Hot Rod Power Tour 2024

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If a 15" BFG is too much money to drive 1500 miles the car never gets driven at all...like most of them including my neighbor that has 2 GTOs. These are like the "go get ice cream" cars.

Exactly.

But I'm just creating a scenario where someone could end up in a late model car instead of their muscle car. Not trying to put words in anyone's mouth or put them down for their choices.

The Challenger, especially the older ones are basically full size luxury cars with V8s anyway which somehow are incredibly small inside.

Funny thing is, overall a Challenger really isn't much bigger than a Duster. AMA specs for a '74 Duster are 71.8 x 196.9 (with bumper guards) while a 2015 Challenger is listed as 75.7 (without mirrors) x 197.9. The Duster is narrower and shorter, but not a bunch and the Challenger is much smaller than a 1970 Charger at 76.6 x 208.5. This doesn't change the perception that the Challenger is larger, I understand that. Add that dumping the bumper guards on the Duster saves almost 3".

I wouldn't want to own any LX car made before 2015 at this point anyway, the ones after that are much better so I'm suprised its $20k for a 2010 SRT-8 to begin with. Its kind of like the C5 Corvette of Modern Mopars, I didn't think it was too wanted anymore.

I went and looked that 2010 SRT8 up again and it is down to $18K now. Found a 2011 SRT8 6.4 for $23K (I think?) as well. I think prices are falling, but I also suspect that when the EV push tanks people will be picking these up and spending way too much money on them.

I don't get the allure of them outside of anything 392/Hellcat/Demon honestly. The Mustang and Camaro are much better performing all around cars if you're going to have something everyone else has anyway.

Certainly comes down personal preference. Bang for the buck, I would bet a Camaro would be hard to argue against. But I sat in one and hated looking out of it, so that would be a hard no for me. I know the Mustang is going to be cheaper for sure, and fast and probably could be made to handle better, but they are kind of everywhere to me. Plus I honestly don't like the interiors as much, and the 2015+ bodystyle doesn't do anything for me. But a 2105+ R/T 6M or better is kind of the goldilocks for me. To each their own.

You put suspension on the Duster and it handles better than those. If it hooks it would be signifigantly faster with the same engine. And you can be proud of it because its built differently than everyone else's and you weren't just writing checks.

No argument, completely agree.

Not going to lie, when I get discouraged about the build, it is easy to look at pushing the easy button. But so far I haven't pulled the trigger. And part of the reason I went this route instead of buying a Scat Pack is because I realized that if I had to chose between a 5.7/T56 Duster and an SP, I wanted the Duster more. I just have to revisit the question once in a while when I get frustrated.

I still have a 1965 unrebuilt 3.23 sure-grip 742 center section. 2.97:1 1st gear transmission so its like having a 3.6:1 axle with an A-833. Totally fine.

Funny thing is, mine is built around how my 2015 ran. So with a 275/35R18 tire, a 3.55 gear works, but if I bump up to a 275/40R18, I need to change the gear to a 3.73. In both cases, the rpm's for each gear are a match for how my Challenger was. The T56 Magnum I bought has the exact same ratio's as the TR6060 my Challenger had. And I should be able to cruise at 1500 rpm at 65 mph just like the factory intended the 5.7 to do.
 
If a 15" BFG is too much money to drive 1500 miles the car never gets driven at all...like most of them including my neighbor that has 2 GTOs. These are like the "go get ice cream" cars.

The Challenger, especially the older ones are basically full size luxury cars with V8s anyway which somehow are incredibly small inside. I wouldn't want to own any LX car made before 2015 at this point anyway, the ones after that are much better so I'm suprised its $20k for a 2010 SRT-8 to begin with. Its kind of like the C5 Corvette of Modern Mopars, I didn't think it was too wanted anymore. I don't get the allure of them outside of anything 392/Hellcat/Demon honestly. The Mustang and Camaro are much better performing all around cars if you're going to have something everyone else has anyway.

