2002 Chrysler Prowler Review - The STRANGE Retro-Modern Hotrod!

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  • čas přidán 5. 09. 2024

Komentáře • 108

  • @theschof96
    @theschof96 Před rokem +13

    I remember getting a Hot Wheels of one of these as a kid and thinking "they would never make a car like this in real life" and then I saw one or two on the road here in Ontario and being really stunned that it was a real thing. It was magical in a way.

  • @DanielAtkinsFirewood
    @DanielAtkinsFirewood Před rokem +21

    I am by no means a Mopar/Chrysler fan but the Prowler still looks awesome here in 2022..

    • @raycdjr
      @raycdjr Před rokem +2

      We think so too!

  • @man_on_wheelz
    @man_on_wheelz Před rokem +9

    This car gets a lot of hate particularly for its drivetrain, but honestly, I think a lot of these people have never seen one in person. I've seen a few in person and it's really just a pleasant surprise to see on the road, in the wild, amongst all the other normal looking vehicles. You can't go fast on city streets, you're not regularly gripping curves and racing other cars, you can only cruise from light to light, this car does this masterfully! It's a car meant to be admired and gawked at, take pictures of it, tell your friends you saw one. It's not a track monster and not every car has to be. People complaining about the drivetrain is missing the point.

    • @derekgaliee4351
      @derekgaliee4351 Před rokem +1

      This car can be tracked & was set record That Toyota & Subaru - Miata people fans were Shocked with their Toyota 86 coupe & BRZ Subaru coupe & Miata they are more modern & suspension & weigh about The Prowler weight class they make less Horsepower than The Prowler is A Classic Factory Hot Rod 😤

    • @bflo1000
      @bflo1000 Před 4 měsíci

      I drove a Plymouth Prowler and thought it was terrible. @@derekgaliee4351

  • @damilolaakanni
    @damilolaakanni Před rokem +32

    The Prowler was a Chrysler parts bin. I can't say all the cars each part came from, but if you're interested, Doug Demuro did a video on one of these (an earlier model) where he mentioned that in detail.

    • @nadz109
      @nadz109 Před rokem +4

      This channel is way better than Doug

    • @V8guy
      @V8guy Před rokem +1

      It’s a parts bin but just look at it!!! Enough said and tbh the engine and transmission aren’t horrible but you gotta remember what year it was sadly no 6.1 hemi’s yet with the 5 speed auto

    • @seanthornton6844
      @seanthornton6844 Před rokem

      Parts bin parts were used due the extensive use of aluminum., magnesium, and carbon fiber materials used.

    • @jonlosito2004
      @jonlosito2004 Před rokem

      Yuri Tereshyn (founder of The Straight Pipes automotive CZcams channel) also owns a Prowler and he friggin loves it a lot. It's his dream car

    • @wyelandlebeouf7202
      @wyelandlebeouf7202 Před rokem

      @@jonlosito2004 same loved prowlers since I was a kid I know there aren't the fastest but It captured my eye as something simply amazing when I was young and now I dream of owning one

  • @rushnerd
    @rushnerd Před rokem +26

    I always thought these were dorky dad cars when I was growing up.
    Recently being at a car show and actually seeing one? Holy crap, these are really cool. I don't know of any production car that pulled this design off, and I kinda love it.
    I cannot imagine Chrysler being this bold today.

    • @subtractivemusic
      @subtractivemusic Před rokem +2

      This is a Chrysler. As in, not GM. As in the big 3: GM, Ford, Chrysler.

    • @rushnerd
      @rushnerd Před rokem +3

      @@subtractivemusic Sorry, I didn't actually know that. For some reason I always though they were under the GM umbrella.

  • @paulm6481
    @paulm6481 Před rokem +9

    Those days of pre merger of equals with Mercedes were some great design years for Chrysler. This, Neon, Viper, LH and cloud cars, so much design creativity.

