Print This Issue! - Mopar Max Magazine
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Print This Issue! - Mopar Max Magazine
Vol umeV I ssue1-January 201 0 Ac l o s el o o ka t a1 9 5 9S a r a t o g a AB e ef r o m t h eH i v e Mo p a rMa xg o e sD o wnU n d e r : Mo p a r sa tt h eS u mme r n a t s ADVERTISEMENT Click NEXT PAGE to skip ad MoparMax.com Volume V, Issue 2 February 2, 2010 TASCA, BURK TO BE GUESTS ON THE RACE REPORTERS Bob Tasca III, who won his first two career NHRA Funny Car events last season, will be the Newsmaker of the Week on The Race Reporters radio show, Wednesday, February 3, at 7 p.m. ET, on www.PowerUpChannel.com . Tasca drove his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang to eighth in the 2009 Full Throttle points. His family has a long heritage in the automotive and racing industries. In fact, Tasca’s late grandfather is credited as one of the first to adopt the “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday” philosophy of using motorsports as a promotional and marketing vehicle. Tasca is considered a contender for the class championship as the NHRA season opens February 14 with the 50th anniversary Winternationals in Pomona, Calif. Host Michael Knight will be joined for the journalists’ roundtable by Jim Pedley, managing editor of RacinToday.com; and Jeff Burk, editor of DragRacingOnline.com, MaxChevy.com and MoparMax.com. NASCAR.com senior writer Dave ADVERTISEMENT Rodman will join Knight in the last segment to preview the start of stock car action at Daytona International Speedway. [2/2/2010] OLD CHRYSLER LIQUIDATION MOVES FORWARD A federal bankruptcy judge approved the voting process for the former Chrysler LLC to liquidate its assets. On Jan. 21 in New York, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Arthur Gonzalez approved the 343-page disclosure statement filed by Chrysler LLC (also known as Old Carco LLC). The company’s debtors will vote on whether to approve the plan and the judge set a hearing date of March 16 to confirm the bankruptcy plan. Chrysler LLC still faces objections from Michigan taxing authorities and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. The MDEQ says Old Carco must pay $2.8 million for environmental clean-up costs, including $116,00 already spent by the state at several facilities. Old Carco has sold several properties to raise funds including a foundry in Indianapolis and 71 robots from the Newark, Del., assembly plant. The largest transaction was the sale of the Newark plant on 271 acres to the University of Delaware for $24.2 million. Chrysler Group LLC has agreed to buy 5,000 company cars from Chrysler LLC for $91.2 million. [2/2/2010] Mopar Memos - MoparMax.com Volume V, Issue 2 February 2, 2010 CRUZ PEDREGON, BUCKY AUSTIN TO RUN NOSTALGIA FUNNY CAR Two-time NHRA Funny Car champion Cruz Pedregon and 10-time NHRA Division 6 champion Bucky Austin have teamed to campaign Pedregon's Pisano Nostalgia Funny Car during the 2010 Hot Rod Heritage Series season. Beginning with the 52nd Bakersfield March Meet at Auto Club Raceway Famoso, Pedregon will drive this replica of the Joe Pisano 1978 Plymouth Arrow Funny Car that debuted at here last October at the California Hot Rod Reunion. "Bucky's going to run it and tune it, and I'm going to drive it," Pedregon said, anticipating the March 57 kickoff of the Hot Rod Heritage Series season. "I built that car to race it," he said. "It would be a shame for it to sit and collect dust. I'm a big fan of vintage Funny Cars." Of the nostalgia tour's five races that feature the Funny Car class, the historic March Meet is the one that Pedregon said he's most eager to attend. The Funny Car lineup will have 32 cars, four times more than at last year's California Hot Rod Reunion, when Pedregon qualified seventh among 31 entries. Cruz Pedregon (left) and Danny Pisano with the car at last October’s California Hot rod Reunion. (James Drew photo) Auto Club Famoso Raceway is where Pedregon earned his competition license and was a track where he recalls watching his father, "Flamin' Frank" Pedregon, compete in the 1960s. He said that in a return to the facility about six years ago he "saw a couple of Funny Cars run and [with] the sound and look . . . the hair on my arms was standing up -- and I had to build one." So he did in 2009, with the blessing of Joe Pisano's brother, Frank, and the expertise of builder and drag-racing veteran Donnie Couch. "We finished the car the night before [qualifying for the race]," he said with a laugh. "We'll come back in a more polished fashion." Indy Racing League names Randy Bernard new CEO Austin contacted Pedregon during the winter and asked if he would like to run the vibrant, '70s-style Plymouth that Pedregon had designed as a salute to the late Pisano, who was one of his mentors. New Stefan GP team to replace Campos Meta F1? "I wanted to continue to race in a nostalgia class. It infatuated me, the nitro," Austin said. "Driving's not a big priority. I'm infatuated with making 'em run. I wanted to be with someone who has a good car and good parts. I knew Cruz had one, and I knew he is really, really busy with his pro stuff." Lewis Hamilton happy after first McLaren test of… Click for more AutoWeek stories ADVERTISEMENT Austin said he will slide behind the wheel on occasion. "If he can't make it, I'll drive it or I'll find someone good to drive," Austin said. Austin won the Hot Rod Heritage Series Nostalgia Funny Car championship in the series inaugural 2008 season, the same year Pedregon won the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Funny Car crown. The Fife, Wash., resident was runner-up last season, driving a Steve Plueger-owned car. In NHRA Full Throttle Series competition, he has won 23 national events. As the winningest driver in the Pacific Northwest and experience in nearly every class from Super Stock to Top Fuel, Austin is a member of three halls of fame (NHRA Division 6, Northwest Motor Sports, Tacoma Athletic Commission). Austin has dominated at the legendary Auto Club Famoso in the past two years, winning both March Meets and both California Hot Rod Reunions and setting records at each. He owns the lowest elapsed time in Nostalgia Funny history (5.72 seconds). Southern California native Pedregon races out of Brownsburg, Ind., where he and younger brother, Tony, also a two-time Funny Car champion, operate their shop. www.TrailersPlus.com Ads by Google JOIN THE AUTOWEEK NETWORK "Cruz has given me an opportunity, and I've given him an opportunity," Austin said. "He knows when the car comes to the racetrack it will be wellprepared." Couch built the Plymouth with a 426-cubic-inch, TFX-block engine with BAE cylinder heads and a PSI supercharger. It uses Venolia Pistons on BME Rods with a Winberg crankshaft, Mahle rings, Clevite bearings, Manton pushrods, and Lucas Oil. The vintage Steve Plueger chassis is supported by a Strange Engineering rear, Lenco Transmission, Good Vibrations Motorsports, Impact safety belts and DJ Safety blankets. [2/2/2010] Mopar Memos - MoparMax.com Volume V, Issue 2 February 2, 2010 WHY WHEELIE BARS ARE A GOOD THING Reader John Grinwald shares this photo of his 1962 Dodge Dart, the “Asphalt Elephant”, at the 2008 Las Vegas Mopars at the Strip event. “This was at about the 200-foot mark after I shifted into second gear,” Grinwald writes. “I thought when I shifted it the front end would drop. I was wrong. I peddled it and the front end dropped at the 330-foot marker. All I saw was blue sky and I was getting real nervous. I put on wheelie bars right after that event.”