The 1997 Prowler was a fun project to work on in the late 90s. I worked for a Tier 1 supplier that produced the lights for the vehicle (Company name at the time was Lescoa in Grand Rapids, MI). It was one of the first projects I did in automotive engineering. I was responsible for every exterior light except the headlight (turn signal/back up indicator, side marker, tail/brake light, CHMSL (center high mount stop light), and license plate lights). The headlight was built by Lescoa as well, but a different engineer was leading that project because of the complexity. Those projector beam lenses are heavy, and we needed a casting to hold them and take the heat that the bulbs produced. I still smile whenever I see one of those cars on the road.
In the late 90's I went to a plumbing service call for a woman for a minor repair. When she opened the garage door there was a Prowler inside, I asked her if she would give me a short ride when I was done. She obliged, it was a fun experience and the car felt peppy. I'm glad I asked!
I think it was a huge mistake to cancel the Prowler. All they had to do was put a V8 and a manual in it and it would have sold like hot cakes. I intend to own one one day.
Yeah I agree, it had a big enough following with the V6 but with a MT and V8 it would have really killed it and the performance guys would have tried to get their hands on it too
Y4123 there’s honestly a lot that looked good Ford GT Prowler Mustang Challenger Camaro Mini Cooper Abarth 500 Ferrari California Alpine A110 BMW Z8 Fiat 124 Spyder
I like the Prowler. It was the most unique car in 1997 when it came out and it's still real unique. I thought it was weird and a joke when I first saw it as a model car in 1997 but it really is a treasure America can purely say it made that's not like any other car out there. I want one just as a toy that I really can drive now LOL
Yeah I think anyone that likes cars can really appreciate the work that went into this thing and the end result. They are still awesome rides all these years later and haven’t really aged much at all in my opinion
I bought my 1999 Prowler last month here in Phoenix and LOVE it. Found it on Craigslist and it only had 5700 miles on it, paid $26,500 for it. I first saw the Prowler at the Minneapolis Auto Show in 1993 as a concept car and never thought it would ever go into production. I'm now 68 yrs old and finally able to afford one. I drive it 'every day'!!! And always make sure it's super clean before I pull it out of my garage. My wife LOVES it too, and all my neighbors compliment on the sound.
@@MarspeedCars styling meant narrow foot well, coffin feeling with top up, really wide back end with less storage than miata, it was slow, should have hemisphere 6.1L or 392, unable to roast the tires like the Hellcat, which requires rear tires every 10K. Sold mine for 20K with less than 12k miles
@@downhillskier7 Yeah, it was slow if you consider a supercar slow. The Prowler with its light weight will blow off a Lambo Contach, or a 19 Vette. Yeah, slow, whatever you say.
Yeah but dodge didn't have an aluminum v8 in the parts bin in 97. The 4.7 didn't get going till 2001. An Jeep was still useing the 4.0L straight 6. A viper v10 woulda been overkill. Guess a built 360 woulda been cool but heavy. Maybe bringing the 340 setup back woulda added a little more nostalgia.a turboed 2.4 srt-4 could been fun. Think the real problem was the 40 thousand dollar price tag. 97 was the first year for the ls in a Corvette with a 30 thousand sticker.
@@eldonerc2524 Dodge is STILL using iron blocks.. Dont know why they wont use aluminum. Ford Teksid (and aluminator) blocks can withstand 2,500hp all season long. A 450hp application isnt going to stress it.
This car pre-dates the gen 3 Hemi. Chrysler's V8 of the day would have been the Magnum 5.7 or 5.9, both of which made less power than the 3.5 V6 and weighed more.
Jake Kaywell you make a good point. Chrysler could have massaged those truck engines with better head/cam to make more power like they did with the 8.0L v10. Also whatever V8 engine they put in there would also give it that “muscle car sound”
I remember a guy in our neighborhood bought two in the first year or so of production. He worked at the nearby Chrysler dealership (service department maybe?) and even had one of them delivered right to his house so that it would have as close to zero miles as possible. The other he drove pretty regularly. The “brand new” car was always in the garage covered up. When he moved they rolled the “new” Prowler onto a trailer again. Wonder where that car is now? This was Minnesota in the early 2000’s.
I have to admit that I fell in love with the styling when it first came out, but after looking at the specs, styling not withstanding, I thought they were a little too proud of the car, price wise. Where they lost me completely was when I discovered they didn't offer a manual transmission. To me, a car like that deserves a stick shift.