    • @thomaslemon3971
      @thomaslemon3971 Před rokem +1

      And think of how modern the 94 Ram looked and still looks. The “big rig” aesthetic has continued to this day

  • @christophermorin9036
    @christophermorin9036 Před rokem +9

    The Prowler is still one of my dream cars, since the day it was announced.|
    Same with the SSR.

  • @sbaker8971
    @sbaker8971 Před rokem +3

    I have a 2000 black Prowler. I absolutely love it! Has the aftermarket hardtop. Replaced the original hard as steel run flats and the ride quality is night and day. Installed a 3" seat lowering kit and made the doors open fully, now my 6'6" 275lbs ass can get in and out and have plenty of head room. Took me 20 years to save up enough for it at 40k. Had 5500 miles on it from the original owner. I bought it because it's not the 100's of mustangs, camero's, corvettes, challengers ect.. you see everyday. There's so many of those that they don't even stand out anymore. It's a beautiful cruiser and I don't care how fast I can get from one red light to the next. I will be buried in the car

  • @doug6191
    @doug6191 Před rokem +3

    7:15 - No, the looks are not the most polarizing aspect of the car. That's always going to be the powertrain. Gear heads wanted more power, and the transmission was automatic. You noted this a moment later in your video. The looks were the primary appeal of the car - it's clearly the opposite of "form follows function".
    Separately, you mention cars like the SSR or Thunderbird as though they had some influence on the Prowler's existence. Nope - the Prowler is more the reason those others exist.

  • @kjeffers4429
    @kjeffers4429 Před rokem +1

    I love my 1999 red Prowler. And most people who complain about the performance have never been in one. The 1st year had a different motor but the rest had 253 hp and 0-60 in 5.9 seconds. They are good numbers for a car from that era. That V6 had more hp than the Dodge V8 in the trucks. A 1999 Mustang GT only had 7 more hp and a 1999 Porsche Boxster only had 201 hp. I had a ride in a 1997 Prowler when I was in grad school and loved it. 23 years later I finally bought one with 5,000 miles. But unlike the previous owner I bought it to drive and enjoy it! People love seeing it and take pictures and thumbs up and ask questions about it. Nobody even notices my vette or 911s. Those are much nicer cars but I love my Prowler!

  • @mromatic17
    @mromatic17 Před rokem +9

    hoovie owned one of these and he regeared the rear end and retuned the computer and it had over 300bhp and said that it completely changed the feel of it! I have always wanted to get one of these and put an ls2 and t56 6 speed swap into it. since it has the basic design of the corvette you could make it work a lot easier! all you need is to find a partout of a c6 manual vette and go to town! with a cam and tune you can get over 600bhp out of the 6.0 ls2!

  • @danmccarthy4700
    @danmccarthy4700 Před rokem +2

    The Prowler looks AMAZING in that color.

  • @QuasiDude
    @QuasiDude Před rokem +5

    I've always been super curious about this car, thank you for answering so many questions!! This one and the mail truck are some of my favorite videos on this channel

  • @davinp
    @davinp Před rokem +2

    On the '90s sitcom Home Improvement, Tim Allen (Tim "Toolman" Taylor) has a 1930s Ford Hot Rod that looks similarly styled to the Prowler

  • @ccr_motorsports
    @ccr_motorsports Před rokem +1

    You’re so lucky you changed up your review towards the end, cuz I was gettin ready to lay into you.
    But when you explained and said you understood what the car was supposed to be for, I was happy to hear what you said.
    Yes it’s a Sunday driver and that’s it. Making it appeal to the masses and modernizing it any more would have ruined it and the whole aspect of what it truly is supposed to be. Is it perfect? No. But is it a beautiful spot on modernized car that’s a throwback from a ‘33 roadster? Yes, and then some. I’ll leave it at that. I have an ‘02 Yellow one with just under 4K miles on it. Bought it with 332 miles on it back in 2009. Thx for sharing…

  • @watchingitallhere
    @watchingitallhere Před rokem +1

    Gotta hand it to Plymouth for making a super cool ride. Its beautiful.