[2/2/2010] SETZER TO DRIVE FOR FORMER CREW CHIEF GILL AT NCWTS SEASON OPENER Team Gill Racing continues its growth with the announcement that veteran driver Dennis Setzer (shown) will pilot the No. 46 PlaneGuts.com Dodge Ram in the upcoming Nextera Energy Resources 250 for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) at Daytona, February 12. The event will mark the reuniting of one of the most successful driver/crew chief pairings in NCWTS history with Setzer and team owner Danny Gill. Together, Setzer and Gill scored six victories, 31 top-five and 54 top-five finishes in their three years of working together in the NCWTS. "I am very excited to have Dennis Setzer join Team Gill Racing," said Gill. "Dennis and I had a tremendous amount of success in the NCWTS – ironically in the No. 46 truck. It will be familiar and comfortable for both of us so we will be able to be up-to-speed very quickly at Daytona. "This is a one-race deal with PlaneGuts.com for the season opening race but we anticipate being able to make additional announcements in the near future.” ADVERTISEMENT (Jeff Burk photo) [2/2/2010] ADVERTISEMENT Mopar Memos - MoparMax.com Volume V, Issue 2 February 2, 2010 CHANGES COMING FOR WAGG, BELL’S DAYTONA With new major sponsorship involvement, the Top Sportsman team of Mike Wagg and Dave Bell should be a contender in this year’s Quick 32 Sportsman Series. Thanks to funding from Patio Passport, the 1994 Dodge Daytona will be receiving big mechanical and cosmetic changes, according to Waterdown, Ontario’s Mike Wagg, who shares the driving chores with teammate Dave Bell of Grand Bend, Ontario. “We’re getting rid of the red color on the car that everyone has seen for years,” said Wagg. “I don’t want to divulge the paint scheme yet, but we plan to debut the car at the Performance World Custom Car Show in Toronto in March.” The Eddy Bryck chassis on the Daytona will be receiving a new KB block, which will be a lot lighter than the former 620-cubic inch Indy cylinder head engine. A major change will be the tossing of the four-speed Lenco transmission for a state-of-the-art Powerglide automatic. Wagg said that he and Bell have been receiving a great deal of help and support from fellow door-slammer racer Kevin Wicke, who won the inaugural Quick 32 Sportsman Series Championship in 2009. “We’re following Wicke’s lead,” Wagg said. “They have been showing us the chassis changes with the new transmission, and how to go about setting it up. We shouldn’t hopefully have a huge learning curve.” Wagg said he will drive half of the six races for 2010, and Bell the remainder. Wagg will also continue his crew team involvement with the Pro Modified car of Al Hinds in the Pro Modified Racing Association. (photo courtesy Quick 32 Sportsman Series) [2/2/2010] SEEN ON THE ROAD… ADVERTISEMENT Proving that a true professional photographer always carries a camera ready to take that unexpected shot, James Drew caught this Viper on the freeway while driving from California to Phoenix. [2/2/2010] Mopar Memos - MoparMax.com Volume V, Issue 2 February 2, 2010 ROOKIE DARRAH JOINS VETERAN SALDANA ON KKR TEAM Kasey Kahne Racing will field a two-car Mopar-powered team on the 2010 World of Outlaws Sprint Series featuring a mix of experience and youth. Veteran driver Joey Saldana, who led the World of Outlaws with 20 A-Feature wins last season, will join forces with up-and-coming rookie Cody Darrah. The pair will kickoff the 2010 campaign this weekend, Feb. 5–7, at the 39th Annual Florida DIRTcar Nationals by the University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH) at Volusia (Fla.) Speedway Park. Saldana returns for his fifth season with the team owned by NASCAR star Kahne. Saldana won on ADVERTISEMENT the second night of the 2009 DIRTcar Nationals, edging Jason Sides in a last lap thriller. Saldana finished the season third in the point standings, just 70 markers out of first. "I'm definitely ready," said Saldana. "This is the first time in eight years that I have not raced through Christmas. Usually I'll race in Australia and New Zealand and then have a couple of weeks off before the season. My last race this year was around Thanksgiving. I've had a lot of time off and am ready now to get back racing." Darrah made his debut for Kasey Kahne Racing last year at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park in New Joey Saldana York, finishing sixth in that event. The native of Red Lion, Pa., scored his first win with the WoO Sprint series last fall at his home track of Williams Grove Speedway. Darrah has qualified fourth or better in six of his nine career starts at Volusia with the World of Outlaws. "I'm very excited for the season," said Darrah. "It's going to be a very big year for me as a driver and a very big year for our team, Kasey Kahne Racing. When you drive for Kasey Kahne, the expectations are to do nothing but win. The guys at the shop have been working very hard. He (Kasey) is as excited as I am for this year." A full week of Sprint Car racing during the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH begins on Feb. 2 with a test session, followed by two nights under the All Star Cody Darrah Circuit Champions banner (Feb. 3–4) before the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series takes center stage on Feb. 5–7. For more information on the World of Outlaws Sprint Series, visit http://www.worldofoutlaws.com. (photos courtesy Mopar) [2/2/2010] CHRYSLER AGREES TO ARBITRATION Chrysler Group will proceed with arbitration in the cases of 789 dealerships it cut during bankruptcy last spring. “The company looks forward to the expeditious completion of the process. A robust dealer network is a critical component of the group's strategy of rebuilding a strong and resilient American automaker,” the statement said. The announcement marks a change in Chrysler's tone toward arbitration. During the Detroit auto show this month, CEO Sergio Marchionne told Automotive News he was considering challenging the process on constitutional grounds. Chrysler cut 789 dealers during its trip through bankruptcy, a move sanctioned by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York. In response to pressure from rejected Chrysler and General Motors Co. dealers, Congress passed a bill allowing dealers to appeal their franchise terminations through arbitration. President Obama signed the bill into law in late December. As of Jan. 27, 409 former Chrysler dealers had filed for arbitration, the company said. [2/2/2010] Mopar Memos - MoparMax.com Volume V, Issue 2 February 2, 2010 LUCAS BECOMES MAJORITY OWNER OF MAVTV Lucas Oil founders Forrest and Charlotte Lucas announced Thursday that Lucas Oil Products, Inc., has become the principal stockholder of MavTV, a 24-hour cable and satellite television network. "With as many different things as we sponsor we thought the timing was right to get more involved with MavTV," Forrest Lucas said. "It's really an aggressive and edgy network and one that's growing at a quick pace so we're excited to take this next step." ADVERTISEMENT Coverage of the Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League, team demolition derby racing, skid plate racing, motorcycle hill