posted 02-12-2002 09:46 AM                  

It is a pretty honest and favorable review of a 2000 Prowler with several good images of the yellow Prowler that was reviewed.

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Bill Gallagher
1999 Red
www.magictouchdesigns.com

• MTD Prowler Intake System 2.2
• MTD EGR Bypass Kit
• Exhaust With Custom Flowmatched H-Pipe
• MTD Suspension Frame Braces
• Prowler Pro Gears
• Catalytic Converters Wrapped In Heat Shield Cloth
• Alley Cat $9 Chrome Grille Treatment System™ + Painted Gloss Black
• Gloss Black Painted Bumpers With Lettering Painted Red On Rear
• Custom Built Speaker Box In Trunk With 15" Woofer And 200 Watt Amp
• Stock Speakers Replaced with MBQuart In Dash, Rear , And Doors , Stock Sub Disabled
• Polished Frame and Rear Components
• Custom Seat Covers
• Custom Painted Hood Badge
• Black Rear Fender Protectors Removed
• Tachometer Refinements ( Reroute Wires , Covered Bare Aluminum Post )

Future Mods:
• Goodyear Non-Runflat Tires

posted 02-12-2002 03:03 PM                  

Good low speed response from the engine.

Super Fly Prowler Yellow paint (only 250 planned for 2000)

Transmission provides quick shifts

Full length aluminum frame

In a class by itself

Autostick shifter

Good Stereo with standard CD

Trip Computer integrated into rear view mirror

Radio controls mounted on steering wheel

Standard ABS

Rear Transaxle setup

Computer won't automatically upshift the autostick (fuel shutoff at 6,500 rpm's)

Car held true to the original concept.

Instant movie star status

It's like driving the Harley Davidson of sports cars

ABS?????????? What luck he has, getting a Prowler with ABS !

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*99 Yellow
*Borla Exhaust *Mud Flaps *Mac Cold Air
*Yellow Windshield Banner "Prowler"
*MGW Prowler Hitch Cover "COOL"
*Logo Valve Stem Caps
*Chrome Wheels Done Aftermarket
*No Front Bumpers w/Tom Mills Bumper Covers
*Removed Visors
*Chrome License Plate Frame
*Ceramic Brake Pads *Air Patrol
*Painted Black Gloss Rear Bumpers
*Shimmers Bumper Yellow & Clear Tail Lights
*Multiple Coats ZAINO

posted 02-12-2002 05:12 PM                  

Too Much Fun
The Chrysler Prowler is more fun than an amusement park with free rides.

