Completed JK-8 Conversion Walk Around
O.k, Helfman Body-Shop completed a JK-8 conversion on a Wrangler. Here’s the video below.
Mopar ’11 Charger – Video (Promotional Post)
We’ve been informed by Helfman Dodge that they have a few of the Mopar ’11’s on the lot.
Helfman Dodge Chrysler Ram Jeep: 7720 Katy Freeway @ Silber Rd. Houston,TX 77024 (Next To Ikea)
713-533-6100
Helfman FIAT Off To A Good Start
Construction usually moves pretty quickly once the foundation is poured and the framing starts to go up. We’ll keep everyone updated with the progress of the newest Houston FIAT Dealer. The Dealership is to be located directly adjacent to the current Helfman Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram dealership. Helfman DCJR is located at 7720 Katy Freeway @ Silber Rd. Next to Ikea. The FIAT dealership will be directly off of Silber Rd.
Helfman FIAT Dealer Photo
Memorial Day Weekend Event At Chrysler Dealers
(A straightforward note: Helfman Cars is owned and operated by Helfman DCJR )
If your expecting Chrysler dealerships to really push some good deals this Memorial Day Weekend you would be correct. Dealerships will be pushing 0%, No Cash For 90 Days, and low payments on 2011 vehicles. Expect the deals to run Saturday and Monday. If you’re not looking for a car then remember service departments will be open on Saturday and Monday as well. Saturday hours are usually limited so check with your local dealer. This should give you a chance to get those needed repair taken care of.
Then again, you might just want to hang out on the beach and do nothing.
Helfman Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram 7720 Katy Freeway @ Silber Rd Houston,TX 77024 713-533-6100Insurance Collision Guide
Here’s a Insurance Collision Guide which you can download and place in your vehicles Glove Box.
How To Pair Your Phone With Uconnect? 2011 Model Vehicles
How do I pair my phone with Uconnect?
Note:The following info is a general guide to pairing a phone to a 2011 Chrysler, Dodge, Ram or Jeep vehicle with Uconnect. Some vehicles may very slightly. Please consult your owners manual or your local Chrysler service center for your specific pairing steps.
Pairing is a one time initial setup before using the phone. You will also need to follow the Bluetooth® instructions in your cell phone user guide to complete the phone pairing setup.
- Press the Phone button to begin.
- Wait for the “ready” prompt and BEEP.
- (After the BEEP), say “Uconnect setup”.
- (After the BEEP), say “phone pairing”.
- (After the BEEP), say “pair a phone”.
- Follow the audible prompts.
- You will be asked to enter a four-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN), which you will later need to enter into your cellular phone. You can enter any four-digit PIN. You will not need to remember this PIN after the initial pairing process.
- You will then be prompted to give the phone pairing a name (each phone paired should have a unique name).
- Next you will be asked to give this new pairing a priority of 1 thru 7 (up to seven phones may be paired ); 1 is the highest and 7 is the lowest priority. The system will only connect to the highest priority phone that exists within the proximity of the vehicle.
Dodge History (Vintage Footage)
Want to learn a little bit about the history of Dodge and the two brothers behind it.
Our Body-Shop Staff
Need to contact one of our friendly Body-Shop staff? No problem…we’ve got photos, and contact info readily available. And for those of you who don’t know not only does the body-shop work on all makes and models, but they’re also open on Saturday.
Click the picture of Anthony to go to the body-shop contact page.
Anthony Lorello
Premier Event – New Chrysler Promotion
Premiere Event
There’s actually two promotions going on right now, “Truck Month” and the “Premier Event”. As with any promotion, Chrysler is trying to increase foot traffic on dealer showroom floors. For those of you who don’t know, Chrysler just revamped all of their models, and in some cases did a complete redesign. The All-New Durango and Grand Cherokee have been receiving some really positive press. Actually all of their 2011 models are getting good press. The promotion gives the customer that little bit of incentive to head on over to their local Chrysler dealer.
There’s two sides to the promotion. First off you have low APR’s as well as Cash Allowances on select vehicles. Secondly they are pushing the Spin&Win contest. This includes a chance to win a 2011 vehicle, but also offers a $25.00 Gift Card to customers who test drive a 2011 model. To take advantage of this you will need to go to the Spin&Win website.
This promotion ends March 31’st.