Thanks for the nice video:.I have an 02 Inca Gold and my registration says it weighs 2,200 lbs, and it has 289 horsepower. Maybe it's just mine. I've had the car for about 7 years now and never had any trouble with it. This is my favorite all time car. I'm 6.3 and added a drivers seat lowering kit from "The Prowler Store" to mine. The factory had the drivers seat up on a box for no apparent reason other than to raise up short people, as it doesn't have a power seat to do it. The kit, just took out the box and lowered the drivers seat to match the passenger seat and it bolted right in. That fixed the headroom problems. Still a pain to get in and out of because the doors don't open far enough. However, my car is worth much more than I paid for it so I never installed Lambo door hinges on it. You have to butcher the car to do that, which kills the value. Even though I added over 15,000 dollars in chrome on it, it's all removable and no holes were drilled. You can see it here: facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1603817496302939&type=3
My stepdad had a '99, in purple with chrome wheels. Can confirm the suspension was rough, but sporty. Being 6ft, I had to ride with the top down. Fun and beautiful car, I bet he wishes he would have kept it now. :)
Crazy to think that the head gasket could go. They shared the same aluminum one the LH vehicles used. They also shared the transmission the LH had but ran it via a torque tube. Awesome video though. I love reading about these things considering I see them every year at the Chrysler Nationals
I have a 99 Prowler in Red and currently has only 23,000 miles, used mostly in the Spring and Summer, when I take it out boy does it get a lot of attention, from young kids to the older generation. There has been many times when other motorists get right beside me and rev up their engines hoping a race will ensue but I just have fun with it. Another really interesting thing other motorists do is get along side you just slightly and I know exactly what is happening, it is that they are perfectly positioned to view the Prowler at the perfect angle from the side. They tend to drive beside me for a good while until they have had enough, finally they will pass and while doing so their necks turn to the right to view the front part of the car, a smile is always present or a thumbs up. I could see the motorist perfectly through my outside rear view mirror as they look at the car and the view of the suspension. A beautiful car it is indeed, the power is plentiful I would say and I don’t need more than it has. I purchased some Continental Tires and the ride is much more enjoyable now. All in all, I love the Prowler.
Your videos are always great. I remember thinking this was one of the coolest production cars when it came out, and whenever I see them at shows its one of the first I check out.
Hello! I have a prowler and the speedometer digital does not lite up. Any suggestions to where I can find service that will help fix or parts to prowler?? Thanks!
It would be awesome if a Hemi would fit but I don’t think there’s room. I think you meant to say the dash bezel matches the “exterior “ color, not the interior color. Also you said tall drivers rubbed their heads with the top down(off) instead of up. Nice video! 👍🏻👍🏻🇺🇸🇨🇦
This car pre-dates the gen 3 Hemi. Chrysler's V8 of the day would have been the Magnum 5.7 or 5.9, both of which made less power than the 3.5 V6 and weighed more.
Same here, had the Prowler came with a V8 instead of a V6 then the Prowler would've not only been more successful but also keep Plymouth in Business as well as let em create the nes Cuda with the Dodge Challenger.
I personally never seen a Prowler up close before. I use to see Prowlers on the public streets from time to time years ago, but you'd be hard-pressed to find one in the wild today. Just like the PT Crusier and the Chevy SSR, the Prowler was loathed by most car cultures.
5.5-5.7secs 0-60 (many publications had it in that range)wasn’t slow in 1999-2002. It was on par or faster than the mustang gt, eclipse,3000 GT, Supra, Porsche Boxster, bmw z3, Audi tt,. The Prowler is a historic & great car!
Well written and executed. Walked through the history and highly educational. I learned a bunch about a super cool car. Great job! Now if it only had a V8 with a manual transmission!
Omg all the Hemi/Hellcat winga-dingas. It doesn't need it! It didn't have one available at the time anyways. My 2002 goes plenty fast, and is a ton of fun as is.
I'd love to own a Prowler, but I'd definitely swap the motor and trans out for either a Ford Coyote 5.0 w/a Tremec 6spd, or a Ford Ecoboost twin turbo v6 w/a 6spd Tremec....what can I say? I like my cars to fire off when I turn the key, or push the ignition start button, sue me ....🤷🏻♂️
We own a Black Tie Edition Prowler and it is the most fun, unique car we have owned. Hot rod body with a modern drivetrain. It evokes a reaction which is something that millions of drab suvs just don't do. It is as quick as we would ever need it to be and we have 2 other sedans so practicality isn't an issue.
I own #7 . It currently has 13k miles on it and has been in my family since it was brand new. It was in Michigan, Florida and now in Las Vegas. My dad and I bonded over this car almost my whole life until he passed. If anyone ever has any questions let me know!
I'm about to buy one with 15,000 miles on it! Have you ever had any issues with yours? And can you find people to work on them since they don't make them anymore? Do they still make parts for this car?
Great details & informative, love the design but back then I did hear about some of the negatives, just saw one yesterday & considering buying one wanted to k ow more info, thanks
I attended Art Center College of Design, so this is pretty sweet, because I didn't know that Chip Foose was involved with this design, but I shouldn't be surprised, considering!
I had always known that the Prowler was the worst selling car in American auto history, but never knew it was specially meant for research. The one big thing that disappointed most people was the performance, with it have a V6. I definitely do see that the Prowler is a car just for cruising and having fun, esp with the interior and trunk space. Select areas of the chassis and exterior seem to show quality and safety issues.
I loved the exterior styling, thought it was cool. I didn't know it was an exercise in aluminum. I thought the 1999 and on aluminum V6 was more than adequate performance wise. There was a tv show, where the hero drove the Prowler, called, Nightman. Overall great video.
I am ok with the V6 myself but it definitely needed more than a 4 speed trany.....It would have been alot sweeter if it had a 6 to 8 speed trany to go along with the V6.
Still surprised it didn't have a longer production run with better practical designs. Still, it will be an icon for the ages. A converted electric version will be amazing down the road.
I had a business acquaintance that had 98’ Prowler. I personally like the car purely for the styling. My biggest complaint was as mentioned a Chrysler V6 (super unreliable motor IMO), and an automatic transmission. If I were to own one it would be solely for weekend fun like any vintage Hot Rod.
Wanted one of these so badly when they debuted. Weekend/road trip car. However, there was NO storage space. Couldn’t even accommodate a standard briefcase! That’s why they came out with the matching trailers! No dice for me.
