The worst generation Dodge Challenger (1978-1983)

[@paulhooker516]

The 360 does in fact fit. I've personally done it. They are a very different animal with the v8!!

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Awesome.

[@chuckselvage3157]

Cool. How does it go around corners? Seriously.

[@weegeemike]

Honestly these cars should have had an optional V8, it would have been way less of a laughingstock/afterthought. I know it's a Mitsubishi, and they didn't manufacture V8s but Chrysler could've ordered some without engines and stuffed a lil 318 in there.

[@HansBelphegor]

If a 360 fits a 440 should too

[@dyer2cycle]

If a 318 would fit, a 360 would fit, too...@@weegeemike

[@bearguyva9025]

My grandparents had a Sapporo. It wasn’t a bad little car. The only problem it had was that my grandmother completely missed the Japanese connection. Several years after they bought the car, she somehow happened to see the name MITSUBISHI on the engine, and had a raging fit over “Eye-a-toca” lying to her and wasn’t a real ‘Murican Chrysler. (Yeah, Grandma could be racist at times) She got rid of that Sapporo as fast as she could. She was in such a hurry, and so mad at Chrysler, that they ended up with a (used) ‘72 Chevy Impala. She never forgave Chrysler. Nobody had the heart to tell her later on that her little Geo Prizm was actually a Toyota…

[@anthonyg638]

Pretty justified that generation not liking Japanese Cars. The first Mitsubishis they ever knew about bombed Pearl Harbour.

[@geraldross967]

Also the ToyNova. Corolla/nova conglomeration.

[@vadim6385]

If I bought a Toyota today, and found out it had a Chinese engine in it, I would be pissed, too

[@Phuc_Yhou]

Across the pond, my Grandfather said he'd never go in a Japanese car because "of what they did to our boys in the war" but was glad to be in a British Range Rover, I also omitted to tell him of the German underpinnings 😂

[@Maximus20778]

Yeah thoae old people act like it's the companies problem lol​@@Phuc_Yhou

[@Chrys_Z]

Love your videos! Just a detail, the Celica didn't go FWD until 1985

[@Kosoku63]

I was about to comment this, but yeah. Actually, I don't even think they did until 1986. I've seen 1985 Celicas and they were all RWD ones.

[@autochatter]

86 was the first year for the FWD Celica.

[@altima119487]

1986 was the first year for FWD

[@ksmith1298]

I loved the challenger/sapporo looks

[@regandunn4850]

They came out on paper in 85 but sold in 86

[@paigeheagerty8062]

Just a slight correction. The Celica had rear wheel drive until the 1986 model, the Challenger was discontinued in 1983. I owned a 1983 Celica GT-S which had the independent rear drive suspension, same as the Supra at the time. Loved that car.

[@MegaBuster777]

Yeah, the challenger was replaced entirely by the Starion/Conquest which had an updated chassis and a turbo with fuel injection. I love them, but people that don't know assume they're a hidden gem with massive potential and people who own them hate the engine because they can't make it into an ego launcher that'll hold 1000hp. You can MAKE 1000hp out of those engines, but retaining it is a completely different story, which is why it's pretty common to see the 1jz/2jz swaps in the Starions. That and the Starions retained the same recirculating ball steering system of the car it refined and replaced, which gave it slightly slower steering, but honestly still a pretty well handling car and was on par with plenty of other GT cars of the era, even beating some...partially because the staggered fitment of the wheels and tires. They had pretty Iconic SHP wheels that were 16x8 in the front and 16x9 in the rear which was what the porsche 944 turbo of the era had as well.

[@1heavyelement]

a buddy of mine had an 83 Challenger at same time i had my 86 Shelby Charger, while these cars wouldn't win any drag races the were a blast to drive when most cars just didn't have much in HP. and its not like they were eye sores. currently my pride and joy is my 1999 Chrysler 300-M. it is in near showroom condition with 80K on the clock. I've owned upwards of 80 cars in my life not including motorcycles or trucks. i always enjoy seeing these types of videos thank you for taking your time putting them together.

[@guyfawkesuThe1]

It was a rebadged Mitsubishi Sapporo.

[@aca2983]

A guy I worked with in college had one, this would have been around '91. It was very trashed, however I rode in it a few times and was impressed at how smooth it was. That "silent shaft" really worked.

[@adotintheshark4848]

In the B2600, Mazda borrowed that engine for their trucks and it really was smooth for a big 4. I owned one for awhile. Its only drawback at least in the trucks, it wasn't very powerful. Emissions controls had a lot to do with that.

