Re: HEMI engine ?

From: Terrible Tom (SilverEightynine@aol.com)
Date: Fri Jun 18 2004 - 13:49:33 EDT


jon@dakota-truck.net wrote:
> Mike Burgess <mike_burgess@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> : Went to Dodge premier night tonight, and got my silver
> : eagle.
>
>
> I went to two and got two silver eagles. ;-) Probably
> not actually worth the time and gas to drive to the dealership,
> but I had to drop off the CTD for some warranty work on the
> A/C system at the one dealership, so as long as I was headed
> in that direction... Plus, they had free food. :-)
>

mmm free food

>
> : Also got an earfull of a sales pitch that the 4.7l hemi
> : has " variable displacement " and if you are cruiseing
> : level, not demanding much, some cyls shut down and save
> : fuel?
>
>
> Somebody's all hopped up on crack cocaine. ;-) The
> sales droid in question has confused the 4.7L (non HEMI)
> for the 5.7L HEMI.
>

I have found that every single time i have gone to a dealer - I knew
more about the cars and trucks on the lot than the guy who was trying to
sell them to me. I don't think its because the sales guys are morons
(well most are morons actually) I chalk it up to the fact I am a fanatic
and eat, sleep, and live Dodge.

> Speaking of the Magnum, I was actually pretty dissapointed in it.
> Its got decent looks, but the exhaust note is *way* too quiet,
> visibility and headroom is somewhat lacking, and its too darn
> refined. I was expecting a more raw, visceral experience, but
> it was more like driving grandma's grocery getter. The engine
> does get the car moving pretty good (although I have to admit,
> not quite as quick as I would like.) It looks great on paper,
> but the reality just didn't click with me. :-(
>

I am waiting for Dodge to bring out a regular sedan or a full size
coupe. *coughCHARGERcough*

> BTW, I also drove a Crossfire just for the heck of it yesterday.
> Its not a bad looking car, but very cramped, and as I expected,
> a bit too gutless for my tastes. When I joked to the sales droid
> that they should be putting the HEMI into a little car like this,
> his response was that it got up to 150mph on the autobahn and
> that the Germans were better than the Americans at getting power
> out of an engine. He said that I should get on the throttle a bit
> and I would be impressed with the power. I did, and I wasn't. ;-)
> Top speed might impress a 10 year old, but on which American road
> am I going to be able to drive at those velocities? IMHO, its
> not the top speed that counts - its how quick it gets there. ;-)
> Unfortunately, I didn't have time to pull the 440 'cuda out of
> mothballs in time to drive it to the event, so that they could
> see the type of car they *should* be building. ;-)

I sat in a Crossfire and a Magnum at the 04 Chicago Auto Show. I havn't
had the desire to test drive either of them since. Both were far too
cramped for my comfort. (and I'm considerably smaller in size than you
Jon). I love the looks of both of them - but they are not for me.
Biggest turn off with the Crossfire is what you experianced first hand.
  ALl the reports I have heard about the Crossfire are that it is low on
power and performance. If I remember correctly - Jim Mateja (sp?) from
the Chicago Tribune - who's reviews are on Cars.com - said that the
"autostick" clutchless manual was very dissapointing. It acted more like
the 1,2,3,D set up on normal automatics. This being the german design.
  He said it was not the same design as the one used on Intrepid a few
years back - where the car would actually STAY in the gear you had it
in. Crossfire will down shift on its own.

I woulda dopeslapped the idiot who claimed that Daimler could erk out
better power from an engine. He has obviously never been behind the
wheel of a rear wheel drive american big block. His loss :D

-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------
***** Countdown to 2004 DML BBQ (32) Days Left! *****

Terrible Tom -- AIM & Yahoo Name: SilverEightynine http://members.aol.com/silvereightynine/



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