cam.man67
Well-Known Member
Heres Lucy's story, from my blog:
your Mopar's story
- Thread starter QuintinMotorCompany
- Start date
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duster rege
Well-Known Member
Bought car from man who was 2nd owner original guy said grankids were fighting over car all documentation kept all service recordskept got car pulled original 318 rebuilt lunati cam heads pistons intake carb runs great put 60s on rear been enjoying since!!!
ValerianMagnum
the little car that could
My mopar story , kinda very cool , kinda very sad...
i was 16 , it was the 28th of june 2001 the same excat day that Plymouth closed their door building their last car a Plymouth neon...
as funny as it gets , its D-day that i felt in love with a 1970 orange dodge charger , i completly freaked out , and was so amazed buy the look , stance , mean sounding car ...
in this same summer , i started working to buy a 68-70 charger , few months later i discovered another mopar than i liked , it was a 71 hemicuda , as a model car this time lol , i went to carlisle , and add more respect for the others e-body , 72-74 and realized that they were more affordable too , so long story short , we found and bought a yellow 74 barracuda in september of 2003 , rust bucket , tried to restore it with my dad , did it ..quickly not perfect but still wanted to do car shows , and went a lil bit extreme , won a lot of trophies right away , tv interviews .. magazines , was 19 and it went a little bit too fast for me . my dad freak out and the car started to become a trailer queen ...got older add a big fight with my dad because i wasnt able to take the car because it was a trailer queen..
so the car was stored for more than 7 years ...bought a duster to forget it , and now bought the cuda back from my dad and i have both of them , and the cuda will run this summer ....and will have some future restoration , but for now its okay ! i still have two nice legendary muscle cars even if theyre not perfect
i was 16 , it was the 28th of june 2001 the same excat day that Plymouth closed their door building their last car a Plymouth neon...
as funny as it gets , its D-day that i felt in love with a 1970 orange dodge charger , i completly freaked out , and was so amazed buy the look , stance , mean sounding car ...
in this same summer , i started working to buy a 68-70 charger , few months later i discovered another mopar than i liked , it was a 71 hemicuda , as a model car this time lol , i went to carlisle , and add more respect for the others e-body , 72-74 and realized that they were more affordable too , so long story short , we found and bought a yellow 74 barracuda in september of 2003 , rust bucket , tried to restore it with my dad , did it ..quickly not perfect but still wanted to do car shows , and went a lil bit extreme , won a lot of trophies right away , tv interviews .. magazines , was 19 and it went a little bit too fast for me . my dad freak out and the car started to become a trailer queen ...got older add a big fight with my dad because i wasnt able to take the car because it was a trailer queen..
so the car was stored for more than 7 years ...bought a duster to forget it , and now bought the cuda back from my dad and i have both of them , and the cuda will run this summer ....and will have some future restoration , but for now its okay ! i still have two nice legendary muscle cars even if theyre not perfect
keep em coming - great stories so far
67dartgtgo
Well-Known Member
I have a fairly sad story too.
My car had been sitting for 13 years, wrapped in a tarp beside a garage. I'd been looking for a project I could turn into a driver pretty quickly and had been looking for about 6 months with a budget of 4 to 6K. Everything I looked at were mostly rot ridden, non running and price non negotiable with little potential to become something without some serious cash expenditure. I'd seen this little Dart advertized for a few months far below my budget price and thought, " boy this really must be bad if everything else I've looked at for 6k is a comparison". I wasn't really sure if I was a "MOPAR" guy yet either. Well I called the owner and he filled me in on it. Blown tranny, 360/300HP Mopar performance crate motor, 7.25 rear end, sitting for 13 years unstarted wrapped in a tarp but he says the body's solid. I take a ride up on a cold sunny January Saturday and he's got it unwrapped, hood up, trunk lid open. Gave it a good look over and was very surprised at how clean it really was. Even if it needed a drivetrain it was worth more than the asking price. My 12 year old son was with me and he's not one to hide his cards very well and there was no doubt he loved what he saw. So I asked if he'd had much action on the car, curious why it hadn't sold yet. He said lots of action but only one offer. It was a bad experience for him but I got him to tell em about it and he was right as they offered him half of his asking price. he told me his rock bottom and we made a deal. I threw a battery in it that I brought with me, checked all the fluids, oil was clean, clean whish he said he had put it away right but I know everyone says that. We turned it over while I fed gas into it from a gatoraide bottle and it fired up. His eyes got huge and my boy was smiling ear to ear. I asked if we still had a deal and he said of coarse.
