Found original owner and called him

[Nate S]

Went through the service booklet in my ‘64 Sport Fury and found the name of the original owner. Looked him up on the internet and called him. Very cool conversation, he bought new in April ‘64 a week after it was built when he was in grad school. Had the box checked for the 426 wedge but changed it to the 361 so it could use regular gas. It lived most of its life in Delaware and he finally sold it about 7-8 years ago. Changed hands a few times before it wound up with me. He’s very pleased it’s being restored, appreciated the 426W transplant.

Just thought I’d share this. I’m sure there are many original owners (possibly some of you included) who would appreciate a call like this.

 

[slimt]

Thats cool.

 

[davek]

I wish I could talk to the original owner,way cool.

 

[Big Bad Dad]

My friend has a nice 63 Sport Fury. After he restored it, he found the original owner and invited him to our all Mopar car show. The elderly gentleman really appreciated seeing his old car, and they had a great time talking. This was in about 1988 or so, so I would imagine the older fellow is gone. Us young guys doing the car show are now in our 60s and 70s...

 

[Nate S]

This original owner is about 82, bought it when he was 25. Luckily he seems to be quite on the ball. Explained some of the interesting stuff I’ve found.

 

[67charger383]

Bought my Charger from it's original owner. cool guy, but wish he didn't leave the car behind a barn uncovered for 28 years and lose the title.

Still have to call him back someday and see if he found anything.

This is him with my car:

 

[Riverdawg]

We were at a cruise in a couple weeks ago and a couple guys approached my buddy about his 69 Charger. Found out there were friends of the guy he bought the car from 25+ years ago. Don't know if he was the original owner but it was still cool.

 

[Nate S]

We were at a cruise in a couple weeks ago and a couple guys approached my buddy about his 69 Charger. Found out there were friends of the guy he bought the car from 25+ years ago. Don't know if he was the original owner but it was still cool.

I love that stuff. It would be cool seeing my Coronet R/T again

 

[Chipstar]

So cool! The owners manual for my 62 Fury had the original owners card included. I would love to try to track down the owner to let them know it's in good hands. Any tips aside from some creative Google-kung-fu?

 

[Nate S]

I had the service book and the window sticker. Found his name in the service book. Followed a move from Illinois to Delaware in the service records. Name wasn’t too uncommon but he used his middle initial which helped. Had to be old enough to have even bought it too. On one of those internet people searches where it lists previous places lived, there was Illinois. No obituaries and a current address. Just a phone call from there.

 

[Richard Cranium]

This is him with my car:

View attachment 1108368

Wearing blackface in 2021 isn't cool.

 

[drodg58]

When I bought my 65 Coronet 500 years ago I talked to the original owner who had owned through the mid 90's. The 500 only had I think 7500 miles on it when I first bought it. I am ready to turn 15000 this next week.

 

[Hey-O]

My car came from Hawaii in 2005 and the original owner, who owned it since it was new, sent along the Certicard with her name on it. I have the Hawaii license plate she had on the car also.

 

[drodg58]

Great stories of survivors.

 

[OrthmannJ]

That is really cool. As these cars get older, the likelihood of the original owners still being alive grows slimmer.
I was lucky to know the original owner of my car my entire life.

 

[Nate S]

That is really cool. As these cars get older, the likelihood of the original owners still being alive grows slimmer.
I was lucky to know the original owner of my car my entire life.

To me, it really adds to the experience / story, whatever you want to call it. I've restored mine over the last couple years (not rotisserie etc but then it was pretty darn clean to begin with) and the original owner is looking forward to the soon-to-be-sent photos. Might even drive it to Delaware so he can see it.

 

[Ron H]

Wearing blackface in 2021 isn't cool.

LOL, next time use brown...check that...white. You're a hoot RC.

 

[Ron H]

I tried, without success, to locate the current owner of my departed cousin's '64 426/4sp Polara he bought new as an 18 year old. Was a favor for his daughter as she has many photos of the car at various drag strips, trophies, time slips, and original window sticker the owner might like to have. He raced it around IL, IN, and WI back in the day. I've posted about some humorous history somehow talking his dad into co-signing for that ride (after he had just bought a '64 SF three months earlier no less). His name was Henry Markle from Chicago. He passed from too many smokes and alcoholic beverages in '06. Well, who knows, it was eons ago and anything could have happened to his Dodge from rusting out, crashed, crushed, motor/trans transplant to another, etc.