What made you drive a MoPar?

[Syleng1]

QQ: what makes you drive or follow the MoPar line of cars? Answer the poll and leave your comment below. For me I grew up in the 70’s and all my parents could afford was left over 60’s cars of any brand. BUT, when I hit puberty they had a 1972 Demon 340-3speed manual as my moms car and a 1969 Dodge D100 as my dads truck. My older sister was dating a MoPar only guy who’s whole family was the same. From there, Chrysler was it. Now I’ve owned Fords and Chevrolet and even an import. But the Chrysler line up has allways been paramount in my driveway. Even today my fleet of trucks are RAM and my wife drives a fully loaded 300. My hobby cars are 72 Demon 340-4speed (gee- I wonder why Therapist guy?) and my 1966 Barracuda. Anyhow- what’s your story? Leave it in the section below.
Syleng1

 

[Demonracer]

My first car was a 26 T roadster pickup, drug home by my dad and his best friend. The first car I ever bought was a 55 Chevrolet 2 door, My parents gifted me a 63 Dart when I started high school and It's been Mopars ever since.

 

[MidnightSwinger]

I learned how to drive in a 73 340 Challenger, I was 10 with 2 phone books under my butt. I was hooked.

 

[dartindanno]

After my Chevelle was hit in 1987 and totaled a friend told me about an old Dodge he saw for sale. That old Dodge was a Sublime 70 Challenger R/T with a 440 and slapstick with 4:10 gears. I was a bit confused after the test drive because when I got on it the car rose up and roached both tires. I was used to the Chevy squat. $1500 later and I was hooked, that stock 440 ran awesome

 

[Dartsun]

Around 1998 when I was a late teen my buddy had a 1967 Plymouth Belvedere slant 6 he got when he was 11. He swapped in a 318 and a 4spd 8.75. Used to go around our high school and rip it up against everyone. My buddy still has his Belvedere to this day. Within a year I had a 69 Dart slant which I also still own. The first 4 cars I’ve ever bought were 60s Mopars. I don’t drive new Mopars never owned one newer than 69. Dustin

 

[Mtrhead]

Around 1998 when I was a late teen my buddy had a 1967 Plymouth Belvedere slant 6 he got when he was 11. He swapped in a 318 and a 4spd 8.75. Used to go around our high school and rip it up against everyone. My buddy still has his Belvedere to this day. Within a year I had a 69 Dart slant which I also still own. The first 4 cars I’ve ever bought were 60s Mopars. I don’t drive new Mopars never owned one newer than 69. Dustin

You shure live in the right area to get a Mopar restored!! By the Ice Man

 

[Dartsun]

You shure live in the right area to get a Mopar restored!! By the Ice Man

I’ve got nothing he would even take a look at

 

[Righty Tighty]

I'm new to old cars but always had an interest. I was always around Chevy guys, so that's what I was drawn to (I still would love to have a '67 Chevy II). I ended up with a '69 C-10 that was an old fire department maintenance truck, but still really wanted a car.

Searching Craigslist one day I saw some blue car that looked like a Dart -- the guy said it was a Scamp. Huh? Never heard of it. But I've always liked the boxy body style, so I bought it. The seller mentioned this site, so I joined when I got home. No more Scamp and few Barracudas later, here we are....

 

[missing linc]

I was always interested in cars as a kid, built every cool model kit that I could get my hands on, still have a few of them 50 or more years later.
My old man was mainly a Ford guy, but he had a few GMs and at one point he bought a new 73 D100 Adventurer truck with a 360/727. I was just 10 at the time, but there was something about that truck. He didn't have it very long, for some reason it was very hard to start in the winter, but it left an impression on me.
My first car was a 67 Charger, bought when I was 15, and sold a few weeks before I turned 16.

I have owned everything from AMC to Yamaha, close to 140 vehicles in my life, so far. I like the styling first, brand second. Likely be a pretty close split between Chrysler and Ford if I had to say which one I have had most.
Lately I find myself thinking about another square body GMC truck. I had several of them in the 90s to 00s.

Sorry for the long post.

 

[YY1]

Grew up in a gm town.
I liked buick/olds/pontiac cars until age 16 and saw a 1966 Coronet for sale across the street from a movie theater/record store.
My mom needed a car at that time, so we test drove it and I fell in love.
I've owned exactly one gm and one ford product since, but have owned 19 Mopars (not counting that original Coronet).