  • @davinp
    @davinp Před rokem +5

    It was Plymouth Prowler, but Plymouth was cancelled in 2001. This is when they were DaimlerChrysler

    • @damilolaakanni
      @damilolaakanni Před rokem +1

      I thought as much. Chrysler Prowler just sounds weird.

    • @doug6191
      @doug6191 Před rokem +1

      Oh....THAT'S why he said that in the video. 🙄

  • @ericcarabetta1161
    @ericcarabetta1161 Před rokem +1

    Since the first time I saw the Prowler concept at an auto show I wanted one.

  • @padroooo
    @padroooo Před rokem +1

    The Prowler driver's seat has an up and down position, I think this one was already up probably for a short woman. LOL Check the numbers of the Magnum engines, the Prowler V6 was it's equal. The Prowler only weighed in at a little over 2,800 pounds with all aluminum frame and major body parts made out of aluminum. Part of the history of the car was that it was a test bed for Chrysler in the use of aluminum. Prowler owners know how to modify the doors to make them open wider. It is a quirky car and there is no practical purpose to own one. LOL

  • @duke6j
    @duke6j Před rokem +1

    This car doesn't need speed, it's a show car. So drive slow and let everyone admire what you're driving!

  • @dungeons1234Gaming
    @dungeons1234Gaming Před rokem +1

    This is the weirdest car. The front wheels exposed, no trunk, rear transmission. But it's great.

  • @brianlee9233
    @brianlee9233 Před rokem +3

    I see all of these Prowlers all the time, and I must say, they look beautiful, but however, the only downside was that the Prowler was automatic-only.

    • @666cemetaryslut
      @666cemetaryslut Před rokem

      They knew the geriatrics that bought them wouldn't want a stick.

  • @johng1584
    @johng1584 Před 8 měsíci

    my family used to rent a beach house every summer and the rich guy next door had one of these prowlers in yellow i had always wondered what it was like to drive with that open wheel suspension

  • @richardwynkoop3598
    @richardwynkoop3598 Před 2 měsíci

    As A 2001 Prowler Owner I Can Tell You That If You Power Break This Thing On Blacktop You Will Smoke Those Oversize Tires , From A Dead Stop Also On Blacktop You Might Get Some Wheel Spin On (To The Floor) Acceleration Plus A Wheel Chirp Going Into 2nd Gear. That Being Said Remember That This Is A 2900lb, Car So It Is Accelerating At A Fast Rate. Now With The Indy Style Suspension And The Front And Rear Weight racial The Posted Curve Speed Is Just A Suggestion (Baring Any Tar Snakes Or Uneven Road Surface) You Can Easly Take That Curve At Twice The Suggested Speed ( It's A Real Rush ) The Exhaust Sound Is Not Your Run Of The Mill V6 Sound No It Will Not Sound Like A V8 But Respectable. Would I Rather Have A Big Block 4 Speed With Open Headers? But My Prowler Did Colect 11 Trophies Last Year At Car Shows

  • @Doctor_Robert
    @Doctor_Robert Před rokem +2

    I think they didn't go with the V8 at that time because... it wouldn't fit. But more importantly, it was freakin' archaic. We're talking a 318 from the 1960s with fuel injection slapped on. They hadn't had a car with a V8 in it since the M-body Chrysler Fifth Avenue of 1989... which was a very dated 1970s relic. Chrysler was in a wacky place in the 1990s. On one hand, the gigantic V10 Viper, on the other, everything else with a V6 or a 4-banger.
    Also, they really needed to raid the parts bin. They were limited to the fact that it looked unnaturally like a concept car and the torque-tube as far as technology; everything else needed to be shared.
    I used to hate these because "yawn. another boomer cash-in." But, once the very clever technology was pointed out to me and also the fact that this is really the last out-and-out concept car to be street legal (and not with a supercar pricetag or some weird caveats)... yeah, I've come around to them. I reckon if I had one, I'd try to retrofit a stick... heh.

    • @666cemetaryslut
      @666cemetaryslut Před rokem

      In my opinion they could have made it fit if they really wanted to, the car was a clean sheet design. If people can shoehorn small block V8's into Miatas they could have put a V8 in the Prowler. And if they really couldn't they shouldn't have put it out, even if it was just meant to park somewhere and look pretty.

