How did you become addicted to MoPar?
When my Dad went into the service In 68 he gave my Aunt and uncle a beat up 55 chevy. well about 20 years later after my uncle died and my aunt's eye sight got to bad to drive, my aunt gave my pops their 72 duster. light blue with a white vinyl top, 340 w/ 727. when I was 8 or 9, so around 1990 I had to go to work with my mom, on the way home this *** clown in a mid 80 fire bird kept tailgating my mom, flashin his high beams pullin up beside her and yellin hey baby, revin his engine.
Well the guy who lived down the street used to be a Mopar mechanic in the NRHA in its early days, and my dad brought the duster by every 90 days.
anyways I remember my mom tellin me hold on baby, and she pushed me back into the seat and when the light turned green my mom slammed it to the floor. I still remember the sound of the tires squealing off the line. she never took her foot off the gas for about 2 miles. My mom still in her nursing uniform looked up into the rear view and said Fuckin asshole. I remember lookin over the seat out the rear window and I coudln't see any headlights. That was the day I became a Mopar addict
Since I was born my Dad was a mechanic, he owned,managed, and worked his *** off in his own service station. He also drag raced, and all I know is that the Mopars at the race tracks when I was a kid looked the coolest to me. I was hooked when I was 7 years old. The rest is history and it helped that my Dad raced Mopars too. Here is some pictures of a couple of his race cars through the years. Sadly I lost him in 2006 to pancreatic cancer.
walked by a 1964 dart for 2 years through middle school it was bright red low and frankly looked really cool.i worked my a## off as soon as i got a job in april of 2004 my first check i walked to front door of the apt and said" hi my name is travis and i was wondering is that red car yours??" got the awnser "ya that old pile is my wifes,why is it being towed finally."
"no i was wondering if you would sell it"
"how much do you have"
so i opened my walet and found about 200 bucks and offered it to him...... he just walked away...:( i was so sad i wanted that car for 2 years.
so i started to walk home when the guy i had talked to ran up to me panting..
"where you going? do you want it or not?!?" and i looked at him confused until i realized he was holding the title in his hand!!!!
so thats what started it for me and yes that is still the same dart im building/driving now 5 year later8)
Well for me it was a ride in a 69 roadrunner when i was 10.My sisters and I were pick up to go to a christmass party.There was 2 cars that came to get us not sure what the outher car was,anyhow on the way there thease two cars drag raced the runner of course won.LOL the driver said dont tell your mom or dad we never did.So from that day on I loved mopars,my first car was a 62 valiant when I was 14 my dad gave it to me to tinker on.Here I am today still with the love of my mopar.
Growing up in Pa. we had all brands of cars and trucks in the family,never got too carried away with any because my family was prudent in what they bought,nothing flashy. Then in the mid 60's I started reading all of the hot rodding and stock car racing magazines and of course this is the time of the Hemi and 440. Didn't matter what body style,Mopar was kicking butt it seemed like.
Then in '69, the year I was getting my drivers license, a young man near my dads business in Scranton won a '69 Dodge Daytona in a contest of some sort. I went to work with my dad one Saturday and there sat this car with that huge wing. I was standing staring at this car for a while when a woman in the house came out andsaid her son would be back soon and he would be glad to take me for a ride.
About an hour later I'm in this red Daytona hauling the mail down the 81 at a speed I had never felt before.I remember going past 110 before he started slowing down. On the way back to his house I still remember the excitement I felt and the smile on my face. It was always Mopar or no car from then on.
I am sitting here with a Grin that only Mother Mopar could give me. I just had to wipe tears from my eyes reading these stories... Wow. I am so proud!
I try to explain it to my friends... How much I love my car! They don't get it and I don't blame em. They are toyota and honda guys somehow. OH WELL more Mopars for us!
I chose mopar way back when I can't even remember... My dad always had some cash to spend on cars. And he was into fixing em up and selling em, unless they ran good! Then they would hang out till he cooked it and get in que to be fixed again.
