It's that time of the year again. Time for our double-throwdown, nitro-burning, expanded readers' rides issue. This is one opportunity for us to showcase your Mopars-real cars; not some magazine project car where money is no object. This is also a chance for us to show what the readers are really into. The standard musclecar platforms are as popular as ever, but we're happy to report we received some unusual submissions this year. If you read this section and feel that fill-in-the-blank Mopars are ill represented, then get off your backside, wash your car, take some decent photos, and send 'em in (along with a few brief but descriptive paragraphs). We can't show you something we don't have. You know how to get a hold of us. You can send your submissions via e-mail to mopar.muscle@primedia.com or via snail mail to Mopar Muscle, Pentastars, 3816 Industry Blvd., Lakeland, FL 33811. What are you waiting for?
Tri-Athlete
Who: Ed Roberts
Where: Mulvane, KS
What: '66 Dodge Charger
Fine Print: Ed Roberts built this bad-boy B-body for three reasons: 1) to show 2) to drive 3) to race. He's hit a home run in all three categories as he shows it regularly, drives it on the street when time permits, and runs consistent 10.60 e.t.'s. The purple '66 is packing 533 inches of upset Hemi squeezing 12.5:1 compression, a monster Comp roller cam, aluminum MP Hemi heads, Indy intake, and a 1,025-cfm Demon carb that's good for 800 hp at a leisurely 6,500 rpm. Forward motion is handled by a 727 trans and a 4.10-equipped Dana 60. Obviously, Ed has done his homework!
First Love
Who: Robert Bowers
Where: Canton, MI
What: '65 Barracuda
Fine Print: Many years ago, 16-year-old Robert had a '65 Barracuda with a four-speed much like the one you see here. Robert's dad saw fit to sell the Barracuda because he feared that Robert would get himself killed. His intentions were good, but Robert never forgot his first car. Fast forward 33 years and Robert comes across this Barracuda. It was being sold by a man who had intended to restore the Barracuda to its former glory. It had been found some years earlier rotting in a field in North Dakota. Like every true motorhead, he immediately saw the potential. To make a long story short-he brought it home, fixed it up, replaced the automatic with a four-speed at his wife's request (you married a winner, Robert), and gave it to his wife. The perfect ending.
Li'l Red, Times Two
Who: Percy and Marie Horn
Where: Sparrowbush, NY
What: '79 Dodge Li'l Red Express trucksFine Print: What is better than one Li'l Red Express truck? Two Li'l Red Express trucks. Percy acquired one of his '79 Li'l Reds when it was given to him by a friend. It had been involved in a wreck and had a '74 nose grafted on. The original 360 was gone; in its place was a 318 that Percy promptly went through, found the correct grill, and repainted it. We don't know when the Horns bought the other '79 Express, but Percy and Marie fully restored it in 1996. This is the truck they show frequently.
Strictly Street
Who: Vonn Sieber
Where: Monroe, GA
What: '67 Barracuda
Fine Print: It's no secret we like A-body Barracudas here at the Mopar Muscle offices, so we couldn't pass on this one. Vonn Sieber of Monroe, Georgia, built this '67 to make a statement on the street, and we believe the statement is loud and clear. Packing 446 ci of RB up front with an Ultradyne bump stick, forged slugs, steel crank, and oversized valves, the big-block gets its air/fuel mixture from a pair of 650-cfm Edelbrock carbs perched on an Edelbrock intake. All the eager horses are routed to the 4.10 Dana 60 via a 727 Torqueflite with a Winters converter. Purchased a number of years ago from a poor soul about to get married, it sat in Vonn's warehouse a number of years before good friend Bob Reid suggested they turn it into a Pro Streeter. The rest, as they say, is history.
One Of A Kind
Who: Bob Pasike
Where: Oxford, MI
What: '70 Dodge Challenger
Fine Print: Many light years ago, Bob Pasike of Oxford, Michigan, owned a '71 Challenger. That Chally is long gone, and Bob has regretted selling it ever since. When the opportunity presented itself to purchase this '70, Bob jumped on it. The B5 blue E-body is an original 440/four-speed combination (purportedly one of 916 built). Bob started out by researching the restoration process to help him expedite the process and make it go as smoothly as possible. After three grueling months of research, Bob was ready to get his hands dirty. An attempt to make the '03 Mopar Nationals never came to fruition, but Bob's trying for the '04 Nats. we hope to see him there.
Land Barge
Who: Ray Fiala
Where: Atlantic Beach, FL
What: '70 Plymouth Fury III
Fine Print: Ray Fiala's C-body is one sweet huge ride! Equipped with its original 318 two-barrel/904 combination, this Fury III has only 53,000 miles. Ray bought it for a grand back in 2003 and is only the third skipper, er owner, of this Iceberg Metallic behemoth. It may not be the fastest thing out there or the biggest, but it seats six comfortably and rides like a dream. What more could a person ask for?
The Last Of The B-Bodies
Who: Richard and Kathy Spotz
Where: Pahrump, NV
What: '78 Chrysler Cordoba
Fine Print: Many of us vividly remember Ricardo Montalban peddling the Chrysler Cordoba in the late '70s, extolling the virtues of rich Corinthian leather. But how many of us realize, despite the morbid era for automobiles and the questionable fashion of the time, these B-bodies were really nice cars. Richard and Kathy Spotz of Pahrump, Nevada, found this one-owner, 19,700-mile wonder on the internet. The original owner had passed away and his son had no use for it, so Richard and Kathy jumped on it. Fortunately, the Cordoba was stored in a climate controlled garage its entire existence, and the car appears the way it did when it left the showroom floor. It's loaded with the aforementioned leather seats and the all-important 360 four-barrel plant.
Road Racer With A Bed
Who: Mark Hamel
Where: Toledo, OH
What: '89 Dodge Dakota
Fine Print: We've seen Dakotas built to cruise, Dakotas built to haul parts and supplies, Dakotas built to drag race, but this is the first time we've seen one built for the road course! Mark bought this Dakota new back in 1989, and now has nearly 200,000 miles on it. Tired of the soggy V-6 performance, Mark dropped a .030-over 340 under the hood packing 10.5:1 forged pistons, a Comp Cam, a 650 Demon carb, an Edelbrock RPM Air Gap intake, a MP electronic ignition, and headers feeding into a custom-built dual exhaust. A 727 backs the potent small-block, feeding power back to a 911/44-inch 3.55 equipped differential. The suspension was upgraded with big sway bars front and rear, polyurethane bushings, and 16-inch Torq-Thrust II wheels shod with sticky Firestone rubber. Mark's Dakota has been spotted running the occasional SCCA Solo II Class race with success.
Tribute
Who: Patty Bailey
Where: Lady Lake, FL
What: '72 Dodge Demon
Fine Print: Ronald Paul Bailey purchased this '72 340 Demon new back in late 1971 in Cincinnati, Ohio. His daily driver until 1979, Paul parked the little A-Body with the intent of restoring it and eventually hitting the show circuit. He was unable to start the restoration until 1999, when he completely stripped the Dodge, performed the necessary body work, rebuilt the aging 340, and sadly passed away shortly thereafter. As a tribute to her husband Paul, Patty finished what he had started-completely restoring the Demon by 2003. The car has placed in numerous car shows, including a third place at the "Big Daddy" Don Garlits show on November 2, 2003. We feel that Patty has succeeded in preserving Paul's memory by fulfilling his dream.