posted 04-09-2002 12:04 AM                  

thank you my friend

Happy Prowlin
curtis and while were at it thanks to the POA

posted 04-09-2002 08:08 AM                  

I guess most of these posts confirm what we all knew already - styling was the main attraction that got our attention. Now the attention we get driving them, reassures us that "we are stylin'"

I try to tell myself it is "just a car" but everytime I drive something else, I am missing my KAT. Maybe that's another reason why I drive it everyday.

Happy Prowling

posted 04-09-2002 09:00 AM                  

Go get em Marty!

posted 04-09-2002 09:23 AM                  

quote:

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Originally posted by BeWare:
I had to sell my 29 Ford Street Rod when we moved from CLC UT to GA. I always intended to buy another. When I was finally ready I saw a picture of the Prowler. I loved it but figured I could not afford it. Then I saw it in person at the 1998 Atlanta Auto Show. When I saw the sticker my heart about lept out of my chest, because I realized I could afford it. I kept coming back again and again to drool over the beautiful retro style hot rod dreaming of the day I would own one. There might as well not been any other cars at the show. One year later I had my very own.

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Another reason for me... I was thinking of buying or building a 32' High Boy with no fenders. The Prowler is the best of both worlds, the nostagia of the old rods, with all the bells and whistles and modern engineering of new rods.

Mike

posted 04-09-2002 09:57 AM                  

However, there is a similar question that I've been meaning to ask this group, and that is "when was it love at first sight?". Not to distract from this cap-worthy post, but I'll probably be asking that question soon.

Tarzan

posted 04-09-2002 04:17 PM                  

quote:

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and there is only one CJ

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Okay.......Many moons ago, Bob brought home some pictures of a concept car they were going to call the "Prowler" and asked me what I thought. Now, I'm the kind of woman that knows her own mind (surprised?) and when I see something, (be it a house, cars, clothes, etc.) I either like it or I don't. Very seldom is there ever a gray area. I took one look at that car and told Bob that someday I WANTED ONE!! I can't pick one thing I liked most about it.. it was a complete package and I....just loved everything about it!

Bob joined the Prowler team and he developed the dealer allocation program. He would get calls from all kinds of people trying to get a car allocated so they could buy it. Jay Leno called him...after he bashed the car on his show. There was this guy that called Bob for almost two years. He worked at the White House and was trying to get a car for some Congressman in Indiana or Illinois (don't remember which). Bob kept telling him "No, that he couldn't do it". This guy called all the time. One day, when I was home from work on my lunch hour, this guy called the house. After almost an hour of telling me why Bob should help him get this car, I said to him, "If Bob gets you a car before he gets me one.......he'll be in Divorce Court!" This guy was pretty taken aback and he said, "Who am I talking to?" I said, "You have called our home and I am his wife!" He thought he'd called the office and was talking to the secretary. Several days later when he talked to Bob, he repeated what I said and Bob told him that what I said was absolutely true! He told him if he gave him one before he gave me one, he was 'dead'". LOL!

I worked several auto shows with Bob and some DC staff when they were showing the Prowler concept. I was able to hand out posters, answer questions and just plain be around that car! The more I was around it, the more I wanted it. I've been around cars and hot rods all my married life...we've had a fair number of them ourselves......but there was never anything like this car.......it was love at first sight!

Then I accepted a job with a motorsports/sports marketing company. The company built tractor/trailer roadshow rigs for many different clients for many types of venues. NHRA, NASCAR, Home Depot, GM Performance Parts, GM Restoration Parts, Ford/Harley Davidson, to name a few. In addition, we developed the marketing programs and administered them. I ran as many as four of these programs simultaneously in addition to my Office Manager responsibilities. Early on, in 1997, we did the Plymouth Prowler roadshow for Chrysler. I campaigned with my boss to let me managed that program (I thought I was the perfect fit due to former ties and my love for the car) and he agreed (surprised?!). I spent the next three years managing that program and was also able to go to a number of the venues that we took it to. Two Woodward Dream Cruises, Houston Autorama (2 years), St. Ignace car show in MI, Concours d'Elegance at Meadowbrook, MI, car show in Pigeon Forge, couple of drag races, etc. I spent one year booking it at dealerships as a promotional tool for dealership traffic. It became my passion and it was my job to know everything about the car so I could answer questions. It was fun to listen to the comments about the car, answer questions, be tested by the guys on my knowledge of the car, and the love grew.......

One day, Bob came home from work and told me that he was taking me to CTC to show me something. We drove into one of the parking garages and got out of the car. Now, I'd always loved the purple and knew that was the color I wanted...until that moment when I stood there looking at that beautiful Black Prowler with the chrome wheels.....I was in love all over again. I looked at Bob and said, "Okay...that's the one I want!"

