Who got you into Mopars?

[b5blue]

GM did. 

[Kern Dog]

Al Bundy in.... love and marriage.

You do mean "Married with Children", right ?

[Bad B-rad]

I grew up in a GM family, my uncle worked for them,and my father and grand pop (both heavy equipment mechanics)would own NOTHING but GM products. At age 17 I was driving my 86 Cutlass Supreme when I spied  the ass end of a 1968 Dodge Coronet 440.
I spun around, pulled in driveway, and fell in love.
I had first stopped because I figured the 440 was the engine size, not the car model.

NO 440 though, only 100% stock 318 2bbl, auto, 8 3/4 with 2.94 open rear, with 60,000 miles.
Every body panel dented up and down both sides, because the old lady started to have trouble pulling in and out of her garage, lol.


That's when I jumped the GM ship, this crappy old 68 Dodge with its 318, would smoke the 86 Olds 307.
I caught a ton of crap from EVERYBODY for driving the beat up 68 over the "nicer" 86.
But once behind the wheel of that 68 B-body, I was hooked.


I LOVED  riding that car. The windows down, and my left arm resting in that sweet body line on top of the door, while looking in the side view mirror, adjusted just right, as to see behind me, AND more importantly to look down the car and see the bulge out on the top of 1/4 panel.

[RallyeMike]

I popped out of the womb making vroom-vroom noises with a twitch in my right foot. Otherwise, I think there were lots of influences... but my dad's friend bought a new 69 Charger and I recall riding in it and thinking it was cool. Ten years later after he had sold the car, I ended up buying it from the 2nd owner who had driven it to death. By then, it didn't run and a fender was caved in. I remember a half-eaten box of moldy KFC and standing water in the trunk. It was a real prize @ $150.

I'd have to say buying that first car was what solidified it.

[Bad B-rad]

Reading these cool stories reminded me of one of the first Mopars I liked, even thought I didn't know it was a Mopar.
When as a young lad (4-6 years old) my grandpop's best friend Harrold, had a car, they all called the "CHERRY BOMB".
And when we went to Florida, to visit, I always bugged Harrold to take me for ride in the 'CHERRY BOMB".
I had no idea what this car was, all I knew is it was a cool old white, mean sounding car. Harrold even used it to tow his boat.
I remember sitting in passenger seat with huge smile watching Harrold push buttons on the dash to shift it, just creaping around the block.
It wasn't till 20+ years later, my grandpop told me the car got its name due to the make of the mufflers(Cherry Bombs), Harrold had installed in the car.
It was a 1963 330 or Polar.

[472 R/T SE]

Drudging up an old thread.  Better than being beat up for posting similar threads, lol.

I posted already about my buddy & I racing a 68 R/T in his 57 Chebby but my bug grew before that. 

My Mom was a comptroller @ local dealerships for several years starting in '72, last 20 being at Mope dealers in dfw before cancer 5 years back.  Prior Id walk to her dealerships for a ride home,2 or so miles.  I used to raid the new big truck class 8 big truck brochures.  The salesmen taught me how to tell what year rigs were...

Waiting for Mom to pick me up from school, I bragged BSing with buddies about what type new Lincoln/Mercury Mom  would show to pick me up.

But I have to say my MOM was responsible for me being a gearhead!

She drove Dads '61 Impala SS vert, 348, 4 gear, tri power (one of 112),...'67 GTO, 4 gear 3 deuces(rare)...etc.
Dad always had bad ass Chebbys being a wrench so thats all I knew, until my buddies '57 Chebby was spanked by a '68 Coronet R/T on the big end.
Plus the fact he NEVER took the time to teach me anything...smh.