As A 2002 Prowler Owner I Can Tell You That If You Power Break This Thing On Blacktop You Will Smoke Those Oversize Tires , From A Dead Stop Also On Blacktop You Might Get Some Wheel Spin On (To The Floor) Acceleration Plus A Wheel Chirp Going Into 2nd Gear. That Being Said Remember That This Is A 2000lb Car So It Is Accelerating At A Fast Rate. Now With The Indy Style Suspension And The Front And Rear Weight racial The Posted Curve Speed Is Just A Suggestion (Baring Any Tar Snakes Or Uneven Road Surface) You Can Easly Take That Curve At Twice The Suggested Speed ( It's A Real Rush ) The Exhaust Sound Is Not Your Run Of The Mill Sound No It Will Not Sound Like A V8 But Respectable. Would I Rather Have A Big Block 4 Speed With Open Headers? But My Prowler Did Colect 11 Trophies Last Year At Car Shows
The original base price was advertised at a few pennies short of $38k. The first ones on the market were advertised by dealers at a substantial markup. I never saw one at less than $49,999 and it was a new prior year model . The dealer had it roped off like a World of Wheels show car. If you wanted to drive it, all you had to do was buy it first. No thank you very much. It didn't surprise me when Plymouth went out of business.
The Plymouth Prowler is a super unique car. There was nothing like it on the road in 1997 and there really isn't anything on the road like it in 2020, unless you consider the 3 wheeled Polaris Slingshot to be comparable.
I have a prowler and I drive mine, , its a great car wasn't meant to be a race car, I have not had any real issues, it still turns heads and people are always asking questions and taking pictures.. people who say it should of had a v8 ,what was the average hp of cars in its time and with no weight it runs great,
Hey Marspeed, have you seen my Prowler video series yet? Part 1 - th-cam.com/video/MC3juow-hj8/w-d-xo.html Part 2 - th-cam.com/video/CR54dZLg8WY/w-d-xo.html Part 3 - th-cam.com/video/b9yIM3Ep-_M/w-d-xo.html Part 4 - th-cam.com/video/d0vSDoxJoAs/w-d-xo.html Part 5 - th-cam.com/video/Q8vQV6NAG_s/w-d-xo.html Part 6 - th-cam.com/video/eOHWQbU1UqE/w-d-xo.html Part 7 - th-cam.com/video/AEFM4cgz_Rs/w-d-xo.html Part 8 - th-cam.com/video/k4xobyyDHJc/w-d-xo.html Part 9 - th-cam.com/video/q9BHcXaGamo/w-d-xo.html Part 10- th-cam.com/video/dqzodBSlyCQ/w-d-xo.html
Very good review. I've liked the Prowler since its inception. I don't see them much and I live in Southern California. If the situation were right, I would own one.
I have an 02 and you have the paint numbers wrong. Your chart was the early before model year chart. Meanwhile, Chrysler was racing to develop a dual color pearl paint, and they perfected it during the Prowler run. There weren't 300 Red pearl cars there were 600 and only 289 Inca Golds to balance production. I know, I have one. The problem with the Red, is in the Sun, it's orange, making it look like a Hot Wheels car. Fine if you like that, but it makes it look like a toy. The Inca Gold glows gold giving it a richer look. And that's what I like. The black or Navy show all the dust and are really hot in the bright Summer. (I've had one black car in my life; never again) I wanted a light color that looked rich. Also, the reason it rode so rough is because it had run flat tires. I put Continental Extreme Contacts on it and it was like night and day. (you can't even buy the original Good Year Eagles for it anymore) Still, there are some really bad streets around here I won't take it down. So, to make up for the standard sidewalls, I put a Continental blow out kit in the trunk like all the exotics have. And to the wishers down below; it's worth double what I paid for it. My very own street legal Hot Wheels car. Yeah it's kewl. Really nice video, thanks! Incidentally; Chrysler didn't make this car. It was made by Mercedes and hand made by Chrysler at their skunk works in Detroit. Just like the brand new Viper. They were supposed to be a set for 100 grand. Viper stripped to the bone for you when you want to get wild, and the Prowler, all decked out with everything on it, when you took you girl out. That was the original intent for both those cars. The Viper didn't even have power windows. And also, my 02 says 2,200 lbs on the registration, not 2,800 and will blow off a stock C-7 Corvette. Under horsepowered never comes to mind.
This aluminium experiment went sort of like this: as soon as the car manufacturers found out that the aluminum bodies don't rust, they stop making them. Why would you want to build something that could possibly kill your sales because it don't rust out? Btw, Ford did the same thing.
I remember being a kid when the first got introduced and saw it in the showroom where my Dad worked and was amazed by how it looked. I do miss when I saw Chrysler made allot of authentic vehicles to leave their legacy (when it was Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Plymouth days).
I'm a big fan of this car, always wanted one. As a kid growing up it looked like a batman villain or 50's organized crime boss vehicle got hot rodded then decided last second it wanted to be in f1, trained fot a week and gave up its racing career when the government told him his front wing had to be a bumper. Special place in my heart this car. Pure nostalgia and wonder for me. Love it, despite the gearbox. I would love that black tie version to match my daily driver charger with the same colors.
Alot of people down it because of the V6 what they do not realize is the v6 made great power when compared to how much the car weighted.Power to weight ratio was performance but what killed the real performance was the gearing plymouth should have put a performance transmission with the v6 instead they used a regular trans found in every family sedan.The front end design is also why they went with the v6 it fits in easier.
I wish they had done an SRT6 version, turbocharged and intercooled. That would have been amazing! I'm glad Chrysler made them, but at 6'4" I guess I would choose something else.
