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 Finally... After Waiting 12 Years. New Owner! (Page 1)
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| Author | Topic: Finally... After Waiting 12 Years. New Owner! |
prowlerFreek  POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Spotsylvania, VA |
posted 03-17-2012 07:17 PM
    
Hey folks, Well this weekend, I finally fulfilled my 12 year fantasy of buying a Prowler, and took delivery of a very nice 99 Red from one of the members here on the forum. It's an extremely nice 1800 mile car in brand new showroom condition. So with that, I just have a couple of new questions. The car has mopar mudflaps on it, and the front ones are extremely low to the ground as you all know. The only problem is, we cant get the car down to the back of our house where our nicer garage is because the mudflaps basically bottom out trying to go down the hill. As soon as I heard a faint "scrape", I didnt even attempt to go any further. Even though I love the look of the mudflaps, I'm afraid they're just not practical. Are there any shorter mudflap options? Also, I thought that these cars didn't come stock with mudflaps, but maybe I'm wrong. Could I just take off the mudflaps for now without too much fear of any possible rocks flying up and hitting the rear of the car? Second question is this.... and maybe I should already know the answer but it's been a long time since I last drove a Prowler (about 5 years ago). The car is very stiff and is a tad bit "shaky". I only drove it down the road about a mile up and back to get a feel for it. Now, I'm assuming that the car is shaky because it so low of miles and has been sitting for long periods of time (also still has stock original tires.. not dry rotted or any visible deterioration), so the question is, are these cars way more stiff with some rattles than I may remember, or could a few miles of driving loosen it up a bit and smooth it out? Third question is this (question from my Dad actually.. lol). Is the prowler logo a panther or what kind of "kat" is it exactly? I should know this... I know.... Steve This message has been edited by prowlerFreek on 03-17-2012 at 07:20 PM |
blackcat  POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:atlanta, ga |
posted 03-17-2012 07:26 PM
You can remove the flaps. They don't come from the factory with them. Then you can either buy shorter ones (Tom Mills) I believe or cut them yourself like a lot of us have done. |
StingRay                 POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Elk Grove Village, IL, USA |
posted 03-17-2012 07:32 PM
Blackcat is correct, someone is now making them shorter, but many of us "old timers" have cut downt he orginal ones by about a 1/2". Removing them entirely exposes the car sides to too much debris, so I wouldn;t recommend shedding them. Cross bar between the shock towers will help minimize the "shakyness" ... again, people here sell varios solutions, or a solid aluminum bar will work too. The cat ... its a kitty cat! ha ha ... looks like a panther to me ... am sure Plymouth wouldn;t have selected a jaguar .... for obvious reasons! |
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prowlerFreek POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Spotsylvania, VA |
posted 03-17-2012 07:34 PM
Ok thanks guys. We have the means to cut them shorter. Was curious as to what other's were doing with them. My dad was having a fit saying that he couldnt believe the mudflaps were made so low... and now after experiencing my first scrape 30 seconds after getting it off the trailer, I have to agree with him. LOL Good stuff about the cross bar as well. Thanks for the tip! Steve |
beachcat BANNED From:Ontario, Canada |
posted 03-17-2012 08:10 PM
My Tom Mills ( short flaps) are about 4 1/2 inches off the asphalt. Your cat only has 1800 clicks so it's not even broken in yet. Maybe you need to let her rip for a while. |
Howard POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Valencia, CA, USA |
posted 03-17-2012 08:16 PM
Congratulations Enjoy your Prowler |
xtreme prowler POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Halifax,Nova Scotia, Canada |
posted 03-17-2012 08:19 PM
congrats on the prowler, after you get some seat time you will get the feel of the ride.... I have gone through several sets of mud flaps but don't cut them down... maybe our roads here are worse than most but the sand and small rocks chip the heck out of the rocker panels even with the long ones... more of an issue on the dark colors... have fun and welcome to the club |
EssexExport Prowler Junkie From:Lakewood, NJ, USA |
