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"My" Previous MoPars
(Back when they were plentiful and cheap!!)

One of my biggest regrets in life is not liking cameras, or picture taking in general, as a young man. I have almost no pictures of any of my cars. I hated cameras and hated getting my picture taken. Now that I'm much older I wish that I had seen the value of having a bunch of photos of my past cars. Who would have guessed that cars like these would never be around again, or at least nothing of any interest to me for the next 25 years or so. I loved my cars, but I guess when you are young, you figure that there is no need to "look back"... only to "look forward". Little did I know! Anyway... I filled in the blanks the best I could with other photographs.

(file photo) 1963 Dodge 330 (Aqua) 4dr. 225 "Slant"6 (1bbl) w/Push-button Auto AM radio, PS, & Heater
Great 1st car. Cost me $25.00 and it had a full tank of gas!! IT met it's maker by it running without oil (spun a rod bearing). I still drove it for 2 months, until it seized up completely. OK... not the smartest thing to do, but I was 16 years old and didn't know a thing about car maintenance!

(file photo of 64 Fury)  1964 Plymouth Belvedere (Dk. Blue) 2dr. 225 "Slant"6 (1bbl) w/3 speed "on the tree", AM, Heater
Good ol' car. Cost me $100.00 + tax. Not as good as the first one, but good. Met it's demise via a broken right rear leaf spring. Junked for scrap, cost more to replace the spring than the car was worth... but I drove it to the junkyard!

1967 Chrysler Newport Custom (Dk. Blue) 4dr. Sedan, 383 2bbl/Auto, A/C, PS, PDrum, Tilt/Telescope, PSeat, PAntenna, rear fender skirts, AM
Great car!! Cost me $695.00 + tax with "good" miles on it. Previous owner was a dwarf (that explained the Tilt/Telescope & Power Seat). I took good care of this car, kept it very clean, and was proud to drive it to high school (usually hauling all of my fellow "cruisers"). Sold it to my younger brother (to get my next car), he totaled it in a T-Bone/Roll Over accident shortly after.

(file photo of  duplicate)
1970 Plymouth Duster (Lime Light High Impact Color) 2dr 318 V8 2bbl Auto (Console), dual color keyed racing mirrors, Black Vinyl top, High-back Buckets, AM, PS, Factory Rally Wheels
Good looking car! Cost me $1150.00 + tax. My first car to "alter" a bit. At one time I had a 273 Formula "S" 4bbl intake and Carter AVS carb on it. Another time it had a new Holly 500 c.f.m. 2 bbl (on an adapter plate) on it. Added air shocks, dual exhaust, and other "goodies" like an AM FM Stereo out of a new Jeep. I Should have left it exactly the way it was when I bought it, but I didn't know any better back then. I ran the absolute hell out of it,  and got married with it. Sold it to the first guy that looked at it (without even driving it) for $700.00 to get my first Challenger (second car below).

(file photo) 1971 Dodge Charger "Topper" (Moss green) 2dr 318 2bbl Auto (Column shift), AC, PS, PDisk, Bench, AM-FM Stereo, Light Package
Very nice car. Can't remember how much it cost. About $1400.00 or so. I had this car while I had the above Duster. The "Wife" drove it most of the time, since it was the nicest of the two by age/miles (and because it didn't look as sporty as the Duster) The Ex-wife took it in the divorce, and totaled it (roll over) a month later

(file photo) 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T (Rallye Red w/ Black Vinyl Top and Bumble Bee Stripe on Trunk) 383 "Magnum" 4bbl "Slapstick" Auto (Console), Buckets, PS, PDrum, AM, Deluxe Cloth Houndstooth  interior, Ralleys, Scat Pack Package, Dual Chrome racing mirrors (left remote), Variable wipers, Light Package, Rear defog (blower)
My first REAL MoPar. Cost me $1350.00 I loved this car (and always will) Ran great!! I put many miles on this one with the "guys" cruising every night. Ran the living $#!? out of it... and it still ran good, every time. Pitman arm got weak, so it went through front tires every 5,000 miles or so. I sold it to a "Wholesaler" for $600.00 (with a blown transmission, it still ran great... but no second gear) to buy the next one... (below)

