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Childhood Dream MoPar?

I was born in '72 and Mom brought me home in this:

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My cousin totalled it around '75 or '76 (we still haven't forgiven him). I'd seen it, there's pics of me as a kid playing around it, but like most of my generation I was (over)exposed to the Dukes of Hazzard and one day while watching, mom piped up "well you remember I used to have one of those, right?". She showed me a bunch of the photos of her, me, dad, the car...and it really lit the fire for me. Hers was a '70, EF8 green, green interior, green top, 318, factory a/c, Charger 500. Knowing hers was gone, I always wanted one and have been keeping an eye out forever. Usually when I find the right car, the wallet disagrees with the timing, or when the wallet has room I can't find one.

I have other cars I lusted after - the original Countach, naturally. Viper. Shelby Cobra. Grand National. But as a kid...they were pure fantasy. I've driven Vipers and they're fun, but now that I have a better handle on the concept of "maintenance" and "parts availability"...I'm not so driven to own one. Drove a GNX in '87, THAT was fun, but no way I could talk dad into buying it (and even LESS chance of buying one myself). Met Carroll Shelby and owned a few of his Mopars over the years (86 GLHS, 87 CSX, 89 CSX), he autographed my '89 for me, always loved the 427 Cobra...till I sat in one and tried to drive it. At 6'4", with size 13 feet...it ain't happenin'. So, that kinda cured that - along with their price tags.

I bought my '72 Satellite wagon in '92 because "it's the closest B-body I'll get to my dream Charger"...and it was $500. Still have it, still love it, still play with it, and am still waffling between the Gen III conversion or just throwing a procharger and Sniper setup on the 360. Fast wagons are cool. I play with my turbo cars; I play with my motorcycles; they keep me happy, and distracted from the fact I didn't have a Charger. I've bought, sold, built, killed, and parted dozens and dozens of cars, and been happy with what I've been doing.

Until last December.

I sold a house last summer, did OK on that, paid off a bunch of bills, and socked the rest of the money in the bank. Then, one slow day at work, I started poking around online to see what Chargers were out there. Found the usual "restored-don't-you-dare-drive-it" gorgeous cars, and the usual overpriced doorhandle-and-VIN-plate "project cars".

Then...I found MINE.

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It's an FF4 car instead of EF8, but its still a triple-green 1970 Charger 500, 318, factory a/c.

Finally.

It's amazing the change in overall attitude. This really IS "the one" for me. I no longer compulsively look at other stuff to buy. Friends offer me "fun" little toy beaters like old XJ Cherokees, or other 2.2/2.5 turbo cars...and I pass. I no longer feel like I'm missing anything automotive-ly. I am...content with my garage, and my inventory.

And, the Charger is just about untouched. Completely. It's had one repaint at some point a while ago - single stage lacquer - and I think I've found a small spot of mud over the drivers rear wheel which would explain "why" it was painted. Other than that, and 50 years of maintenance (exhaust, hoses, belts, tuneups, tires)...it's original. Sheetmetal. Mechanical. Interior. It's honest, and real. And, it's not perfect - which I love. I'm not going to be afraid to drive it once the salt is off the roads. I enjoy owning it...but the whole point of owning one, is to DRIVE it and enjoy it!!
 
I grew up in the 80's and wasn't used to seeing Mopars (at that time nobody wanted them) but fell in love with a 1970 Challenger that sat by a gas station with $600 written in the window. I begged for it but at 12 dad wasn't even thinking cars yet.. I bought a few Mopars before I ended up with my 69 Charger, a 73 Sattelite and 68 Roadrunner. I didn't like the Sattelite well enough to invest in fixing the issues I found and the Roadrunner was a complete rust bucket... Learning lessons but the 68 set the hook on B bodies. I suppose the Dukes may have influenced my love for the Chargers but I'm pretty sure it was a lot more than that. I still would like to buy a Challenger one day but it's far from my favorite now.
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Mine has always been a 2nd generation Charger. I worked under the table at 14 until I was legal. Bought my first 70 Charger R/T at 15 before I even had a drivers license. Bought my 2nd current Charger R/T S.E. at 18 and have had at least one Charger under my ownership ever since. Still own to this day 31 years later and unrestored. 232,000+ miles on it as well.
Updated: I also have another Charger project that I gave to my young son for his 16th present. Passing the torch, for us to restore together.

