What was it like before the internet ???

[Jon Connolly]

We all take the internet for granted ... instant access to worldwide Mopar contacts, info at the drop of a hat, spares within a week etc


Let`s hear some of those pre-internet stories of trying to track down cars, writing to owners, buying cars based on a couple of Polaroids sent in the post. Waiting for the Exchange and Mart or driving miles and miles only to find you had been given a duff lead.

And what about the prices paid and you sold for ??


How did you get your spares ?????

[db]

I had dozens of phone numbers- Most i'd learned off by heart!
It was incredibly time consuming but a lot more sociable.

[Dave-R]

Bought my Oz Charger from an ad in the paper.

Managed to get a few parts for it by driving down to Rodley Motors in Bradford for the day and taking bits with me to see if they could find anything to match on the shelf as they had no reference for Oz cars.

My brother spotted one near where he lived down south and managed to buy the workshop manual for me when the guy sold the car.

A few phone numbers written in that manual got me a few contacts which eventually lead to the formation of the Charger club. I never met any of the other members or saw their cars but I got a B&W photocopy club magazine now and again.

No Charger specific spares anywhere local and no way of finding any. So I had to make or repair anything that failed or rotted. A welding night class course came in very handy.

I did meet other Yank owners at times. Usually via word of mouth. But otherwise I was more of less on my own up here. Or so I thought.

[Dave-R]

Bought the Challenger via an ad in one of the magazines advertising Chargers brought into the UK restored and ready to go.

I phoned the guy to ask if he had seen any 1970 440 R/T Challenger for sale in the US. He had already spotted a blue one that had some front end damage. This was the Challenger he imported for me after having it "restored" and painted the colour I wanted.

It needed a lot of stuff though. All the trim was missing.

I read about "Year One" in the Yank magazines. I phoned them and asked for a catalog. There were no photos in the catalog in those days (1989). So I used to run up huge telephone bills talking to the sales guys at Year One. But they were great.

I only really met other Mopar owners when i attended the very first Mopar Nats after seeing it advertised somewhere. About 5 or 6 months later I was invited to join the new club for Mopar owners called the Mopar Muscle Association GB.

Five years later I created the very first online resource for Dodge Challenger owners. I wrote all the HTML codes to create the web pages with "Notepad" using codes from an information sheet the computer users at work had produced for computing students. There was no web page creating software in those days. But once online I found there were hundreds of Mopar owners out there in the world.

[GTXJim]

Used to get Exchange & Mart and South London Trader religiously every Thursday morning, bought my GTX by word and mouth in 1987, was pretty lucky used Gary's Shack for most of my spares, Then Speed and spares America now American Autoparts, Years ago I borrowed a PAW catalog and started buying stuff directly from the states now I generally use Summit or Jegs. The Internet is truly fantastic, I would never have restored the GTX and wouldn't have bought the Belvedere, and Ive heard a rumor that you can see pictures of ladies with no clothes on

[Kev]

Excellent idea for a thread, looking forward to the stories. Even in the internet times I'd have to phone Oz for parts, met the blokes I've ordered off as well.....Spooky! As for smut, working in Telephone Exchanges in Soho I had access to the best videos, then DVDs, and printed matter.....How do the shops stay alive now that it's all online and free (if you like a 30 second burst )

[Adam]

I also used to get the Exchange & Mart religiously every Thursday, and embarked on several wild goose chases for mis-described cars, e.g. a "Hemi" Cuda that turned out to be a 318. Or a 440 powered 68 Coronet that turned out to be a 66 Coronet 440 (model) with a 361. It's easy to forget that you couldn't ask for photos by email then - you had to get all the info you could over the phone (although I remember Alex Doig sending me a whole reel of photos when I was interested in buying his green Roadrunner, bless him).

My best find was the "1974 Ford Mustang" advertised in the local paper in 1982 that turned out to be an unmolested 1966 coupe with an A code 289, T-10 box, and being a European export model it had disc brakes, quick steering, upgraded suspension, LSD etc. Nice condition too. The seller, a retired gentleman, was the 2nd owner and had brought it with him from Switzerland in 1974. He thought it would be easier to sell if he advertised it as an M plate car! Needless to say, I bought it (for £700).

