47 Years Ago Today......

[Mopars & Missiles]

Its funny how a single moment in time can have such a great impact on your entire lifetime. You do something so simple and commonplace that you don't give it a second thought at the time as being significant, and it ends up being one of the major things that define you for the rest of your life.

Case in point here, is the purchase of a car. Everybody buys a car or two or three or a dozen in their lifetimes, but did any of them redefine the direction of your life?? Mine did. Back on Monday August 6th, 1973 at approximately 5:45 pm I purchased the car that was going to create the Dodge fanatic that I am today. Below are a couple photos of the car (mine) that for better or worse, till death do us part, (and I'm thinking about taking it with me!) has made me "me".

Back then........

Now........

 

[Bb70charger500]

So cool my first slightly used car was a 01 Mitsubishi spider v6 5 speed will say it isn't anything special nor do I still have it !
My first car however was a 74 charger I've sold that car 4 different times and bought it 3!
That car is the beginning of the end with my car issue! I've lost track of it after it was put up forsale and I couldn't afford it someone bought it north FL and finished it had it painted it came up one more time I found it in its new blue paint and still couldn't afford it and she disappeared after that !

It's cool you still have your car

 

[Zeppelin264]

I'm a bit younger(35) but my 1st car eventually led me to my wife. If my parents hadn't bought me that old beater, I would have never of met her. Crazy to look back at certain events in your life and how they led to other life changing events.

 

[dadsbee]

NICE.. mine was just stuffed in the garage as the old man had ditched it at 140 early on... took me 5 years to talk him out of letting it loose again.. and the bugger charged me $3800 + interest to boot.. lol

 

[Photon440]

Its funny how a single moment in time can have such a great impact on your entire lifetime. You do something so simple and commonplace that you don't give it a second thought at the time as being significant, and it ends up being one of the major things that define you for the rest of your life.

Case in point here, is the purchase of a car. Everybody buys a car or two or three or a dozen in their lifetimes, but did any of them redefine the direction of your life?? Mine did. Back on Monday August 6th, 1973 at approximately 5:45 pm I purchased the car that was going to create the Dodge fanatic that I am today. Below are a couple photos of the car (mine) that for better or worse, till death do us part, (and I'm thinking about taking it with me!) has made me "me".

Back then........
View attachment 985216

Now........
View attachment 985217

I like that, thought I'd bring the old car picture more forward.

 

[Cojohnso1]

In the 1981 I saw the '69 GTX sitting on a small car lot. They wanted $4500. That was outrageous in early 80s. I had just junked a '66 GTO. I had never even heard of a GTX? But to me? Was the baddest thing I have ever seen. After a month on the lot. And some negotiations? I bought for $3200. I was 20 years old and I spent the summer street running and burnout making until I was forced to replace clutch 2 years later. 10 years later I was forced to sell (for $3600) to buy a minivan after my 4th child in 5 years was born. The decision was obvious. But what was unknown? Was how much it haunted me.

I had dreams of that car. It was always the same dream. I go out to my garage. And there was a car under a tarp. I pulled off the tarp? And there was my GTX. Listing to one side. As if front and rear spring failure. It was obviously hurt. And in the dream I felt as if she was in pain. The dream would change and disappear at that point. But always started the same.

2 years ago I bought a '69 GTX from way up north right on the Canadian border. The car is same color. Same 440 motor and performance build. Same 4 speed with same 3.54:1 dana rear for $21k. This car is in a little better condition. (But not numbers matching like my first. Though, 440 is a period correct '68 block) interior very different, but also not matching fender tag.

Though the cars were both very similar built. (Slight cam and intake/carb upgrade. Both with Holley 750.) But with very different personalities. My first was quicker thru the gears. But was done at about 130 MPH with noticeable vibration. This car? Isn't happy until 75 MPH. Then starts pulling. Able to hold speedometer pegged at 150. (Not sure actual speed. But I bet its close.) This GTX does have taller rear tires on 15" rims vs the 14s on the first. Which certainly explains the acceleration and MPH differences. But this car is definitely a better highway comando.

Just another Mopar story. P. S. The dreams have senced stopped.

Quick vid of current '69 GTX

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

NICE.. mine was just stuffed in the garage as the old man had ditched it at 140 early on... took me 5 years to talk him out of letting it loose again.. and the bugger charged me $3800 + interest to boot.. lol

I bought mine for $1500. Guess I must have done alright then.

 

[Budnicks]

Missiles what a great car/story

Man I wish I had my 1st MoPar back,
68 Charger R/T, 440cid/727tf,
GG1, black guts/buckets/console & top,
I bought in 1974 for $350 (I was 15)
from a "Hot" divorced neighbor lady,
down & across the street, from my Moms place
it was near perfect, (few goofy stuff)
but the trans was slipping,
needed bands adjustments, filter & fluid change, smelt burnt
needed tires, tune up stuff, lube oil filter etc.
I spent another $150, had that car I loved for near 15+ years
I had many different engine/trans/gears combos, my 1st paint job etc.
I learned a lot from that car...
I sold it to my older Cousin Joe in 1990,
when I was working on a 68 RR project
he caught me just at the right time, it didn't have a Eng./Trans
it was just a roller...
I was going to do another engine/trans combo in...
Last one was a blown wedge...
But Joe, he was always good to me,
gave me a bunch of his hand-me-downs, bikes, mini-bikes, go-carts, he outgrew
I felt he'd be a good owner & unfortunately he totaled it, like 2 weeks later...
It broke my heart...

