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Junkyard Gem: 1992 Dodge Shadow America

A quarter-century ago, most Americans looking for a cheap transportation appliance went for cars like the miserably-stripped-down-but-bulletproof Toyota Tercel or the feature-laden-but-reliability-challenged Hyundai Excel. Chrysler, having just discontinued the elderly "Omnirizon" platform, took the Dodge Shadow and its Plymouth sibling, the Sundance and offered a car that was bigger, more powerful, and better-equipped than just about anything else for the price: the America! These cars depreciated hard and nearly all were crushed a decade ago, so sightings are extremely rare today. Here's one that I found in a Northern California self-service yard. This one still had windshield paperwork indicating that it was an insurance-company auction car (probably totaled in a fender-bender that caused $200 worth of damage) and that it was a runner at the time it got junked. Such is the fate of 24-year-old economy cars in rough shape. The Shadow was a member of the many-branched K-Car family tree, and the Shadow America came with the same 2.2-liter straight-4 engine that powered millions of Caravans, Daytonas, New Yorkers, and Lasers. You got more torque than the competition, plus a driver's-side airbag instead of the maddening automatic seat belts found in other low-priced cars of 1992. Of course, the paint tended to peel off within a few years and the build quality of the Shadow was hit-or-miss, but these cars were way nicer to drive than, say, a Tercel EZ or Subaru Justy. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The perfect cars for an imperfect world! Related Video: Featured Gallery Junked 1992 Dodge Shadow America View 17 Photos Auto News Dodge Automotive History

1970 Dodge Charger destroyed by man sick of lowballers — he showed them!

There are open and shut cases, and there's this one, the purchase and crush case. This is so wild it's hard to believe it's real. Apparently a man named Daniel Gagliardi bought a rusted-out 1970 Dodge Charger project car with the intent to flip it. Contacted by The Drive, Gagliardi said he bought the car for $4,200 and listed it for $8,500. "It was a complete car," he said, "not missing a single thing inside, out, underneath, under the hood, wasn't missing a damn thing. Had fender tag, VIN tag, clean title." Instead of negotiating with serious buyers, Gagliardi told the outlet a stream of jokers jerked him around for six months. The time-wasting took a toll, and after 180 days of "no-showers, thousands of no-showers, and a whole bunch of flakers" who didn't have the decency to bring a decent offer and cash, he decided to teach them all a lesson. So he destroyed the car, filmed the destruction, and cheered it on. The humorous and ironic part of the video is when Gagliardi tells another man off-camera, "But we got it first! We already robbed it, you can only rob it once!" After that levity, there's only chagrin for anyone sad to see a Charger meet its end so spitefully. Admittedly, however, and in spite of all the vitriol aimed at him, Gagliardi is free to destroy his own property. He's not the first person to crush a car capriciously. Any divorce attorney could tell you a book of tales about precious goods meeting ugly ends for vindictive reasons. Or there's the guy who, commenting on Gagliardi's video on another site, relates how he crushed the Yamaha quad he wanted $800 for after he "got tired of people offering me $200." Ah well. This won't be the last time. Warning for language, and exceptionally shaky video. If you're hungry for more Charger carnage after this, check out the cinematic obliterations in "7 Ways to Destroy a Charger."

Cruiser's close call caught on camera

A new recruit to the Kansas Highway Patrol experienced his first brush with danger on his first day when a semi truck clipped his cruiser during a traffic stop last week. Public relations officer Tod Hileman said in a Facebook post that the incident occurred when an officer and his brand-new trainee pulled over a black Dodge Charger on I-70 in Trego County, Kansas. Hileman said in the comments that the cruiser was parked two feet away from the white line on the shoulder. Not only did the driver not get over a lane when he saw the stopped cruiser per Kansas law, he seemed to have moved closer to the side of the road. The big rig managed to send the cruiser's side mirror and spotlight flying across the road. The truck could have easily injured one of the officers, perhaps fatally. The truck driver ignored Kansas' Move Over law, which requires "drivers approaching a stationary emergency vehicle displaying flashing lights, including towing and recovery vehicles, traveling in the same direction, to vacate the lane closest if safe and possible to do so, or slow to a speed safe for road, weather, and traffic conditions." With a clear lane to his left the trucker in this case had no excuse. He stopped after the crash and was cited by the officers for failing to change lanes when he saw the stopped vehicles. Being a cop is a risky job. So far this year, 28 officers have lost their lives in the line of duty due to car accidents, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. News Source: Facebook Government/Legal Dodge Videos traffic traffic stop traffic tickets move over law