[@markhooper1352]

That's an interesting video, thanks! I am Australian but very familiar with this car. Here in Australia, Chrysler (Aust.) hit hard times in the late 70s also. They began manufacturing (under license) the Mitsubishi Galant - both four door and two door versions in South Australia, to be badged Sigma (4dr) and Sigma Scorpion (2dr). These cars were a sensational hit to say the least. In fact, the Sigma (particularly) saved Chrysler Au. for a few more years, having become the best selling 4cyl in the country - for many years. This of course allowed Chrysler Au. to continue manufacturing the poor selling Valiant, Regal and Charger, until Chrysler Au's ultimate demise in 1981 when Mitsubishi took them over. Having said all that, the Sigma/Scorpion were great cars, in fact I still own my 1979 Chrysler Sigma SE 4dr Sedan. The 2dr Scorpions (your Challenger) are extremely rare nowadays, but a sorted one will fetch serious money. I can't help but think the "Scorpion" name would have been a good choice for your Dodge Challenger - imagine it - Dodge "Scorpion"...food for thought!.... 🙂

[@MyHMMWVaddiction]

I had an 81 D-50. Great little truck. I had it in 97'. It was my grandfathers. Garaged kept. It was perfect.

[@BLARNEYBLARNEY]

The follow on to the Mitsubishi based challenger was the Starion / Conquest. It used a Turbo version of the same 2.6L Hemi.

[@zc5092]

And that’s a whole other can of worms that opens up too, because at the time Mitsubishi was trying to compete in group B rally and were in process of making an awd starion which led to what eventually became the galant vr4, then Transferred the info they gathered racing the galant into a lancer and what we now know as the Evo. Most of it was birthed from the Starion and Conquests

[@redtaco79]

This generation Dodge Challenger was a pretty solid and reliable car….. I wish you could still get a rebranded Chrysler for a Mitsubishi price nowadays lol. Love the videos, than you so much for making such awesome content! 😎

[@GreenHawkDrive]

I appreciate that man thank you! Happy New Year 🎆

[@mypronouniswtf5559]

Mitsubishi cars were junk! They actually brought Chrysler down! My uncle owned a Chrysler dealer back then and every Mitsubishi badged or powered car was junk!

[@levyoliver5363]

I wish Mitsubishi is still together with Chrysler...Because Mitsubishi makes reliable engines...

[@adotintheshark4848]

nearly any Mitsu was better than the crap Chrysler was building at the time. And the other Japanese brands were better than Mitsubishi!

[@radsk8rbigollies594]

I owned a 79, orange with plaid interior. Was slow but reliable. I never had major rust issues but I lived in the south. I remember not needing to really use the clutch, I could just glide the shifter into gear it was so smooth. It was also really comfortable. They should have used a different name though. Challenger was known to be a beast just a few years earlier and this was just a Mitsu gallant. I always thought it looked very "Pontiac" in the front/nose.

[@yabbadabba2887]

Hated the interior, but I agree that was a smooth shifter

[@jamesmcguire990]

All of the "re-badges" were just temporary means to get product (that would sell) on the floor and retain customers and dealers alike. It was also an opportunity for Mitsubishi to move some product too. That 2nd era of fuel price shock made the market shift, (albeit temporary) very hard.

[@christopherg9806]

I was ready to go on blast about how the Challenger was a decent little car, but you resolved that issue at the end. For its time, it was good. I'd love to transplant a high revving 60 degree V6 into one. What a hoot!

[@ValleyProud916]

My dad had a 78 Challenger. 5speed, 2.2L hot-rod. I loved it. (In my defense, I has a 78 Plymouth Horizon)

[@raystarr4388]

I owned a 1978 and 1979 Challenger. 78 was an automatic, and the 79 was a stick shift. Both were upper Silver lower black. I loved them

[@GreenHawkDrive]

I ask, why two?

[@raystarr4388]

@GreenHawkDrive I bought my first one from a sailor who was being transfered overseas, and the second one was offered to me because I wanted a stick shift

[@markspears8253]

I had a ‘78 and an ‘81. Loved them both.

[@ljmorris6496]

The Challenger did continue in the 80s with a turbo...as the Chrysler Conquest..

[@goodbonezz1289]

Same platform?

[@vertanux1]

@@goodbonezz1289 I had a 1981 Sapporo and a 1984 Starion. Basically the same cars, one a 2.6L 2bbl sedan, the other a hatchback with the same 2.6L with EFI Turbo. My appreciation for the Sapporo influenced me to get the Starion. Awesome way ahead of their time vehicles.

[@goodbonezz1289]

@@vertanux1 I can’t believe I was never tracking that the two were the same platform…but it makes sense! In 89 I owned a 83 Challenger…I knew it was nothing akin to the original but I liked it. A 5 speed little get around..we took it in trade at the dealership I worked at. Bought it for $350. It was mint. Also always liked the Conquest/Starion and was well. I was very aware of them at the time also. I never put 2 and 2 together to realize the little underpowered but decent handling Challenger had morphed into the potent Conquest/Starion. Nice.

