Why Mopar?

[Rebel]

Was just wondering why everyone chose Mopar.
Is it really Mopar or No car?
Did anyone start with minis and escorts and work through Mustangs and Camaros etc or did it have to be a Mopar from the start?

It'd be great to know the history of how you ended up with your chosen Mopar.

Mine is - I've always been in to cars in general, worked my way through countless Escorts, Cortinas and Capris, but ever since watching a certain orange Charger on TV as a school boy, I wanted a Charger. Took me a while and after a couple of failed attempts, thought I would never get one. One of my first attempts to buy one was after a late night search on Craigslist. A very nice and very solid '69 440 auto, sadly hurricane Katrina destroyed it
Second attempt resulted in a number of messages and phone calls from members on here advising me not to go ahead with a purchase that I'd posted on here that I was interested in. I'd already sent a cheque as deposit, quick phone call to the bank to cancel the cheque and all was well. Think it was almost ( or possibly just over ) a year later in 2005 I found my Charger on the bay of fleas. A week later, I was on an early train from Newcastle to Kings Cross, London. After a change of train I was on my way to Luton, picked up from the station and after a short drive, money changed hands, paperwork was signed and I was looking at a long drive home

[Super Sloth]

My wife and I have always been into cars - we actually met at the pod. Before we met one another we'd already got a reasonable car history. She was pretty into Porsches - 2nd car was a 911. I was more into the british stuff, MG's, Triumphs, Jags that sort of thing...
Some time after we got together we wrote a list of all the things we'd like to own so we just started working our way through the list. After buying and running some 80 odd classics between us we decided that we'd like to dip our toes into the american scene. We've had a few moderns over the last few years but the vast majority of things we had between us were pre 1980.

Back in 2006 I visted the ace cafe for the first time with some friends from the MG owners club. Two cars left an impression on me. One of them was a beautiful red '66 6 cylinder mustang notchback owned by a US serviceman stationed over here and the other that turned up much later on in the evening was a black 68 Charger. Unfortunately I didn't get to speak to the Charger owner, I was attempting to take an arty photograph of it in a puddle!
I can just make out the reg in the awful photo... BHJ302F Does it belong to anyone on here?

The Charger struck a bit of a chord with me. Thinking about it one day I decided to have a look on the interweb and came accross the MMA forum. I learned there were lots of other models of mopars and I started sharing this information with my wife - we talk about cars together every day anyway.
We soon realised that A C body wagon wasn't going to fit on the drive and realistically neither was a B body.
Those '66 mustangs looked appealing but no there was something about these mopars... couldn't quite put a finger on it but there was something about them...
Then we saw a purple '70 dart for sale on here. It would fit in the garage and we fell in love with the styling.

We joined up and I mentioned that I was after an A body and recieved a lot of gentle prodding from a lot of folk on here to go and look at a Blue Demon that Dave Madders has imported.

After we went to view the Demon we had a long discussion about whether it was the smart decision to go for the Demon or play it safe and try a '66 mustang. The reasoning being if we hated left hand drive we could easily sell a mustang on, but would a Demon be difficult to sell?
Ultimately hearts ruled heads and the Demon became a joint christmas present to one another. We've owned it 18 months now so I suppose it qualifies as "long term ownership" at least for Nicola and I. Hopefully one day a '70 super bee will come and join it?


Here's one of the crap photos I managed to take back in 2006 of BHJ302F.

[MilesnMiles]

Back in my teens I had an American car mag with an article about a Duster being 'best bang for a buck' . Always wanted one and never did, but a Dart Sport was a fair equal. Mopar always had the best muscle car attitude for me and besides, they were different from the hordes of Mustangs, Corvettes and GM F bodies doing the rounds.
In truth, I like all sorts of US cars, but Mopar seems to keep coming around.

[DaveBishop]

Bought my first yank in 1969 it was a 1934 Hudson Terraplane. I got my first Mopar in 1974 It was a 1965 Chrysler Windsor with a 383 in it

[mustangbooks]

I got a Mopar because I can't spell Chevrulay.

[Demon James]

I got a Mopar because I can't spell Chevrulay.

I had a Shevroolay (I think you'll find that is correct ) and hadn't even heard of the term MOPAR.

