What made you a MOPAR guy (or gal)?

[SIPLOWGUY]

I am a MOPAR guy. Why? Well let me tell you......
My Dad worked for Squibb Pharmaceuticals back in the 60's. He actually made Theragram M vitamins. We didn't have a car, and Squibb had a deal with Avis Rent-a-car to get a good rate. I remember my Dad renting a white 64 Chevrolet Impala but starting in 1965 he always rented Plymouth Furys. As the "baby" I often sat up front between my Mom and Dad. We always took summer trips and I remember the whine of the Torque Flite and the hood ornament. I became "hooked"! I have owned MANY MOPARS. 3 of them TWICE! So, this is my list:
1959 Dodge D-100 Pick-up
1960 Dodge Dart Phoenix 4DSD
1962 Dodge Dart 4DSD
1965 Plymouth Fury III 4DSD
1966 Dodge Coronet 440 2DHT
1966 Dodge Monaco 500 2DHT
1966 Dodge Polara 500 Convertible
1966 Plymouth Sport Fury 2DHT
1967 Dodge Coronet 500 (My FIRST MOPAR)
1968 Dodge Coronet 440 4DSD
1968 Plymouth Fury III 2DHT (2X)
1968 Plymouth Fury III 4DSD
1968 Plymouth Valiant 4DSD
1969 Plymouth Fury III Convertible (Presently own)
1971 Plymouth Fury I 4DSD (2X)
1971 Plymouth Fury Custom 4DSD
1971 Dodge Coronet Crestwood Station Wagon
1971 Plymouth Fury III 2DHT
1971 Plymouth Fury III 4DHT (2X)
1972 Plymouth Satellite Sebring 2DHT
1973 Dodge Coronet 4DSD
1973 Plymouth Fury Gran Sedan 4DHT
1975 Plymouth Valiant Brougham 4DSD
1976 Chrysler Newport 2DHT
1978 Chrysler LeBaron 4DSD
1981 Dodge Diplomat 4DSD
1981 Dodge Power Ram 150 Pick-up
1985 Plymouth Gran Fury 4DSD
1986 Dodge Diplomat 4DSD AHB
1986 Chrysler 5th Avenue 4DSD
1986 Plymouth Gran Fury 4DSD Blue
1986 Plymouth Gran Fury 4DSD White
1989 Dodge Diplomat 4DSD AHB
1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited SUV
1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo SUV
2001 Jeep Cherokee Classic SUV (Presently own)
2010 Chrysler 300C AWD 4DSD
2012 Jeep Liberty Latitude (Presently own)

I've also had many GMs and a few Fords as well.
What's your story?

 

[SIPLOWGUY]

 

[SIPLOWGUY]

 

[Triplegreen500]

Moms car

I got pretty darn close when I found mine (cousin totaled Mom's in '76)

 

[plymouth67]

Well, I was bound to be a car guy. I had an affliction with Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars as a child. Always had them on me..in my pockets, slept with some in my bed, couldn't get enough of cars. My childhood best friends Dad had a 67 Hemi Charger that we would play in as kids then, around 85, 86 he restored it and we couldn't play on it anymore. That was my 1st taste of Mopar and set the Wheels in motion. What really got me was a son of my parents friends had a black 67 Satellite and I was probably around 12 years old at this time but, I knew I needed that car. Fast forward a few years and I bought that car for my 1st car and that did it for me sure, I have had other brands over the years but, not now and never again.

 

[hemi*guy]

They brought me home from the hospital in 1963 in a 1963 Fury . Dad bought a brand new 1970 Charger 500 383 2bl in early 1971. Then in 1972 while driving my sister to college we passed a gas station with a 1970 Charger parked with a For Sale sign in the window.Dad stopped i was 9 yrs old and we took it for a test drive . It was a 1970 Hemi Charger that the original owner kept telling my dad to get on it because there is nothing like a Hemi two grand later the Charger was ours.The original owner owned a service station and was in the middle of a divorce and didn’t want the ex to get the Hemi . Fast forward until i was 16 , dad bought a 1968 Sport Fury 383 4bl that he gave to me in High School, I loved that car. Few years later a neighbor was selling a 1970 Challenger S/E 383 4 bl ,he bought that too,I was hooked. Oh yeah he also bought a 1967 Camaro SS that we both beat around with for awhile.Every time I go in my garage to mess with my Charger i miss him this was my dad’s driveway around 1980

 

[#41]

My dad's good work buddy bought a 69 Charger brand new, and then I saw the movie Dirty Mary Crazy Larry.

 

[68BabyBlue]

My dad bought his first Mopar, a ‘52 Dodge, shortly after I was born. By my teens, he was a good customer with the local Plymouth dealer. That led to a test drive in a ‘69 Dealer Demonstrator GTX. I was hooked, and after owning six others, I bought the GTX that started it all, 52 years later. I had Valiants, and later, ‘62 and ‘66 Imperials, as daily drivers along the way.