[@adotintheshark4848]

no the Conquest was a different car altogether. It was the sister to Mitsubishi's Starion. It was a Sigma with a sporty body.

[@ljmorris6496]

​@adotintheshark4848 I've checked the Challenger and Conquest is the same platform and engine underneath , although the bodywork is different....

[@TheOtherBill]

I purchased new a 2nd gen 2.6 liter 5 sp. Sapporo. Fantastic car and unbelievably quick. I loved it for the first few years but then it just became too unreliable. Shifter ball wore out, I replaced the fuel pump 3 or 4 times, the seats started unraveling and rust appeared all over. If I had to do it again I'd buy another but sell it after 3 years while it was still worth something.

[@FWDSUXARSE]

One correction I'd like to suggest. Celica did have RWD until it split from the platform that it and the Celica Supra shared. Supra became it's own model after the second gen Supra was succeeded by the 3rd gen Supra. Last Celica that was rear wheel drive was the third gen and production ended in 1984. T160 platform Celica came out in 1985. Supra still still on the Celica platform until 1986 which was last year of the gen 2 Celica Supra. I know it gets confusing with all this, but I owned a 1985 Celica Supra so that's only reason why I know all about that. 😊 Edit: In case anyone brings it up, I am aware that the 2nd Gen Celica Supra production officially ended in December 1985. However, the second gen leftover Celica Supras were sold as 1986 model year in order to deplete leftover inventory. In some markets the second gen Celica Supra was sold alongside the 3rd gen Supra (which also came out in 1986). One day I will buy another 2nd Gen Celica Supra or get a 3rd gen Supra. Parts are hard to find for the 2nd Gen though and the aftermarket hasn't yet stepped up to make reproduction parts such as gas tanks, interior trim, etc and that's the only reason I sold mine at the time. Hopefully that changes by the time I'm ready to start looking again.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Oh darn… All good man, I appreciate you letting me know!

[@FWDSUXARSE]

@@GreenHawkDrive oh it gets even crazier lol, the Celica also had some AWD models (4th Gen GT-Four / All-trac, 5th gen GT-Four, 6th Gen GT-Four) which aren't very common and are probably the best examples of the Celica platform. They were all turbocharged. 😊

[@autochatter]

Yeah theres two 86 Supras....A 86 Celica Supra and 86 1/2...Supra LOL. Im actually uploading part 2 of my Celica series now! 86 to 05 models.

[@kc9scott]

In the ‘70s and early ‘80s, the major Japanese brands (except for Honda and Subaru) tended to lag the industry in the switch to FWD. So the Celica was still RWD at that point. At the time, I liked this Challenger much better than the previous US-made stuff.

[@FWDSUXARSE]

@@autochatter Nice! I'll have to check it out.

[@speakfreeley4473]

Don't forget in the first half of the 1970s Plymouth had the Cricket. A British built Hillman Avenger. Sales for that started off OK but constant recalls for faults soon sealed it's fate. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. Poor restructuring at Mopar almost made the company go bust. The Mitsubishi imports helped things combined with Mopar offloading all of it's non-North American operations to keep the company solvent. It worked, along with government help but Mopar was never the same after that.

[@anthonyg638]

My first Car was a 1982 Mitsubishi Scorpion, which was the Australian name for it. It was a 2.6 Litre Automatic. It was previously my Mum's. It was 4 Years Old when I got it. It might not have been a V8, but it had a heap of grunt for a 4 Cylinder without a turbo.

[@Kingthin]

my aunt had a 1978 challenger, it was a badass. she had it for 10 years. i loved that car

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Right on man

[@iEnofadov]

Fun Fact - Chrysler in Australia did the same thing and rebadged many Mitsubishi products and sold them as Chryslers in the 70's and early 80's before Mitsubishi bought out Chrysler Australia, took over Chrysler's operations and introduced the Mitsubishi brand in 1980. The second generation Dodge Challenger for example, was sold as the Chrysler Scorpion in Australia, before being sold as the Mitsubishi Scorpion. The Dodge D50 Ram Pickup you've mentioned in this clip, was sold initially as the Chrysler D50 Ute (Pickup) in Australia, then as the Chrysler L200 Express Ute, before being rebranded as the Mitsubishi L200 Express Ute. Today we know it as the Mitsubishi Triton Ute.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

I appreciate this man, thank you!

[@doug6191]

7:07 - correct use of "captive import". You obviously read and learn from the comments. Good job on building your channel. I enjoy the range of your content.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

I appreciate that man, thank you!

