My last thread.
 

I can't think of a soul that was more excited about the new Challenger than I was. Every January or February we have a new car show in Houston and over the past 3 years I have attended and expected to see a new Challenger. I can't believe the 4th largest city in the USA couldn't get a Challenger at the new car show.

Finally I got to see one, ran 2 red lights and made 20 miles in Houston traffic in 15 minutes.

I absolutely loved the car, except for the hood decals.

I had every intention of buying a new SRT8. I also started a thread about if the SRT8 is worth 11K more than the R/T.

I had Challenger in my blood.

Things change. Even though I was going for a 2009 (unnumbered) the salesmen at two different dealerships were still talking MSRP. No way!

Recently GM had the Employee pricing and it occured to me that I could get a Vette for almost the same money as a Challenger. Since we don't have any kids, and have another family car, the lack of a back seat is a non item.

I loved my GTO. Raced at the track over 200 runs and when I sold it, she was still a very solid car. The LS series engine is a work of art, so I am comfortable with the GM high performance products. I know the 6.1 hemi is also a work of art, but I have never owned one.

I went to the Chevy dealership and we searched for a Vette.........had to be a LT2, automatic (wife has diabetes and sometimes has trouble with her feet, so a manual is out), and had to be a Cherry Red, Blue, or Black. A search didn't find any or if they did, the dealership with the car would not trade for another car. I felt bummed.

The manager told me he would sell me a 2009 at 500 over invoice. So if you take the car I ordered it is a 2009 automatic with package LT2, about candy apple red color, special exhaust, and a 2.73 gear. The price was about 4K more expensive than a SRT8 at MSRP.

Before anybody thinks I am one of 'those' Vette guys, think again. I am a blue color type of guy, but I just want the Vette as I figure I am getting more bang for the buck with the Vette. Had I been able to get a SRT8 for a couple thousand less than MSRP, I probably would have done that, but I wasn't ever offered that option.

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Vettes are great cars. Please join their forum. Bye.

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Best of luck Old_Goat!

I think just the simple fact that the muscle car crowd is back, and competition is growing is a great thing. If you are in Chevys best, I trust us SRT8's and the Viper will remind you what might have been every now and then.

After 20+ years in Alaska I learned one thing about certain cars in the winter...
On a cold and quite night in Alaska you can hear those Fords and Chevys rust :-Þ

MOPAR or NO Car!

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hey colorancher show some respect. I am sorry to hear that you chose a vette but the pricing is great and performance wise and you have no use for the backseats I think it is a great choice. Hope you stick around and still join us in discussions. Good luck post some pics up when you get it!

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I think a certain few of us have mopar running through our blood. Others have a GM thing going on... dont ask me... to me they are just another car. Mopar is art and engineering at its finest in my ever so humble opinion... ;)

I am personally firmly planted in the Mopar camp. Wouldnt even consider a Vette over a Challenger... just cant even get there in my mind.

You sound as though you have had a good relationship with the GM products and that is your passion. Go with it. Sounds like it is probably a good decision for you.

Wouldnt work for me though... for me it is also... MOPAR or NO CAR... :D

Although... I am fine with Harleys too... ;)

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Hey I got respect. I like the Camarao and the Vette. What I dont't like is someone claiming an advantage with no no data or informtion. If they want to rant, please go to another forum....

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Colorancher, I think you are missing the point of what Old_Goat was shaing. It is a difficult decision and Old_Goat was sharing that with this forum - thinking perhaps falsely that there would be people here that cared and understood the visceral feeling of losing a (car) family. Your comments prove the point we still have a long way to go to appreciate all people's decisions.

Old_Goat, I know it had to be a tough decision. I have been hanging on by a thread with Chrysler too. They are repeatedly demonstrating they either do not want to, or can't work with their loyal customers. When they build allocation cars before sold (customer) units, they are slapping those loyalists in the face. The smack wakes us up to the fact there are other great cars out there.

Hey, if I could afford a new high end Vette, I would get one too. I love the color choices as well as the new engines.

Stick around, enjoy the commisserating here.

09_Challenger_6.1_6spd

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Very well put, Cuda.

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I was going to buy a zo6, but the challenger was the best choice i have made in life up to this point!

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I've had vette's and they are great cars, but I couldn't resist getting a MOPAR muscle car when the opportunity came along. Bottom line is you need to get what you like, and a new vette is a good choice. Enjoy and congrats.

