Dodge trying to shoehorn again.

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mopardrt

mopardrt

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Its really funny they say history repeats its self, and reading this bit of news just screams blast from the past. This is about NEW Dodge Darts so all of you guys that want to bash and hate on current Mopars, you can just not post.

First time around the engineers were trying to shoehorn Big Blocks into 69 darts.

Now 44 years later the engineers are at it once again trying to shoehorn one of 3 V6s that Chrysler offers and to top it all off, possibly trying to shoehorn a 3.6 litter V6 into the Dart. I have read nothing but really good things about the 3.6 V6 pentastar engines. With the 3.6 capable of 305hp, I think the engineers should break out the hammers and start beating firewalls and inner fenders in. :D

http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/2013/11/v6-rescue-for-dart
 
Let's see if the bean-counters kill that idea. To me, that's the rub nowadays.......every company is so aware of its profit margins etc., that it's hard to build something out of the ordinary and take a chance and maybe build a legend. You've gotta go out on a ledge sometimes and have a real leader who says "screw it, build it".

BTW, I think that's exactly what they did with the SRT-4.
 
I too like the 3.6 yet would like to see one in an early A Body, after all isn't this what this site is about... And I keep waiting
 
Joey, that would be an interesting swap.
 
mopardrt said:
Its really funny they say history repeats its self, and reading this bit of news just screams blast from the past. This is about NEW Dodge Darts so all of you guys that want to bash and hate on current Mopars, you can just not post.

First time around the engineers were trying to shoehorn Big Blocks into 69 darts.

Now 44 years later the engineers are at it once again trying to shoehorn one of 3 V6s that Chrysler offers and to top it all off, possibly trying to shoehorn a 3.6 litter V6 into the Dart. I have read nothing but really good things about the 3.6 V6 pentastar engines. With the 3.6 capable of 305hp, I think the engineers should break out the hammers and start beating firewalls and inner fenders in. :D

http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/2013/11/v6-rescue-for-dart
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Yes sir and get rid of 2 rear doors add 2 scoops and a wing,they could easily push the hp up to 400 mark and be a real contender,indeed...
 
I think they oughta try shoehorning a 6.1 Hemi in the Dart. Now that would be badass!
 
I remember when I say the first commercial for the "all new" dodge dart
all new?
their using a nameplate almost half a century old for crying out loud

the v-6 just might make up for that
 
Yeah, but every time that they squeeze something in that tight, you get something that is difficult and expensive to service/maintain. Sure it's fun with the bigger engine, but there are sacrifices...
 
so are the new dart sales that bad? it is a pretty forgettable car and sure doesn't stand out on the road.


i think a v-6 is a stupid idea. seems to me that most of the normal public when looking for a car that size is also looking for mpg. or its the ricer crowd and i just don't see the dart being all that appealing to that crowd either.

wonder what ever happened to the srt dart they were talking about when the dart first came out..
 
my wife's hardtop vert 200 has the pentastar v6 that averages 25mpg, it's our daily commuter. in the lighter dart the mpg would be higher for sure AND it would be pretty quick.
 
Pentastarnut said:
my wife's hardtop vert 200 has the pentastar v6 that averages 25mpg, it's our daily commuter. in the lighter dart the mpg would be higher for sure AND it would be pretty quick.
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25mpg sucks.. chrysler needs it to get 40mpg. they also need to make it appeal to someone. it sure doesn't appeal to the ricer crowd and going by how many i see on the road it doesn't appeal to the general public so well either. then with all the sales on the 200's and all at the time it was cheaper to get a bigger nicer car than it was to get a dart. and on top of it all the dart is just too forgettable once you get out of it. chrysler/fiat screwed the pooch yet again.
 
I just drove a 2012 Charger with a V6 in it. When I got home and look at my Valiant with the /5 in it, I kind of teared up a little bit.

I would love to see a new Dart with that engine in it. It would be a kick in the pants for sure.
 
I would love to see a new Dart with that engine in it. It would be a kick in the pants for sure.
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but would it sell? i doubt in high enough numbers to make it worth building.
 
1) a 3.6 swap would be cool

2) I'd rather have a potent turbo 4 in a new dart. Like a modern SRT4. Maybe they make one?
 