Before email and .coms, my address book was full of tel nos of UK parts places advertised in the mags. I used to get most of my parts from Tony Dickson, American Autoparts, JWR and Speed'n'Spares. Getting parts from the States was an expensive business, because you had to phone them. I wasted a lot of time and money trying to track down a good rear quarter for my Satellite to no avail (no repro panels then).

Socially, I used to hang out with some local hoodlums in the late 70's and early 80's who used to race along the seafront in their Pops and V8 Vauxhall Crestas etc. I was only really aware of the wider UK scene through Custom Car and Hot Car mags. I rarely buy any mags these days - it's all on-line.

I bought my 68 Satellite in 1983 (for £300!) from Steve Gorringe, who was running the original MMA at the time, and attended the first Mopar runs to Brighton. I met most of my Mopar friends at RWYBs at the Pod in the 80's, and at the Chelsea Cruise, but apart from occasional phone calls, we didn't keep in touch between events like we do now via email, Facebook etc. The only general communication was via club magazines.

I think one of the best things about the Internet is the support that's available via forums like this. Anything that makes it easier to keep our cars on the road has got to be a good thing.

[MattH]

The adverts page of the MMA mag was a must read before the internet became what it is. I used to relish going through the photocopied pages and look at what was for sale. Pictures were a luxury back then as well.

I probably spent alot more time in WHSmith pre-internet as well, flicking through the ads pages of Custom Car, Street Machine and Classic American.

I remember going to see a 67 Mustang fast back for sale, lineage ad only, no pics and it was awful, but you had to do that. Pics alone would steer you away now, no amount of photoshop would have fixed that one, but you had to go with the sellers description and little else.

It doesnt really seem that long ago, my car was found by word of mouth, not a google search whilst having a coffee.

It makes me feel old getting nostalgic about the mid 1990's

[Cannonball]

yep exchange and mart then the luxury auto trader
i bought so many cars of description meeting at services etc good old days, now i get people wantin pics of this that and the other pain in the ass get in yer car come have a look,
i would love to see the american section randomly say 75 through to about 94 from exchange and mart would make you dribble

[Jon Connolly]

Just found an old American Car World ... will scan bits and post it

1970 4 speed Challenger ... £4000
1974 ? Amx / Javelin .... £ 2500 ish
1968 Camaro ... £2500
1970 383 se Charger looked expensive at £8000
1966 Barracuda ... £2500
19?? 442 convertible ... £8000



Just got to build me one of those time machine things

Loads and loads of dealers and clubs that aren`t around now

[Jon Connolly]

Another source of stuff was the Yank airbases around here

Like this GMC wrecker truck which came from AAFES. I also know of people back in the day that got cars given to them cos the owner`s had redeployed and not bothered shipping out their car.

There was also a removal company in Brandon Suffolk who used to auction stuff off for little money.

[Ivor]

There used to be auctions at Ruislip airbase too all sorts used come up, my 1964 Chevrolet Impala set me back 25 quid, complete with a CB radio that I had no idea what to do with, but found went very quiet when I chopped four foot of the nine foot whip aerial.

Waiting outside the newsagent to get first crack at exchange and mart and the only way to track down cars and parts was to get yourself along to the various cruises including Chelsea of course and Harrow, where it would be off to Northolt for a spot of racing.

You could even smoke fags and eat fry ups without killing yourself in those days, if I remember correctly...happy days...

[latil]

I used to get E&M regularly,but found my muzzy when out for a walk in town one night.Asked about found the owner who sold it to me because he hadn't checked insurance costs first.
Certainly then (early 80's) it didn't matter what age or make yank you had,if out on the road and you were spotted by another owner/car,there would soon be a pull up in the next layby for a chin wag.
Spares were usually found at Rodley motors,who in those days had everything in stock or would get it in quick. They're not much good nowadays though.
Other cars I had were found by mates who drove in different areas to me and spotted stuff for sale or bought from other yank owning friends.

[Jon Connolly]

Nice old Charger

[Jon Connolly]

Got more but they don`t scan too well