posted 03-17-2012 10:28 PM
Enjoy your "new" ride. Feel free to ask questions here. |
Mr.Mcgoo POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:AZ USA |
posted 03-17-2012 10:45 PM
The wonder bar for the front suspension is a nice improvement, non run flat tires and a much smoother ride |
idive POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Texas USA |
posted 03-18-2012 12:32 AM
Mills has the shorter flaps. To cut your own lay one over the other for a pattern. It's advised to use nylock nuts, as they tend to vibrate loose. Don't overtighten them. Originally, the rear of the fenders were much higher but there was a problem with rocks being thrown back on the rear fender, so they lengthened them. Still, they had rocks getting thrown back so they added the rock guards to the rear fenders and offered the flaps as an accessory. Cat is a panther. Larry Lord has the Wonderbar. It's a better solution than the tower bar, so I've heard. I have one but haven't installed it yet. I do have the bar on tho. It helped some. I've thought about removing it. Rougher ride may be from flatspotted tires. I hear they'll round out with some driving, but you're going to feel the road anyway. The tires may also be hardened with age. Some have gone with non-runflats for a smoother ride and carry a plug repair kit and small compressor. Congrats on the purchase. Enjoy the miles of smiles. This message has been edited by idive on 03-18-2012 at 12:34 AM |
ed monahan POA Lifetime Site Supporter Prowler Junkie Personal ScrapBook From:Cincinnati, Oh, USA |
posted 03-18-2012 01:03 AM
Idive summed it up pretty nicely. If the car has 1800 miles after 13 years, your tires are practically square. You need to drive it to warm up the tires and get them round again. The wonder bar from Larry Lord makes a huge difference. Regular tires also makes a huge difference. the run flats are hard as rock and make the ride a lot rougher. |
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prowlerFreek POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Spotsylvania, VA |
posted 03-18-2012 09:00 AM
I was wondering why the tires had 4 sides to them... Thanks guys! |
JeraneW POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Hilton Head, South Carolina , USA |
posted 03-18-2012 10:06 AM
Welcome to the best site for information and friendship. Some responses you get, you may have to take with "a grain of salt" we used to say. All the forementioned ideas are great. I purchased my cat when new and still have the stone gurads on the fenders. I am very careful of speed bumps, etc. The Wonder Bar really helped with the "bouncing" on the road. Keep in mind these cats are "hot rods" and not meant to ride like regular cars. 1. VERY IMPORTANT: The front of your cat is longer than you may imagine, so be VERY careful when parking. You will scrape or damage the "chin" which has happened to almost all of us. 2. When you put the top down, make sure the fabric clears the latch in the center to avoid putting a hole in the fabric. 3. The top "hold down" latches are fragile. The don't need to be forced! 4 You will get lots of other suggestions and cautions and one you may not think of is be careful of other drivers following you in your "blind" spot. Sometimes they will follow you for miles (out of amazement) and you may forget they are there, especially when your top is up. 5. I suggest you save your old stone guards (just in case) and purchase the new shorter ones if you feel they must be shorter. Original ones are getting hard to find. I just bolted my guards on with one bolt on each side to allow a little flexing and used Loctite to keep them secure. Don't back up in "tall" grass. This message has been edited by JeraneW on 03-18-2012 at 10:11 AM |
garysss POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Balto. Md. |
posted 03-18-2012 01:53 PM
The colder the weather the rougher the ride. Like Ed said the longer your ride the tires will warm up and the ride gets smoother, but not smooth. My first test drive in a Prowler was a cold Dec. day, tires had not warmed up. I thought i was in a go-cart, but it was still cool. I thought to myself, no storage, no spare, hard to get in and out of, rides like a old truck, who would ever buy one of these. I now own 2. LOL The cool factor and friends cancel out everything else. This message has been edited by garysss on 03-18-2012 at 01:53 PM |
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xtreme prowler POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Halifax,Nova Scotia, Canada |
posted 03-18-2012 02:11 PM
Well Said !!
