the sad Death of the Intrepid

Oof. That fat, waddling whale on wheels? Yetch. Truly a road toad.

DS (And that's why they make different kinds of ice cream, too.)

 

There's a place in Texas that specializes in Jeep Wagoneers, low
mileage, supposedly revamped from the ground up.
A friend of mine picked up a 79 from them this fall, beige with
woodgrain, showroom sharp.
Have you heard or are otherwise familiar with this place?

 

What's that thing you're driving... The one with the Hakapalooka
tires? =

<ducking>

 

It's an '89 D100 pickup.

DS

 

Does someone force you to drive it? I had a 76 Dodge pickup.
Almost the worst vehicle I've ever owned...


Matt

 

Nope...I bought it voluntarily.

Gee, that's a shame. My '89's been terrific. My only complaints with it
are poor city gas mileage and bitchiness in city parking -- these are
because it's a truck, not because it's a Dodge truck, and they are why I
am in the market for a passenger car.

DS

 

Hey! I like the road toad! Of course I love the recent Concorde and
LHS too...

I want to see the 300 series on the road first; but so far the looks
don't grab my like my '97 intrepid did. It was just so different both
from the Accord, the Taurus, and the Dynasty I was driving at the
time, I knew I wanted one. And the 215hp was (is) a ton of fun. When I
fill it up I still kind of think that the way that the trunk runs into
the rear window is similar to my buddies old '69 Charger. Maybe I am
reaching here, but the thought did occur to me. After the '98 redesign
I still liked 'em. And the 300M is awesome.

My worry is that the 300 series without the Hemi is going to be the
only really affordable one, so you will have the 3.5 (or worse, the
2.7) trying to tote around that heavy body. And the thing will look
like a retro Diplomat. I haven't seen one yet, so I'm not saying it
will, but that is my fear from (some of)the pics (some of them are
beautiful). That said, the interior is freakin' gorgeous.

Jimbo

 

That's the tragedy. Had they borrowed styling cues from one of their truly
nice-looking past-model 4-door cars (the '70 Dart and the '65 Imperial
come to mind) it could've been a drop-dead gorgeous car. As it stands, it
looks like a misshapen impression of one of the more ungainly mid-'90s
Cadillacs, the '93-'95 Seville. The high beltline and short window glass
just doesn't work relative to the overall proportions of the car.

DS

 

I'll agree a road toad from the rear but great looking front end. The next
generation could have fixed up the rear instead of starting from scratch and
producing a whale with its mouth open up front that never caught on.

 

Neil Nelson wrote:

Wagonmasters, in Kerrville. About an hour's drive from me.

I hear their trucks are *very* good, and the prices reflect same

http://www.wagonmasters.com/

Since I have a masochistic enjoyment of turning wrenches in my spare
time, I'd more interested in one that is in great cosmetic (trim, body,
paint) shape but could use drivetrain work. And while the AMC engine and
Chrysler transmission combo they came with is excellent I wouldn't be
above thinking about wholesale swapping in a drivetrain from something
like a 4x4 Dakota, if it could be made to work. That is, when I'm
actually ready to pull the trigger and buy one. Gotta decide what to
sell first- 5 old cars is enough, 6 is too many.

 

High beltline and short window glass is RAMPANT in automobile design on
all 3 continents right now. I hate it too.

 

Wow, I didn't know they were going to kill the entire front wheel drive
line! It just amazes me how ignorant a big corporation can be. Oh well,
maybe I will buy a Ram 2500 diesel with a manual tranny and never have
to buy another vehicle again

 

Yeah, Amen to that. I never liked it. The TT coupe looked like someone
squished the roofline in. And the way the windows squish in on the
Magnum? Is Trevor Creed the guy doing the design now? I'd like to have
a word with him. STOP. Daring doesn't have to mean wierd. The LH's
were daring, but functional. And they were pretty to boot.

Speaking of ugly, I am still trying to figure out why everyone thinks
that the Scions are great cars. UUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHGLY!

 

It's a pity that DC European Execs forget who the customers for classic
Dodge, Chrysler Cars are. They are moving all models upscale with premium
pricing. Hello!! Isn't that what Mercedes is For? Look at the NEW models.
Pacifica, Know upscale Large Cars. Screw the masses!
I hear marching in the halls at Stutgart, AND YOU ALL VILL LIKE IT!!!

 

Premium Pricing?

The 300 series starts a couple thousand less that the Concorde was.

The 300C Hemi retails for $32,999. Upscale yes. Premium pricing no...

And it's the same story for the Magnum.

 

The guy who was chief designer for the LX is Ralph Gilles.

--Geoff

 

Ditto!

Unfortunately, I won't consider another Chrysler unless it will be FWD or
better.

I will retain my M as long as possible

Ken

 

For some reason that I'll never understand, Chrysler put a slant six
with a 3 speed column shifter in a truck driving a 2.73 (or something
like that), rear axle. I was young and naive then and didn't recognize
the stupidity of this combination. However, I was trading the worst
vehicle I ever owned (an Opel Manta) for this truck and really just
wanted to get rid of the Opel! However, the manufacturer should have
the common sense not to produce and ship a product that simply isn't
useable in the real world. This thing would hardly start out on a level
road empty. Add in any weight or any slope at a stop sign, and you had
to slip the clutch until it stunk to get going.


Matt

 

Prior to purchasing my 300M I tried several times to purchase the Intrepid
R/T but no dealer was willing to negotiate so needless to say, I got the M
but no regrets.

I still think the Intrepid is a nice car.

I thought about the Pacifica but still wanted a full-size UTE and replace my
Expedition with another. I was thinking that if I did replace the M I would
like the 300C but with no front wheel drive, I don't think this will happen.

I may be go for that beautiful Charger, though and buy a used Jeep or
something.

Ken

 

FWD or better? what is better?