Et - Pt-cruiser.nl

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Just ushat is Et ahout the €hrysler PT Cruiser
that appeals *o people? Whateuer it is if,s Breffi§
march eaught *he manufaeturer unawares, urith
demand totelly outstrippEng supply, both in the
§tates and o!íer her€. For the lucl«y ferr whs
haue mnamaged ts secure sne though, the
aÍtermanl«et has bcem working somc serisus
ouertifile. We ehee[« out just whafs auailable for
thËs '37 Ford witlr a waÍra!tt!...
Words by Kev E rrott
'37 Ford with a warranty eh? Well that's what some people are saying.
Sure it's Íront wheel drive, but then most cars are these days. We may
want our hobby cars to have the díÍÍ at the rear, but surely we can
Íorgive it on a daily driver? And wouldn't you rather your daily looked
like this than another nondescript box? Regular readers will know we
test drove a PT Cruiser back in August, and whilst we weren't too impressed with the
perÍormance, the overall package leÍt us wanting one, for it's combination oÍ versatility,
attention-getting looks and quirky-ness. The perÍormance can be improved, as we'll
see.
Even Top Gear's Jason Barlow begrudgingly admitted on the programme that though he
doesn't like American and retro vehicles, the PT was 'really quite good.'Though 's{ow despite
the 140hp engine'it was a'better driving experience than any MPV'lt seems the European
market has been somewhat shortchanged in the engine department too, as while we get a
140bhp 2.0litre motor, the Americans get their Cruisers with a 2.4litre 150bhp lump, Quite how
much of a difference the extra 1Ohp makes we don't know, though the torque Íigures are
23lb/ft higher for the American version, at 162 compared to the European 139lbiftl
54 PT Cruisers were on display at the recent SEMA show in Las Vegas, as you will read
in David Fetherston's report on page 22, showcasing everything from speciÍic PT
accessories to wheels and paint effects, but it shows the extent to which this car has grabbed
the imagination oÍ the public. Jim Maxwell also brings us news of the PTeazer on the opposite
page, a pretty serious conversion kit that goes beyond a simple body kit package. iÍ that's
what you want, but there's also plenty more to be had, a lot of it much closer to home..,
OffEcia§ mïetrehaerd ise
For starters there's Chrysler's official line of goodies Íor the Pï As you would expect ïrom a
manuÍacturer, there are plenty of tow bars, mud flaps, bike racks, roof and ski racks. and roof
boxes as well as door scuff plates and carpet sets, but there are also 6x16 Íive spoke alloy
wheels in either silver or chrome, roof spoilers, front and rear air dam kits, sill mouldings and
wheel arch mouldings, all oÍ which give the
appearance of bringing a stock PT Cruiser
closer to the ground without actually
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lowering one. Chrysler even offer a
custom Íit dust cover Íor the pï
Al oÍ the above is available
Írom your local Chrysler
i":,-,
dealer.
basic four-door format or it can be Íully converted into a true two-door panel van version.
There is talk thai the DaimlerChryslei Íolks will ofÍer a Íactory PT Panel version Íor the
2003 model year, but if you want to build a slick version oÍ one now. the PTeazer kit is
ffi
ideal.
:,, I The panel conversion consists oÍ entirely new Íear fiberglass quarters to replace the
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standard rear fenders and rear doors and these t\,vo-door variations are marketed in two
diÍlerent versions * standaÍd width and 'Extreme' Wide Body. The panels have high
quaÍi§ Íit and finish, and'can be installed with the same precision as tactory replacement
body panels.
1i.,,-Ëesides the rear panèl'kits;,,iÈ1e-Íirm offers a wide variety oÍ other body modifications
,ihetuoing'Extreme'Wide,Bpdy,,Írrlnt fenders, cowl induction power hoods, bumperette
rear roll pans, and they even came up with a
cabin, which can be easily rolled in and out the
guys thought oÍ everything it seems, and they
$sories almost daily.
Wfuffi ffiffin
The PT Cruiser
lÈ
r
r €EE§EË%ffi@ ffi@ffi %wffi Wwffiffiffi
ruas
the undoubted star of the recent SEMA Show in Las Vegas.#
Words and pictures
by Dave Fetherston.
The Colifornia
Cruiser features o
mass of body kit
changes includino
new rocker ponàrl Tin wheeli, rear
brake air ducts
and a cuslom ,4Ossryle grille.
:dle'd',oÍ!
a-1tflish
ïiffilAiWW,:'#í
tor.Àe* al
Íhis ai§lottt
ffiHii;ï;
the shaw'
FÍ
gruílrl-r
was built aloig the lines of a
iiii;;,uv iiiit,.iírd
ilermmed susPen§ion,
Desísa' tt *eatured
iiiitíi'"r't"
al,,mínurr whu.t, aoa'ï'rdtí-'ilfpl"
ííP' Íender skirts' lTin
§ne"
paínharcrk'
Yet another woody
Thà,
*oadi
<'',
kíts aiè''simolà',lrtc
ai,, bofi'tó canve*ian s a*'lhtii' uaíl
shows,.:
. ,'. "..
