Mustang Blog Category: Dodge

A Mustang convertible owner decided to customize his SN-95 Mustang with a front clip from a new Dodge Charger.  The end result looks pretty clean with a photochop type look unfortunately it's no fake it's the real deal.  Other features include Lambo doors, custom wheels and a DVD/Audio system.  Check out the photos below.

A Mustang convertible owner decided to customize his SN-95 Mustang with a front clip from a new Dodge Charger.  The end result looks pretty clean with a photochop type look unfortunately it's no fake it's the real deal.  Other features include Lambo doors, custom wheels and a DVD/Audio system.  Check out the photos below. Read More

The 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 makes it's official debut today at the Chicago Auto Show and with it begins a new era of muscle car wars.  The 2008 Challenger will be powered by the SRT8 6.1L HEMI V8 producing 425 horsepower and 420 lb. ft of torque.  Dodge is only producing 6,400 models for 2008 in three colors, all with automatic trans.

Over on our sister site ChallengerBlog.com we have posted all the official information about the 2008 Challenger along with a ton of photos of the exterior, interior and engine bay.  Check out what the competion has to offer and let me know what you think. The 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 makes it's official debut today at the Chicago Auto Show and with it begins a new era of muscle car wars.  The 2008 Challenger will be powered by the SRT8 6.1L HEMI V8 producing 425 horsepower and 420 lb. ft of torque.  Dodge is only producing 6,400 models for 2008 in three colors, all with automatic trans. Over on our sister site ChallengerBlog.com we have posted all the official information about the 2008 Challenger along with a ton of photos of the exterior, interior and engine bay.  Check out what the competion has to offer and let me know what you think. Read More

A list of 25 movies including 'Bullitt' have been added to the National Film Registry's list which now contains some 475 movies.  The 'Bullitt' movie was selected by the Librarian of Congress to be preserved for all of time.  Movies added to the list are chosen for their artistic character, historical significance or their reflection of both the good and bad sides of American culture and the film 'Bullitt' did just that.  The historic scene from the movie was a car chase that lasted 11 minutes through the streets of San Francisco between Lt. Frank Bullitt's (Steve McQeeen) Ford Mustang and a Dodge Charger.  The historical significance of... A list of 25 movies including 'Bullitt' have been added to the National Film Registry's list which now contains some 475 movies.  The 'Bullitt' movie was selected by the Librarian of Congress to be preserved for all of time.  Movies added to the list are chosen for their artistic character, historical significance or their reflection of both the good and bad sides of American culture and the film 'Bullitt' did just that.  The historic scene from the movie was a car chase that lasted 11 minutes through the streets of San Francisco between Lt. Frank Bullitt's (Steve McQeeen) Ford Mustang and a Dodge Charger.  The historical significance of this film was brought about by British director Peter Yates who decided to shoot the film in San Francisco rather then Los Angeles or New York City which eventually turned the Bay area into a prime location for future movie shoots. Other movies included in the 25 are 'Back To The Future', 'Dances With Wolves', '12 Angry Men' and the musical 'Oklahoma'. Source: hollywoodreporter.com Read More

If you did not read our previous post about Shelby and Unique Performance I will give you the real quick lowdown.  Carroll Shelby's licensing branch made it public they were severing ties with Unique Performance who builds continuation Shelby vehicles because of numerous complaints and lawsuits filed by customers who have put down deposits and have yet to recieve their car.