(file photo) 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T (Rallye Red w/ Black Vinyl Top and Bumble Bee Stripe on Trunk) 383 "Magnum" 4bbl "Pistol Grip" 4 speed (Console), Vinyl Buckets, Dual Chrome racing mirrors (left remote), PS, PDisk, AM/8track Stereo w/3 speaker dash and rear speakers, Crager S/X Wheels, Light Package
To this day, my favorite car of all times. It also cost me $1350.00. I drove my identical Challenger to the sellers home, and parked mine right next to his before "ringing" the door bell. He didn't know what to say, with two "twins" sitting it his driveway. I ran it 135 MPH in some S-Curves on River Road in Perrysburg, Ohio with my friend "Jerry"... he still talked about how scary it was for decades after (sadly, Jerry has since passed away). It beat my neighbor's 70 Pontiac Formula 400/4 speed twice (he didn't believe it the first time, so we ran it again). I ran it until it was fairly used up, then I sold it to a "kid", who made me leave the bank (in the middle of the transaction), to do a couple of "hole shots" with it (he wanted to make sure it RAN, since I  wouldn't let him drive it hard on the test drive). It found it months later in a gas station parking lot, front end smashed really bad... I found out later that it "met it's maker" when the "kid" hit a telephone pole with it.

(actual car in my driveway in 1976, photos by Gordon Shinn) 1972 Chrysler Imperial LeBaron 2dr Coupe (Sahara Beige/Tan leather BUCKETS w/armrest-buddy seat) 440 4bbl Auto, Dual PSeats, PS, A/C, PDisk, PAnt, PW, PDL, PTrunk, Tilt/Telescope, Rim Blow, Cruise, AM/FM Stereo, R. Defog (blower), Cornering Lamps, and so on...
To this day, the nicest 72 Imperial Coupe I've ever seen. Cost me about $2500.00 w/only 24K on it. It wasn't exactly what most other 20 year old guys were driving back then, so I got a few confused looks from people. The people who didn't look at me funny probably just thought I was driving my parents car. My friends didn't laugh though... we had great times in this car! After all, if you are going to go on a trip with your buddies and they all own Firebirds and Mustangs... it wasn't such a bad car to ride in all of the sudden. It took us all over the place in major comfort. I have yet to see another 2dr "bucket seat" car in this color combo (notice the high back bucket seat in the last shot of some "hippie" driving my car!). The seats automatically "unlocked" when the doors were opened to tilt forward if needed, and the passenger side seat would move forward (on power) when the seat back was tilted to let someone into the rear. The parking brake would release automatically if the car was put into gear. I ran it 85-90 MPH on cruise control (cruise won't set any higher than that) through 3 states going to Florida from Toledo (on my 2nd honeymoon) with about 12 other cars "in tow" all "CB" equipped, during the late 70's big "CB" craze. Great Cruiser, it ran ultra smooth!! It was involved in an accident  during a blizzard, with about 16 other cars on the I-475 to NB I-75 Ramp in Perrysburg, Ohio about 300 feet up. I traded it in (crunched up) for my payoff of about $500.00 on 1977 Dodge Van (second below). The dealer threw some used parts on it, and gave it a repaint in a different color... what a shame.  Note: "Brother Gordy's" brand new 1975 Dodge Colt Wagon on the left, in the first shot!!

(Photo of exact duplicate... by R. Shinn at the Mopar Nationals, Columbus Ohio)

1973 Dodge Charger SE Brougham 2dr (Triple Black) 440 4bbl (Console) "Slapstick" Auto/Console, Dual Exhaust w/bright tips, Buckets, AC, PS, PDisk, PW, Cruise, 5 Spoke Road Wheels, RWL tires, AM-FM stereo, Light Package
Beautiful car! Didn't' run as good as it could have, damn Carter Thermoquads were junk! By 1974 the 440 wasn't the same as it was (power wise) in the "good 'ol days" (the 400 4bbl. was rated at higher HP),  but it did OK. It really sucked gas... about 10MPG was the best it would do. I ran out of gas one time with the fuel gauge still showing "above empty", very untypical for a Chrysler product. The car always turned heads though... it was gorgeous! I sold it a year later for what I paid for it.