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I've come pretty close on several of my childhood dream cars.

Across the side street to the K-Mart we frequented form about 1976 to 1985 sat one of these-

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Never moved.

Hood and scoops were flat black and I remember it had a black bucket seat interior and a 4 speed. I don't believe it had a vinyl top. though.

I came real close to getting it.

I've told that story on here a few times.

I did have a '70 for a while and would gladly have it back, or one like the photo/car I passed weekly.
 
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I still want a 68 GTS 383 4 speed Dart, convert.

I never knew that was even on my bucket list until I got one for the wife a few years ago. It's a great little car. Probably gets more attention than anything that I have ever owned. People that aren't even car people like it because it is gorgeous.

First MoPar in high school was a FE5 '70 Duster 340 purchased in October 1978. Still have it. 10 more Duster 340s followed over the years. I have #1 & #11, and another slanty that I converted to 340/4-speed.

MANY cars on the bucket list. A Superbird, an AAR or T/A, a Hemi Anything, and a Rebel Machine top the list. An A12 RR used to sit at the top of that list, but I was lucky enough to check that box about 13 years ago.
 
I remember helping my dad sand an orange 70 challenger for his buddy, but I fell in love when I was 10 with a black 68 Bee, 6pack scoop and yellow butt stripe. Saw that car alot when I was a kid. My dads other buddy had a 440 duster that was insane, rode in it once when I was 10 or 11 one of the best times I've had in a car.
 
Memories from our neighborhood......

there must’ve been something in the orange juice in our neighborhood, because right across the street from our house lived a guy named Bob Teetsle, who owned an orange 69 Roadrunner. He was a typical 20 something guy, cool as heck to all of us kids, and he terrorized the neighborhood by peeling out whenever he came and went. He also had some friends who were always coming by with their hot car, generally causing trouble and mayhem on our little street. As awesome as we thought his car was, even he was in awe of our Dads car.

I also remember a buddy named Nobile Poquet, whose sister had an orange 70 Barracuda with a luggage rack on it. She would drive him to school on occasion, and we would gaze in wild wonder over her, and her car. She was tall, slim, and sexy, and so was her car. One thing I remember about her was that she wore bell bottoms, that we called super bells. She would cut down the seam on the side of the outside of each leg and sew in some paisley cloth, making them super bells. She was one groooovy chick, and we all dug her!

Don’t have pictures of either car, except in my memory, but man, those were the days!
 
Mine was dads 70 Charger RT , ek2 , charcoal interior, white c stripe, rally’s, ac, console shifted... I’ve looked for it my entire life, supposedly I rode home in it from the hospital and dad kept for a couple more years.. XS29U0G170626, I got mine many years later but still hunting.

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Growing up my Dad was a big drag race fan, so every year we went to the Summer Nationals in Englishtown, NJ. It was there in the early 80's that I saw a Super Stock 68 Dart for the first time. I was hooked. Something about those valve covers appealed to me as young as 10 years old. It's still on my bucket list.
Maybe @Jerry Hall will be in the giving mood this Christmas. :lol:


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As we are dreaming here, I still search for a 68 Hemi 4-speed, console, Charger, double or maybe triple black, but would settle for red guts. Couldn't have been many, if any.
 
Growing up my Dad was a big drag race fan, so every year we went to the Summer Nationals in Englishtown, NJ. It was there in the early 80's that I saw a Super Stock 68 Dart for the first time. I was hooked. Something about those valve covers appealed to me as young as 10 years old. It's still on my bucket list.
Maybe @Jerry Hall will be in the giving mood this Christmas. :lol:


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Thought you were saving, or were you just joking?
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1969 Coronet R/T- the rear end is killer

1970 1/2 Camaro Z28- the nose is unique
 
This 1969 GTX was the one I fell in love with when I was 15. It was one of 31 dealer demonstrator GTXs built in '69, and the daily driver of the family that owned Clark Motor Company, the Plymouth dealership in State College, PA where I grew up. Owner Julie Clark mentored me when I was a kid, and gave me a test drive in the car when I finally got my driver's license. I will never forget her placing those keys in my hand; I felt like King Arthur pulling the sword from the stone. She told me I would have a car like that in my future, but I would have to earn it.

