1971 Dodge Challenger Base Hardtop 2-door 5.9l on 2040-cars

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Junkyard Gem: 1997 Dodge Ram 2500, Vanlife Edition

During my journeys through the big self-service car graveyards of Colorado's Front Range, I find some interesting art cars and labor-of-love hand-built camping vehicles, plus lots of machines with impressively high final odometer readings. Today's Junkyard Gem is one that combines all three types in one fascinating late-20th-century package. I shot these photos way back in December of 2019, just before the pandemic sent thousands of new adventurers pursuing #vanlife dreams on the roads of North America. This '97 Ram three-quarter-ton van is the third generation of a Chrysler van lineage stretching back to 1970. It began life as a 127" wheelbase cargo version with the Maxi stretched rear. The 2500 Maxi's total length of just over 19 feet made it a good starting point for a camper conversion. MSRP for this hauler was $19,600 when new, or about $36,505 in 2022 frogskins. So much work went into this Ram's interior fittings and exterior paint that I knew I'd be able to find something online about its history. After a few fruitless attempts soon after I shot the photos, I back-burnered my Adventure One Van research project for a while. Then, just last weekend, success! It turns out that this van was customized by Antonio de Irun, a multidisciplinary artist in Boulder, Colorado. He refers to this Dodge as an "Adventure Reform Van" and there's a page documenting its construction on the website of a Florida custom-van company. Most of the nice stuff that was inside got removed before the van entered the junkyard ecosystem, but you can see the general structure of the living and storage layout. Plenty of carpentry and upholstery work went into the Adventure Reform Van aka Adventure One. There's electrical wiring, insulation, everything needed for life on the road. Many, many hours of work must have gone into the intricate paint designs all over the vast expanse of Ram Maxi body. So why didn't this van survive into the era of pandemic vanlife? I think this odometer tells us why: 292,844 total miles, of which I'm assuming 200,000 miles were spent on a powertrain-punishing life of deliveries and trips to job sites. The engine is this 5.9-liter Magnum V8, a modernized version of the good old LA-series 360 equipped with the distinctive "beer barrel" intake manifold and rated at 234 horsepower and 330 pound-feet. The 360 first hit the road in the 1971 model year, with production of 360s and the later Magnum 5.9s continuing well into our current century.

How to update and secure a vulnerable Chrysler Uconnect system

If you own one of the 1.4 million vehicles affected by the recent Chrysler software recall, you may want to watch this video. In it, we explain how to get the latest infotainment software loaded onto the 8.4-inch Uconnect system. The recall was a response to the findings of researchers who were able to hack into and remotely control a 2014 Jeep Cherokee through its cellular connection. Although Fiat Chrysler has worked with Sprint to plug most of the holes on the carrier side, there are still some vulnerabilities that only this latest software version can patch. Owners have three options to get the update: download it now, wait for a USB stick in the mail, or take the vehicle to an FCA dealer. Chrysler will be sending USB sticks loaded with the software update to customers. Anyone with an internet connection and a USB stick of their own with at least 4 GB capacity can speed things up by downloading the patch from the Uconnect website. We cover that process from start to finish in the video, with the final portion still applicable to those using the FCA-supplied USB stick. If after watching this you still don't want to tackle the patch yourself, you can take your vehicle to the dealer to have it done. Also note that this process is the same for all Uconnect updates, not just the one patching the exploits. Our demonstrator vehicle is a 2015 Ram 1500 pickup. The procedure should be very similar on other products with the 8.4-inch Uconnect system, with only the location of the USB port varying. Once you have the USB stick with the software on it – either after having downloaded it yourself or receiving it in the mail from Chrysler – the installation process is relatively simple. It takes about 15 minutes to perform the update; we edited out the wait in the video. To check whether or not your car's 8.4-inch Uconnect system is running the latest software, go to System Information on the touch screen's Settings page and look at Software Version. The update related to the recall is version 15.17.5. Related Video: Recalls Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM Safety Technology Infotainment Videos Original Video hacking

MotorWeek revisits the awesome, original Dodge Viper

MotorWeek is bringing the automotive world a wonderful blast from the past with its latest Retro Review. Not only does the video feature the now-famous, original Dodge Viper, but this is also a chance to watch one lapping Pocono International Raceway in a test of track prowess. This segment was MotorWeek's first chance to unleash the Viper around a racecourse, and the show took advantage of the opportunity. In addition to the usual 0-60 mph and quarter-mile tests, the 400-horsepower V10 is let loose to do lap after lap. The clip offers a great dose of nostalgia and is worth a watch to remember the intense enthusiasm surrounding the Viper at the time.