I own this, if my car broke at the last second this would be on Power Tour, but this is way more rare to see than a Camaro/Challenger/Mustang from the last 15 years...
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You put suspension on the Duster and it handles better than those. If it hooks it would be signifigantly faster with the same engine. And you can be proud of it because its built differently than everyone else's and you weren't just writing checks.

I still have a 1965 unrebuilt 3.23 sure-grip 742 center section. 2.97:1 1st gear transmission so its like having a 3.6:1 axle with an A-833. Totally fine.

I started working on this car when I was 14, I think a lot of the talent thing is actually people being afraid of pushing themselves. Wiring isn't that hard and most of the rest is something others help with on forums, you can learn on Youtube, etc.

I don't have a total but I probably have 30k in the car. I'm sure I spent thousands more on tools and whatnot. The thing is the total could be a lot less because I sold a lot of the mid-level parts I had for an alright return. Still not that expensive in todays world. I like the imperfection of the car.

For everyone staying in a hotel for this its likely $900 for hotels, $150 for food, $350 for gas, and $200 for registration to do the long haul at minimum. Gotta pay to play.
That’s one benefit of the Jeep. I was able to find camping spots are various state parks for dirt cheap. With electric and showers. So my son, age 8, and I will be camping out of Jeep the entire week. Couple of the parks are just mere minutes from the venues. Course I may come home a couple of those nights like the Louisville one since I’m just 40 minutes from there anyway. That would give me the srt8 Durango for the last leg of power tour. Haven’t decided that yet though
 
Anyone wanna plan a FABO meet and greet ? If so, I vote to do it on Wednesday in Louisville!

I highly highly recommend trying Mike Linnig’s Seafood restaurant. The best seafood in the area and a HUGE local supporter of the local Rod and Muscle car scene! Indoor and outdoor bars! Playground for kids.
 
Anyone wanna plan a FABO meet and greet ? If so, I vote to do it on Wednesday in Louisville!

I highly highly recommend trying Mike Linnig’s Seafood restaurant. The best seafood in the area and a HUGE local supporter of the local Rod and Muscle car scene! Indoor and outdoor bars! Playground for kids.
Don't forget Royals Chicken, if you like spicy chicken! Yummy!
 
I just finished painting the Duster and she is almost ready to go. I'll be riding through at least Louisville. I'll look for you guys at Beech Bend, you won't miss my bright Yellow Tribute!

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See you next week!

RGAZ
 
We will be there in our 66 Sublime Dart these are our hotels

6/9 6/11
518 Corvette drive bowling green kentucky
6/11 6/12
1300 plaza suite drive Smyma TN.
6/12 6/13
311 E Gaulbert AVE. Louisville KY
6/13 6/14
122 Arrowhead blvd Hebron ohio
6/14 6/15
8229 E us hwy 36 Avon ind.
6/15 6/16
2820 Merchants mile columbus ind.


If anyone wants to get together...
See ya in the parking lot in Hebron
 
Beware! I had a room reserved at Mainstay Suites in Lebanon, TN for the night after Nashville. Reserved on January 16, they called me today telling me they canceled my reservation due to "overbooking". I'm sure my rate was too low for the demand. Found a new place nearby with a lower rate. The hotel offered no help. Shysters if you ask me!
 
I was all packed up, car ready yesterday, felt a little off / malaise during the day yesterday, didn't think too much of it. I went to bed and about an hour later I woke up was up most of the night with a pretty nasty stomach virus. Don't feel too well right now either and can barely eat anything so I guess I'm out for the week. I really wanted to hit the first 2 stops and see how it went for the remaining given that my family lives near Nashville but won't be making that now. Major bummer.

Sorry I won't be seeing you guys out there.
 
My Slant six/Sniper/Torqstorm project I just got running last weekend seems to be running consistently enough, so I'm gonna plan to come down to BG tomorrow and check it out for the day.
 
I just hit my hotel in Franklin, I’ll be going at least to Louisville so if you want to meet, just PM me or post here a time and place.

