Re: Mopar Nats- The Early Days, Pics and Stories 1981-1984
[Re: hemicar1971]
#777199
08/19/10 09:45 PM
08/19/10 09:45 PM
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Posts: 3,624 Fort Worth, Texas
xs29j8
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Quote:
XS29 do you have any pictures at the drag strip in Milan or St.Louis. That is were my car spent all its time. At the Chrysler Proving Grounds I just left it on the trailer.
As P1970 said, those were the days when paint dabs did not matter and having fun did.
I took about 20-25 pictures of the actual racing at Mid-America during the 1982 St Louis meet. I gave two prints to a friend that raced his car there, and most of the rest to Bob Fink, a former owner (?) of the track. I should still have the negatives somewhere, its just a matter of locating them!
Also, I guess you are talking about the 1985 Mopar Nats in Chelsea/Milan? I probably do have some racing pictures, but I will have to find them to check and see. I was fairly heavily involved with the NHOA during that period, so I might have been tied up a lot doing club tasks during that Mopar Nats/NHOA National Meet. I'll have a look when I get a chance... all the Mopar Nats & NHOA Nationals from back then are mostly blurred together for me now...
The next pic is the following Challenger T/A closing up on us...
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Re: Mopar Nats- The Early Days, Pics and Stories 1981-1984
[Re: xs29j8]
#777203
08/19/10 10:04 PM
08/19/10 10:04 PM
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Posts: 5,128 Chicago Blackhawks
hemicar1971
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XS29 pictures you took of the 1970 Hemi Coronet Convt. from the back with all the other cars looks like a pictures from one of the early National Hemi Owners meets that was not at the CCCC event. Yes Most of the first shows all seem to blur into each other and while there was the St.Louis event there also was one in Michigan.
I remember the show when Steve Lisk made some impressive passes in his street drive Challenger. Reminded me of my Challenger in the all out race days.
1971 HEMI E BODY REGISTRY
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Re: Mopar Nats- The Early Days, Pics and Stories 1981-1984
[Re: CJK440]
#777204
08/19/10 10:25 PM
08/19/10 10:25 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 943 Mopar World Headquarters
P1970HeMICuDA
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Quote:
What I find hard to grasp is bringing a '71 Cuda to the '81 Mopar Nats would be like bringing a 2000 model today.
Pretty wild, Huh? well, you have to remember pretty much the only thing that you could buy from '75-81 was a Z28 or Trans Am, and they weren't hot as far as big motors and horsepower, and lacked the serious cool factor that these old Mopars have. Ford had nothing and Mopar was pretty pathetic, unless you wanted a truck.
Everybody knew at that point in time that these cars were becoming collectible, and would sooner buy a 10 year old Mopar instead of a new car, I know I did - the rest is History......
1970 Hemi Challenger that spoke French...
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Re: Mopar Nats- The Early Days, Pics and Stories 1981-1984
[Re: xs29j8]
#777205
08/19/10 10:34 PM
08/19/10 10:34 PM
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Posts: 3,624 Fort Worth, Texas
xs29j8
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On I-35 in southern Oklahoma, we are over-taken by a 440 "Six Pack" equipped 1969 GTX owned by a guy from Fort Worth who had attended the St Louis meet. His GTX had "highway gears", and he was cruising faster than the "10 over" we were running... and he wanted to play! Without a CB , cell phone, or other communications... our first sign of trouble was seeing a Rallye Red streak approaching, followed by the out-gunned GTX. But, the GTX had a trump card, road gears (2.76 or 3.23?)... while the `Cuda had 4.10s. And the GTX owner seemed ready to keep trying, regardless of speeding tickets, car impound risks, or dangers of running 120+ on I-35.
When they first blew by, I ran the GTX up to about 100 to "say hello" to our new friend, but quickly decided that I wanted to retain possession of the GTX... so I just as quickly backed back out of it. The `Cuda played with him for a couple goes at it, but then wisely backed on out too. He saw that the cards were stacked against him, and it wasn't worth getting the `Cuda impounded or breaking the Hemi. The acceleration differential had been demonstrated, now it was endurance differential's turn!