So, the sad part. He put the car away when his wife died of cancer and he blew up the tranny at the same time. He and his wife loved the car and had gone to many shows with it. He bought it from her brother in the beginning when he himself was diagnosed with with a cancerous brain tumor at the age of 23. He's in his late fifties now. At the time, cancer was being treated with cobalt therapy and everyone was dieing either way. He was one of the first recipients of radiation and chemotherapy and boasted, thanking God that he was still here today. He decided that now since his daughter had turned 21 and it had been 13 years since his wife died, it was time to sell the car and not be reminded of her every time he looked out the window. What a great guy and an incredible true story. I assured him his car was going to a good home to be resurrected and loved the way he'd loved it. Now I'm a complete and total "MOPAR" guy and loving every minute of it. My boy loves this car and it may someday be his.
My car had been sitting for 13 years, wrapped in a tarp beside a garage. I'd been looking for a project I could turn into a driver pretty quickly and had been looking for about 6 months with a budget of 4 to 6K. Everything I looked at were mostly rot ridden, non running and price non negotiable with little potential to become something without some serious cash expenditure. I'd seen this little Dart advertized for a few months far below my budget price and thought, " boy this really must be bad if everything else I've looked at for 6k is a comparison". I wasn't really sure if I was a "MOPAR" guy yet either. Well I called the owner and he filled me in on it. Blown tranny, 360/300HP Mopar performance crate motor, 7.25 rear end, sitting for 13 years unstarted wrapped in a tarp but he says the body's solid. I take a ride up on a cold sunny January Saturday and he's got it unwrapped, hood up, trunk lid open. Gave it a good look over and was very surprised at how clean it really was. Even if it needed a drivetrain it was worth more than the asking price. My 12 year old son was with me and he's not one to hide his cards very well and there was no doubt he loved what he saw. So I asked if he'd had much action on the car, curious why it hadn't sold yet. He said lots of action but only one offer. It was a bad experience for him but I got him to tell em about it and he was right as they offered him half of his asking price. he told me his rock bottom and we made a deal. I threw a battery in it that I brought with me, checked all the fluids, oil was clean, clean whish he said he had put it away right but I know everyone says that. We turned it over while I fed gas into it from a gatoraide bottle and it fired up. His eyes got huge and my boy was smiling ear to ear. I asked if we still had a deal and he said of coarse.
So, the sad part. He put the car away when his wife died of cancer and he blew up the tranny at the same time. He and his wife loved the car and had gone to many shows with it. He bought it from her brother in the beginning when he himself was diagnosed with with a cancerous brain tumor at the age of 23. He's in his late fifties now. At the time, cancer was being treated with cobalt therapy and everyone was dieing either way. He was one of the first recipients of radiation and chemotherapy and boasted, thanking God that he was still here today. He decided that now since his daughter had turned 21 and it had been 13 years since his wife died, it was time to sell the car and not be reminded of her every time he looked out the window. What a great guy and an incredible true story. I assured him his car was going to a good home to be resurrected and loved the way he'd loved it. Now I'm a complete and total "MOPAR" guy and loving every minute of it. My boy loves this car and it may someday be his.
340duster340
Well-Known Member
my 66 belonged to a friend of mine. he was the old guy in town that had the 69 340-4speed barracuda in the garage that be bought new, and at the time i had a 72 duster. i pulled over one day i saw him washing it just to talk cars and would stop over periodically over the years just to talk mopars and to see how he was doing. he would give me advise on guys with parts and in general just liked talking about cars. long story short, at one point he had a stroke and gave me the car, but then i moved out of state and gave it back, told him i would catch up when i was back in town.
years later, i am back and his 66 dart was still sitting on the side of the house, so i figured to go and see what was up, and at this point hoping my friend was still around, but knowing that it was likely he wasn't.
