How did you get into MoPars ?

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I came home from the hospital in 1971, in a fm3 70 Road Runner .
My parents special ordered the car.
383 auto ,bucket seat consol auto, 3:23, dust trail , air grabber, ralley wheels.
My first car was a 73 340 auto Road Runner.
My first truck was a 52 ford 351 c6.
I prefer mopars , but I am truly a car guy.
I apreciate them all !
Good Thread !!!
 
Riding around in this as a kid probably had something to do with it for me! And this guy too, who took us to every kind of race Kendall sponsored!!

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When I was very young, before my parents split up, we lived on a farm in southern Minnesota. One of my brothers was into cars (He had a 55 Chev and sold that for a '64 Impala). Two of his friends had cars I liked. One had a light yellow Challenger, and the other had a '68 or '69 off white AMX with black stripes. Every time they left the farm, they would do burnouts down the highway. I thought it was so cool!

When my parents split up, my Mom sold her Buick and bought a cheap /6 3spd '73 Dart Sport. We moved into a small apartment above my sister in St Paul MN. The immediate neighbor had a 70 or 71 Dart Swinger I thought was cool. Found out soon that a couple kids down the street had cars and would do burnouts down the street. My Mom was always mad they were being stupid, but I thought it was cool. One of those two cars was a blue notchback Barracuda, the other was a 69 or 70 Chevelle (I was eight, and I was hooked on cars!!

My first car was a cheap used '74 Olds Cutlass Supreme, but after blew up (block froze during a rough winter). I drove my Mom's Dart sport for a while. That thing lasted well over 270k miles and got passed back and forth between my siblings. After that I bought and traded a few different cars ('73 Satellite, 70 Satellite). When I got my first, somewhat real full time job at 19, I talked my mom into co-signing with me on my 69 Charger SE. That is the one I still have today and is going through rebuild (shown over on FBBO).

I like cars from all the different companies (65-70 fastback mustangs, 66-67 Chevelles and GTOs, 70-71 split bumper Camaros, 70 1/2 -73 Trans ams), but Mopars have always stood above the rest to me. There was just always different about them, whether it was the shape, sound, colors,... They just stood out.
 
My dad's first new car was a '52 Dodge Coronet, which always ran well. I remember that he had a used '46 Nash before that, which never ran right. He told me, "with a used car you're buying somebody else's problems."

In late '56 he bought a new Plymouth Savoy, but when the '57s came out he wished he'd waited.

Then when I was about 14 my brother bought a '41 Plymouth.

I bought a well-used Valiant Suburban in 1964 and drove it many miles.

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moparmat2000 said:
How did you get into MoPars?
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Through the driver side door. Still doing it that way too!:D

I actually looked at a '66 notch mustang on a lot and a '65 chevelle (used ni-gas car) from a private owner. I was not able to make either deal for under 200 bucks back then.
I ended up on another used car lot looking a dark blue '66 sport fury 383 auto console. It was grubby and not running well but I was told by a friend he thought he knew what was wrong with it. And on the other side of this car is this yellow mod top barracuda with a 318 I guess. The lot owner says either one for 200. I look at the mod and think NFW I'm driving that thing in HS. So I went with the sport fury. Well with tax, license, sticker city sticker it ended up being around 240 or so which I'm short on. The guy looks at me and say's you don't need to have it all today and to just bring him 20 bucks a week till its paid for. So it was not just my first car but he ended up being my first credit reference too.
The issue my friend saw was 5-7 wires were swapped. It ran much better when they were on right. Although later I suspected something was up he never admitted to swapping them to make it run poorly.
 
I grew up with Dodges.We had a 53 Dodge pickup which I started driving in hay fields and around farm probable 6-7 years old. In 1958 Dad bought a 53 Dodge Meadowbrook 4 door with 8,000 mi from an aunt. Then my Mother bought a new 65 Dart 4 door with 225 auto which for what it was ran good but ugly as sin in Turqouise. I did outrun 350 chevy in it one time. On way to high school one morning I held it in 2nd gear for about a mile trying to get 100 mph but only managed to get 98 out of it. Jerry, the guy riding with me told his Dad and Levi told my Daddy and what happened next would
be considered child abuse these days. I got my 67 GTS new in May 1967 and I still have it today. I have had at least one ever since. I now have 67 GTS, 67 GT, 77 3/4ton Powerwagon, 2001 2500 with Cummins, 2014 Quad cab with 5.7 hemi. I just gave my son my 1998 V10 dually for his mulching business.
 