[dreamcatcher]

My cousin! I was 15 Larry was about 18. He bought a 68 Charger R/T. It was hot and the coolest body style I had ever seen. We hung with one another a lot and we took the rear tires out about once a month  . My cousin now long departed and man what a ride we had! That is why I built the Charger I have now. That is why it is dark racing green and has green interior as well as a factory 8 track. It is a tribute to Larry. My wife is a vinyl printer (as a hobby) She is making a small dedication that says in memory of Larry with his birth and death dates to go on the car. My family was into Pontiacs and Buicks. I grew up in the muscle car generation (as most of us here) So now later in life I have a 71 SS Chevelle , a 70 Superbird (tribute) a 70 Mustang , a 69 GTO , a 72 Charger and a 73 Charger. And my favorite the 68 Charger R/T tribute. But over all I like Mopar the best. Our drivers are a 96 Concord an 08 300C and a 2000 1 ton diesel as well as a 01 3/4 ton diesel. 

[INTMD8]

I went to high school in the 90's.  There was a group of us that were car enthusiasts and we took up the entire back row of the high school parking lot.

My best friend bought a Charger for his first car.   We all thought it was awesome.  Found out quickly it was a mash up of a 70 Charger with 69 grill and 68 fenders when all the mopar guys skewered him at a local car show.

Anyway, at the time, even then, I simply couldn't afford one making 3.60 an hour at the local grocery store. 

My friend paid 3,500 for his Charger.   I paid $800 for a rusted out 1973 4 door Nova. 

Always did love the Charger however so very glad to have one now.

1994-

[JAM72]

My first Mopar was a 58 Belevedere. Was a ford fan at the time but 5 year old plymouths were cheaper and matched by 1000 budget. Second car was a 60 Chev which handled like a pig and had chronic wheel bearing problems and leaking Turboglide tranny. 3rd car was 66 Plymouth Satelitte with 383 and bullet proof 727. It was our family car for over 20 years and my son and I redid the body paint and engine and he drove it to high school. Since had several Mopars. Presently doing a 72 SE dodge with a 70 HP 440.

[dreamcatcher]

My first Mopar was a 58 Belevedere. Was a ford fan at the time but 5 year old plymouths were cheaper and matched by 1000 budget. Second car was a 60 Chev which handled like a pig and had chronic wheel bearing problems and leaking Turboglide tranny. 3rd car was 66 Plymouth Satelitte with 383 and bullet proof 727. It was our family car for over 20 years and my son and I redid the body paint and engine and he drove it to high school. Since had several Mopars. Presently doing a 72 SE dodge with a 70 HP 440.

I have a 72 SE also. Great body needs only a few dents taken out. Solid car with a few options (hide away head lights , AC , power steering , Power brakes , rallye gauge cluster and was a full vinyl top). I was going to go 440 as well. But bought a 5.7 hemi a couple years ago. So I am getting ready to try that. I collected all the 72 rallye parts for it over the past few years too. Looking forward to building this car. The body style really grew on me. I hope you start a build thread.

[TTSaleen]

Mine was 100% my dad.
Growing up in the 70's & 80's, my dad frequently bought and sold cars.
So I rode to school in a 1970 Monte Carlo (black on black with 350 engine), old Buicks, Corvettes, Chevelles, and Camaros.
However he had owned a 1968 Dodge Coronet R/T 440 car when he married my mom, but that car was long gone when I came along.
Over the years I grew up and our household had strictly GM cars.
I owned a couple of camaros before I bought my first Ford (mustang 5.0 LX) in the early 1990's.
Since then I've owned quite a few cars myself including Camaros, Mustangs, Impala SS, Pontiac G8, Shelby GT500, Mach1, etc.
I had at the time in 2020, been looking for a Dodge Charger for 3 years that my dad could relate to so he could be involved in my restoring/resto-modding as a farther/son project.

Sadly he passed April 2020 just a few months before I found the perfect car in December 2020.
So now my 1968 Charger is a build I am doing in memory of my dad.  The one that got me hooked on cars and ultimately a tribute to the 1968 Dodge he had.
He liked the Coronet, but I prefer the Charger.

Here's a couple of pics.
Ryan

[timmycharger]

My Uncle who had a 69 Charger that I remember as a kid. My grandparents lived next to a Dodge dealership back then and if that was Chevy instead, I may be driving a Chevelle now instead? Here is the Charger back in the day: