73Cuda340

hpjunky, I generally lurk, but I have to tell ya thank you for putting some logic and reality into it all. I have been reading everything I can get my eyes on. There really isn't much out there. But the people who know the most are under strict orders not to say anything, or, they simply really do not know. In either case we all have to sit on our hands and wait.

Personally, I hope Chrysler does it right - for the sake of their enthusiasts.

What I wrestle with most is whether to buy a low production number first year run Challenger R/T or to wait for the subsequent year when we will know more about the car and what we are buying. What if there isn't an SRT8 the first year, what if the Challenger R/T is a special run like the AAR 'Cuda? Too many questions. As a desirous fool, this is the biggest and hardest decision for me. For my 73 Cuda, I obviously waited, but this time??? I gotta tell ya, I am flumuxed and the delays are not helping my blood pressure. And, with the delays there is just way too much speculation flying around and quite frankly, (and unrealistically) I wish it would stop. We are just feeding the marketing engine of Chrysler, and like dolts, we are increasing the markup of the car that hasn't even been produced.

-Phil

WhiteHeat

I appreciate the inside info, hpjunky. I understand what you're saying, and it is a little disappointing that they appear to be behind schedule.

I'm still confident that they will have a production-model Challenger to show in February, but I never believed they'd be unveiled at the show weekend and available on the showroom floor that Monday morning.

Maybe they're planning to show the prototypes at the show. The ones we've seen spy photos of today. That would allow them to show the "real" car as opposed to the "concept" that has been at the shows for two years by then. The one they unveil may be the actual final design without being an actual production model. Does that make sense?

I thought the general public would be able to buy one maybe by April or so. You're saying August if we're lucky. That is disappointing. My question then is, why call it an '08 at all? I understand the half-year launches like the original '64 1/2 Mustangs. But if it's August or later why not call it an '09?

I don't see your posts as negative, I see them as informative. I have no inside information of my own and I welcome anything you can tell us from your perspective.

The idea of a delay doesn't bother me personally like it does many on this board, since I won't be financially ready to purchase 'til '09 anyway. I've been frequenting this board for months now primarily to see the first spy photos when they appeared. Now that I've seen them, I'm suprised at my mixed emotions. I want one worse than I thought I did!

Heat

Jeremiah 29:11

WhiteHeat....the Challenger passion is inside of you. Ride that Challenger passion.

GTO JUDGE

Being a former Dana/Mack Truck employee I can tell you final decisions and changes coming from engineering often are last minute and then the rush to to the production areas is like a mad dash to the finish line. I have seen it for over 20 years. It is never a smooth go, never. No matter how well planned something is there is always glitches in the system. It's just the way it is. Why? Hell if I know.

Meetings, constant changes, decisions that were made and then changed is a way of life in the processes. Before anything flies blue prints have to be finalized. Once they are finalized there are revisions. Then there are revisions to the revisions. I can tell you revisions can take a long time to be corrected. I have seen simple revisions take months to be corrected in print. As far off as this car was planned changes will be made until that car hits the production lines.

Assemblers build to what is called build sheets. These build sheets detail every part and the area of the car those parts go on. These parts are shown on the blue prints. Many times assemblers find errors between the two. Most of the time hold ups are in the Engineering aspects of the build.

I would bet final decisions will be last minute. I have seen it all too often. I can believe stampings and such are not forthcoming because final engineering decisions have not been made. You have to experience this to understand how the system works. An easy fix is often difficult to correct. So I would expect helter skelter on this car until the car is ready for assembly, even as the cars are being built they will be correcting glitches.

Jeremiah 29:11

Some people have kidded me about this about but this is one of the reasons I prefer a 2nd year model. I do not like engineering flaws and glitches running around in a Challenger.

Cuda340

Just saw this posted on another site from someone who appears to be "well-connected":

"Just received word that the SRT team will be updating the 6.1L SRT8 engine with MDS!! This is a feature that seemed like it would not make it to the SRT engines due to some technical stumbling blocks, but it looks like that has been overcome. I am not sure if the 6.1 MDS will make it to some of the 2008 models or if it will be held off until model year 2009. There is some indication that it is coming sooner than later...

In other engine news, there will be another new 6.1 variant that from what I saw is spec'd for the Challenger only. Neither MDS nor VCT was listed so I am not sure exactly what this is..."

It was also reported that the horsepower of the 6.1 will be increase from 425 to 435 hp, probably due to exhaust changes.

If this is correct, we may be able to avoid the $2,100 gas guzzler tax on this engine and the Challenger may become more affordable. I wonder if this means that the 2009 Challenger RT will be a 6.1 MDS and the SRT a 6.4 Hemi?

davecpa

I guess they will have to reset the count down clock due to day light savings time and then new installation of batteries... before you know it... it will be august. But i personally would want to wait for a well engineered automobile than one that was "rushed" to production. There are many new concept cars out there that when built will be close to $100K. I am willing to wait a few months for my challenger.

Cuda340

I have heard a strong rumor that Chrysler is still testing the MDS system for the 6.1 engine. It will not appear in it until 2010.

For anyone looking to save money and avoid the dreaded $2,100 gas guzzler tax in 2008 or 2009, this is bad news.

cncpt2prod!

If the car looks just like those spy pics,
and they keep the grill and tail just like the
concept, along with the interior ribbed seats and dash...
I will say...AMAZING!
Finally! What the heck have you guys been doing all these years?!
One manual 6.1L in B-5 blue, please!

Cuda340

This may be true, but I doubt if our posts will have that much effect. You have to remember that Chrysler intends to mass market this car. Everyone who posts on this web site is a rabid Challenger fan- however, we are the minority when it comes to the general buying public.