climbing, the American Sprint Car Series, indoor dirt karting, and mud bogging already fill the MavTv programming schedule with other series set to be added in the near future. "The ultimate goal is to make MavTV the place for race fans to go to watch the stuff they want to see the most," Forrest Lucas said. "We're trying to make it as easy as possible for people to keep up with the various types of racing out there. Motorsports is a lot more than just NASCAR. The grassroots stuff has a huge following but they haven't always had a home on the big networks. Now they'll have a dedicated TV network that's happy to have them and promote them properly around the world." (Todd Dziadosz photo) [2/2/2010] MARCH MEET TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE Tickets to nostalgia drag racing’s premier event, the 2010 March Meet, Mar. 5-7 at Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, Calif., are now on sale at www.autoclubfamosoraceway.com . According to Blake Bowser, vice president and general manager of the Kern County Racing Association, operators of Auto Club Famoso and producers of the fabled March Meet (now in its 52nd year), race fans can purchase a Super 3-Day Pass for $75 online now and pick them up at the track the week of the event. Bowser said there are no service charges for tickets purchased online. Individual day tickets for the event will go on sale Mar.1, but will be available only at the track. Ticket prices are $25 for Fri., Mar. 5; $30 for Sat., Mar. 6; and $30 for Sun., Mar. 7. Auto Club members also receive a $ 2 discount off daily admission tickets by showing their cards when they purchase tickets at the track. Daily tickets for children ages 7 to 12 are $10 and kids 6 and under are free when accompanied by an adult with paid admission. [2/2/2010] MCCAIN¹S BOMB SQUAD IN STRONG VEGAS TEST McCain’s Bomb Squad ’73 Plymouth Duster nitro funny car team was testing over the weekend at the Strip at Las Vegas, getting ready for the upcoming 52nd March Meet. Chris Bennett filled in for driver Troy Green, who was stuck in last week’s giant Oklahoma ice-storm, carded a best of a 6.120 ET at 240.29 miles per hour with an adjusted altitude over 3,000 feet on a mid-sixty degree track surface. Mark your 2010 MOPAR calendar highlighting March 5 – 7 at Auto Club Famoso Raceway, where over forty nitro nostalgia floppers are expected to compete in the first 32-car elimination field in over thirty years. (Photo by Darr Hawthorne) Mopar Memos - MoparMax.com [2/2/2010] ADVERTISEMENT Click NEXT PAGE to skip ad MoparMax.com Volume V, Issue 2 February 2, 2010 Catching Heck: My (Brief) Life of Crime Nobody likes to admit to having done bad things, and for the most part each of us is a good person. But sometimes good people get a little off base and do bad things. Here’s the story of how an original 1967 H-code 383 4-speed Dart GTS caused my first (and only… so far) serious run in with the cops. This is also the story of how I was reunited with the very same car – thirty five years later. Let’s go back to the summer of 1975. Me and my group of same-age buddies used to ride our bicycles around the quiet town of West Brookfield, Massachusetts. It was summer vacation and there was little else to do in those (wonderful) days before video games, Twitter and texting. We were all about eleven or twelve years old at the time. The town was safe and our parents trusted us enough to set us free for the entire day. Well before the age of mountain bikes or even 10-speed “racing” bikes, our little gang rode around on stripped down single speed bicycles with 20-inch wheels and Bendix “Coaster Brakes.” Usually based on a Columbia or Sears “Free Spirit” bike, we’d yank the fenders then paint the frame flat black. I guess we were after the same austere vibe that’s motivated hot rodders for decades. We called our contraptions “junk bikes” since they were a far cry from the shiny (stone stock) bikes the square kids rode to and from the town library. And no, we didn’t steal these bikes. Each was a Christmas or birthday gift from our parents that we customized to suit our taste. As we rolled away the summer days we’d engage in some off road trail riding or find the steepest paved hill in town and ride to the top (without getting off to push) then turn around and fly back down as fast as we could go. We all learned a lot about gear ratios and how we could swap front and rear sprockets to get the best acceleration or top speed – but never both - on these simple single-speed bikes. Our riding often followed the busy main roads that ran through town and we’d all pay special attention any time a muscle car or hot rod rumbled past. Remember, this was the mid-Seventies so we got exposed to a wide variety of cool stuff. I remember loads of GTOs, Road Runners, Mach 1 Mustangs and even a SuperBird. A few were still original owner cars, but most were at the hands of their second or third owners – often high school kids. As such, they were far from stock and typically fitted with wide mag wheels, traction bars, side pipes, hood scoops and other bolt on doodads of the day. Two cars in particular stood out to my young mind, a pair of 1967 383 Dart GTS hardtops. We didn’t know it at the time, but those special big block-powered Darts were late-year models and only 229 are reported to have been built (as well as a small quantity of 383-powered Formula S Barracudas). Having two of these rare Darts in our town was a treat. One was burnt orange, the other dark green, but both were in fairly original condition except for add-on small bolt Cragar S/S mags. I’ve written briefly in this column about these cars but never told the full story of how we got a little too close to the green one – and wound up in trouble. Steve Mags Speaks - Catching Heck: My (Brief) Life of Crime - Page 1 of 5 - MoparMax.com Volume V, Issue 2 The green GTS was owned by a dude named Heck. Rumor had it he liked to do a little partying. As was common practice in the free wheeling Seventies, he’d hang out at the bar until closing time then roar off into the night. We knew this as we’d often camp out in the woods and then ride around town on our junk bikes in the wee hours. You see lots of stuff that way! February 2, 2010 ADVERTISEMENT One night Heck managed to stuff the poor GTS into some type of immovable object – probably a small tree. We knew this immediately when the smashed Dart turned up the next morning in the storage lot behind a warehouse his family owned. The warehouse happened to be situated right next to the home of one of my bike buddies who we’ll call J.T. So J.T. wakes up to see the wrecked car and spreads the word among us; “Heck smashed up his Dart!” We were dying with curiosity to check out any wrecked car, but especially a muscle car we had worshipped from afar. So we moved in for a closer look. In the early afternoon, six of us climbed over the chain link fence that separated J.T.’s yard from the storage lot. The crew consisted of me, J.T., Kroll, Du-Boy, Co-Fart, Danny Boy. Obviously I’ve used nicknames to protect their true identities since most of the guys now lead respectable lives… except for me. But you knew that. Upon sighting the GTS, we walked up slowly to make sure we were alone. Nobody yelled for us to split so we continued. It has been 35 years since that day but I still recall how the nose of the car was pushed in and the hood was