the official website of
the fin mantm
the fin mantm
Your Subtitle text
2010/02/01 Challenger
Trivia Questions (answers below)
What is the name of the color in the picture to the right?
Trivia Answers
Mopar designers used some creative names for their youth-oriented
Challenger models, including “Plum Crazy”, as shown in the photo above.
Half a century of
cleaning and detailing show cars, and half a decade managing one of the
largest detailing shops in the metro St. Louis area qualifies Bruce
Kunz to offer you his
Detailing Tip of the Week:
Detailing Tip of the Week:
2010 Challenger conjures of memories of yesteryear Mopar rides
It's an exciting time of the year for The Fin Man and friends. The 2010
St. Louis Auto Show opened last Thursday at America’s Center and the
Edward Jones Dome.
Every year, come January, I look forward, with great anticipation, to the huge display of the latest Detroit iron! (Oh, wait a minute– I was just victimized by a flashback. That was the 1957 auto show.) Okay, Detroit, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul (and countless others) composites, carbon fibers, poly carbonates, titanium alloys and who knows what else goes into these new ones today? Whatever they’re making them out of, they’re sure doing a great job.
As I was perusing the special auto show section of the Post the other day, I saw a story about the 2010 Dodge Challenger. Just the mere mention of the name Challenger conjured up memories of warm summer evenings at the Steak ‘n’ Shake on North Lindbergh in Florissant. I was the kid parked at the back of the lot in my second-hand English Ford Consul cabriolet, ogling over the shiny new Chevelles, Mustangs, 4-4-2s, ‘Cudas and yes, Challengers that cruised the U-shaped drive that circled the tidy little black and white tiled building that cranked out Steakburgers and fries by the truckload on Friday and Saturday nights.
Back in the day, my “day” being the late sixties/early seventies, the buzz was all about the “pony cars”... a new segment of compact, yet sporty coupes and convertibles, led by Ford’s outrageously successful Mustang. (Need I explain where the term “pony” came from?)
Not to be outdone, GM and Chrysler management burned the midnight oil to come up with suitable contenders for the rapidly developing new market. Enter the likes of Camaro, Firebird, Javelin and others including from Mopar’s Valiant/Barracuda series and the Dodge boy’s Challenger... patterned after the second generation Barracuda.
The debut Challengers (1970-1974) were offered in multiple trim levels and with a dizzying array of engines ranging from mild... a 225-cube, 145-horsepower slant six, to wild... a 426-cube, 425-horse Hemi. A total of ten engines were listed in the lineup but just a handful of Hemis were delivered, making them a super hot commodity on today’s auction blocks. You know you’re going to pay through the nose when the Old Cars Price guide lists the value as “inestimable”!
I’m often asked what new car would make a good investment down the road. While there are countless examples, depending on your preference of category, any of the Big Three’s “pony cars” would be an excellent choice.
The best advice I can offer, whatever your choice of brand, is to buy the highest trim level in either a rare, or at least “hot” color. Fit it with the biggest engine offered and all the bells and whistles your pocketbook can handle. Then stash it in a climate controlled garage and don’t drive it for about twenty years.
The 2010 St. Louis Auto Show was everything we expected and more! I was accompanied by a staff of three including my protege Pablo Rodriguez (P. Rod), my son and technical assistant Jeff and key grip Nate Brown. Not only were the cars the best ever but so were the special attractions. I often hear people lament, “They sure don’t make ‘em like they used to.” You know what? I’d have to agree. They make ‘em a heck of a lot better!
It's an exciting time of the year for The Fin Man and friends. The 2010
St. Louis Auto Show opened last Thursday at America’s Center and the
Edward Jones Dome.Every year, come January, I look forward, with great anticipation, to the huge display of the latest Detroit iron! (Oh, wait a minute– I was just victimized by a flashback. That was the 1957 auto show.) Okay, Detroit, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul (and countless others) composites, carbon fibers, poly carbonates, titanium alloys and who knows what else goes into these new ones today? Whatever they’re making them out of, they’re sure doing a great job.
As I was perusing the special auto show section of the Post the other day, I saw a story about the 2010 Dodge Challenger. Just the mere mention of the name Challenger conjured up memories of warm summer evenings at the Steak ‘n’ Shake on North Lindbergh in Florissant. I was the kid parked at the back of the lot in my second-hand English Ford Consul cabriolet, ogling over the shiny new Chevelles, Mustangs, 4-4-2s, ‘Cudas and yes, Challengers that cruised the U-shaped drive that circled the tidy little black and white tiled building that cranked out Steakburgers and fries by the truckload on Friday and Saturday nights.
Back in the day, my “day” being the late sixties/early seventies, the buzz was all about the “pony cars”... a new segment of compact, yet sporty coupes and convertibles, led by Ford’s outrageously successful Mustang. (Need I explain where the term “pony” came from?)
Not to be outdone, GM and Chrysler management burned the midnight oil to come up with suitable contenders for the rapidly developing new market. Enter the likes of Camaro, Firebird, Javelin and others including from Mopar’s Valiant/Barracuda series and the Dodge boy’s Challenger... patterned after the second generation Barracuda.
The debut Challengers (1970-1974) were offered in multiple trim levels and with a dizzying array of engines ranging from mild... a 225-cube, 145-horsepower slant six, to wild... a 426-cube, 425-horse Hemi. A total of ten engines were listed in the lineup but just a handful of Hemis were delivered, making them a super hot commodity on today’s auction blocks. You know you’re going to pay through the nose when the Old Cars Price guide lists the value as “inestimable”!
I’m often asked what new car would make a good investment down the road. While there are countless examples, depending on your preference of category, any of the Big Three’s “pony cars” would be an excellent choice.
The best advice I can offer, whatever your choice of brand, is to buy the highest trim level in either a rare, or at least “hot” color. Fit it with the biggest engine offered and all the bells and whistles your pocketbook can handle. Then stash it in a climate controlled garage and don’t drive it for about twenty years.
The 2010 St. Louis Auto Show was everything we expected and more! I was accompanied by a staff of three including my protege Pablo Rodriguez (P. Rod), my son and technical assistant Jeff and key grip Nate Brown. Not only were the cars the best ever but so were the special attractions. I often hear people lament, “They sure don’t make ‘em like they used to.” You know what? I’d have to agree. They make ‘em a heck of a lot better!
Content copyright . Bruce Kunz. All rights reserved.