I was so close to being a Ford guy that it wasn't funny. My first car was a 1970 Ford Maverick with a 300 six cylinder that ran half descent with some work and won me quite a few street races. I went to the local Ford dealership as he was a drag racer and talked to him seeing how hard it would be to put a 351 in it. He talked me out of it saying the 1972 mavericks had wider engine compartments with made it easier. When I graduated in 1974 I got a job at a busy local full service gas station. One customer owned a 1972 (340) 4 speed black Duster and I told him if he ever sold it I wanted first chance at it. 6 months later he said its for sale (1650.00) and I said SOLD. We raced 5-6 nights a week on the street and two days at the track. It ran 11.80's with the junk parts we had available back then and I was a mopar guy for life.


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my first duster 001 by John Cadamore, on Flickr

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John's 1972 Duster on a Nu-Be weekend 001 by John Cadamore, on Flickr


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My old Duster at Keystone 001 by John Cadamore, on Flickr
 
My dad got me into it, he always had mopars, drag races mopars, just stuck with me, my dad has had furys, belveders, 70 cuda 440+6 shaker, now a 68 charger. Forget the years of the first two I mentioned. Taught me most of what i know on how to fix cars. Now I have my two a 72 plymouth satellite, and the 67 dart.
 
My dad's parents were alway mopar. At some stage in the early 70s my dad lost his way and bought a ford (302 maverick that I learned how to drive on)

But I remembered by Grandpa's 64 Polara with the 383 police package - which was an awesome car and he got speeding tickets into the early 80s. that car was sold before I was 16

My grandma had 1971 Charger SE with 383 Magnum and power everything - she kept great care of that car. It became my first car that I drove all through high school and during the summers during college (before my dad sold it). I still love that car and will probably own another 3rd gen charger. The reaction from people about the mopars was different and it stood out from all the mustangs and camaros of my school. I carried that memory and bought my a-body

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That 3 rd gen.charger, they are really nice cars, cool looks, upscale interior, some had highaway head lights, had some weight but great road cars. My first Mopar was a '71 charger RT, bought in 1982... The PO had just sold off its # 440 and replaced it with a 400!! GO figure!!! He must have been what back then $50 ahead. LOL... I paid $1500 ( yes 1982!), for it drove it home, NO rust, great paint, perfect interior, rallyes, wing, air grabber!!!!
I drove it awhile and gots the hots for a 70 Challenger. I had a guy drive down from Ia. maybe 100 mi or so away to look at the car. . He turned it down because it had a nickel size door ding in the drivers door, Yes, a 1 yr door with the gill. He would not listen to me tell him I could knock it back smooth with my thumb, he was certain he would not find a perfect door for it!!! LOL again!
 
I started out with a 75 nova, had it for about 6 months maybe. Another guy in my class went to boot camp between our jr and sr year around 1987, and came home with a 68 dart GTS from down south. He was in love with my stupid nova and hounded me to trade him, after about 2 weeks of watching him melt the hides off of it, and against my parents wishes we traded for a weekend. I never ended up driving that crappy nova again. Now I own 2 very nice Dart's, a 68 and a 69, I always liked the 69 a little better, but you never forget your first love!
 
When I helped my dad drop a 241 Hemi with 3 speed and overdrive into a '52 Dodge pickup. I think I was 10. That was 50 years ago...
 
I got into Mopars because my Dad purchased one in about 1972. He got a 1969 VF Valaint coupe (Australian obviously), nothing too dramatic in itself. The resaon he got it was because I managed to open the back door of the Holden station wagon they owned at the time (I was 4) and my mum just caught me by the braces I had on as I was jumping/falling out the door.

Cheers
Anthony

moparmat2000 said:
How did you get into MoPars?

For me it was the fact that my dad always drove them, his fav was his 1973 dodge polara w a 318. my grandfather had a white 69 satellite with a black vinyl top, and one of those lit up oil filled compasses on the dash, my grandma had a 64 dodge dart GT. My uncle had a dark green 68 road runner 383. I loved the sape of grandpas sattie and the color combo black top and interior, white paint. The big dashboard with the overhang from the dash pad. That car started me on my love affair with 66-70 B bodies. He traded it in back in 1977 for a Volare. I just about died inside when he did that.