[@Stinger430]

I'm pleasantly surprised. I've never heard about this one before, but I love it! It reminds me of an of-the-era Mazda 626 coupe in its styling. I agree with you one hundred percent: Chrysler should never have used the Challenger name for this one. It strikes me as a car that could've stood on its own merits. Thanks again for a terrific video Green Hawk. You really put them together well. Keep em coming!!! Happy New Year to you and yours. 🥂

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Happy New Year to you Stinger! Thank you for the continued support man.😄

[@johnpezzullo9644]

I had a 1983 Sapporo and it was a great reliable fast little car. 5 Speed and fairly good quality, yes the sheet metal was thin and crap, but the engine and drive train seemed pretty good. Thanks for your video....

[@michaelwhite2823]

Spot on. Challenger, GTO, 442 and Cobra had their name prestige trashed during the 80s.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

I mean you're not wrong. I see both ends of the stick in this situation. I think Dodge really stepped up their game after the second generation in 2008. However, it honestly pisses me off that they gave it the same name.

[@autochatter]

Great Vid! Chrysler didnt EXACLTY drop the Challenger due to the Daytona though. When Mitsubishi redesigned the car in the 80s, it was called the Starion. It actually rode on the same platform as this Challenger. Dodge,Plymouth,and Chrysler sold it as a Conquest untill 1988. In 89, the Mitsubishi Chrysler co op continued with the Mitsubishi Eclipse and the Chryser branded clones.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

I really wish I could drive the cars from the '80s especially. Cars like the turbo Daytona and Conquest.

[@autochatter]

@GreenHawkDrive I loved a Starion/Conquest TSI!

[@GreenHawkDrive]

@@autochatter Did you get to drive one?

[@autochatter]

@GreenHawkDrive Yeah..I much preferred the Conquest TSI over a turbo Daytona as it was RWD. The Daytona had some torque steer. I've also driven a Omni GLH and Spirit RT. I've been in the car biz since the mid 90s, so I've been behind the wheel of just about everything non exotic you could think of from the 80s on.

[@laizer1911]

Thank you for another amazing video!!! Merry Christmas and Happy new Year everyone! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Same to you!

[@Mr.CellophaneHart]

4:04 Even at fourth glance my mind still register's this car as a 77 Delta 88.... or 98... My close friend had an 84 Turbo Z and that thing was impressive. Really had a v8 style punch to it. I had an 85 5.0 Capri that was cammed up and while yes, it had more, the Daytona wasn't too far behind. Back in the early noughties everything was pretty lack luster and I was shocked the first time I drove it. Beauty in the black with red interior.

[@JeffKing310]

The R bodies definitely have a GM B body look (esp the LeSabre and 88).

[@OLDS98]

Happy New Year! You keep learning about the cars and the industry. You will become better. The videos are a good effort as they require you to research and learn.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Thank you Olds. It's really cool learning about the cars before my time. I really wish I could drive these cars so I can really get a feeling for how they were. My grandpa has a '83 Monte Carlo SS with under 40,000 miles. He's getting older now and is unable to drive her anymore. He's doing okay, just getting older. Anyway, being able to at least drive that car with him in it would be amazing. Thank you for your continued support.

[@OLDS98]

@@GreenHawkDrive You are welcome. You will get to drive the Monte Carlo one day. Be thankful your grandfather is still here and doing fine. He may want you to drive him one day.... who knows?

[@GreenHawkDrive]

@@OLDS98 Absolutely.

[@Average_Car_Lover]

imagine how much success it would have if chrysler sold it as plymouth sapporo in usa, would be one of the best selling plymouths imo

[@teknowil]

? it was sold in the USA

[@Average_Car_Lover]

@@teknowil yeah but i am saying that as if no dodge model was made and it would be sold as plymouth

[@bobcook8576]

Nice vid on a forgotten stop gap car. A friend of mine had one with a manual trans. I was too busy driving and modifying Camaros and Firebirds at the time.

[@GrotrianSeiler]

Great history lesson. This was the direction of late 70s sport coupes. But people weren’t ready for it so they didn’t sell well. Seems a perfect alternative to a Toyota Celica of the time, if you wanted something more unusual. Pretty car, in retrospect.

[@vertanux1]

I had a 1981 Sapporo and a 1984 Starion. Basically the same cars, one a 2.6L 2bbl sedan, the other a hatchback with the same 2.6L with EFI Turbo. My appreciation for the Sapporo influenced me to get the Starion. Awesome way ahead of their time vehicles, especially with the "Technica" versions, sitting in the Sapporo made you feel like you stepped into the future with backlit gauges and buttons, power everything, door ajar chimes, power mirrors, great stereo, high tech adjustable seats, and digital clock. Then sitting in an American car you realized how old fashioned the domestics were. When I first drove my silver Sapporo to high school it was complimented by many students for its modern look and high tech interior, it was significantly faster than most cars of the time for a 4 cylinder. Rust was not an issue for my 81 model even after years of winter salt driving. Surprisingly, both cars had summer overheating issues, especially the Starion because it was modified during a recall when they swapped using the engine oil to cool the turbo, to radiator cooling (I believe I was told it was a design flaw using engine oil to cool the Turbo - caused premature engine oil degradation). Once the recall was applied you just had to carry a bottle of coolant and check it regularly because the coolant system now had to perform double duty on an already strained radiator.