Over the years, I often came to a crossroad where I would ponder what Julie Clark would expect from me, and then beat the daylights out of myself to meet her standard. She's been gone for over 20 years, but she did get to see my first three GTXs. I think of her every time I turn the key in the red '69 I bought 45 years after that first drive.

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Who you calling OLD.

As far as my child hood dream car. I cant say that I ever had one. Unless you count the Batmobile or the Monkee Mobile

As far as my favorite that Ive previously and or now own.
Top of that list would be find my former 1969 GTX convertible. then a 2 way tie for 2nd would be my former Rallye green 1969 Roadrunner , hemi 4spd. and the car I own now, 1966 Plymouth Satellite which is in my all time favorite color combination of Black with red interior

I searched for almost 2 years for the GTX , couldn't find it. I know where the Hemi Roadrunner is and it is 100% not for sale . And I absolutely love my current car. So its no worries either way. I will die with this one in my name ( god willing ) Once Im breathing dirt my girls become custodian of it
 
Who you calling OLD.

As far as my child hood dream car. I cant say that I ever had one. Unless you count the Batmobile or the Monkee Mobile

As far as my favorite that Ive previously and or now own.
Top of that list would be find my former 1969 GTX convertible. then a 2 way tie for 2nd would be my former Rallye green 1969 Roadrunner , hemi 4spd. and the car I own now, 1966 Plymouth Satellite which is in my all time favorite color combination of Black with red interior

I searched for almost 2 years for the GTX , couldn't find it. I know where the Hemi Roadrunner is and it is 100% not for sale . And I absolutely love my current car. So its no worries either way. I will die with this one in my name ( god willing ) Once Im breathing dirt my girls become custodian of it

Wow, it gets hard when you try to narrow it down to one. I too had a Rallye green Road Runner in my past, the spring new car show in State College 1969. Still have a sales brochure that was in the pile on the passenger's seat, looked through it and decided I wanted a GTX even more, a few weeks later saw the Clark Motor Company GTX for the first time, it rose to number one, then that fall, the R4 Hemi Road Runner hit the showroom and stirred the pot even further. The black with red is my favorite as well, a '69 hemi GTX with that color combo would resolve the issue once and for all.

I am blessed to have a spouse, who is not at all into the cars, but understands the appeal to those of us who love them. She has told me if that mythical GTX ever comes up for sale, to break the bank to get it. And she's the one I dreamed of back in the day, 47 years ago. Like yourself, I'm totally okay with the one (or more) I've got.
 
I am blessed to have a spouse, who is not at all into the cars, but understands the appeal to those of us who love them. She has told me if that mythical GTX ever comes up for sale, to break the bank to get it. And she's the one I dreamed of back in the day, 47 years ago. Like yourself, I'm totally okay with the one (or more) I've got.

Same here . My wife ' gets it ' and is fine with the old car. She knew I had the old car bug the day we met and is full aware that desire is not going to fade anytime soon . And she is quite alright with it. She even has a slight desire for one herself but I think it would have to be a 67-69 Camaro for her. ,,,preferably a drop top .

As far as a 69 GTX in black with red interior could rise to my dream car over all others . But honestly I cant remember ever seeing or heard of one In any drive train combination.
Even if I found one. Im not 100% sure i would / could let my current car go . I would have to think on that for a bit
 
Same here . My wife ' gets it ' and is fine with the old car. She knew I had the old car bug the day we met and is full aware that desire is not going to fade anytime soon . And she is quite alright with it. She even has a slight desire for one herself but I think it would have to be a 67-69 Camaro for her. ,,,preferably a drop top .

As far as a 69 GTX in black with red interior could rise to my dream car over all others . But honestly I cant remember ever seeing or heard of one In any drive train combination.
Even if I found one. Im not 100% sure i would / could let my current car go . I would have to think on that for a bit

There actually is one on this site, posted in the photo garage a few years back, shortly after I found my red car. Gorgeous nut and bolt restoration by the son of the guy who owned it back in the day, a numbers matching 440 4spd car. Color combo has to be super rare, in 50 some years, I only ever saw one on the street.
 
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