On a side note. The dealership will be kicking off the event with free food and drinks on Sat the 19th from 11am to 2pm.
New Commercial Ram Van Unveiled
New Ram Commercial Van
Chrysler unveiled a new commercial van. Originally everyone speculated that the van would be based off the FIAT Doblo, but it looks like they’ve modified the Dodge Grand Caravan instead. Future commercial vans may very well be based off FIAT models that offer greater storage capacities. That being said this particular van is capable of hauling 4’x8′ sheets of plywood, and hauling 1,800 lbs. Look for the new Ram Van to go on sale in the 3rd quarter.
Post By DST Helfman Cars For Helfman Dodge Chrysler Ram Jeep in Houston,TX
Five Reasons To Purchase A Chrysler?
I was reading an article by Jerry Edgerton on MoneyWatch.com where he lists 5 reasons to purchase a Chrysler. All of the points he touched on were also points we had mentioned in previous posts on our site. His article brought it all together for me and I realized just how good Chrysler products are today. Let me list the points, and you decide for yourself.
Safety: Seven of Chryslers vehicles are Top Safety Picks by The Insurance Institute Of Highway Safety. All of these models are 2011’s.
Brand Redesign: Chryslers branding has been a little milky the past few years. Models seemed to bleed into each other, with very little distinction between them. The new redesigns for 2011 present a much clearer picture for the consumers. Jeep represents Off-Road, Chrysler represents Luxury, Dodge represents Performance. Changes in the ways the brands are marketed has also been helpful.
FIAT: To me FIAT is the exclamation point. It tells the consumers look at all of these great models Chrysler has coming out for 2011 and guess what we’ve got something else thats totally different too! We’re FIAT, we can design great cars, imagine what we can do for Chrysler.
New Models Ahead: We’ve seen a slew of new or revised vehicles hit showroom floors. All of this has taken place under the helm of FIAT. According to consumer reaction the New models are a hit. FIAT is moving fast, and it makes you wonder what they can do given a few more years. The future looks really good.
Hybrid Plans: We did a recent post about Chryslers testing of a Hydraulic Hybrid System that doesn’t require the bulk and weight of batteries. A very unusual and less conventional hybrid method, but they’re working closely with the EPA on this one, and the future looks bright. That’s not all though! Chrysler just introduced a Hybrid Electric Ram Truck at the Washington Auto Show. Available for limited commercial use at first. But thats not all folks, Chrysler is expected to release hybrid versions of their popular minivan, as well as the Chrysler 300 by 2013. And don’t forget they are hip to diesel technology as well which delivers mpg’s about as good as many hybrids.
Maybe it’s time to give Chrysler another look.
By DST HelfmanCars.com
Dealer Reaction Back In August 2010 After FIAT 500 Proposal
A dealer in Louisville, KY responds to reporter after meeting with Chrysler/FIAT Group back in August 2010.
Rock n’ Roll Marathon Series
The Rock n’ Roll Marathon Series is a cross country tour that combines endurance running with a music festival. There’s a slew of stops that the tour makes. Each stop offers different performers, and caters to the particular taste of that city or region. Dodge is the lead sponsor for some of the tour stops. Dodge has a caravan of vehicles and a team of runners (including brand executives) to represent the brand. To get a complete list, and tour information, click the link below.
The closest the tour gets to Houston is Dallas, but that particular stops lead supporter is not Dodge.
By the way…that is the CEO of Dodge Brand crossing the finish line at one of the events.
Quick Final Take-Houston Auto Show
Primary take is, America’s Back! Walking from manufacturer to manufacturer I would say that overall the American vehicles pulled the largest crowds. VW and Audi seemed to attract the most onlookers for the imports. On the American side Ford, Chrysler, and Chevy pulled about the same number of onlookers. Attendees appeared to be very interested in interior electronics focusing primarily on the updated Nav/Radio/Info-Systems (with their honking massive displays). I thought I would see a bigger push with hybrid or electric vehicles. I mean they were present, but they just seemed to blended in with their gas loving cousins. Maybe the newness of hybrids/electrics has worn off. The exception would be the Volt, that drew pretty decent crowds.