    • @11.9lsupercharged4
      @11.9lsupercharged4 Před rokem

      I agree the dodge Dakota could option a 318. They could have made that the prowler r/t. Despite how well they are doing now. They missed a chance in the mid 00s with the dodge avenger. If that was rwd and had a srt version with the 5.7 v8. I digress im a GM man down to heart. Anything Chrysler after 97 is shit 😱

    • @ripwildy2022
      @ripwildy2022 Před rokem

      @@666cemetaryslut its easier to fit a V8 into a Miata, because length-wise a V8 should be the same or similar to that of an inline-4. whereas the v6 on the prowler would be about the same length as 3-cylinder. you can clearly see how packed the engine bay is in the prowler, and having the extra room to accommodate an additional row of cylinders for a V8 might have resulted in a complete redesign of the front-end of the vehicle.

  • @Bbbuddy
    @Bbbuddy Před rokem +2

    Strange for Chrysler to copy a 1930s Ford hot rod.

  • @isaacsilva48
    @isaacsilva48 Před rokem +2

    That auto volume changes according to speed I believe. The late protégé 5s came with this stock.

    • @elisorrells5314
      @elisorrells5314 Před rokem

      I have this in my 2002 Monte Carlo, I think it was invented by GM but I find it quite annoying and stressful so I turned it off

  • @wigletron2846
    @wigletron2846 Před rokem

    Never knew there was a Chrysler Prowler. I'd only heard of the Plymouth Prowler.

  • @bwofficial1776
    @bwofficial1776 Před rokem +1

    Chrysler's always had this spirit of "what if we just make whatever we want with what we have in our parts bins and don't care what everyone else thinks?". It's amazing that this got greenlit at every level. The V6 was a better engine than it gets credit for, 253hp in a light car is plenty when you consider that the V8 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor only had 235 that year. Fit it with a modern dual-clutch or manual and it'll wake things up.
    That color is fantastic. The purple is great too and fits the era but this gold pops. Let's be honest, this wasn't designed to be driven with the top up. It was only there because no one would buy a car that you couldn't take out if there was a chance of rain. Say what you will about Chip Foose, this is a striking design and looks timeless. I don't mind the bumpers because they make it look both retro and futuristic. The PT Cruiser just looks meh and dorky.

    • @derekgaliee4351
      @derekgaliee4351 Před rokem

      Foose Admitted He Didn't Not Design this car ! Tom Gale did ! Me.Gayle also did The Viper & LH cars

  • @CoolGuy-ux5wx
    @CoolGuy-ux5wx Před rokem +1

    The Chevy HHR also had an old school hot rod style. Just like the ssr back in the early 2000s.

  • @Petequinn741
    @Petequinn741 Před měsícem

    Perfect for a 340, change gears in rear , stiffen suspension and you'd have a fun weekend car

  • @KenBober
    @KenBober Před rokem +1

    New jeep wranglers have that exterior paint on the dash. I think it's an option though.

  • @lwgrazi
    @lwgrazi Před rokem

    5:19 There appears to be an insert that is removable for larger (big friggin)bottles

  • @nickd.7267
    @nickd.7267 Před rokem

    That car looks terrifying to take through a grand prix

  • @michaeldeangelo2259
    @michaeldeangelo2259 Před 11 měsíci

    Had a gorgeous low mileage orange one , that car got Ferrari like attention , people would run off the sidewalk into traffic to take photos of it , unfortunately was very impractical here in Brooklyn in the city streets , miss all that attention , sold it for another relatively rare car an SLK55 AMG , little more practical and comfortable , has stock V8 355 HP

  • @dtay8913
    @dtay8913 Před rokem +2

    I always wanted one of these

    • @brianlee9233
      @brianlee9233 Před rokem +1

      Me too. The Prowler is insane and beautiful.