The 3.5 Prowler engine actually put out more HP than the 4.7 V8. When you look at the 1/4 mile specs of the prowler they were respectable to Mustang and Camaro at that time. It's a shame Chrysler didn't have deeper pockets when the Prowler was built and would have gone into a 2nd generation with all the upgrades.
I actually thought this was an incredible vehicle. People who complained about the performance were missing the point. The point was to create an eye catching vehicle that could be lived with on the road. It was never meant to have neck snapping performance. It wasn't Plymouth's or later Chrysler's answer to the Viper. It didn't have such narly performance as to be dangerous in inexperienced hands. It was of course designed to attract attention. Mid 14 second quarter mile times weren't all that bad either. That's about where most 60's and 70's performance cars fell, without good tires, decent fuel mileage or creature comforts. As I said, not really that bad.
The most unique and out-of-this-world Mopar mobile ever!! I love its looks but I wish they put at least a V8 (I think the 3.5 SOHC V6 is fine for its time), 5MT on it and nicer interior!!
Amazing video. Technically there are actually no flaws to the Plymouth Prowler 😍😍
Thanks for the support! It’s just about a perfect vehicle 😂😎
It's made by Chrysler that's a flaw by itself
I love you guys im looking to buy a new car i just wanted to know if I should get a raptor or prowler and what color? Im in America.
@@sshagann Raptor in molten orange and Prowler in Prowler Yellow. You can't just get one
@@TheStraightPipes I'm going to buy both slowly haha I actually am tbh I'm going to buy the raptor first dont worry in those same colors
The 1997 Prowler was a fun project to work on in the late 90s. I worked for a Tier 1 supplier that produced the lights for the vehicle (Company name at the time was Lescoa in Grand Rapids, MI). It was one of the first projects I did in automotive engineering. I was responsible for every exterior light except the headlight (turn signal/back up indicator, side marker, tail/brake light, CHMSL (center high mount stop light), and license plate lights). The headlight was built by Lescoa as well, but a different engineer was leading that project because of the complexity. Those projector beam lenses are heavy, and we needed a casting to hold them and take the heat that the bulbs produced. I still smile whenever I see one of those cars on the road.
Just more power good desighn
Awesome, thx for the info
In the late 90's I went to a plumbing service call for a woman for a minor repair. When she opened the garage door there was a Prowler inside, I asked her if she would give me a short ride when I was done. She obliged, it was a fun experience and the car felt peppy. I'm glad I asked!
That’s an awesome story nice to get a ride! By the way you started the story I thought it was gonna end differently 😂😬
@@MarspeedCars Lol, not that particular time, she wasn't my type.
I think it was a huge mistake to cancel the Prowler. All they had to do was put a V8 and a manual in it and it would have sold like hot cakes. I intend to own one one day.
Yeah I agree, it had a big enough following with the V6 but with a MT and V8 it would have really killed it and the performance guys would have tried to get their hands on it too
not really. only boomers bought these and they forgot how to drive manual.
Not only that but would've also kept Plymouth in business and let create the all new Cuda to compete with the Mustang and Camaro.
This is one of the only retro fad cars that actually looked cool
They killed the design! It just needed a V8 and then it’s absolutely perfect
@@MarspeedCars absolutely!
V8 with a manual in this thing would be amazing
Y4123 there’s honestly a lot that looked good
Ford GT
Prowler
Mustang
Challenger
Camaro
Mini Cooper
Abarth 500
Ferrari California
Alpine A110
BMW Z8
Fiat 124 Spyder
@@danielvisintainer3352 I'd throw in the last gen Thunderbird
Y4123 same.
I like the Prowler. It was the most unique car in 1997 when it came out and it's still real unique. I thought it was weird and a joke when I first saw it as a model car in 1997 but it really is a treasure America can purely say it made that's not like any other car out there. I want one just as a toy that I really can drive now LOL
Yeah I think anyone that likes cars can really appreciate the work that went into this thing and the end result. They are still awesome rides all these years later and haven’t really aged much at all in my opinion
@@MarspeedCars is the next video is the dodge stratus?
I bought my 1999 Prowler last month here in Phoenix and LOVE it. Found it on Craigslist and it only had 5700 miles on it, paid $26,500 for it. I first saw the Prowler at the Minneapolis Auto Show in 1993 as a concept car and never thought it would ever go into production. I'm now 68 yrs old and finally able to afford one. I drive it 'every day'!!! And always make sure it's super clean before I pull it out of my garage. My wife LOVES it too, and all my neighbors compliment on the sound.
@@MarspeedCars styling meant narrow foot well, coffin feeling with top up, really wide back end with less storage than miata, it was slow, should have hemisphere 6.1L or 392, unable to roast the tires like the Hellcat, which requires rear tires every 10K. Sold mine for 20K with less than 12k miles
@@downhillskier7 Yeah, it was slow if you consider a supercar slow. The Prowler with its light weight will blow off a Lambo Contach, or a 19 Vette. Yeah, slow, whatever you say.
Two words that should've been in the same sentence:
Hellcat. Prowler.
It's been done
No
The main handicap of the Hellcat is its large size. It is too wide and too high for most applications.
They put a hellcat motor in a Miata. If they can do that , there are limitless options
@@Dat4valveGuy but it has though.
www.thedrive.com/news/23865/this-hellcat-swapped-1999-plymouth-prowler-rights-a-historic-wrong
I have always wanted to see one build as a drift car. would be so cool to see all that angle and suspension work while drifting.
with that rear track the thing would spin out all the time every time
It's like a pt cruiser. But done right.