[@ronaldmiller2740]

G. H. D. ,,, GREAT VIDEO!!! ALL DIFFERNT CARS..MY SON MAX LOVED AND I ENJOYED SEEING THESE OLD CARS.. GREAT CHANNEL,, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!

[@GreenHawkDrive]

THANK YOU!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!!!

[@caseyjones1999]

Please do a video on the ram 50 / Mitsubishi mighty Max. I loved mine it was a great truck. When the mini pickup market started to dissolve in the '90s they had to leave the country due to lack of sales

[@GreenHawkDrive]

How was driving that truck if you don't mind me asking? I do plan on making a video on it in the next couple of weeks.

[@caseyjones1999]

@@GreenHawkDrive it was an automatic and four-wheel drive. It was a very mid to high revving engine. Which was counterintuitive cuz it was a 2.6. when the mikuni carburetor gave me trouble I ended up putting a little Holly two barrel on it and that up the power of it lowered the fuel economy.

[@petervitti9]

I remember when the 1978 challenger came out. I really liked it. Thanks.

[@brianmoore6306]

Great Vid! Enjoyed it and learned something too while being entertained. Thumbs UP!!

[@GreenHawkDrive]

I appreciate that man, thank you

[@missiontotransition641]

My first car. Found it on a used lot in 1984 in Killeen TX. Silver/Black with heavy tinted windows. Had only 6 months as i got stationed overseas. But, drove it from Ft Hood,TX to CR, Iowa and back.

[@jongeers1954]

An '82 Challenger was my first-ever brand new car, and I loved it. Test drove one with an automatic and it was as disappointing as I'd expected it to be. With the manual, it was a completely different experience. I put 70K on it in three years with only one repair, the air conditioning. Finances got tight and I sold it, to a local lady who wrecked it twice but had it repaired both times; the last time I saw her in it was about nine years after I'd sold it to her.

[@garthk506]

It looks very much like the Mitsubishi Scorpion sold in the Aussie market.

[@averyparticularsetofskills]

I absolutely Love this channel, and can never wait for the next vid to drop. With your content type, editing skills and narration style you'll be at 100k subs in the next few months! Keep em coming✌ (2:08 is a Charger not a Challenger ) (Mitsubishi Galant sounds like 'aunt' not 'ant' )

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Thank you so much man. I remember you from my other videos. Happy new years bro!

[@lkmsl]

Great job in your presentation ! Happy New Years to you and your family !

[@GreenHawkDrive]

You as well, thank you!

[@jimbower9268]

We bought a Challenger new in 78. The only thing I regret is that the dealer didn’t explain there were two engine choices. We got the anemic 1.6 with the 5-speed. The car had some pretty advanced features for the time: electric side mirrors, and a hidden radio antenna. The silent shaft motor was ultra smooth (once you got it up to highway speed). I don’t know about rust, because we lived in Southern California at the time, and we only had it for 2 years. We traded it in on a Dodge Colt (Mitsubishi) station wagon with the bigger 2.6L engine, 5-speed and air conditioning.

[@Ca18detEnjoyer]

That image at 6:42 is such a sad sight, knowing how rare first Gen Silvias are Being a Silvia fan, it brings tears to my eyes

[@nolarobert]

I have fond memories of my 1981 Plymouth Sapporo. The 2.6L 4-banger was a peppy motor when coupled to the 5-speed manual. It was the only "Hemi" I have ever owned! It was my longest-lasting vehicle while I was in college. I took several long road trips in it and it drove great. I thought it was a good sporty-looking car for the Malaise Era. It did have a rust issue. I had to repair a rusted-out hole in the passenger floorboard. Overall, it was a good college car for me and made for a good trade-in when I upgraded to a 1990 Honda Civic wagon.

[@bruschmidt9943]

What RPM was the 5 speed manual cruising at for a steady 60 mph?

[@johnrossi6212]

Would love to see a video on the D50!!!

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Right on man! Cool little truck

[@MayheM_72]

I bought an '83 Challenger in the early 90s. On paper, it was pretty good. Big bore OHC motor, 5sp manual, RWD, 4 wheel disks, 2dr hardtop...but it was a "CHALLENGE" to keep it running. I actually liked the body style, though. I have thought about finding one in decent shape, and swapping in a modern, fuel injected motor. Possibly a turbo?

