75dartsport
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- Joined
- Jan 17, 2008
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I just noticed the young guns thread. Wish I had noticed it a little earlier and could tell a great story. But then I thought, a great story should always be told. So here it goes.
Let me start off by saying I was too old for the Young guns thread anyways. But if you read the rest of my post you'll hear as Paul Harvey said "The rest of the Story". My love of Mopars started at a very young age. When I was born my father was already a Mopar nut. I was driven to the hospital on March 31, 1976 in my mothers womb. A 1968 Dodge Dart GTS factory 383 4-speed car was my mode of transportation, but at this point had already been converted to a 440 monster street/strip car. It was my parents only mode of transportation. My father had to sell this car in early 1979, due to more responsibilitys as a father of a growing family. But I still remember to this day over 30 years later, and only being 3 when he sold it. The love I had for that car. My dad still has time slips from that car. It was truly a high ten second car that was driven daily, with a gear change and a set of slicks was a winner at the track about every weekend. Me and my father still talk about this car every time we see eachother. After the car was sold I would never see another mopar muscle car in the family untill I was 17 years old. For my High School graduation, I recieved as a gift from my Grandfather a 1967 Dodge Dart GT, that had been fully restored. It was not a number matching car, as it had a 340. It was a thing of beauty, and me being what I thought was a tough 17 year old know it all cried like a little baby. But the day wasn't over yet. I was at that time driving a 1985 Dodge W150 4x4. It had a factory 318 motor that by that timeI had had it for 3 years. It was pretty tired. My father told me right after recieving the 67 Dart that my grad present from him, was at a buddy of his house. We went over there and sitting on an engine stand was a fresh 340 for the truck too. Wow what a day. 6 months after graduation I was driving the Dart to work. Everyone was wanting to see it so I decided the next nice day I would drive it to show off a little. While truning into the drive at work I was rearended by a propane truck. I still have the article in the paper it made the front page. But nothing was left of the dart except the motor. Even the doors and front fenders were bent from a rear hit. The truck which I had had for 4 years now, was my only transportation. I drove it for another year, and the 340 went south, and I installed a 383. I had bought a ford escort during the transformation. About 6 months after the 383 install, I drove it to work and a fellow employee fell in love with it and made me an offer that was probably more than twice what it was worth. I had no choice to sell, as I was about to start a family also.`And needed the money to buy a family vehicle. I was moparless as my father was for the same reasons. Funny how things work. I know now how my father felt. And it doesnt feel good. I decided from that point, if and when I had a son or daughter that was interested at all, they would grow up with a Mopar in the shop.
Well it took me a few years but the son came after two daughters. And he may be more of a muscle car freak than me. I say muscle car, because he likes them all, but is partial to Mopars. So when he was about 8 years old I finally purchased a 1975 Dart Sport, you all probably remember it. My old avitar and where I got my forum name. It was a prostreet car. 360 4-speed. Mini tubbed with 30x13.5 MT Et streets. What a beautifull car. My son was only eight at the time, but loved the car more than anything, maybe even me. When ever I worked on it he was right by my side, not only watching, but also learning. He is the best shop man, I could ever have. I remember the first time taking it to the drag strip. Lost first round. He looked a little dissapointed, and the wife and kids actually left. I told the wife while I was already here I was going to buy back in the second round and atleast get one more pass out of the car. She left and took the kids with her including the son. Little did she know the car would never lose a round the rest of the night, yep thats right a first place trophy first time out. She couldn't believe it when I called and told her. And the boy was let me say was pissed she made him leave. So a few weeks later we decide to go back and try it again. Lost first round again, but this time the boy wasn't leaving, I don't think you could have removed him from the premises with a police force. He told me dad you can do it again. And I knew I had too. We'll never lost another round, and came home with another first place trophy. Next day at home he asks, dad since i do all the work on the car can I have the trophys. Those trophys to this day are the first thing he shows everyone that stops by the shop to visit. We tried one more time that year to win a trophy but had difficulty with a broked shifter in the second round. Should have known something was wrong when I won the first round. The following summer me and my wife had fallen on harder times and the sell of the Dart Sport was necessary. I thought I was heartbroked, but what was worse was seeing my son and how heartbroked he was. Not a great feeling. I still get teary eyed to this day just thinking about him and how we both felt the day it left the driveway. Fast forward 2 years. Times are better, I had picked up a cheap Harley and had been dirt track racing for over a year now. So that is what was in the shop. But still didn't help fill the hole in his heart the Dart Sport had left. He decided he wanted a project, so he found a 1963 Ford Fairlane just a shell no motor or interior a big project, but priced right and would be something he could enjoy working on. And i had aquired many ford parts from my dirt track racing. 