Yes that where they got the idea for the PT but you already know that
Exactly, they've got the idea from the hideous (and ONLY hideous, am blocking anyone who says that it is a good car, no exceptions) PT Cruiser.
@@brianlee4629 ok boomer
@@davidkruse4030 Especially you, David. You better watch what kind of words you use for the PT. (No compliments, I'm serious).
@@brianlee4629 I love my PT Cruiser 😍
I love mine - even during the pandemic shutdown when I'm in the garage I can't help thinking "that is a beautiful car" (99 Purple).
Make a video of it please!!
If it had a V8 engine to match that muscle car styling it would have been smash hit and a future collectable. That’s it
Danny 200MPH
That would have made too much sense
Yeah but dodge didn't have an aluminum v8 in the parts bin in 97. The 4.7 didn't get going till 2001. An Jeep was still useing the 4.0L straight 6. A viper v10 woulda been overkill. Guess a built 360 woulda been cool but heavy. Maybe bringing the 340 setup back woulda added a little more nostalgia.a turboed 2.4 srt-4 could been fun. Think the real problem was the 40 thousand dollar price tag. 97 was the first year for the ls in a Corvette with a 30 thousand sticker.
@@eldonerc2524 Dodge is STILL using iron blocks..
Dont know why they wont use aluminum. Ford Teksid (and aluminator) blocks can withstand 2,500hp all season long. A 450hp application isnt going to stress it.
This car pre-dates the gen 3 Hemi. Chrysler's V8 of the day would have been the Magnum 5.7 or 5.9, both of which made less power than the 3.5 V6 and weighed more.
Jake Kaywell you make a good point. Chrysler could have massaged those truck engines with better head/cam to make more power like they did with the 8.0L v10. Also whatever V8 engine they put in there would also give it that “muscle car sound”
I seen a Plymouth prowler in Texas it was purple and the secondary color was black I was wondering if they should bring it back
I know these are rebadged Mitsubishi’s, but how about a look into the Dodge Stealth or Chrysler Conquest?
There's a Stealth in my neighborhood, it's rusty as hell tho
Y4123 Yeah, such is the fate of sports cars that don’t retain its resale value. Breaks my heart whenever I see one like that.
@DFB58 I went to prom in an Eagle Talon lmao
The names are really good, and they still sound modern.
Just because you can't afford one that's no reason to insult the car. Wow, jealous much?
Gotta respect the thought and innovation that brought the Prowler to the market. I always liked its retro hot rod styling
Absolutely they had these amazing vehicles throughout the 90s like the Viper and this thing. Back when Chrysler was really booming
Yes, back when the company was run by motorheads. That's why the Prowler and Viper exist.
i wish there was a channel like this for GM cars...😖
gamer games same.
Never heard the word "mausoleum" pronounced like "linoleum" before. Great video though.
Dude must have never heard it pronounced before
yes i love it my black 1999 10 years later and i still love drving
I never owned one, but I would like to!
I remember a guy in our neighborhood bought two in the first year or so of production. He worked at the nearby Chrysler dealership (service department maybe?) and even had one of them delivered right to his house so that it would have as close to zero miles as possible. The other he drove pretty regularly. The “brand new” car was always in the garage covered up. When he moved they rolled the “new” Prowler onto a trailer again. Wonder where that car is now? This was Minnesota in the early 2000’s.
I used to see these all the time around those years but haven’t seen one since. Forgot all about them lol. As a kid I thought they were awesome
It’s still one of the best looking cars ever built.
I have to admit that I fell in love with the styling when it first came out, but after looking at the specs, styling not withstanding, I thought they were a little too proud of the car, price wise. Where they lost me completely was when I discovered they didn't offer a manual transmission. To me, a car like that deserves a stick shift.
Thanks for the nice video:.I have an 02 Inca Gold and my registration says it weighs 2,200 lbs, and it has 289 horsepower. Maybe it's just mine. I've had the car for about 7 years now and never had any trouble with it. This is my favorite all time car. I'm 6.3 and added a drivers seat lowering kit from "The Prowler Store" to mine. The factory had the drivers seat up on a box for no apparent reason other than to raise up short people, as it doesn't have a power seat to do it. The kit, just took out the box and lowered the drivers seat to match the passenger seat and it bolted right in. That fixed the headroom problems. Still a pain to get in and out of because the doors don't open far enough. However, my car is worth much more than I paid for it so I never installed Lambo door hinges on it. You have to butcher the car to do that, which kills the value. Even though I added over 15,000 dollars in chrome on it, it's all removable and no holes were drilled. You can see it here: facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1603817496302939&type=3
My stepdad had a '99, in purple with chrome wheels. Can confirm the suspension was rough, but sporty. Being 6ft, I had to ride with the top down. Fun and beautiful car, I bet he wishes he would have kept it now. :)
Crazy to think that the head gasket could go. They shared the same aluminum one the LH vehicles used. They also shared the transmission the LH had but ran it via a torque tube. Awesome video though. I love reading about these things considering I see them every year at the Chrysler Nationals
The Prowler didn't use a torque tube it used a regular drive shaft coming off the bell housing going straight back to the transaxle trany.
@@Riley_1955 interesting. I never knew that. Everywhere I read says its a torque tube.
No torque tube. Just an open shaft spinning.
I think a hopped up version of the 4.0 straight six would have been a really cool option for a “traditional hot rod”.
