I just read an article on Hemmings that really struck a
chord. It was about a man who had just sold his old Dart. He’d had it for a
decade and had never really liked it, never built it the way he wanted, and
never even trusted the blamed thing. But he liked it.
He went on to explain that, although he happened to own the
Dart and a Chrysler minivan, he wasn’t a Mopar freak. His friends insisted he
was, but they were wrong.
Article here: Sold the Dart
I am much the same. Yes, I’m more of a Mopar guy than the
author of that wonderfully written blog post, but I do not enjoy the
limitations of exclusivity. If I were ever in the market for a new (to me) car,
be it old or new, I don’t only want to consider a Pentastar simply
because I’m touted a ‘Mopar guy’.
I cut my teeth on VW Beetles and owned quite a few in my
younger years, including a VW-powered dune buggy that provided many, many
weekends of pure fun. My first car ever was a yellow 1973 Beetle with a 1600.
I’ll never forget that car and it rarely let me down. I have also owned a ’66
Baja Beetle, the Chenowth buggy previously mentioned, and worked on my sister’s
Bugs when she became old enough to drive.
But we can go back even further. As a kid, I adored two
cars: VW Beetles and early ‘70s Novas. I was all about Chevy. My uncle and
cousin, both of whom I adored, were tried-and-true Chevy guys. Therefore, that
was the only brand for me, thanks. In the end, I went with the Beetle, mostly
because I had heard they were so easy to work on.
I have also held title to a wide range of other cars,
including a ’76 Impala that was a hell of a cruiser, a ’67 Ford Fairlane 500
with a big block, my father’s old ’76 three-quarter ton four-wheel drive Chevy
Camper Special (my first foray into the four-wheel world), a built-to-the-hilt
’88 Jeep Cherokee, a Ford Taurus (my daily driver to this day), an ’86 Crown
Vic station wagon (damn, that thing rode nice!), and the car that sold me
completely on Mopar, a ’68 Plymouth Sport Fury —— a ride I purchased at 19
years old and still own today. I will always own that car. Always.
I have also had a few bikes in my stable. My introduction
into the two-wheeled world was an ’80 Yamaha 400 Special, if you don't count
the 50cc scooter that took me to college for a year. It was no speed demon, but
it was reliable as all get out. My next bike was ’78 Honda CB 750 Four. That
thing was wicked quick and completely falling apart, which made for some really
good times. Currently, I own an ’83 Yamaha 750 Bobber project, an ’83 Yamaha
parts bike, and a big, bad old Honda Magna 750 project bike. Most things on
wheels remain projects for a long, long time in my stable.
Anyhow, the point is that while I’m admittedly a Mopar
lover, I’ll give just about anything a chance. At some point, I also plan on
owning and driving an old Jeep full-size Wagoneer (pre-1976 to avoid CA smog
crud), a late-sixties Plymouth Satellite, and a diesel tow rig pickup —— only
Ford or Mopar on that guy. I don't have much interest in newer Chevy trucks.
What I’d really like is a first-gen Dodge, but would take a big, bad older Ford
in a heartbeat.
I’m a car guy. I’m a bike guy. I’m an off-road lover and a
cruiser. Now, if I could only strike it rich, I could really get somewhere.
Until next time.
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