Bubber
Well-Known Member
I finally decided I would wade on in.
I grew up in Baytown, Texas. I often street raced in front of what is now Houston Raceway Park. My Dad had been taking me to the drags in Dayton in those days. They had a car there (Don McMillon Ford Thunderbolt) that ruled that track initally. My Dad was a die hard Ford guy and it was natural for me to follow. Until----one day in 1964 the Hemis began showing up in numbers at the dragway. They began putting the Thunderbolt and others on their trailers and running automatics at that. Unheard of an automatic anything outrunning a 4 sp. Thunderbolt. I was determined to find a fast Ford when I got old enought for my first car.
My first attempt at car buying was a used 67 Ford Shelby GT500. My Dad and I and the salesman took a drive (me driving) and just when I nailed it, it ran out of gas and I rolled into an Exxon station. Dad got a look at the engine while priming the carbs and saw puddles of fresh oil on top of the intake. He essentially vetoed me buying that car. Darn good thing he did.
I then said I would have to get a Hemi Roadrunner, because I had heard how fast they were. Dad and I went to Houston an priced 2 of them. My friends told me I was crazy for wanting one. Dad and I ended up with the local Plymouth dealership in Baytown and I told the dealer I wanted a Hemi Roadrunner. He quickly tried to talk me out of it. He knew my Dad and knew I was going off to school in a couple of years and said reliability would be a problem. I had a friend, Joe Gentry who was a Plymouth mechanic and had worked on plenty of the street hemis in those days. He was finally able to sway me away from the Hemi. It was then that the dealer put me in the GTX for a test drive. I loved it! I ordered one - Blue w/white stripes, black interior and black vinyl top. I also ordered the 4sp with the bent hurst shifter. I also got the console, but no PB's, PS or A/C. My Dad even offered to pay for the A/C but I said no the only thing else I would get would be an AM radio. I obviously wanted as light a car as I could get. One month after I took delivery of this car, I turned 16 years old. My Dad co-signed a note at the local bank. 3 year loan at $54.09 a month! This car took me through college and 75,000 miles with only a pressure plate replacement. I sold it a year after school because it was needing work I could not afford.
1975 my dream came through. I met Richard Langston (later fame with Fuel Alterds.) He had his Hemi Roadrunner for sale. Orginal 383 car. He had the AHRA national record in A/SA with the car. I bought it and immediately put it on the street. I removed the ORGE lettering, painted the car and put 383 hood emblems on it. Man I tell you Dad and I had a great time with that car. I sold it a year later choosing to concentrate on my career.
Now that I am considered an "old fart" I will find another Mopar. As of yet I don't know the model or the year, but it will be a Pre-70 model.
I apologize for the ramble and won't do it again. So good to be here!
I grew up in Baytown, Texas. I often street raced in front of what is now Houston Raceway Park. My Dad had been taking me to the drags in Dayton in those days. They had a car there (Don McMillon Ford Thunderbolt) that ruled that track initally. My Dad was a die hard Ford guy and it was natural for me to follow. Until----one day in 1964 the Hemis began showing up in numbers at the dragway. They began putting the Thunderbolt and others on their trailers and running automatics at that. Unheard of an automatic anything outrunning a 4 sp. Thunderbolt. I was determined to find a fast Ford when I got old enought for my first car.
My first attempt at car buying was a used 67 Ford Shelby GT500. My Dad and I and the salesman took a drive (me driving) and just when I nailed it, it ran out of gas and I rolled into an Exxon station. Dad got a look at the engine while priming the carbs and saw puddles of fresh oil on top of the intake. He essentially vetoed me buying that car. Darn good thing he did.
I then said I would have to get a Hemi Roadrunner, because I had heard how fast they were. Dad and I went to Houston an priced 2 of them. My friends told me I was crazy for wanting one. Dad and I ended up with the local Plymouth dealership in Baytown and I told the dealer I wanted a Hemi Roadrunner. He quickly tried to talk me out of it. He knew my Dad and knew I was going off to school in a couple of years and said reliability would be a problem. I had a friend, Joe Gentry who was a Plymouth mechanic and had worked on plenty of the street hemis in those days. He was finally able to sway me away from the Hemi. It was then that the dealer put me in the GTX for a test drive. I loved it! I ordered one - Blue w/white stripes, black interior and black vinyl top. I also ordered the 4sp with the bent hurst shifter. I also got the console, but no PB's, PS or A/C. My Dad even offered to pay for the A/C but I said no the only thing else I would get would be an AM radio. I obviously wanted as light a car as I could get. One month after I took delivery of this car, I turned 16 years old. My Dad co-signed a note at the local bank. 3 year loan at $54.09 a month! This car took me through college and 75,000 miles with only a pressure plate replacement. I sold it a year after school because it was needing work I could not afford.
1975 my dream came through. I met Richard Langston (later fame with Fuel Alterds.) He had his Hemi Roadrunner for sale. Orginal 383 car. He had the AHRA national record in A/SA with the car. I bought it and immediately put it on the street. I removed the ORGE lettering, painted the car and put 383 hood emblems on it. Man I tell you Dad and I had a great time with that car. I sold it a year later choosing to concentrate on my career.
Now that I am considered an "old fart" I will find another Mopar. As of yet I don't know the model or the year, but it will be a Pre-70 model.
I apologize for the ramble and won't do it again. So good to be here!
