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Retro-styled autos had been all of the vary across the flip of the 21st century. The Chevrolet HHR, Plymouth Prowler, Volkswagen New Beetle, and Ford Thunderbird had been a number of examples of vehicles from round 2000 that harkened again to decades-old physique traces.
The PT Cruiser first debuted in mannequin 12 months 2001 with traces drawn by designer Bryan Nesbitt. It slotted within the compact class and was designed with retro styling that evokes cues of the Thirties and 40s. Reception was heat, and Motor Development awarded it with “Automobile of the 12 months” accolades. Among the many early adopters of this distinctive design had been my grandmother and her husband Russell who purchased a brand new 2002 PT Cruiser Restricted Version in Darkish Plum Pearl.
Household PT Cruiser Historical past
On a latest vacation journey to northern Utah, my brothers and I obtained the concept that we should always get grandma’s 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser working and take it for a spin.
By many measures, this shouldn’t be a giant deal. The automobile is barely 20 years outdated and based on some definitions it hasn’t but achieved “traditional” standing. However this PT Cruiser, at simply over 120,000 miles, had been parked for over six years since my grandma’s husband Russell handed away in November 2016. Its license plates expired in October 2017. A few of my favourite YouTube movies function revivals and re-awakenings. I really like a very good “barn discover,” so I figured it will make a enjoyable rewarding afternoon exercise to see what we might do.
The Darkish Plum PT Cruiser hasn’t seen an evening in a storage its total life. Most of its travels for its first decade included day by day journeys to the mall and Sam’s Membership. Each Friday, it made the 50-mile round-trip trek from Logan, Utah to Franklin, Idaho so grandma and Russell might buy lottery tickets. There was good train, however the exterior parts began taking a toll on the beauty situation. Rust consumed the proper rear quarter panel and a big part of the entrance fender, and the clear coat failed on a number of panels.
The PT Will get a Revival
The day after Thanksgiving, we confirmed as much as revive the PT Cruiser and it was sitting on 4 low tires. {The electrical} leap field that my dad supplied didn’t present sufficient juice to show the motor over, so we pulled my brother’s Ram pickup over to offer a extra substantial leap with cables. That did the trick. We weren’t certain how the PT would run on six-year-old gasoline, nevertheless it appeared to idle tremendous.
The automated gearshift felt sloppy, and it was tough to inform which gear was engaged. However we rolled out and took it simple on floor streets as we drove to my dad’s place the place we stuffed up the flat-spotted tires. Upon returning to grandma’s, we parked the PT in the very same location the place it had been previous to our go to (which was simple to see due to the tire marks within the concrete). Time will inform whether or not it rides once more.
PT Cruiser Mannequin Chronology
A number of the PT Cruiser’s engineering was associated to the Dodge Neon compact automotive: Powertrain engineering centered round a 1.6-liter inline-four paired with a four-speed computerized transaxle or a five-speed handbook transaxle directing energy to the entrance wheels. At 150 horsepower, it was hardly a dragracer, however Chrysler made some updates within the years that adopted.
In 2003, a 2.4-liter turbocharged variant of the PT Cruiser debuted with a stronger 215 horsepower output. In 2006, styling was up to date to incorporate scalloped headlights, a brand new entrance fascia, revised taillights, and a refreshed heart stack on the inside.
Many particular trim variations of the PT Cruiser had been provided through the years. Some got here with simulated wooden panels, some got here in particular Route 66 livery, some had been styled as a tribute to the Pacific Coast Freeway, a convertible turned accessible, and there was even a two-tone Couture model. The general design language, nevertheless, was unchanged for almost a decade.
The Final Hurrah
The PT Cruiser lived all the best way till 2010 earlier than being discontinued. That closing 12 months, solely the Traditional trim stage with the lower-output four-cylinder was provided. The automobile went out with out a lot fanfare. As we speak, the PT Cruiser has a small however religious following. There’s even a web site devoted to knowledge on efficiency, repairs, awards, and equipment.
Possibly grandma’s PT would make a very good candidate for restoration to a kind of collectors! Till then, it has resumed its spot as a placeholder in her driveway for passers-by to admire.
Observe extra of Tyson’s household historical past of vehicles by clicking right here.
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