69hemibeep said:
I like the 68-69 combo on your driver, best of both cars
Thanks everyone! My dad had a '67 GTO in college and as a kid, I always loved seeing pictures of it. Something about classic cars between the years 1966 and 1972 have always caught my attention. My first classic was a '68 Impala that I bought off a kid in college for $600. Of course it was a four door with the 327, but the interior was all original and perfect....same with the outside. I think I was the only kid with a daily driver that old. But it just really appealed to me...driving a piece of history....a rolling piece of art so to speak. Nothing better than getting inside and experiencing that smell...the carb/exhaust. Love it. Been hooked ever since. Plus the sound of these cars...you just can't get that sound out of a modern car. Plus my wife likes to drive them around as well. She says it feels like being a celebrity.
Fords/Chevys were easy to find. But when I decided to see if I could pursue the Mopar route, I quickly discovered you usually have to have deep pockets to afford one because A.) they are already completely restored, or B.) They are a rusted shell with no motor and the person is asking $7000 for it. Its rare to find an in-between driver that is in good driveable/presentable shape, but not completely restored, all the while being sold for a reasonable price.
That blue Charger was my first Mopar. I just happened to pass it in a small town below winston-salem, NC. The guy had it for 33 years. He wanted to give it to his 18 year old son, but the son had no interest in it whatsoever. I bought it for $4500. At that point I realized it still was possible to find old Dodge/Plymouth at a reasonable price...I just had to be patient and look harder. The Charger sat for 4 years without running. I figured even if the engine was locked up, it would still be worth it. Put in a new gas tank & lines, new radiator, waterpump, spark plugs, and carb. Fired right up and runs perfect.
My two ultimate cars to ever own in my life are a '69 Dodge Charger and a '69 Plymouth Roadrunner. 1 down, 1 to go. I thought late 60's dodges were hard to find....well Plymouths are even harder! So I'll be super excited to get my Roadrunner should it all work out.
Sorry for the novel.....but I enjoy talking with everyone in the Mopar family. Love to hear the stories and see the rare finds. Too bad I wasn't older in the 1980s. Apparently these cars were a dime a dozen according to some of my older friends. One buddy is 67. He had a Superbird and a Hemi Charger at the same time back in the 80s. Sold the Hemi Charger in the 80's for $6500 and sold the Superbird in the early 90's for around 10k...maybe $9500. He shows me all of his old pictures. Just incredible.
