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Preserved truck found at the bottom of frozen lake

A fisherman in central Minnesota pulled more than bluegill and bass out of his local fishing hole earlier this month. While ice fishing on Mayhew Lake, a local man was startled when, using an underwater camera to scout for fish, he discovered a vehicle sitting on the lakebed, the SCTimes reported. He immediately called the Benton County Sheriff's office, which sent deputies to examine the vehicle. Once they arrived, the deputies used their own camera to have a look and discovered a late-90s to early-00s model Dodge Ram pickup in roughly 12 feet of water. The Sheriff's department dive team was then dispatched to search the truck and the area surrounding it for bodies or valuables. The truck was lifted from the lakebed through a huge hole in the ice. The Sheriff's office ran the plates and discovered that it was reported stolen in March of 2000 from a nearby address. Investigators believe that given the truck's location, almost 100 yards from the lake's public access ramp and 25 yards from the north shore, that it was driven on to the lake while it was frozen, then allowed to sink to the bottom once the ice melted. Thanks to the lake's frigid waters, the truck was surprisingly well preserved. Aside from a missing grille, a coating of mud inside, and a patina of rust on the sheet metal, there was little damage to the truck despite its long rest in the lake. With an engine full of lake water and the damage done by roughly sixteen freeze-thaw cycles, the truck will never run again, but its condition is a good testament to the build quality of those old Rams. It certainly held up better than that '57 Plymouth Belvedere they buried in the time capsule under the Tulsa city courthouse. News Source: SCTimesImage Credit: Benton County Sheriff's Office Government/Legal Weird Car News Dodge Truck water lake

FCA plants skipping summer shutdown to keep up with demand

Hopefully, some FCA US factory employees don't have big plans for the usual summer shutdown, because the automaker is keeping several plants running this year. Demand is so high that the company wants to keep models rolling off the assembly lines. Four FCA US assembly plants, all the engine factories, and some locations that build transmissions are staying open throughout the summer, according to the Detroit Free Press. Usually, these sites would see a two-week shutdown for the company to retool and perform repairs. This year, factories are staying open for FCA to support its strong sales. The lines that remaining humming through the summer show an inclination toward the automaker's popular SUV's and crossovers. They include the Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Michigan that builds the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango; Saltillo Van Assembly in Mexico that constructs the Ram ProMaster; Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio that produces the Cherokee and Wrangler; and Toluca Assembly in Mexico that makes the Dodge Journey and Fiat 500. Related Video: News Source: The Detroit Free PressImage Credit: Bill Pugliano / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Dodge Fiat Jeep RAM FCA dodge journey fca us ram promaster Jefferson North Assembly Plant

Dodge whips covers off 2013 Blacktop series

Dodge introduced us to its Blacktop model lineup a year ago with the 2012 Charger and followed up with more recently with the 2013 Challenger and 2013 Avenger. Now the automaker will be applying this ominous-looking treatment to the Durango, Grand Caravan and Journey models for 2013 as well. These models will be unveiled next week at the Detroit Auto Show, but Dodge has released most of the details for these new products including pricing and availability.
If the Grand Caravan R/T (aka, the Man Van) wasn't aggressive enough for you or its $30,000 starting price was a little too pricey, then the 2013 Grand Caravan Blacktop could be the ticket. Starting with the SXT trim level (which stickers at $19,995), the Blacktop package costs only $595, and adds unique features such as blacked-out headlights, grille and fog lights bezels and an all-black interior. The van rides on black-accented, 17-inch aluminum wheels. The Grand Caravan Blacktop is only available in monochromatic paint schemes limited to Billet Silver, Brilliant Black, Maximum Steel, Redline Red and Stone White
Likewise, the 2013 Journey Blacktop is offered only on the SXT model (starting at $18,995) with all of the crossover's normal options such as four- and six-cylinder engines, five- or seven-passenger seating and front- or all-wheel drive. The Blacktop package adds $995 to the Journey SXT's price and features many of the same black accents as the Grand Caravan like the headlights, grille, door mirrors and lower fascia. Exterior colors are limited to Bright Silver, Bright Red, Brilliant Black, Brilliant Red Tri-Coat, White, Pearl White Tri-Coat and Storm Grey, and the package's 19-inch wheels come in Gloss Black. Inside, the Journey Blacktop comes standard with black cloth seats and Chrysler's 8.4-inch Uconnect touch screen, but black leather is also available as an option.