Fondest Memory - what you got?

[falcon50flier]

I feel corny writing this - but it has to be told, because its the gods honest truth.

My neighbor went to 'Nam in summer of '67. I was 14 at the time.
As soon as the '68 models were announced he put an allotment on his paycheck and asked his dad to go buy him a '68 Charger R/T, 440/375, super trac pack, 727, etc.
For the next year until he got home (he did), every weekend his dad would take the Charger out to stir the oil. I started asking to ride along, then it became a ritual. It was usually a casual drive, but one day he asked me if I thought he should hammer it to "blow the gunk out" (thanks to Bill Cosby and Carroll Shelby for THAT term). Of course, I said yes. Nothing, I mean nothing, beats a torqueflite 3-1 downshift with a mighty wedge's torque behind it..

.. and I've been a power addict, and Mopar fan ever since.

PS. George, are you out there?

[72hemi]

One of my favorite Mopar memories has to be my first real introduction to the Mopar world. About 10 or 12 years ago I was at Sears Point Raceway for the Good Guys Nostalgia Drags, and there was this car there. It was a 1965 Plymouth Barracuda, and it had the engine in the back, on the side of the car read "Hemi Under Glass" I remember this being one of the coolest cars I had ever seen. Up until this point in time my Mopar knowledge was very limited, (most of the events I went to were pre 54 car shows and all you saw there were Chevys and Fords. So while my dad and I are checking this car out, my dad is giving me a history lesson on this car and it's famous wheel stands. All of a sudden an older gentleman walks up and asks if I would like a photo of the car. Of course I said yes. So we walked over to the table where the pictures were and the gentleman asks if I would like the photo signed. I was confused. Why would I want this man to sign the picture. Then he told me that his name was Bob Riggle and that he is the original driver of the car. I couldn't believe it, so he signed my picture and told me to make sure I was in the stands at 2:00. So at 2:00 I was in the stands and what do I see, Hemi Under Glass pulling up to the staging lights. I'll never forget the sight of a 1965 Barracuda going down Sears Point Raceway on the back 2 tires. It was the most awesome site. That is one of my favorite Mopar moments.

[Rev-It-Up]

  Great stories guys!!

[BIGSHCLUNK]

I've got alot of fondest memories. They fall into different catagories, some of which are not fit for younger viewers on this site. Some are just real personal $hit. Some are just freakin' funny as all get out. Freinds ,family, enemies and weasels. Lets just say I'm glad I got'em and leave it at that. What a long strange  trip it's been ................. 

[ev2340cuda]

I had a 70 Challenger R/T 383 Magnum,4 speed,and one night I took it out,and attempted to duplicate those full throttle speed shifts,after watching Vanishing Point! It was a blast! I also use to enjoy driving it home from work,and going down this winding back road,it had winding corners that went up and down hill,and you could not see around the corners to see if anything was coming! it was a constant up shift,down shift from 2nd to 3rd,then 3rd to 2nd it was a lot of fun. I tried to go faster everytime! I sold that car,but I currently own two Challenger convertibles,one 383 4 speed Challenger R/T Hardtop(not the same one) and a 71 340 Cuda!

[Pistol Gripper]

Fond memories?  Lets see..........

A verse from John Prine's "Dear Abby" comes to mind:

Dear Abby, Dear Abby...
Well I never thought
That me and my girlfriend would ever get caught
We were sitting in the back seat just shooting the breeze
With her hair up in curlers and her pants to her knees
   Signed Just Married

P.G.

[Bullitt-]

just married just married you have no complaint
you r what you r & u aint what u aint. 

[440WhiteBoy]

memories sure bring us to the past. in reading  falcon50flier about the year 1967 that helps me to think about all the mopars ripping up the pavement! we had a neighbor with a 66 barracuda that would lay down rubber from one end of the street to the other. as a kid sitting on our bikes we would go out and ride on those rubber tracks acting like we just done it! another guy had a 64 belvedier hemi car storming thru almost daily. we really did not know what a hemi was except it seemed loud and fast. a green 68 charger always hit it on our street which was around the corner from his house. yeah sure his parents wouldnt know that right?
 every street had a least one garage with mechanic's working on those muscle cars wrenching and a roaring.
my friend at 18 got his first car 70 lime green challenger 340 man what a ride. another friend at 18 got a purple 70 cuda 340 - still has it I think.

was a couple of streets over, a guy who had a real drag race car --70 cuda ' Plum Purple' or 'Plum Cuda' something like that was the name.  he would let us all gather around on sat morning - lots of people on both sides of the street. and he would let her go - man those wheelie stands were alsome! ballon slicks a smokin and the roar would leave us deaf for a few hours! talk about the adrenalin rush we had!

every night - late at night when we were in bed with the windows open, did not have air conditioning back then. you could hear all the cars racing and getting the gear. so this must be why I seem to have these troubles when Im behind the wheel. we were conditioned at our young age.

[Bullitt-]

YOU HAD TO BRING UP 1967 Well it was a few years later but my dads best friend had a '67 GTX 440 4speed when I was about 13 years old & I got to go along for a late night shake down. A lonely two lane outside of Lexington AL he opened her up. I have no idea how fast we were going I just remember the speedo was buried. I'll bet there are still pucker marks in the back seat vinyl 

[TheCrazyCheesehead]

You guys ROCK!! you all are making me wish that i grew up in the era of muscle cars... but the hell with it will live in that era.. So it was 30 some years ago. I am just a youngin bring joy to all and a smile on my face.. Now to get back to work on the parts so the cuda will hit the road in a few months.

But to share in the spirt of this... My fondest memory of my cuda... Would be going to pick her up with my uncle Terry. What a great trip and experience I got to share with him. Anyways we started in Wisconsin and worked our way across the country to New Jersey. All the way we kept asking all the toll booth workers how far to New Jersey. Everyone was pretty much like umm i have no clue. But the true fun started on the way back. Once the '69 cuda was loaded. About 10 mins after we are going down the road my uncle smacks me and goes hey this guy is tailgating me. No one else on the road anywhere. I just bust out laughing and go dude it is my car. need less to say at this point we should have stopped to sleep on the way there but nah we too crazy. Also I still can not forget the look in this one toll works eyes as we pull into his booth out of the pitch black ness on the turnpike. His face does this double take and goes nice Barracuda, i was like     ,you don't see many of them anymore. And I am driving at this point and i am like nah you just don't and i had to save it. He was like Rock on. And the look on his face like holy crap here is this 18 year old saving an oldschool cuda.. yea i have had her that long.. I know i have been slacking on getting her on the road.

[Bullitt-]

Just one more, I promise. Summer 1977 Panama City beach Florida (Redneck Riviera). Had just graduated high school and was riding with some home town guys in their 71or2 340 4speed Charger. Were doing 70+ down a two lane highway that parallels the beach road when zip, we are passed by a XKE. Before you know it he's just a dot on the horizon. Billy drops the pistol grip into 2nd and the chase is on. A couple of minutes later we're on his tail, 4 pipes V12?. We pass him at 140 and Billy didn't let up till the speedo maxed out around 160. More pucker prints. 
.

[chevyconvert]

The only Mopar I was personally exposed to (convert remember) was my Moms '72 4-dr. Fury III? I was about 17 at the time.
It was a big 'ol boat, but kinda cool with the hide-away headlights.(always liked those).
Anyways it had a 360 and whenever she let me drive it I'd flip the air cleaner lid over so the intake would howl.
One day I was driving it when I came across one of my best buddies and a friend driving in his cool 350 Monte Carlo.
So as were cruisin' along we even them up and we both punch 'em at the same time.
It was fairly even at first, but I did pull away which surprised all of us considering the size of the car.
I always thought one of those fury's with a 440 and two doors would be pretty cool with the hide-aways.