It was nice to see a broad spectrum of Mopar machines at Beech Bend. There were fin cars like a beautiful 1959 Dodge Royal, plenty of muscle-era machines, Wing Cars, trucks, and a horde of late-model machines on the property. There were also a couple of nods to Chrysler’s 1980s interesting bits, like the Omni GLH that was raising hell on the strip and a Dodge Daytona that looked spotless. But outside of the random early Viper RT/10, there was nothing from the 1990s. Maybe a truck, but car-wise? Nothing. And in a way, there’s a bit of sadness about that, because in 1993, Chrysler had dropped a bombshell with the LH-platform cars. Drawn up from the disaster that was the Eagle Premier/Dodge Monaco twins, themselves a really tarted up Renault 25, the LH cars had a couple of things going for them. For starters, the styling of the aerodynamic sedans knocked any memory of vinyl roofs and wire hubcaps directly into the dirt. Interiors were roomy, and the styling ran the gamut from aggressive (Eagle Vision) to classy. But the part that really raised eyebrows was lost on most of the buying public: the fact that the architecture was capable of supporting either front or rear-wheel drive.

Now, I’m admittedly a fan of an oddball, left-field build. But this one just makes sense. Take a 1994-96 Chrysler New Yorker, the last version of that prestigious nameplate. Find a lightly wrecked 2005-up Hemi-powered Chrysler LX platform vehicle, remove the 340-horsepower 5.7L V8, scrap the rest. The main problem with the Chrysler 300C, Dodge Charger, Dodge Magnum or Dodge Challenger is weight, right? The heavier end of a mid-1990s New Yorker is about 3,700 pounds, or roughly the weight of the most gutted, un-optioned 2.7L powered version of a 300, which usually is more in the range of about 4,200 pounds. Lose a quarter-ton, gain the aerodynamic advantage, and some roofline height back, and you wind up with an interstate cruiser that four full-size adults could comfortably live with for thousands of miles at a time. Don’t skimp on details like the independent rear suspension, either.

Maybe I bumped my head. I’m certain that the low hoodline of the New Yorker wouldn’t survive the swap without gaining a bulge to clear the intake. And that cavernous trunk would have to lose some space for a rear-mounted battery. But overall, I think it’s very feasible, enough that I’d love to park my 300C next to one and break out a tape measurer on the rear suspension…