The Longest Week

[OwnerCS]

This has been the longest week that I can remember. My Ridgeline has been in the body shop since Monday. About two weekends ago, four servicemen in a Mitsubishi truck failed to stop and crashed into the back of my Ridge. The driver has insurance and his company is paying for the repairs. The damage was estimated at $3,000 by three different body shops. In addition to bumper, taillight, tailgate, and trim, they are also replacing the exhaust system.

The local Honda dealer subs out all their bodywork to the Mercedes dealer’s body shop about 40 miles away from my suburb. It turns out the local Buick, Pontiac, and GMC dealer has the best body shop in the area. The manager has been in the business for over 20 years and he keeps a talented staff. I have seen his shop’s work on a new Buick with pearl paint, and believe me, their work is as good as it gets.

The other party’s insurance company provided me with a rental car. My first car was a Chrysler PT Cruiser. That car lasted about 36 hours as it would stall out and the engine light came on and stayed on. I finally drove it back to the rental agency to get some type of reliable transportation. I remember driving a friend’s Plymouth Reliant K-car back in 1983 with the transversely mounted “Yankee Doodle” four cylinder automatic that Lee Iacocca used to purportedly save Chrysler from bankruptcy. Unfortunately, the PT Cruiser has many of the same engine performance challenges, noise, and generally rough (read low cost) feel that I remember from the Plymouth Reliant experience. So fortunately the car rental agency has some nice folks working there and they aim to please, so they gave me a Fire Engine Red 2008 Dodge Ram “Big Horn” extended cab, 2x4 truck with 20” factory alloy wheels and some type of Goodyear Eagle GT like tires. For a few minutes, I thought this truck was going to be a cool ride for the next few days.

The Big Horn’s engine feels like a modern-day version of a 318 or possibly even a 340 V8 from the late 60s when performance Dodge/Plymouth products came in colors that you would find in a typical roll of fruit flavored Lifesavers. When I punch the accelerator it, I get that peculiar yet familiar MOPAR exhaust rumble that I remember hearing from my cousin’s Plymouth Road Runner minus the “Beep-Beep Beep-Beep” horn that had to have been licensed from Warner Brothers Studios.

Does anybody remember Dodge’s limited edition truck named the “Little Red Wagon” complete with varnished wood side rails? Somehow those MOPAR memories from the 70s returned this week as I cruise around in this near fire truck size machine with a gray mini-checked looking nylon weave interior that reminded me of some pre-leisure suit era hound’s-tooth sport coat.
It is a pity that Virgil Exner never got to completely finish Chrysler's asymmetrical “Forward Look” due to his untimely health problems.
Elwood Engle brought the knife-edged look from the 1961 Lincolns and Thunderbirds to Chrysler that began to appear with the 1964 Imperial. Now you know why Chrysler and Plymouth product designs paralleled Ford styling so closely beginning in 1964 and running through 1971. It was during this period that Elwood brought the Ford styling department to Chrysler. I believe Ford filled the missing stylist positions with some frustrated Pontiac designers who resented John Z. Delorean’s efforts to make the division’s products look like modern day Packards and Dusenbergs. Remember how the 1970 Thunderbird looked like it should have been on the Pontiac lot?

This big Dodge truck gives a totally different driving experience than what I get from the Ridgeline. As I drive down the road it has a strange quiver and shake that begins with the suspension and moves through the frame to the body. I speculate on how long it will be before the entire truck develops a myriad of squeaks and rattles as the shaking breaks down any vibration dampening capabilities. This afternoon I drove over a nearby railroad track crossing at 20 MPH and I thought the truck was going to bounce into oncoming lane of traffic. My Ridgeline can take the track at 30 MPH or more with hardly any bump and certainly without a "loss of control" feeling.

Many people in my town drive these big Dodge trucks like the one provided for me this week. The trucks are expensive ($30,000 to $40,000) and gas mileage is terrible. This particular truck has no off-road capabilities as it is two-wheel drive and the tires were designed for a Corvette, Camaro, or a GT type sports car – definitely not for mudding. The on-road handling is questionable as the vehicle has a good 26-inch ground clearance that is as high or higher than most stock 4x4 models. The truck it too high off the road and too light on the back end to provide any level of cornering ability. About the only thing I can say it has in common with a Ridgeline is the headlight switch is on the left side of the dash and the wiper control is on the turn signal arm with a steering column mounted gear selector.

So while I get to spend a week driving a new Dodge Big Horn, it really makes me miss and appreciate my Ridgeline all the more. I realize all trucks can’t be a Ridgeline – and if all trucks were Ridgelines they might suffer from being over distributed or too familiar for my tastes. But after spending a month in a Ridgeline, I begin to understand how much driving enjoyment the other side is missing. Once I get mine back from the body shop and it is back with me at work next week, I think I will start taking non-Ridgeline owning friends to lunch and ask them drive so all my friends can experience driving a truly remarkably automobile.

Meanwhile I’ve got two more days to go in the Red Big Horn before I get my baby back home. I cannot wait until this week is finally over!

[MikeT]

Now before bashing the Ram too heavily, understand that it is designed for a different set of uses and users. The Ram is made for medium duty work and marketed to people who love the V8 rumble and want the 18 wheeler tractor cab look. It can tow a Ridgeline on a trailor all day long without breaking a sweat (Although it will be thirsty). The Ridgeline was marketed to those of us who think driving down a wet, muddy road is "off-roading" and want the ability to go to Home Depot or Lowes and haul our weekend "honey do's" home while in the luxury of an automobile with the same (Or better in some cases) ride and handling. I know the Ridgeline is quite capable within the design limitations (Fellow member Outfitter has proven this to me). As you read what I have typed above, please know that I had a white 1999 Dodge Dakota Extended Cab SLTwith a 318ci V8 two wheel drive. To this day I miss the exhaust rumble and the sound it made when I romped on the accellerator (I had ported the airbox). I also miss the low end grunt that the V8 delivered. I do not miss the SCARY wet weather handling, poor braking, rattles, its inability to maintain a front end alignment, the ride, the seats, and the gas milage (Even without romping the throttle). I only had that truck for a little over a year before dumping it for a new car due to its unreliability.

[25 Year Honda Owner]

Many old Mopar memories. In the late '40's they produced many quality vehicles. Most big city taxi's were Dodge, Chrysler, or Desoto. Been going downhill ever since. I had a '65 Fury with the 383 HP. One more strong car however; everything else sucked!!

[shovelhd]

Originally Posted by OwnerCS

Does anybody remember Dodge’s limited edition truck named the “Little Red Wagon” complete with varnished wood side rails?

I remember the "Little Red Express Truck". It was a stepside with wood railings above the bed and chrome exhaust "stacks" with turnouts. I think it had a 318 but I'm not sure. It had the Little Red Express Truck graphic in gold on the doors. A guy down the street has a restored one.

Good luck returning to normalcy when you get your Ridgeline back.

[OwnerCS]

Originally Posted by shovelhd

I remember the "Little Red Express Truck". It was a stepside with wood railings above the bed and chrome exhaust "stacks" with turnouts. I think it had a 318 but I'm not sure. It had the Little Red Express Truck graphic in gold on the doors. A guy down the street has a restored one.

Good luck returning to normalcy when you get your Ridgeline back.

That's it! shovelhd you are correct! I guess I need more memory. The "Little Red Wagon" was a dragster that was based on the Dodge Van Truck. It seems like it was a drag show vehicle that could run down the track on its back wheels.