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Hello, my name is Russ and I am a gearhead. In other words, I am "into cars". If you feel sudden pang of disgust with that statement, consider yourself a gearhead-hater and stop reading now. Otherwise, read on.
Now I can't start talking about cars without going into incredible detail about the type of cars I drive. In general, I enjoy driving and tinkering with those wonderful 2.2L/2.5L turbocharged front wheel drive Chryslers, which I lovingly call "Mini-Mopars" for short. I managed to diverge from the P-body a bit, as my current daily driver is a 1986 Dodge Daytona Turbo Z C/S. The "C/S" stands for Carrol Shelby which, for the 1986 Daytonas, meant an additional handling package in addition to the fully-loaded "Turbo Z" package.
I found that I could not get to work and play with the car at the same time (most projects last longer than an evening or weekend). So, I found myself a project car. Surprise, surprise...it is a P-body...but a special one. This would be my 1987 Shelby CSX #694 of 750. I spent a frustrating year gutting and restoring parts of this car, but there is still work to be done. I learned a great deal from those trials and tribulations and the car is a blast to drive.
For a while it seemed that I had some kind of fixation on Chrysler's early (1987-1988) P-body. My former daily driver was a 1988 Dodge Shadow ES with "a few mods". Unfortunately, I had to retire her due to a fatal case paint peel and floorpan rust. It was a great car and if I ever encounter another, I'll have a tough time passing it up (as long as it doesn't have peeling paint).
Few people are aware of the relationship between Carroll Shelby and Chrysler. For a very detailed history of this relationship, take a look at Dempsey Bowling's Shelby-Dodge Historical Pages. To talk to people in the Shelby-Dodge and Chrysler Turbo community, try the Shelby-Dodge Mailing List or the forums at TurboDodge.com. There is also the FWD Mopar Performance Mailing List for performance and racing-oriented discussion.
I have taken much of my knowledge, as well as the knowledge of others, to create the Mini-Mopar Resources website. It is a never-ending project that covers troubleshooting, repairs, technical, and performance information. It also contains the infamous and controversial Oil Filter Study that I did. There are also a few other good sites for this kind of info. See the links below...
You would be amazed what these little engines can do. Take a look at the late Paul Smith's 12-second, 1989 Dodge Caravan. There is also Gary Donovan's 12-second 1989 Dodge Daytona Shelby and his 10-second 1985 Plymouth Reliant K "Relentless". These are but a few. I have been working on a custom calibration for both of my cars. It is a learning process, but you can find out more on my Automotive Electronics pages.
Of course, no car-related web page would be complete without some sort of pipe-dream. For me, this would have to be the DeLorean. I have gone in and out of that world several times, usually triggered by an encounter with one, or the possibility of owning one. The DeLorean scene is surprisingly livid, considering the company has been dead for 20 years. DeLorean cars are readily available for sale in varying condition. There are several vendors that still carry parts, including one that managed to get their hands on a warehouse of original DeLorean parts.
Since the DeLorean is an early 80's European car, it has it's share of design flaws. Apparently they didn't have any good Electrical Engineers over there back then, because the car has many electrical issues. Still, there are some very interesting aspects to the design of the car that continues to attract me. Who knows, some day....
Until then, Mini-Mopars are what I'm all about. My "next" car will probably be another one, since I really don't like most of the new cars out there right now. Now the SRT-4....
1986 Dodge Daytona Turbo Z C/S (11/06/06) - daily driver.
1987 Shelby CSX #694 (04/16/08) - down for engine repairs and a new clutch.
1988 Dodge Shadow ES (11/21/02) - gone.
My Other P-Bodies - some background on my P-body fixation (for the ultra-bored).
Mini-Mopar Resources - the project that will never end
The Chicagoland Shelby Dodge Automobile Club - a cool bunch of guys and gals from my area that get together for a monthly dose of bench racing and parking lot loitering.
The Shelby Dodge Automobile Club - an enthusiast club who's interest is the Shelby inspired Dodge cars of the mid and late '80s and the Shelby cars based on Dodge products
The Shelby Registry - a site that is trying to keep track of as many numbered Shelby Dodges as possible.
The Shelby Dodge Mailing List - dedicated to sharing information about Dodge vehicles there were inspired or enhanced by Carroll Shelby
Turbo-Mopar.com - free forums for turbo (and non-turbo) Mopar discussion.
ChryGuy - fellow SDAC-Chicagoland member Gerry Bertram.
Shelby/Dodge Opera - SDAC-Chicagoland member Steve Jepson.
Jeff Chojnacki - SDAC-Chicagoland member, home of the 12 second 1987 LeBaron 4-door.
Evan Fino - SDAC-Chicagoland member.
Paul Fosen - SDAC-Chicagoland member.
Turbo Dave - SDAC-Chicagoland member Dave Tekampe.
MM Racing - home of SDAC-Chicagoland members Alex Macevicius, Ian Macdonald, and Mike Skibbe.
Dempsey Bowling's Shelby-Dodge Historical Pages - everything you ever wanted to know about the relationship between Carroll Shelby and Chrysler.
Donovan's Dodge Garage - a neat site that contains some very useful 2.2L, 2.5L, and 3.0L performance tips
Disclaimer: Many of the projects described in these web pages use potentially dangerous voltages, materials, and components. The author assumes no liability for damages incurred through the use or misuse of the information provided herein. This information is provided "as is" and without warranties as to performance of or any other warranties whether expressed or implied. No warranty of fitness for a particular purpose is offered.
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Updated on 04/16/2008
Copyright © 1996-2008 Russ W. Knize