Son and Dad Mopars- proud of my son!

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Robj

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When my son graduated from college I signed over my '74 Satellite to him. We bonded over that car up to our elbows in various fluids. At one point we had a 408 in it- Lots of fun! I just never got around to doing anything with the body especially after I got my Dart and built it as my daily driver. Here's two photos. One from November of 2012 and one we just took tonight.

He built the original 318 and it's a screamer. He and my bodyman brother in law narrowed the 5mph bumpers and shortened the mounts. They built pockets in the rear quarters for the bumper corners and on the front made very slight flares on the fenders coming out to meet the bumpers. That got rid of the awful plastic filler panels between the bumpers and the body.

The center chin spoiler is modified from a Camaro and they built the two end pieces. The chin spoiler and go-wing were both hydro dipped with a carbon fiber pattern. They opened up the hood inlets and filled them with a hexagonal patterned mesh. The side mirrors are from a mid 80's Camaro which fit the profile of the side window opening perfectly. And yes...one more Chevy part. The side markers are from a Nova. Those replaced the raised plastic originals. Pretty funny, we had a Nova next to us at his first show and there they were exactly the same only chromed.

The wheels are Year One 17" aluminum. Seats are leather power seats from a Lexus. He also put in a A-518 overdrive tranny. That forth gear is sooo nice to have when you hit 70mph. Lots of interior goodies too. He's worked really hard on it and everywhere we go he's getting people nearly breaking their necks swiveling to see what it is. Aren't Mopars great?

At our city's big show (2000 cars) everyone was walking right by the long rows of '57 Chevys, Mustangs, Camaros, Corvettes and stopping to talk to us and look at out two Mopars. Darts are like the American version of the VW Bug. Everybody walking by has a story about a family Dart, a Dart they personally owned or a Dart that a friend had. So many of them then stand there looking at it and just smile with a far away look in their eyes. I love hearing all their stories and how happy they are to see it. My sister and other brother in law were with us and they couldn't believe all the attention that Dart drew.

Then there was that beautiful yellow Satellite parked next to me. People were almost crawling on it to check it out. He has the Plymouth badge on the bumper but other than that until they looked at the dash emblem, they have no idea what it is- just that they knew that they loved it.

Proud of my boy!

View attachment mopars 11 2012 both.jpg
 
Nice story and nice cars. Thanks for passing the torch on to your son!
 
Awesome story and awesome cars. Thanks for sharing. It's a great hobby to pass on and build relationships
 
Mentoring your kid at its best. Verry cool car he did.
 
This was a nice feel good moment to read this morning.. thanks for sharing.. Awesome stuff... Beautiful cars.. And I have to give you guys credit for getting the cars in virtually the exact same spot.. Its as if they stayed stationary for the past few years.. cool..
 
This was a nice feel good moment to read this morning.. thanks for sharing.. Awesome stuff... Beautiful cars.. And I have to give you guys credit for getting the cars in virtually the exact same spot.. Its as if they stayed stationary for the past few years.. cool..

That was fun setting it up. Just the two of us. He had the remote in his hand for the camera. My wife came home just as we were finishing up. We did lose a tree behind my car inbetween photos. I think the drought out here was just too tough on it but the variety is not known for long life anyway.

Thanks for all the nice comments everyone.

He was horsing around in it during his senior year in high school 8 years ago and pretzelled the right LCA and bent the K member. He had to do all the work to fix it after that. He really learned a big lesson and grew from that.

Everybody always joked and called it his car and I knew I'd give it to him someday.
 
Great story and really cool photography...like a time machine! You have every right to be proud of your son!
 
that is cool man

and the best part if, you have no idea of all the trouble he didn't get into because he was out back wrenching with his old man
 
Not trying to steal your thread but complement it. When my son was 12 or so i build a 72 duster and he was there handing me wrenches. Now he's a mechanic in Colorado raising his family so this build has been more sheard over the phone/text/pictures. But last summer i flew him out here to portland (where he was raised) to drag the car. It still had the 318 at the time (mock up motor) and was a 13/14 second car.
we had lots of fun!! It's now dipping in to the 11's and I'd love to have him here this summer to feel that! :burnout: look out Colorado members because I'm bringing the car to give to him (to give to my grandson) in two years when its finished.View attachment IMG_0090.jpg

View attachment IMG_0082.jpg
 
What a great story/stories and an inspiration to us all.
I for one would like to see more pictures of all of the cars in this thread!
 
Very cool!

Nothing like father and son bonding!!


Plus he learns how mechanical stuff works and can fix them himself...
 
Heading to a Scout meeting the day I brought it home. By the smile I think he already knew it would be his one day.

View attachment 74sat8.jpg

I love seeing everyone's dad and son and dad and daughter stuff. Great memories...other than the bent up suspension....haha...like I never did that kind of stuff.
 
:thumbup: Great story & good job Dad....both cars look cool!!

I really like the yellow on the Satellite, the blacked out trim, the wheels, & especially the stance. I know everyone won't agree, but it looks awesome IMO :cheers:
 
Here's some photos. I'll get some of the car in it's current state when I get a chance and put those up.

View attachment DSCN0115.jpg The original 318 that's back in there now

View attachment Dscn0701.jpg Coating the new K member

View attachment 100_8814.jpg My brother in law instructed him and he painted the engine bay

View attachment 100_8826.jpg K member goes back on

View attachment 100_8828.jpg Front suspension- his senior project he completed to be able to cross the stage at graduation. Oh, that's right...he's wrecked it in the first place! heh heh

View attachment 100_8863.jpg Change over to an 8 3/4

View attachment 100_8869.jpg 408 goes in

View attachment 100_8899.jpg 408 goes in

View attachment a oily.jpg Not to be outdone...Little sister doing an oil change for me in 8th grade. I pinch myself! I love our kids.
 
I really like the yellow on the Satellite, the blacked out trim, the wheels, & especially the stance. I know everyone won't agree, but it looks awesome IMO :cheers:

I agree. It's not a rare 1-of-something roadrunner or something. It's a 1974 318 Satellite Sebring with an awful repaint from before we got it. The girl I bought it from was apparently popular with the boys and not the other girls from what was keyed into the paint. I can't post most of what was in the paint. This is tame.

View attachment 74sat7.jpg

He made it his own and it is bad looking. The grill ended up looking almost Challengeristic. Years of sweat and labor and learning as he went. I dig it and it's exactly what he had envisioned when he began the project.

He's been posting on the B-body Only site as he's been working on it.
 
I took the family out to dinner today after I spend some 5 hours or so under the duster
me and the wifey were talking about how much work is going into the duster

I told her by the time the next one roll around our boy (who is now 5) will be old enough to do most of the work and ill just kick back and supervise

to which my boy replied "i don't mind doing all your work for you, you can just rest"
 
Nice cars.

Usually I can't stomach much custom work on a Mopar.

Those mods are very tasteful, however.

I'd like to see how the hood intakes were done.
 
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