Return to days gone by

[wingcar]

While talking last evening with some guys who have been in the Mopar hobby for a long time, they mentioned the following that I figured I would throw out there for comment, and or verification.

First off they are saying that Chrysler has discontinued  the 426 Hemi crate engines along with the blocks and heads, etc., so no more will be offered as it appears as if they have sold about all the mainstream market will bear.  In addition many of the repo body panels for the Charger and other older Mopars are likewise going away.   It appears as if most anything for the older Mopar with a Mopar part number, stocked by Mopar is going NS1.  One of the guys actually called the local Chrysler Parts departments and got the "sorry that part is NS1" for many of the parts they outlined.  This does not mean that a lot of the parts offered by outside vendors will go away, (if there is a market for them) just the parts that Chrysler is handling and stocking.  Chrysler will gladly continue to allow the use of their trademark on repo parts...for a fee of course.

Could it be that the vast majority of Mopars have been restored, and those of us with a project will need to go back to using "used" parts to complete our projects?   Could it be that many in the leadership roles at Chrysler already have their half dozen Hemi cars and want the value of them (a 401 investment) to go up?  I remember back in the day having to rundown parts before the aftermarket (and Chrysler) got involved in offering what we Mopar owners needed.  Are we seeing a return to those days?  Just food for thought................

[Ghoste]

Not a surprise to me really if its true.  They haven`t put a lot of money into Mopar Performance for some time now and with Fiat at the helm I`m sure the emphasis is on making money off of the current group of new car buyers and growing future ones with little to no mind paid to the dying greybeards.  My guess is that even heritage names like Charger and Dart could be on their last legs or at least for not one day longer than a marketing research group determines they have no meaning to the public.

[Cooter]

Wait what? So no more Hemi Cuda clones? No more really nice 383 convertible Challengers with crate Hemis?

Oh the glee....

[Mike DC]

  
I fail to see the impact if Mopar is bored with their old stuff.  We already get a lot more repro parts from other suppliers than we do from Mopar.  


If Mopar doesn't wanna make any more blocks & heads?  Then Indy & World & Dart & others will do it, like they already do.  

Granting licenses for reproduction parts?  It's literally free money - why would there be a discussion about whether or not they want to take it?

[Ghoste]

And the aftermarket is the place to go for crate Hemi`s anyway seeing as how Chrysler has had such poor results with doing them properly.

[Challenger340]

I dunno if it is true or not... but if it is, I say good riddance anyways... at least to the Mopar Crate Engines.

I do this for a living, so I've seen lots of the Mopar Crate stuff, and in my opinion only, the Mopar Crate Engines best "Value" in the marketplace, was as a very competitively priced "Bag of Parts" from which to purchase.... and then promptly(if you were smart anyways)... immediately DIS-ASSEMBLE and rework into something acceptable.
The ones I've seen;
No Torque Plate used, as soon as one was applied the holes were waaay out
Incorrect Bore finishes and crosshatch angles
Crappy Valve Guide clearance, good for about 16 miles, with equally poor matching lousy Valve jobs
Crankshafts & clearance all over the map
Forged Pistons advertised at 9.6:1 that were actually 8.2:1 as delivered/assembled
and on...
and on...
just piss poor .... but some of them did prove the old saying "Shit WILL Run", but for how long ?... or how well is anybody guess ?

If it is true ??... and they are being cancelled ??.... I am guessing here ?? I think that it may be because "whoever" was taking over management of the Crate Engine program(I had heard Ray Barton? or Mopar Engines West? or somebody or other ?), maybe forwarded back to Mopar what it was REALLY GOING TO COST moving forward, to hire decent people, bring up and MAINTAIN decent quality as a price point in the Market... and Mopar balked !

just my opinions, no wars wanted... if you already own one, no offense intended.

 

[1974dodgecharger]

Those bad crate engines was this before ray Barton taking over the hemi engines!