[@donwilbanks2226]

I had one of these Challengers, a black & silver manual. I think it had the larger engine but I can't really remember. I moved to New Orleans from Oklahoma in it. Good little car.

[@porticojunction]

Some time in the early 80's I heard a Mitsubishi Challenger rumble into the gas pumps opposite me and I immediately stepped up and asked "what was in that thing". The guy was happy to show me and popped the hood revealing a 400 small block chevy tucked in as nice as you please.

[@twinmill15]

Keep them coming Great video, you should try looking into the Mitsubishi Starion Chrysler Conquest my favorite, collaboration by Chrysler Mitsubishi and serious 80s Classics, and wonderful cars at least I thought so and some still even hold their own today.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Thank you and for sure I’m excited for 2024!

[@chriswerkes8313]

Bought one of these in 78. I might be the exception, but I had nothing but trouble with it. After about 3 carburetor rebuilds, I finally found a mechanic that suggested removing the fuel tank, boiling it out and recoating it. After that, the rust buildups in the fuel filter and carb bowl disappeared. Shortly after, the distributor shaft developed excessive wobble and would not hold dwell and point gap. To its credit, it did get great mileage and was a fun car to drive when it wasn't having trouble. Nevertheless, I was not unhappy to see it drive off with a new owner. Kinda soured me on Mitsubishis.

[@rjbiker66]

Should have called it Scorpion like they did in Australia.

[@plstewaf3]

I thought it would be cool to find a mint 2nd-Gen Challenger. Then after shaking my head, I remembered that I had a near-mint White 1985 Toyota Celica Supra in the 2000's with 132,000km. ...straight 6 and 5 speed. That car was miles ahead. Wish I had it today.

[@iris46212]

Please make a ram 50 video! Love those trucks!

[@HamdzaHalil]

Keep up with those video's Man, im not familiar with American older cars because im from Poland, but i'm EU we have a pretty big community of old shitbox/classics fanatics, doesnt matter if theyre some old ferraris or regular traffic, alot of people like that, im sure your channel will blow up soon❤

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Thank you from across the pond man!

[@shaneduncan2924]

They should of put turbos like on the conquest that came with a 2.6 pretty darn fast for a car that would do 140 mph with a 4 cylinder

[@biffmalibu3052]

Had an '83, automatic 2.6 liter, red. Bought it new in Pittsburgh. Great car while it lasted. One day in '91, coming home from work, I hear a clunking noise underneath the car. I stopped and looked. I see nothing. Continue to drive. Clunking. Stopped and looked under again. Nothing hanging under the car. I look in the trunk. Both shocks had rusted through the wheel wells. My mechanic said it couldn't be fixed. No rust on the body though. I traded it in with no shocks for a '91 Cavalier. Big mistake.

[@timyank8433]

I remember when growing up (in the 80s), a friend of mine had an aunt who had one of these Challengers. Never really thought much about them at the time, but currently being an owner of a 21 Challenger, I don't think these are all that bad at all. For an early 80s econo car, I think they look pretty nice.

[@richardschultz4780]

I still have mine , had it was new. I believe motor rated it the fastest production 4 cylinder in 1979. I had up 125 mph.

[@yabbadabba2887]

Speedo on mine only went up to 100. Buried the needle though

[@Tony_417]

It must look amazing parked outside your doublewide trailer

[@yabbadabba2887]

@@Tony_417 it's an import Dodge, not a new Cadillac

[@jackeldogo3952]

The Toyota Celica was a RWD platform up to the1985 model year, a couple of years after the 2nd gen Challenger left the market.

[@Timoth_666]

They were called Scorpion in Australia.

[@gabrielvalverde9622]

We still have a 83 model, Black color. It is an amazing car! We got the car during the 2000 We love that car!!!

[@theprinceofsnj]

I remember back in 1980-81 while attending Johnson and Wales Collage, seeing these cars in the yard behind the culinary dormitory. Every once in a while Rhode Island Imports would hire us to drive them from the dock to the yard. I drove many a Challenger, Sapporo, Colt, Champ, And D-50. What was I driving at that time? I drove a 1973 Olds Omega (350 V8)

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Yeah, I never heard of the Omega or don't remember and I just went to look it up on Google pictures. Man was that car a beast.

[@theprinceofsnj]

Yes it was a real sleeper 350 with a quadrajet@@GreenHawkDrive

[@darren6951]

Have you done the abysmal 80's nova?

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Not yet but soon!

[@howebrad4601]

Keep bringing the vids. Just fyi, celica was rwd until the 1986 redesign.