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i too would not bye a vett over a challenger!!!! unless it was a 67 split back!!!! vynle

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I guess i'm a little slow, what is a vette and a chally being cross shopped for? I thought you had to have gold chains, hairy chest shirt unbuttoned down to navel to be in that market. Kidding aside, my wife has only one input regarding my cars and that is there will be no vettes in our garage. :D

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If anybody had told me a month ago that a Vette would be in my future, I would have laughed in their face.

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Vettes are great cars - I've owned several. Early last month I had the opportunity to buy one at invoice AND zero percent financing. But I've had several, so it was kind of a been there, done that kind of deal for me. No doubt - a lot of car for a fantastic deal. But I chose the Challenger just for the fun of having a musclecar again, plus not seeing a copy at every stop light is a plus.

Patience is a virtue in getting the deal you want. Have fun in the Vette!

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Was at a Vette show couple weeks ago...mostly stuck up fat people...too cool for there own good....never go again...LOL

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Old Goat, good luck with your new Vette.

I always wanted a Vette and briefly considered getting one. However, when I saw photos of the Challenger concept and the 2008 Challenger SRT at the Philadelphia Auto Show in February, I knew that was the car for me.

My order for an SRT went in on May 16 and, as a few weeks ago, I was STILL in BX status. I will check with Customer Service on Monday and hopefully will see some movement. My dealer previously advised me that I was #3 in line.

The long wait really gets hard when I drive past my local Chevy dealer and see all of those shiney new Vettes parked out front. I think that I could be driving one this Fall instead of waiting for a winter delivery of a Challenger.

However, Vetts are fairly common and I will be getting something truly unique.
As the old saying goes, "good things come to those who wait." ;)

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llOd Goat sounds like your doing whats best for you. Im going to keep on waiting for my Challenger enjoy your car thats what its all about

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In my neck of the woods, having a vette is an old guys car because they are usually the rich ones. So that is one reason I would not get one.

That being said, I love the look of the ZR1 and Z06 but just too expensive for me.

I owned a Challenger before and I will own one again.

Old Goat, keep safe in Pasadena......I know Ike was real bad today. I have a lot of friends and family in Houston and won't have electricity
for a couple of weeks.

Enjoy your Vette.

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nothing wrong with the vette....if the challenger vert is a no go i will most likely try to find and old beater vert of some type...with what ford dealers have done with adm's on the gt500 ($140K for the 500KR as an example)i doubt i ever walk into a ford dealership again....so we will see how bad dodge dealers try to stick an adm on the chally vert and if it gets stupid i just wont go back to that dealer..GM for all its faults does have employee pricing..my brother just bought 2 new silverados due alone to employee pricing...

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Hey Old Goat I feel you all the way brother... Im kinda in the same boat but with a C5 drop-top or an R/T sun-roof...[&:] Im no rich guy either... hard ass worker sous-chef and bust ass... but for all the reasons you guy's rag on Vette's is almost part of the reason I want one... besides the bang for buck... Im only 23 not rich don't make an exorbent amount of money... but I can afford one with the right sellar and car... Im a tall slender guy... with no jewlery... just a pretty girl-friend;)... so congrats...
Ohh to someone else's post... If I could get one for 0% you might see me in one[:-]... Buddy of mine just bought a new GMC Seirra 4x4 lifted brand new and got 0% on it... Same guy I was talking about with the Glasspacks.... He's trying to get me to buy a an LS2 Goat matter fact...
But I do have the Mopar in my blood and I do love the Hemi.. Or semi-Hemi whatever... and the Challenger is kinda timeless... ughh decsicions decsicions...

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Old_Goat, good for you! I considered a Vette but this old body just doesnt work well getting into and out of one. I have owned several in the past and lov'em. I seriously considered the new Camaro as I also had one of those (gen1) and it was a sweet car. However after seeing one in real life at the car show I couldnt bear to drive such a butt ugly car. I was however, totally sold on the Challenger. Had plenty of Chrysler products but no Challengers. this will be my first and last as I intend to keep it until the end.

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vetts are nice as hell but not when your 6"5.

:(

RE: My last thread.
 

