[JohnRogers]

I don't want to derail this thread but domestic Mopar fans want the benefit of this thinking as well. This idea has Roadrunner/Super Bee all over it.

Note associated story....Australia is to get a "SPECIAL" SRT 300...

http://smh.drive.com.au/motor-news/chrysler-to-launch-cheaper-hsv-fighter-20121217-2bixv.html


We would really prefer a "Special" Charger SRT thank you...Ralph...

 

[dfarc]

Ok, this is a legitimate question, which I would think would have a simple answer, but Im sure Brampton people would know the answer.

The Allpar Forum and Chrysler enthusiasts in general, have been told that both the Chrysler 300 AND the Dodge Charger are built on the same platform..the LX platform (and Challenger basically), and we have been informed via this forum, that they are ALL built at the same factory/production line..

So Question, Is the 300 and Charger BASICALLY the same car?

Question, Is the 300 and Charger, built on the Same production line, at the same time?

yes

Question, Is the mechanical parts of the 300 and Charger the same..ie the front end, steering, rear end, brakes etc etc.?

for the most part yes

Question, Is the wiring loom the same/or every similar (as in interchangeable) for the 300 and the Charger?

yes, but different cars have different options making many different wire harnesses

Question, Are the Right Hand Drive, 300s built on the Same production line as the North American Market 300s and Chargers....or are they built in China or Timbucktoo or on the Moon?

same line, one after another, this also answers the next question

Question, When a RHD market car comes down the production line, is it sent to a different area for fitment of ..suspension, steering, wiring loom, dashboard....etc, or is it made in batches of 20 at a time??, or is it made at the same time as LHD cars, or is the production line stopped and rearranged for the production of RHD cars?

rovers do some non standard jobs on RHD but otherwise jobs are similar

Question, Would the 300 RHD dashboard and steering components fit into a Charger body?

Question, How different are the RHD 300 bodies...ie Firewall, etc, to the LHD domestic 300s?

Question, Could the 300 RHD firewall be fit onto the Charger body as it is produced, say right after a rhd 300 body?

Conclusion....Can a Dodge Charger Body be made on the same production line, with the same components as a RHD 300 body at the same time as a RHD 300 body is going along? Yes, using the same 300 dashboard, wiring and gauges etc (for simplicity purposes).

Most of these other questions are beyond my knowledge base.

An answer/s would be appreciated, from the people who actually make these cars....
1000s of potential buyers outside the North American market, are interested in the outcome.


Note associated story....Australia is to get a "SPECIAL" SRT 300...

http://smh.drive.com.au/motor-news/chrysler-to-launch-cheaper-hsv-fighter-20121217-2bixv.html


We would really prefer a "Special" Charger SRT thankyou.......Ralph.........

 

[Dave Z]

I believe, I could be wrong, that suspension tuning (shocks/struts/etc) are different Dodge-to-Chrysler.

dfarc is apparently "there" -- and thanks for doing a great job on mine. Feels like the most solid car I've ever owned and so far absolutely nothing wrong -- first time for that too (including foreign cars).

 

[dartndodge]

What he is actually saying is that he doesn't believe anything that I, JTE, or anyone else that knows and has answered all those questions many times before, in various tone of Australian disgust at not getting the answer he wants, but is not an employee of the plant, that works on the line.

Mmmmm, not really.
I thought they were quite legitimate questions, that would have had relatively simple answers for people who worked there.
Not to mention interesting general knowledge for the rest of us..

A question like...."Are the RHD 300s and LHD 300 built on the same line at the same time", would be quite sensible.

I dont know how they are built, whether the line is stopped etc, whether a 300 is built, then a Charger is right behind it....I actually have know idea. Thats why I asked.
I do know a certain Chrysler plant, where several different models were built on the same line at he same time.

Seeing Ive read since 2006 that the 300 and the Charger are the same car or so Allpar has lead me to believe....so therefore what fits one RHD, fits the Other RHD........is that a sensible observation? Especially considering the actual dashboards (particularly in the last model) looked the same. (except gauge pack of course...but thats only wires).

So any Brampton workers on the line, know the answers?

 

[dartndodge]

Oh, and thankyou dfarc, for answering those questions, that information is very helpful.
Merry Christmas to all.


And a special Merry Christmas to you Bob, thanks for your assistance..all the best.

 

[joewho]

RHD has its own firewall and you can't put a LHD dash into a RHD body , the steering column shaft hole is on the wrong side. As for 300 to charger yes you can switch them with no problem. Also pretty much any mechanical part on a 300 Charger or Challlenger are interchangeable. Only the trim and skin are different. Finally all cars Brampton builds are mixed during production we do not batch build. Respect to the workers who build all 3 of these cars going from RHD, LHD ,gas , diesel , RWD , all wheel drive. 2 door to 4 door. They truly are what makes these cars great

 

[dartndodge]

Thankyou Joewho for that information. Sort of clears the whole subject up completely.
So there is absolutely no reason, why the RHD mechanicals/Dashboard etc that is used in the 300, cannot be directly used in the Charger body on the same production line, effectively making a simple and cheap (as its already done), RHD Charger.

It makes you wonder then, why Chrysler managment has Insisted over the past 5 years or so, that is would be SO prohibitive cost wise (they talked about an additional $50 million JUST to make a RHD Charger????) when, as we already know and have proposed, the 300 and the Charger are the same car.....
And talk about "Compliance" is also rubbish, as the 300 is Already complianced, crash tested etc etc., so too would the Charger be.

