69 Dodge Charger out in the public

[moparnation74]

Me and my friend attended a show this past weekend.  Represented Mopar well, amongst a sea of Rats!

[myk]

Open trunk too-now that's something I almost never see at a car show...

[moparnation74]

Open trunk too-now that's something I almost never see at a car show...

That is a true statement!

[crj1968]

Nice ride.

If I open my trunk you can see my brand new shiny gas tank.   

[Ghoste]

Very nice.

[indreams84]

Absolutely gorgeous, love the dog dish caps and stripe delete

[Mopar Nut]

 

[F8-4life]

Me and my friend attended a show this past weekend.  Represented Mopar well, amongst a sea of Rats!

Have you ever wondered what gm guys think of mopar?
Are they in complete denial or secretly jealous?
Your charger looks great I'm gonna say they are jealous.

[XS29L9Bxxxxxx]

Nice ride.

If I open my trunk you can see my brand new shiny gas tank.   

That's true on most MOPAR cars

[VegasCharger]

Open trunk too-now that's something I almost never see at a car show...

That is a true statement!

Well for me I've seen a small portion of Mopar show cars at an all Mopar show with their trunks open. Usually its to show off their nice trunk along with some literature. You can be pretty sure that the owner is near by when they are open 

[1974dodgecharger]

that's a car I would keep in my living rooming and if it had a HEMI, OMG...

[moparnation74]

that's a car I would keep in my living rooming and if it had a HEMI, OMG...

Lol, awesome comment, thanks!

[moparnation74]

    Back in 1995, my father purchased this car at Chryslers at Carlisle.  It was a survivor with 36k miles and we drove this car home from the show to Virginia (6.5hrs on the road).  At that time I was restoring my charger and my 72 duster.  After some time past in 2007 my dad got diagnosed with renal cells carcinoma, one of the most aggressive forms of cancer.  I immediately stopped restoration on my charger and quickly began on the car you see above.  The intent was to get the car done ASAP so he can enjoy it with his limited time.
    Now it is around 2008 and the car is documented/disassembled.  I have all body work done and I painted the underside/trunk/engine compartment.  90% of the parts/bolts are restored as well.  I am days away from spraying the exterior.  Then I get a new employment position in Texas, where I currently reside.  I moved here in 10/08 and thus the charger collects dust.  Never forget, my father said, "providing for your family is more important than getting this car done."  I know you, son, "someday this car will be finished."
    Over a couple of years ago the cancer found it's way around the chemo medications and once the virus did in less than a month we lost him.  He was born in 1944 and grew up on a peanut form in Virginia.  Was enlisted in the air force during Vietnam.  He drag raced cars in the 60's/70's. Owned his own business. I miss him every minute of the day.  A little over a year ago I got the car here had the exterior painted and completely assembled myself in my buddy's garage.  There are no words to describe how special this car is to me!

[cptjohn]

Beautiful car.  Your father would be proud.

[1974dodgecharger]

I'm sure yo father is smiling down right now at, yo family, and car.

[Drache]

Nice ride.

If I open my trunk you can see my brand new shiny gas tank.   

For me it would be a car cover, cleaning products, a folding chair, etc 

[Laxy]

Great looking car, Chevy guys would have been feeling a bit inadequate! Also nice story behind it.

[ionracer24]

Nice ride.

If I open my trunk you can see my brand new shiny gas tank.   
[/quote

If you open my trunk, you can see the pavement whizzing by.....

[familymopar]

    Back in 1995, my father purchased this car at Chryslers at Carlisle.  It was a survivor with 36k miles and we drove this car home from the show to Virginia (6.5hrs on the road).  At that time I was restoring my charger and my 72 duster.  After some time past in 2007 my dad got diagnosed with renal cells carcinoma, one of the most aggressive forms of cancer.  I immediately stopped restoration on my charger and quickly began on the car you see above.  The intent was to get the car done ASAP so he can enjoy it with his limited time.
    Now it is around 2008 and the car is documented/disassembled.  I have all body work done and I painted the underside/trunk/engine compartment.  90% of the parts/bolts are restored as well.  I am days away from spraying the exterior.  Then I get a new employment position in Texas, where I currently reside.  I moved here in 10/08 and thus the charger collects dust.  Never forget, my father said, "providing for your family is more important than getting this car done."  I know you, son, "someday this car will be finished."
    Over a couple of years ago the cancer found it's way around the chemo medications and once the virus did in less than a month we lost him.  He was born in 1944 and grew up on a peanut form in Virginia.  Was enlisted in the air force during Vietnam.  He drag raced cars in the 60's/70's. Owned his own business. I miss him every minute of the day.  A little over a year ago I got the car here had the exterior painted and completely assembled myself in my buddy's garage.  There are no words to describe how special this car is to me!

I started reading this thread and was going to post something along the lines of "My trunk is always open at car shows because that is where the beer cooler is".  And while that is a true statement, it lost some of its luster as i read on.  I have posted this story before and I will post a shot synopsis of it again.  My old man was a 68 charger nut through and through.  And a great man.  He had a 68 charger that he drove with some buddies from Pontiac, Michigan to Houston, Texas in 1969.  He had to sell it shortly thereafter to make ends meet.  But he never stopped talking about that car.  In 2000 or so I bought my first 68.  My plan was to let my dad re-live his love for that car.  Then life, and careers, and babies, and mortgages happen.  Made it run and drove it hard before I sold it soon after.  He loved it for that moment.  In 2008 I moved back to Houston, after 13 years in Austin.  My dad was diagnosed with cancer that year.  My mother was diagnosed with Pick's disease (kind of an early onset alzheimers).  It was a rough few years.  During that time, my dad and I decided to find the "right" charger to enjoy together in his last moments.  It had to be an original SS1 yellow, black top, black guts car, just like his.  Unlike his, it had to be a 440 RT, because a Hemi was ruled out price-wise, as well as a 4 speed.  We looked and looked, never finding the one.  We enjoyed a number of cars through the search, but never found the one.  They both died in 2012, and, as luck would have it, I found my current SS1 charger almost right after his death.  I was dumbfounded.  I myself had always been a triple black guy, and when he was gone I not only had "stopped" the search, but believed when I restarted I would revert to my desire for a triple black.  When this SS1 came along I told my wife about it, you know, the irony and all.  She wisely instructed me to buy that car immediately or I would regret it.  So I did.  The car arrived, the first old mopar I have ever bought to arrive in running condition.  I threw the ashes of  my old man in the car, strapped him in, and took him on the first ride.  I love that car more than I can describe and part of that reason is that I can not look at it, wash it, drive it, talk about, etc. without thinking of him.  I still take his ashes for regular drives.  The charger to me is more than the greatest car ever conceived, it is also the embodiment of my love for the old man.  It means the world to me, because he did.

Thank you for sharing your story.  While the charger is the greatest car ever, it is stories like these that make it all worthwhile for me.  I wish you the best of luck with your charger and I am absolutely positive your old man is proud and loving looking down on you in that car.