  • @gmant478
    @gmant478 Před rokem

    I'm 5' 8" 160lbs great fit for this car

  • @mpf1947
    @mpf1947 Před rokem

    Talking about the Prowler as if it was following an existing retro trend in the industry doesn't really make much sense when you consider the the concept car was shown in 1993, and it entered production in 1997, ahead of VW's New Beetle.

  • @11.9lsupercharged4
    @11.9lsupercharged4 Před rokem +1

    My man cranking out reviews out trying to get demuro status. I need you to do my roadmaster sedan and the cheese wedge before you get Hollywood status.

  • @jlang8213
    @jlang8213 Před rokem

    3:59 I believe the Wrangler and Renegade have options to add exterior color highlights in the cabin

  • @izkytama
    @izkytama Před rokem +1

    Love this car!

  • @303sebas3
    @303sebas3 Před rokem +1

    saw one of these the other day lol same color too

  • @angelsfallfirst7348
    @angelsfallfirst7348 Před rokem +1

    I thought these were sick growing up

  • @Sbinott0
    @Sbinott0 Před rokem +1

    Is the plastic bumper supposed to be removed right? (Only there for legally sell it)

    • @bwofficial1776
      @bwofficial1776 Před rokem +1

      It was designed without the bumpers. The bumpers were put on for legal and crash protection reasons. If you bump anything, you want the bumpers to take the impact and not the grille or suspension/wheels. I don't mind them, they're quirky in a retrofuturistic way.

    • @Sbinott0
      @Sbinott0 Před rokem

      @@bwofficial1776 i know this, I was wondering if you can legally take them off and they are designed to di so (something like the rear bumpers of the us bugatti chiron)

    • @javersowens2035
      @javersowens2035 Před rokem

      I have a 1999 Prowler, all black, mint condition, 20,000 miles. I have the front and rear bumpers removed. A totally different look that is very eye catching!!

  • @gmant478
    @gmant478 Před rokem

    It's a gorgeous car add headers an upgrade wires add 25 horse power

  • @sleep_sounds
    @sleep_sounds Před rokem

    Lean your seat back, your vision will dip bellow the bar

  • @Eduardo-us2zm
    @Eduardo-us2zm Před rokem

    Then coltaire rapaille says the old sugar daddies have many fine cases full of cassette tapes and it's a great vehicle to showcase their great taste in music as well

  • @Eduardo-us2zm
    @Eduardo-us2zm Před rokem

    Like you would have trouble finding a good cassette tape to listen to to buy at Kmart at the time

  • @forza4l833
    @forza4l833 Před rokem

    The voice crack at the beginning🤣, but love the videos, keep them up, btw i plan on getting a sticker for my 212cc predator mini bike

  • @02au17
    @02au17 Před rokem

    Just found this channel adn watched a few and this video is my favorite so far! Awesome car

  • @thomasbrand2650
    @thomasbrand2650 Před rokem

    I would 100% drive a Prowler if it was made by literally anyone else.

  • @willmatic84
    @willmatic84 Před rokem

    I would love to see someone to drop a hellcat engine in this 😌👌🏽 congratulations on 90k #milestoneto100k

  • @jwilliams703
    @jwilliams703 Před rokem

    I never liked the prowler much, It is interesting though. I do like the retro style a lot, I have 2 turbo PT cruisers.

  • @patrickradcliffe3837
    @patrickradcliffe3837 Před rokem

    The problem with dumping a V8 is torque. Literally the power from the motor is moved through a transfer case chain I don't see it being able to handle the torque from a rumbly V8.

  • @Dankcatvacs
    @Dankcatvacs Před rokem

    14:15 somebody dont want no treble that makes for muddy sound
    i like the outside more than the dash layout .
    a 318 prowler would have been cool but these do make decent power more decent with a tune. like tyler hoover did.

