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What's you/your famlies Mopar history?

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bikinkawboy

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After Studebaker stopped making cars, dad bought a 1 year old '63 Chrysler Newport with the 361V8. Push button shifting on the automatic tranny and for fan-heater controls. A real runner.

After the TV show "Emergency" came on with the new Dodges, dad bought a new '73 1/2 ton Adventurer with automatic and 318. The following year he bought a new '74 D300 with 4 speed and 318 I still have.

In '76 he bought a '74 Chrysler Newport with 400V8. I bought my '77 D150 in '78 and mom and dad bought a new '79 Plymouth Horizon TC3 with the 1.7L VW engine, which dad loved. In the 55 mph era they would get 34-36 mpg going to and from Florida. Somewhere in there was an '80 Chrysler LaBaron with the 225ci.

I bought a well used '76 Caravan with the 2.6L Mitsubishi, which got rear ended at 200,000 miles. Underpowered and mpg wasn't really that great. Then bought another well used '90 Grand Caravan with the 3.3L V6, which at 276,000 miles my 16 year old son finally killed. Rod knock and tranny problem after he ran the tar out of it. I bought a '02 Caravan in '08 which I still drive and my mom bought a '08 Dakota 4 door 4.7L in 2010. A very fast truck that gets great gas mileage.

Son #2 started out with his grandpa's very tired '85 Chrysler Laser front wheel drive I helped him fix up. There have been a couple of Fords and Chevies in there. I got really good service out of a couple of Tempo-Topaz, but Chrysler (and Stude) products are still my favorites. I didn't realize how many cars we've had until I started listing them. Oh, have two old combines that have 225 and 318 industrial engines.
 
Early 1930's my Grandfather bought the first Dodge
My Father exited the USN after WWII & began hauling Mopar cars & trucks for a living
In the late 40's my Father became a satellite dealer for Chrysler selling mostly Dodge trucks
In the fall of 1955 my father orders a 1956 Burgundy/Black/White Coronet December 24, 1955 he picks it up at the factory (I have a picture of it on his truck inside the plant where it was built)
My parents brought me home from the hospital in it & I still own it
I can elaborate on my Uncle & cousins as well as my bro's but I think you can understand the reason for my signature

A lot of firsts in my life happened in a Mopar
In the 70's- early 80's we dirt tracked a two car Mopar team along with street racing a couple cars too
 
It's really cool that you have the car you were brought home in. Do you have kids or grandkids and have you given any of them rides? I ask because as kids get older, they start to appreciate the continuity between generations. My youngest daughter is in college now, but I have them come home and help decorate the Christmas tree. I have ornaments that belonged to my grandparents 75-80 years ago, meaning my kids are the 4th generation to hang them. Some of them are pretty ratty looking, but that doesn't matter. The ornaments are ratty looking, not the kids.
 
The 56' sits in the woods back home by the hunting cabin there

My mother decided that after I was born she didn't want to drive it so my dad got her a 64' Valiant
In the late summer of 1967 I was in my first of a few car accidents in a Mopar After that was a loaded out 66' Fury III & the list goes on
 
My dad was the service manager and later became parts manager at the local Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge dealer and that is all we ever had growing up.. Back in those days the dealer would let him have a demonstrator vehicle. Anything he wanted.. In the summertime he would always get a van for our vacations and during the winter he would always get a Ramcharger/Trailduster for the duck hunting trips we would make.. They where perfect for our use as we would let the tailgate down and slide a small johnboat in the back and leave the upper hatch closed.. Looking back I cant believe we would have a brand new rig out in the woods putting it through the mud and getting brush scratches on it... Great memories... My mom had a 72 Monaco 440 with a gator grain top and later I remember her having a Fury until the K-Car came out, and ended up with a Voyager minivan until she died in 90...Me, my dad (retired), and brother still have Mopar running deep in our blood but my sister married into a diehard Ford family and has been ruined ever since.

P.S. Forgot to add the Club Cab... At some point they did away with the "demo" program (can't imagine why) and my dad bought a 79 Club Cab that we drove the wheels off of.. We used it to pull the 1977 Coachman bunkhouse travel trailer. It was an awesome rig that I have great memories about.. Ended up selling it and we would see it occasionally around town still chugging along.. My brother found it last year in a salvage yard waiting to be crushed.. It almost makes my eyes leak thinking about that...
 
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I own a Abody ( Dodge Dart Swinger 70' ) in 2000 , Mopar is different .... Mopar is good and not good but wen you enter in the Mopar mafia is for the life and actualy after send my A body i buy a D150 short bed .

For me i fink the choise is at the start , wen you start in the oldcar you do a choise , Chevy Fomoco or Mopar and the first car is identical at a tatoo ..... you never forget your first car , you never forget your first sensation and for me is Mopar .
 
Well Said Tof. I think you nailed it. I think most people get bit and an early age and never lose the first true love when it comes to makes and models. I've been a dyed in the wool Mopar nut or lover since before I could drive. My Dad had B bodies and C bodies as I grew up and I always loved them so I bought 2 RR's actually when I turned 16. Both 4 speeds.
 
My parents have had nothing but Mopars, which is really strange since my grand father was a huge Buick guy. My father has had.....everything was bought new....1964 Dodge Custom 880, 1968 Dodge A108, 1982 Dodge 400, 1994 Chrysler LXi, 1986 Dodge Ram van, 2003 Chrysler Concord.

I have tried to stay loyal, but have strayed a few times the 64 880, a 65 Dodge Custom 880, 78 Chrysler Lebaron, 67 Plymouth Satellite, 69 Dodge SuperBee, 1968 Dodge Coronet 440, 1970 Plymouth Duster, 1973 Plymouth Duster, 1985 Dodge Ram Charger, 1976 Dodge D300, there may have been a Ford in there somewhere too
 
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