Really? Listen to how these wannabes back mouth the V-6.
The 255hp Prowler has wider rear wheels and tires than a 717hp Challenger Hellcat lol
295s with 255hp, there's no way you'd ever get power oversteer in that thing lol
My 02 has 290 hp. That was the last year it was made.
I have a 99 Prowler in Red and currently has only 23,000 miles, used mostly in the Spring and Summer, when I take it out boy does it get a lot of attention, from young kids to the older generation. There has been many times when other motorists get right beside me and rev up their engines hoping a race will ensue but I just have fun with it. Another really interesting thing other motorists do is get along side you just slightly and I know exactly what is happening, it is that they are perfectly positioned to view the Prowler at the perfect angle from the side. They tend to drive beside me for a good while until they have had enough, finally they will pass and while doing so their necks turn to the right to view the front part of the car, a smile is always present or a thumbs up. I could see the motorist perfectly through my outside rear view mirror as they look at the car and the view of the suspension.
A beautiful car it is indeed, the power is plentiful I would say and I don’t need more than it has. I purchased some Continental Tires and the ride is much more enjoyable now. All in all, I love the Prowler.
Your videos are always great. I remember thinking this was one of the coolest production cars when it came out, and whenever I see them at shows its one of the first I check out.
The same 3.5L HO i have in my 04 300m special. I like the body style on the Prowler👍👍
allpar300_ M same as my 2001 m
one of the most unique looking cars ever
sad it didn't come to saudiarabia
Hello! I have a prowler and the speedometer digital does not lite up. Any suggestions to where I can find service that will help fix or parts to prowler?? Thanks!
A true uncommon car here, the prowler would be better if it's had a V8 and a manual tranny👍
An LS or LT (evil grin) w/ Tremec TR6060!
I just purchased a 2001 Black Tie Edition, I always wanted one of these cars, I just Love the way they look!
It would be awesome if a Hemi would fit but I don’t think there’s room. I think you meant to say the dash bezel matches the “exterior “ color, not the interior color. Also you said tall drivers rubbed their heads with the top down(off) instead of up. Nice video! 👍🏻👍🏻🇺🇸🇨🇦
Is possible to fit a 6.1 hemi on the prowler, there are some videos of it on yt
I think that, with minor mods, the regular 5.7 HEMI would fit, but not the 6.2 or Hellcat.
There's a pic of a hemi swapped one in the video. The problem was the hemi didn't exist in 1997. They didn't hit production till 2002.
This car pre-dates the gen 3 Hemi. Chrysler's V8 of the day would have been the Magnum 5.7 or 5.9, both of which made less power than the 3.5 V6 and weighed more.
And that was not correct. I'm 6'3 and have no problems with headroom with the top up. Getting in the car with the top up is another story. LOL
I've always liked the Plymouth Prowler, very cool looking car.
I miss the Plymouth brand cars.
You should do a video on the Chrysler LH cars.
Same here, had the Prowler came with a V8 instead of a V6 then the Prowler would've not only been more successful but also keep Plymouth in Business as well as let em create the nes Cuda with the Dodge Challenger.
I personally never seen a Prowler up close before. I use to see Prowlers on the public streets from time to time years ago, but you'd be hard-pressed to find one in the wild today. Just like the PT Crusier and the Chevy SSR, the Prowler was loathed by most car cultures.
I had a pt cruiser, it was surprisingly reliable. I loved that car.
The Walter P. Chrysler museum had one you could sit in before the museum closed.
The Plymouth Prowler could've sold well had Chrysler offered a V8 in it.
5.5-5.7secs 0-60 (many publications had it in that range)wasn’t slow in 1999-2002. It was on par or faster than the mustang gt, eclipse,3000 GT, Supra, Porsche Boxster, bmw z3, Audi tt,. The Prowler is a historic & great car!
Well written and executed. Walked through the history and highly educational. I learned a bunch about a super cool car. Great job! Now if it only had a V8 with a manual transmission!
Omg all the Hemi/Hellcat winga-dingas. It doesn't need it! It didn't have one available at the time anyways. My 2002 goes plenty fast, and is a ton of fun as is.
I'd love to own a Prowler, but I'd definitely swap the motor and trans out for either a Ford Coyote 5.0 w/a Tremec 6spd, or a Ford Ecoboost twin turbo v6 w/a 6spd Tremec....what can I say? I like my cars to fire off when I turn the key, or push the ignition start button, sue me ....🤷🏻♂️
Nice video. One of the most cool cars of all time!
I remember seeing one of these on the showroom floor when I was a kid.
Thanks for the video I've always liked the prowler I always thought it complimented the viper for the Plymouth side .
We own a Black Tie Edition Prowler and it is the most fun, unique car we have owned. Hot rod body with a modern drivetrain. It evokes a reaction which is something that millions of drab suvs just don't do. It is as quick as we would ever need it to be and we have 2 other sedans so practicality isn't an issue.
I think the Prowler is really neat. I learned a lot about it.
I own #7 . It currently has 13k miles on it and has been in my family since it was brand new. It was in Michigan, Florida and now in Las Vegas. My dad and I bonded over this car almost my whole life until he passed. If anyone ever has any questions let me know!
I'm about to buy one with 15,000 miles on it! Have you ever had any issues with yours? And can you find people to work on them since they don't make them anymore? Do they still make parts for this car?