Joewho sir, you have answered the question.....thankyou....now where's Ralphs Email..............Merry Xmas.

 

[ptschett]

Just having the parts doesn't make the new variation come out for free. If we assume the RHD 300 firewall fits the Charger body weldment then there are still some new part numbers created and new bills of material to maintain. That makes it a new body structure.... I'm more comfortable assuming that it must be crash tested, than that it could rely on the 300's results.

I can't imagine a 300 dash would go over well in a Charger body so you still need the new dash... more tooling $ and design time there.

$50 million isn't an unreasonable number...

 

[Dave Z]

I agree, $50 million is probably right all told, and you know what the sales would be of an RHD Charger. If they could sell them for $500,000 each they might break even.

Suppose $50 million is ten times too high. You're STILL looking at probably $50,000 engineering and certification cost per car sold!

 

[Dave Z]

$50 million does seem like an awful lot if you're not into it.

I've had similar comments about my professional work -- "Why could it possibly cost so much?"

Writing articles and writing surveys, by the way -- two things everyone thinks they or their secretary can do. And everyone's son/cousin/brother/neighbor is a web publisher or blogger.

$50 million ... is a lot. Of course there would have to be fuel economy tests, crash tests, parts inventories for ten (or is it longer?) years, advertising and marketing, and of course internal testing to make sure the cars would actually last 100,000 miles despite the parts going together "not as designed," not to mention the strain on the plant, reprogramming of robots and feed and supply systems... and the creation of new parts means engineering time, tooling costs, testing, etc.

Again, if it was just $5 million, it would still make the cars price-uncompetitive. Even $1 million would probably raise the price too much...

 

[dartndodge]

I Want it, I want it I want it!!...Hey,..I must be American!! .

Crash test?? Its the same car as the 300C, and BTW they have relaxed a lot of the local "Compliances" to allow foreign results.

Parts for 10 years??? Ever heard of a phone/internet/fedex....No foreign manufacturers keep parts for 10 years.

Crash your Hyundai in Australia or America......thats right, you have to wait for parts to be flown from Korea.

Do you think GM dealers in the US have 10 years supply of G8 parts??? No they ring GM Holden and get them sent out.

Just like Chrysler does in Australia..........There is no Huge Warehouse in Australia full of 300c parts for the next 10 years.

Firewall?? We have just had people tell us they are the same car, how difficult would it be to put a 300c firewall in a Charger??

Dashboard, your kidding right? The 300 dash is not too bad, the srt dash is nicer, People are not going to complain about a 300 srt dash in a Dodge.

One thing this topic has shown is the GLARINGLY obvious difference, the USA mindset is to the rest of the World...
You use to be very good at business,..now??

When Chrysler made cars here, we use to buy a 2 door Charger, a 4 door sedan, a station wagon, ALL with the same dashboard and depending on model, the Identical gauge pack.

A Charger with Chrysler gauges, is no problem for Non Americans.

And a far a building a RHD and LHD car on the same line....what do you think GM Holden have been doing for years???
And yes...with the Commodore and Caprice...two different cars with different dashboards, But the same Zeta platform. Just like the LX cars.

But with Fiat trying to kill off the Dodge brand Worldwide, its probably a waste of time anyway.

I thought i have contributed quite a lot on this site.....maybe too much . At least I accepted a 4 door Charger when it arrived, unlike the Majority of comments......... And Im the negative one?????

 

[marlon_jbt]

I believe having replacement parts for 10 years after a vehicle is discontinued is a US Government requirement.

 

[browens1534]

I believe having replacement parts for 10 years after a vehicle is discontinued is a US Government requirement.


HAHAHA one I laugh at! The Sebring Coupe was discontinued in 2005, here we are in 2012 7 years later and I had a bumper cover on back order for 3 months waiting on it to be manufactured!

 

[Dave Z]

HAHAHA one I laugh at! The Sebring Coupe was discontinued in 2005, here we are in 2012 7 years later and I had a bumper cover on back order for 3 months waiting on it to be manufactured!

If not for that law, you would not be waiting, because they would not be making it.

 

[browens1534]

If not for that law, you would not be waiting, because they would not be making it.

I would've had to settle for an "aftermarket" bumper cover. I had to settle for an aftermarket rear because I didn't want to wait another 3 months waiting....

 

[Jeff2KPatriotBlue]

Only if the aftermarket sees a profit in making these parts.

 

[MoparNorm]

Only if the aftermarket sees a profit in making these parts.

Part of the reason the aftermarket can make a profit, is it doesn't have to meet federal regs that pertain to the OEM's... and most of this stuff is imported from china, with dubious fit and quality issues.

 

[Dave Z]

Not having to care about long term durability and whether it fits does make it easier. I've seen / heard of some really terrible examples. The aftermarket used to be much better, from what I can tell. Had a couple of aftermarket fenders that were perfect matches. The PT bumper cover I saw isn't even close. The mirror for my minivan is ... well, you can tell why the Chrysler one costs twice as much!

Unfortunately, the cheap Chinese crap that doesn't fit will always be the #1 seller, crowding out the good stuff.

 

[Jeff2KPatriotBlue]

+1 on the minivan mirror.

Sometimes you can't find something decent, and branding does not matter anymore.