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From Tennessee To Texas, The 2004 Hot Rod Power Tour Is...A Traveling Cruise Night From the January, 2004 issue of Mopar Muscle
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For us, the Power Tour started... For us, the Power Tour started when we met a group from Lokar Performance Products in Knoxville along with (A) Ryan Hodges of Knoxville, Tennessee, and his 383-powered '68 Newport; (B) Burke Pendleton and his '70 Dodge Challenger, also from Knoxville; and (C) Ed and Becky Bohrer in their '33 Plymouth rumble-seat Cabriolet powered by a 340 Six-Pack. This year, the annual Power Tour kicked off its festivities on May 30 at the Grand Ole Opryland Hotel in Nashville, and ended on June 6 in Ft. Worth, Texas. With the help of Steve Strope of Pure Vision Designs in Simi Valley, California, and Pat Staton of Year One Restoration Parts in Braselton, Georgia, we decided to pick what we thought was the "Coolest Mopar" at each stop. Each of those cars is featured elsewhere in this issue, so we thought we would try to give the rest of the Mopar owners coverage as well. Sorry we couldn't put everyone's picture in, but here are some cool happenings at the Power Tour-Mopar happenings that is. We could spin yarns about the Power Tour and the cars we saw, but we'll just shut up and show you the pictures. So, here ya go.  No, we did not turn here!...  No, we did not turn here! We're not sure about the Hot Rod magazine guys, though.  For us, the Power Tour started...  For us, the Power Tour started when we met a group from Lokar Performance Products in Knoxville along with (A) Ryan Hodges of Knoxville, Tennessee, and his 383-powered '68 Newport; (B) Burke Pendleton and his '70 Dodge Challenger, also from Knoxville; and (C) Ed and Becky Bohrer in their '33 Plymouth rumble-seat Cabriolet powered by a 340 Six-Pack.  For us, the Power Tour started...  For us, the Power Tour started when we met a group from Lokar Performance Products in Knoxville along with (A) Ryan Hodges of Knoxville, Tennessee, and his 383-powered '68 Newport; (B) Burke Pendleton and his '70 Dodge Challenger, also from Knoxville; and (C) Ed and Becky Bohrer in their '33 Plymouth rumble-seat Cabriolet powered by a 340 Six-Pack.  We left Jackson, Mississippi,...  We left Jackson, Mississippi, and headed for New Orleans. OK kids, don't try this at home.  The second stop of the tour...  The second stop of the tour found us in Memphis. After being unable to secure Mopar-only parking in Nashville, we did have some in Memphis.  Was it warm in Jackson? You...  Was it warm in Jackson? You bet! But the cool Mopars made it worthwhile. We had over 60 Mopars at this stop.  From Memphis, it was on to...  From Memphis, it was on to Jackson, Mississippi. This long-hauler Dart featured a whole lotta Hemi power and A/C. In the southern heat, it was definitely a "cool" Mopar.  This was one tricked-out Dakota....  This was one tricked-out Dakota. The fairgrounds in New Orleans were filled to capacity. We were given an area big enough for 50 cars and filled it in short order. For those of you that were there, you know driving in the Big Easy is not easy at all. We even spoke to one gentleman who traveled down a one-way road that turned into a dead end.  Last year, Romeo Furio drove...  Last year, Romeo Furio drove his Dust 'Ya Duster on the Power Tour. This year, he made it a little simpler. His seasoned looking '65 Belvedere this year features a low-deck stroker, a Keisler five-speed tranny, and an 8 31/44 rear. He drove from Nevada to Nashville to be a Long Hauler. Long Haulers:
So, you want to know how many Mopars made the trek from start to finish? Here they are. | Driver | Passenger | From | Car | | Shawn Worthy | Frank Stratton | Ft. Worth, TX | '74 Scamp | | David Zachritz | Davine Wade | St. Peters, MO | '66 Charger | | Matt Roeger | Ryan Lahna | Coshurton, OH | '73 Dart | | John Patrick III | Jamie Sevoc | Tallmadge, OH | '70 Charger | | Michael Motley | | Corydon, IN | '69 Dart | | Patricia Guynn | Robert Lindsey | Lebanon, TN | '01 Durango | | Romeo Furio | Lynn Wallenmeyer | Boulder City, NV | '65 Belvedere | | Chris Woods | Cara Woods | Rochelle, IL | '69 RR | | Gabriel Felix | | Fontana, CA | '66 Satellite | | Shannon Sums | | Simi Valley, CA | '66 Satellite | | John Breeden | Carrie Breeden | Hagerstown, MD | '32 Plymouth | | Michael Ferguson | Steve Ferguson | West Chicago, IL | '01 PT Cruiser | | Bill Maye | Sherry Maye | Sachsa, TX | '01 PT Cruiser | | Robert Davis | Gina Davis | Shreveport, LA | '73 'Cuda | | Richard Burger | Brian Burger | Vineland, NJ | '74 Gremlin | | Matthew Delane | Jarrel Lamkey | Shreveport, LA | '72 Satellite | | Jim Sams | Barbara Sams | Oakhurst, OK | '97 Dakota | | Rolando Rudy | SalinasBernie Valdez | Harlingen, TX | '02 Ram |
 Our fourth stop saw us hit...  Our fourth stop saw us hit Lake Charles, Louisiana, and after being on the road, living on beer and pretzels, we felt the same way as this guy.  On to Shreveport. Although...  On to Shreveport. Although this Belvedere was not quite finished, the owner is definitely headed in the right direction.  The last stop: Fort Worth,...  The last stop: Fort Worth, Texas. It's been a long trip, but worth every bit of the sunburn and work. This colorful road warrior made the trek from Texas to Nashville, and back to Texas. That's an enthusiastic enthusiast.  What was on the line for the...  What was on the line for the Mopar crowd? For starters, Steve Strope had these really cool awards made up for one recipient at each of the stops. Year One gave out a gift certificate to each winner, and we gave a one-year subscription to Mopar Muscle, a really cool Mopar Muscle polo shirt, and each of the Coolest Mopars is featured in this issue. Was the time on the Power Tour worth it? Just ask each of the Coolest Mopar owners.
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