(Photo's by R. Shinn, and Jerry Snyder)  1977 Dodge B150 "Tradesman" Van (Dk. Green) 318 2bbl. Auto, High Back Captains w/dual armrests, chrome mirrors and bumpers, Factory Cruise, Factory style antenna (with an added in AM-FM-40ch/CB in dash & dual 48" white fiberglass "whip" antennas, high power graphic equalizer amp w/box speakers in rear and 6X9's in each front door), PS, PDisk, Gauge Package, R. Side Doors/Rear Doors window package.
I bought this with full intentions of customizing it, but never did. The only vehicle that I ever bought brand new with no miles on it. Cost me $4995.00 as a year end "left over" It had a problem starting when it was wet out, every now and then. I put a regular fuel tank neck on it (instead of the unleaded "smaller" neck) and put true dual exhaust on it. It never did have a catalytic converter on it, but it had the unleaded filler neck... strange! It got great gas mileage, I got 20 MPG on a few trips... not bad for a full size van with a V8. I towed it behind my F-350 tow truck many times, to use it as a "camper" when I worked at MIS. Not having A/C was a bummer in the summer though. It towed boats and a large heavy trailer with 4 snowmobiles on it with ease. Note: The first picture above is of me coming back from working at a NASCAR race at Michigan International Speedway... the van ran fine, I just couldn't drive both vehicles home. Shown in the second picture  is "Jerry's" 77 Cutlass 2 Dr w/ T-Tops. (I have no idea who the "drunk" is... next to my van!).   <LOL>    We were camping in the infield area at MIS. The third picture is of the "gang" ready for the 400 mile trip back home from upper Michigan towing the trailer with 4 snowmobiles and our gear, all tarped up for the rough weather ahead of us. )     

(Photo's by R. Shinn & Official IMS photo) 1971 Dodge "Challenger Indy Pace Car" Convertible (Hemi Orange) 318 2bbl. "Slapstick" Auto, A/C, White Leather Buckets, Console, PS, PDisk, PTop, Variable Wipers, AM-FM Stereo (factory style, added in), Rallye Wheels, Fast Fuel Cap, Light Package, Factory Hood Pins                                                       
The MoPar that  I owned the longest.  I'd still have it, if it wasn't for a night of  poor judgment, and rear ending another car. I bought it from a private owner (in his 60's, who bought it because it "looked nice"), in Terre Haute, Indiana for $3500.00. To this day I'm sure he never even knew it was an Indy Pace Car. Everybody wanted to talk about this one. I even had another Indy Pace Car (still "lettered") pull me off of the road one time, to talk... and see my car. I would park next to a couple of others at the MoPar Nationals when I would go. All I ever had to do to the car in the 8 years or so that I had it was to drop a 904 transmission in it the week I bought it (I knew it was weak when I looked at the car the first time). I sold it to a guy in Waynesville Ohio for $1500.00 (totaled). Man, would it be nice to buy it back for double or even triple what he gave me, now!  Picture #1 is my friend "Jerry" (after a long, hard night before) at the 1984 Indy 500. Picture #2 is of the ex-wife  at the Mopar Nationals when they were held in Indianapolis. Picture #3 is the official IMS photo of the 1971 Dodge Challenger Pace Car.

