Black Power Top, Super Fun Car, Adult Owned, Mileage Will Change Dailty Driver on 2040-cars

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Junkyard Gem: 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser GT

Many claim to hate the Chrysler PT Cruiser now, though better than a million were sold in the United States during the retro-styled little truck's production run (the NHTSA classified the PT Cruiser as a truck, so that's what we'll call it). I didn't start finding many PT Cruisers in junkyards until about 10 years ago, at which point the Chrysler section in just about every big self-service yard became choked with row upon row of them. While most of these cars trucks were ordinary— if cute-looking— transportation appliances, Chrysler built some with turbocharged 2.4-liter engines and five-speed manual transmissions. Here is one of those rare machines, found in a Northern California self-service yard last month. The PT Cruiser was based on the Neon, meaning that it was no sweat to take any high-performance Neon bits and swap them onto its sibling. The PT Cruiser GT didn't quite get the same running gear as the SRT-4 Neon, but it was a genuine factory hot rod. The heart of the PT Cruiser GT was this turbocharged 2.4-liter engine, rated at 215 horsepower in the 2003-2005 version. The naturally-aspirated 2.4 that went into ordinary PT Cruisers made 150 horses in 2004. While a Getrag five-speed manual transmission was standard equipment (at least at the lower-end trim levels) for all but the final year of the Cruiser's 2001–2010 American sales run, nearly every buyer paid what it took to get the optional four-speed automatic. That didn't happen with this car truck, which has the five-speed. The GT also got better brakes, bigger wheels, a stiffer suspension, a lower ride height, and a louder exhaust. What's not to like? Will we miss the special-edition PT Cruisers when they're all gone? This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Referred to as a "small-car alternative" in this TV commercial.

FCA's shifter fiasco proves novel gear selectors are a bad idea

What's wrong with PRNDL? Why are automakers trying to overly complicate the simple task of selecting gears? If there's any lesson to learn from the recent news that NHTSA is investigating 853,000 Fiat Chrysler vehicles over its problematic gear selectors, it's that the trend of fancy shifters needs to stop. Now. Last year, NHTSA opened an investigation into Jeep Grand Cherokee models, and has now expanded this probe to include the 2012-14 Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger. The problem? The shifter – assembled by ZF – is confusing for many drivers. "Testing ... indicates that operation of the (electronic) shifter is not intuitive and provides poor tactile and visual feedback to the driver, increasing the potential for unintended gear selection," a NHTSA document states. More than 100 crashes and over a dozen injuries are linked to this problem, according to The Detroit Free Press. To us, the problem isn't just limited to FCA. These unnecessarily novel gear selectors are spreading like wildfire across the industry. Honda and Acura use a weird pushbutton setup. Lincolns have buttons on the dashboard. Jaguar's shifter electronically raises out of the center console. Mercedes uses a stalk with up-for-Reverse, down-for-Drive, push-for-Neutral arrangement. And what the hell is BMW thinking with its M cars? FCA has since abandoned the confusing shifters in question. The 300, Charger, and Grand Cherokee now use the rotary shift dial that's quickly proliferating across the company's brands. Simplistic gear selectors might not be sexy, but no one ever complained about not being able to find the right gear in a Hyundai Sonata. What's most interesting is that this NHTSA investigation could push FCA – and possibly other automakers – to redesign vehicle functions that otherwise operate as designed. Just because most people will never have a problem putting a Dodge Charger in Reverse doesn't mean there isn't a flaw with the design. But perhaps a more simplistic solution – good ol' PRNDL – would have prevented these issues from the start. Related Video: News Source: The Detroit Free PressImage Credit: Copyright 2016 AOL Government/Legal Chrysler Dodge Jeep FCA shifters

I sold my Viper, but the memories I'll keep

The following is written by auto industry veteran Tow Kowaleski. The words are his own, but the memories now belong to everyone thanks to his willingness to share. If you're an industry veteran with a story to share, contact us at tipsATautoblogDOTcom.
It became the flame that started the fire of belief in the next life of Chrysler.
I just sold a car. Nothing new. Millions do it every day. But my car was a 1995 Dodge Viper, so maybe it was a bit more unique since just 12,000 were built. And like others selling a car that's been a part of the family for close to 20 years, this was a confluence of emotions for me. I was sad to see it go, but happy to have the cash and one less big, shiny, under-utilized object in my life.