Howd you start likeing mopar?

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I was a ford guy and had an 89 Mustang with a mildly built 306 running the baby bottle she ran high 12's had a few built to hell chevy's before that one (3 Grand Nationals one with a twin turbo 4.3 nascar stage 2 motor) But I started working for a guy who had a 68 Barracuda with a pretty well built but very streetable 440/727 no cage just a nice street car and I had always seen him(heard too) him go by my old shop with it and I thought it sounded great but didn't seem that fast. SO we were talking one day and he offered me the key to see what it was like to drive as he put it a "real car" so I took her around the block and I'll tell you what there is nothing like driving that car. It was like driving a drop of water on a frying pan that thing just moved and it took everything I had to drive it straight considering if you were on the gas the front end was more then likely a 1/2 inch off the ground. I was sold I got rid of the rustang an dbought my first A Body a 1970 Panther Pink Dart with a 451 Stroker with slicks and a cage. Been nothing but mopar for me ever since.
 
My mom's exboy friend Lyle was a big Mopar guy. He had a 72 S/6 Demon with a 3 on the tree I realy liked and a Ramcharger truck with the roof that would come off. Then him and my mom got the Dart. We were always talking and working on Mopars. Lyle turned out to be a very good friend. When he and mom split up I still hung out with him. The Dart was in my mom's name and he did not want her to have it and I don't think she reakl wanted it any way. It was down with a blown head gasket at the time so he made her a deal. If I helped him fix it I could have the Dart. I was 17 and all in. We almost had it back together when he was killed in a motercycle accedent while going to work one day. That was a big blow to me and I never realy got over it. The sad thing is he road his bike that day because his and my friend Mike 66 Charger he was using would not start that morning. Mike sold it shortly after that. Said he could not stand to look at it. Not the cars fault I know but you just cant help but think that if it would have started he would have been ok. I still have the Dart and will never sell it. Thanks to Lyle I am and will always be a Mopar guy.
 
My parents have always had Chrysler, suprising since my grandfather was a huge Buick guy.

My parents bouoght a 64 Dodge Custom 880 brand new as well as a 68 A108 Dodge van. I learned how to drive on them, and how to work on them, my dad always fixed his own stuff.

There were a few other Mopars in the neighborhood. One neighbor had a 68 Fury 3, another had a 70 Fury wagon, and another had a 73 Cuda.

Our neighbor we were good friends with had a 67 Mercury wagon and a Vega, and a Datsun, yuck, other had late 60's Volkswagens, a Bug and a van. Parents and I have been Mopar people ever since
 
First car my parents bought when they immigrated to the US from eastern Europe was a used 72 Duster. Seeing Vanishing Point for the first time, I fell in love with Mopar.
 
I would have to say it would be because of my dad. From dragging me to car shows, swap meets and helping him with his mopar project cars got me into being a mopar fan.
 
this is like the first car I remember that my parents had when I was little
http://pics.hoobly.com/full/BZL2SOU7WGVQ97VZB7.jpg
a few years later, they upgraded to one similiar to this

1969-1973-plymouth-7.jpg


When I got my licence I bought many different cars...mostly GM

this was the first muscle car I ever bought

72_Camaro.jpg


things change in life and when I got married the toys had to go

when it came time for second car I purchased a 69 Dart for $500
(mine was in better condition than the one shown below)
1969-dodge-dart.jpg


when I bought my Dart I had an SE as my daily driver
it was a very reliable car and I had this longer than any other car
1976_Dodge_Aspen_Special_Edition.jpg


after keeping the Dart for a while I sold it for a little profit and bought a Duster similiar to the one below for $50 that I drove home

5746249-425-0.jpg


I sold the Duster and got sidetracked from my Mopar roots for a while.

Last year I got my 71 Demon and keep kicking myself why it took me so long to get back into them.

and that is how I got into Mopars...
 