I remember having 4-5 pics of the encounter, but so far have found only this one showing the `Cuda & GTX closing up on Ken and I... hopefully I will find the others soon.
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Re: Mopar Nats- The Early Days, Pics and Stories 1981-1984
[Re: CJK440]
#777207
08/19/10 11:29 PM
08/19/10 11:29 PM
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Posts: 10,030 Wisconsin
Aero426
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Quote:
What I find hard to grasp is bringing a '71 Cuda to the '81 Mopar Nats would be like bringing a 2000 model today.
Not really, and I'll tell you why. By 1981, muscle cars were so far removed from what was on the road, they already felt "old" and "special". Maybe we pounded on them a little more, but we didn't feel a whole lot different than we feel about them today. As you know, 1971 to 1981 was a downward spiral of craptastic cars that we had not yet emerged from. The muscle era was so far removed from what was being sold. You can't say that about 2000 to 2010. For the most part, they are just appliances.
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Re: Mopar Nats- The Early Days, Pics and Stories 1981-1984
[Re: hemicar1971]
#777208
08/20/10 12:47 AM
08/20/10 12:47 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,624 Fort Worth, Texas
xs29j8
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Quote:
XS29 pictures you took of the 1970 Hemi Coronet Convt. from the back with all the other cars looks like a pictures from one of the early National Hemi Owners meets that was not at the CCCC event. Yes Most of the first shows all seem to blur into each other and while there was the St.Louis event there also was one in Michigan.
No, I am absolutely certain the 1970 Hemi R/T was at St Louis in 1982 at the 2nd Annual CCCC event. In addition to my own clear recollection about the car being the "talk of the show", I have photographic proof at both the race track & headquarters hotel...
First at the track, the same line-up of cars facing the same directions. The 024/TC3 FWD car behind Kevin Kelleher's 71 Hemi `Cuda, behind the B5 Blue GTX, nose-to-nose with the FE5 Hemi `Cuda with the race track in the background...
Why do you believe that it was not at the 1982 CCCC?
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Re: Mopar Nats- The Early Days, Pics and Stories 1981-1984
[Re: xs29j8]
#777210
08/20/10 01:15 AM
08/20/10 01:15 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,624 Fort Worth, Texas
xs29j8
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Last post for the night... three of the various CCCC member club logos & decals from that period, except the 4 inch NHOA Participant which was later in the 1980s... Maybe some could post RTS logos... I believe they are a variant of the old Plymouth RTS logo design... anyone remember what other clubs were involved? Goodnight all...
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Re: Mopar Nats- The Early Days, Pics and Stories 1981-1984
[Re: xs29j8]
#777211
08/20/10 08:07 AM
08/20/10 08:07 AM
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 21,942 Enjoy life today, It has an ex...
gtx6970
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
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Enjoy life today, It has an ex...
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I remember the bronze 1970 R/T Hemi car well. the 1st time in Chelsea and then again in St louis , but never saw it again until it showed up in the Otis Chandler collection book. At first I thought it was the 1 built US car , then found out about 1 each US , Canadian( this one) and the export car( sublime one) afaik, The US spec is still un-acounted for.
back in the early days you didn't see many trailers as most people drove them in
Enjoy life today, It has an expiration date
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Re: Mopar Nats- The Early Days, Pics and Stories 1981-1984
[Re: xs29j8]
#777214
08/20/10 09:55 AM
08/20/10 09:55 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,128 Chicago Blackhawks
hemicar1971
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XS29 I believe the Coronet was in St.Louis that year. I believe there were 580 participants at the show and quite a few made the long drive from Ontario. The Hemi Coronet was from Ontario and not far from my place. Might even see the old Ontario owner this weekend if I go to New Hamburg Car Show this Weekend in Kitchener Ontario.
I asked about the picture you posted with the back shot of the Hemi Coronet because Anatol V. showed me one from the first or second NHOA meet that looks quite similar. You will remember Anatol, he is back in the game with another Hemi to race.
I believe that there were now Three 1970 Hemi Coronet Convertables built.
1971 HEMI E BODY REGISTRY
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