Lifted 1998 Dodge Durango Slt Sport Utility 4-door 5.2l on 2040-cars

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Watching a 2010 Dodge Challenger become a Plymouth GTX is a restomod education

We cover a lot of restomods, many of them one-off SEMA show cars and low-volume builds from professional shops that sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Autoevolution tells the story of Steve Mirabelli, who creates Mopar restomods as a hobby when home from his day job as a NASCAR Sprint Cup car builder for Hendrick Motorsports. Working on his own, the stuff we've seen from Mirabelli so far deserves to sit at the same table as Kore and Ring Brothers. First he spent four years turning a 2006 Dodge Charger SRT8 into a 1968 Dodge Charger, the cardinal feat being the proportions; many builds leave the modern Charger's thick sides uniting a nosecone and high Daytona wing. Mirabelli didn't let himself off so easy, finding a '68 Charger abandoned in a field to lay over the '06 chassis, then working the proportions — such as adding 11 inches to the wheelbase — so that the 20-inch wheels look like they could have been stock fitment in '68.    His current build is recasting a 2010 Dodge Challenger R/T into a thid-gen Plymouth GTX, May 6 representing two years since the first video documenting the process. These videos are another highlight. For anyone who's ever wanted to see every step in how the professionals turn classic cars into modern monsters, Mirabelli's criminally under-watched YouTube channel is the place to go. There are 43 videos so far on the GTX transformation, with Mirabelli taking time to explain and demonstrate his thought process and methods every step of the way. It's an online course in restomodding, maybe the perfect final binge before returning to our outdoor lives.  Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.    

Will airbags sandbag the 2017 Dodge Viper?

The Dodge Viper is speeding down the road to cancellation for the 2017 model year, and at least part of the reason for the V10 monster's death is a problem fitting it with federally mandated side curtain airbags. An anonymous source close to FCA US told Motor Trend the automaker can't install the parts because they would further limit the coupe's already tight headroom. The government believes the side curtain airbags can reduce occupant ejections during accidents, and all vehicles must have them for the 2017 model year. The Viper's slow sales also don't provide FCA US much motivation to work out a solution to this problem. The automaker moved just 676 of the handmade sports coupes in the US in 2015, which was down 11 percent from 760 deliveries in 2014. FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne hinted at the Detroit Auto Show that the Viper could return eventually. He doesn't like that the current model has a dedicated platform but indicated a new one could share the underpinnings with another of the company's products. Marchionne's current business plan for FCA stresses building the automaker's value, so it might be a while before we see the sweater-clad CEO focusing on a niche vehicle like the Viper. Related Video:

Dodge Dart pushed toward the grave with simplified lineup

FCA announced a while back that the Dodge Dart and its Chrysler 200 half-sibling are on the way out due to lack of interest. The 2016 model year will be the Dart's last, and Dodge has just reconfigured the lineup mid-year to lower (relative) pricing and streamline ordering. Streamlined is a nice way of saying there will be fewer choices, with three models (down from five) and limited customization beyond choosing the paint color. The odd thing is that the Dart continues to offer three different engines. And while the prices of the individual models have decreased, the former SE base trim is now gone. That means an early-2016 Dart was available for as little as $17,990, while the late-2016 Dart starts at $18,990. For that sum you get the new base model, the SXT Sport, which replaces the SXT and comes with the 2.0-liter Tigershark four-cylinder (160 horsepower, 148 lb-ft of torque) and a six-speed manual; a six-speed automatic is an available option. Standard equipment includes normal entry-level car stuff, black cloth upholstery, 16-inch wheels, and grille shutters that help improve fuel economy. The SXT Sport can be dressed up with one of three different appearance packages; Chrome adds bright accents to parts including the grille and door handles, Rallye has a black grille and a touring suspension, and the Blacktop package makes pretty much everything on the exterior black and includes a sport-tuned suspension. All three packages come with bigger wheels, too. From there it's on to the new Dart Turbo, for $20,490. It comes with the 1.4-liter turbo four (160 hp, 184 lb-ft of torque) and comes exclusively with a six-speed manual transmission. This is supposed to be the model for enthusiasts, which is how Dodge is selling the switch to manual-only. Ditching the disliked dual-clutch automatic that was previously offered with this engine doesn't hurt. This engine was also used in the former Aero model, as it's the most fuel-efficient in the lineup. The Turbo gets the Rallye appearance stuff and a different hood. At the top is the Dart GT Sport, starting at $21,900. It has the 184-hp, 2.4-liter Tigershark four-cylinder and a choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmission. This is the one with features, including a power driver's seat, the 8.4-inch Uconnect infotainment unit, digital reconfigurable gauges, dual-zone auto climate, keyless start, and a rearview camera. The latter-part-of-2016 Dart will be available in eight colors.