To me it was just natural to have a chrysler product of some sort. I was born in 1968, but identified with the pentastar logo pretty early on. That starter sound you vould always tell what it was without even looking. My thoughts back then were if you want a car, you buy a dodge, plymouth or chrysler. Anything else was just a knock off.

As i got older, my older brothers got their licences and eventually both bought toyota pickups. An unforgivable sin in my mind, but whatever. In the rust belt in the late 70s early 80s those trucks only lasted 4-5 years before the rust demons started eating em.

I stayed true to MoPar back then, owned my share. Bought a 68 charger from a cousin at 15 years old. Learned how to do body work, paint, mechanical work. Picked up a 66 coronet 440 model with slant 6 , owned a 77 charger SE, 75 charger SE, 69 charger R/T 4 speed, 68 barracuda fastback, 1988 dodge daytona shelby Z T top turbo ll , 69 dart western sport special, and eventually branched out to own GMs and Fords, but never japanese or korean cars. My first love has always been MoPars. I am fostering that with my son. He knows the pentastar as being MoPar, as well as the MoPar M. Currently have another 1988 daytona shelby Z T top turbo ll, 1967 barracuda notchback, 1969 barracuda notchback.

I also have had some brand X over the years. 1973 ford ranchero GT, 1971 chevy C/10 custom, and currently 2 brand X that i bought new, will never sell either 2007 Mustang GT 4.6 5 speed with 3.55 gears. I LOVE that car!!! 1994 chevy silverado C1500 350 5 speed 3.55 gears. She has been in my life from day 1 when i ordered her as a special order off the option sheets. Great truck, great styling. A family member. She is my parts chaser, junkyard runner, all around companion. I know its not a mopar but my son loves her too. He gets upset if i dont pick him up after school in dads "cool old truck" lol.

So how about you? How did you get into MoPars, the finest automobiles on the planet.
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Grew up going from TN down to AL for thanksgiving with relatives and for years saw a rusty green POS sitting on the farm gathering rust.

Fast forward 20 years and my dad comes home driving it.....

Turned out my grandmother bought it new back in 1973 and my dad drove it off the lot for her.

Eventually my dad was gonna get rid of it and so I took it.

Then i gave it to my sister who said she wanted it to fix up. She never did and after about 5 years called me about it.

Wife HATES this car so when I told her I wanted it back she gave me an ultimatum that i could get it if I sold my rifle

Ill miss my rifle but im gonna fix this 73 dart swinger up and drive the ever living hell out of it .
 
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73dartswingerlover said:
Grew up going from TN down to AL for thanksgiving with relatives and for years saw a rusty green POS sitting on the farm gathering rust.

Fast forward 20 years and my dad comes home driving it.....

Turned out my grandmother bought it new back in 1973 and my dad drove it off the lot for her.

Eventually my dad was gonna get rid of it and so I took it.

Then i gave it to my sister who said she wanted it to fix up. She never did and after about 5 years called me about it.

Wife HATES this car so when I told her I wanted it back she gave me an ultimatum that i could get it if I sold my rifle

Ill miss my rifle but im gonna fix this 73 dart swinger up and drive the ever living hell out of it .
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And once its all dolled up and the wiey aint upset about it anymore, just go buy another rifle
 
Dad bought me one after he got sick of me fixing my 2 Honda 600's every weekend. I needed 2 to keep one running at any time. He took me to lunch and pointed out a black primered 65 Barracuda in the parking lot in passing. I didnt think much of it until we went in and sat at the bar next to a guy and he handed me the keys! He then told me to get those 2 POS Honda's off the street and to the wreckers where they belonged. Aye Aye, Sir! We also checked out a 67 Goat and a 68 Cutlass. Cutlass was ugly and the Goat was a manual (bummer)! I could have been a goat herder....but I bet that 340 powered 65 was faster than either. Routinely beat a 340 Duster that lived on my way to work.
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My mom's cousins husband mentioned that he did some drag racing and wanted to know if I wanted to tag along for a weekend (this was before I was into cars at all). Needless to say i've been hooked ever since. This was 3 years ago, he's still racing the same car, its a 70 duster that has never seen the street, was converted to a super stock NHRA car in the 70's, and was first owned by Dick Landy's team, the next owner had Rhinehart performance do some things to the car (there's a picture on their site), and that 2nd owner ended up selling the car to him. I started pit crewing the car and ended up doing so for 2 1/2 years or so at our local track, and fast forward to now, i'm the announcer at that track.