You know, the really troubling thing about this whole thread is that here, Dodge dealers had a man who very much wanted to buy one of their products. Although their competitors are offering a similar product (yeah, yeah, I know there are LOTS of differences between a Challenger and a Vette, but at the end of the day, they are both sports cars) at a reduced price, those Dodge dealers would rather LOSE A CUSTOMER than give up 1 cent of profit.

It's like several weeks ago, I stopped into San Antonio's North Star Dodge to check out their Challengers (they had four 08 SRTs and one 09 SE). They wanted an extra $6K for the SE (I have no idea how much extra they wanted for the SRTs). I offered MSRP for the SE on the spot (I even had my checkbook with me and could have done it, all $24K at once). No deal. The lowest they would go was "maybe" $3K over. Now everybody here knows that in real life, NOBODY even pays MSRP for a car, unless they are a total fool or the car is EXTREMELY popular. There is lots of profit for dealers in MSRP alone, yet those bozos wanted to hold people up for even more than that. Naturally, I declined their unkind offer, since I already had an SE on order.

Yesterday, out of curiosity, I searched the local Dodge dealers' inventory and saw where North Star Dodge still has all four of its SRTs, the SE that I saw and another SE. I wonder how many folks like Old Goat have stopped in there, saw that they were going to be fleeced and went on their merry way and bought a car somewhere else. Now, those cars are just sitting on the North Star lot.

You would think that as bad as the economy is (look at the monthly stats on car sales) and how shaky the situation at Chrysler is, that Dodge dealers everywhere would be trying to sell as many Challengers as they possibly could since it is THEIR ONLY POPULAR CAR. Even at a grand or two under MSRP, they are STILL GOING TO MAKE MONEY and possibly make a customer for life. If anything kills off Chrysler, it is going to be the greed factor that drives away customers.


Edit: I showed this to my wife and she pointed out that at the time we were there, North Star had FIVE SRTs listed online. She is right, so they have sold ONE in four or five weeks. We only saw three of the cars, though: Two blacks and an orange. The unseen ones were silver. Either the silver ones were going so fast that we could not see them or they were in the shop being worked on because someone did too many burnouts with them. ;)

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^ it is the truth...

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Hey OldGoat, hope you enjoy your new Vette. I completely understand your frustration. I respect your decision. I wish I had the willpower to cancel my order, but Dodge just did too good a job on the design of this car. After all this time spent waiting, to back out now would feel like I let them win. For me its a battle to the death, or delivery, whichever comes first.

[sm=signs003.gif]

RE: My last thread.
 

just like roswell said ... many dealers are marking up every model which is driving tons of people away.

i'm sure if they were at msrp challengers would be everywhere but there are still dealers marking up the 08's 10k and the r/t 6k espically here in miami although I think 73chally made a good deal on his ? But yeah I understand its' sad when so many people are willing to give them 20 , 30 and 40k and there just turning them down ...


vettes are hot!~!!!! good choice goat

again just not when ur 6'5

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I love my new Challenger...had a 70 in high school, so maybe reliving a bygone time in my life. Almost purchased a vette myself a couple of times.....nice cars. My wife and I actually looked at a few, in the past, but she didn't like the seating postion. If it was up to me, I would go with one of the older models, but that's just me. Have owned several GMs in the past few years, including a 9 3 Saab Conv. and an H-3 Hummer. I have driver other models, but nothing really in the GM line gets my blood going. Enjoy your vette....... The new Challenger is the first Mopar I have really wanted in years, so I had to go with it. Dodge did it right this time.

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Have to agree with BLK on this point. The last car GM did right (besides the Vette) was the new Monte Carlo. There is a blue SS running around Wiesbaden with the Jeff Gordon race livery and yellow-lettered Goodyears. Not exactly Retro, but still a sweet looking ride.

Edit: Couldnt get the pics to load, so giving links to one on Flickr instead.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/buglugs/2085585483/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/buglugs/2085585361/

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Goodbye Old Goat. May you drive your 'Vette like a Young Goat. :)

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Good luck with vette former vette owner c3 c4 c5

now have 3 kids need a family car :) 2009 SRT 8 on order

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Roswell Grey gets it!

Sorry to bump this old thread, but there is a reason.

Basically I was giving Dodge another chance at my money, a final attempt before real money is paid for the Vette.

