Looking For Mopars For Mopar Magazine Car Features
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Dibbons
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Here is a perfect example of what Bruzilla was pointing out:
The two four door '65 Plymouth Valiants in the fotos are the same car. I purchased the car in 1973 for $125.00 with a 273 and torqueflite while working in a Chevron station for $1.65 an hour. I spent most of my earnings fixing it up at the Community College auto shop. I bored and honed the cylinders, rebuilt the cylinder heads, refinished the paint (terra cota firemist). (I blew the motor I built the second day, so I had to learn how to install a sleeve in the already .060 over 273 block). Basically did everything myself (transplanted a four speed). Best ET 12.72 @ 108 MPH. In 1980, I sold the street legal vehicle for about $3,000.00
In the next 20 years, the new owners took it off the street, painted it black, and put in a big block so it would do 8.00 second quarter mile times. They spent $100,000 per year. Doing the math (20 x $100,000) they spent $2,000,000.00 They sold the car in 2000.
To make a long story short, I like my "original" version better--it still had the heart and soul of an old daily driver Plymouth Valiant but on steroids.
The two four door '65 Plymouth Valiants in the fotos are the same car. I purchased the car in 1973 for $125.00 with a 273 and torqueflite while working in a Chevron station for $1.65 an hour. I spent most of my earnings fixing it up at the Community College auto shop. I bored and honed the cylinders, rebuilt the cylinder heads, refinished the paint (terra cota firemist). (I blew the motor I built the second day, so I had to learn how to install a sleeve in the already .060 over 273 block). Basically did everything myself (transplanted a four speed). Best ET 12.72 @ 108 MPH. In 1980, I sold the street legal vehicle for about $3,000.00
In the next 20 years, the new owners took it off the street, painted it black, and put in a big block so it would do 8.00 second quarter mile times. They spent $100,000 per year. Doing the math (20 x $100,000) they spent $2,000,000.00 They sold the car in 2000.
To make a long story short, I like my "original" version better--it still had the heart and soul of an old daily driver Plymouth Valiant but on steroids.
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moparcrazy
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if our hobby dies its NOT because of money, take a look at the money they spend on there Hondas, IMO its gonna be environmental, my buddy has a 8 second Honda powered dragster.
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moparnation74
Well-Known Member
Exactly.......
big_shmoop
Well-Known Member
This hobby will shrink for the same reason Model T and Fat Fender cars aren't as prevalent as they once were...people and their interest change.
Some of it will be because of cost...some of it will be because these cars aren't "cool" to younger generations...some of it will be because the cars are getting to be 50+ years old and there simply isn't enough of them around. No one thing will kill it, but it's already in a state of decline.
Think about why you like these cars. For the older guys it's either the car they had back when they were younger tearing up the street or the car they wish they had. Now that they've got the means to own it they get a chance to relive that time. Some people, myself included, like them because we were around someone who had a passion for them. I grew up at weekly cruise nights and race tracks on the weekends because that's what my Dad enjoyed...it rubbed off on me. One of my closest friends who is as big an automotive enthusiast as you'll find and better mechanic than I'll ever be lusts after Supra's and GTR's. He wasn't around muscle cars growing up so he doesn't have the same connection. While he loves my car and respects it for what it is, if given the choice he'd take a R34 Skyline or MKIV Supra in a heartbeat over a Superbird. I've been car meets/events for Imports and Sport Compacts and they're packed with people with all kinds of cars. Most younger car enthusiast will grow lusting after those types of performance vehicles the way many here grew up lusting after these old school Mopars. Such is the circle of life.
This hobby needs both types of people, the million dollar restos and the shade tree mechanics. No one is right or wrong and to divide our already shrinking numbers into an "us vs. them" mentality will only shorten the life span.
Some of it will be because of cost...some of it will be because these cars aren't "cool" to younger generations...some of it will be because the cars are getting to be 50+ years old and there simply isn't enough of them around. No one thing will kill it, but it's already in a state of decline.