  • @mikeas2764
    @mikeas2764 Před rokem

    It’s beautiful and can’t take eyes from it

  • @dave11686
    @dave11686 Před rokem +1

    Love these

  • @Eduardo-us2zm
    @Eduardo-us2zm Před rokem

    The cars at the time still came with cassette standard instead of cd because the stereo industry was with the music industry and the techies snd the illegal file sharing snd cd burning then the thugs stealing cars and stereos fast snd furious for everyone it was fun

    • @kjeffers4429
      @kjeffers4429 Před rokem

      Had an optional 6 disc changer behind the passenger seat.

  • @JeepsOnTheRun
    @JeepsOnTheRun Před rokem +2

    Ray is the best!! Awesome dealer!

  • @WinWin-oo4uk
    @WinWin-oo4uk Před rokem

    No hidden fees just blatant fees.

  • @grantman64
    @grantman64 Před rokem +2

    I knew a guy that had one of these, so I got to look it over and sit in it. I found out that the Prowler is not for tall people (I'm 6' 3" with a long torso); when I sat in the driver's seat, the top of the windshield frame was directly blocking my view forward, and the seat was already back and down as far as possible. Oh well. I always felt it was too bad that Chrysler cheaped out on the interior. Other than the half-hearted body color trim around the instruments and the cheesy column-mounted tach, the interior looked like any other Chrysler product of the era. And of course the cardinal sin of the Prowler was putting the V6 out of a Chrysler Concorde in it instead of a proper V8. As a piece of rolling sculpture, the Prowler is interesting. As a Y2K hot rod -- um, no.

  • @V8guy
    @V8guy Před rokem +1

    This is the review we have all been waiting for. And a rare factory paint option

  • @JosePerez-jo5ud
    @JosePerez-jo5ud Před rokem

    Chip Foose designed the Prowler

    • @MyOldCar
      @MyOldCar Před rokem +1

      No he didn't. Chip submitted a design sketch to Chrysler which inspired the execs at Chrysler to consider making a prototype and later to production. He had no input in the design of the final car. Watch the following video and you see Chip say this himself: czcams.com/video/a4frExU9FRg/video.html. Go to timestamp 1:50

  • @rt_goblin_hours
    @rt_goblin_hours Před rokem

    If they went with a front transmission it'd have made that trunk a lot more practical. I've also never liked the front ends on these

  • @richardflaherty2373
    @richardflaherty2373 Před rokem

    Great video, thanks.

  • @agingmillennialmainer

    This will forever be the tim and Eric s*xual romance car.

  • @mikewallace8087
    @mikewallace8087 Před rokem

    Philips compact cassette tapes gave you fond memories? I lived through the late mid- seventies . I have zero fond memories of those tapes not tracking well and damaging the tape. Finding a specific song was a task of futility. My 2022 Legacy Harman Kardon system is fed with a thumb drive of my choice songs is really, really a delight.

  • @wyelandlebeouf7202
    @wyelandlebeouf7202 Před rokem

    I would never subscribe to your channel because you just called my dream car weird and strange😭

  • @nicholasherrera2641
    @nicholasherrera2641 Před rokem

    Your young. Maybe 23yrs

  • @TechnicaX
    @TechnicaX Před rokem

    My dream incase you wanted to know

  • @Mladjasmilic
    @Mladjasmilic Před rokem

    No v8?

    • @bwofficial1776
      @bwofficial1776 Před rokem

      It wouldn't fit. The V6 is plenty of power. 253hp was spicy back in 2002, the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor of the same year only had 235 and weighed a lot more.

  • @derekgaliee4351
    @derekgaliee4351 Před rokem

    their Not made to be for everyone & not every day

  • @Dlindner87
    @Dlindner87 Před rokem

    8 minutes? C'mon dude, I don't own one (yet) but even I know better than that. Also Making the door open wider is a very easy fix.

  • @666cemetaryslut
    @666cemetaryslut Před rokem

    Yeah, the muscle car boom of the early 00's was a direct result of baby boomers with money entering their mid life crisis' and wanting their high school cars again.

  • @mopargm9329
    @mopargm9329 Před 4 měsíci

    The Prowler isn't even close to the first Chrysler with the autostick. Both the Dodge Intrepid ES and Eagle Vision TSI introduced it in 1996