[@nickpanaritis4122]

Nice video. 2nd generation of the Dodge Challenger.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Thank you man

[@michelleshaw337]

Minor correction: The Toyota Celica was RWD until 1986 - so at the time of the Challenger/Sapporo, they were comparable (on paper). The Celica (2nd generation) by this time were a 2.2l engine, and the Mitsubishis mostly had the 2.6l option. (I don’t think I ever saw one with the smaller engine). The “silent shaft” (balance shafts) were an innovative way of tackling engine vibration, and the result was a car that delivered plenty of power without the characteristic vibration of a 4 cylinder under load. What I recall about these engines is that they were somewhat notorious for gasket and seal problems (I’m not sure if that’s really unusual for the era - gaskets and seals used to be pretty routine maintenance items)

[@davyd4355]

My father-in-law gave me a 1980 2.6 5 speed it was surprisingly quick and the four-cylinder engine was silky smooth it was also pretty fun to drive

[@jameslockard6956]

Believe it or not. I met a hot rodder who managed to shoehorn a 440 into a 1982 Challanger! On the Mississippi Gulf Coast every year people bring restored muscle cars, antique cars, and street rods. Sometimes for instance a 1965 Ford Fairlane may have a Chevy engine a Dodge transmission and a American motors rear end. For the street rod. I even saw a 49 Mercury with a Curtis P-40 aircraft engine. He had bought the engine from a army surplus store and it had a bullet hole in the engine he repaired. He had run the engine in a dragster in the late 50s and early 60s. Bought the Mecury in 1967 and spent 5 years restoring it. But it had no engine or transmission. So he used what he had. It had to have 100 to 110 octane aviation feul.😊

[@SharonMcQ384]

I love this car, gas in 1978 was expensive I remember buy $1.38 a gallon and at times you couldn’t get gas. My car got only 10 mpg 1969 impala, and it was about 12 seconds to 60

[@GreenHawkDrive]

What was it like driving that big beast?

[@SharonMcQ384]

@@GreenHawkDrive I wish I had that car today, it was a piece of junk according to other people, but it was my ticket to ride. That car did things that I don’t know how I survived. It always kept me safe. My father and me overhaul the engine, he installed a high lift cam. I still remember driving down the road with the hood off and kicking in the car’s passing kick down. What a ride,

[@GreenHawkDrive]

@@SharonMcQ384 Damn. That is awesome

[@BLD426]

Those D50s were great little bulletproof trucks..

[@GreenHawkDrive]

I’m excited to make a video on them!

[@russellhorsefield9199]

Just like the ZB Commodore made by Opel in Germany. It killed Holden Right car Wrong badge .We we're very lucky as that car was called Chrysler/Mitsubishi Scorpion with 2.6 Astron engine.

[@martinishot]

My older cousin bought the Dodge Challenger in 1978 and although it was a car he was really happy with it he found the getting parts was not that easy. At least not compare to my brother who bought his 1978 Celica on the same day and like all Toyotas never had such a problem. We all wondered if the Mitsubishi would be as reliable and it was.

[@stevenprior7652]

We had these down under called Sigma Scorpion, Chrysler Australia gave us a 4 door version called the Sigma we also had a version of the Charger called the Starion.

[@henriknilsson7851]

A friend of mine in high school had a Sapporo. It was a really cool car, till he hit a deer going about 70mph! Even though he personally welded a new front end on it, the car was never really the same. Great car that was just not marketed well.

[@mrtamegm]

Why no mention of Chrysler conquest based off of Starion

[@LarryLopez91]

The Celica most certainly did have rear wheel drive. I would know since I used to drive a 1985 model.

[@davidnorth9390]

The name makes sense when you consider the sales guys hoped it would be a "challenger" to their competition

[@shawnwarehime8267]

I used to have an 81 Plymouth Sapporo, got from a friend who had a 81 challenger but he crashed it swapped parts from it to “improve “ the Sapporo lol

[@shawnwarehime8267]

Blue Sapporo with red and silver challenger doors and trunk lid, I ran over a leaf pile and pushed the fan into the radiator

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Hopefully your friend walked out okay? And darn than that must have sucked😂

[@shawnwarehime8267]

He was okay, someone ran a stop sign, but the frame bent so he bought the Sapporo, it had a bad motor so he swapped the motor out and when I bought it off him he had the doors and trunk so we put the on , I payed $300 for it , had it about a year

[@86twin]

Saw one of these on the highway a couple years ago. I was able to snap a picture of it.

[@THEM-BONES-1]

My sister had one of these. Silver in color 1981 I believe. Will always remember the plaid seats. Unfortunately she totaled the car.