Think about why you like these cars. For the older guys it's either the car they had back when they were younger tearing up the street or the car they wish they had. Now that they've got the means to own it they get a chance to relive that time. Some people, myself included, like them because we were around someone who had a passion for them. I grew up at weekly cruise nights and race tracks on the weekends because that's what my Dad enjoyed...it rubbed off on me. One of my closest friends who is as big an automotive enthusiast as you'll find and better mechanic than I'll ever be lusts after Supra's and GTR's. He wasn't around muscle cars growing up so he doesn't have the same connection. While he loves my car and respects it for what it is, if given the choice he'd take a R34 Skyline or MKIV Supra in a heartbeat over a Superbird. I've been car meets/events for Imports and Sport Compacts and they're packed with people with all kinds of cars. Most younger car enthusiast will grow lusting after those types of performance vehicles the way many here grew up lusting after these old school Mopars. Such is the circle of life.
This hobby needs both types of people, the million dollar restos and the shade tree mechanics. No one is right or wrong and to divide our already shrinking numbers into an "us vs. them" mentality will only shorten the life span.
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moparcrazy
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BTW Here’s a Pic of my car feel free to use it as you like !
Lol
Lol
747mopar
Well-Known Member
I agree, if it dies it will have more to do with interest than anything else. These old cars can still be bought at a decent price as long as it's a base line model or the person just doesn't realize the value so I don't really buy into them being out of reach.
I respect both sides of the hobby but for me it's all about making the car yours, tweaking, improving and exercising some creativity. People either like it or they don't but at the end of the day the only person who matters is the one driving it. As long as there's respect between the factions it's all good.
I respect both sides of the hobby but for me it's all about making the car yours, tweaking, improving and exercising some creativity. People either like it or they don't but at the end of the day the only person who matters is the one driving it. As long as there's respect between the factions it's all good.
Determination. That's what fuels anything. It took several years to get our car where it is. And its still not where I want it. The car has sat in the garage many times throughout good weather because there wasn't enough money for something.
Not everybody has the privilege of writing a check to get what they want. But, you know what? Good for them for being able to do that. I don't hate them because they have more money. It just takes me longer to get to the same goal.
However, I do miss seeing articles about Joe Blow building a badass car in his spare time on a budget. Lol
Not everybody has the privilege of writing a check to get what they want. But, you know what? Good for them for being able to do that. I don't hate them because they have more money. It just takes me longer to get to the same goal.
However, I do miss seeing articles about Joe Blow building a badass car in his spare time on a budget. Lol
dla4567
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Okay.....I think I get it now. Your both right. Or, mostly right. Setting aside the bad blood between Bru and 74, the conversation topic has been chewed over pretty good. IMHO it's true that there will be, and are, many factors that contribute to the fading of our segment of the car hobby. The youngsters simply did not come up in that era. They don't have the emotional connection to these 60's/70's cars that we all do.
That's not to say that they have no interest in the hobby because they obviously do. They came up watching Tokyo Drift, not Two Lane Blacktop. Their online games are Grand Theft Auto, Drifting and the like so they want Tuners, Turbo's and body kits to cheat the wind. 1/4 mile is for gramps, the real ticket is flat out road racing. It's still the car hobby, just not the one we have any interest in.
While there seem to be many newer Mopars at shows, and I have only a small amount of interest in them, there also are the trailer queens and then the owner built drivers.
I look through the newer stuff to see if there's anything out of the ordinary that would appeal to me and to see what the owners have done besides bolt on new parts.
Trailer queens are nice to look at, and I can appreciate the work that went into them to get them to that condition. The owners who just shelled out money for them....that's fine but it's not the hobby really. The regular cars that have a ton of blood sweat and tears in them are what I go to see. I'm with Bru that a regular guy or gal wants to see what another owner has done that is cool, or not, or just different then what they did, or would like to do. I used to like Car Craft much better than Hotrod because the cars in it were regular drivers that were being worked over to make them faster or cooler looking. Hotrod seemed to be more about show cars. They want to know exactly how to fit a new quarter or floor pan, or install relocation kits and frame stiffeners, rather than which millionaire builder did someone's perfect car. Times change and the folks selling car parts have to change with them or go out of business.
