how did yall get hooked on mopars

[Bubber]

My Dad and I would always attend the drags in 62-63 and watch the light weight Fords. Then in 64 we had a couple of 4-speed Thunderbolts at our track every weekend and they ruled! But eventually these odd looking Savoy's began to show up in lightweight trim with hemi's and torque flights. Nothing could stop them, not even the Thunderbolts. That is when I got the sickness! It has been incurable ever since. Thinking back it was not so much the hemi engine I had problems accepting, it was the automatics. Up until that time 4-speeds ruled. I had a little bit of a problem accepting that, but it did not take long!

 

[1970beep]

My Dad was always a Mopar guy but never was really into cars. He loved DeSotos and that was what i rode in until 1972 - a 60 Desoto, and yes it was the only one around at the time. He always would point out cars and the differences in trim levels. When I got my license in 1980, I bought a 69 Road runner that I new nothing about (or cars in general). After a neighbor mechanic looked it over and recommended selling it ASAP before all the problems came to light. Lost a hundred bucks on the sale but went out and bought a 70 Monaco with a 440. I learned to drive in a 318 74 Duster that I ended up having as my own later on. Bought a 66 Coronet 2 door hardtop as a daily driver and found my 70 Road Runner in 1983 and still have it today. When i was about 10 years old visiting my grandmother in a small lake community in northern Wisconsin, a white Superbird drove by real slow and then just opened up as it passed by me, I was hooked.
John

 

[pabster]

What a bunch of great stories!

I'm the odd guy out around here. I grew up loving cars, but no Mopars around at all. By the time I was around, my family drove Volvos and Benz's in the 70's, BMW's and Hondas in the 80's on. My father drives a Prius now... oh, the horror!

But over the years, I started noticing old Mopars... realizing that they looked like nothing else on the road, their styling blew me away. The fact that American cars weren't in the picture during my childhood just made them more exotic to me. I'm not sure when my love of 3rd gen Chargers took hold... but I didn't get serious until 3 years ago when I bought my one and only. Ever since it's been my pride and joy. Just drove it in May Madness, a classic car parade, and rumbling along with hundreds of people on either side of my car giving a thumbs up and clapping... all over a lowly '74 with a 318 in it! The rarity of Mopars really struck me at this event... tons of 'Vettes and Mustangs, GM and Ford everywhere you look. Probably less than 10 Mopars at the show, out of 150 cars or so. I'm not one of those who rags on the other makes- vintage American cars are cool no matter what, but classic Mopar is by far the most amazing stuff Detroit ever produced.

And a side bonus, being a part of this great site is awesome as well. Keep the stories coming!

 

[Runner 68]

Don't have the great father son stories or the lost teen stories (my dad, 4 brothers and 3 sisters were all horse people. some still are) (I can't stand horses) anyway; while in tech school for auto mechanics we worked on everything imaginable. I always found the Mopars easiest to work on and they had a "different" look then the Camaro's and Mustangs. Bought my '69 Formula S Fastback (wish I could find one of those for sale now) in high school and have been hooked ever since. besides, it's damn difficult to deny the power, legend and romance of a 426 Hemi...

Sure you can, you just like a whole bunch of them in a nice compact place.

 

[Mooky]

my grand father was a die hard Chrysler man in the 50's and 60's...my father bought a brand new 73 charger SE big block car and traded it in when I was born for a new Cordoba 400.raced many an E body and just sold the last of them recently...my first car was a 73 rally charger and missed my 70 bee because dad said I would kill myself in it...guy I know here on B bodies found "my" old bee in a wrecking yard and still trying to raise the funds for it....just can't beat a mopar,,,I guess for me besides the nostalgia and design...NOTHING sounds or runs like a mopar...NOTHING {I dare ya blue oval and bow-tie guys to try ;)}

 

[Budnicks]

I know the difference.

:iamwithstupid: I never had any doubt...LOL....

 

[roadrunnerman]

Was originally a chevy guy. Back in 76, I worked for a chevy dealer in town. Was there when then brought in the new pace car corvette. Couple years later I have a 66 chevy belair with a 283 power glide. Worst car I ever had. Always breaking down. Thought to myself, I've had enough. Was working at a restaurant in the next town and went car shopping at a used car dealer and spotted a 74 RR. I knew that was going to be my car. Struck a deal for the RR, $500 plus my old chevy. I've never looked back since. Owned other brands, but have always had a mopar of some kind in my driveway. Next car I bought was a 70 charger rt/se with a 440-4 speed from a married co-worker and yes Richard, I did trim her bush. One car is gone but I know the guy that bought my charger and ask him about twice a year if he's ready to sell it back to me.

 

[Jim 68cuda]

I always liked cars from the moment I could wrap my fingers around a Matchbox car. By age 3 or 4, I could identify year, make, and model of most cars on the road. My parents always had Fords (4 door sedans and wagons). At age 7, in 1967, we went to visit family in Portland, Oregon. My uncle had a copper 66 Satellite hardtop. We rode around in that car for a month and I loved it. As soon as I was old enough to drive, I started looking for a used car. I found a 67 Belvedere convertible for $425.00 and that sealed my fate. Its been Mopars ever since.
Funny thing is, once when I took my uncle for a ride in my Belvedere, I asked him about that 66 Satellite that started my infatuation with Mopars. He didn't even remember it. He traded in his cars every two years and didn't have the Satellite for very long.

 

[2059]

Sure you can, you just like a whole bunch of them in a nice compact place.

Good point Runner!! That is true!! I figure there are 1200+ in a 30x60 shop right now with 330 and the Challenger combined!!!