Little was known about this situation at the time only that Shelby was cutting loose from Unique but more details are coming out in another article by Automotive News.  In the article Carroll Shelby explained that Unique has taken millions of dollars in deposits from... If you did not read our previous post about Shelby and Unique Performance I will give you the real quick lowdown.  Carroll Shelby's licensing branch made it public they were severing ties with Unique Performance who builds continuation Shelby vehicles because of numerous complaints and lawsuits filed by customers who have put down deposits and have yet to recieve their car. Little was known about this situation at the time only that Shelby was cutting loose from Unique but more details are coming out in another article by Automotive News.  In the article Carroll Shelby explained that Unique has taken millions of dollars in deposits from customers who have been waiting for two years for their cars.  These customers have filed lawsuits wanting their hefty deposits back only to be met with a NO from Unique who says customers will get their cars.  Also in the article CEO of Unique Performance Doug Hasty fires back saying Shelby Autos is to blame for production woes because of faulty 427FE engines that were supplied dating back to August of 2005.  These engine problems have caused workers to stop production of the continuation cars for customers so they can fix the ones already in use.  According to the article twenty-eight of the 43 Shelby Super Snakes produced prior to August 2006 had engine issues that led them to overheating and/or mechanical failure.  Shelby dismisses this claim and said he knew nothing of the engine problem till recently. It seems like a he said she said war of words and the only real losers in this situation are the customers who have yet to receive their cars or get their deposits back.  After the jump read the rest of the article with specific customer complaints and decide for yourself who is to blame for the production woes. Article:  Plagued by lawsuits, an angry Carroll Shelby says he will cancel a licensing agreement with a company that has fallen far behind on customer orders for vintage Shelby Mustangs. The 84-year-old sports car hero says the company, Unique Performance Inc., has taken millions of dollars in deposits for cars bearing his name. But some customers have been waiting for more than two years for their vehicles, and several have filed lawsuits. At least 10 customers have sued Unique Performance. And Shelby Automobiles Inc. also has been named as a defendant in suits. "We've been sued by numerous people," Carroll Shelby told Automotive News. "We cannot continue to accept excuses." Shelby is engaged in a war of words with Douglas Hasty, Unique Performance's CEO, who says Shelby's operations are mostly to blame for the problem. Hasty says faulty engines supplied by Shelby Automobiles contributed to the production delays. Since 2002, Unique Performance has partnered with Shelby to re-engineer and refurbish 1960s vintage Shelby Mustangs that range in price from just under $100,000 to more than $200,000. Customers complain that Unique, headquartered near Dallas, has taken nearly $7 million in deposits but has a backlog of 50 to 60 orders going back to 2005. Hasty admits to the problems but points a finger at the Shelby camp. "Production delays with the vintage vehicle lines stem back to problems with Shelby 427FE engines supplied by our vendor dating back to August 2005," Hasty wrote in an e-mail to Automotive News. Overheated He said engines in the Shelby Super Snake, a special performance version of the Mustang GT500, were plagued by overheating that in some cases caused them to fail. Hasty wrote that the problems have been "resolved" but put his company behind schedule. "Twenty-eight of the 42 Shelby Super Snakes produced prior to August 2006 experienced engine issues that led to overheating and/or mechanical failure," he wrote. "Resources required for addressing the Shelby engine issues led to production delays to all vintage models." Shelby angrily dismisses Hasty's claims. He says he became aware of the engine problems only recently. "The fact that (Hasty) hasn't delivered the cars has nothing to do with the engines," Shelby says. Hasty "accepted the engines and never said one word to me (about the engines) until a couple of weeks ago. These engines have nothing to do with people waiting two to three years for their cars." One suit, filed in Texas on Sept. 18 by Alan Cummins, alleges that he bought a defective Super Snake in August 2004 from Unique for $188,300 and that the company has neither repaired the vehicle nor returned the plaintiff's money. Cummins' suit states that Carroll Shelby may be added as a defendant because he endorses the vehicles. An April 20 suit filed in Texas by Keith and Kevin Rafferty against Shelby and Unique says that their vehicles, which cost $136,000 each, are more than a year late. The plaintiffs say they have paid deposits of nearly $130,000 for each car. A Sept. 4 lawsuit against Unique by Robert Garner claims that Garner agreed in May 2005 to buy a $189,000 Super Snake and has made two deposits totaling $141,750. Garner says he has no car and says Unique has refused to return his deposits. In addition to the Shelby vehicles, Unique manufactures vehicles designed by famed car customizer Chip Foose, including a reproduction 1969 Chevy Camaro, a 1970 Dodge Challenger and a Foose Stallion based on the current Mustang. Hasty says Unique has 106 vintage vehicles in various stages of production — 80 Shelbys and 26 Foose vehicles. 106 vehicles ordered Hasty would not say how much he has taken in deposits for undelivered vehicles. But he says all of the money is being used to produce the 106 vehicles on order. "Traditionally, production of vintage vehicles averaged 12 months from start to delivery," Hasty wrote. "However, because of the issues with Shelby 427FE engines, Unique's timetable for production of vintage vehicles has doubled to as much as 24 months during the past year while the engine issues were resolved to the company's high quality standards and complete customer satisfaction." Hasty says that since 2003, Unique has delivered 119 vehicles, mostly Shelbys. He says that two were delivered at the end of September and that the company is on schedule to deliver another 13 cars before the end of the year. Of the 10 customers that Hasty says have sued his company, he says three cases have been settled and seven are being addressed. Source: Automotive News Read More