Now all of the foregoing aside, I personally love to see the show cars as they are being built. I'm interested in the process more than the results. The whole, " How did they do that?"
That's the magazine I want to read, the How we did this magazine, so that I can do it too. Showing an article about a guys car that tells everything about the car, but zero about how the car got that way is to me only half the story. Like, if I see on that car something that has been done, but I'm not sure how it was done, then I want them to say how it was done.
That's not to say that they have no interest in the hobby because they obviously do. They came up watching Tokyo Drift, not Two Lane Blacktop. Their online games are Grand Theft Auto, Drifting and the like so they want Tuners, Turbo's and body kits to cheat the wind. 1/4 mile is for gramps, the real ticket is flat out road racing. It's still the car hobby, just not the one we have any interest in.
While there seem to be many newer Mopars at shows, and I have only a small amount of interest in them, there also are the trailer queens and then the owner built drivers.
I look through the newer stuff to see if there's anything out of the ordinary that would appeal to me and to see what the owners have done besides bolt on new parts.
Trailer queens are nice to look at, and I can appreciate the work that went into them to get them to that condition. The owners who just shelled out money for them....that's fine but it's not the hobby really. The regular cars that have a ton of blood sweat and tears in them are what I go to see. I'm with Bru that a regular guy or gal wants to see what another owner has done that is cool, or not, or just different then what they did, or would like to do. I used to like Car Craft much better than Hotrod because the cars in it were regular drivers that were being worked over to make them faster or cooler looking. Hotrod seemed to be more about show cars. They want to know exactly how to fit a new quarter or floor pan, or install relocation kits and frame stiffeners, rather than which millionaire builder did someone's perfect car. Times change and the folks selling car parts have to change with them or go out of business.
Now all of the foregoing aside, I personally love to see the show cars as they are being built. I'm interested in the process more than the results. The whole, " How did they do that?"
That's the magazine I want to read, the How we did this magazine, so that I can do it too. Showing an article about a guys car that tells everything about the car, but zero about how the car got that way is to me only half the story. Like, if I see on that car something that has been done, but I'm not sure how it was done, then I want them to say how it was done.
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The best example I can think of is Chip Foose's " Impala Imposter". After seeing it at SEMA I wanted to know how they did that. So I searched for any info and found a bunch including video showing the steps along the way. That's the article I want to read in a car mag. A piece about the car finished, and subsequent pieces in coming issues about how it was done, in detail. Like or hate Foose, he turns out some nice stuff with a shitload of work in them. He's not the only one either.
mmissile
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I seldom see the big-buck guys ragging on other people's cars....but there's no shortage of the lower-dollar guys ragging about how expensive the hobby they chose, is. Mopars have always been expensive. I like to make fun of the OEM guys....but then I spend way too much on race-cars. I believe everybody does the best they can, with what they have to work with. Doesn't matter if it's money, skills, ingenuity, vision, or plain ol git-it-doneness. I do believe it's wrong to dismiss others greater abilities, wealth, life-choices, or sacrifices to do other things, deemed outside the perceived "normal". Envy and stupid are pretty ugly.
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69bronzeT5
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Way to take another topic on this site way off course guys. I will however make a comment regarding this statement. 90% of the cars I write articles about are home built rides. Out of the 90 or so car features I've done, I can think of maybe 3 or 4 cars I've done articles on that are high dollar cars that will never see pavement. Every single one of the others though were built in a garage by a Mopar enthusiast just like us all. Almost every single one of the Mopars I personally write articles on ARE a reality for most people. Your comment can be directed towards the other various Mopar magazines however that is NOT what us at Mopar Connection do. That's why I come to the various forums looking for killer cars that are owned by the small time enthusiast. If I wanted to do articles on Mopars owned by the big shots in the Mopar world, I would; but I don't.
69bronzeT5
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Here's some examples.
