What do YOU like about the MoPars?

[JollySipper]

I've always had a soft spot (not in my brain, mind you......) for the '55 thru about '75 Mopes. They had a unique way about them that kind of made them stand out from the crowd. Some of the styling of a lot of the cars was bold and "special" in it's own right. Like the '66 Monaco........ pretty mundane in it's day, but tell me this isn't a sharp car! and it's tough to beat those funky tail lights.......

So tell us what you like about the old Chrysler products.....................

[Ace-Garageguy]

First American "big-three" manufacturer with a production "hemi" engine, "unibody" construction and torsion-bar front suspension. Most of their engines were pretty well bulletproof, and the 727 TorqueFlite is one of the all-time greatest transmissions in the known universe. Their early Virgil Exner space-ship styling was interesting too, to say the least, and some of my all-time-favorite show cars are the 1950s collaborations with Ghia...

And then there's the turbine cars...          

Kinda hard to top this for pure class too...   

Edited February 23, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[High octane]

I've always liked Mopars as it seems as though there are way less Mopar enthusiasts than say Chevy or Ford guys. Mopars are very different in their own way and the cars are set apart from the Chevys & Fords. I've owned a couple of Mopars and the engines are very stout with a lot of power and the 727 automatics are almost "bulletproof," except when age catches up to them. The Mopar car bodies have their own look compared to the Ford & GM products, especially the cars from the 60's.

[CometMan]

Mopar styling always stood apart from Ford and GM. Also, you can recognize the sound of a Mopar starting from a mile away!

[Dodge Driver]

In the area I live in, muscle-era Mopars are and have always been a rarity. When I see one today I get the same thrill I did when I was a kid. It never gets old.

[disabled modeler]

Beautiful Monaco..!   Me years ago i worked for a Chrysler dealer and grew up with many cool ones in the family I hope to make replicas of someday in scale.  I like all brands they all have something to offer but Chryslers Hemi engine...the big bodied classy cars of the 60s/70s have a style all their own.  Here is a few the family owned over the years...

65,66 Monaco

65,66,67,68,72 Fury and 68 wagon

72,74,75 Dodge pickups and vans

65,66,68 Chrysler 300

76? Aspen R/T

69,74 Charger

68 Imperial

67,69? Newport/Newyorker

83 Rampage 2+2

60 Desoto wagon with hemi

 

 

[iamsuperdan]

I'm not specifically a Mopar guy. Or a Ford guy or a GM guy. I'm just a car guy. I appreciate all of it.

 

But there is something about the late 60s Mopars that I dig. The Charger, the GTX. Would do many illegal and immoral things for a Superbird or Charger Daytona.

[DaveM]

When I was a kid I liked Mopars because they were loud, fast and came in wild colors.  Forty years later, I have matured a bit.  I now appreciate old Mopars because they were well styled, loud, fast and came in bright colors!  The fact that my family all drove Chrysler products  didn't hurt either.  My Grandfather worked as an electrician in the old Jefferson Avenue Plant during the late 1920s, so Chrysler was pretty much the only thing  we owned when I was growing up.  I went through Grade School riding in a 1968 Fury, Middle School riding in a 1976 Volare Wagon and High School riding in a really rusted out Volare Wagon.  (Other things were a bit more important than a new car at that time.)    '80s and later Mopars were terrible.  Front wheel drive cars always have more mechanical problems than their RWD brethren, and Mopars seemed to make unreliability a standard feature.  Once Mopar had to get bailed out in the '70s, they kind of lost it for me.  My first new car was a K car, and I regretted it.  I was ready to trade it in on a Mustang, but my girlfriend decided we wanted a Neon.  Big Mistake!  I think that car was what caused me to ditch her, but I never could get rid of that stupid Neon.  It was the most unreliable thing I have ever owned.  I finally sold it for scrap 20 years later with less than 30k on the clock.  When the Government went to bail them out again, I was screaming , "Let them die!" at the top of my lungs.   Now, I am a Ford guy, but I would consider a G.M., Toyota or any other non Chrysler product for a new car.  As for the old stuff, I still like my Hemis, 440s, Six Packs, wild colors, and pretty much anything pre malaise era.  As we speak, I have a 1967 Charger and a 1955 Chryser 300 on the model bench with a '71 Duster and Charger waiting in the wings.  I still like building the little Mopars.

[Snake45]

I'm not specifically a Mopar guy. Or a Ford guy or a GM guy. I'm just a car guy. I appreciate all of it.

 

Pretty much my story. I guess I lean toward GM, mainly Chevy, but they all made cool cars back in the muscle era. I'm partial to almost all Barracudas and the '68-'69 B bodies, though.

[iamsuperdan]

When I was a teen and learning to drive in the late 80s, my parents were definite Mopar people. Dad had a dark green '77 Fury that was an ex-police cruiser. Mom was driving a dark brown 1978 Fury Sport Suburban wagon. That's what I learned to drive on. And learned to parellel park with, which explains why I'm so good at it now!

We also had a 1968 Fury III convertible in triple white. Would have been my first car, but my parents felt that a convertible would have been a dumb first car, especially living here in semi-northern Canada! 

Yup, three Furys in the garage at the same time.

The sedan was sold and replaced with a new Chevy Spectrum. The wagon was replaced with an AWD Subaru Loyale wagon. 