.
Keuin ltlehígh
lrcm'Àir
compcny out of lrov.
Michigon. The bodí'
changes include níw
fuonr
Yolance, side rockers.
woody panel kil onj
c-uslom prime wheels,
tr
teoiures a delightÍut
woody trailer lo ccrry
c
custom lndion motoriycle.
Lílt-
shawed ofÍ ihis
PICrukar. ab. '
VsVoom, Íhe
Braín Selzer
Orchestra PT
Cruiser Panel
.con*érsian, A ,
camplefe new,.
'aír'bag.
' ::
réplàceà lhe'
spring.on;,q,
sliul. [i's
à
DaimlerChrysler
sland. Brian
played al the
,
,
.simple aíswer
used on race cars- This Touring Car{ook using these .targe diameler rims with
imports.
What was so significant at this yëati'§ event was the onrnipresence of
Chrysler Pï Cruisers, Apparently ihere were 54 diÍÍerent PTs 0n sholu but we
ceÍtainly didn't see all of them. These Cruisers were there by the ïnvitation of
the SEMA: organiser§, onraftermarket parts manufaciurer's stands showing
off new products and on thé Chry§ler corporate display.
This model has only been ön th€ rnaÍket Íor about eight mqnth§ aid there
is already a:huge flood oÍ accessoiies and custom bodywork available. New
grilles and bumper coversj taillights, headlights, sieering 1r75ss15, custqm
wheels; suspension parts, body trim and even several,woody body kits made
oÍ molded plastic which simply attach over the existinE sheet
There weresome PT Cruisers fitted with a,new air suspension kits from
thrée manuÍacturers, some had 2Öin wheels on the rear and some even had
turbo conversions and one. a V6.
metàI.
Delivery was
featured on lhe
'
ionvéitianal
tiny, near bike-sized protile tires'has beeom-e 'The Look' Íor 2000 and
interestingly they seern to look great on slreet machines, lrucks, vans: and
2OO1
Note the ather Xenon pT
in
the background.
spring'-
tó beíig lowl
JANUARY
_ conversion is thtis
woody done in
*"o!
cancty Apple red with
, tlin solid polished
nn"r!t.
-fhe Xenon kit
a new.front
oumper cover with air
^.,:,_"-r*
crcmt,-new rockers and
,o tilryt
rii"k;rn *$$'ki;
:
apening after the PÍ wos introduced by Tom Gale, Head of
Adv.anced De sign
at DaimlerChryslen
.However the rnajority oÍ ihe show consisted oÍ the small aÍtermarket
manufacturers and disiributors who along with all the performance giants
including Edelbrock, Mr. Gasket, Flowmaster, Hayes Clutch, Brernbo Bacing,
Weiand and Cragar wheels, made up 99% oÍ the show.
ïhe new Beetle was another show highlight, with over 20 of them being
shown with all sorts oÍ accessories. The New Beetle pre-empted the PT
Cruiser's retro-look and continues to notch out its own marketplace up against
the super stÍeet set in their Hondas and Acuras. A point worth noting was the
vast amount oÍ perlormance upgrades ofÍered for Honda, Acura, Mitsubishi
and Toyota
vehiclee.
:
The SEMA show runs in co-operation with the lnternational Tire Expo and
the MEMA/APAA/ASIA Show which is held at the Sands Hotel/Casino and the
whole shebang is now called Automolive AÍtermarket lndustry Week.
The event has become 50 big that in order to include the trade shows, the
qeminars aRd the project cars, you need four days do it all. lÍ cool cars are
your thing or your own business is car parts then make sure you hit this event.
e
1t's one that's crulsing into history as the show of
shows.
23
ffirmwm ffictr&§s
&he pw*ad
Stull lndustries produce cosmetic stainless steel sidepípes
either stainless or billet ally grilles Íor the PT Cruiser. While the
pipes require a little work to fit, the grilles require no drilling
or cutting, using the Íactory mounting hardware.
StulllndusriesisalsoinvolvedwithSuperRod
magazine in the Super Rod PT Cruiser, a limited "-,r'
edition package that's available through Chrysler
dealers nationwide in the States, and
consisting of a Stull billet aluminium
grille, louvred hood, Borla performance
cat-back exhaust system, and a choice
oÍ Mopar 16x6in chrome wheels or
Centerline 17x7in'Flare' wheels.
Speaking of wheels, the choice
is rather limited, as the PT Cruiser
has a fairly strange 40mm offset on a
Íive stud PCD. 20in billet rims have
been seen Íitted to Cruisers ín the
States, as well as the Chrysler options of
chromed alloys, silver alloys
or
throughout.
Authors Matt
DeLorenzo and
John Lamm dissect
the PT Cruiser, Írom
steels.