long story short, he had passed years back, but his wife was in good spirits to see me and had mentioned that days/weeks before he passed he was asking for them to find me and give me the car. she wouldn't take any money for it and handed me they keys.
it meant a lot to me that he wanted me to have it, and although the car is slightly better than parts car, i still want to get i back on the road. even with the parts i already had laying around, i will be into this thing for a few grand, but its worth it. brings back memories of my youth and a good friend.
the build, ditch the 273, upgrade to 318 with HIPO 340 manifolds, cam and intake, stock is suspension rebuild with F&R FFI sway bars and some other goodies. 8.75 rear with, LBP conversion front and rear. leave the body as is but fix the holes in the floors and add frame connectors. IF i can spend a few weekends on it, i would have all the mechanical work done (i have all the parts), but with a 1 year old its hard to find the free time.
years later, i am back and his 66 dart was still sitting on the side of the house, so i figured to go and see what was up, and at this point hoping my friend was still around, but knowing that it was likely he wasn't.
long story short, he had passed years back, but his wife was in good spirits to see me and had mentioned that days/weeks before he passed he was asking for them to find me and give me the car. she wouldn't take any money for it and handed me they keys.
it meant a lot to me that he wanted me to have it, and although the car is slightly better than parts car, i still want to get i back on the road. even with the parts i already had laying around, i will be into this thing for a few grand, but its worth it. brings back memories of my youth and a good friend.
the build, ditch the 273, upgrade to 318 with HIPO 340 manifolds, cam and intake, stock is suspension rebuild with F&R FFI sway bars and some other goodies. 8.75 rear with, LBP conversion front and rear. leave the body as is but fix the holes in the floors and add frame connectors. IF i can spend a few weekends on it, i would have all the mechanical work done (i have all the parts), but with a 1 year old its hard to find the free time.
Wow memike, that's an incredible story!! Wish I could've had the honor of being part of it!! And great stories by the rest of you as we'll!!
Circa 1969,
My Sainted Father had retired from the Air Force,
and had been scooped up by Aerojet General .
Seems the above Corp needed an Senior Production Foreman
to 'orchestrate' the build of the Saturn 5.
---which equated to late 70's $$$ --- $6.31 per hr!!!!
(rollin in tall cotton).
Pops made Me a deal---
You keep an GPA of 3.5 or above in Automotive Studies,
"I will suprise You "
Indeed My Pops did hold true to His word.
After an monumental s--t suck day, (carrying 13 units at an local Junior
and working full time),
I came home to an '66 Formula S, --- Signed, sealed, delivered.
After I had ruined two '904's ... three 7 1/4's ...
My Sainted Father had only this to say,
" Challenge the elite , Burn Iron to the ground in the quest for performance,
The commonality is an absolute "
No lack of Respect Intended or Implied Honored Posters.
My Sainted Father had retired from the Air Force,
and had been scooped up by Aerojet General .
Seems the above Corp needed an Senior Production Foreman
to 'orchestrate' the build of the Saturn 5.
---which equated to late 70's $$$ --- $6.31 per hr!!!!
(rollin in tall cotton).
Pops made Me a deal---
You keep an GPA of 3.5 or above in Automotive Studies,
"I will suprise You "
Indeed My Pops did hold true to His word.
After an monumental s--t suck day, (carrying 13 units at an local Junior
and working full time),
I came home to an '66 Formula S, --- Signed, sealed, delivered.
After I had ruined two '904's ... three 7 1/4's ...
My Sainted Father had only this to say,
" Challenge the elite , Burn Iron to the ground in the quest for performance,
The commonality is an absolute "
No lack of Respect Intended or Implied Honored Posters.
keep em coming
Doug Swinger340
Well-Known Member
My story goes like this. My 69 340 swinger was my first car, my father and I drug the thing out from behind a guys house. We restored the car to a very good driver. I drove the car in High school and my wife and I had our first date in it. It has a well warmed over 340 with a four speed and 3:55 posi. As I got out of High School I needed "better" transportation and I sold the car. That was 23 years ago! Well about a year ago I was messing around on Ebay and low and behold, there was my old car. In California, And I live in Illinois. After not meeting the sellers reserve I called him and offered 500.00 more than my bid. He rejected, then called back in three days agreeing to my price. So i had the car shipped sight unseen nervous as heck. And now its mine again, forever I went through the interior last fall and can't wait to start the bodywork this spring, everything needs touched up. Here are some pics of then and now. I love driving it down these streets like I did 20 odd years ago, and plan driving it through resto! The pic in the middle is when it pulled up!
