Why A Mopar ??

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RPMagoo

RPMagoo

Just An Old Motorhead
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I've had a few rare, and neat Chevys, and a couple Fords, But Mopars are My favorite. -- Why ? -- Let's hear from You Guys, and Gals.

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Duster - 1st Arrived - Outside - Left.JPG
 
Overall nicest look'n, and I believe the toughest engines ever built. In fact, 30 years and many, many small blocks (couple of big blocks too), I've never lost an engine or had one come apart.

P.S. - love the Duster in your pictures :D
 
When I was a teenager, the MoPar haters would just say they suck. And I’d ask why. Followed by, “They just suck!!!”

So I investigated and found out the only thing that really sucked was aftermarket support with the old “Direct Connection” being the only real help! And of course, aftermarket cost.

After getting my 1st Duster, love these disposable cars! (As that’s what they were back then. Inexpensive transportation) And it was off to the high school races. This is where I not only got the drag race bug, but found out that I was stomping the competition into the ground right easy.
Buick’s!!! Ha ha ha ha ha!
Fords, Ha ha ha ha!!!!
Oldsmobile, Ha ha ha ha!!!!
None of them could beileve the little 318 was killing them dead.

I have had a bunch of other makes. I did notice right away that you just can’t throw on a MoPar part and expect it to work. You have to install it. Not just wing it on.

No one wanted a MoPar. I would get them cheap as heck! A lot less than a Chevy that everybody wanted. I kept breaking my Chevies unless I babies them. BORING!

Between the inexpense or getting the car itself and relative decent pricing of parts and the huge help from the MP books, going fast was very reasonable even for a high school kid.

I’m not a huge fan of every model by Chrysler Corp. Not every MoPar is great looking. I’m actually quite selective and particular on what I’ll own.

My favorites are a Duster/Demon, ‘67 plus Cuda’s, and the 2 year run. Magnum. There’s a few other worthy mentions. ‘70 Road Runner being one I’d love to own....
But they ain’t so cheap anymore!

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Mopar has always been the under dog, the smaller company of the big. Mopar lovers used to a very much a brotherhood. Still is to a lesser extent. Over the last 3 decades there has been time when they were more desirable than GM,Ford... only because of people looking to make a buck. Sorta like why the stock market soars up and down!?? lol
Mopar has been noted as having fewer engineers, BUT basically, better ones. Their stuff (used) to be overbuilt.

I am occasionally temped to by a GM or Ford project, when ( seldom) I see one really worth the $.. BUT I always look around and find a better Mopar project for even fewer $. I just have to look. As I get older I just find myself liking a wider variety of models.
 
I think Chevrolet built the nicest looking and better handling cars back in the day, but I always liked Mopars because they were the underdog and cheap to purchase in the 80's. My first car was a '68 Camaro. Had it for a year or so - very nice car. My next car was a '68 Dart GT with a 340 drive train transplant with 3.91's. Loved how quick the stock 340 was. Hooked on Mopars ever since...
 
I love the body styles, and you don't see 30 cars from all different manufacturers that look the same like you do today.
They are intimidating to people that know what they are just because of the name, and obviously some are even jealous as shown in their attitude in traffic.
I have also owned and driven most major brands back in the day, and some were really good cars and trucks but for the nostalgia and presence I'll still take a Mopar.
 
The lines! The styling. Almost every single Mopar from 1955 to 1976 has something about it that I love. There is no other brand that I can say that about.

The engineering and interchange of parts is awesome!
How many other makes had even one platform that stood the test of time like Mopars?
Exampes-
A-Bodys 67-76!
Trucks 72-93!
Nothing really changed, because it didn't have to!
They are just easy and fun to work on, if you know one, you know most all of them.
Yes, there are a few weak points, like the electrical systems, but most are easily overcome.
 
When I was 6 years old, my Grandfather who owned a Citgo/Jenney gas station took me for a ride in his ‘69 Dodge Monaco. It was a 383 that he had juiced up a little. We were cruising down the back roads of New Hampshire and I was loving the sound of power and feel of speed as he pushed the throttle.

He told me to to look at the speedometer. It was reading 100 mph.

He then said with a big grin “That’s what it really means to own a Dodge.” Then he winked at me and said “Oh, and don’t tell your grandmother.”

Right then, I was hooked for life.
 
RPMagoo said:
I've had a few rare, and neat Chevys, and a couple Fords, But Mopars are My favorite. -- Why ? -- Let's hear from You Guys, and Gals.
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Because Mopar identify with innovation and quality. Its a truly go big or go home kind of thing. Just compare the heart of your Mopar and the heart of the others, you will see it. They built for last, to withstand abusive, and they can be super quick if you need to.

From what I see, Mopar (Chrysler) known by less than 30% of consumers the market in pre-1950s. The head of Chrysler Corp, couldnt stand anymore, and said if all your *** nerd couldnt make a real car, just pack (my words). Thus, the born of hemispherical combustion, ram induction, fuel-injected, and wing car in the 1960s. And that was the time Mopar known to racer, until today.
 
Love the engineering from the engine to the suspension and there designs from the body styles to even the engine bays.
 
Lots of the things already mentioned and.......the smell. Takes me back. Dad had a 64 Valiant when I was little. Mom's first new car ever was a a 73 Duster. And lots of different ones in between. My older brother was a die-hard. Got me into the hot rodding end of it. First car was a 71 Charger. They all have that Mopar smell. Is that wierd?
 
My dad, then my brother got me started.

I like that you just didn't see them in every driveway back in the day. As far as I remember we were the only house on the block with Mopars.

And now...lots of memories from people every time I'm out in the Barracuda. "Man, I haven't seen one of those in years! My buddy in high school had one of those!!!" .It's great to take people back in time. Not sure other brands can do that as much.
 
When I got my first car in April '69 - a '62 Valiant Signet, the only person in my neighborhood who had Mopars lived across the alley. He had a Fury for his daily driver and a '65 Valiant wagon. It was his service vehicle for National Cash Register. He was close to retirement age and was always a huge help on all things Mopar for the"newbie".
 
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I grew up around them. My dad built and raced Mopars throughout the '70's. He and my mom always drove Mopars. Dad had a '63 Polara 500, with a 13.5:1 Ramcharger, and daily drove a variety of cool cars, including a '69 383 Road Runner, and a '65 383 Belvedere I 2 dr. sedan. Mom had a '64 383 4-speed Sport Fury, then a '71 Charger R/T 440. My mom took pictures of my dad holding me as an infant, between the Carter 3447 AFB's on the cross ram of his 426 Ramcharger. Dad bracket raced a funny car with a 440 in the '80's. I was in love with cars pretty much as soon as I knew I loved anything, so naturally I loved Mopars.

When it came time for me to start driving, I worked hard and saved up to buy a cool Mopar. My first car was my '70 Swinger 340, which I still own today, after 23 years.

I asked my dad a long time ago why he started with Mopars. He told me that no one built cars as tough or as cool looking as Mopar. He also told me that when he started reading car magazines in the '60's, he thought Sox and Martin had the most impressive cars.
 
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