buckled by what was likely a 35-mph crash. The car was by no means totaled, but it surely wasn’t in drivable condition. The white vinyl interior was intact and we all dug on the sight of the Inland 4-speed shifter poking up through the console. Maybe we even saw a few empty beer cans too. Our eyes feasted for several minutes. We shared a common sense of awe, as if we were viewing a beached whale or a landed flying saucer. We were viewing something that shouldn’t be and we were fascinated. Yes, we checked for signs of blood and gore, but the low speed of the impact thankfully prevented serious injury to Heck and his passengers. ADVERTISEMENT Then we spotted the 8-track cassette player and a box full of 8-track tapes inside the car. Yep, that’s when our little group made the transition from harmless sightseers to… petty thieves. Nobody fired a shot into the air, nobody said “let's grab that stuff”, but as if motivated by an unseen force, we all did the same thing, at the same time. The box of tapes was removed by one of the guys while another got busy removing the under-dash 8-track player. This is the part I’m especially bummed out by. Rather than remove the unit with tools, one of our bunch positioned himself on the passenger side bucket seat and started kicking the unit free with his foot. In hindsight, the force probably ruined the delicate controls but the feeding frenzy prevailed over common sense. Once we had the tape player and tape case out of the car, we beat a hasty retreat over the chain link fence and into the relative safety of J.T.’s back yard. That’s where we had a tree house. So in we all went to check out the booty. The owner of the wrecked GTS clearly had great taste in music. The case contained plenty of Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Three Dog Night and even some Rolling Stones. But as we looked over the stash a heavy sense that we’d done “Something Wrong” hit us all. And we had. We stole a bunch of stuff we had absolutely no use for. We caused unnecessary damage to somebody’s property, we were now thieves and we knew it. The twisted excitement of the grab quickly passed and we spent the rest of the day wondering what to do with the hot merchandise. Steve Mags Speaks - Catching Heck: My (Brief) Life of Crime - Page 2 of 5 - MoparMax.com Volume V, Issue 2 February 2, 2010 But that problem took care of itself very quickly. In a small town, word gets out pretty fast when crime – big or small - happens. A friend of the GTS driver acted on a hunch and invaded J.T.’s tree house where he found – and retrieved – all of the stolen booty. Within two days the town police cruiser (a ’75 Ford LTD with the 460 Interceptor mill) made a visit to each of our homes. I have no idea how things went at my buddy’s homes, but I’ll never forget seeing the blue and gray cruiser pull into our driveway on that rainy day. I stayed upstairs hoping the officer was visiting to shoot the breeze with my dad. But I knew better. As the house door closed and the officer returned to the burly Ford to drive away, I heard my dad storming to the bottom of the staircase where he yelled; “Steeeeve, get down here!” I knew my goose was cooked. Dad was a very strict parent. There Would Be No Criminals under his roof. I knew better than to try and lie, deny or defy. I was busted. After a few “love taps” to make sure I was getting his point, he told me he was deeply disappointed and as much as the physical reprimand hurt, his words cut deep…to the bone. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Many phone calls were made that day among the parents of The Offenders and it was decided we should all meet the following weekend and go for a tour of the town police station – especially the jail cell. Police Chief John Zabek was another no-nonsense guy. He looked us all square in the eye and told us there is nothing lower than a thief. A few of the guys issued nervous laughter but quickly shut up when Chief John stared them down. I remember feeling like a complete social outcast; the shame was nearly unbearable. In other words, our parents and the police did exactly the right thing. But it wasn’t over. Even though he’d gotten all of his tapes back, Heck claimed that we’d done damage to the Dart’s dashboard and ruined the 8track tape deck. He said the damage amounted to $210. In the few moments we kids had to ourselves during the proceedings, we agreed there was no way we’d done any real damage to the car but there was no doubt the tape deck was toast. We all felt angry that the guy wanted $210 for what was actually a $50 tape deck but we learned this lesson: crooks don’t have rights. When you do something stupid, any and all consequences must be accepted without question. Our parents agreed to split the $210 claim six ways, each kid being responsible for coughing up $35. My dad paid my share right away to wrap things up with Heck. To repay my dad, I got a job at a local horse farm raking (not breaking) rocks in the hot sun for 75 cents an hour. Needless to say, I had plenty of time to contemplate the error of my ways as I single handedly transformed a stony yard into a smooth horse riding ring over the course of several weeks. I fought the law and… well, you know the rest. My buddies endured similar work to repay their debts to society and each of us made sure never to do such a dumb thing ever again, really. As we grew up, none of the crowd got into any further trouble. We’d learned our lesson. To this day we all get a chuckle recalling what we’ve come to call “the Heck Incident.” I’ve reflected on that experience many times over the 35 years since and often wondered what ever happened to that green 383 Dart. After the crash I don’t remember ever seeing it again but would hear occasional rumors that it still existed. As far as I knew, I figured I’d never see the car again. But sometimes the boomerang of life comes back at you. A few months ago I was driving around in my Rampage altered wheelbase ’63 Dart Match Bash car when I spotted a green ’67 Dart sitting on a flatbed truck parked at a local body shop. The car was sitting on beefy bias-ply tires and was missing the bumpers, grille and exterior chrome trim - like it had recently been painted. Something about that car called to me so I made a U-turn in the Rampage and pulled over to check it out. From underneath I could see the 383, 4-speed and 8 ¾ rear axle, but most important were the tell-tale mounting holes on the front fenders for the GTS letters and 383 Four Barrel emblems. Steve Mags Speaks - Catching Heck: My (Brief) Life of Crime - Page 3 of 5 - MoparMax.com Volume V, Issue 2 February 2, 2010 I didn’t bore the body shop owner with my sordid little story, but as he described how the car had been in storage locally for several decades I knew there was no doubt, I was reunited right then and there with the Heck Incident Dart GTS! No, it wasn’t for sale. Rather, it had just been purchased by a customer who had it delivered to the body shop for final assembly. The shop owner allowed me to look at the pile of loose interior parts that came with the car. As I touched the dingy but intact white vinyl bucket seats, I was transported back in time. These were the seats that were in the car on that fateful day and naturally, I hadn’t touched them since then. It was a bizarre moment. ADVERTISEMENT Since the interior was stripped out of the car during the