goldfish65
Well-Known Member
So I got back into Mopars with a bronze '67 Fury Sedan, loved that car, it was big but not ridiculously so, and solid. Well my best friend, who's a Chevy guy, always ribbed me that it was an "old man's car," which didn't bother me, but one day he tells me there's a '65 Barracuda for sale parked next to his son's school. So I go there, the custodian had bought it a few months before. It was dull and a little rusty, and it had 100's of big black ANTS crawling out of the right rear quarter panel trim. I took it for a drive around the neighborhood, so easy, just one finger on the wheel, and it just fit me so well. It felt like it was mine already. And I felt sorry for the car! I couldn't stand to see it parked there looking so sad and unloved. So I bought it the next day, and that's when the spending started haha! A fender-bender, a FABO member came to my rescue with a good hood, fender and grill, a stay at the bodyshop, new paint. Goldie was a good friend for 5 yrs!
great stories guys..
Bought my first mopar at 15 that was 40 years ago was a 64 valiant /6 push button tranny traded it for 68 cuda that turned into my first street strip car.
Many mopars in between left the hobby in the 70's .
Now have come full circle was driving around and found a 67 notch barracuda sitting in a field watched it sit for a couple years went to door and asked story.
The owners daughter said her dad was second owner he got it from his sister and wanted to fix it but was in poor health after haggling over price I purchased it from her.
There was one condition of sale after I had the car running I had to bring it for him to see.
went back to see him about a year later only to find out he was in hospice with not much time left.
Asked permission to go see him and she took me there with the car we were able to get him sprung long enough for a drive with me all he did was smile the whole time said it made his day.
I spent the last year going there at least once a month to take him for a ride sadly our last ride was 2 weeks ago on a warm winter day he passed 2 days later.
last thing he told me was that there is a butt for ever seat and drive like hell and have fun.
Many mopars in between left the hobby in the 70's .
Now have come full circle was driving around and found a 67 notch barracuda sitting in a field watched it sit for a couple years went to door and asked story.
The owners daughter said her dad was second owner he got it from his sister and wanted to fix it but was in poor health after haggling over price I purchased it from her.
There was one condition of sale after I had the car running I had to bring it for him to see.
went back to see him about a year later only to find out he was in hospice with not much time left.
Asked permission to go see him and she took me there with the car we were able to get him sprung long enough for a drive with me all he did was smile the whole time said it made his day.
I spent the last year going there at least once a month to take him for a ride sadly our last ride was 2 weeks ago on a warm winter day he passed 2 days later.
last thing he told me was that there is a butt for ever seat and drive like hell and have fun.
goldfish65
Well-Known Member
^^^^^^If anybody says Mopars don't have some special powers in people's lives, well I must disagree. That's a beautiful story right there.
zigs
Well-Known Member
Huge Landy fan in high school. 1968 Landy bought a set of Hemi Darts and started blowing the doors off of EVERYTHING. Couldn't afford a hemi Dart heck couldn't afford a /6 but I always kept that dream. I bought my Dart in 08. It was pretty well hammered but straight and no rust. Sad story,. Paid a guy to do body work and paint ,saw his work wasn't bad met his family etc. Had to kick him in the but to keep him moving. Lousy paint job bad body work. I finally figured out my money was going up his nose. hard lesson to learn but having to do his work over myself has taught me so much. I've ask a lot of questions on here and have learned from everyone.
Anyway my Hemi Dart became a reality 1968 Dart 270 With 354 Hemi.
not great but it turns a lot of heads and I'm happy.
THE WANNA BEE
there IS A 2 MINUTE CLIP ON YOUTUBE UNDER 354 HEMI DART
Anyway my Hemi Dart became a reality 1968 Dart 270 With 354 Hemi.
not great but it turns a lot of heads and I'm happy.