6 months ago we purchased the car for 800.00. Well here is where it gets good. 2 months ago me and the son were on the couch, he says dad look at this car, on the laptop. Yeah he was looking at cars on craigslist. It was a 1970 Plymouth Duster Go-Green, 360, auto, 3500 Stall, 3.91 gear supposed to be anyway? He says its only 8500.00. And I say only? Only is alot of money. He says if you buy it, I'll trade you my Fairlane. Remember his 800 dollar Fairlane. How could I not do that deal.:-k Then i got thinking how can I do this. I call the guy just to talk about the car and find out he was selling it to buy a Harley. And I have one of those. To make a long story short I now have the car. When we picked it up, my son pretty much knew the car wasn't his. Or so he thought. He was instantly in love with it, and the look in his eyes that he had with the Dart Sport was there again. We instantly started tuning on it as soon as we unloaded it in the shop. Took it to the track the following week , just for a test and tune,and let me tell you wow the car ran better than the Dart Sport and had the times to prove it. The following week went to the DMV to license it. Asked the lady how old do you have to be to have a car in your name. She tells me any age. But for insurance purposed if the owner is under age put it in your name too. So I put it in our name with his listed first. Month goes buy and I check the mail, I knew what was in the letter fron the DMV. And it was addressed Mavrick Smith which is my sons name. I tell him when he gets home from school. Mavrick you got something in the mail, he says what is it, i never get any mail. I almost cried when I gave him the letter and seen his eyes when he opened it. The title to his 1970 Duster. And that wasn't the end of it. The licence plates would be two weeks later since they were special. They read MAVRICK. So now I'm the proud owner of a 1963 Ford Fairlane, and he's the prowd owner of a 1970 Duster. Whick is my avitar. So once again I am moparless, but couldn't be any happier. Our plans for the future is to update the interior, new door panels, already located and purchased some factory bucket seats, to replace the race buckets. Looking for some better heads, Front and rear turn signals. He wants a go-wing, six pack scoop. We are trying a little at a time, because with 4 kids money is tight. We hope by the time he starts high school to have it completly done. It won't be his everyday driver, just a toy. He wants to get involved in the high school drags when he's old enough. And can actually start racing at our local track when he's 14 only 2 more years. Well my fingers are getting tired, and I can't see out of my eyes anymore they are swollen and wet, due to allergies. Funny I never had allergies till I started typing this post. So in the future look out for this young gun. His name is Mavrick Smith, and he may be the next Big Daddy, or Ronnie Sox.
Let me start off by saying I was too old for the Young guns thread anyways. But if you read the rest of my post you'll hear as Paul Harvey said "The rest of the Story". My love of Mopars started at a very young age. When I was born my father was already a Mopar nut. I was driven to the hospital on March 31, 1976 in my mothers womb. A 1968 Dodge Dart GTS factory 383 4-speed car was my mode of transportation, but at this point had already been converted to a 440 monster street/strip car. It was my parents only mode of transportation. My father had to sell this car in early 1979, due to more responsibilitys as a father of a growing family. But I still remember to this day over 30 years later, and only being 3 when he sold it. The love I had for that car. My dad still has time slips from that car. It was truly a high ten second car that was driven daily, with a gear change and a set of slicks was a winner at the track about every weekend. Me and my father still talk about this car every time we see eachother. After the car was sold I would never see another mopar muscle car in the family untill I was 17 years old. For my High School graduation, I recieved as a gift from my Grandfather a 1967 Dodge Dart GT, that had been fully restored. It was not a number matching car, as it had a 340. It was a thing of beauty, and me being what I thought was a tough 17 year old know it all cried like a little baby. But the day wasn't over yet. I was at that time driving a 1985 Dodge W150 4x4. It had a factory 318 motor that by that timeI had had it for 3 years. It was pretty tired. My father told me right after recieving the 67 Dart that my grad present from him, was at a buddy of his house. We went over there and sitting on an engine stand was a fresh 340 for the truck too. Wow what a day. 6 months after graduation I was driving the Dart to work. Everyone was wanting to see it so I decided the next nice day I would drive it to show off a little. While truning into the drive at work I was rearended by a propane truck. I still have the article in the paper it made the front page. But nothing was left of the dart except the motor. Even the doors and front fenders were bent from a rear hit. The truck which I had had for 4 years now, was my only transportation. I drove it for another year, and the 340 went south, and I installed a 383. I had bought a ford escort during the transformation. About 6 months after the 383 install, I drove it to work and a fellow employee fell in love with it and made me an offer that was probably more than twice what it was worth. I had no choice to sell, as I was about to start a family also.`And needed the money to buy a family vehicle. I was moparless as my father was for the same reasons. Funny how things work. I know now how my father felt. And it doesnt feel good. I decided from that point, if and when I had a son or daughter that was interested at all, they would grow up with a Mopar in the shop.