My lad had a purple Demon hot wheels car and when we saw mine for sale it seemed a no brainer to get it

I actually thought his hot wheels was just a made up car .......oh how much I've learnt in 6 years

[drewcrane]

I was born and raised in them

[ChrisN34]

I Thought they looked the most like the stereotypical image of a muscle car, big engines, bright paint, loud sound etc. The Duster is only my second car, so hopefully i will continue to have more mopars over the years. I Think next up for me is a 70s dodge truck. Still a mopar, still fast and bright and loud too. Just hoping i can find one at some point in the future that doesnt break the bank

[ScottyDave]

Always liked American cars from 30s onwards and especially the muscle cars. So when I actually decided to see if I could own one there was 2 in Classic American within my meagre budget a Firebird with a 6pot and the Charger with its V8.

Along with the reasoning that if I'm going have a yank it might as well be a V8 there was something about the Charger in the photo that just grabbed me and wouldn't let go...I was hooked

[charger01]

My wife and I have always been into cars - we actually met at the pod. Before we met one another we'd already got a reasonable car history. She was pretty into Porsches - 2nd car was a 911. I was more into the british stuff, MG's, Triumphs, Jags that sort of thing...
Some time after we got together we wrote a list of all the things we'd like to own so we just started working our way through the list. After buying and running some 80 odd classics between us we decided that we'd like to dip our toes into the american scene. We've had a few moderns over the last few years but the vast majority of things we had between us were pre 1980.

Back in 2006 I visted the ace cafe for the first time with some friends from the MG owners club. Two cars left an impression on me. One of them was a beautiful red '66 6 cylinder mustang notchback owned by a US serviceman stationed over here and the other that turned up much later on in the evening was a black 68 Charger. Unfortunately I didn't get to speak to the Charger owner, I was attempting to take an arty photograph of it in a puddle!
I can just make out the reg in the awful photo... BHJ302F Does it belong to anyone on here?

The Charger struck a bit of a chord with me. Thinking about it one day I decided to have a look on the interweb and came accross the MMA forum. I learned there were lots of other models of mopars and I started sharing this information with my wife - we talk about cars together every day anyway.
We soon realised that A C body wagon wasn't going to fit on the drive and realistically neither was a B body.
Those '66 mustangs looked appealing but no there was something about these mopars... couldn't quite put a finger on it but there was something about them...
Then we saw a purple '70 dart for sale on here. It would fit in the garage and we fell in love with the styling.

We joined up and I mentioned that I was after an A body and recieved a lot of gentle prodding from a lot of folk on here to go and look at a Blue Demon that Dave Madders has imported.

After we went to view the Demon we had a long discussion about whether it was the smart decision to go for the Demon or play it safe and try a '66 mustang. The reasoning being if we hated left hand drive we could easily sell a mustang on, but would a Demon be difficult to sell?
Ultimately hearts ruled heads and the Demon became a joint christmas present to one another. We've owned it 18 months now so I suppose it qualifies as "long term ownership" at least for Nicola and I. Hopefully one day a '70 super bee will come and join it?


Here's one of the crap photos I managed to take back in 2006 of BHJ302F.

That was Adam Mabbuts car. He sold it to Steve Neimantis I believe.

[Pete]

I was always into Murdercycles - Italian and British.

Due to family issues a bike was no longer realistic and I got a 1972 Camaro to see if I could live with a Yank.

Moved it on quickly with a 1969 Chevelle and then a 1972 Buick Convertible.
A '57 Chevy appeared for some time...

Then bought a modern (2 year old) Firebird as a quick Point to Point car, but soon tired of it.

PX'ed it for a 1971 Plymouth Barracuda Convertible and I was hooked on Mopar. I have had about 35 since then. Absolutely Mopar or no car for me.

I sometimes go to static shows, and I have never seen another Marque at any price that would turn my head away from Ma Mopar.

What really did it was that fantastic 1969 Roadrunner Drag car, and then seeing Steve Tucker's Superbird in the flesh - what else comes close?

[Mossy68]

I blame my parents.
Dragged up the pod , from a very early age ( allegedly, I was nearly born in the back of a Mini Cooper on route !!!)
To me it was a regular family day / weekend away , that I absolutely loved.
And those big old Plymouths and Dodges, always stood out.they had a different sound , and looked , and moved liked they meant business.
Never knew they were all part of Chrysler for a long time.
Being from a little village , and the only one who went drag racing , it wasn't until after marriage and kids that my first mope, and yank , found me.
My old 85 Ram. Fell in love , and to this day it's been the best vehicle I've owned.
I didn't join the club until my brother spotted my coronet looking sorry for itself, and I had to save it.
That's it really.
Just something about Mopar's that I love.
From the 60's , to the 70's land yachts , there will always be at least on that I'd love to own.

