Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]

Announcements (Updated: July 11, 2018)

Welcome to Swifty's Garage!


Thanks to all of you for making this board what it is today!


Attention new members: We would like to welcome you personally, so please introduce yourself. Click here: INTRODUCTIONS


For all the latest news and announcements, please click here: PA System



Thank you - The Swifty's Garage Team




This board is best viewed at 1024 x 768 Resolution

Car of the Week:


Matchbox 1968 Ford F-100


Click Here: Matchbox '68 Ford F-100
Welcome to Swifty's Garage. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.

Thank You,
The Swifty's Garage Team


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features.

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Car of the Day : August 9, 2014; MotorMax '83 Dodge Diplomat
Topic Started: Aug 9 2014, 03:09 AM (877 Views)
Dean-o-mite
Member Avatar
Muscle Car

Posted Image


Today's car of the day is Motor Max's 1983 Dodge Diplomat.


Posted Image


Wikipedia
 
The Dodge Diplomat is an American mid-size car made from 1977 to 1989. It is essentially identical to the Plymouth Gran Fury in the U.S. market and the Plymouth Caravelle in Canada. It was also sold in Mexico between 1981 and 1982 as the Dodge Dart, and in Colombia as the Dodge Coronet. The Diplomat was initially offered in a coupe and sedan. In 1978, station wagons were added as replacements for the departed full-size C-body Wagons. The 1980 model year brought new exterior sheet metal for the Diplomat, although wagons were unchanged, from the doors back. Manual transmissions were dropped. Following the demise of the Dodge St. Regis R-body in 1981, the Diplomat remained, becoming the largest sedan in the Dodge lineup, despite technically being a mid-size car.



Posted Image


For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Dodge Diplomat


Posted Image


Posted Image


Up until the Motor Max Fresh Cherries casting, the Dodge Diplomat (and Chrysler Town & Country wagon) were high on my most-wanted-in-small-scale wishlist. Although I always guessed that if we ever got a Diplomat, it would be as a police cruiser, I am thankful for the 2 civilian versions Motor Max got to market before shutting down the Fresh Cherries/American Graffiti premium 1/64 line. I am sure that had the line continued, we would have seen various police agencies used on the Diplomat casting, like Motor Max did with their 1/25 scale version, and I am disappointed that we never got to see any 1/64 police versions materialize. Hard to believe that when these were new, less than $3 got us a metal base, soft tires, model-specific wheels and separate lighting pieces.


Posted Image


Wikipedia
 
By 1981, Chrysler was switching to smaller front-wheel drive designs. However, its older and larger rear-wheel drive Dodge Diplomat (as well as the Chrysler LeBaron and Fifth Avenue) continued to sell. Chrysler's then executive vice president for manufacturing, Steve Sharf, met with officials at American Motors (AMC) to use the extra capacity at an assembly plant in Kenosha, Wisconsin to build the full-size cars. Chrysler's tooling was moved from St. Louis to Kenosha, and over the next two and a half years, about 250,000 Chrysler and Dodge models were built by AMC at a lower cost than Chrysler could. This relationship evolved into Chrysler's purchase of AMC in 1987. As the 1980s progressed, fewer private customers purchased the Diplomat, and the M-body was eventually dropped during the 1989 model year. One reason behind the drop-off in sales was fuel economy. Despite lower gas prices in the mid- to late-1980s, the Diplomat's carburated engine and lack of an overdrive gear on its TorqueFlite automatic transmission resulted in poor fuel economy compared with its larger competitors from Ford and General Motors. Late in the Diplomat's run, the car was subject to the federal "Gas Guzzler Tax."



Posted Image


Posted Image


Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Snowowl
Minivan
I was extremely happy when Motor Max came out with this and I looked for the blue one since at the time I drove a 1-1 in blue only mine was the 1988 Grand Fury.

Funny story about my 1-1 I needed a new rim and looked in salvage yards and no one had one so I decided to go to the Dodge dealer. I told the parts guy I needed a rim (gave the size) rear wheel drive 1988 car He told me that there were no real wheel drive cars made by dodge in 88 and that I had to be mistaken on the year. I pulled out my registration and said to him "It said 1988 on the ne owner title I have and the State agrees it's an 88 so I guess you're not the expert parts guy you think you are now are you." He got made and walked off. I finally decided to ask for a rim from one of the van Dodge made during the time.
Edited by Snowowl, Aug 9 2014, 06:06 AM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
pjedsel
Member Avatar
Muscle Car
This was part of a wonderful series of cars from Motor Max - nice, everyday drivers that kids and adults saw on the streets. It is to bad the series disappeared so soon.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
ivantt
Member Avatar
New casting? Quick! Take it apart!
I would only change the wheel size on this one, to something a bit smaller. It would sit lower and look more realistic.
Cars like this have limited success as diecasts because the car is from an era most younger people have not seen one, or remember one. It doesn't have the broader appeal of a "muscle car," which doesn't seem to be affected by age. Whenever I see a casting like this, I buy as many as I can find, knowing it may not last very long due to limited appeal.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · Car Of The Day · Next Topic »
Add Reply



March's Picture of The Month Contest



Congratulations DinoMom for winning March's contest!



April's Picture of The Month Contest



Congratulations carsdownunder for winning April's contest!






Powered By

This board is best viewed at 1024 x 768 Resolution


eXTReMe Tracker