If I may be a curmudgeon for just a bit. In general, the models on display were very vanilla. EXCEPTION! Chrysler vehicles including Fiat WERE VERY DISTINCTIVE. I’ll come back to them. With other vehicles, Very few stood out. In many cases, if it wasn’t for the manufacturers being sectioned off, it would probably take me a second to realize I’m looking at a different Make. This was especially true with the Japanese makes, except for Scion. The American manufacturers were more distinctive, but there was some vanilla present with them as well. Nothing really came across as daring, or risk taking. Maybe the economic conditions of the past few years has forced manufacturers to be a little more conservative.
The Chrysler section had probably the most distinctive offerings. From a design standpoint Chrysler products simply did a better job. Their vehicles were fresh and daring. They really pulled the crowds. Jeep was hot! You couldn’t get people off the Challenger. The FIAT floor was one of the most congested areas. People were all over the two FIATs, they were like nervous ants. I’m not saying this because I run the Helfman Blog, I’m saying this because it’s true. Yes Ford and Chevy drew big crowds, but for me, in the end Chrysler simply had the best product offerings.
Overall the show was well put together. I was impressed by the fit and finish of all the American brands. The foreign automakers offered some good product, but it simply seemed like more of the same, and didn’t excite. I hope that we see more innovation from manufacturers next year(Chrysler Innovating Now!). But I guess this depends on how well sales do this year. Automakers will probably wait until their flush with cash before we see some risk taking again. Till Next Year.
Helfman Cars
Damon
Fiat Abarth X-Rayed For Lunacy
Our mates from the popular TV show “Top Gear”, take us on a test drive of the Fiat Abarth and search for the design lunacy that usually accompanies Abarth mods. Check out the video below for the 411.
Ram Head Missing From New Dodge Line-Up!(By:Taylor)
Dodge just announced their 2011 lineup. Refinements were made across the board. The key elements that Dodge engineers focused on were handling, steering,comfortable ride,noise, harshness,craftsmanship,appearance expectations and powertrain. So I think that covers just about everything. I mean these vehicles simply have a different aura about them. I haven’t quite yet put my finger on it, but something is different. One thing I didn’t notice right-a-way was the missing Rams head. Yes, the iconic Ram Shield is gone. No longer will it bejewel the interior and exterior skin of Dodge. Although it will be missed by many Dodge lovers, I really think the decision to pull it and allow it only on the truck line was a good one. It fits the truck line better. Passenger cars call for a level of refinement that utilitarian trucks (Although Rams can be very luxurious in their own right.) may not represent. You notice the absence of the logo in two primary locations. One is the grille, and the other is the steering wheel. Both use the “Dodge” emblem now, centered on the steering wheel, but offset to the left side on the grille. Although noticeable, the logo changes are not the only updates to be made to the Dodge line.
I’ll note the externals first. Everything is softened on the outside. Dodge has managed to round things off a bit, and add curves where needed without loosing the aggressive styling Dodge is known for. The pieces hood,glass,headlights,doors,trunk just flow together in a more seamless integration. I love the new sunken groove on the Charger that runs along the left and right side of the door and quarter panel. It has that I’m moving while standing still affect. The vehicle that caught my eye the most was the ALL NEW Dodge Durango. It’s based off the Grand Cherokee platform, and is simply stunning to look at. Everything is rounded on the vehicle. It has a rather soothing appearance…graceful is another word I would use to describe the appearance. Although not intended for Off-Roading like its sibling the Grand Cherokee, it does tout best-in-class towing. I’ve dropped in a video by TFLcar.com that gives an excellent walk around of the vehicle “INSIDE-OUT”. I haven’t mentioned the Caravan, Challenger, Journey, or Caliber. The Caravan would require a separate post, and the 2011 Journey and Caliber are currently in showroom floors. So let me move on and talk about the interior for just a second.
Us humans like to touch things. And according to the vehicle purchasing public when it comes to the interiors of their cars, they like the touch to be soft. Dodge says…”Your request is our command”. From the dashboard, to the steering wheel most everything has a slight cushiony feel to it. Even knobs and buttons that are made of hard materials have a softening to them. Knobs are no longer pinch and turn but are touch and rotate. Buttons presses are sure and smooth. The instrument cluster is bright and pleasing to the eye. AC controls are easy to use, and the radio centers are modern and uncluttered. Seating in all of the vehicles are less utilitarian and more refined, and give the imports a run for their money. Subdued metal accents and beautifully placed interior lighting top everything off.
The new “Dodge” is to be taken literally here. Change can be a good thing. Dodge has shown this with its new 2011 line.
Helfman Cars 