Obviously Centerline are making wheels, and
undoubtedly the otheÍ manufacturers will follow suit - iÍ
concept
Apart from the UsAutomotive Cruiser, the only other modified
versions in this country at present consist of paint jobs. We've heard of
a number having been flamed, the Íirst oÍ which we've seen being Jez
Hoye's black PT that was brightened up by painter Steve Bradshaw and
ProSign's Neil Melliard, this being the car gracing our front cover. The
pair would be happy to repeat the process should you desire.
to
production,
and it's obvious that the
the wheels vÍewed at the SEMA show are anything to go byl
book is an inside look at this retro -styled car, produced with
help Írom Chrysler, including ïom Gale, Executive Vice
President of Product Design and Development, and Designer
Bryan Nesbitt. The book is available at t12.99 Írom all good
book stores, or Írom Haynes Publishing.
ffiY Craa§setr, wa§?
eerd furaxf;ser
Chrysler unveiled the GT Cruiser at the
1999 SEMA Show, according to the
company showing how to take the PT
Cruiser to the next level, lowered with
subtle design modifications and more
power. Appearing with no
front
or
badges, though with
spotlamps frenched into the front
pan, the GT Cruiser featured 17in
wheels, a turbocharger and a five
speed gearbox. Closely following
the GT Cruiser was the Panel
Cruiser, a two door delivery van
bumper
version with a wooden cargo floor
replacing the rear seats. The Panel
Cruiser
OÍ course, the PT Cruiser was born out oÍ
ihe
Plymouth Pronto Cruizer concept car, and while to hot
rodders eyes
the Pronto looks a much
nicer
proposition, almost like something that could have
come from the pen oÍ one of the rod designers such
as Chip Foose, it's clear that the final product will
have greater appeal to the car buying public. Shame,
but there you are.
lÍ you want to know more about the Pronto
Cruizer, or for that matter the PT Cruiser itself,
there's a great new book out, published by Motor
Books lnternational, titled, funnily enough, Chrysler
PT Cruiser. Though the cover may look uninspiring,
the conient is very thorough, covering the design
and development of the car, right up to Íuture plans,
as well as a section on the PT Bruiser, the concept panel van version,
and a piece by Thom Taylor on how he views the car. A thoroughly good
read, the 128 page book Íeatures spec lists and Íull colour photography
shared all the
improvements found on the GT
Cruisers, and would be a sure fire
success if released onto the
market, but Chrysler is reluctant
to announce a release
date, if there is
to be one at all.
ïhe company
seems happy to
let
the
aftermarket run
with the Pï
Cruiser Íor now,
one oÍ the Íirst
such cars to
emerge being
the Pï Bruiser. Developed by
Performance West, this is one
monster of a PT! lt features an
excessive body kit, NASCAR grille
covers, Kenne Bell belt-driven
supercharged engine with nitrous
and an intercooler, huge l8in BBS
modular alloy wheels and a huechanging paint job. Developing 325bhp on sniff, and 271 without, the PT
4
4
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Ës
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:r
i,ir:r l,i,f
:i-a', r.ilir:rll!..r' :,.','
: www.chrysler.co.uk
,
' Bruiser
: has a
also
I
full
,
d d e
d
rAutometer
igauges,
:
are. The choice is
including a cage-
mounted tach.
So there you
yours. Cosmetic makeover or Íull-on
pedormance version. The only problem would seem to be
getting hold of one, as the factories can't build them Íast
enough to keep up with the worldwide demand. One thing is
for sure; no new car has captured the imagination oÍ hot
rodders or the hot rod aftermarket quite like the PT Cruiser
since the musclecar heyday oÍ the late '60s. We certainly
never thought we'd be featuring what amounts to brand new
JANUARY.2OOI
. :.
.
r
1+600 Goldenwest Street
Suite A105
Westminster, CA 92683
001-714-903-9000
: OOt-Zt+-gO:-9100
, wwwpteazer.com
rl- :, - , :: t;ii,,
FAX
l_ ri: :
, St Martin's Way
'
Building
5
Riverside
, :rr' .i tti.,':'r.. i :',: i'
: rollcage, carbon
, fibre racing
' seats and
ta
0800 615159
'l r:;r:Ii i ;,,,:Ir,t,:i,.1r: !l11: i 1:,,r.
12155 Magnolia Ave
cA 92503
001 909 343 2181
:l:r'. r'ri,,I,.r ;:1;itr!1:l:;;1,;i11|;::'r,
Sparkford
Nr Yeovil
Somèrset
BA22 7)J
01963 44063s
e-mail [email protected]
Bedford
, ur+z our
01234 213155
e-mail [email protected]
. www.usauto.co.uk/cruiser.htm
o2o8 7i34614
j'-!f : i!,1,'::'fil;ilr' .f i:,i'i:, ;i,!:r;1
ir:
official
US Chrysler
website
:",..i,:.ir,ri i:.ri'',rir I r:r._:,:-1,f:,:::."1j1:,.t ;i:U::i
aftermarket parts and accessories
Alleestrasse 1 5-19
. D-33818 Leopoldshohe
i Germany
; 49 (0) 520299 92 60
: www,cobra-sor.com
: UK importer: North Staffs 4x4
. 01785 28s504
:r :t, 1,,r,: . ltr I ::r :.i tliii :.i::ir'lrfl:.'i:..1r'l:iil.
PT Cruiser history
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toys, T shirts, radio controlled
Cuisers and PT collectables
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