Hello to everyone on MoParts!
Member from long ago who thinks it's time again.
This is me- .
Some may recall seeing the car at Englishtown on a Wednesday, Friday, or at the Atlantic Nats in the early 90's. Yes, I still have my Duster, and it kinda looks as it does in my Avatar, save for some tinkering I've done over the last decade. Once I was a Machanic for the DSNY in NYC and it was a pretty demanding six, sometimes seven day job. I've moved on from Staten Island to Hunterdon County, NJ and now teach Automotive Technology at Raritan Valley Community College- My weekends are 99% guaranteed off now. I'd like to get back into the swing of things and maybe even dust off and freshen the Duster to participate at Island Dragway, now that Etown is a memory. My hobby time is coming back. Having 2 awesome offspring who have become contributing adults helps a lot too.
I still have the vehicles in my unedited signature.
I have arrived at the reality that a traditional MoPar guy is much like a Packard owner now. Since the advent of Stellantis and a death date for the 3G Hemi, I feel that "we" are on our own. I long for the days to go to Jacks Auto Parts or even the local parts counter at Angiuli or Mauro Motors and get a bag or a box for factory stuff for an A or B engine, or even something they still made for the car itself.
When we got 'Midnite", our '14 Durango R/T, I had already known about the lifter issues. I vowed to super maintain this engine (like I do with all my vehicles) by using the OEM 899 oil filter and the proper MS spec engine oil. Well, about a month ago I had the window down a bit to hear what I thought was a squeaking belt tensioner or idler. It wasn't, it was the doom 3G folks know about. I was and still am devastated. Luckily, I took out a MoPar MAX CARE warranty when I bought it at Freehold Dodge, and I have about 500 miles on a MoPar (supposedly) Reman long block. This failure was like a knife in the back. Never have I ever experienced a Chrysler engine failure in 40 years of being a MoPar guy. We now have a '23 Pilot on it's way up from Alabama, where they're made. This was such a hard thing to do. I priced out a duplicate R/T and it's just too far out of reach. Plus, I don't want to daily another 3G and the Hurricane is not a Chrysler engine
I will be around on here more than I was, and I am trying to feel out for a replacement for the Englishtown swap meet. Carlisle is quite big, although I want to get there again, but I am thing about trying the new Maple Grove swap. I think It's April 1, and I want to support the Koretsky family's efforts.