Built by a good friend of mine in the back warehouse area at his business. He spent hours every night after work by himself building it. I helped a few times with it too.
http://moparconnectionmagazine.com/when-classic-meets-modern-barnabas-kriss-1970-plymouth-cuda-srt8/
Another friend of mine built this. Did all of the fabrication and everything himself. Built it in memory of his dad.
http://moparconnectionmagazine.com/a-fathers-vision-chris-clardys-1970-dodge-d100/
Bryan always dreamed of owning a FC7 Bee. Since he couldn't afford or find exactly what he wanted, he built his own. His whole family helped with it too. A true family project.
http://moparconnectionmagazine.com/superbly-unsubtle-bryan-durdles-1970-dodge-super-bee-video/
A good friend of mine (and my boss) built both of these cars totally by himself in a single car garage.
http://moparconnectionmagazine.com/deep-purple-mark-hemrichs-70-dodge-charger-rt/
http://moparconnectionmagazine.com/parking-lot-pounder-1968-plymouth-satellite/
Forrest is a good friend of mine too. He built the car with his dad when he was in high school. It's totally his money and hard work in the car.
http://moparconnectionmagazine.com/cutting-it-close-forrest-mackays-69-dart-swinger-340-4-speed/
So, no, we don't write articles about cars that most people can only dream about. We write about cars that true car enthusiasts built with their own hard work and passion. Those are the kind of stories we like to share. Anybody can toss a cheque at a shop and tell them to build something. We look for the cars that the owner built. Money can't buy everything.
Built by a good friend of mine in the back warehouse area at his business. He spent hours every night after work by himself building it. I helped a few times with it too.
http://moparconnectionmagazine.com/when-classic-meets-modern-barnabas-kriss-1970-plymouth-cuda-srt8/
Another friend of mine built this. Did all of the fabrication and everything himself. Built it in memory of his dad.
http://moparconnectionmagazine.com/a-fathers-vision-chris-clardys-1970-dodge-d100/
Bryan always dreamed of owning a FC7 Bee. Since he couldn't afford or find exactly what he wanted, he built his own. His whole family helped with it too. A true family project.
http://moparconnectionmagazine.com/superbly-unsubtle-bryan-durdles-1970-dodge-super-bee-video/
A good friend of mine (and my boss) built both of these cars totally by himself in a single car garage.
http://moparconnectionmagazine.com/deep-purple-mark-hemrichs-70-dodge-charger-rt/
http://moparconnectionmagazine.com/parking-lot-pounder-1968-plymouth-satellite/
Forrest is a good friend of mine too. He built the car with his dad when he was in high school. It's totally his money and hard work in the car.
http://moparconnectionmagazine.com/cutting-it-close-forrest-mackays-69-dart-swinger-340-4-speed/
So, no, we don't write articles about cars that most people can only dream about. We write about cars that true car enthusiasts built with their own hard work and passion. Those are the kind of stories we like to share. Anybody can toss a cheque at a shop and tell them to build something. We look for the cars that the owner built. Money can't buy everything.
moparnation74
Well-Known Member
The best magazine IMHO is the build forum here.....Constant real world updates and full of pictures that not one single magazine can provide.....Ability to converse with the owners and learn techniques and pointers that the average guy can do at home....
We need more people creating build threads here to allow members and non members something to dream about doing.....Or have done....In any event it is eye candy at your finger tips....
We need more people creating build threads here to allow members and non members something to dream about doing.....Or have done....In any event it is eye candy at your finger tips....
Bruzilla
Well-Known Member
The point of this string is getting content for an online magazine that will hopefully drive people to read it. To that point, if you want people to take the time to read your content, you need to give them a reason to want to read it. The best way to do that is provide them with information they will find useful and can apply in their lives.
Again, reading endless articles about what some owner did to attain a perfect car may be of interest to some, but I suspect not to the majority of enthusiasts, and more importantly new enthusiasts, who are far more interested in learning what they can do to get a car that's right for them, get it on the road, and get it to where they want it to be as cost efficiently as possible.
Speaking for myself, I've quit reading most articles on engines because they are usually titled "How to get 600 HP out of your 440" and then proceed to show photos and text that involve getting a lot of great parts that cost you thousands, but they get for free, and bolting them on. Well, "no da" (to quote the kids today). Most magazines will tell you to go drop a few thousand on a set of new aluminum heads, whereas older magazines used to show you how to get a set of Mopar Performance templates and modify your existing set of heads yourself.