THE WANNA BEE
there IS A 2 MINUTE CLIP ON YOUTUBE UNDER 354 HEMI DART
Love your dart^^
BlueDream
Aspiring Mopar enthusiast
Lots of good stories here! My car is not fast, and for a long time it wasn't exactly good looking either, but to me it's always been special. My grandpa bought it brand new back in '73 and he drove it regularly until '97 where he parked it in a shed and only drove it once every blue moon. The car has always been my birth right, and when my grandparents got a divorce in '05 I was handed the keys, I was 9 years old. So there the car was, dormant, waiting to be driven. Time passed and my interest in the old car faded until one day during spring break where I found a video of a Dodge Dart doing a massive burnout, that got me interested in muscle cars again. When I returned home I went straight to the shed and there she was, my Dart. Let me tell you, she needed some love. Four flat tires and a layer of dirt so thick that you couldn't see through the windshield at all. Since I couldn't back it out to wash it I washed the whole car there in the shed with a bucket of soapy water and a rag. It felt good to see the paint shine (well kind of, as shiny as an ancient faded paint job can get!) once again, then I set out on the mission to get the engine running and the car driving again. With no mechanic experience at all, 16 year old me rebuilt the carb, changed the fuel pump, changed the spark plugs, installed a new battery and did a few other things. It may not sound like much to you guys, but I was proud of myself! Then on June 4th 2011 the car roared back to life after over a decade of sitting, and I drove her up to the house with the biggest smile that I could manage. It just felt right to finally be behind the wheel. My step dad told me that I could never get it running and it was extremely satisfying to show him that I wasn't an incompetent child that just played video games all day. I've been able to accomplish a lot on the car since that day, including a fresh shiny paint job that didn't have a vinyl top, new wheels and tires (took me forever to save for those!), got to ditch the bench seat in favor of bucket seats, and now i'm tackling the daunting task of installing a new drivetrain with a couple more cylinders and a lot more power. I know how you all like photos so heres a few 
Me and my cousin with my grandpa, with my Dart in the background sometime in the 90's
[/URL][/IMG] Me feeling cool after getting her running again
[/URL][/IMG] First cruise after getting out of the paint booth! I got to take my grandma for a ride, first time she's ridden in the car since the 90's.
[/URL][/IMG] This is how the car is now, all that's left is the drivetrain and I need to finish up some interior stuff too.
It's been an adventure turning the car into what it was, to what I always knew it could be. A lot of people don't understand that cars can be more than just cars, they can have personalities and they're for more than getting from point A to B. Working on this car is a labor of love, it gives me an outlet to help me get through the bad times, and it's always there for the good times. No car could ever replace it and to me it will forever be, special.
It's been an adventure turning the car into what it was, to what I always knew it could be. A lot of people don't understand that cars can be more than just cars, they can have personalities and they're for more than getting from point A to B. Working on this car is a labor of love, it gives me an outlet to help me get through the bad times, and it's always there for the good times. No car could ever replace it and to me it will forever be, special.
great story- keep on rolling
74Dusted
Stock Piler of 340's
I'll give you Lucille's (My '74 Duster) Story.
I'd have been 16 at the time and I was driving around in a beat up 1984 Dodge D50 4x4 (still own that truck) and I wanted a Duster / Demon / Dart Sport / 67-69 Cuda or a Cuda/Challenger, but didn't have a whole lot of money.
So I got on Ebay and kept searching day after day till I found a car I could afford. A '74 Duster that needed a good bit of TLC, won the bid (Boy was I sweating during the last few minutes of that auction)
That weekend, my dad and I drove roughly 80 miles to pick up the car. It had the original 318 in it still, was about halfway through a 4-Speed conversion and the original 904 (rebuilt) was out of the car but came with it. Plus enough New, NOS, and Used parts to completely fill the car to the roof and the bed of a GMC Sonoma (that we used to tow the Duster home)
Here's what she looked like the day I brought it home, promptly pulled the 318 out because it needed new Freeze Plugs, and thats where things went downhill. Because I pulled the 318, I decided a 340 was a better idea, if it was getting a 340 it needed an 8-3/4" Rear and a built transmission...
6 Months after bringing it home, it looked like this (and had a stout 340 / 727 combo)
A year after I brought it home
In 2010
And in 2011 (last time I drove it)
Here's where the story gets sad....