 

[Budnicks]

Going to the drags with my stepdad Bob (now RIP)
Fuel Hemis, Donovan's & Milodon's & Fuel Altered ruled the world
I was hooked at 8 years old, by Dave Hough & Nanook of the North
Bob he raced mostly SS/H 64 GTO, later 1st gen 400 Firebirds
& then Judges until 1973
we had a few MoPars as drivers, my mom got/ordered special
a brand new Nov 1967,
GG1 Dark Racing Green/White top/bucket seat interior no console
a 1968 Sport Satellite 383 4bbl 4 speed, Bob had some dealer options installed
3.91:1 suregrip, Ansen Polished slots 15x7" & 15x8" w/15" G60 & L60 Uniroyal's
installed by the dealership, from SF Chrysler Plymouth, I was 8 y/o


My uncle John (Pete) gave me, or I inherited it he died in late 1980's
(he died young at age 39 heart failure, complication from several tours
Viet Nam, from 1967-1973)
it was a 68 Barracuda Formula S 383 4 bbl 4 speed, I sold it 10+ or so years later

my 1st real car,
I bought with my own $$, on July 11th 1974, the day before I tuned 15,
cash for $350
got my leaners permit 2 days later,
60k-ish miles 1968 Charger R/T 440/727tf GG1/Black console bucket interior
from a neighbor lady across & down the street, she kept in a divorce settlement
I had it for 19 years

I've had numerous Power Wagons & Power Rams from 66-98
I've owned 3 Dakota's I still have my 99 SLT 4wd 5.2lr Magnum
2 others a 98 & 99 of which were R/Ts 5.9ltr Magnum
I've had a few A-bodies, a couple Dusters & a Demon, the 1 Barracuda
I've owned now 13 68-70 RRs, 8 of which were 4 peed cars
(I owned my current 68 RR since Dec 2005)
I've owned 12 68-69 & 1 70 Charger's all R/Ts, 8 were 4 speed Dana 60 cars
I traded my Demon & $300 to my stepdad to get my moms S.S. in 1979
I owned it until 1997 (?ish), had several engine combos from stock
to a roots blown Hemi...

that's just the MoPars

 

[1968rt]

Well, I saw the movie Bullitt as a kid and I said for my first car I wanted a Charger. So in March of 1975 I got this! Its been Mopar ever since.

 

[hemi71x]

Back in September 1969 i was coming out of a clothing shop in downtown, Waterbury, Connecticut after buying a sports coat to wear that year in high school, as back then there was a dress code to adhere to.
Directly in front of the store was a brand spanking new 1970 Cuda parked on the street.
That car must just have been purchased.
White, exterior in color.
I must have spent 10 - 15 minutes looking that car all over.
Fell in love with that body style, then and there.
Then in 1971 i ordered a Cuda, and kept it for 39 years before selling it off.

 

[WileE]

Watching Richard Petty, Buddy Baker, et al plus Ronnie Sox, Don Garlits, et al in my younger days.

 

[Fran B]

This

 

[Virg464]

My dad bought a new 70 Fury III, 383 2bbl, when I was 9 yrs old. It was the first Mopar for our family and my first experience with a big block engine. He later on let me buy bolt on stuff for it with my paper route money, chrome Holley coil, coil over shocks for the rear axle, and the biggie was a "Thrush" muffler! I think it was his way to teach me about cars as well as keep me out of trouble! I loved the "Purple Plymouth" as it was known in the neighborhood.

 

[mmissile]

4 generations of employees.
Put a roof over your head, and food in your belly. Reason enough.

 

[PsyOps]

Watching Richard Petty, Buddy Baker, et al plus Ronnie Sox, Don Garlits, et al in my younger days.

That about says it for me too. I don't have any pictures of my first car but it was a twin to this one...

 

[XS22J8R]

I had no Mopar DNA. I always loved cars as a kid, collected matchbox, hot wheels and corgi toys, then built models, my dad had a lot of Buicks when I was young, but if anything some Fords caught my eye.
In junior high I started thinking about how I’d be getting my license in a few years and that got me motivated to start saving money from odd jobs for when that happened. I started subscribing to Hot Rod and Car Craft, and drooling over all the articles about cool Camaros and Mustangs and Chargers and such, but nothing really clicked with me saying that’s what I’m going to buy when I’m 16.
Then one night I was watching TV and Vanishing Point came on. I fell in love with the Challenger and the pistol grip shifter.
And as soon as I got my license I started checking out used car ads for cudas and Challengers until I found a Challenger I could afford.
I still had a little Ford attraction in me, my second vehicle purchase was a used 79 Bronco I loved, and I drove a manual 90 TBird SC for almost 10 years that fit me like a glove and I have fond memories of.
But then Ford started to lose its way, and Mopar got better and better in the 90s. When the new Ram came out in 94, I wanted one bad, and eventually got a 95 1500 5.9 that was a dream truck.
My vintage cars have always been Mopars, starting with the Challenger I got at 16. I’ve been all Mopar for over 10 years now, currently have 3 late models and 4 classics!

 

[SteveSS]

Vanishing Point at the Drive-In. 1971. I had a '66 Barracuda as a first car but it was a POS and got rid of it.

 

[RTDaddy]

The Old Man's 2nd Mopar, a 70 R/T bought new in August of 70, still have the car. His first I remember was a 67 Satellite with a 383/4 speed, triple blue.

 

[SIPLOWGUY]

So I see many of you were inspired by your Dad. Me too. Here is an article Hemmings ran. I wrote it.

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/reminiscing-my-fathers-cars/