Rustymopar
Well-Known Member
- Local time
- 12:37 PM
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2012
- Messages
- 807
- Reaction score
- 167
- Location
- Stevensville, Maryland
Let me start out by saying, I've been a Mopar fan since I was 17 years old when I was introduced to a 69 Roadrunner in pieces in my bosses apartment living room back in 1982.
So I really disliked this guy. He worked me like a mule (Residential construction) as a kid right out of high school. He probably fired me or I had quite atleast a dozen times in 3 years. Mostly to get away from him and out of my Mom's house, I joined the USAF. Had various Camaro's, Mustangs and all of the mainstream Ford or GM's but never really could afford a decent Mopar.
I got out of the USAF in 1988, stopped by my old bosses new house to say hello and next thing I know I'm helping him build a 66 Ford Cobra kit car and a new friendship was born (plus I was all grown up and out on my own now). He ended up selling the black RR, you remember the one in pieces on his Glen Burnie MD apartment floor. He wanted to build a car from scratch, which he did 3x until he got it right (in his head).
Several visits later I see a primered B body in his shop covered with crap. He went on to tell me he found it in a garage directly across the street from his house and that it had been garaged for 20 years. I liked it..... it was a Superbee.
A decade and a half passes with Warren (thats his name) and I always looking back and laughing at my youthful working mule days. I'd stop by monthly, sometimes a couple times a month to say hello and STS (shoot the stuff). I'd always poke at him to sell me the Superbee (for 15 years). Warren never married and never had kids. Working with his hands was his gift. Whether it was building a Cobra or a $1m custom home which he lived in, in Annapolis, MD.
Now picture this guy, pulling into his $million dollar house in his 1977 3/4 ton Dodge work van. Or his 1977 Chrysler Cordoba. In 2001, I talked him into buying a new Chrysler 300m, yet he still drove the Van daily (no a/c) to work out of.
This is the same guy that kept a skill saw plugged in, in his living room and would cut the days scrap wood from a job, in his living room to feed the wood stove..or the guy who ran electric to the bird feeder to give the squirles a little shock therapy (or as he said to educate them) to stay out of his bird feeders. He would sit and wait for them and then hit the switch with a little 110v kick to the rear. I digress, but wanted to paint a picture of the flannel shirt wearing, eccentric guy who turned out to be a mentor and one of my best friends.
Warren was riding a jet ski 2 years ago July 25 on a Sunday. A storm rolled down the Severn River and Warren was caught in the storm although still trying to out run it and get back to the boat ramp. Warren was struck by lightening on a jet ski and killed near Sandy Point in Annapois, MD. Warren had another buddy with him who dragged is soaked lifless body back to the boat ramp slumped over the buddy's jet ski.
Warren had 3 close friends. Another friend of his and myself helped his Sister and brother inlaw, clean out the estate and prepare it for sale in the across the next 6 months. I told Maris and Dave (sis and bro inlaw) I wanted nothing of Warrens excpet his old Estwing hammer, his wooden folding tape measure and a crack at buying the Superbee. Well they sold it to me about 6 months later.
The more I dug into it, the more rare of a color combination then I originally thought. Orignal 383 motor gone, it had a 440HP in it which was a 1970. I sold it and bought a totally rebuilt in the crate, date correct 383.
As most of you know, I considered selling it recently. Thank goodness I sold my 69 RR instead. I probably would have lived with much regret.
So Ive decided to blog or thread this process. I started on it about 1.5 years ago, havent touched it in 9 months until last weekend. Soooo here we go. This forum has relit the fire in me.
So I really disliked this guy. He worked me like a mule (Residential construction) as a kid right out of high school. He probably fired me or I had quite atleast a dozen times in 3 years. Mostly to get away from him and out of my Mom's house, I joined the USAF. Had various Camaro's, Mustangs and all of the mainstream Ford or GM's but never really could afford a decent Mopar.
I got out of the USAF in 1988, stopped by my old bosses new house to say hello and next thing I know I'm helping him build a 66 Ford Cobra kit car and a new friendship was born (plus I was all grown up and out on my own now). He ended up selling the black RR, you remember the one in pieces on his Glen Burnie MD apartment floor. He wanted to build a car from scratch, which he did 3x until he got it right (in his head).
Several visits later I see a primered B body in his shop covered with crap. He went on to tell me he found it in a garage directly across the street from his house and that it had been garaged for 20 years. I liked it..... it was a Superbee.
A decade and a half passes with Warren (thats his name) and I always looking back and laughing at my youthful working mule days. I'd stop by monthly, sometimes a couple times a month to say hello and STS (shoot the stuff). I'd always poke at him to sell me the Superbee (for 15 years). Warren never married and never had kids. Working with his hands was his gift. Whether it was building a Cobra or a $1m custom home which he lived in, in Annapolis, MD.
Now picture this guy, pulling into his $million dollar house in his 1977 3/4 ton Dodge work van. Or his 1977 Chrysler Cordoba. In 2001, I talked him into buying a new Chrysler 300m, yet he still drove the Van daily (no a/c) to work out of.
This is the same guy that kept a skill saw plugged in, in his living room and would cut the days scrap wood from a job, in his living room to feed the wood stove..or the guy who ran electric to the bird feeder to give the squirles a little shock therapy (or as he said to educate them) to stay out of his bird feeders. He would sit and wait for them and then hit the switch with a little 110v kick to the rear. I digress, but wanted to paint a picture of the flannel shirt wearing, eccentric guy who turned out to be a mentor and one of my best friends.
Warren was riding a jet ski 2 years ago July 25 on a Sunday. A storm rolled down the Severn River and Warren was caught in the storm although still trying to out run it and get back to the boat ramp. Warren was struck by lightening on a jet ski and killed near Sandy Point in Annapois, MD. Warren had another buddy with him who dragged is soaked lifless body back to the boat ramp slumped over the buddy's jet ski.
Warren had 3 close friends. Another friend of his and myself helped his Sister and brother inlaw, clean out the estate and prepare it for sale in the across the next 6 months. I told Maris and Dave (sis and bro inlaw) I wanted nothing of Warrens excpet his old Estwing hammer, his wooden folding tape measure and a crack at buying the Superbee. Well they sold it to me about 6 months later.
The more I dug into it, the more rare of a color combination then I originally thought. Orignal 383 motor gone, it had a 440HP in it which was a 1970. I sold it and bought a totally rebuilt in the crate, date correct 383.
As most of you know, I considered selling it recently. Thank goodness I sold my 69 RR instead. I probably would have lived with much regret.
So Ive decided to blog or thread this process. I started on it about 1.5 years ago, havent touched it in 9 months until last weekend. Soooo here we go. This forum has relit the fire in me.