I had a man crush on those srt neons in the day, but never the coin to get one. Now I'd take a long hard look at a srt dart. I am a fan of what Ford has done with their EcoBoost line of engines.
 
MTmopars said:
I had a man crush on those srt neons in the day, but never the coin to get one. Now I'd take a long hard look at a srt dart.
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I bought a brand new SRT-4 in early '04.....they hadn't been out that long at all. Everybody was going ga-ga over it, wherever I went. It was so cool.....everybody in the know knew that it was concentrated bang-for-the-buck at $20K. At any rate, hard launches with the front wheel drive eventually got a little annoying....at least to me.

I really have to wonder if a V6 dart would bring car guys back into the showrooms in droves. I really doubt it. Bringing back an SRT-4 version of the dart might though......I dunno. Dropping in a V6 is just like dum-dum horsepower, a hot turbo 4 is much more exhilarating, with the boost gauge and all.
 
abodyjoe said:
25mpg sucks.. chrysler needs it to get 40mpg. they also need to make it appeal to someone. it sure doesn't appeal to the ricer crowd and going by how many i see on the road it doesn't appeal to the general public so well either. then with all the sales on the 200's and all at the time it was cheaper to get a bigger nicer car than it was to get a dart. and on top of it all the dart is just too forgettable once you get out of it. chrysler/fiat screwed the pooch yet again.
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You mean like waiting for ever to make the Megacab then canceling it OR never offering the Challenger in a convertible OR Canceling the new Barracuda.

As for shoe horning I consider 68 HEMI darts and cudas :burnout::burnout::burnout: the first.!!! though some would say 67 S 383 cuda.
 
If ther V6 ends up in it, it will be a 3.0 version of the Pentastar V6, not the bigger one.
To me, putting a V6 in it will be admitting that the dart was a failure.
Revive the SRT4 engine & now were talkin.
Fiat doesn't have a handle on whats good for Europe, may not be good for the America.
 
amoparacer said:
You mean like waiting for ever to make the Megacab then canceling it OR never offering the Challenger in a convertible OR Canceling the new Barracuda.

As for shoe horning I consider 68 HEMI darts and cudas :burnout::burnout::burnout: the first.!!! though some would say 67 S 383 cuda.
Click to expand...

Yes the HEMIs were first I was just throwing the 69 darts out as a reference.
A lot of the cancelled stuff has to do with all the financial trouble Chrysler had getting sold and needing a bail out. Had Chrysler not had all the money issues we would have seen quite a bit more radical and limit pushing cars in the showrooms. But when you have no money, taking risks on cars and trucks that you have no idea will make money its something you have to take into consideration.
 
mikedevore said:
If ther V6 ends up in it, it will be a 3.0 version of the Pentastar V6, not the bigger one.
To me, putting a V6 in it will be admitting that the dart was a failure.
Revive the SRT4 engine & now were talkin.
Fiat doesn't have a handle on whats good for Europe, may not be good for the America.
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Its not that the dart is a failure, the numbers are not where they wanted them, that's due in part to the rough roll out of automatic transmissions. Chrysler had a lot of people walk away and buy something else when there was no Autos available. All of the reviews I have read say the same thing, the Dart is a Good car its biggest disadvantage is the engines are underpowered and leave the drive wanting more. Coming out with a totally refreshed dart next year that would spell failure. Just changing up the engine choices is by far a failure.
 
abodyjoe said:
25mpg sucks.. chrysler needs it to get 40mpg. they also need to make it appeal to someone. it sure doesn't appeal to the ricer crowd and going by how many i see on the road it doesn't appeal to the general public so well either. then with all the sales on the 200's and all at the time it was cheaper to get a bigger nicer car than it was to get a dart. and on top of it all the dart is just too forgettable once you get out of it. chrysler/fiat screwed the pooch yet again.
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exactly...
 
abodyjoe said:
25mpg sucks.. chrysler needs it to get 40mpg. they also need to make it appeal to someone. it sure doesn't appeal to the ricer crowd and going by how many i see on the road it doesn't appeal to the general public so well either. then with all the sales on the 200's and all at the time it was cheaper to get a bigger nicer car than it was to get a dart. and on top of it all the dart is just too forgettable once you get out of it. chrysler/fiat screwed the pooch yet again.
Click to expand...

It manages to touch 30MPG in a 2-ton Charger!
 
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