My first "Mopar" was an 01' Town and Country. I liked the engineering that went into the interior. Then I found the 71' Scamp and feel in love. I've been working on cars alot in the last 2 years and will not buy another GM, unless it's an insane deal, due to the poor engineering they put into them. It's easier to work on the Mopars than the GMs. I've been thinking about getting a 2010 Ram alot lately.
 
I came home from the hospital in a brand new '47 Plymouth. Don't remember the car at all but I do have the license tag that it wore that day hanging on my wall! My first car was a Buick, 2nd car a Chevy, 3rd car Pontiac, 4th car Ford, then - my 5th car was a '59 Plymouth Fury and it's been down that road ever since
 
My dad was always a mopar guy, learned to drive in a 73 fury III w/ 383. Took my drivers test in that car. My first screw up in a car was out with boys showing off and stomped the gas, left the stop and sheared the u joint off. Had to call dad and come to get me. He saw what happened and laughed at me. No yelling just shook his head and told me to get a job so I could pay for my own car. Spent my whole HS and College working in gas station on local corner, pumping gas, washing windows, fixing tires, oil changes ect. Saw lots of cars but none compared to the cool mopars. I was alway jealous of older kids with their hot rod chevy and fords, when I got to drive the fury I blew them away so hooked ever since. I was a young kid went to day camp and was picked up by counselors, my guy drove a 66 cuda. Always wanted one after that as we used to ride in back under big glass rear window. Now on my second A body cuda 65, used to have 66 until old man backed out of driveway into my 66. The old 66 ran low 14's and was a killer street bracket racer, finished second in class 2 years in a row at Great Lakes raceway back about 10 years ago. Now prepping 65 for similar bracket racing, going out in another week for first time down track since rebuild of drivetrain and suspension. Just for fun now but who knows I miss weekend racing alot!
 
Been around Mopars all my life. I was brought home from the hospital, circa 1966, in my dad's 65 Fury III 383 4spd. Also loved my elder brother's first Mopar he bought used in 73 for lofty sum of $400, a 69 M-code 440 notchback Barracuda. Also had a cool neighbor whom had a 69 Hemi Road Runner drag car, and a 70 Hemi Cuda for a cruiser. He bought them both new. Bought my first Mopar, a 69 GTS, at age 15, in 81, from my now ex sister-in-law. It was her daily driver. She replaced it with a 77 Cordoba 400 auto. I sold the dart in 01. It is currently sitting at a local ford dealership, 4 miles from me, for sale. Dude I sold it to just traded it in on a new v-6 Rustang. Man I would love to have my first mopar back. Still contemplating.
 
My older brother had a Dart '69 Black with blue guts it was a 318 3 speed on the tree I remember it like it was yesterday. I was 8. That was 1978. I always remember I wanted a Challenger loved the view of the rear tail light assembly. That is how it started for me.
 
when I learned of the compact nascar series where mopars smallest engines destroyed the competition, rod ratio's, cylinder head flow, and what it takes to stay together at high R's....


driving though the desert...rev'n 3400 down hwy 395..music playin....ahhhhhh.....
and as long as they dont block the road with a couple of bulldozers, I'll be good.
 
always loved cars, all cars

But the reason I have Mopars and prefer Mopars has to be my Dad.

Dad use to drive everything. but in 1964 bought a 64 Polara 2 door hardtop with 318 poly and push button trans. Loved that car and dad started letting me drive it when I was 10.

He was a Machine repairman at the Chrysler, Indianapolis Electrical Plant. I was wanting for my 1st car at 14 a 65 corvair 140 4 speed convertible, the guy wanted $125 and I had the money from my paper route, but dad said no only $100. Mr. Harper would not come down and since i was only 14 and needed dad's permission, I didn't get it.

Not long after that dad took me to a dealer that had a used 67 barracuda coupe slant 6 auto ps, ac, deluxe interior and the fancy wheel covers. He asked me if I liked the car and if I would keep it clean and take care of it he would sell it to me when I got my license for $750. He paid $1,400 for it but also I could not tell mom.

