Gen II Challenger 1978 - 1983

[elie]

Originally Posted by 6SPD4ME

Actually, here is the "original" Dodge Challenger from 1958 ... It was a one year "Limited Edition" model.


Attachment 55322 Attachment 55323


It was "Officially" called the 1958 Dodge "Silver" Challenger. Hopefully this one could carry 5 adults very comfortly.

Is there any car still in existence?
It would be indeed interesting to see higher resolution pictures.

[pdx.challenger]

Originally Posted by 6SPD4ME

Actually, here is the "original" Dodge Challenger from 1958 ... It was a one year "Limited Edition" model.

.....

It was "Officially" called the 1958 Dodge "Silver" Challenger. Hopefully this one could carry 5 adults very comfortly.

I posted those pictures in another thread. I own the original photographs, which I purchased from a retired Chrysler employee.

[ranmont]

Originally Posted by GSMC

Awesome rides!! Put these new ones to shame.

Those were the days when Chrysler was in cahoots with Mitsubishi....they sold a model that looked just like it...I think it was the "Sapporo"...lol

You'll love the Dodge Chargers of that era too....

I maybe wrong but I though is was a mitsubishi galant.


Sent from my iPod touch using AG Free

[Redliner]

Originally Posted by Yellow Jacket 2012

I remember the Plymouth Sapporo but not that version of the Challenger, it is like the Mustang II a car that ruins the image of a nameplate.
If your dog Fido dies, you let the name rest in peace and don't name the next dog Fido as well. Chances are excellent the next dog won't be just like the last one.

The "nameplate" Mustang wouldn't exist at all if it hadn't been the result of Lee Iacoca and his incredible sucess story of the Mustang II. It was the exact right car for the right time. Only the sales of the initial 65 Mustang were higher and barely at that. yes, it does not have the glamour and body styling of the early Mustangs but it had many of it's own triumphs. The best close ratio power steering for decades and what modern rack and pinion steering is based off of. If you had ever driven a HP'd up version (like mine with over 400HP) you would agree to it's amazing cornering ability. I went to college with Jay Bittle (of JBA fame) and he asked me to drive my car. We were in the Texas A&M Sports Car Club together at the time and he had just finished sprucinng up his recent find of the 427SOHC Shelby GT500 that he still has. He flipped me the keys and I flipped him mine. He drove mine but I DID NOT drive his. I could not replace that car of his if something went wrong but he could definitely replace mine. When he finished driving it around the course at Texas World Speedway (Road Course and 3 of the high banks), he said that he will never laugh at one of them again. He said he went around turns twice as fast as he could in the Shelby! He also said it was the loudest car out there with the headers uncapped. The potential in those cars was there, it was just untapped. I tapped it. so..........I'm sticking up for the car on a few fronts that MOST people are still unaware of. Peace.

[pdx.challenger]

Originally Posted by ranmont

I maybe wrong but I though is was a mitsubishi galant.

"1978–1984 — This rear-wheel drive hardtop coupé was based on the third generation Galant. In Japan it was sold as the "Galant/Eterna Lambda", while European and South American export markets received it with the "Sapporo" label. It received a thorough facelift in 1980. This car was also sold as both the Plymouth Sapporo and Dodge Challenger in North America and as the Colt Sapporo in the United Kingdom."


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Sapporo

[Jobbob]

Most of the abominations that came out of Detroit (via Japan or Europe) were the result of the over reaction of the buying market towards $1 per gallon gas. I remember folks dumping their Caddy's, Buick's, and Muscle cars for Pinto's, VW's, LeCar's, anything with a 6 or 4 cylinder engine. People really freaked out when gas hit $1. They thought it was the end of times. Hence the 2nd gen Challenger.

[gregrandolph]

I remember that car and several others of the time, those were some bad times for American performance. My father had a 72 Torino with the 351 Cleveland at that time and gas started going up, so he traded it for a Mustang when the fox bodys came out in 79, while it did not have the v-8 growl of the Torino, it did handle well. A freind of mine had a Challenger like that, he swapped in a 360, and had a pretty hot street car at the time, later he traded it for a Shelby Charger, and we gave him a hard time for getting a 4 banger until he started out running us all. So glad that today we can have the best of everthing with these cars.