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.
Alternative Muscle
Who: Arthur Targo
Where: Crooksville, OH
What: '77 Dodge Aspen RT
Fine Print: With the price of mainstream muscle Mopars becoming prohibitive for many of us, it's nice to know there are some cool alternatives. Arthur Targo from Crooksville, Ohio, has not one, but two of these fairly rare RT Super Pac Aspens. This particular one is packing its original 318/4-speed combination, but Art warmed the 318 up a bit with a .030-overbore and an MP 508/292 juice cam. Out back, the Aspen has an 831/44-inch rear with a 3.23 Sure Grip. Art informs us it will boil the tires at will, and we are inclined to believe him.
Rare Canadian Bird
Who: Ken Moffatt
Where: Richmond, BC, Canada
What: '71 Plymouth Road Runner
Fine Print: Sporting the rare orange-and-black bucket seats, Ken Moffat's numbers-matching, 383-powered, Tor-Red '71 Road Runner is a sight to behold. We can't confirm production numbers, but we've heard only 554 of these were built outside of the United States-making Ken's 'Runner a rare bird, indeed.
The Pride Of Puckelwartz
Who: Rich Puckelwartz
Where: Huntley, IL
What: '70 Dodge Coronet RT
Fine Print: Rich bought this Coronet RT from some cat in California in flawless condition inside and out with only 18,000 original miles. Equipped with the 335-horse 383, Rich's Scat Pack Dodge only required a wheel and tire swap to perfect it. And perfection it is. Driving around his hometown with a Mopar Muscle license plate is not too bad either.
Shelbyfied Dakota
Who: Dan DeGruttola
Where: Blairsville, PA
What: '89 Shelby Dakota
Fine Print: Many would like to credit Chevrolet for starting the new muscle truck movement with the introduction of the 454 SS pickup in 1990. The PentaStar faithful will tell you it started the year before with the Shelby-tweaked '89 Dakota. Shelby shoehorned a fuel-injected 318 where only a V-6 resided before. Though rated at a miserly 175 hp, it was enough to get the job done. Only 1,500 were built, and this one owned by Dan DeGruttola Sr. is number 825. Dan bought it new as a demo in 1990 and has piled on more than 100,000 miles. Dan's grandson, Vince, says it runs as well now as the day it rolled off the assembly line.
Three's Company
Who: Frank DeVeglio
Where: Elmont, NY
What: '64 Dodge 330, '68 Plymouth Valiant, '72 Plymouth Duster
Fine Print: That the DeVeglios like to race is evidenced by the fact they don't have one race car, nor two, but three. they are 440-powered and run in the 10s. The '64 was purchased by the senior DeVeglio from a friend needing to sell because of a divorce. This car was already painted in the Ancient Warrior motif that was then carried over to the Valiant and the Duster. It is important to note that all of the DeVeglios are true footbrake racers. You won't find any computer controls, throttle stops, or air shifters on any of their Mopars.
Hostile Territory
Who: Earl Rosenberg
Where: North Platte, NE
What: '70 Plymouth Barracuda
Fine Print: Earl reports to us that where he lives Mopars are the minority, and Nebraska is hostile territory for the Mopar faithful. Having owned his Barracuda for 18 years, Earl has slowly created the beauty you see here with an eye towards performance. Though packing a 318, Earl has bolstered its performance with a 340 cam, Holley carburetor, Offy intake manifold, backed up by a B&M 727 trans feeding the 3.91 geared 831/44-inch rearend. Brand X drivers beware, Earl's on the prowl.
Diamond In The Rough
Who: Mike and Brenda Potts
Where: Norfolk, NE
What: '66 Plymouth Belvedere
Fine Print: Mike drove by this '66 in the salvage yard a number of times before he conceded defeat, broke down, and bought it. The floor pans were rusted out, the engine was toast, but the car was complete with all glass and trim intact. A mere year and a half later, the Plymouth was up and running. Mike did all the bodywork, but hired the painting out, as well as the interior redo. A '96 360 Magnum was chosen for motivation, but Mike replaced the fuel injection with a carburetor.