I never really thought that we'd ever be able to get one and if you had told me at that time that I would have MORE than one.......I would have considered you crazy beyond belief!!! Just about the time I'd given up hope of being able to afford one (due to dealer gouging), Bob did a surprise presentation (it was an anniversary gift) at Chrysler headquarters in front of a lot of the Prowler team people that I had come to know, including photographers that took pictures. It was a 99 Black Cat! I was floored and speechless (literally) (hard to believe, huh?). It has been (s)mile after (s)mile since then and just when you think you can't top something like that, he gave me a 2002 for our 35th anniversary this year. I love the Candy Red, but the Black Cat will always be my first love......because it was the first!

posted 04-09-2002 09:09 PM                  

My story goes like this - I've owned Mopars for a long time - my father was a Mopar fan for as long as I can remember. When I was a young boy of 8 years or so, I worked at my Dad's gas station in the late 60's. I remember the Chrysler Plymouth and Dodge salesman that would bring the new cars over to gas up. The dealers were right down the street from the station.

My Dad owned a number of cool Mopars including a 68 Polara convertible 383/4. It was quite a cruiser but, what a boat!! I even recall sitting in the back seat of a white Challenger convertible 440-6 with the top down while Pops took it for a "test" drive - talk about fast!

Well fast forward to 2000. In early 2000 I couldn't believe the prices some Mopars (especially E-bodies) were fetching. I owned a Rallye red 1971 Cuda convertible 340/4. It was a beautiful car with two fender tags of options. But, with three children under the age of 6 and some bills piling up I couldn't justify owning such a valuable car. I put the car on Ebay and sold it for TWICE my reserve to a collector North of the border. I took the cash and paid off ALL of my bills and had enough left over to buy a numbers matching 69 1/2 Super Bee 440-6.

The value of the old Mopars kept increasing and so did my fear of something going wrong with the Bee. so much so, it prevented me from really enjoying the car - less than 175 miles in over a year. So in early December 2001, I sold the car on Ebay (I've had pretty good luck with Ebay).

Again I was able to put away some cash and decided to buy a really classy and cool car that had a warranty. I thought the warranty would give me piece of mind - I could finally ENJOY my car!! If anything would go wrong I have a warranty so, NO problems! I bought a red '99 with low miles in early January of this year. Being that I live in Indiana, I have only had the chance to take car out twice (to pick up the kids at school). So, in the garage it sits - when I'm not waxing it, I can be found just staring at it! A number of times my wife has opened the garage door and found me just staring (in awe) at the Prowler. She thinks I'm nuts! I think maybe spending all that time in the garage with the fumes from the torpedo heater might have something to do with it?!

Well, it's finally getting warmer here in IN. I've got a few butterflies about taking it out and driving it - but I read all of the posts from POA members that say just drive it - and their right. So drive it I will!

Still proud to be a part of the Mopar family!

posted 04-10-2002 09:03 PM                  

I have been caught inn the garage on more than one occassion, and I drive mine every day!

posted 04-10-2002 10:23 PM                  

fixumm

posted 04-11-2002 12:22 AM                  

I say this photo of a concept car in '93 or '94 or '95 (I told you it was late) and my first thought was "WOW" I have to have one! Then the problems started to mount.

#1 It was a Plymouth...I hated Plymouths! (Please don't flame me, I had a "K" car)

#2 Limited production.

#3 MSRP was to high for me at the time much less the actual selling price.

#4 Children cost even more than a Prowler.

#5 Life sometimes gets in the way of having fun.

But time passed and I was looking for a new truck in December 2001 when I got my first hands on Prowler Experience! Here was the car that had "WOWed" me several years ago at below MSRP!

The rest is recent history.

Steve

posted 04-11-2002 07:23 AM                  

I know I said it earlier, but I really like reading the stories. I think it reaffirms to me that I am not the only one that "gets it"

Have fun cruising!!

Marty

posted 04-11-2002 09:42 AM                  

1. Factory built Street Rod, with modern conveyances
2. Limited Production with only minor differences between years and no options besides color, thus all units sold are very similar, except for color. To me, this is a +.
3. Significant use of aluminum and non-metallic materials
4. Fascinated by the mechanical engineering underneath
5. Return of the Yellow option
6. Rarely see other Kats driven on the street
7. Awesome POA online organization
8. Exterior style. On a scale from 1-10 it a solid 10+. Very different for other vehicles
9. It’s great for cruising and fun to drive
10. The ability to own a piece of American Automotive History, and say “We drove it off the show room floor”.

It took 4 months to research the pros & cons, talk to owners, and test drive before I made my decision. I was planning to buy used this summer, but the news of production ending urged me to buy new and very soon, or forever say “If only”.