Car that hooked you on Mopar

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Abodybomber

Abodybomber

Breaking street machines , since 1983.....:)
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We are all here for a reason,we love Mopars.For me,1987.I work at a 76 station in Pismo Beach.Third day on the job,a wild looking yellow 70 R/T Challenger comes thumping in.Factory Maxie crossram,12.5 to 1Biiiggg Crane solid cam.He rolls up,starts pumping 92 octane leaded(remember that?).We start talking cams,invites me for a ride.Been around small block camaros in my brief automotive life.I explained this to him.He smiled,and said"Just get in".He whacked the the throttle,well let you figure it out.I am curious how 20,000 people got here. What's your story?
 
Got into it because the car was left to my parents after my brother passed away. After 7 years of them letting it sit there I got pissed took it away and am building the car for my brother. Once the car is broke in I'll hand the keys and title over to them. His last wish was that our parents to drive the car (this is why it doesn't get a 6-speed, doesn't get a a bb,Hemi or new Hemi, doesn't get a roll cage). I'll build the car so that you can drive the wheels off it and if/when you see going down the road you'll always remember it because that the type of person my bro was.
 
That is a great tribute to your brother,sorry to hear.Now I know,thanks for sharing(P.S.by the way,I did
not miss the crazy break in period on my Magnum swap.A couple bucks more beats the happy horseshit.)
 
One of the first MoPArs I road in is what got me hooked a 1971 Plymouth 340 Duster sassy grass green.
 
i got into mopars through fins ,i bought and restored a 1959 saratoga 2 dr coupe 383 and loved it ,i will try to upload photos,the car was beautifull!!
 
When I was a kid a neighbor down the street had a 340 4 speed duster. I fell in love when he go past our house banging gears.
 
it was a crimsom red plymouth duster back in my sophomore year. my best friend rapidroy sullivan had just purchased after giving up a 1969 swinger 340. we did everything with that car. terrorizing the community and breaking in the the local female population. i went into the military promising myself one day i would own that car. now she sets out back in the snow bank waiting patiently for her own resurection. of which will become a build thread in the near future
 
Hearing stories of my dads 56 Fury. I rode in a 72 Challenger 340 as a kid. It would incenerate the tires! The other reason was you seen chevys all the time. I like to be different. First car 73 Cuda 340.
 
My first car, bought it when I was 15. '74 Dart Swinger Special 360 4 spd. Never looked back from there. Wish I still had her.
 
I don't think there was a particular car that got me here, but I will try to explain. Growing up in south eastern Michigan, in the late 60's and early 70's, there were always alot of cool, older, cars around. I started to notice that there were more bowtie and furds, than our beloved Mopars. So I guess you could say that I enjoy being different, and rooting for the underdogs! And as I say this, keep in mind that at that time, I am a young boy, 4 to 5 years old!
The earliest that I can remember, in '67, my dad came home with a used '65 W1 Dart with the 273. Hell, we still talk about that car today! Then there was a neighbor across the street. He had bought a brand new dark green '68 Coronet 440 model with the 318. And around the block, there was a guy how had bought a brand new '69 Barracuda with a 340. These were the only Mopars around for blocks!
I started building model cars, and that started me "tinkering" with anything mechanical, taking it apart to see how it works, just so I would able to be near some of these cars, when they were being worked on. Any time my dad, or the neighbor did a tune up, I could be found under the hood with them, watching and learning as much as I could. I couldn't wait for the day that I could wrench on a car, or even own one.
By the time I was 9, I was my dads assistant, when it came to working on our families cars, doing tune-ups, brakes, shocks, etc. Rebuilt my first carb in '74 (a 800cfm TQ), when I was 10 years old (only because my dad didn't put all the parts back in it, and when he started it up, it caught on fire!).
I just love the older cars, all of them, but the Mopars are my favorite. All of the Mopars!I've owned A's, B's, and C bodied Mopars, a couple of 4 wheel drives (and 3 Furds), and I just enjoy being able to work on them. Cracking open a couple of beers and "tinkering" with them, trying to improve them, cleaning them, and driving them! So I guess this is what brought me here, to be with like minded people! Sorry for the long story.
 