No Arguments
Who: Bill Barthel
Where: East Haven, CT
What: '65 Dodge Coronet 500
Fine Print: Bill reports that his Coronet was actually owned by an old lady before he got his mitts on it, but that's a good thing. it was only sporting 50,000 miles on the odometer-50,000 careful miles. Bill performed most of the restification you see here, except for the paint, rechrome, and powder coating, and a fine job he did. Not satisfied with the stock mill, Bill stuffed a .030-over 440 between its front fenders packing forged slugs, and an Edelbrock cam, Edelbrock heads and intake, and a Demon carb. The Dodge turns heads wherever it goes, lays down nearly 350 hp at the wheels, and runs in the mid-12s at 109 mph. How can anyone argue with that?
Right Of Passage
Who: Russ Ackerknecht
Where: New York
What: '80 Plymouth Volare
Fine Print: Russ felt we would have little interest in featuring a slant-six-powered Volare in these pages. he couldn't be more wrong. Many of the Mopar faithful have memories and stories about the slant-six-powered, fill-in-the-blank cars that no matter how hard they tried, they just couldn't kill. The "leaning tower of power" is almost a right of passage. The Black Walnut Metallic beauty was purchased by Russ nearly 15 years ago, features almost all original equipment, and has never failed him. If you want reliable transportation, look no further than any Mopar powered by a slant six.
A .44 Magnum
Who: Tony Melton
Where: Etowah, TN
What: '79 Dodge Magnum XE
Fine Print: Dodge's Magnum XE was a last-ditch attempt at building something cool with style. In retrospect, they succeeded. This fine example was purchased four years ago by Tony, and is equipped with T-tops and the requisite 360-inch small-block. Tony is the car's third owner, and he reports that it's "very quick for a big car."
Early Christmas Present
Who: Mike Foshee
Where: New Holstein, WI
What: '69 Plymouth Barracuda Formula S
Fine Print: Mike Foshee's son Aaron sent us this submission on the sly hoping to surprise his Dad. An early Christmas present, if you will. All we really know about the Barracuda is that it is B5 blue, and it's packing a 340/four-speed and sporting a bench seat. Merry Christmas, Mike. Hey Mike, what are you getting Aaron for Christmas? We think he's keen on a certain blue A-Body
Dusted
Who: Bruce Elswick
Where: Lewisburg, WV
What: '70 Plymouth Duster
Fine Print: Bruce's Duster-like many before it-came equipped with a slant six between its front fenders. but like many gearheads out there, he desired a bigger kick in the pants. So he put together a 360 with a pump-gas-friendly 9.6:1 compression; perched a pair of ported, big-valve J heads on top of the short-block; topped it off with an Edelbrock Torker intake and 750 AFB; and wired it up with a complete MSD ignition. A Torqueflite with TCI converter channels the power to a 4.30-geared 831/44. Weld Draglites hold the Duster up at all four corners.
The Big Kahuna
Who: Dave "Big Kahuna" Schultz
Where: Richmond, TX
What: '81 Chrysler Imperial
Fine Print: It's only befitting the administrator of www.MoparStyle.net has a truly stellar ride in this '81 Imperial. Purchased by his brother from the original owner, Dave took it off his brother's hands in the mid-'80s. He drove it until 1989, when one day upon starting the stock 318 mill, he heard the clatter and saw that there was no oil pressure-the perfect motivation and/or excuse to make the Imperial into the ultimate ride. He replaced the wounded '18 with a hotted-up 360 pumping out 390 hp, swapped trannies for a Cope Racing 904 trans, stuffed a B&M converter in it, and then swapped the original diff for an 831/44-inch 3.55-geared unit out of a '68 Charger. A set of 17-inch Centerline wheels shod with BFGoodrich rubber hold up all four corners. The brand-X paint looks good, so we won't give him any grief over the origin. To see more of Dave's cars and to check out a great web site, simply log onto www.MoparStyle.net.