My Lemon

I do like those Magnum wagons. But Chrysler... In 1977 I bought this '72 Vega that looked great for $1200. Later found it burned a quart of oil every 25-50 or so miles after I bought it. Soon the suspension bottomed out in dips. Fun to drive and looked good, but reminds me where Fiat Chrysler is now. Went to a '73 Super Beetle after that.
 
I'm really not trying to be a jerk, but I wouldn't put a penny into anything with the 2.7 in it (or most any other Chrysler product of that era for that matter). They are GARBAGE. I'd unload it for whatever you can get out of it before you get into it any deeper.
Yeh, same here I would never consider any Chrysler product. Where I live they started using Dodge Chargers for police cruisers three years ago. They are switching back to Ford because the cars are unreliable and the repair bills are bleeding the P.D. dry. I hope yours will stop giving you headaches good luck.
 
wow...I had great luck with my used purchases..I don't remember the mileages, but they were high...

1974 Opel Manta
1974 Chevy Impala 2 dr..quite rare.
1983 Dodge Diplomat Police Car.
2 1980's Renault Fuego...Best results!
Renault Alliance
Merkur XR4Ti...Excellent!
1970something mercury Grand Marquis with 464
1989 Ford Bronco

But my best cars were 2 Ford Contours...one with 4 cyl manual and the 6 cylinder SE with manual...
 
That's a cool list of cars, I'll try to the best of my recollection and somewhat in order, my first car was a....

69 307 Chevelle
1970 307 Nova
77 Ford County Squire
Datsun B210
59 Ford 292 F150 ?
Datsun 280 Z
Can't remember the year, Ford Econoline van, with the pickup bed.
International 4X4 can't remember the year. Maybe 74
69 SS 396 Chevelle
1970 440 Charger
Ford 50's galaxie, one of my favorites.
1970 44 dual quad super bee, sold it to a sailor for $1,500
1968 455 Olds 442 (stolen)
1970 350 Olds Cutlass Supreme
1978 K10 4X4
77 Jeep Grand Cherokee
78 454 Long Bed 4x4 K10
78 403 T-Top trans am
77 Turbo Trans am...this was a big favorite of mine, bought from grandma type for $800 in showroom condition, good friend totaled it. Not so good after.
2000 4 cylinder Hyundai Sonata
2005 3.5 HO Dodge Magnum
1/2 owner 1970 383 stroked Nova, tubbed, roll cage...etc. split cost with BIL. Just sold it.
1978 350 4X4 K10 Short-bed
2003 V-6 Toyota 4 runner
Current Cars,
1990 V-6 4X4 Toyota
2008 C-Class Mercedes Wagon, I'm not sure of the Engine, only gets serviced at dealership.
2005 2.7 POS Dodge Magnum

I'm sure I'm forgetting a few, looking at the list I guess you can tell I'm an old school guy. I've found another 77 Turbo trans am sitting in the weeds at a house not far from me, looks to be all original and exactly like the one I had, white, t-tops, Turbo rims and hood. I've discussed it with the wife about making a possible offer, you know door knocking with cash in hand. This one I'd like to do a full resto and keep.
 
Worst vehicle I ever owned was a 1994 Dodge Caravan. Bought the short version with a 3.0 V6 and standard transmission, it had 30K on it. At 40K the first transmission went. We owned the van for 10 years and through that time put two transmissions and rebuilt the motor twice. I think in the end we had about 230K on it. That van cost me more to run than any other rig I have ever owned. Will never own a Dodge/Chrysler product again.

Currently have a 2015 Chevy Cruze for the wife we bought for $15K new. At the 40K mark now and not done anything but standard maintenance. Its a great car for being an inexpensive sedan. Been very pleased with the purchase. Its one of the few Chevy we have owned, and am quite happy with the build quality. This is the first new car we have bought, but there is something to be said for doing that and keeping it for 7 to 10 years. If you can drive it with minimal maintenance costs, then it may very well be cheaper to run over the long time period.

You must not like your best friend very much to sell him that wagon. LOL.

Regards
Mister Pig
 
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I always thought those Magnum wagons looked cool! The 2.7 does have it's problem's, 5 speed auto is not great either, along with front end problems from reading the forums back in 2012 when my Father was looking for a good second hand RWD car. He liked the 300 , but after reading the issues with the front end and trans. I told him to look at the Cadillac CTS, after which he found a 2008 fairly low KM one off lease loaded for much less than half the price of a new one at it's loaded too! He has had zero problems so far , but hasn't driven it a lot.