Well it took me a few years but the son came after two daughters. And he may be more of a muscle car freak than me. I say muscle car, because he likes them all, but is partial to Mopars. So when he was about 8 years old I finally purchased a 1975 Dart Sport, you all probably remember it. My old avitar and where I got my forum name. It was a prostreet car. 360 4-speed. Mini tubbed with 30x13.5 MT Et streets. What a beautifull car. My son was only eight at the time, but loved the car more than anything, maybe even me. When ever I worked on it he was right by my side, not only watching, but also learning. He is the best shop man, I could ever have. I remember the first time taking it to the drag strip. Lost first round. He looked a little dissapointed, and the wife and kids actually left. I told the wife while I was already here I was going to buy back in the second round and atleast get one more pass out of the car. She left and took the kids with her including the son. Little did she know the car would never lose a round the rest of the night, yep thats right a first place trophy first time out. She couldn't believe it when I called and told her. And the boy was let me say was pissed she made him leave. So a few weeks later we decide to go back and try it again. Lost first round again, but this time the boy wasn't leaving, I don't think you could have removed him from the premises with a police force. He told me dad you can do it again. And I knew I had too. We'll never lost another round, and came home with another first place trophy. Next day at home he asks, dad since i do all the work on the car can I have the trophys. Those trophys to this day are the first thing he shows everyone that stops by the shop to visit. We tried one more time that year to win a trophy but had difficulty with a broked shifter in the second round. Should have known something was wrong when I won the first round. The following summer me and my wife had fallen on harder times and the sell of the Dart Sport was necessary. I thought I was heartbroked, but what was worse was seeing my son and how heartbroked he was. Not a great feeling. I still get teary eyed to this day just thinking about him and how we both felt the day it left the driveway. Fast forward 2 years. Times are better, I had picked up a cheap Harley and had been dirt track racing for over a year now. So that is what was in the shop. But still didn't help fill the hole in his heart the Dart Sport had left. He decided he wanted a project, so he found a 1963 Ford Fairlane just a shell no motor or interior a big project, but priced right and would be something he could enjoy working on. And i had aquired many ford parts from my dirt track racing. 6 months ago we purchased the car for 800.00. Well here is where it gets good. 2 months ago me and the son were on the couch, he says dad look at this car, on the laptop. Yeah he was looking at cars on craigslist. It was a 1970 Plymouth Duster Go-Green, 360, auto, 3500 Stall, 3.91 gear supposed to be anyway? He says its only 8500.00. And I say only? Only is alot of money. He says if you buy it, I'll trade you my Fairlane. Remember his 800 dollar Fairlane. How could I not do that deal.:-k Then i got thinking how can I do this. I call the guy just to talk about the car and find out he was selling it to buy a Harley. And I have one of those. To make a long story short I now have the car. When we picked it up, my son pretty much knew the car wasn't his. Or so he thought. He was instantly in love with it, and the look in his eyes that he had with the Dart Sport was there again. We instantly started tuning on it as soon as we unloaded it in the shop. Took it to the track the following week , just for a test and tune,and let me tell you wow the car ran better than the Dart Sport and had the times to prove it. The following week went to the DMV to license it. Asked the lady how old do you have to be to have a car in your name. She tells me any age. But for insurance purposed if the owner is under age put it in your name too. So I put it in our name with his listed first. Month goes buy and I check the mail, I knew what was in the letter fron the DMV. And it was addressed Mavrick Smith which is my sons name. I tell him when he gets home from school. Mavrick you got something in the mail, he says what is it, i never get any mail. I almost cried when I gave him the letter and seen his eyes when he opened it. The title to his 1970 Duster. And that wasn't the end of it. The licence plates would be two weeks later since they were special. They read MAVRICK. So now I'm the proud owner of a 1963 Ford Fairlane, and he's the prowd owner of a 1970 Duster. Whick is my avitar. So once again I am moparless, but couldn't be any happier. Our plans for the future is to update the interior, new door panels, already located and purchased some factory bucket seats, to replace the race buckets. Looking for some better heads, Front and rear turn signals. He wants a go-wing, six pack scoop. We are trying a little at a time, because with 4 kids money is tight. We hope by the time he starts high school to have it completly done. It won't be his everyday driver, just a toy. He wants to get involved in the high school drags when he's old enough. And can actually start racing at our local track when he's 14 only 2 more years. Well my fingers are getting tired, and I can't see out of my eyes anymore they are swollen and wet, due to allergies. Funny I never had allergies till I started typing this post. So in the future look out for this young gun. His name is Mavrick Smith, and he may be the next Big Daddy, or Ronnie Sox.
For some reason, my allergies kicked in too, but I don't have any either :glasses7:
