Note to Viewers: most people on cardomain have been nothing but supportive and shared their automotive enthusiasm with the rest of the crowd. but every so often i get insulting messages on my page because i have a k car and not the type of vehicle someone else has decided is the definitive expression of the automotive ideal. i have news for these people....the car world is constantly changing and just like the music industry these days.....what is considered hip today will be forgotten tomorrow. i enjoy vintage cars because they are quickly dissapearing from the streets and i like to be different and nostalgic (plus these cars are cheap to buy, build and maintain). having an inexpensive car allows me to be creative and spend what little money i have to build something unique and not just copy cat the next person. yes, a new lexus or bmw or whatever is a beautiful thing, but for me, choosing a car is like deciding between a blond, brunette or redhead.....they are all so wonderful that it finally comes down to personal tastes at that moment (kinda like Hugh Hefner). whatever the vehicle is...from a rusty old chevy truck to a spunky little econo car.....when i get a vehicle (car or motorcycle), the creative juices start flowing. i start researching with a vengence what mods can be done based on factory options that my vehicle didn't have, improvements with later years or models that are compatable and what is available in terms of aftermarket support. i like sleeper cars......vehicles that look like cherry stockers, but have all the latest and greatest hidden under the skin. it helps you keep a low profile and avoid cops and car thieves! but anyway.....if you don't have something positive to say or are atleast offering constructive criticism, be polite and don't waste my time. it has been my experience that people base opinions on what others have said and don't take the time to discover things for themselves and find their own path. this is the united states we live in and i'm proud to be driving my old derelict american cars. AMEN!!
interesting vintage poster:
Spring 2009:
bought a set of 16 inch rims locally for $100. they were previously on a 98 neon which shares the older fwd mopar 5x100mm bolt pattern. need to get a set of center caps for them. as for rubber...i have a set of 205-50-16's so the speedo won't be screwd up.
Update winter 2008: the old engine and trans are pulled. i broke the engine down into seperate parts and took the shortblock to my favorite (mopar) salvage yard.....Pete's Motor Parts on route 4 in Berwick, Maine. i like to donate junk metal to his srap pile and he gives me really good deals on parts.
I wanted these rims - Sport Editon 16" 5x100mm bolt pattern:
Update May 2008:
I sandblasted all the small chassis and brake pieces and painted them with zinc primer and topcoated with 900F black & red caliper paint. i had some yellow caliper paint too (VIP also carries gray and even purple) so i used it on the timing belt pulleys which i also sandblasted myself. the gray sections are the zinc primer...i didn't want the teeth to be too glossy (i.e. slippery). the knuckles got the zinc and black treatment too, but i didn't get a picture.
the front k member, control arms, rear beam axle and trailing arm shackles were professionally stripped and powdercoated with zinc and raven (semi-gloss) black. the idea is that nothing will get rusty on my car once it is back together. still waiting for the time to pull the old drivetrain, engine bay wiring, fuel tank and lines, etc.
a little something i found in the Dodge tent at Bike Week in Laconia, NH - June 2007
check out page 7 for pics from the 2007 Bonny Eagle car show in Buxton, Maine.
PARTS FOR SALE....see page 6!!!
Seeeee....Wagons ARE Cool!!! 
Say hello to Beautiful NICOLE J of the TEXAS SWIMSUIT TEAM!
She flashed this great smile when I met her at the World of Wheels custom car show at the Bayside Expo Center in Boston on Jan 7th, 2006! (see my other car's pages for more pics)
Yup....it's winter and I have no stinkin' garage to park my "LADIES" in!!!
Parents bought the car in Nov. '88 to replace an 81 Aries wagon 2.2 4spd. She had been a Florida lease car with 60k on the clock and now it reads 171k. It would be at 300, but she has been mostly off the road since fall of '99 due to a major accident and then tranny problems (from sitting 18 moths)after I rebuilt the whole front end. After 20 years in Maine, she needs some TLC and rust rehab but is structurally very good.
I plan to make her a good weather car (no serious snow or salt spray)!
For the day, this car was loaded with all the goodies and the 2.5 engine was fun. Some may think the lt. cream paint (w/ black trim) is an eyesore, but I think it makes the car stand out better and it gives it a soul. The color was the spark for the nickname "Ginger", which the car has been called since she joined the family. I certainly never have any trouble finding it in a parking lot. It's the next best thing to Corvette yellow, without being so IN YOUR FACE!!
I have added several personal touches and plan to majorly rework the car to give her better handling and performance. The drivetrain will benefit from newer factory tech and some quality improvements. The car will eventually have the handling prowess of much newer and sportier cars. I want this car to remain very stock appearing and no tacky add-ons will be considered.
This is not to be some cheasy ricer, but a clean little daily driver w/ sporty flavoring hidden under the skin.
stock:
mostly original paint, pwr locks
tilt column, cruise control, a/c
roof rack, rear wiper/washer, defrost
hd suspension, bumper overrides, side molding package, woodgrain delete option, original light cream paint, 6 person deluxe tan cloth, original digital tuner radio
the long-stroke version of the dodge 2.2
* the torquey 2.5L 4 cylinder *
"There's no replacement for displacement!"
MODS:
Sony 10 disc changer (under pass seat)
w/ fm modulator
splitfire dual core plug wires
jcwhitney glasspack style turbo muffler
VIP carbon fiber body fog lamps
FWD Performance stainless brake hoses
VIP small s.s. performance exhaust tip
81 Aries trailer hitch- powder coated & stainless hardware (including hitch ball bolt)
TRW Hef-T rear coils w/ Gabriel performance shocks
MODS IN PROGRESS:
87 Shelby Lancer front coils (-1.5 inches) w/ Gabriel struts
Mobil 1 tranny fluid
91 dynasty improved k frame & knuckles
all poly bushings from polybushings.com
shelby daytona 1-1/4" dia. sway bar
polybushings front (of car) motor mount and tranny mount
CS Racing heavy duty adjustable panhard (track) bar
Spirit R/T 11" 4 wheel vented disc
FWD-Performance stainless braided hoses
stainless hard brake lines
DOT 4+ synthetic brake fluid
ceramic brake pads
FUTURE MODS:
1990 Shelby Daytona 2.5L T1 engine
1989 Daytona 2.2L T2 rad/intercooler and plumbing
1989 Daytona 2.2L T2 Garret turbo (goodbye 88+ T1 mitsu turbo)
FWD Performance stainless braided turbo oil and coolant lines
1st gen Mitsubishi/Talon BOV
Turbos Unleashed 3" swing valve (stock 89 piece is 2-1/2")
FWD Performance stainless 3" exhaust for A body (spirit/acclaim)
reworked valve body - firm shifts
turbo spec hi-stall converter w/ lockup and torrington bearing
Peloquin LSD (custom fit for an A413 automatic)
premium quality stock size spkrs
Autometer "Z" 2-1/16" gauges:
tachometer
oil pressure
30psi boost/vacuum
exhaust gas temp (pyrometer)
I will be running the 15 inch SNOWFLAKE rims initially now that I've junking my 89 Spirit ES project. They will obviously clear the Spirit R/T 11" brakes, 'cause the 91 Spirit R/T had the same rims. Tires will be 205-60-15 which is slightly taller than the 195-60-15's that would be correct for this car. But the front tires are in good shape, and the rears are brand new BFGoodrich's!!
i also have a set of Firestone 205-50-16"s that are perfect size for the car, so i may pick up a set of daytona 16" pumpers (the shadow had 15" pumpers) or daytona iroc rt ninja rims so i can run them. those 17 inch tires are gonna cost a lot and i would use them chiefly for car shows (to show off my big brakes).
more pictures to come when i get my car a bit more finished. good thing "she's" not a woman, or I'd be in serious trouble for neglecting her. dang, if only i had more time and money...
the dynasty is long gone. engine and transmission are pulled and so is the front chassis. front brakes and master cylinder from that car were to go into my spirit es (check page 2 for link)as the wagon is going with even bigger brakes. some day i will have the money to get the transmission properly rebuilt and modded (check out T3 wagon in my links for the MASTER mechanic i want to have do the job). the other big chunk of change is restoring the body. i want to have it stripped and redone factory fresh. the poor car needs new rocker panels, some quarter panel repair and the floor properly welded instead of patched with pop rivets. was thinking about having the underbody coated with poly truck bed liner for noise absorption and water resistance. it would look like custom undercoating. have to find some extra cash and find a restoration shop qualified to handle my baby!