During the week I spent in the new 2001 Chrysler Prowler, I found myself constantly looking in the rear-view mirror, expecting to see blue lights flashing behind me. Not that I was prone to speeding in the car, but at any given moment, I anticipated being pulled over by one of Florida’s finest—and charged with having too much fun. The Prowler stirs up just that kind of feeling.
I also found myself drawing comparisons between it and the Vipers I’ve driven. While the cars are, on the one hand, polar opposites, they obviously share some similarities. The Viper is a gorilla in a gorilla suit, while the Prowler is far more civilized and, well—balanced. More civilized, if you will. Neither one will ever be accused of being a practical car, nor will either pass the acid test for utilitarian family service. One minus the two share is, when the top’s down, and the A/C is off, a lot of heat intrusion lurks in the foot wells, a problem compounded in the intense summer heat of Florida. A minor annoyance, at best. The two cars are built alongside one another at the Conner Ave. Assembly Plant in Detroit, and that’s about the only ties that bind the two.
Although the Prowler has little to no useable luggage space, a bit of creative packing allowed my wife and I to carry everything we needed for a weekend at the beach. What appears to be the lid to a huge trunk is deceiving in the fact that the expected space is taken up by the gas tank, rear suspension and the folded convertible top. Another minor point. It’s doubtful anyone who buys a Prowler would have plans to use it as the Griswald Family Truckster—if so, there’s always the Mopar Accessories trailer. There’s no rumble seat option for aunt Clara and the pooch.
Even though the Prowler has been around since 1997, it would appear there are few enough of them prowling the streets for everyone to have experienced a Prowler sighting (a scant 6,300 had been sold by Sept. 2000). Surprisingly, the car not only drew more attention (sitting still or moving) than any of the Vipers we’ve had for test cars (maybe it was the new for 2001 Prowler Orange Pearl Coat paint?), but it also had a tendency to bring out the idiot in a lot of fellow motorists. From the teenage redneck in the rusted out F150 pickup, to the middle-aged guy in the Lumina, to the Asian kid in the Scud Missle Launcher exhaust-equipped Accord—everyone felt it necessary to pull alongside, make eye contact, then put their right foot through the radiator, leaving the Prowler in their dust. One can only imagine the stories at work the next day about how “I beat a Prowler last night.” Assuming they knew exactly what it was they thought they had beaten.
Ride quality in the Prowler can best be described as being harsh to firm, depending on the road surface and how much you consider yourself an enthusiast. I liked it—it felt just the way I would expect and want a car of this sort to feel. And handling is about on par with the suspension feel. It won’t quite corner with a Viper, but it’s right up there with the top 10th-percentile of production cars with unmodified suspension or upgraded rubber. At 2,838 pounds, the Prowler is a lightweight, and the P225/45R17 front tires bite admirably until g-forces overcome the weight holding them to the pavement. With massive P295/40R20 rear skins, there’s little chance of the car swapping ends in a corner, unless you get happy on the loud pedal with the steering wheel twisted far left or right of center. The low seating position hinders visibility slightly, but the seats and driving position are comfortable. The car sits low—very low, and getting in and out with the top up can be challenging for a guy my size—my five-foot-nothing wife had no problems.
Motorvation comes from the same basic 3.5L, 24-valve, aluminum block, SOHC V-6 found in the 300M, “modified specifically” for Prowler duty (that means it has a computer with more testosterone dialed in). The Chrysler Prowler (sorry, but I kept catching myself almost calling it a Plymouth) also shares the M-Car’s 4-speed automatic transaxle, but in this case, it’s mounted in the rear, connected to the engine by a 52-inch aluminum driveshaft/torque tube. The raspy dual exhaust note of the 250 hp engine is unlike any other V-6 you’ve ever heard—almost V-8 like—and the very crisp shifting tranny is stirred by a fun to row AutoStick shifter. There is no manual trans offered. Sane drivers can expect 17 mpg city/23 mpg highway.
With much anticipation, we pointed the Prowler toward Bradenton Motorsports Park for some in-depth, ¼-mile evaluation work. Expectations/predictions were for a 15.1-15.0 elapsed time, and the car didn’t disappoint us, even in the Florida heat. With two drivers of significantly differing weights, times were consistently in the 15.0s for both. After a ½-hour cool down when a Shivvy guy dumped antifreeze on the track (the most difficult substance to clean off a racing surface), the final run of the night produced a 14.96/90.04 mph pass. We left with smiles on our faces. Sixty-foot times varied from 2.0-2.1, depending on launch technique (regardless of who was driving), but the different launch procedures (loading the converter or leaving at idle) seemed to have little effect on final ET or speed.
The most oft-asked question from others was, “would you buy one?” And that’s a question I haven’t reached a conclusion on yet. At $45,000, it’s a tad pricey. Would I instead spend that sum on a used Viper? Would I perhaps get cold feet at the last minute, and opt for something more practical? I don’t know the bottom line to either question. But if the choice had to be made within five minutes of driving the Prowler, while the experience was still fresh in my mind, I suspect in a moment of weakness I’d mortgage the ranch and go for broke. Not having $45k laying around makes it a lot easier to make rational decisions about spending it.
The more time you spend in a Prowler—the more it grows on you. And that, folks, is an endorsement in anyone’s language. It’s been a while since driving was this much fun!