes before I'd walk anywhere.

> >> I said "buy" not "drive".

> > What was your previous Chrysler expirence?

> And just what does all this have to do with Ford Mustang?

Directly? Nothing.

Indirectly? I'm sure Chargers are cross-shopped by some who are
interested in purchasing a Mustang.

Me... I'm just curious about any cars that may have caused someone a
lot of grief. You never know when you may suddenly find yourself car
shopping.

Patrick

Ray or Bobbi Adams wrote:
> > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>> nospam wrote:
>>> I said "buy" not "drive".
>>> "WindsorFox" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> nospam wrote:
>>>>> I'll ride a horse or walk before I ever buy another Chrysler product.
>>>> Well that's just plain stupid. I'd drive a bowl legged Yugo running
>>>> on
>>>> 3 cylinders with no A/C and bad brakes before I'd walk anywhere.
>> What was your previous Chrysler expirence?
>>
>> Patrick
>>
>>
>>>> ( www.daveyugo.com )
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> "I intended that "not stupid" be a requirement." - Seth Breidbart
>
> Any just what does all this have to do with ford mustang
>
>

The fact that regular members of the group are
discussing it. If you can't drag yourself to skip past the
threads you have no interest in, then "rec.whiners" is ---->
that way...

--
“I intended that "not stupid" be a requirement.” – Seth
Breidbart

On 6 Jan 2007 19:06:25 -0800, puked:

>This holiday season I had the pleasure of spending 10 days behind the
>wheel of a Hemi Magnum. While I was previously impressed with the
>Chrysler LX trio a few years ago during some test drives, a 2500 mile
>trip behind the wheel of one has left me lovesick. The driving
>position is very good, the chassis soaked up the bumps and provided
>decent stick in the corners, the brakes are terrific, and the Hemi
>motor is addictive! Stomp on the gas and the Hemi rockets the car
>forward while playing an intoxicating soundtrack. In fact, the motor
>sounded so sweet I found it nearly impossible to keep my foot out of
>it. (The best MPG I could muster the whole trip was 18, the lowest was
>14 and nearly all my travels was rural or highway.) The Hemi was very
>torquey down low and had a nice surge of power coming on around 4000
>and running right up to its redline at 5800.
>
>Driving the car is a delight! It has the feel of the big V8 sedans of
>yore, but the dynamics are light years ahead. (No retro mod/modding
>would ever get it to the Magnum's level. Evidence: On the return home
>I was able to log 17 hours behind the wheel and I still felt fresh.) My
>favorite activity while driving was to punch it at about 70 mph, run it
>up to about 85 then lift off. After getting off the gas the car's
>power/momentum would give a big push before starting to slow back down.
>Very cool feeling!
>
>My experience with the Hemi Magnum was sublime, but wasn't without a
>few gripes. One: The stalk-operated cruise control sucked! Using the
>blinkers to change lanes and trying to modulate the cruise
>control/speed at the same time left me fumbling between the two stalks.
> Chrysler, just put the cruise buttons on the steering wheel like
>everyone else and be done with it. Two: The dashboard looks like it
>could wear a Tupperware stamp. Not pretty, but with a Hemi engine
>under the hood I could overlook it. Three: Okay Chrysler, I understand
>the Hemi Magnum's mission is to appeal to the hotrod dad/mom while
>keeping the sensible mom/dad happy so the exhaust noises are muted down
>to a whisper, but couldn't you at least off an optional exhaust system
>cutout? Four: The transmission needs a shift kit. When I crank it to
>redline and bang off a shift I want to hear some tire chirp! Five:
>Chop out a few inches from the wheel base, remove the two rear doors to
>create a 2-door wagon.
>
>Patrick

How was the visibility out that little rear window? I sat in one once
and it didn't seem to be a problem, but wondered about in on a long
haul...
--
lab~rat >:-)
Do you want polite or do you want sincere?

On Sun, 07 Jan 2007 16:44:20 -0800, NoOption5L wrote:

> Ray or Bobbi Adams wrote:
>
>> >> >> I'll ride a horse or walk before I ever buy another Chrysler product.
>
>> >> > Well that's just plain stupid. I'd drive a bowl legged Yugo running
>> >> > on 3 cylinders with no A/C and bad brakes before I'd walk anywhere.
>
>> >> I said "buy" not "drive".
>
>> > What was your previous Chrysler expirence?
>
>> And just what does all this have to do with Ford Mustang?
>
> Directly? Nothing.
>
> Indirectly? I'm sure Chargers are cross-shopped by some who are
> interested in purchasing a Mustang.
>
> Me... I'm just curious about any cars that may have caused someone a
> lot of grief. You never know when you may suddenly find yourself car
> shopping.
>
> Patrick


Last summer when I was shopping for my mid-life crisis toy, I was cross
shopping the Dodge Hemi's as well, along with the Mustangs, both new style
and older style.

The Dodge was a monster for sure, but it's too heavy to really compare to
a "sports car" IMHO.
However, in it's class, it's light years ahead of the FWD Monte Carlos and
Impalas.

The power is there and it is super smooth. The handling is sluggish, but
again I am comparing to a Mustang which of course does not ride as
civilized as the Dodge does.
The Dodge does a very nice job of compromising between handling and
comfort.

My previous/current experience with Chrysler products is bad news.
A 2000 Caravan, which now has 114k on it, went through 3 steering racks,
assorted input/output tranny sensors, a PCM, swaybar bushings at least 3
times and a short in the high beam circuit.

Thank goodness for the 100k mile warranty...


Reading the Allpar forums shows that little has improved since 2000 and
people are STILL complaining of transmission failures, sway bar bushings
creaking and a host of other problems.
Chrysler doesn't seem to learn from it's mistakes and continues to produce
the same cars, with the same defects over and over again.

Not that Ford doesn't have it's own set of problems.
The 2005+ owners are going wild with rear end problems and leaks in the
front passenger side of the car.

Interesting since my 2003 had leaks on that side as well.
I repaired the seams where Ford was stingy on seam sealer and all is now
good.
It was NOT however an easy thing to find, as the 2005+ owners are
discovering.

As a side note, I almost went Asian like a Honda Si, Mazda 3 or WRX,
Mistsubishi Ecilpse etc but my kids said they would disown me if I went
"rice".
They couldn't see their 46 year old mom driving a ricer :}

Still, if you look in the ricer forums you will see all kinds of
complaints so nothing is perfect.