'59 Fairlane 500 4-door Two tone with 289
'69 Galaxie 500 390 Fastback (Learned how to drive in the lap i this one)
'71 Maverick 302 (Mom's car actually)
'64 Mustang
'?? AMC Hornet
'56 Chevy Shortbed Stepside 350 4-speed 4x4 (Big Window)
'84 Volkswagen GLI-STREET RACE CAR! (Completely illegal in allmost every county in CA except for the one it was registered in SONOMA)
'92 Volks GTI
'80 GTI
'82 GTI
'92 535 BMW
'82 Mercedez Sedan
'72 280Z 4-speed (OK I wanted that car too!)
Then there where the Mopars...
Two green Dusters (His & Hers)
(Hers)'70 Duster 225/6 with green vinyl top. I was in the backseat behind my older sister next to my baby sis when my mom pulled in front of a Jeep Cherokee. She was in tears because she totally blew it and endangered her children.. The police where really nice and held her as she cried. I walked up to her (I was like 5) and look up, "It's ok momma the car kept us all safe." She smiled :) She really liked that car cause it always ran! She missed her Maverick but said she was happier with the Duster :)
(His)'71 225/6 with Hooker Headers. I would make my dad start this car up just so I could hear it sometimes when it wasnt running. I couldn't even see over the hood. But I knew that I loved that car and it was so much fun to drive! I remember in Pheonix arizona I went to my first Formula 1 Race and watched Ayrton Sena race through the streets from the top of a Winnabego my dad's friend had. I think I saw my first set of Boobies on top of that Winnebago. I also think everyone there was COmpletely Coked up! As soon as the race was over my dad put down his beer and helped me off the RV... We RAN back to the Duster and Raced out to the "RACE TRACK" and did laps around the course sliding sideways in fresh F1 Rubber and breathing RaceGas as those Hookers Echoed off of the Concrete Barriers. My Dad is the MAN!
He bought me my first car a 90 Nissan Sentra (12Valve 4-speed) for $100 out of his buddies tow lot. After I smashed that car into a hillside racing a 325i BMW. I Vowed to NEVER put money into another FRONT WHEEL DRIVE CAR! Stupid POS! Why would you want a car that spins out when you let off the gas. FF and I do not get along. Pressing the gas is supposed to make you spin. Assbackwards things!
My dad saw the solution to my troubles was If I would put the 74 disc front end on the Duster I could have it. I used a Really big hammer more than ANY other tool on that job! I never even got an alignment... IT WAS SCARY! and SOOO MUCH FUN! It had rallye wheels! OMG it was cool. I was fresh outa high school and my buddies acura left the rusty duster in the dust but girls always wanted to ride in my car (The Leaky Headers made you TINGLE when we rode around)
Now comes my Love of my life... The Dart!
it is a "67 Dodge Dart GT with 273 4-Barrel the Close-ratio 4-Speed with limited slip, Kelsey-Hayes 4 piston discs Heavy Duty Springs and the front Sway Bar. It Probably has about 11.0:1 Compression and Loves CAM2 Racing Fuel. The Blue Kind!" as my Dad would say... To anyone who Ever asked about it. Oh and, "It does Wheelies on a really Good day and will shut down and 911SC I've ever come across" he told car guys that tried to dismiss it cause it wasn't a Hemi car. with every friggin HI-PO option of its year and the Tach and 8Track as mounted in it LA Dodge Plant way back in 67. Have All Original parts and Window sticker with the Certi-Card. This car has been Accident free, Untill I got in 2 fender benders at idle. It has never been modified further than a dual exhaust, untill I put a 600 Holley on it! I will NEVER sell this car. It is my unborn Son's Birthright! I would kill for it.