Side note, the sublime green swinger of mine used to be his old big block powered racer before he got the duster, and had been sitting in his yard as basically as shell, (just had a /6 k frame and rear end slapped under there), he ended up giving me that car as my first.
 
I started out a GM guy, had a 71 Pontiac Tempest with a 350. enough power for a 19 year old. Long story short, wrecked the Pontiac, and picked up a 69 Coronet 500. It was cool, had a 318, and the RT taillight panel. This was 1989. The cars were cheap back then, I paid $100 for the Coronet, but had to tow it home, and do some transmission work on the A904. Another $100 car was a 1970 Duster with a slant 6. I then pulled my 340 dart out of a field in 1993. I paid a grand for it. By then I knew what a 340 was, and what an "H" code car was LOL! All these years later, the 340 swinger is still with me, body and paint, cutting it in, and putting it back together. What I remember is that the cars always ran when I needed them to, and working on them isn't that bad once you understand Mopar systems and how everything works. They sound good too. In the 80's everyone knew what a 5.0 Mustang sounded like, but I attest that Mopars have their own unique sound, and its a great sound of power :)
 
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My friend and his father were mopar guys.. So as teenagers we were working in his dart/sebring/shelby charger/ramchargers blah blah blah. Well his father recently passed away, which sucked. They gave me a very small urn with a little of his ashes and it sits next to the shifter in the dart all the time. :thumbsup:
 
When I was 13, (1968) , my friends dad bought a 69 RoadRunner, Best part was....it was his Moms car. We would stand at the end of their driveway and yell.."Peel Out". She would grin, look at us , sidestep the clutch, and smoke the tires as she took off.
In 1970, my brothers friend bought a slightly used 69 RoadRunner and shortly after Brother John (OldManMopar) came home with his '68 Roadrunner that literally rattled every old single pain window in the house. (Big Sig Erson cam , headers, and beer can header mufflers)
In 1971, now 16 years old I was trying to talk my folks into letting me buy an older co-workers 66 396 Chevelle (Shovel)......but older brother mentioned a 69 GTX a guy he knew had for sale. It was the guys wife car and unmolested. I promised my Dad I would only drive it and not modify anything.... which lasted about a week.
It has been fun, and I ain't done yet.......we are all blessed.
 
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HemiDenny said:
When I was 13, (1968) , my friends dad bought a 69 RoadRunner, Best part was....it was his Moms car. We would stand at the end of their driveway and yell.."Peel Out". She would grin, look at us , sidestep the clutch, and smoke the tires as she took off.
In 1970, my brothers friend bought a slightly used 69 RoadRunner and shortly after Brother John (OldManMopar) came home with his '68 Roadrunner that literally rattled every old single pain window in the house. (Big Sig Erson cam , headers, and beer can header mufflers)
In 1971, now 16 years old I was trying to talk my folks into letting me buy an older co-workers 66 396 Chevelle (Shovel)......but older brother mentioned a 69 GTX a guy he knew had for sale. It was the guys wife car and unmolested. I promised my Dad I would only drive it and not modify anything.... which lasted about a week.
It has been fun, and I ain't done yet.......we are all blessed.
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Denny, that sounds a little like my story. My best friend's dad was a Mopar guy. He would take us to oval track races and drag races at the local tracks where he was always bragging about the Mopars. Around 1970 he bought a 1968 Dodge Charger RT parchment gold with black vinyl top. He would take us cruising in it. In 1971 I turned 16 and we found a 1968 Charger RT parchment gold with white vinyl top for $1700. I talked my parents into letting me get it. (They said they trusted me...hmmm.) Sometimes I would meet my friend's dad side by side at a traffic light and it would be on. Lucky for me that it stuck to the road so well because we would soon be well over 120mph nose to tail.
I loved that 68 Charger but only 2 weeks later at a local Pontiac dealership there was a white 69 Boss 429 Mustang 4 speed for $2100. I never forgot about that car either.
 
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