 

[Roadcuda]

Like many here my dad was the influence. He always had Chrysler products, mostly Plymouths. He didn't have the muscle cars of the 60's, just the everyday family transport type cars. A '58 Plymouth wagon, then a '65 Coronet until traded for a '68 Plymouth Sport Suburban, then a '74 Scamp. I was one of the very few Mopar guys in school even though I wasn't able to own my own car in High school, though I would have loved to get a any of the first or second gen Barracudas or the Road Runner. Even if I did have a job to get one my parents wouldn't have allowed it. Then when I started to learn about t stock car racing in the south when Petty was in his hey day with Plymouth, well that sealed it for me with Mopar and Plymouth specifically. Now I have 2 early Barracudas and that Road Runner!

 

[badmopar67]

It happened back in 1970 my brother came back after a tour of duty from Vietnam he pulled in with a b5 blue 68 road runner, blue interior 383 4spd car I was hooked I was 10 years old. In the cold winter months in New Jersey he use to let me warm the car up before he left for work I had to leave for school about 15 minutes earlier then he did. I remember walking out of driveway looking back at the duel exhausts popping smoke rings out. thats my story

 

[whiteknuckler]

NIIIIIICE stance

This......!!!
View attachment 117583

 

[tallhair]

It happened back in 1970 my brother came back after a tour of duty from Vietnam he pulled in with a b5 blue 68 road runner, blue interior 383 4spd car I was hooked I was 10 years old. In the cold winter months in New Jersey he use to let me warm the car up before he left for work I had to leave for school about 15 minutes earlier then he did. I remember walking out of driveway looking back at the duel exhausts popping smoke rings out. thats my story

And a bad *** story it is badmopar.

 

[wedge5]

Mom and Dad meet when he owned a 67 440 GTX. I was conceived in a 69 440 GTX and brought home from the hospital in a 70 440-6 Cuda. I guess you could say it is in my blood. My dad still has the window stickers for those cars.

 

[306Doba]

Was born in the 80's so didn't get to experience the muscle car era but my love for Dodge/Mopar started like this:

 

[redchihuahua2004]

Here’s my story…

Just like most every boy, I wanted to be just like my dad growing up. My dad has been a mechanic for 40+ years now with a majority of that time spent working on Mopars at a Chrysler dealer. Back in the late 60’s , before starting a family, he raced a 57 Plymouth dirt track car for a few years (he still has the Mopar big blocks that he used). He was always a fan of Richard Petty (no further explanation needed). He has owned almost all Mopars over the years, including a 66 Belvedere, a 68 GTX, a 73 Dart Sport, and most recently a 99 Dakota R/T. When I was 15, my dad brought home a 67 Satellite that was traded in at the dealership. He paid $150 for it (in 1990). It didn’t take long for me to claim that car as mine. Soon after that, he took me and my brother to check out the relatively newly-established Mopar show/swap meet at Carlisle to find parts for the Satellite and my brother’s Duster – good times. So, it was pretty much a given that I would become hooked on Mopars.

(In addition to my dad, I had an uncle who had a 73 Challenger, an older cousin who has a 70 GTX, and an older brother who has a 73 Duster, and a recently bought 11 Mopar (Charger).)

While I didn’t go the mechanic route for my career, I did become an engineer. I spent the first 8 years of my career working in the automotive industry. Now I’m working to pass along my love for Mopars and cars in general to my 5 year old son. I have a feeling his grandpa will also have a part in that.

 

[Moparmatt72]

I have my dad to thank for getting me hooked. All we have owned mostly are Chrysler products and when all four boys came of driving age he would help up get an older car and fix and maintain it. My oldest bro had a 70 duster, next a 73 charger, the one above me had my car bought off him a 72 sat, but he's also had a 68 charger now my dads he kept finding good deals. Even now only buy Chrysler product my dd is a dodge charger srt8 before thia a srt4 neon, a reg neon, dodge Dakota, 93 duster. Mopar is just in our blood

 

[sleger]

my love was simple daisy duke and the general lee. my father had a 67 gto growing up and i was allways around muscle cars, but loved the general lee car. when i was ten or so my dad took me to a car chow and all i could think about was seeing a general lee car...so as we entered the fair ground and the first orange car i saw i was memorized and drawn to it and when i got to it it wasnt the general lee, it was a 69 roadrunner and i knew right there that someday i was going to have one.

 

[Cranky]

Was brought home from the hospital in a new 51 Plymouth Cranbrook and from watching my dad as I got older, I learned how to shift it and asked mom if I could one day and did it right! Guess that had to be around 4 years of age and that hooked me. Dad traded that old 51 for a dealer demo 56 Belvedere Sports Coupe in the summer of 56 and that car was the first car I ever drove behind the wheel down a new unopened road when I was 7. My first car was a 66 Belvedere II. Uncle Sam got me in 71 and someone else got my 66 but I own a 66 Belvedere I 2dr post now and have had it for over 25 years now. In the mid 70's I went through a heard of 65-66 Mustangs but it only took me about 2 years to go back to Mopars. Man, broke some stupid things on them and was glad to see the last one go. Owned lots of cars between then and now and wish some were still in my possession but most of us have those stories...

 

[markmine]

It all began when I was 10 and my uncle just graduated high school and was talking about his new car he just ordered - a roadrunner. It was 1974 and when he pulled up in his new gunmetal, 400 roadrunner I was hooked. At that time my grandfather had a 68 charger and my father a 72 charger. Then my grandfather totaled the 68 (hit a cop head on after a night of boozing) and bought a 73 340 roadrunner with pistol grip shifter from a guy who worked at the local NAPA store. This is the car that did it for me- the gold color, black buckets and that shifter! There was something special about this car, it had personality and was fast. Nothing could touch it. I bought this car from my grandfather when I was 16 and had the fastest car in school. Burnouts and stop light racing at its best. Those were the days.......