repaint, the entire dash assembly was among the loose items in the pile. I got down on the shop floor and took a close look at the underside of the metal dashboard. There I saw a series of small drilled holes – where the 8-track tape player was once fastened! Then I scanned the general area to see if there were any signs of deformation from where my buddy kicked the unit free 35 years prior. Happily, the metal was unharmed though some of the screw holes looked like they had pulled through from the trauma. I knew it! The former owner / victim had overstated the extent of the damage we had done. But again, we should have paid ten times what we did just on principle alone for being the little dinks we were when we messed with his property. So that’s the story of my brief life of crime. I’ve learned many lessons in life but this particular Dart GTS taught me that every action has consequences. It’s okay to be curious but if you don’t own it, don’t touch it! How to Modify Your Mopar Magnum V-8H... Larry Shepard New $16.20 Big Block Mopar Performance High P... Chuck Senatore New $17.05 Mopar Martyn L Schorr New $22.45 How to Rebuild the Small -Block Mopar... Bill Burt New $18.21 Six-Pack Robert Genat Big-block mopar engines Don Taylor New $14.93 Privacy Information PRW - pq high flow alum water pump- ... PRW New $315.60 Black Anodized Billet Dual Nitrous B... UPR Products New $249.99 PRW - PQ Series Aluminum Shaft Rocke... PRW New $325.50 It may not look like much, but this ’67 Dart GTS is a real-deal 383 4-speed car. The light accident damage from 1975 was repaired long ago and the body was repainted the original dark green metallic color. Check out the end of the 383’s white oil filter playing peek-a-boo from the engine bay. PRW - PQ Series Aluminum Shaft Rocke... PRW New $325.50 PRW - MOPAR alum water neck outlet- ... PRW New $26.00 Blue Anodized Billet Dual Nitrous Bo... UPR Products New $249.99 Privacy Information Steve Mags Speaks - Catching Heck: My (Brief) Life of Crime - Page 4 of 5 - MoparMax.com Volume V, Issue 2 February 2, 2010 The original front fenders were repaired after the collision and still have the punched holes for the specific GTS and 383 emblems. Though the exterior has been restored, the original white vinyl interior is still present and in excellent condition. It was removed prior to the body restoration and stored for safe keeping. 1967 Dart GTS models got standard Dart GT bright trunk finish panels as seen here. This neat 4-speeder has 10-inch drum brakes all around. The standard issue 8 ¾ rear axle is still under the car. The 14 x 5.5 steel wheels are correct for the car and will eventually carry full wheel covers. The Rampage Dart probably wouldn’t exist today if it wasn’t for my early exposure to awesome Mopar muscle cars like the Heck Incident Dart. We’ll do an update story on the green GTS once the restoration is complete. Steve Mags Speaks - Catching Heck: My (Brief) Life of Crime - Page 5 of 5 - MoparMax.com Volume V, Issue 2 February 2, 2010 Words and photos by Kevin Thompson Russel Wright’s F8 Green, 1969 Super Bee at home in the Redwoods of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Many years ago, in a San Francisco that time has forgotten, there was a dark green 1969 Super Bee that parked in a driveway at 21st and Hampshire streets. I was living down the block in an old bar at 21st and Harrison, and drove by this beastly Bee every day in my ’69 Dart GT convertible. I had yet to discover much about Mopars but I knew this car had to be something special as it inspired endless mechanical lust in me. The Bee sat on Magnum 500 rims with raised white letter tires; it had chrome exhaust tips and two badass hood scoops that looked like they actually did something. The scoops had a small chrome “383” call-out on the side and I knew for sure that had to mean something special––after all, that was over 100 more cubic inches than my Dart was packing. It also had that crazy tail stripe with the nutty bee inside the circle of psychedelic letters that said “Super Bee”. We’re talking full package. One day, it was gone. I wondered if it had been sold or if the owner had moved away. Then, like a ghost it reappeared––except it was a very loud and very fast ghost. I think I was at Wolfe’s Lunch, (one of the last surviving railroad cafes in SFCA) at the bottom of Potrero Hill when I heard the screech of rubber that twisted my neck. I managed to catch a glimpse of green tail flicking around a corner, then out of sight, nothing more. I went back to my sandwich and forgot about it until I heard it again and looked up in time to see it fly by on 16th street, wide open, with a long hair at the wheel. I figured some hesher had gotten ahold of it and it wouldn’t be long before it was wrapped around a phone pole somewhere in the Mission District. Oh well, that’s how all the orange ones had wound up and now this old green survivor would too. Some time later I was lurking around one of the infamous Sunday hot rod and hot dog gatherings behind the Best Foods Mayonnaise factory on Mariposa Street. I had just met some fellow Mopar owners who were about to become my first customers and soon after that, my good friends. While we were bullshitting, a total rocker walked up on us. He was clowning big time, long hair, tattoos, Ray Bans, checkered Vans slip ons; he looked like a cross between Jeff Spicolli and Iggy Pop. He started talking trash on the hotrodder rock-a-billy guys and then dropped his pants to prove he was serious, all the while crowing about how “my Super Bee can kick all y’all's asses”. I had just met Russell Wright, the year was 1994 and he had just bought the Bee off of a woman named “Hot Rod Mary”. Over the next few years I saw Russ occasionally, wearing devil horns and shredding the guitar in his band The Demonics or roaring around in his Bee. I even got to work on it a few times and once I had the pleasure of making one of my earliest and biggest mistakes on the holy Bee. Russell, always after horsepower, had bought a 750 Holley and hired me to install it. I popped it onto the 383 cast iron manifold and immediately noticed we were in trouble –– the choke housing was in the way on the secondary side. It was only by a little bit so I thought we’d kiss it with the grinder and I went right into the exhaust passage, trashing the manifold. We remained friends and when the job was finally done we went for a ride with the exhaust cut outs open, scaring the crap out of the dot com boom citizenry and getting nasty looks. One for the Hive - Page 1 of 4 - MoparMax.com Volume V, Issue 2 February 2, 2010 A happy Russ Wright about to cruise the Bee Russell soon became infamous for asking about ways to make his car faster. His mantra became, “dude, if I get headers, will my car go faster?” He relentlessly queried everybody about headers, cams, carbs, intakes, gear ratios and then asked again. Eventually it all came to a head when he announced he was going to fully tear the car down, paint it and install a monster motor. Honestly, there was some doubt as to what would happen once the car was in pieces, and it was in pieces soon enough. Once this process began, Russell was transformed. He became obsessed beyond measure with the car and getting every detail perfect. In his head he could see the finished picture that nobody else could see and he doggedly followed through. With the help and