Late 2011 / Early 2012
It hasn't been driven since then. In fact, it's barely been touched aside from tearing the car apart. I'm still a large fortune away from getting all the parts I need, and putting it back together again. Here it is, 2014, and it's still in pieces. The original plan was to tear it apart in 2011, and have it running again (with new paint too) for Spring 2012ops:
I'd have been 16 at the time and I was driving around in a beat up 1984 Dodge D50 4x4 (still own that truck) and I wanted a Duster / Demon / Dart Sport / 67-69 Cuda or a Cuda/Challenger, but didn't have a whole lot of money.
So I got on Ebay and kept searching day after day till I found a car I could afford. A '74 Duster that needed a good bit of TLC, won the bid (Boy was I sweating during the last few minutes of that auction)
That weekend, my dad and I drove roughly 80 miles to pick up the car. It had the original 318 in it still, was about halfway through a 4-Speed conversion and the original 904 (rebuilt) was out of the car but came with it. Plus enough New, NOS, and Used parts to completely fill the car to the roof and the bed of a GMC Sonoma (that we used to tow the Duster home)
Here's what she looked like the day I brought it home, promptly pulled the 318 out because it needed new Freeze Plugs, and thats where things went downhill. Because I pulled the 318, I decided a 340 was a better idea, if it was getting a 340 it needed an 8-3/4" Rear and a built transmission...
6 Months after bringing it home, it looked like this (and had a stout 340 / 727 combo)
A year after I brought it home
In 2010
And in 2011 (last time I drove it)
Here's where the story gets sad....
Late 2011 / Early 2012
It hasn't been driven since then. In fact, it's barely been touched aside from tearing the car apart. I'm still a large fortune away from getting all the parts I need, and putting it back together again. Here it is, 2014, and it's still in pieces. The original plan was to tear it apart in 2011, and have it running again (with new paint too) for Spring 2012
ops:
Bump keep them coming
gilberttitan08
Mexican Hillbilly!!!
I liked, so I bought.
I've been doing this so long I've forgot more than I remember.I do know that I love every minute of it.Recently picked this one up as a long term project to drive on the street and enjoy. I told my wife that this will be the last,don't let me buy any more.Just like a junky that wants to become clean.She just said "YEAH,RIGHT".
It's got a 273 now. I have a 340 block that may go in it.Freeze plugs are leaking so I want to pull the engine anyway.
Plans are Firm Feel power steering,front and rear sway bars to make it handle better.
Better big bolt pattern brakes and a nice set of wheels and tires.
It needs a front fender so maybe just do a 70-72 front sheet metal and grille change.Not a big fan of the 68 looks. Last will be body and paint.With the black interior to will have a color change to B5 blue or over the top Prowler Gold.
It's got a 273 now. I have a 340 block that may go in it.Freeze plugs are leaking so I want to pull the engine anyway.
Plans are Firm Feel power steering,front and rear sway bars to make it handle better.
Better big bolt pattern brakes and a nice set of wheels and tires.
It needs a front fender so maybe just do a 70-72 front sheet metal and grille change.Not a big fan of the 68 looks. Last will be body and paint.With the black interior to will have a color change to B5 blue or over the top Prowler Gold.
Nice stories.. Cool cars
Serj22
Well-Known Member
In 2012 I had become sick and tired of a 2004 Pontiac Vibe I had been driving and the CV axles kept falling out of the transaxle - long story. So I let it sit in the driveway, along with a 95 accord, which drove just fine. Then I had to take the Accord to get it smogged (California) and it failed due to a gas cap not sealing, and one of the 02 sensors was bad. $100 later I could finally pay $60 to get it smogged and register it for $150 more dollars after that.
Then I realized I don't have to put up with this anymore, and scoured Craigslist simply by typing in years... 1975 and back and seeing what popped up. I went and looked at tons of cars and none of them really had that feel that they were something I want. Then I finally found a car in a Craigslist ad somewhere 20 minutes away but noticed the pictures of it were all taken about 2 blocks away from my house. I asked the guy to meet me in Martinez where I work on the Jolten Joe (Joe Dimaggio's boat) project and he called me and told me he was in the big parking lot by the marina. I walked over there, and I had literally 300-400 feet to walk while I was staring at this car thinking I wanted to leave with that car no matter what.