Great details & informative, love the design but back then I did hear about some of the negatives, just saw one yesterday & considering buying one wanted to k ow more info, thanks
I attended Art Center College of Design, so this is pretty sweet, because I didn't know that Chip Foose was involved with this design, but I shouldn't be surprised, considering!
I had always known that the Prowler was the worst selling car in American auto history, but never knew it was specially meant for research. The one big thing that disappointed most people was the performance, with it have a V6.
I definitely do see that the Prowler is a car just for cruising and having fun, esp with the interior and trunk space.
Select areas of the chassis and exterior seem to show quality and safety issues.
I loved the exterior styling, thought it was cool. I didn't know it was an exercise in aluminum. I thought the 1999 and on aluminum V6 was more than adequate performance wise. There was a tv show, where the hero drove the Prowler, called, Nightman. Overall great video.
Night man was one of the worst shows in history.
@@springwoodslasher79 I never said the show was high art. But whether you loved or hated it, he drove a Prowler
I am ok with the V6 myself but it definitely needed more than a 4 speed trany.....It would have been alot sweeter if it had a 6 to 8 speed trany to go along with the V6.
@@Riley_1955 you dont build a fucking hot rod based on 40s hot rods and throw a pussy ass v6 in it.
@@Riley_1955 The 8 speed Hellcat trans is a direct. Not an overdrive. None of the Dodge 8 speeds are overdrive.
Yuri has entered the conversation.
@Marspeed how do you find all this info? I'm very curious.
I always wanted a purple Prowler with the trailer for the hell of it. Awesome, awesome car.
Still surprised it didn't have a longer production run with better practical designs. Still, it will be an icon for the ages. A converted electric version will be amazing down the road.
A well-done documentary.
Great video!!!The prowler is such a great car, I love mine!!!! Thanks.
I love the look of these things! My dream Prowler would be one with a HellCat Hemi V8 in it...
Great idea, and even greater a 6MT on the back.
It's been done. You can buy a Hellcat crate motor to fit almost anything. So where does it stop?
Love ur videos! Keep making more! 🙂
I had a business acquaintance that had 98’ Prowler. I personally like the car purely for the styling. My biggest complaint was as mentioned a Chrysler V6 (super unreliable motor IMO), and an automatic transmission. If I were to own one it would be solely for weekend fun like any vintage Hot Rod.
Just bought a 99. Love it.
How did I not see this video Months ago???
Finally a Prowler Review!!!
Wanted one of these so badly when they debuted. Weekend/road trip car. However, there was NO storage space. Couldn’t even accommodate a standard briefcase! That’s why they came out with the matching trailers! No dice for me.
What transmission did it have?
As A 2002 Prowler Owner I Can Tell You That If You Power Break This Thing On Blacktop You Will Smoke Those Oversize Tires , From A Dead Stop Also On Blacktop You Might Get Some Wheel Spin On (To The Floor) Acceleration Plus A Wheel Chirp Going Into 2nd Gear. That Being Said Remember That This Is A 2000lb Car So It Is Accelerating At A Fast Rate. Now With The Indy Style Suspension And The Front And Rear Weight racial The Posted Curve Speed Is Just A Suggestion (Baring Any Tar Snakes Or Uneven Road Surface) You Can Easly Take That Curve At Twice The Suggested Speed ( It's A Real Rush ) The Exhaust Sound Is Not Your Run Of The Mill Sound No It Will Not Sound Like A V8 But Respectable. Would I Rather Have A Big Block 4 Speed With Open Headers? But My Prowler Did Colect 11 Trophies Last Year At Car Shows
The original base price was advertised at a few pennies short of $38k. The first ones on the market were advertised by dealers at a substantial markup. I never saw one at less than $49,999 and it was a new prior year model . The dealer had it roped off like a World of Wheels show car. If you wanted to drive it, all you had to do was buy it first. No thank you very much. It didn't surprise me when Plymouth went out of business.
The Plymouth Prowler is a super unique car. There was nothing like it on the road in 1997 and there really isn't anything on the road like it in 2020, unless you consider the 3 wheeled Polaris Slingshot to be comparable.
Great sticking to the fact! I’d like to see Cadillac ELR
I have a prowler and I drive mine, , its a great car wasn't meant to be a race car, I have not had any real issues, it still turns heads and people are always asking questions and taking pictures.. people who say it should of had a v8 ,what was the average hp of cars in its time and with no weight it runs great,
Hey Marspeed, have you seen my Prowler video series yet? Part 1 - th-cam.com/video/MC3juow-hj8/w-d-xo.html
Part 2 - th-cam.com/video/CR54dZLg8WY/w-d-xo.html
Part 3 - th-cam.com/video/b9yIM3Ep-_M/w-d-xo.html
Part 4 - th-cam.com/video/d0vSDoxJoAs/w-d-xo.html
Part 5 - th-cam.com/video/Q8vQV6NAG_s/w-d-xo.html
Part 6 - th-cam.com/video/eOHWQbU1UqE/w-d-xo.html
Part 7 - th-cam.com/video/AEFM4cgz_Rs/w-d-xo.html
Part 8 - th-cam.com/video/k4xobyyDHJc/w-d-xo.html
Part 9 - th-cam.com/video/q9BHcXaGamo/w-d-xo.html
Part 10- th-cam.com/video/dqzodBSlyCQ/w-d-xo.html
Even with the LH platform V6 ,this was so damn cool finally concept car looks in something that was an actual production car.
Looks pretty 👌
When you mention other cars, can you pop up a picture of them. As a non American, it’s hard to know what they are. Cheers!