 

[tinman2]

I drove quite a few over the years. My best friends Dad was all about Mopars. He took us to drag races and Nascar races before I turned 16. He had a gold 68 Charger R/T with black vinyl top and black Bumble Bee stripe. I found a gold 68 Charger R/T with white vinyl top and white stripe. I had to have it.

68 Charger R/T automatic (first car in 71)
72 Demon /6 automatic
67 Barracuda notch with real 340 6 pack
74 Challenger 360 automatic
70 Charger R/T automatic
78 Dodge dually pickup 400 2bbl auto
78 Plymouth Arrow 1.6 for me
78 Plymouth Arrow 1.6 for my Mom
79 Plymouth Arrow 2.6
74 Dodge Colt drag car (never completed)
73 Dart 340 Sport 3 speed
71 Duster roller
76 Dodge Colt not running
74 Dart 360 Sport Hang Ten
(All of the above are long gone)
05 Dodge Ram RC/SB (current daily driver)
73 Dart 340 Sport (current project)

 

[72Duster440]

My grandfather worked for them, so we always got discounts on new products, so it's all we drove while I was growing up. Then I got a job there, and it made sense to continue driving them. Plus the competitive vehicle parking lot was far away from the tech center!

 

[Dartswinger70]

Honestly? they used to be cheap... but they ran good with a little TLC

Mopars I have owned:

69 Coronet 500-318/904
70 Duster /6 904
70 Dart Swinger 340 /4 speed 3:91

 

[hemi71x]

Well, this goes back to 1970 for me, about Mopar's.
I was shopping for a new sports coat to wear, at a clothing shop in downtown Waterbury, Connecticut, where i grew up.
When leaving the store there was a brand new 1970 Cuda, parked directly in front of the store.
I must have spent 20 minutes looking, walking around that car.
I was all white. Fell in love with it, and that got me started, and involved with Mopars.
Then in 1971 i factory ordered a 71, to the specifications, options that i wanted on it.
A 383, automatic.
Cost me $3,900.00 bucks, back in 1971 dollars.
Back then, i was driving a 65 Chevy Impala, as my first car. (Oh no.)
Kept that Cuda for 42 years before i sold it off.
Had over 300,00 miles on it when i let it go.
But back then i had a 440 6 pack engine in it that i raced at Sacramento Raceway, turning 13.20's at 108 mph, on street tires.
I did save the original 383, so that went, when i sold the car.

I never really liked 1971 "Billboard" decals on the Cuda's, but it was my own personalasation to my car, putting a 70, hockey stripe decal on it, when it was a 383 engined car.

 

[rumblefish360]

Great question. A freind or mine suggested to try out a MoPar. He bragged about his ‘67 Cúda. He had one of those weird mutant 318’s that would haul ***. He took me out in it and picked a fight with a ‘78-ish 350 Camaro that had all the teenage goodies. Lumpy sounding cam, headers, Holley 4bbl, etc….

He completely mopped the floor with his Barracuda.

I ended up with a ‘73 - 4spd 340 Cúda and later a Duster.

While I find some parts for the Chrysler products more expensive by a bit more than a fair margin, I also found getting the other guys brands to perform the same pricey when the comparison was at hand. This margin has been lessened over the years.

In my book, any old America iron that walks through to my door is welcomed and subject to a waving of my magic wrench to hot rod or race it.

At this stage of the game (life) I think it’s easier to simply continue to dance with the devil you know and know so well. MoPars fill my garage, space & time with plenty of parts to play with.

 

[SpeedThrills]

My neighbor bought a new A12 Road Runner.
I bought a 70 Challenger R/T 383 4 spd from him that he bought to flip. I was about 19. This was in 1978.

 

[B-i-n-g-o]

This is all about old Mopar, nothing new. Fond memories of Dad's 68(?) Fury in 70, brother's 71(?) Duster 340 in mid 70s, and an old Coronet my brother traded to me in early 80s. I like early 60s cars, but tired of all Chevy/Ford of the 60s. Chanced upon a 63 Valiant convertible, and can't wait to get it on the road!

 

[Minercar]

I learned how to drive in a 73 340 Challenger, I was 10 with 2 phone books under my butt. I was hooked.

That is quite a car to start out with.

 

[MidnightSwinger]

That is quite a car to start out with.