Well my sister was 2 years older and wanted the car so I didn't get it either

My oldest sister got the 64 Polara ans when she ruined it she got a 67 Barracuda fastback Formula S

So I still neeeded a car and now was about to get my license. On the board at the chrysler plant was a 67 Barracuda 273 2 barrel coupe that had 4 bald tires and been thru a fence with scratch marks all down the right side. 15 years old bought my 1st car for $400 and took it to my uncles shop to fix and paint it. Already had a set of mags and air shocks for it (actually had bought for the other cuda my sister got)

traded my Barracuda for a 69 Roadrunner in 75, sold it and had a 70 Duster, from June of 76 to Dec 76, bought a 70 340 challenger, 54 chevy, 72 Barracuda, 70 Grand coupe cuda, 69 charger SE, 74 Camaro, 71 mach 1, 69 SS chevelle. 1977 brought about a slow down in car purchases, 67 Formula S cuda 4 speed car, ordered a new 1977 Aspen custom. 1978 got my 72 340 stick Challenger and then in 1979 got my curious yellow 1971 Cuda convertible and a 74 Challenger

Working at Chrysler making $200 a week and living at home with parents I didn't know what to do with all that money. Dad was not happy having 3 BRAND X cars in his driveway at one time.

I work for ford now and can drive whatever i want, currently have 2 1981 imperials, 1 1982 imperial, 99 Prowler, 95 dodge Ram 2500, 67 Dart convertible and my wife has a Freestar van (need at least one Ford)

Think Chrysler has the best looking lineup of new cars and still love the old mopars. Since I worked on so many mopars growing up, I know mopars, I love Mopars

Always wanted a 67 GTX my uncle had one 440 auto blue with black interior, I was about 10

Brother had a 69 GTS 383, wanted that too

dad had a 71 Fury 3 2 door liked that car alot

so many car, only so much cash, & room to keep them
 
What got it all started, a 68 hemi Charger of a friends. In 1970 we smoked 2 Camaros and 1 Mustang in one night street racing in down town Calgary. Went out and bought a used 69 440 GTX as soon as I could get the money together.:-D
 
My friend around the block bought his brother in law's 1968 383/auto Roadrunner used in 1975 (when he got his license at 16 YO!). Car was scary fast, he won quite a few street races.

Later another friend had a 1970 Dart Swinger 340 4 spd, he loaned it to me for one night (I let him ride my 1973 RD350 yamaha MC) and I have been hooked on 340 A-body cars ever since!!

Although I did go through a Chevy phase (350 Nova, SS396 chevlle, etc) during the early 80's, probably cause i worked at GM (mostly chevy) dealerships for a while.
 
My dad raced a 63 Max Wedge called the Wailer around Detroit in the 60's. His last car was a 70 duster Pro stock. I watchd as chevy's and fords would break and we just ran and ran and ran. The only tear down each week was to check the bearings. Mopars just seem to hold together. I believe its because the crank is not hung, but up in the block.
 
I ran the NHRA stock class in the mid sixties with a brand X muscle car. I got tired of having my head handed to me by the Mopar crowd every weekend. A good friend of mine, his dad owned a Chrysler dealership, also influenced me on purchasing a Chrysler product. My first Chrysler product was a new 1967 GTX 440 /727/3.91 Dana. It had a dealer installed 2X4 bbl carb setup on it. I wish I had never sold that car. I have bought or built so many Mopars over the years I can't remember half of them. Some of them are very collectible today. Well, It's time to get the photo album out again and get reaquainted.

sscuda
8)
 
My dad had a 69GTX with the 440. When I was a kid I remember guys coming over to my house and asking for my dad. They wanted to race. My dad would take me along we would watch from the side of the road when they came through. My dad didn't win them all but he beat alot of people. The power that car had stock and it was a big car just started me going. Its in my blood.
 
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