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padroo POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Chesterton, IN, USA |
posted 03-18-2012 07:31 PM
One thing I didn't see mentioned was backing up and having your front tire go into a pot hole then the tire running over the mud flap and ripping your fender off. Fenders are about $800 I have heard. Speed bumps are a problem too. I am not speaking from experience but have always heard stories like this on this site. Larry Lord's Wonder Bar does soften the ride up a little and I know this first hand. A lot of the cars have the original run flats on like mine but they will have to be replace with age like other rubber parts on the car like heater hoses and radiator hoses. Tire selection is another story often discussed. The selection stinks! Welcome to POA and enjoy your new toy! |
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idive POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Texas USA |
posted 03-18-2012 08:05 PM
Correct. You don't want to back up on tall grass, or on deep gravel, or over a speed bump, or out of a pothole with the splash guards on. I've even had to hold the guards when backing the car off a drive on lift with a lip on it. |
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ed monahan POA Lifetime Site Supporter Prowler Junkie Personal ScrapBook From:Cincinnati, Oh, USA |
posted 03-18-2012 09:20 PM
Here are a couple more I found out by "accident". Don't lean into the car and release the seat back. The spring is the same one used to launch airplanes off of carrier ships, apparently. Be careful washing the underside of your rear bumpers if you have stock tail pipes. The edge is very sharp and you can cut your knuckles easily. |
BeWare POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Acworth , Georgia , USA |
posted 03-20-2012 09:56 AM
Congrats on your new Kat. I shortened the flaps on our Kat and I have never regretted it. I used the method idive described. Regarding the ride like many have said your tires have probably flat spotted from sitting. I also have to wonder what condition the seals in your shocks and the grommets in you suspension are in from sitting. Finally all Prowlers ride rough. 97's & 99's also ride rougher than later models. If you can, meet up with another Prowler owner and make a ride comparison to give you peace of mind. |
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prowlerFreek POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Spotsylvania, VA |
posted 03-20-2012 02:05 PM
Update: Just took the Prowler out for about an hour yesterday. It is a rough ride but it seems to smooth out at a little higher speeds (especially over 200mph)........ LOL I wish. I was also able to trim down the mudflaps about 1 inch and it's a big improvement. Was finally able to get the car down our back sloped driveway without scraping everything. Thanks everyone for the help and advice ------------------ |
DES Prowler Junkie From:Valencia, Ca 91355 |
posted 03-20-2012 02:29 PM
good times...now lets see some photos of the redster |
MeanGene POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Burtonsville, MD |
posted 03-20-2012 04:47 PM
Steve, Congrats...it was 8 years ago when you drove my car. Only a handful of people on that list. The run-flat tires (i.e. the shaky part) should be remove and replaced with regular tires - ride is sooooo much better. Gene |
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garysss POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Balto. Md. |
posted 03-20-2012 05:36 PM
Meangene, Where have you been hiding??? I haven't seen you for 2 years. I guess I'll see you in Vegas. This message has been edited by garysss on 03-20-2012 at 05:36 PM |
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prowlerFreek POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Spotsylvania, VA |
posted 03-20-2012 07:06 PM
Hey MeanGene, I think you may have me confused with someone else, however I did meet you a few years ago at the 2009 Chrysler Carlisle and one thing you told me really stuck. "Just go for it, you only live once" And that stuck with me, b/c I wanted a Prowler for so long. Im just glad that I was finally able to go for it! Steve
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ed monahan POA Lifetime Site Supporter Prowler Junkie Personal ScrapBook From:Cincinnati, Oh, USA |
posted 03-20-2012 08:33 PM
Wow, if you are taking MeanGene's advice, you are starting off on the wrong foot. lol Just kidding, MeanGene is a great guy. Glad to hear your second trial run was much more pleasant. After you get that little kid to smile like crazy at you and then some old lady to give you a thumb's up, you will quit noticing the little quirks. |
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