That was the car, that made me a total gear-head,
started all the obsessions, fall in Love with MoPar
started me in street/drag racing too
started me in a life of being car broke, until my late 30's too
I would do it all over again too, IF I had the chance...

I had 2 cars before that, a 65 Ford Galaxie, I bought for $150
drive them in the dirt lot behind our houses,what a POS...
but;
I learned to work on cars, so not a total waste (I was 14)
& the 1st car was a 61 Renault RE 4 cyl POS,
I think I spent $50 on it org.,
We used on the dunes/off road (when I was 12-14)
a few mods, home made headers, radiused wheel wells & paddle tires etc.
My stepdad Bob caught me driving it on the street,
he said when we started the project, he'd cut it up & haul it off
if he ever found out I drove it on the street
he did exactly that, got his cutting torch out
cut it into 4 pieces & loaded it his truck
& hauled it off to scrap...

 

[Ron H]

My 1st car was a '67 GTO vert my mother co-signed on a loan for me. It was a standout with every available option well cared for. For many years regretted letting it go but I was 17, junior in HS when I got it after starting a job at a machine shop. Was quite the focal point of a lot of the HS kids who envied the car. Even my folks and older brother (he had some four GTO's in his time) said I should have kept it; but of course who knows. I was the 1st in the immediate family to go Mopar and did I get a lot of chit for this. My bro wasn't a mopar guy and my mom hated the wild color. It was a '70 Cuda vert 383 4 speed...yeah talk about another ride I should a kept huh?

 

[67charger383]

Hope you don't "take it with you"

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

Hope you don't "take it with you"

Hopefully I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, I'd like to be able to drive it for another 15 or 20.

 

[Rainy day auto]

Its funny how a single moment in time can have such a great impact on your entire lifetime. You do something so simple and commonplace that you don't give it a second thought at the time as being significant, and it ends up being one of the major things that define you for the rest of your life.

Case in point here, is the purchase of a car. Everybody buys a car or two or three or a dozen in their lifetimes, but did any of them redefine the direction of your life?? Mine did. Back on Monday August 6th, 1973 at approximately 5:45 pm I purchased the car that was going to create the Dodge fanatic that I am today. Below are a couple photos of the car (mine) that for better or worse, till death do us part, (and I'm thinking about taking it with me!) has made me "me".

Back then........
View attachment 985216

Now........
View attachment 985217

Where did you live !? For mid summer August, your trees were bare and it looked like winter time, when did the trees ever bloom and summer time happened??

 

[barbee6043]

^^^^ ha See the lady in the background with the HEAVY winter coat? That is fall in yankee land!!! lol before snow!

Anyway life is of made up of memories and dreams!!! Never stop dreaming!

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

Where did you live !? For mid summer August, your trees were bare and it looked like winter time, when did the trees ever bloom and summer time happened??

The "then" picture was in about early April, maybe late March, just starting to warm up, not August when I bought the car. Don't think I have a photo from August when I first bought it. I'll look some more.

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

Here's one from September '73, maybe the earliest photo I have after buying the car in August. I was going to my uncle's wedding, pay no attention to the guy in the photo, the "car" is what is important.

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

Where did you live !? For mid summer August, your trees were bare and it looked like winter time, when did the trees ever bloom and summer time happened??

Please note, I said "back then" and not "August" on that first photo. Although I understand how you came to that conclusion since I was talking about August of '73 in the text. Sorry to have misled you.

 

[Rainy day auto]

Please note, I said "back then" and not "August" on that first photo. Although I understand how you came to that conclusion since I was talking about August of '73 in the text. Sorry to have misled you.

BEEutiful car "back then", now and always

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

And for further clarification, the "Now" photo does not necessarily mean "Today".

 

[1967coronet]

1975 my 2nd car 71 V code 4speed X paid $1,800 I had stuck on snow tires for the Iowa winter, Summer I ran Ansen slots with 50s on back 70s on front , of course I traded off it couple years later
No pics of my 1st , 65 impala $600

 

[Cojohnso1]

My 1st car was a '67 GTO vert my mother co-signed on a loan for me. It was a standout with every available option well cared for. For many years regretted letting it go but I was 17, junior in HS when I got it after starting a job at a machine shop. Was quite the focal point of a lot of the HS kids who envied the car. Even my folks and older brother (he had some four GTO's in his time) said I should have kept it; but of course who knows. I was the 1st in the immediate family to go Mopar and did I get a lot of chit for this. My bro wasn't a mopar guy and my mom hated the wild color. It was a '70 Cuda vert 383 4 speed...yeah talk about another ride I should a kept huh?

My 2nd car was a '66 GTO I paid $200 in '77. (My first was a '62 Belair I paid $85 in '76. And yes, it looked and ran like an $85 car, Thus not worth much mention) The GTO? Was mechanically sound and the 389 with Munsie 4 speed was fun and quick. Won many setup races. Until motor had enough. I pieced the car out being body was not worth restore. (At least by 70s options. Today? Certainly would be a candidate.)