[Bilko]

Great question!
Without wanting to bore everyone to death, I can trace my love affair with American cars right back with several pivotal periods:

1. Age 8 - My Auntie worked in the Lesney Matcbox factory in Hackney in the 60's and used to bring me home 'samples' every week. They were always cool-looking cars, so much more exciting then anything over here at the time. My favourite was a gold '60's Buick Rivera.

2. Age 13 - Visited family in Canada in 1970 and spent 3 weeks driving across the Rockies in my Uncles Plymouth Satelite Station wagon. Mettalic green with fake wood side panels, bench seat coloumn shift, 8 seats. I was in love!

3. Age 15 - Back to Canada and my Dad let me drive our rental car around the trailer park we were staying in. It was a brand new 1973 Plymouth Duster 'Twister'. It was my first time behind the wheel and I was in heaven.

4. Age 19 - Bought my first American car, a 1969 Ford Mustang 4-speed 390GT. That was it, I was hooked and never looked back.

5. Age 25 - Getting a ride in a 1970 Hemi Challenger convinced me that Mopars were the coolest cars on the planet.

[Blue]

I started out with British Fords for the first few years, They were just a means to an end until I had the money to get something American, that was my thing from a very early age. American TV shows and films played thier part in that for sure.
I had the '65 Ramchargers Polara bought as my first kit when I was 5, that 3 year old '67 Barracuda that used to regularly drive past the house, that new orange '71 Roadrunner I used to pass everyday on my way to school, seeing a '62 Dart for the first time and thinking what the hell is that? it was drip,drip drip...
Mopar advertising just summed it all up too, the scoops, the graphics, the whole image. So when I was 22 and I finally had the £350 quid in my pocket that it took to buy a half decent yank, there was a RHD Barracuda and a formula S 4 speed for sale locally, I swapped my Corsair for the 4 speed and that was it, I've owned Mopars pretty much continuosly ever since...

[MattH]

I started palying with cars at 14, with my Triumph Herald. Once old enough to drive I went places and saw lots of other types of old cars at race meets. One that stuck out was a 68 Camaro race car at Lydden Hill.

Loved the style, so I bought "The Great Book of Muscle Cars" at the NEC and once I turned the pages the Challenger just stood out above everything else for me style wise, with the 70 Roadrunner and wing cars close behind.

I also spent time in Australia in my early 20s so saw some great stuff over there too, which further confirmed my love of muscle cars (even with 4 doors), and especially the Falcon XB coupe. Watching the racing from Bathurst just made the muscle car even more special to me.

Once back from Australia I had to have something "muscle". I looked at a grotty 67 6 cylinder mustang notchback, and turned down an Aussie Ford Landau 351 as I could see the filler under the thick paint. I even went to look at something the vendor described as a Ford Plymouth. I think it was a Fury but at that time I knew nothing about the earlier pre 70 Mopars and it was a rotten mess under a tarpaulin.

Endless hours looking at ads in Street Machine, Custom Car and Classic American (this was pre-internet!) and the Mopars just looked right, so when a Mopar meet was advertised in Brighton (1993 I think) I went down there in my Triumph Herald and saw lots of lovely Mopar stuff, including Jay Gilmores 71 RT (before he owned it), one of the Kingston Cudas and John Marsh's 70 Vanishing Point clone. John took me for a spin round Brighton in this and mentioned he would have a Challenger for sale in a few months.

I looked at a few at Sunshine Classics in South Woodham Ferrers in Essex, including a stunning unrestored 71 RT in orange with Go Wing. These were all priced at about £4,500 to £5000
I drove one they had which was a 74 with a 440, priced at £3500 but still couldnt quite raise the funds.

I then went to see John's once it was on the road and bought it on the spot. I knew I was going to buy before I even saw it, purely because I knew I could afford it. £1500 back then!

I still have that car now, I have also got the Aussie Charger, which the styling took a while to grow on me, but it has now, and I felt some allegiance to Aussie Mopar because of the time I spent there.

So Mopar came to be my choice because of the look and style, which Chris sums up, they have it just right.
AMC are a close second mind you with their lairy Rebel Machines and the like.