It seems like Saleen's brand is more prominent then ever with a role in the Summer blockbuster 'Transformers via an S281 Extreme and a recent appearance on HBO's hit show 'Entourage' via a Twin Turbo S7.  The S281 Extreme is by far the most impressive aftermarket Mustang to date cranking out 550 horsepower but that title can only last for so long as Saleen is replacing the S281 Extreme with a 2008 Saleen S302 Extreme model pumping out 600 plus horsepower.  The S302 Extreme will have a very similar 302 cubic-inch motor to that of the limited-edition Parnelli Jones model with an added twist, a supercharger will be added to the S302 to make... It seems like Saleen's brand is more prominent then ever with a role in the Summer blockbuster 'Transformers via an S281 Extreme and a recent appearance on HBO's hit show 'Entourage' via a Twin Turbo S7.  The S281 Extreme is by far the most impressive aftermarket Mustang to date cranking out 550 horsepower but that title can only last for so long as Saleen is replacing the S281 Extreme with a 2008 Saleen S302 Extreme model pumping out 600 plus horsepower.  The S302 Extreme will have a very similar 302 cubic-inch motor to that of the limited-edition Parnelli Jones model with an added twist, a supercharger will be added to the S302 to make the 600 plus ponies.  As for more information about the 2008 S302 Saleen is keeping us at bay until late Summer rolls around when they will releae specs, photos and more info on it.  I have added a few photos after the jump along with the informal press release about the S302 Extreme.   Press Release: (Saleen.com) The cars are the stars in DreamWorks' new hit movie "Transformers," and the Saleen S281 Extreme is receiving rave reviews as everyone's favorite bad guy. Appearing in various scenes, the Extreme – disguised as a deceptive police car code-named "Barricade" –pursues lead character Sam Witwicky, played by Shia Labeouf, and ultimately battles his "Autobot" protector, a 1976 Chevrolet Camaro named "Bumblebee." Saleen delivered multiple S281 Extremes to the "Transformers" set for filming, but none were equipped with the new Saleen supercharged 302 cubic-inch engine of the soon to be released 2008 model. Debuting in late-summer 2007, the new Extreme is expected to set a new benchmark for performance vehicles in its class. Designed by the same engineering team as the Saleen S7, the new Extreme will be the first vehicle to deliver true super car performance in a production sports car. "Fans of the movie can see the Extreme police car on display at The Saleen Store in Irvine, California," said Mike Simmons, chief marketing and sales officer of Saleen Inc. "What's even more exciting is they can actually purchase the production model from their local Saleen certified dealership, without the police badging and vicious alter-ego, of course.  The 2008 Extreme is a limited production vehicle of only 200 units and a waiting list is already starting. However, we have two more attainable S281 models that have the same body style as the "Barricade" car. They might not destroy 'Autobots' as easily, but they are plenty fast and fun to drive." About the 2008 Saleen S302 Extreme As the headliner of Saleen's "S" model line, the 2008 S302 Extreme will boast a redesigned and supercharged version of the company's highly acclaimed and potent 302 engine introduced in 2007. Although official specifications are still under wraps, the new powerplant will produce well in excess of 600 horsepower. This new Extreme model will replace the current 550 horsepower model. The S281/S302 model line also includes the 335 horsepower S281 3-Valve, as well as the 465 horsepower S281 Supercharged. All three S281/S302 vehicles share like styling cues, but each maintains its own personality, driving dynamics and performance elements. Exact specifications and performance ratings for the new 2008 S302 Extreme will be released at the time of the launch in late summer 2007. As true with all Saleen vehicles, the 2008 Extreme will be fully certified to meet federal safety and emissions standards. Individuals can go to www.saleen.com/transformers.htm to find more information regarding Saleen's involvement in "Transformers" and learn about the Saleen Extreme and other Saleen models. Saleen Vehicles in Major Films and Television "Bruce Almighty" Saleen S7 2003 "Hollywood Homicide" Saleen S281 SC 2003 "2 Fast 2 Furious" Saleen S281 SC 2003  "The Bachelor" Saleen S7 and S281 SC 2007 "Red Line" Saleen S7 Twin Turbo 2007 "Transformers" Saleen S281 Extreme 2007 "Entourage" Saleen S7 Twin Turbo 2007 ABOUT SALEEN Since the company's inception in 1984, Saleen has produced over 12,000 complete and EPA-certified vehicles, more than any other specialty automobile manufacturer. In addition, Saleen has equipped more than 600,000 vehicles worldwide, further emphasizing their capabilities and commitment to excellence. A nine-time Manufacturers' Champion in GT sports car racing, Saleen manufactures the American supercar - the Saleen S7, as well as the S281 Mustang, S331 Sport Truck and the Saleen/Parnelli Jones Limited Edition Mustang. Saleen also supports OEM partner niche vehicle initiatives including projects such as the Ford GT, Supercharged Harley-Davidson Edition F-150 and the Dodge Viper program. Saleen's manufacturing facilities are located in Irvine, California and Troy, Michigan. Read More