IN 1977 I GOT a job at a local speed shop. The guy who owned it had just finished a racing career with Mopar's. mostly B bodies. I'd love a b body but much$$$$$$$$$$$$. The rest is history......
 
Well after my SS got dusted by an R/T I reloaded with a '70 440 4-speed orange Road Runner. I needed to make sure that didn't happen any more. No need to look back. I knew what was back there. Everyone.
 
Late 1980 The powers that be put us in a 67 notch back Barracuda. Spineker white w/ metallic red interior, slant 6, reverb AM radio.
 
I was hooked before most of your dads were born.

In 1954 I got my first car, a cherry '41 Chevy. It was as clean as they come and it was a piece of junk. Everything broke...including the seat back at 50 mph. It's no fun staring at the ceiling at that speed.

A year later, it was replaced with a '48 Plymouth that never had a breakdown. It took a tornado dropping a garage on top of it to kill it, but after that Plymouth, I've owned nothing but Mopars for fifty-six years, and I've never been disappointed.
 
Growing up in early 70's, my big brother Gary had a red/black top/black gut 69 Swinger 340/727. At they age (about 7 or 8 ) it was the coolest thing on wheels. He had other friends that would stop over our house with their cars, and another fellow, Steve Magyar, had a green 69 Swinger 340. Another buddy of his had a triple black 340 Duster, 71 I think. All of them had Cragar S/S wheels and hood scoops with lumpy cams.

Around the corner there was a 70 Cuda, a real 340 4-speed, with a custom paint job and Keystones. It later became a racecar called Flyin' Robin. Pretty famous car locally.

Before my brother bought the Dart, our next door neighbor owned a 70 Challenger T/A 6PAC car. Yellow with black gut. I think this is the car that drove my brother to buy the Dart in the first place, but thats just a guess.

At the same time, a guy around the corner had a blue/black gut 66 Chevelle SS396 4-speed with Anson wheels, and there was a white/red gut 71 Corvette 454 4-speed locally as well. A guy named Tony owned the Vette as he used to stop by the house too.

My brothers other friend Tommy from just a few houses up owned a 39 Chevrolet coupe hot rod. Not a sleek billet car, but more like a drag car on the street. All black with some kind of magnesium wheels. Tilt nose with a straight front axle.

Another buddy of his had a badass 65 GTO too. His name was Hector if I remember right.

There was also a candy red 55 Chevy SB 4-speed running around. Rossi was his last name, but thats what everyone called him.

All these cars were in Bridgeport Connecticut in the early to mid 70's. Only one I know is still around is the Flyin' Robin. It's now a full tube chassis car running high 7's, and doesn't have the custom paint anymore. Runs at Atco & E-Town.

Guess what my most favorite cars of all time are?
68-69 Darts
70-72 Dusters
68-72 Corvettes
70-74 Cudas
70-71 Challengers
66-67 Chevelles
37-39 Chevy coupes
55 Chevys
65 GTO

:D

Young boy heavily influenced at a great time to be a kid. There were hot rods and muscle cars everywhere back then.
I can scratch the Corvettes of the bucket list, as well as Darts and Dusters. Still working on the rest! LOL

:D
 
For me it was going to the drags and seeing how dominant the Mopars were and my brothers 69 Charger original Hemi car
 
for me it was dads 1969 dart 340/727-83/4 with 3.91
i was 15 when he bought that i asked if that was for me
no its not for u lol more later on this car
 
I guess a 73 Duster? Thats what I came home from the hospital in and 3 months later a 66 Charger was brought home.
papajerry.jpg
Then we have had everything under the sun that mopar made. I never had a non mopar until 1997. It was a 97 30th ann. Camaro. But when I was 11 I found a 69 dart that I cuoldn't live with out and now I have had it only 22 years.
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