2008 PT Cruiser Convertible Order

[sfjohnnyk]

I've been getting conflicting information from dealers about ordering a 2008 PT Cruiser Convertible. Basically I want a 2008 convertible in Sunset Crystal Pearl. I'm told that basically there isn't one in the whole US so I have to order it. Now it gets funny. One guy said Chrysler is only going to make about 500 more convertibles in total and that I have to get my order in ASAP or there's no guarantee the one I order will even be made AND that they no longer make them in Sunset Crystal Pearl. Another guy said that indeed the Sunset Crystal Pearl color is on "restriction" (whatever that means) but that they'll make it available again in February and all I need to do is wait until then to make my order and that they're going to be building these cars until at least May or later. So which guy is right? Anyone know?

[tpscruiser]

I don't know what to tell you about ordering the convertible since it will be discontinued sometine this year.
As for the Sunset Crystal Pearl, that color is limited to the Sunset Blvd. Street Cruiser which is a 4 door sedan and not available as a convertible. Only 500 of these special editions are scheduled to be built.
You may want to look for a 2007 tangerine convertible.

[soonercruiser]

All the more reason that I flew to CA to pick up my 2006 with 8,000 on it!

[Windancer]

Originally Posted by soonercruiser

All the more reason that I flew to CA to pick up my 2006 with 8,000 on it!

My '05 still only has 4200 miles on it.....here's a shot before the tires and wheels but after the rear spoiler and ground effects were added.

Terry

[kickboyface]

long post follows. behave appropriately.

hi there,

this is my first post here, so please excuse me if i bring this back to the original topic.

i ran across your posting a few days ago, but the registration process here is onerous enough that i wasn't able to do it from my hiptop, hence the delay. at the risk of sounding like i'm bragging, i probably know more about this than anyone else in the world that doesn't actually work at the mexico factory ...

since i'm holding you information captive, i insist you need a little backstory first.

when i heard that the 2008 pt cruiser convertible was being discontinued, i was saddened because i've always liked the daring behind the cruiser styling (i.e. having the nerve to do something different, even if it was retro), and more importantly, the pt cruiser convertible was the funnest ragtop i'd ever driven.

i poked around a bit and found that not only does chrysler have a lifetime powertrain warranty (something i wasn't aware of), but you could wrap that bumper-to-bumper for life for about $1500 more.

okay, now i'm interested. so interested in fact, that i'm going to do the unthinkable of switching from driving japanese [honda civic del sol(s)] to american.

in fact, my plan is to buy this car and never buy another car for life.

i go to the chrysler website, which is damn good, and spec out a car. because one thing is for sure. if i'm going to fork over 20 large for a car, i'm going to get exactly what i want.

(in fact the inventory for pt convertibles in CA is remarkably depleted. combine this with the low rebate being offered on the website [in CA, $500 for the convertible vs. $2k for the hardtop] and it feels very much as if they've tried to flush the channel of them already.)

immediately i notice something strange, over the course of several days of looking at the site it's actually changing. items are being added and subtracted. for example, sticks for the turbos are going away, but colors for the car are being added.

i have everything picked out in the car i want, but still need a color. without going into details on color theory, human perception, that stuff on your screen is emitted light (RGB) while real-life items are reflected light (CMY) and the fact that marketing people would just as soon lie as walk a straight line; i knew i had to head to a dealership.

i go, check things out and am just appalled by how bad the color pallette is. i mean, really abysmal. (my brother said, "i'm not compelled by any of the choices," adding, "the white is dreadful, i think it took a day off the end of my life just looking at it.")

i ask the dealer for the control book for the 2008 pt cruiser convertible. maybe there's something in there that i'm not seeing on the lot. the swatches are all as hopeless as the real cars i'm seeing, except there is mention of sunset crystal pearl. what's interesting is they have no sample swatch of it in the 2008 control book, but they mention it in the same way that the web site does, namely:

* it will be available for the pt cruiser only (and not other cars in the chrysler line).

* it's a premium color.

* it's getting late addition to the 2008 line.

i ask the dealer (who admittedly is pretty lame, even for a dealer) if he has anything in sunset pearl. the answer is "no."

so i head over to another dealer and ask. sure enough, they have three sunset boulevard edition hardtops. they wheel one over, i have a look, and i like it. it's easily my favorite color of the set (but that's not saying much, considering the competition).

i'm negotiating for cars myself, but i'm also using an auto-broker with a money-back guarantee (esentially i'm shopping prices against him). i give him the exact specs of the car i'm looking for, making sure to hone in on sunset crystal pearl.

immediately we're both meeting resistance. although everything we're hearing isn't *exactly* the same, the consensus seems to be that the color is on reserve until february.

okay, fair enough. i don't need this car now. it's not like this honda won't go another 130k miles (my other one did). i'll wait. but if, and only if, waiting doesn't mean that i'll be locked out of getting a car.

