Custom Prowlers are cool

"OPPOsaurus WRX" (opposaurus)
08/13/2020 at 21:59 • Filed to: None

I’m blaming this rabbit hole on SmugAardvark. I love the Prowler, but.... well its not all sunshine and roses in here.

Screenshot: the internets

DISCUSSION (16)

BaconSandwich is tasty. > OPPOsaurus WRX
08/13/2020 at 22:24

I wonder how much booze was consumed in coming up with some of those modifications.

That first one you posted - not bad, though.

SmugAardvark > OPPOsaurus WRX
08/13/2020 at 22:29

Happy to help!

Kinja'd!!!

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > OPPOsaurus WRX
08/13/2020 at 22:31

The Prowler was such a brave swing, an d such a narrow miss. If they’d just stuck a V8 in there ( and handed you a spanner to take your own mudguards and bumpers off) It could have been a legend.

I’ll have that lime green one, thanks. Provided v8.

sony1492 > OPPOsaurus WRX
08/13/2020 at 22:32

Full fender, hardtop, and the limo are the only acceptable variants

ranwhenparked > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
08/13/2020 at 22:39

Chrysler’s only V8 at the time was the Magnum, and the 3.5 V6 actually made more power than that, while also being a good deal lighter.

ClassicDatsunDebate > OPPOsaurus WRX
08/13/2020 at 22:41

Fake news :)

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > ranwhenparked
08/13/2020 at 22:50

It’s still the root cause of the miss though: V6+hotrod=fail.

Certainly they’d have had a better cha n ce (and I gues s would probably have taken it) if they’d had a decent V8 available to them, but even the Magnum would have been a better bet IMHO - lots more torque and whoofly V8 noises beats a few pounds and a few HP in this application.

ranwhenparked > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
08/13/2020 at 23:03

The 8 might have been only 3 less hp, but it was a lot heavier - the power/weight ratio would have been worse, and the heavy cast iron lump in the front of an otherwise pretty light car would have killed the handling . An extra 110 lb/ft of torque would have been noticeable, but the Prowler still did 0-60 in less than 6 seconds, which was pretty quick for the era. Not Corvette numbers, but respectable.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > ranwhenparked
08/13/2020 at 23:20

All of which is true, but IMHO would have been dwa rfed by the fact that it’d sound right. It’s not li ke anybody was buying one of these for their real-world utility: they sold on t he romance.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > OPPOsaurus WRX
08/13/2020 at 23:25

What’s the point when you can get new 33 Ford etc... bodies and put whatever engine in it you want or restomod it if you like that. It would be a much better car in every way.

ranwhenparked > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
08/13/2020 at 23:30

Yeah, but Chrysler was also big on making it kind of a technical project. They wanted it to showcase their latest and greatest technology, serve as a proof of concept for their new aluminum bonding process, and generally be a well engineered, well packaged car. Hacking in a big old fashioned engine would have been in keeping with the spirit of garage built hot rods of the ‘50s and ‘60s, but that wasn’t what it was about. The ethos of the car was the contrast between the retro looks and the modern ‘90s engineering underneath, the styling was supposed to attract people’s attention, and once their attention was had, Chrysler wanted them to look at everything else.

phenotyp > OPPOsaurus WRX
08/13/2020 at 23:45

That green one is actually Chip Foose’s Hemisfear, the real version of the car he did at Art Center that pretty much inspired the Prowler. Plus it’s mid-engined.

Kinja'd!!!

Tapas > OPPOsaurus WRX
08/14/2020 at 00:02

Many hit, but man s more hellcat misses! Lol

Some one should Hellcat swap one of these.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > ranwhenparked
08/14/2020 at 00:06

And in that sense, it worked. Got them lo ts of attention and positive press, and in conju nc tion with other things they were up to at the time, b uilt a strong impression that they were reinventing themselves - I was worki ng in the industry in Europe at the time and I know that’s how they were perc ei ved in the late 90s. Shame they b le w it...

In the sense of actually shifting the product itself tho ugh: bad call. I still hold that a Prowler with even a shitty V8 would have been a much more commercially successful car. And I’m not sure that it would have had a noticeabl y worse impact on flogging Neons (or whatever crap they we re actually making money off back then).

ranwhenparked > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
08/14/2020 at 01:02

Daimler blew it. They should have accepted Kirk Kerkorian’s buyout offer, but Bob Eaton didn't want to step aside for Lee Iacocca's return. Lot of innovative stuff going on there at the time, including that plastic bodied car for the developing world

OmerCarrothers333 > ranwhenparked
08/15/2020 at 18:53

TL;DR it was supposed to be a halo car for their technologies and new manufacturing techniques