Rgaz
 
Nice! I saw several of those same ones... I ended up with an overheating issue / blown fan fuse while waiting in the line to get in, so my visit got a bit hectic for a while. Enjoy the next few days!
 
Day 3 for us was a wild one. Really the whole trip since Sunday has been a wild one. @Mopar Tim and I were partnering to do the tour, his 66 dart messed up its new transmission in bowling green on Sunday, bonsai run back to Indiana to grab his truck and trailer, towed his car from Bowling Green to Nashville, got parked in Nashville and he got kicked out for having a trailer. So that left me and my 8 yr old son to convoy as we could the rest of it.

Left Lebanon this am at 730, got to Louisville about 3pm local time. Helped a couple hot rods that ran out of gas on the route. Then my jeep, plan C mind you, sensor came lose and put me into limp mode. Fixed that. Then A Road Runner blew up on 65 south of Louisville, just half a mile later, C5 gets knocked into the fence in front of us.

But we’re still on for tomorrow and Friday come hell or high water
 
oh man! That is way worse than me throwing my fan belt in elizabethtown. You had the roadkill experience!

I’m gonna hit buffalo Trace in the morning then head south. Good luck!

RGAZ
 
Day 3 for us was a wild one. Really the whole trip since Sunday has been a wild one. @Mopar Tim and I were partnering to do the tour, his 66 dart messed up its new transmission in bowling green on Sunday, bonsai run back to Indiana to grab his truck and trailer, towed his car from Bowling Green to Nashville, got parked in Nashville and he got kicked out for having a trailer. So that left me and my 8 yr old son to convoy as we could the rest of it.

Left Lebanon this am at 730, got to Louisville about 3pm local time. Helped a couple hot rods that ran out of gas on the route. Then my jeep, plan C mind you, sensor came lose and put me into limp mode. Fixed that. Then A Road Runner blew up on 65 south of Louisville, just half a mile later, C5 gets knocked into the fence in front of us.

But we’re still on for tomorrow and Friday come hell or high water
Wow, and I thought I had it bad! The front left brakes started hanging up between Bowling Green and Nashville Thankfully O'Reilly's has a warehouse store in Lebanon 11 miles from my crappy hotel. I did a warehouse pickup on some 9" front shoes and a wheel cylinder 1/2 hour before closing time. Grabbed some odds and ends, like a cheap bleeder kit etc from the store front. Swapped them out in my hotel parking lot, with the help of my teen and tween sons. They were loving it, saying it was just like Roadkill! I was not as enthusiastic. Went good from Lebanon to Louisville. I'm going to avoid much of the Interstate on legs 3 and 4. 65 was kind of nuts with all the weekday trucks and traffic.
 
Wow, and I thought I had it bad! The front left brakes started hanging up between Bowling Green and Nashville Thankfully O'Reilly's has a warehouse store in Lebanon 11 miles from my crappy hotel. I did a warehouse pickup on some 9" front shoes and a wheel cylinder 1/2 hour before closing time. Grabbed some odds and ends, like a cheap bleeder kit etc from the store front. Swapped them out in my hotel parking lot, with the help of my teen and tween sons. They were loving it, saying it was just like Roadkill! I was not as enthusiastic. Went good from Lebanon to Louisville. I'm going to avoid much of the Interstate on legs 3 and 4. 65 was kind of nuts with all the weekday trucks and traffic.
Apparently my dumba$$ when I made my Louisville camp ground reservations and my Hebron camp ground reservations, I made them each a day early.., :BangHead::BangHead::BangHead:

So we drove 45 minutes back home for tonight, gonna catch back up with the convoy in Cincinnati tomorrow and then drive back home tomorrow night and back to Indy for the last day

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I’m good. I had a spare fan belt because…. Roadkill. I’ve done this before. A few locals at the raceway thought i was some pro or something, but it’s just car guy stuff. Fix it and move on!

Rgaz
 
We are switching from the Jeep to the SRT Durango. Hemi time. Mainly cause the entire fam coming along today. And to give my Jeep a rest. It was not happy yesterday. But onward we go!
 
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