and then, i hit pay dirt of sorts.

on 11/16 i intercept a chrysler internal memo from "field operations" to "all chrysler and dodge dealers." the notice isn't dated, but this is the "official" announcement that chrysler is discontinuing the pacifica, the crossfire, the pt convertible and the magnum. it was distributed sometime after 11/1 (because they make reference to a november 1st webcast in the past tense) and before 11/12 (because TOPs for the pacifica are being kept open 'til then).

the entirety of their discourse on the pt convertible is as follows:

"this low priced, great value convertible will end production at year end. we have aggressive plans for all convertibles as we entre the spring market, so take advantage of this opportunity now. there is limited production capacity available (less then 500 {sic}) so place your orders today."

and then another interesting datum. at the san francisco auto show, chrysler is showing the 2008 vehicles, but not the pt cruiser convertible.

okay, those are all the data.

here's my interpretation: chrysler reserved the sunset color exclusively for the special edition hardtop. the fact that it's showing up on the website is either a mistake in their software (or some odd feature that they can't override), or a misinterpretation of an edict from above.

i believe 2008 convertibles won't be manufactured in 2008. in fact, it feels to me that the line is being aggressive shut down with prejudice.

i'll go even further: i don't believe a crystal pearl convertible ever has been made, i don't believe one ever will be made.

i'm certain enough of this that i've got a deep water pearl ragtop on order as i type -- it's already been granted "D" status, which means it has a VIN and is going to be built.

if you wait until february, i'd bet a large sum that you'll get shut out of a custom-built 2008 ragtop all together.

the only reason i've made this so wordy is to let you draw your own conclusions from the data, experiences and thoughts that you have. (and believe me, no matter how long this seems, the experiences behind getting all this down are MUCH longer.)

and to think, if i'm right, all this ranting is because a website shows a choice that isn't actually available. sometimes living in the future isn't so great.

hope this helps.

(i'm going to be keeping a website devoted to the car-for-life concept. have a peek at continualcar.com if you're so inclined ... although i'm several days behind there.)

[SRG]

Kickboyface:

You should have gone through that "onerous" registration process sooner and asked about the color here. You would have been told that the "Steet Cruiser" colors, like the "Dream Cruiser" colors are reserved specifically for those limited production models.

It's a shame that the lame dealers you spoke with wouldn't tell you the truth- you can't get a convertible in that color, ever. They probably thought that they could interest you in something else.

As far as being on topic, I wouldn't think that 2 extremly short posts about convertibles isn't that far off topic. Maybe you should ask Skylight, the admin about it.

srg

[Windancer]

Originally Posted by SRG

As far as being on topic, I wouldn't think that 2 extremly short posts about convertibles isn't that far off topic.

I agree, but he is a rookie so that's okay.

[soonercruiser]

Hey KickBoy!
There is always a lot more, in-depth, and first hand info on PTCruiser on this and several other PT Cruiser sites!
I gar-un-tee that the dealers are usually clueless about "the little details".

[Frank PT]

Interesting thread. I ordered my Convertible on 11/05/07 knowing that production was ending soon. My dealer indicated that Chrysler was not accepting any more Convertible orders after 11/13/07. How accurate that is I don't know, but I have no reason to doubt him. Mine is a Cool Vanilla (also discontinued for the PT Cruiser - Stone White color replaces it as of December), auto, leather, heated seats, ABS, etc etc...all options EXCEPT Turbo. I've been calling Chrysler's 800 number for status every few days (800-992-1997). As of today, it is in "KZ" status (built - awaiting shipment). I've done this lots of times before (this is my 7th PT Cruiser), so I have a pretty good idea of the time frame involve. If it's shipped by boat to the Port of Baltimore, I should have it by the end of December - we'll see. No more rail shipments to the North East. That stopped a few years ago. It's by boat now around the Golf of Mexico and up the coast. And, unlike the railroad, I cannot track it. I'll post again if I get more news....

[sfjohnnyk]

I wanted to thank everyone for their input on this issue. Kickboyface, your in-depth comments are greatly appreciated for their accuracy. I too have ordered a car that I am assured is in "D" status. I saw the comments about shipping to the northeast but I'm in California so I'm still feeling reaosnably confident of the car's impending build and delivery, (though, of course, I won't be fully convinced until I'm "buring gas" in it, as the dealers say.)

As for Sunset Crystal Pearl on a convertible...I don't think it was ever available on the rag top. I fault Chrysler for this mis-understanding as they made it seem as though it was possible on the website, but either no one on their content staff caught the mis-information, or lazyness in just not wanting to write the code for a slightly different page, instead just importing it from the sedan page.

Thanks again for all the replys. I'll keep lighting candels in the hopes of seeing my convertible one day.