*** UPDATE ***

According to AutoBlog.com, Ford got wind of the news and contacted Brad Pitt's management and according to them they have no knowledge of Brad playing Steve McQueen in a Bullitt remake.  I guess this was just a rumor started by Monsters and Critics.  It sounded good when I read the news, oh well, just goes to show you can't believe everything you read on the net.  ****
The 'Bullitt' movie made famous by it's wild chase scene with legendary Hollywood actor Steve McQueen driving a highland green 1968 390 GT Fastback Mustang is being remade with Brad Pitt starring as Lt. Frank Bullitt. The movie has been in development since... *** UPDATE *** According to AutoBlog.com, Ford got wind of the news and contacted Brad Pitt's management and according to them they have no knowledge of Brad playing Steve McQueen in a Bullitt remake.  I guess this was just a rumor started by Monsters and Critics.  It sounded good when I read the news, oh well, just goes to show you can't believe everything you read on the net.  **** The 'Bullitt' movie made famous by it's wild chase scene with legendary Hollywood actor Steve McQueen driving a highland green 1968 390 GT Fastback Mustang is being remade with Brad Pitt starring as Lt. Frank Bullitt. The movie has been in development since 2003 but has recently been greelighted for production. It could be a coincedence or not but in 2008 is when a new Bullitt Mustang will be introduced. I would bet anything he will be driving a 2008 Bullitt in the movie through the streets of San Francisco chasing a new Dodge Charger like in the original. No word has been given as to when filming will begin or who his other co-stars will be but I would guess they will be some top notch actors. In the original Bullitt movie Steve McQueen plays to rough tough detective who is on the hunt for a hitman who killed his fellow officers. The movie is best known for it's car chase scene through the streets of San Francisco. Source: MonstersandCritics.com Read More