[@kevinfestner6126]

Most people forget the 88 to 92 mazda mx6 turbo, which is a hidden gem

[@michelleshaw337]

Minor correction: The Celica did not become FWD until 4th Generation in 1986. The Challenger/Sapporos would be similar / competitive in what I would call a “small sporty coupe” segment (Toyota Celica, Dodge Challenger, Datsun 200SX, Mercury Capri (Ford of Europe Capri)). Smaller body cars that were providing a somewhat upscale level of fit/finish and performance - reaching the 4 cylinder car out of the “econobox” models like the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla) IIRC, the biggest complaint with these was the 2.6l engines were notorious for problems with leaky seals and gaskets. I suspect that led to a lot of them being crushed long before becoming old enough to consider them collectible.

[@tomkzinti2760]

I once had a Plymouth Sapporo 2 door 5spd/ 2.7L. I bought it for $50 from a friend and after beating the crap out of it for several years, I sold it for $400 to another friend, who drove it into the ground. It was a wallowy, overweight thing with a tendency to underwhelm AND understeer, but the engine was torquey and allowed one to chirp the tires upon occasion. Mine was blue, I painted black double racing stripes over it with a side stripe from the middle of the trunk down the rear fender, sort of like on a Superbee. It was fun to own as a beater and I'd do it again if I could.

[@alexlane6522]

Do the Ram50 for sure💯

[@mikereaume664]

Celica did have rear wheel drive. Was my first car. My gt couldn’t get out of its own way. This challenger was forgotten for a reason

[@kallsop2]

In the 70's Ford was partnered with Mazda and GM used Opel and Isuzu vehicles. The earliest Ford mini pickup had the rotary from Mazda before going to piston engines. The Chevy LUV was an Isuzu. The big three had to partner with the imports because they could not tool up fast enough to make a huge change to small cars. Even the early Omni's were VW powered Simcas.

[@bc5441]

I wasn’t offended by this car, even though I did admire the first-gen Challenger. The refresh of this Challenger, when the exteriors became monochrome, the rear windows lost the louvers and the gaudy plaid upholstery went away, was an improvement. I like how this Challenger continued to use the script nameplate of the original. I missed that on the LH Challengers. This, and even more so the Plymouth Sapporo, was almost positioned as a mini-Cordoba. They leaned more toward a bit of luxury than any hint of muscle.

[@fms7293]

I know we know a lot about them already but please do the best American tuner cars of the early 2000’s!!! Cobalt SS, neon Srt4 and all them, laser RS, talon tsi, hhr ss!!

[@GreenHawkDrive]

I will. I want to man, trust me. Those cars were little rockets! I definitely will expand to include the 2000's more and talk about performance cars like such

[@stevenfoon2194]

Good Job!!

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@mat13174]

Manufacturers recycle historic names due to the brand equity they provide. They want consumers to have a positive association with the beloved models of the past, even if the new one had/had nothing to do with the model from its heyday. It’s very similar to what Ford has been doing with the Mach E (I’m sorry but I can’t even say the word “Mustang” when bringing up this car as to me, it’s not one.

[@davidmorgan858]

I had a Plymouth Arrow ( Mitsubishi) it was a good little car with a slick shifting manual. Nice little car.

[@akfifa4764]

Keep up the good work, kid

[@GreenHawkDrive]

I appreciate that, thank you

[@adamsmith9636]

I think it was a great looking car , yea maybe another name would have been better . My Dad looked at buying one but the price was to high . I'd love to fine the silver / black one

[@petertornabeni602]

The future of Chrysler without the LX platform is electric. Sad.

[@FWDSUXARSE]

Electric is just soulless to me. Soulless appliances.

[@marciliojunior4919]

@@FWDSUXARSE that's what the industry wants, appliances that no one cares about, to be discarted

[@Maximus20778]

​@@FWDSUXARSEcry about it

[@stevenbalekic5683]

The car is fine and was pretty good for what it was...a four cylinder Japanese car, it looked okay and was cheap to buy especially in the secondhand market. The only problem with it is what the idiots who ran the company did by naming it after a totally different type of car. Ford did this not too long ago with that junk heap Mustang Mach-E and a few years earlier what the bosses in Detroit did to the Australian car industry by ceasing local manufacturing and importing a European 4 cylinder or v6 powered front wheel drive Opel Insignia and rebadging is as Holden Commodore...the Holden Commodore has for many decades only been a rear wheel drive V6 or V8 modern muscle car. Because of this naming debarcle, the imported car was shunned by anyone who was a fan of the original car (especially the change from rwd to fwd) and to this day there are still brand new 2019-2020 Holden Commodores sitting unsold in storage. The truth is though the actual car was pretty good and if sold as a Opel or Holden Insignia (it's proper original name) it would have sold fine and wouldn't have caused such a strong reaction. But not long after the Insignia became a car to stay clear of because GM sold Opel to Peugeot and support for a then brand new car wasn't guaranteed...this includes things like warranties dealerships and parts.

[@ohnoohyeah3205]

We're watching Back to the Future. If I were Biff, I'd have a vast stash of these thangs.