Tag Archives: Dodge

Buy/Drive/Burn: Economical American Compacts From 1982

Our recent Rare Rides coverage of the Chevrolet Citation made one thing very clear: We need more Citation content. Today’s 1982 Buy/Drive/Burn lineup was suggested by commenter eng_alvarado90, who would like to see all of you struggle. Citation, Aries, Escort, all in their most utilitarian formats. Let’s go.

Chevrolet Citation

The Citation is in its third model year for 1982, and sales have already fallen far from their initial peak of 800,000. The bloom is off this rose, but GM is still on track for six-digit sales this year. Sticking firmly to economy and utility, today’s Citation is a five-door hatchback equipped with the 2.5-liter Iron Duke inline-four and paired to a four-speed manual. Throttle-body injection is new this year and means 90 horses are underfoot. There’s also a new horizontal slats grille.

Dodge Aries K

The Dodge Aries is still new and is in its second model year for 1982. Chrysler started out strong last year with over 300,000 sales, and will likely reach that number again in ’82. Today’s Aries is the four-door wagon, as Chrysler does not offer a hatchback K-car at this level. Underhood is the base 2.2-liter Chrysler inline-four, which uses a two-barrel carb. Eighty-four horses are at the driver’s command, shifted through a four-speed manual. New this year: rear windows roll down on sedans and wagons, replacing the fixed glass.

Ford Escort

Ford’s Escort is also in its second model year for 1982. The American market Escort was supposed to be very similar to the European one for parts sharing purposes. However the respective design teams each headed their own direction, and the two cars share only an engine and transmission. Today’s five-door Escort hatchback is new for ’82, along with a new grille and presence of the familiar Ford Blue Oval. The base 1.6-liter CVH engine gets a high output version this year, which increases power by about 10 horses, to 80. Power is delivered to the front via a four-speed Ford MTX manual.

Economy and cheap driving are available to you, and they’ll probably hold up for at least three years before falling apart. Which gets the Buy?

[Images: GM, Chrysler, Ford]

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A Dodge Viper Limo Is The Last Thing You’d Expect to See on Ebay

A Dodge Viper Limo Is The Last Thing You'd Expect to See on Ebay - image 1012288

A Dodge Viper Limo Is The Last Thing You'd Expect to See on Ebay - image 1012288

Many cars and SUVs are stretched into Limo’s, to ponder through the streets of Vegas or Beverly Hills in L.A. But did you know there was a there was a one-of-a-kind Dodge Viper limousine for sale on eBay?

The Dodge Viper is a modern-day American icon. The first generation was tasked with establishing itself as the Shelby Cobra’s spiritual heir. Its main selling point is the purity – and rawness – of its performance, which is powered by a gigantic 8-liter V10, free of any driving aids. Officially, the Dodge Viper was only available as a roadster called the Viper RT/10 or as a coupe called the Viper GTS, both having an interior designed to seat only two people.

A Dodge Viper Limo Is The Last Thing You'd Expect to See on Ebay - image 1012287

A Dodge Viper Limo Is The Last Thing You'd Expect to See on Ebay - image 1012287

This one-of-a-kind limousine variation seen here, which was for sale on eBay, is not from the Dodge catalog. Viewed from up front and even the rear, the car appears to be like just any other Viper.

However, looking at it from the side reveals that it is nearly 8 meters long. The designers preserved the original roll cage while adding a nearly identical one behind the two front seats.

The low-quality images, put up by the seller, suggests that the vehicle does not have rear doors. Apart from that, the car hasn’t undergone any mechanical alterations, except for lengthening the driveshaft to now reaching the distant rear axle.

A Dodge Viper Limo Is The Last Thing You'd Expect to See on Ebay - image 1012285

A Dodge Viper Limo Is The Last Thing You'd Expect to See on Ebay - image 1012285

The 8.0-liter V-10 engine produces 415 horsepower and is mated to a six-speed manual transmission. The Viper Limo can carry up to 12 people and is an excellent choice for making a dramatic entrance on your wedding day, with its white livery accented with blue stripes, a tribute to the 25th-anniversary edition.

This particular example was manufactured in 1996 and has only 5,900 miles on the clock. The Limo was put up for sale in early July for $285,000, but no offers were received. The entry price of the eBay auction was reduced to $135,000 in August.

Source: Ebay