I have Never had a relationship like the one I have with the Car. Whenever I let anyone else drive, I think. Wow I am so lucky to Own this car! I love hanging out in the back seat pointed out at the Pacific with a Beautifull girl smiling next to me... I don't know where else to get that feeling. Nothing I can get anywhere else. This car was "THE ONE" Growing up.
It was my dad's RACE CAR. Street race only! I continue the Legacy. I've Lined up and Raced all of my friends that want some. If I think They have more power than I can deal with I take them to the mountians and Shut them up as my 42 year old peice of metal runs screaming away from them in the hills... I have never been more in love with a car than with My Dart. The only cars I really want that aren't mopars are ALL WHEEL DRIVE SPORTSCARS. (Wouldnt mind an EVO STI or GTR)
Since my first Mopar I have only had Bicycles! Mopar or No CAR for me now!
The other day I said to my roomate, "I think it would cost about the same to build a boneyard mopar that was super fun to drive than it would to make a 90s honda or toyota into something fun." He said ABSOLUTELY NOT! It will cost way more to do a Mopar. I said "F*&K it! It's worth it that's all I'm saying"
"To each his own," he said.
Then I got to thinking the other day...
MOPAR Has offered over the years, Models that have RACE Dripping off every Corner. Tell me Chevy or Ford has ever produced a more Bad *** Paint Job Alone! Not to mention Every Mopar Engine of Similar Size is Smaller and makes more power than it's BLUE TIE counterparts. And then there is the Handling Destinction. Ask your Grandma and she'll tell you she wants to drive the MOPAR. Grandma has a Dakota daily driver and keeps the DeSoto in the Back Garage. Out of all the cars that her and my Grandpa had that was her Favorite. She gave away the powder blue 64-1/2 Mustang to my uncle.
Why would you look past a Sublime '70 HEMI 'Cuda. There isn't a cooler car to waste moments of your life just staring at. Trust me! I have been going to races since before i can remember. Indy. F1. Nascar. NHRA. ALMS. and Historics @ Monterey Laguna Seca. Been to Hundreds of car shows in this area and seen many famous collectors collections. Reggie Jackson and Bruce Canepa (Local Collectors) The Mopars always Grab me and pull me across the room. Maybe an F-40 or a Racing Porsche has a chance otherwise give me a Camera and 5 Minutes with the Mopar or you will be told to shut up!
When I met a girl that bought an 06 SRT8 Charger I knew I was in Love!
My new best friend Paul and I have had all our friends be like, "This kid has a Dart you've got to meet him! I am suprised you guys aren't like best friends!!" They where right. He is one of the coolest Guys my age that I know. Super Legit. And DAMN my 67 GT Looks good with his 69 GT. Our buddies had a yellow and a white 05 S2000's and the girls would always clown them for being gay. Paul and I always have the girls Litterally all over our cars sitting, laying, dancing. They can take it! Mopars are like a STAGE for Life. The Good Life you know? How could you ever go back to a Cubicle of a Cookie Cutter Muscle car when you have Partied with a Flamboyant Rockstar Muscle Car?! No doubt if you know what's good for you than you praise the Penti-Star.
MadMaximum's MOPAR Love affair forever...
This thread is now my Favorite Thank you guys!
Oh and Line up a stock vehicle from the late 60s or the 70s against a stock mopar of the same. Which one is gonna win? Try it. then try again. and again... Mopars Will take the straight and then hold it through the corners... All day. Everyday. Without being sent to some Texan Chicken Farmer's race shop to get tuned first. (Shelby was Ford's only Hope!) and well GM... not even worth my time.
The "KING" Richard knew what he was driving had to be the fastest! He went to Ford only when Plymouth told him he had to race a Road Runner against a Charger Daytona. He said you better Give me one of them ones with the wings on it! Fastest car out untill it became outlawed and restricted. HEMI has a Legacy that V-Tech can never have! That Vortech or LS1 or Cobra or Cosworth not even Rousch will ever come close to.
DOMINATION. to the likes of which has not been seen sense by a manufacturer from the US for sure!