Since the Magnum is such a cool bod I would resto mod it to be better. All the RWD based Chrysler/Dodge cars of this series are based on the E class Mercedes Benz chassis so they are a nice solid car. Maybe buy a cheap hoist so you can do the work and put in a new drive train. Maybe do the LS swap as they can be had for low $, and are very reliable. People are putting them in everything and of course you hook it up with the right GM trans in which there are now many to choose from. Maybe better quality front end parts can be found to help that problem. It would be a project all right , but at least you don't have rust issues like here.

Seriously I bet you could do it as you were talking about changing the trans yourself. Just need a welder (good smaller MIG of close to 180A) and you can swap in a different engine as long as it has smog for that year or later. Electrical/electronics would be time consuming , but doable if you read the forms/mags.


The above is what I would want to do if it was mine and I had some spare $ 's to play with! You should be able to swap in a later 6 sp auto if you want to try that and hopefully that 2.7 will be okay. It has issues with sludging up , but if it had regular oil changes you should be okay once you solved the leaking oil issues.

RWD fan!
 
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I wish they still made tge Magnum. Maybe if the new Regal wagon is a hit, other manufacturers will bring back wagons. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ While Id rather have an SS for its bland looks, the Charger Scat Pack and Hellcat are kind of cool. (Not the Challenger though, hate the aesthetic). If I had to buy a car today it would be another subcompact. I'm hoping though that full size performance cars stay with us into the future and don't get canceled in favor of soulless crossovers and douchey trucks.
 
Damn that's dedication Mr Pig, my other buddy has the Cruze, agree it's a nice car he's had the same reliable experience and runs that car pretty hard to both AZ and Utah, I've driven it a few times. I've tried a few times to buy that car back, Johnboy refuses to sell it back to me. He runs it from Vegas to Vallejo/Napa constantly and has had 0 issues, that Magnum is solid.

Shadowdog, good info. Ya know if this was a Hemi all wheel drive I'd consider really getting into it but being a run of the mill I just dont have the interest, I'm going to blow it up after we get a few bucks out of it. Now yesterday at pic a part they just put out a 2006 with the 3.5 HO, it's only had a few parts removed but man it's got a Beatiful red metallic paint job, straight as an arrow, upgraded dash and interior, man it's nice. I'd consider it, shame to see it there.

I do like the looks of the Magnum, but after all the reading I've done this is undoubtedly the last Dodge/Chrysler product I'll own.

Now for a little fun, I had to go this morning because the trans guy called again and wants to isolate the cooler, I agreed so for an extra $150 were going that route. Then things got heated because I told him to run some silicone sealant around the dipstick tube because of the known leakage issue while the tranny is out.

Then what do I notice, he's got a pair of JBL Century L100's mounted on opposite walls in the shop, they are coated with at least a 1/4 inch of dirt-dust. No grills, and you can barely read the model. Should I make him an offer....LOL.
 
I don't think they are that bad with the other engines! Are you a skier, or is the traction that much better when you have AWD with a Hemi! Maybe you could get that 2006 as a parts care for reasonable $ , but maybe look a the later trans or even converting to a STD trans as they are available in the Challenger so it could be done! I rode in a few 300 and the Charger (a boss used to rent then when he came from the US) and they sure are solid feeling on the rough roads!

A friend has that 3.5 in a second hand 96 or 97 Intrepid with lots of KM's , probably close to the miles on yours and it runs great ( no oil use etc) with synthetic oil. He had to replace the crank sensor and is rebuilding the front end. He likes the car as it is easy on gas , though it is rusting through towards the back on the rockers and rear quarter panels. I like RWD based as they are more balanced in handling and easier to work on, plus much less to wear on the front end.
 
At 40K the first transmission went.

"First" transmission. You had me at that.

FWIW the Magnum wagon is a looker IMO. It should be a perfect in-between sort of vehicle. My experience with Chrysler started and ended with a Dakota pickup. I do not really think one manufacturer is significantly better than any other nowadays, but some specific models are... To be avoided.
 
Back when these were new I rented one for a business trip from PA to VA. Had to pull over to fix a windshield seal that was coming off (WTF) and had a problem shifting when I got off the highway. Had to trade for another car in VA to get home. All with less than 1,000 on the clock.

Sorry bout your pain. I thought they looked cool and had som real power.
 
Only Cheesler product I have ever owned was a 1988 Dodge Dakota. 3.9 V6, 3 speed auto. I got it with around 80K on it, and I owned it for 6 months. When it started randomly shutting off I started thinking of dumping it. It died 3x backing out of my grandmom's driveway and I traded it the next day for the 1996 S10 that I still have. That was in 2001.

The Dodge was basically forced on me by my mother who insisted I needed a more reliable vehicle when the engine in the 73 Super Beetle blew up. I wanted to just stick my spare engine in and go on with my life. I disliked that truck so much that I did end up putting the engine in the VW and I put more miles on it than the Dodge because I could afford the fuel and I trusted it more. I also didn't hate driving it. The Dodge handled horribly, had lousy power, and it ate a lot of fuel. No AC either, the Beetle at least had wing vents.
 