Very good review. I've liked the Prowler since its inception. I don't see them much and I live in Southern California. If the situation were right, I would own one.
2:35 I see that NSX hiding on the left. 😂😍❤️
VTEC baby 🥰🤘🤘🤘
I have an 02 and you have the paint numbers wrong. Your chart was the early before model year chart. Meanwhile, Chrysler was racing to develop a dual color pearl paint, and they perfected it during the Prowler run. There weren't 300 Red pearl cars there were 600 and only 289 Inca Golds to balance production. I know, I have one. The problem with the Red, is in the Sun, it's orange, making it look like a Hot Wheels car. Fine if you like that, but it makes it look like a toy. The Inca Gold glows gold giving it a richer look. And that's what I like. The black or Navy show all the dust and are really hot in the bright Summer. (I've had one black car in my life; never again) I wanted a light color that looked rich. Also, the reason it rode so rough is because it had run flat tires. I put Continental Extreme Contacts on it and it was like night and day. (you can't even buy the original Good Year Eagles for it anymore) Still, there are some really bad streets around here I won't take it down. So, to make up for the standard sidewalls, I put a Continental blow out kit in the trunk like all the exotics have. And to the wishers down below; it's worth double what I paid for it. My very own street legal Hot Wheels car. Yeah it's kewl. Really nice video, thanks! Incidentally; Chrysler didn't make this car. It was made by Mercedes and hand made by Chrysler at their skunk works in Detroit. Just like the brand new Viper. They were supposed to be a set for 100 grand. Viper stripped to the bone for you when you want to get wild, and the Prowler, all decked out with everything on it, when you took you girl out. That was the original intent for both those cars. The Viper didn't even have power windows. And also, my 02 says 2,200 lbs on the registration, not 2,800 and will blow off a stock C-7 Corvette. Under horsepowered never comes to mind.
This aluminium experiment went sort of like this: as soon as the car manufacturers found out that the aluminum bodies don't rust, they stop making them. Why would you want to build something that could possibly kill your sales because it don't rust out? Btw, Ford did the same thing.
I've always wanted one of these!!
It's the coolest car of the time, without any doubt, and maybe for decades to come. Too bad I can only afford the Hot Wheels versions LOL.
I remember being a kid when the first got introduced and saw it in the showroom where my Dad worked and was amazed by how it looked. I do miss when I saw Chrysler made allot of authentic vehicles to leave their legacy (when it was Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Plymouth days).
Gotta get this thing in purple.....
So classic! 💜
I have one. I wish the doors opened weider.It feels like you only can open the doors half way compared to any other car. It's very odd.
Yeah, the doors do suck. But to put gull wings in it means you have to cut up the car. And that's why I didn't do it. Check out "The Prowler Store."
Great video as always 👍
I'm a big fan of this car, always wanted one. As a kid growing up it looked like a batman villain or 50's organized crime boss vehicle got hot rodded then decided last second it wanted to be in f1, trained fot a week and gave up its racing career when the government told him his front wing had to be a bumper. Special place in my heart this car. Pure nostalgia and wonder for me. Love it, despite the gearbox. I would love that black tie version to match my daily driver charger with the same colors.
Always loved this car. I want one.
On the '90s sitcom Home Improvement, Tim Allen/Taylor build a 1933 Ford Hot Rod which he still owns today
Who remembers the prowler from Friday after next
Have a 1999 Black Prowler, This car makes 0 sense, But what fun to drive...! Love it...!
hvac controls are from the cirrus/stratus/breeze not the neon.
Alot of people down it because of the V6 what they do not realize is the v6 made great power when compared to how much the car weighted.Power to weight ratio was performance but what killed the real performance was the gearing plymouth should have put a performance transmission with the v6 instead they used a regular trans found in every family sedan.The front end design is also why they went with the v6 it fits in easier.
I wonder how this would've been had they put the 5.9 v8 from the dakota/ Durango in these. Or maybe that with a turbo.
I wish they had done an SRT6 version, turbocharged and intercooled. That would have been amazing! I'm glad Chrysler made them, but at 6'4" I guess I would choose something else.
I will look it up, but the first thing I though is what the resell value of this car
I have that included in the first reason for cancellation! It’s pretty high and slowly climbing up, $25-35k at least
@@MarspeedCars just has I expected! Thanks !
ok but where’s the v8 exhaust vids
They just destroyed that buried Prowler. No way it's not flooded😔
It's in a mausoleum. So its safely above ground.
The 3.5 Prowler engine actually put out more HP than the 4.7 V8. When you look at the 1/4 mile specs of the prowler they were respectable to Mustang and Camaro at that time.
It's a shame Chrysler didn't have deeper pockets when the Prowler was built and would have gone into a 2nd generation with all the upgrades.
I actually thought this was an incredible vehicle. People who complained about the performance were missing the point. The point was to create an eye catching vehicle that could be lived with on the road. It was never meant to have neck snapping performance. It wasn't Plymouth's or later Chrysler's answer to the Viper. It didn't have such narly performance as to be dangerous in inexperienced hands. It was of course designed to attract attention. Mid 14 second quarter mile times weren't all that bad either. That's about where most 60's and 70's performance cars fell, without good tires, decent fuel mileage or creature comforts. As I said, not really that bad.
The most unique and out-of-this-world Mopar mobile ever!! I love its looks but I wish they put at least a V8 (I think the 3.5 SOHC V6 is fine for its time), 5MT on it and nicer interior!!
always regretted not buying one i bought the 300M instead but always wanted the prowler as a second car.