I can’t find any other pics on my phone, this was 1998. You can see the red E Body 1/4 panel. I’m the stylish one pumping gas for a bonfire.

 

[BKCowGod]

I've had cars from more than 20 manufacturers. Currently 11 different brands in my stable - I have no brand loyalty. I like the Dart because it is simple and because the base model 4 door gets more positive comments and gets more people reminiscing than any supercar or super valuable/rare car I've ever driven. There's something about the pedestrian nature of the Dart that makes people feel good and gets them talking. It is so much fun seeing the reactions.

 

[Rick@Laysons]

When I was still a kid on the farm, I used to have a Sunday paper route for the Des Moines Register in Iowa. I had saved up my nickels and dimes for a couple of years, and one day I seen a car in my price range for sale....they were asking $500 for it back in 1975....looked almost identical to this google image......

1970 Plymouth GTX, 440-4bbl, four speed with console and fresh air hood.....knocked on they guy's door, made the sale, and he even delivered it to me on a car trailer two days later.

After that, all those old farmers never had to wonder if there was a paper in their mailbox on Sunday mornings......

By the time I graduated mid-term of my senior year, I had that B5 70 GTX, another B5 70 GTX with a 440 and column automatic, a white 68 GTX four speed, a gunmetal gray 68 Coronet 500 383 console auto, and a bronze 69 Coronet R/T 440-4bbl, 4-speed, 4:10 Dana.....

Grandpa and Dad were mostly into Fords, but Dad had a nice 61 Cadillac series 62 convertible...that's the car I took my driver's test in. When the driving instructor told me to parallel park that beast, and I nailed it on the first try, he said "You pass...take us back to the courthouse"....and just like that, my driving test was over.

Been mostly Mopar ever since....had about 20 or so of these cars since then....

 

[memike]

My two uncles, Robert , my moms brother, one had a dodge work truck 1970, and a 66 charger my cousin ended up with in 77, other uncle, his brother had three in his California drive way, camper on a camper special 1968, a beuityful 69 or 70 wagon and his 67 Barracuda/6 car.. no father in my life so

 

[mopar56]

Great question syleng1 , I was about 10, sitting in the passenger seat of the family car ( a Ford) my dad driving, I spotted a 70 Superbird entering the hwy on ramp, " what is that dad? " my dad was not a car guy and had no idea, I was in love right there and then, and of course found out more about the car, later when I turned 16 I bought a 73 charger se, I loved that car, I was working at a old school gas station back when the attendant ( me ) would pump your gas, check oil, clean windows etc, I drive the charger to work but all the mechanics there were Chev guys and would make fun of the charger so I did my research and found out all about chevs downfalls, soft cams, lifter tick, etc I discovered the amazing power hemis made, how all the dragster and funny cars used KB hemi engines etc, I would constantly argue ( light harded ) with the guys. So honestly because of these guys a l acquired a absolute hate for the GM product and my forever devotion to Mopar, I am a brand loyal guy, yeah yeah, I realize a modern Mopar isn't ALL Mopar anymore as it's made with parts sourced everywhere BUT I still support the product I love, I drive a 2019 Ram limited ( an amazing truck ) as my daily driver and my wife has a 2019 cherokee daily, the old cars now are just summer fun toys.

 

[DionR]

My Dad was a Ford guy and tried hard to get me going in that direction. My first car was a '63 Fairlane with a 289 swapped in. When I had some motor problems with it, we found a nice '69 Fairlane 2 door coupe with a 302.

But it was my brother's 71 340 Duster that got me going. I used to go to every show I could with him, and just loved how the motor looked under the hood. Seemed like the Ford engine compartments always made the motor look like it was in a box and hidden, but the Mopar engine compartment put the motor on display. Never did get over that car. He sold it several years ago and it went to Canada, then to Barret Jackson (I think), then some famous baseball player owned it and last I heard it was in CA and would show up at SpringFling.

He even put a functional Airbrabber hood on it. Mopar missed a golden opportunity when they didn't built that hood from the factory, I'm sure they would have sold a 1/4 million more Dusters if they had.

So while in the Navy and looking for a car, I settled on a '79 Volare with a 318 and that was that. Been almost all Mopars since then and anything that wasn't a Mopar kind of fell into my lap rather than something I was looking for or was of the 2 wheel variety.

This is the car that got me into Mopars

 

[Cuda Al]

Me seen over the car, need I say more.

Alan