He didn't come down on the price, so I handed him $2,500 and he got a ride home from his wife after I test drove the car. I did not care how much it cost, I just knew I wanted THAT car
- a 1968 Dodge Dart 4 door with a slant 6.
There was spray paint on the wheels and tires, one side of the car had red wheels, the other had gray and he brought it DIRTY. yes he was trying to sell a dirty car, and I bought it. The interior had some weird bucket seats with red/white/blue pattern and the rest of the interior was forest green with torn up carpet and ripped everything.
The car is well loved and it brings out all my creative ideas, and I put them all to work. I learned to sew because of this car - to do the upholstery... so many ideas, and you can just put them all together. That's what I like about it.
I also wanted my kids to grow up with a "family car" kind of thing, where you have memories about doing stuff in it. No one really has good stories about taking the old Civic out to the lake - you know what I mean?
Now of course, it's turbocharged, still has a slant 6, and looks a little different. And March 18th the Wednesday Night Drags are starting up at Sonoma Raceway and I am almost ready with the car to run it. Just need an external battery cutoff and a new battery box...
I wanted my fiancee' to have something fun to drive since she's scared of driving my car, so I bought her a '74 4 door Dart off a member of this site and she's driven it every day all over the place and has never been a real car freak. Then we were sitting in a drive-thru behind a 60s rattlecan primer camaro with a weird sounding cam lope for quite a while and she turns to me and asks "Do you think his car is faster than mine?"
-It's starting.
Then I realized I don't have to put up with this anymore, and scoured Craigslist simply by typing in years... 1975 and back and seeing what popped up. I went and looked at tons of cars and none of them really had that feel that they were something I want. Then I finally found a car in a Craigslist ad somewhere 20 minutes away but noticed the pictures of it were all taken about 2 blocks away from my house. I asked the guy to meet me in Martinez where I work on the Jolten Joe (Joe Dimaggio's boat) project and he called me and told me he was in the big parking lot by the marina. I walked over there, and I had literally 300-400 feet to walk while I was staring at this car thinking I wanted to leave with that car no matter what.
He didn't come down on the price, so I handed him $2,500 and he got a ride home from his wife after I test drove the car. I did not care how much it cost, I just knew I wanted THAT car
- a 1968 Dodge Dart 4 door with a slant 6.
There was spray paint on the wheels and tires, one side of the car had red wheels, the other had gray and he brought it DIRTY. yes he was trying to sell a dirty car, and I bought it. The interior had some weird bucket seats with red/white/blue pattern and the rest of the interior was forest green with torn up carpet and ripped everything.
The car is well loved and it brings out all my creative ideas, and I put them all to work. I learned to sew because of this car - to do the upholstery... so many ideas, and you can just put them all together. That's what I like about it.
I also wanted my kids to grow up with a "family car" kind of thing, where you have memories about doing stuff in it. No one really has good stories about taking the old Civic out to the lake - you know what I mean?
Now of course, it's turbocharged, still has a slant 6, and looks a little different. And March 18th the Wednesday Night Drags are starting up at Sonoma Raceway and I am almost ready with the car to run it. Just need an external battery cutoff and a new battery box...
I wanted my fiancee' to have something fun to drive since she's scared of driving my car, so I bought her a '74 4 door Dart off a member of this site and she's driven it every day all over the place and has never been a real car freak. Then we were sitting in a drive-thru behind a 60s rattlecan primer camaro with a weird sounding cam lope for quite a while and she turns to me and asks "Do you think his car is faster than mine?"
-It's starting.
doogievlg
Well-Known Member
I found this car listed in the news paper when I was 15. I ended up getting it for $2000. I worked the year before and I had saved up around $1000 so I had to take out a loan from papa bear but I had it paid off in the next year. The car was a slant six car with 33,000 miles and I am the second owner. I drove the slant six until I was 18 and I had finally saved up enough for a small block. Now I'm 24 and the car looks the exact same. I drove this car all through high school and summers home from college. The memories I have had inside my swinger never be forgotten.
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