(file photo of an exact duplicate, sans the red interior)
1981 Chrysler Imperial Coupe (White/Gold cloth) 318 E.F.I. Auto, A/C, PW, PDL, PSeats (Dual), PTrunk, P Heated Mirrors, Rear Defroster, Digital Dash Display, Digital in-flight travel computer, Tilt, Cruise, Chrysler AM/FM/40chCB with rear speaker power amp. (factory), Aluminum Snowflake Wheels, Cornering Lamps and so on... Loaded!
This car also turned a lot of heads. Built on the Cordoba's platform. My girlfriend still wishes we had this one, because she loved to drive it (She has since had an 1983 Imperial).  These Imperials came with a "pick your poison" theory when it came to what most manufactures called options. The interior (leather -vs- cloth), wheels (wires -vs- aluminum) and radio (AM/FM/CST -vs- AM/FM/CB) selections were all made to the customers choice, but were not extra charge... or in the case of cloth interior, were not credited. The one and only true "option" available on this car was a sliding roof panel, which this car was not equipped with. Only about 7700 or so were built in 1981, very few with the cloth/CB/aluminum combination, so it was very rare indeed. The downfall to this Imperial (and MANY others of the same era) was the weak attempt to use throttle body electronic fuel injection on them. Mine got to the point were it would not run at all. The only "fix" according to Chrysler at the time was to buy a "retro fit" carburetion kit, for MAJOR BIG BUCKS!! The amount escapes me at the moment... but it was somewhere around $1900+. It had everything from a new intake and carb set up, fuel tank, and a new exhaust system with new catalytic converter. Pretty "hefty" price for a 110,000 mile car that only cost me $4500 to begin with (many years and miles earlier). If you see any of these on the road... I'd almost bet it has a carburetor conversion on it by now. My girlfriend's '83 was a 318 lean burn, from the factory... finally moving away from the doomed fuel injection unit. 1983 was the last year of this style of Imperial.

(file photo of duplicate) 1985 Chrysler Laser XT (Red/Black leather) 2.2L Turbo 5 Speed, Factory Sunroof, Factory Louvers, Factory Premium Graphic EQ Stereo w/6 speakers, Digital dash w/ in-flight computer system and message center with the "talker" voice warnings (even told you if your disk brake pads were low), PW, PDL, PSeat (with upper and lower lumbar support, via a pump bulb), Tilt, Cruise, 15" Aluminum Wheels, RWL tires, Rear Defroster.... As Loaded as they came!
I got this car when it was showing about 102,000 miles on it as a "second" car, from a dealership I worked for, for $1100.00 bucks. The transmission had a bad 5th gear in it (easy fix,  parts aren't easy to get... but an easy fix). It looked brand new. It was a one owner car, that had been rustproofed when new. Interior showed surprisingly little wear for the age and miles. A MoPar remanufactured turbo, a "very light" rebuild, and timing belt at 112,000 made it run real nice. I  sold it much later, running well at 158,000 miles for $1500.00

There have been plenty more, not as interesting though. Some listed below...
1965 Imperial 413 4bbl/auto... 1963 Chrysler Newport 361 2bbl/Push-button Auto... 1973 Dodge Dart Sport 340 4bbl/Auto (never titled)... 1988 Dodge Daytona 2.5/Auto, tilt, cruise, factory louvers, sunroof, Infinity stereo (Sun, Sound and Shade package)... 1975 Chrysler Imperial 2 DR 440 4bbl, leather loaded... 1981 Dodge St. Regis 318/Auto, loaded... 1993 Dodge Dynasty 3.0/4spd Auto, cloth, Loaded... 1993 Plymouth Duster 3.0 V6/5 speed tilt, cruise, tape, sunroof 15" wheels... 1994 Dodge Grand Caravan ES 3.8L/4spd Auto, leather quad buckets, Infinity CD,  loaded...

They always say, "Cars just aren't what they used to be"... but, in some ways that's good! I've loved every one of the cars listed above, and was very proud to own them. But nowadays we sometimes forget that we drive cars with Electronic Ignition... no Plugs, Points, and Condenser to replace every 10,000 Miles. Our tires last 50,000+ miles now... instead of 12,000 miles (IF you were very lucky). The "New" cars get 20-30-40+ MPG vs 6-10 MPG. Safety is much better now... Air Bags all over the place, ABS, Side Impact Standards, and the list goes on... So who can say which were "better"? I guess a case could be made either way.  But I do know one thing...

I sure do miss the old ones!

Original Copyright November 11,1997 R. Shinn Jr.
Last revised: March 12, 2008 10:41:44 AM -0500.