October Wagon Of The Month

Wagon Of The Month.. I would like to thank Tom for makin this day happen

Well its all started off with a dodge stratus 2.5 Gold.. Beautiful interior.. Fog lights(2.5 was the only model to come with them stratus wise) the nicer aluminum 5star wheels


not mine but my modle color and everything..

Anyways I was in the H.V.A.C/R feild.. awesome feild to be in.. I was living my dream working in N.Y.C at the Waldorf Astoria.. Making Amazing Money.. Well needless to say its not what you know its who you blow.. which is ashame.. ANYWAYS i always found myself workin on my stratus when i had time on weekends or when i came home at a decent time..
Started tinting my windows.. Putting the neons on the floors of the car.. Stero System.. Painted the dash inserts.. painted one of my wheels gold and named its my Gold Tooth Painted my taillights gold they had circle designes in them.. I even went as far as puttin a front bumper body kit on it cuz I had crashed it and the front bumper was smashed up.. I have no pictures of this thing when i had it all "hooptied" out.. Its breaks my heart that I dont.. But anyways i gotmyself into something i couldnt get out of.. started ripping the engine apart not knowing what i was getting myself into.. cuz the transmission i had to replace twice and at the time i know nothing about cars.. so someone had to do it for me and of course charging me out the ASS!.. so anywho lie iwas saying riping this thing apart.. and basicly relized what money do i have to put tis thing back together.. so i had to scrap it for 50 bucks.. actaully shead a tear to watch my first car that i paid for and ripped apart leave my garage..

Soooooo i learned a lesson.. Start learning how to do things the right way and doing them yourself..

And this is how I fell in love with the Wagons..

My buddie I work with had told me.. Rob.. Scout out for what you want.. and I had no clue where to even start for what i wanted.. So me and my buddie where on the way to a party and we had passed this woodgrained wagon.. and i screamed out THATS THE VEHCILE I WANT!.. and my buddie had no clue what i was talkin about and kept driving.. so the next day I go into work and i start goin on craigslist and start my search for these wagons..

Found one!..

Thousand bucks in lebanon p.a.. took the two hour ride to check this thing out.. its wasnt in the best of shape so i talked him down to 900 bucks.. which is not a lot but something better then nothing cuz i had to dump some kinda money into it.. so about a week later i finally get he paper work done on this thing and i start my voyage home for this two hour ride.. I must have been the ost happiest 19year old on the highway.. cruising down 81 loving this big ol' wagon.. mind you my mom is following me.. I get off the exit to go back home here in hazleton.. and there is this straight away.. i said to myself.. lets see what this thing got.. i step on the pedal.. im doing about 80mph and BANG a freaking cop sitting right there.. not even an hour and half into me buying the wagon i get pulled over.. luckly it was a ladie cop.. she understud that I just got this wagon about an hour ago.. she gives me the ticket.. but she hands me the yellow and white copie.. odd but i take it and roll with it.. Im partying that night cuz i just got the car of my dreams and just celebrating life at this point cuz im happy and got what i wanted.. the next morning hung over like a bastard i get a phon call from my mom saying this cop is at the front door.. im thinkin i didnt do nothing illegal last night did i?.. and this cops gets on the phone an says robert you have that ticket i wrote you yesterday.. i said yes mam its right on top of my visor.. she says to me.. well imma need that back cuz i handed you the wrong slip.. In my Mind im screaming WHHHAAAAA WWWHHHOOOO!.. then she says to me.. you got lucky on this one..

So about four or five months of me fixing the small things.. like the window roller on the passanger side was cracked(common problem) which now i know becaue of you guys.. i had an electrical problem.. fuse was blown and the radio was shot.. so i put in an alpine head unit and replaced the fuse.. then i started doing the tune up(spark plugs, cap/rotor, air filer, fuel filter, oil change, w/e the works.. also i mean tinting) even put the new radiator in



Then two months after that i decide i wanna rebuild the engine.. i went to school at UTI at this point so no fella's im not relving my mistake with the stratus.. i finally know what im doing here.. plus its an easy engine.. 350 TBI.. a lot more room in this thing and easier to work with rather then a 2.5 engine compartment tighter than a ducks ass.. so I rebuild the engine.. just the way i wanted




Install this thing and off I go for lets say about 6 months down the road.. then.. the transmission..
I knew it was gonna happen just a matter of time.. so now this thing is parked AGIAN!.. untill i can raise the money for a transmission.. well my neighboor sees me outside one days says hey!.. i might have a transmission for you.. come in my basement.. so their lays a 4x2 89 burbon transmission.. i asked how many miles yattie yatta.. and i said how much.. 150.. ill take it!.. rip out my old one and put in this old one..

hhaha.. three months down that road that ones goes.. knew it cuz a fresh engine and an old trans.. w/e i got my moneys worht out of it.. this transmission goes on me all the way in marshalls creek.. now this is an hour and twenty minutes drive.. im doing 35 allll the way home.. took me about 2 and half hours to get me home.. So finally i had to park it yet agian and this time really save my money.. bit the bullet and spend a grand one a decent transmission.. 3year 100,000mile warranty..




And now im still doing small things to it.. i put a remote starter in it.. fancy tinted windows.. Painted roof rack(green) to cover up that know leak there on the roof racks.. put a small ten inch subwoofer..

And with this new job im starting hopefully by next summer i should have this thing pained ready to look sharp for the wagon fest of '12..

well fella's and ladies i hope you enjoyed my story and once agian thanks for this oppertunity for this Wagon Of the Month..

Sweet. I dig the color scheme, it's wild.

Where did you mount your sub? Got pics? I'm hunting for ideas.

I cannot say I dig the color scheme. But I love the enthusiasm!! As we figured out I am 2 hours down the road. LMK when you are coming my way, I want to see it close up.

Tim

Stingroo wrote:

Sweet. I dig the color scheme, it's wild.

Where did you mount your sub? Got pics? I'm hunting for ideas.

I cut out the compartment on the driver side and stuck it under the panel in there.. just enough bass to make me happy..

BigBlackBeaSSt wrote:

I cannot say I dig the color scheme. But I love the enthusiasm!! As we figured out I am 2 hours down the road. LMK when you are coming my way, I want to see it close up.

Tim

Trsut me.. not to many people do like the colors.. i always get "dude are you on acid".. but once the paint work is done it should come together and look much better.. well to me atleast..

I too enjoy your enthusiasm but cant understand your choice of colors.But hey its your wagon so
do with it whatever you like.Great story too.
Jim

kudo's for your enthusiasm and tenacity,.a wagon at heart for sure,.

the "Acid wagon". i like it.

Nick

I like the black transmission!

Thanks for sharing your story! Acid wagon does have a nice ring to it.

And would make an awesome vanity plate! ACIDWGN

I like the colors they are very polarizing (love it or hate it).

You do have the wagon bug and now, you should be good for a few hundred thou on the drivetrain!

Lol!! Love the story of the 1st drive home. Yeah, that drivetrain will last you a looooong time now

Good for you for doing all the work yourself, and good stories. As for the colors...if it makes you happy, whi cares what anyone else thinks. My wife to this day think my Roady is ugly....and I could care less.....these cars sure are easy to find in the Wal Mart parking lot....unlike her Grand Prix and black Suburban. Ha!

-Mike

Good story, it's a real shame you don't have pics of your stratus. The color choice for your engine reminds me of a Ninja Turtle, haha.

Nice write up. I think the engine is " special" but hey, it's your car. You have some good ideas.