expertise of Matt Poulos, Russell took the car down to the bare steel and then prepped it for paint. This prep included an incredibly laborious stretch of removing ALL the undercoating from every nook and cranny of the car. Every bit of the suspension and brakes was taken out, cleaned and painted. The K-member was reinforced, super stock springs went in the back to hang the 4.10:1, 8¾ rear end. The rear gears were deemed too steep so a Gear Vendors over/under drive extension went on the 727. Once it was all finished the car was shot after-hours at an undisclosed location by a paint fairy in the original F8 green. Patricia Hewett applied the original style Bumble Bee stripe on a sunny day on a city street. Now that the exterior was about as perfect as it could be, the interior was treated the same way. Reproduction seat covers were installed by Russell, with help from his girlfriend Amy, and under the guidance of her mother and father, Loretta and Jim Cesari. Once it was all in, carpet and headliner installed, Russell decided that everything behind the dash needed not only the love of perfection but it needed functionality as well and it all came out again. A collective “is he crazy?” rose among all of Russ’ friends. Yes, he is crazy, but not without the motivation and skills to pull off a project this big. Hartmut at the venerable Palo Alto Speedometer shop refaced and restored the gauges and refurbished the green stripe Sun Tach for accuracy and compatibility with the MSD ignition system. Under the guidance of Bill, at MoBill’s in San Francisco, the rest of the car’s wiring was restored as well. Super green and super nice interior showing off the completely refurbished dash with tic-tock tach and dash mounted Sun “green stripe” tachometer. One for the Hive - Page 2 of 4 - MoparMax.com Volume V, Issue 2 February 2, 2010 F8 green shining in the sun. Here is the ultra clean Barton built 440. A lift off hood replaced the original Ramcharger set up (don’t worry, it's safe and sound) on account of the height of the Performer RPM intake. Once the interior was finished Russell decided that something was missing. The column shift was not going to make the cut in his vision quest for the perfect look. A center console was needed and the stock Chrysler shifter would not make it either… it had to be a Hurst Dual Gate, nothing else would do. An odyssey ensued looking for a NOS Hurst Dual gate. After months of looking Russ found what he believes to be the last surviving NOS Dual Gate on the West coast. He went and bought two consoles and then proceeded to cut and weld in the Dual Gate so effectively that it looks like a bitchin’ Chrysler factory option. Meanwhile, under the hood, things were afoot in a big way. It was obvious to all that Russ was going to abandon the numbers-matching route and build a car that he was dreaming about in his head. His endless questioning about speed parts, combinations, cubic inches and camshafts led him to Ray Barton. A fistful of dollars later, Russell had a full house Barton 440 built for the street and tailored to his combination of rear gear and tire size. Here is the Hurst Dual Gate in the Chrysler console. Too bad you couldn’t order ‘em like this in the day. One for the Hive - Page 3 of 4 - MoparMax.com Volume V, Issue 2 February 2, 2010 These billet aluminum re-pops of the old Mickey Thompson Raiders by Radir are appropriately shod with Mickey Thompson Sportsman Tires. The formula Barton used is profoundly simple and brutally effective. Using a 10.5:1 compression ratio with Edelbrock heads makes for cozy combustion characteristics with pump gas. A slightly loose cam with lift in the half-inch region is comfortable with the rear gear and the 3500 stall converter in the tranny while the Gear Vendors over/under brings cruise RPM directly in line with peak torque and stall speed. An Edelbrock Performer RPM intake keeps torque up across the RPM band while allowing the cam and heads to do some serious breathing. Hooker headers happily burble away with spent gases and send them down the TTI three inch system. Good for nearly 500 horsepower and over 500 foot pounds of torque, the motor is a fine example of a non-trick, carefully assembled, bullet proof street motor that should propel the Bee quite nicely. The only problem is traction––slicks are on order. 26X8.50 in the front on a 15X 4.0 rim and 29X12.5 on a 15X10 rim. Somehow, Russell has performed the miracle of being understated while being outrageous at the same time. The Radir rims and big Mickey Thompson Sportsmans conspire with a lift off hood to give a mean vibe and killer 70’s rake. The Vinyl roof and green on green package are never a buzz hassle. The ride about town is smooth considering the pie cutter bias plys up front, although an appropriately sized set of radials is due for installation to tame the highway ride at 80+mph. Off the line the car is terrifying and pretty soon some disc brakes are going in to replace the monster 11” front drums. Overall? I don’t think you can find a much better dual-purpose machine with such a heavy vintage vibe and this kind of performance anywhere. It might have taken nearly ten years but Russell never gave up on the Bee. Russell would like to acknowledge all the help and support he received on this project from his mother, his friends, our ever faithful supplier of Moparts––Common’s Auto, Gotellis’ Speed Shop, and most of all Amy, Jim, and Loretta Cesari. Yes, you do need just about 500 horsepower to fetch beer at the Mountain Store. One for the Hive - Page 4 of 4 - MoparMax.com Volume V, Issue 2 February 2, 2010 Words by Jeff Burk Photos courtesy Geoff Gradden Every once in a while in this business you see something that just takes your breath away. That was the case when I first saw the photos of the ’59 Chrysler Saratoga Murray Anderson built for the Sigra folks that eventually was driven by Aussie Geoff Gradden. Ever since my brother owned a ’59 Plymouth and my grandfather had a ‘59 Caddy I have been a fan of cars with big tail fins. The fins on the ’59 Saratoga pictured here are enough to put any fin freak into a frenzy and put a smile on the face of all Mopar fans. As far as I can tell, and according to what my mate Jon Van Daal says, Mopar racecars are a rarity in Australian racing. But that isn’t the case for Geoff Gradden and the Sigra team. Through last year Gradden has been racing a supercharged Dodge Viper in the Australian Supercharged Outlaw class and the team are the defending 2009 Sydney track champs in the class. For the 2010 season the team is going to step up to the Australian version of the U.S. Pro Modified class which is the Top Doorslammer class also known as “Tin Tops.” The team has switched from a Roots supercharged wedge powerplant in their Viper to a PSI supercharged Keith Black/BAE Hemi for the winged wedge-shaped Saratoga. That engine combination should put the Saratoga solidly in the five-second zone. Gradden has promised that as soon as they get the Saratoga on the track he will send us some action shots. We hope it is from the winners circle…if they can find one big enough to park the savage Saratoga. Gradden boils the hides at Sydney in the Viper. Saratoga Ascendent - Page 1 of 3 - MoparMax.com The blower is way higher than the roof line. Cool! Volume V, Issue 2 February 2, 2010 A pair of chutes will help slow down the beast. It appears from this photo that there isn’t a rear spoiler per se but Anderson did add a couple of spill plates to direct air. The massive front bumper takes full advantage of the maximum overhang allowed by the rules. Weld Wheels and Hoosier tires are on each corner. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Saratoga Ascendent - Page 2 of 3 - MoparMax.com Volume V, Issue 2 February 2, 2010 The absolutely gorgeous body and paint was done by Matty Land at Badlands Body Works in Melbourne. We were trying to figure out how they were going to change tires on the Mopar until we saw this photo. That Murray Anderson sure does some excellent work. The body tilting backwards is a nice touch. You can also get a glimpse of the chassis here. It’s immaculate work typical of Murray Anderson cars. Saratoga Ascendent - Page 3 of 3 - MoparMax.com Volume V, Issue 2 February 2, 2010 While the majority of North America has been suffering one of the worst icy winters in some time in contrast Australia has been hit with unprecedented scorching temperatures and catastrophic fire warnings during its summer season. The nation’s capital, Canberra, has not been immune but the recent Summernats, Australia’s largest street machine show, saw scorching action of a different kind. Now in its 23rd year the Summernats car festival is close to being one of the largest outdoor high performance shows outside America. Held over four days in early January some 1750 cars, trucks, street rods and Summernats specials took part in this unique acceleration circus. I say circus because it literally is a 10-ringed high horse-powered hippodrome. This sees hundreds of entrants pitting themselves and their cars against each other while completing a myriad of automotive disciplines. Pentastar Stars in Australia - Page 1 of 4 - MoparMax.com Volume V, Issue 2 February 2, 2010 A purpose built burnout pad with massive bleachers hosts the cream of the crop when it comes to tyre screaming burnout competitions. This strip of asphalt also hosts a go-to-whoa contest to see who is the best at accelerating from a standing start to stop on a dime at the finish line at the far end of the track. The one with the shortest time is the winner and you don’t have to have the most powerful car on the property. There are also three different grass events – Grab A Flag, Motokhana and Slalom. Unlike the white smoke that wafted all weekend long over the bitumen, it was the brown bull dust that obscured a range of entries. While some thought it an excuse to carve up the grass, others took it seriously and recorded ever lower times. In the Elite Hall the best of the best were lined up to go under the judges’ scrutiny. Sponsored by Meguiars and the House of Kolor, twelve brand new cars were revealed to the immense crowd on Friday night of the Summernats festival. Star of the show was former Top Fuel and Funny Car racer and team owner, Graeme Cowin, who debuted his street registered 1970 King Kong Plymouth Barracuda. This car is (dare I say it) “sex on wheels” as thousands drooled over its wonderous lines and retro feel. It ended up winning a bunch of trophies including the best of the bunch – “Top Judged elite”. “I don’t know what to say”, a clearly overwhelmed Cowin explained. “I built this car for myself but to see it win all these awards is just unbelievabl.” I first met Graeme in 1971 and in close to forty years I have never seen him so lost for words – a great result for someone who has won everything in Australian drag racing. The Hall held the Top Sixty cars and this saw cars as diverse as a bone stock FB model GM-Holden to Cowin’s metal masterpiece. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Pentastar Stars in Australia - Page 2 of 4 - MoparMax.com Volume V, Issue 2 February 2, 2010 ADVERTISEMENT This 1973 Chrysler Valiant Charger sparkling in the sun at the Show and Shine. The car is powered by a 256 cubic inch Mopar six that was clean enough to eat your lunch off. The ultimate prize at the Summernats is the Grand Champion’s sword and this award is one that is really earned. In addition to doing well in the Elite Hall, anyone going for the trophy must also do well in a series of driving events and, unfortunately for the Cuda with the engine cutting out, it didn’t do well enough to win this award. Joe Lore on the other hand did well across the board and his Ford Falcon XY sedan amassed enough points to hoist the sword above his head. His gorgeous purple cloaked blown and stroked 383 Ford was the hit of the event. Talking of car displays each day hundreds of cars were displayed on the grass in the centre of the showground arena. It was literally a smorgasbord of automotive artistry with over the top street freaks lined up against rat rods and beautifully restored stock-as-a-rock production cars of yesteryear. The cars were not the only stars as many fans wore unique outfits to express their love of a particular marquee. It seems that any Chrysler 300C with big wheels, Bentley style grill and a lowering kit can look like a million dollars. This one was a sponsor’s car that took part in the Saturday evening Supercruise. Talking of beautiful, the highest prize-money for any competition is actually for the young ladies who take part in the Miss Summernats competition that was sponsored by Jack Daniels Tennessee Whisky. The large contingent of ladies were initially pared down to half a dozen and then the top three with a stunning young lassie by the name of Hayley Swanson from Altona in Victoria taking the winning sash. Pentastar Stars in Australia - Page 3 of 4 - MoparMax.com ADVERTISEMENT Volume V, Issue 2 There were also competitions for a sound off in car audio, airbrush art and even in tattoos. Rare Spares sponsored the Tough Street Awards saw the meanest of high horse powered street freaks pitted against each other while at the other end of the spectrum they also sponsored the Real Steel Awards – the best of the best in classic metal street cars. February 2, 2010 ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT There is no doubt that the largest contingent of cars from any marque were Chevies or General Motors Holden to be precise. This has been GM’s Australian arm over the years and probably accounted for one third of all the entries on the property. While some of the cars on these pages are easily recognisable others aren’t and when it comes down to it a number of you will be scratching their scone’s because the steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car – a legacy of our British right hand drive heritage. Don’t be fooled these cars are just as well detailed and as powerful as those in chilly northern climes. Graeme Cowin’s face may be familiar to some readers thanks to his Top Fuel exploits in Australia and America but at the Summernats his “King Kong” Cuda put him back on the lips of everyone who saw it. Cowin’s “King Kong” ’70 Barracuda was an immediate hit when it was unveiled in the Elite Hall on the Friday night of the Summernats. Powered by a 426 Hemi fitted with twin throttlebody EFI that is good for more than 600 horses. The engine is backed up by a bullet-proof B&M Torqueflite trans and a Strange Engineering 9-inch rear end. An amazing looking package. Pentastar Stars in Australia - Page 4 of 4 - MoparMax.com Volume V, Issue 2 February 2, 2010 NEW TRANZILLA TKO HIGH RPM CARBON FIBER LINED SYNCHRO RINGS RSG’s new Tranzilla High RPM Synchro Rings solve a traditional high rpm balky shift problem. These unique carbon fiber lined synchro rings will permit smoother shifts at a much higher rpm than the stock synchros. Tests have shown consistent, clean shifts as high as 8000rpm. Sold in sets of five, the Tranzilla High RPM Synchro Rings replace all of the O.E. brass rings. These rings will transform your gearbox, giving you the confidence to grab the next gear in the heat of competition. No more hanged or missed shifts… just positive gear changes. Tranzilla TKO Synchro Rings are available from you local Rockland Standard Gear dealer or directly from Rockland. RSG will install these synchros and blueprint your existing TKO 500 or TKO 600, or you can buy a complete blueprinted TKO transmission with Tranzilla synchros ready to race. For more information visit them on the web at: www.rsgear.com . NEW DFX FOR 1963 TO 1969 DODGE CARS WITH 426CI AND 440CI ENGINES USING 18-SPLINE TRANSMISSION The DFX series by Centerforce, the next level in high-performance is now available for 1963 to 1969 Dodge Cars with 426” and 440” engines using an 18-Spline transmission. This new clutch assembly replaces the clutch assembly with higher holding capacity pressure plate designed for a direct bolt in replacement and ceramic button style disc. Centerforce strives to provide the best products on the market today on all performance levels by using patented processes and constantly testing different materials and designs to find the best combination. The DFX series is the latest of extreme performance clutches from Centerforce designed as a direct bolt in for perfect fit and function. DFX scores big, not only with holding-capacity and strength, but also provides some of the best drivability from a race-inspired clutch. This DFX performance clutch system utilizes the patented Centerforce centrifugal weight system for maximum grip, a patented Ball Bearing design for light pedal and quick release, Nodular Iron pressure plate rings and reinforcements designed to help prevent drive strap breakage and safety. Please contact any Centerforce dealer or Centerforce directly with questions at 928/771-8422 or visit them online at www.centerforce.com . NEW ULTRAFLITE TRANSMISSION FROM TRANZACT A long overdue breakthrough in transmission technology is now available from Tranzact of Indy for 727 high horsepower racing. Compiled from information provided by the racing public and dyno testing, they offer three different ratios that have set the standard for these applications. Testing for the past five years on multiple doorslammers, dragsters and funnycars have proven these ratios are the best and strongest possible for gear selections. Plus, Tranzact offers a two speed option for throttle stops, so they don't get caught during shift change. Shifting is handled by a billet valvebody with multi shifting options. 1:95 1:95 2:12 2:28 1st 1st 1st 1st for 2-speed 1:35 2nd 1:1 3rd 1:35 2nd 1:1 3rd 1:40 2nd 1:1 3rd These combinations of helical and spur cut gears are NOT a welded up 904. They are larger and stronger to provide the needed strength for horsepower and the durability we sought. For a limited time, a special price is available for a complete transmission, fully bearing and lightened components, plus an aluminum high rev drum, billet valvebody, race-prepped case with a deep pan and extension. A great deal! For more information contact Tranzact at [email protected] or call Joe at (317) 846-4933. Mo Products - Page 1 of 1 - MoparMax.com Volume V, Issue 2 February 2, 2010 MAGNANTE FOREVER! Been reading Steve Magnante for a long time. One of his early '90s articles that comes to mind is "Things that go bang in the Dart" (I believe while he was assoc. editor at Chrysler Power Magazine). I can't forget that article because it took me back to 1970 and my 318 powered Dart GT. That rear did go bang. I figured to hell with the warranty, as I had future plans for that car that didn't include a 318. I set out for the junkyard (really were no other words for them at the time), where I scored an almost brand spanking new complete drum-to-drum 8 3/4 rear axle assembly (totaled 340 Duster) with 3.91 ratio and sure grip. Price was $110 (ah, the good ol' days)! I hope Steve keeps writing for a long time. I remember an article he wrote regarding the writing style of Roger Huntington. Back in the day I couldn't wait to read what Roger wrote next. Magnante also has a style that always made for the same comfortable type of reading. What do you have to say? Thanks, Steve, for many good hours of reading. Ron Strack Southern tier of Western New York State ANOTHER MAGNANTE FAN Hi! What a nice story ! Is that one of the original Dart Chargers? They had special badges on the front fenders and on the right side of the Your name: glove box door. I'm running a register on these cars and would love to get a readable picture of the fendertag and I will decode the cars for you. Thanks. Your location: Ulf Andersson Tavelsjo, Sweden Your email: MIKE, CONTACT US AGAIN Hello, my name is Derek and I think I may have an original Sox and Martin car. After looking at photos taken by Mike Galewski I was wondering if he might help me with the situation. Derek Beauchemin Millbury, Massachusetts Do you want to subscribe to our FREE email newsletter? Yes No Letters which do not include a full name will not be considered for publication. CHARGING TO THE PAST Send It! Re: Della Woods’ Charger This is a real piece of work. It is unbelievably original. Virtually perfect! I actually got to see Della drive this car a couple of times. Great job guys, thanks for the memories... Tony Carter Lake Havasu City, Arizona See what the readers are saying - Page 1 of 2 - MoparMax.com * Your letter may (or may not) be published in our "Mopar Mailbag" section. Volume V, Issue 2 YOU’RE NOT ALONE, LEVI February 2, 2010 ADVERTISEMENT RE: Fast and Furious Charger I really like this car and I wish I could have one. Levi Fleming Fairfield, Texas PHOTO CORRECTION Hello y'all. The great photo of the Plymouth on your cover page is not Bob Marshall, who has a '65 Coronet, but is owned and campaigned by Joe & Julie Mialki from Port Orange, Fl. It's an original aluminum front-end car (still on the car) and is dropdead gorgeous in person. BTW, would make a great feature car for your mag. John Tillman Central Florida MOVIE TIME! Hate to bother you, but do you know how cars are chosen for publication? I'd love to be considered but won't try to sell you. Instead I've included the link to my car on Youtube. Thank you for your time. ADVERTISEMENT John Callison BETTER LATE THAN NEVER Where can I buy a copy of your magazine? I have never heard of it before. Jake Rosen Sacramento, California We’re glad you finally found us, Jake. And here’s the good news: you don’t have to shell out money. We’re free and all issues are available only on the Internet. Save a tree and keep on reading! See what the readers are saying - Page 2 of 2 - MoparMax.com ADVERTISEMENT Click NEXT PAGE to skip ad Search Advanced Search The Raddest Ride Wins! RATE All | Car Art | More Categories | New Rides | Raddest Rides | Read Comments Display: Create a RADorBAD account Upload your rides Create a garage Compete for cash Easy to use mrhotrod | Car With Pictures badfish67 | Car Offline Offline Sign up in seconds Is your ride RAD or BAD? 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