Yesterday I went by my local Dodge dealership (Alvin, TX) and finally saw a white R/T and it was a very good looking car. Very good looking, the dark windows and window area was great when mixed in with the white color.........the contrast is what I am talking about. So the manager pulled up local auto R/T's blue color. Hardly any, and chances are the local dealer would not swap cars. The drive out cost for this auto R/T was right at 40,000.

I got to take a good test drive around the neighborhood, even do some performance driving, which was very cool. The performance was OK, about what a Mustang GT would do, however the Mustang will never look this good.

Now this is where it gets 'interesting'.

The manager could not guarantee me a car, even if special ordering it. Per him (and he showed me the screen and he comes off as a stand up guy) their dealership will only get in a very few R/T's and SRT8's. Basically even if I had one built he could not guarantee me delivery. What kind of crap is this? I am doing everything I can to keep the Challenger in my future, and Dodge keeps blowing any chances at my business.

He would sell me a R/T at MSRP, but not a SRT8.

As I mentioned earlier, I am getting the Vette at 500 over invoice, so I have a loaded out Vette (2LT, exhaust, auto, gear) at 48200 drive out versus a R/T at 40,000 drive out, versus a SRT8 at about 46000 drive out. I have no kids, only the wife and myself, so the lack of a back seat is a moot point. The insurance for the SRT8 and Vette is within 10 bucks of each other, per month.

Any bad feelings I have had about not getting a Challenger was put to rest yesterday. When a man can't sit down and special order a car and be guaranteed delivery, especially early in the model year, something is very wrong. Thanks to the fact I work for an electric utility company, and Ike just let me earn more money than I could have ever imagined (8300 take home for two weeks of 16 hour days 7 days a week), putting down a large deposit or down payment wasn't a problem.

At the end of the day I don't feel sorry for myself. I feel sorry for the Dodge salespeople that are ready to ship out cars, but don't have them to ship out. In a few months all the Challenger fever could very well turn into Camaro fever, as these cars are in the same market.

Dodge did 75% great with the Challenger, but they lost 25% when cars aren't available, nor could be guaranteed if ordered, basically Dodge lacked the strength to close the deal.

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Deciding between a brawn new Vette or a brawn new Challenger ... life could be worse !!!!!!

lol good luck and let us know.

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Yo Goat!!!
I just stopped by by my dodge dealer today actually... and they had a White R/T also it had everything but the 20inch rims... it had the 18's and the decal kit that goes down the side one like ANDRE has on here where it staggers off...
Price was 33k and change so where ever you went they are screwing you bad man... I really like white now after seeing it in person too. I've always loved Any Car in the Color Black (YOU KNOW HOW IT'S FASTER AND ALL;)) but now im thinking I could go with either one.
The only thing about the white that i'd change is the spoiler I'd have to get a black one to accent it.. I don't like how it's the same color as the car, seems to clash too much. And definatly the 20inch rims... but for 33k I could definatly do that I was thinking hard today...

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Sorry about the re-post but bro you need to do some more shopping... Im here in North Florida, I don't know where you live, but man....[&:]

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Kris,

I forget were you in St aug?

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I live in the Houston area.

Here is the blue R/T auto, fully loaded that I had mentioned in a prior post. http://www.springcjd.com/newdodge.as...oryId=25706650 So if they sell it for 38,536.50, the cost drive out is over 40,000. Just not worth it, IMHO.

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Vettes come with an LT2? I thought they put the LS3 in the new ones?

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Yep im an "Auggie Doggy"[8D]...
South on A1A close to Crescent Beach...

RE: My last thread.
 

I ordered a white R/T in early July for MSRP and it was built & delivered to the dealer within 6 weeks (too bad the delivery guy backed it into a pole!).

I reordered a white R/T on Sept 15 this time for MSRP - $1000 and it was built last Thursday (less than a month), it was put on a truck @ Brampton on Thurs and it is due at my dealer this Tuesday.

So I don't know who you're dealing with out there, but I've had 2 white R/Ts built for me in the past few months, 1 for MSRP and 1 for MSRP - $1000.

I think Dodge DOES have the cars for MSRP or UNDER, I just don't think YOU have a dealer! Before you give up totally on a Challenger, is there some other dealer out your way who you can give a try?

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The 2LT is a dress up package, and yes the Vette has a LS3.

I feel that the R/T linked to is still too overpriced, even at MSRP <1000. I would still rather have the SRT8 for the money differential. Just my humble opinion and not trying to start a flame war.