About 14 years ago I bought a used Plymouth. It was great. It only had 35k miles on it but they fixed it up pretty well. It was old when I bought it. A 1969 car. The mileage was terrible, about 7 miles a gallon. My mechanic kept telling me not to "step on it" so much. I thought to myself, this must be like that joke where the doctor tells you "don't do that" when you tell him "it hurts when I do this".

Well I kept it for 12 years because i liked how it sounded but recently sold it because some guy REALLY wanted it... I don't know why someone would want such an old clunker... here's a picture of it

Roadruner-1969-blue-383-auto-81.jpg
 
That I'd drive. 383?

Mostly its Chrysler of the K-car era and after that I have no desire for. I love their marine engines, and I'd drive many of their offerings from the mid 70s and earlier.
 
Worst vehicle I ever owned was a 1994 Dodge Caravan. Bought the short version with a 3.0 V6 and standard transmission, it had 30K on it. At 40K the first transmission went. We owned the van for 10 years and through that time put two transmissions and rebuilt the motor twice. I think in the end we had about 230K on it. That van cost me more to run than any other rig I have ever owned. Will never own a Dodge/Chrysler product again.

Currently have a 2015 Chevy Cruze for the wife we bought for $15K new. At the 40K mark now and not done anything but standard maintenance. Its a great car for being an inexpensive sedan. Been very pleased with the purchase. Its one of the few Chevy we have owned, and am quite happy with the build quality. This is the first new car we have bought, but there is something to be said for doing that and keeping it for 7 to 10 years. If you can drive it with minimal maintenance costs, then it may very well be cheaper to run over the long time period.

You must not like your best friend very much to sell him that wagon. LOL.

Regards
Mister Pig

For a small car, and basic transportation, the Cruze I think is very decent, and the first competitive modern small car with a Chevy nameplate on it. People seem to drive them with few issues, it has a nice interior, and well thought out. When either Mom's 2002 Saturn L series wears out, or my 1999 Ford Taurus Wagon does the same, Mom and I will likely be looking at some kind of wagon or van. We have my wheelchair, and accessibility will be very important. My chair needs to easily go in the back of whatever we drive without breaking it down.
 
That I'd drive. 383?

Mostly its Chrysler of the K-car era and after that I have no desire for. I love their marine engines, and I'd drive many of their offerings from the mid 70s and earlier.

383 automatic on the floor. Some had a column mount auto, like my first one, which was less cool. That's a random pic but exactly like my first RR which had the white interior. The one I recently sold had a blue gut. White top though.

No more room for a fun car since the mead making had taken over.

With few exceptions, Chrysler was making the most uninspiring shitboxes I've ever seen through the 80's and 90's. The Viper and Prowler being notable exceptions and many of us forget the unexplained popularity of the PT Cruiser when it first came out. I guess the sedan delivery look inspired everyone that wanted a Chevy Sedan Delivery or something. It has not aged well. :) Although sometimes I see one that's been modded to look pretty cool.
 
I'm sure I'm forgetting a few, looking at the list I guess you can tell I'm an old school guy. I've found another 77 Turbo trans am sitting in the weeds at a house not far from me, looks to be all original and exactly like the one I had, white, t-tops, Turbo rims and hood. I've discussed it with the wife about making a possible offer, you know door knocking with cash in hand. This one I'd like to do a full resto and keep.

I think you mean 1980-81 Turbo Trans Am. I had one and I would love to have it back as long as I could remove the engine and resto-mod it with a modern LS motor. That wheezy lump of iron could barely get out of it's own way, but what a cool car it was!
 
It could have very well been, I'm horrible at remembering dates and names. I liked mine, the swept hood scoop with the 3 Turbo lights was my favorite thing, it did take a few for the Turbo to spool up but when it did you could feel it. If I take a shot at the one not far from me I'd keep it all original but that's preference. I get the LS swap but my speed demon days are over. I hate to say but I'm just a law abiding citizen nowdays...LOL.

That's a good looking classic there, kinda like the K10 I traded for the 4x4 Toyota. 10 mpg with a good tailwind. I think it got better mileage when I had a trailer behind it. I'm thrilled with the Toyota though, gets great mileage and with the new clutch man it's nice.

I should be picking up the Magnum today, total $1950 for the tranny rebuild and new cooler. Enjoying reading everyone's posts. Thank you for sharing.
 
Yeh, Mopar was awesome before the K car era, I had a 1972 Duster 318 and the Hurst factory shifter and manual tranny. Power to weight ratio that car could fly and remember no smog crap until 1974.
 
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