Want to upgrade to a 440? No problem! "We just installed this $5,000 crate engine and it works great!" Meanwhile there's very likely a retired C body rusting away about 20 miles from the reader's home with a 440 TNT in it, that they could buy for $1,000, get pretty much every part they need to make the conversion, from radiator to rear end, and part out what they don't need and scrap the rest to get their $1,000 back. Need an engine hoist to get it in? No problem. Buy a used one on craigslist for $100, use it, then sell it to someone else for $125. That's the kind of advice we used to get in car magazines in the 60s through the 80s, and that's information that is far more useful, especially to the new folks we want to come into the hobby but who are too intimidated by these stories that showcase cars that were restored for top $$$$, that I think people would actually like to see in magazines today.
I doubt it's a coincidence that at the same time people in this hobby stopped buying/reading car mags was about the same time they started joining discussion forums like this one to get their information. I know I used to live for the trip to the lstore to get my new copy of Mopar Action or Mopar Performance, but then I noticed the tech sections were getting fewer and the mags were nothing but pretty pictures of restored cars, which were nice to look at but useless from a functional perspective. That's when i quit buying those mags and started looking for forums.
Again, reading endless articles about what some owner did to attain a perfect car may be of interest to some, but I suspect not to the majority of enthusiasts, and more importantly new enthusiasts, who are far more interested in learning what they can do to get a car that's right for them, get it on the road, and get it to where they want it to be as cost efficiently as possible.
Speaking for myself, I've quit reading most articles on engines because they are usually titled "How to get 600 HP out of your 440" and then proceed to show photos and text that involve getting a lot of great parts that cost you thousands, but they get for free, and bolting them on. Well, "no da" (to quote the kids today). Most magazines will tell you to go drop a few thousand on a set of new aluminum heads, whereas older magazines used to show you how to get a set of Mopar Performance templates and modify your existing set of heads yourself.
Want to upgrade to a 440? No problem! "We just installed this $5,000 crate engine and it works great!" Meanwhile there's very likely a retired C body rusting away about 20 miles from the reader's home with a 440 TNT in it, that they could buy for $1,000, get pretty much every part they need to make the conversion, from radiator to rear end, and part out what they don't need and scrap the rest to get their $1,000 back. Need an engine hoist to get it in? No problem. Buy a used one on craigslist for $100, use it, then sell it to someone else for $125. That's the kind of advice we used to get in car magazines in the 60s through the 80s, and that's information that is far more useful, especially to the new folks we want to come into the hobby but who are too intimidated by these stories that showcase cars that were restored for top $$$$, that I think people would actually like to see in magazines today.
I doubt it's a coincidence that at the same time people in this hobby stopped buying/reading car mags was about the same time they started joining discussion forums like this one to get their information. I know I used to live for the trip to the lstore to get my new copy of Mopar Action or Mopar Performance, but then I noticed the tech sections were getting fewer and the mags were nothing but pretty pictures of restored cars, which were nice to look at but useless from a functional perspective. That's when i quit buying those mags and started looking for forums.
Sixpactogo
Well-Known Member
Damm! More evidence of no matter what you do, you are only gonna please a small percentage. The rest are gonna be pissed off.
moparcrazy
Well-Known Member
Opinions are like ******** everyone has one LMAO,
sometimes if you listen to what everyone has to say you'll never get anywhere, so just do it !!
sometimes if you listen to what everyone has to say you'll never get anywhere, so just do it !!
Bladecutter
"Pursuit of Shape"
Well I had an 80 year old Woman tell me that there was nothing "dated" looking about B bods, "especially the 68-70 cars!". And She doesn't recall them when new, wasn't paying attention cuz Her head was in Babies & white picket fences. As far as the money to restore, race, drive, yeah I agree with the Guy that said He see's kids dumping buku dollah into rice burners......money isn't the issue, BAD TASTE is!! 
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