[NYLIBUD]

Well you heard a million times,Mopar,or no car.But I do like mostly all cars.Its just that Mopars had a special place.for meThey were out there,and powerful,fast cars...Not to mention them being complete head turners,even back in the 60s-70s..Mopar used the wildest colors,logos,and decals on their cars.The Road Runner for one.The car line workers,or whom ever was involved in building these icons of automobiles,must of had a great time.Young engineers,striving for more HP,and to distract the other guys on the road.My favorite Mopar,is 1970 Road Runner,and the GTX.I just love Mopars.I mean come on,a bench seat with a pistol grip shifter...You can't get better than that Chargers,Darts,Cudas,Superbirds,Daytonas ,Dusters,Demons,Charger 500,or any charger.You got to love them all..Ah but spring is right around the corner.Can't wait to see them all on cruise nights..Actually on Long Island,NY,there are a group of loyal guys,who want to build another drag track back on LI..."Long Island Needs A Drag Strip"

Edited February 24, 2017 by NYLIBUD

[dieseldawg142]

...

 

 

Edited May 10, 2018 by dieseldawg142

[StevenGuthmiller]

Styling!

Chrysler was never afraid to push the envelope in the styling department, especially in the late 50s & early 60s.

Sometimes they missed the mark on that, but they weren't afraid to let it all hang out!

By the time the muscle car era rolled around, they were no longer "funky", they were just down right beautiful!!

I've just grown to really love some of the "ugly duckling" styling that Mopar did back in the early 60s.

Compared to this in 1960, I just get the feeling that Ford & GM weren't quite trying hard enough!

 

Steve

 

 

[MrObsessive]

As others have said it comes down to STYLING! Mopars are probably the first cars I became familiar with since I was brought home from the hospital in a 1955 Plymouth Savoy. A two door hardtop that my Dad owned for the first few years after I came along, to be replaced by a '57 Plymouth Belvedere. 

Dad was a diehard Mopar man as well as that's all he would own for many years, and I remember him telling me he liked them because they always outperformed the others (his opinion ).

You gotta remember that Chrysler became the benchmark for others to follow after they came out with their STUNNING '57 line. They so shocked the automotive world, that I have to wonder would GM's '59 line of cars looked the way they did had it not been for Chrysler's '57's? Or would Ford have done the same for 1960?

[MrObsessive]

'80s and later Mopars were terrible.  Front wheel drive cars always have more mechanical problems than their RWD brethren, and Mopars seemed to make unreliability a standard feature.  Once Mopar had to get bailed out in the '70s, they kind of lost it for me.  My first new car was a K car, and I regretted it.  I was ready to trade it in on a Mustang, but my girlfriend decided we wanted a Neon.  Big Mistake!  I think that car was what caused me to ditch her, but I never could get rid of that stupid Neon.  It was the most unreliable thing I have ever owned.  I finally sold it for scrap 20 years later with less than 30k on the clock.  When the Government went to bail them out again, I was screaming , "Let them die!" at the top of my lungs.   Now, I am a Ford guy, but I would consider a G.M., Toyota or any other non Chrysler product for a new car. 

The switch to FWD platforms IMO is what started the really dark days of the auto industry back in the early '80's. VERY disappointing styling as that took a back seat to "economy". I think FWD is what nearly killed Cadillac along with other blunders like their TERRIBLE diesels and the totally non functioning V8-6-4 engines. Remember those??

While cars look better today obviously than they did back in the early '80's (I know----styling is subjective), I'm still not a fan of anything FWD. I can't stand that "too close to the front door" wheel placement many cars have, not to mention the bad ergonomics inside for me as I'm over 6 ft. I'll take a RWD car any day over FWD.

 

[Sixties Sam]

I always liked the weird styling of the early 60's Mopars, especially the 62 Dart. Early Valiants were cool, too!

Sam

[PARTSMARTY]

That is probably the easiest question in the world to answer.i'm in auto parts and have been for 44 years-parts stores-dealer parts even about 30 yrs. with g.m,. dealers.I still like a little of everything but in muscle I'm a stoned mopar freak-nothing compares-nothing comes close-lol.

Edited February 25, 2017 by PARTSMARTY

[GLMFAA1]

Had a 76 Dodge Ramcharger, 1st new car that I owned, loved the 'singing' starter and having the extra ballast resistor in the glove box

greg

[JollySipper]

Had a 76 Dodge Ramcharger, 1st new car that I owned, loved the 'singing' starter and having the extra ballast resistor in the glove box

greg

I had a '74 Dart as my first car, every 6 months it would burn up the ballast resistor, so I can relate! 

[10thumbs]

They had a definite distinct styling.  Take a look at DeSotos and Chrysler 300, a couple of Imperials....well some other fin jobs as well.  Strong statement.

The 62 to 65 Mopars are above all the rest.  Oh Lord, give me a post door Mopar....with a bad-azzed motor.  Heavenly.

Let's talk SBC.  Watch 'em run away when we write SBM. 

383. 426. 340. 440. 360.  These are numbers owned by Mopar.

The motors are good and strong.  Not easy to build, and you can't buy cams from Walgreens either.  Go by the books, you don't need to go wild....they will run very well.  Build them by the books and stay focused, you will have the better motor.  Chebbie guys love cams.  Mopar guys do the heads first, then choose the right Chrysler cam for the performance they want.  Go roller too, lots of fun there.

I've owned, and had several small blocks built in older type cars (65 Valiant), that just whooped all over anything else. Period.  The car was insane.  Stock parts.

 

[MrObsessive]

 

I've owned, and had several small blocks built in older type cars (65 Valiant), that just whooped all over anything else. Period.  The car was insane.  Stock parts.

At one time my Dad had a 1965 Dart GT convertible with the 273 and 3 on the tree. I tell you what.......from a standing start that sucker would literally snap your head and throw you back into your seat! I had read somewhere that of all the small block V8's made in the '60's, the Mopars had the quickest 0-60 times of all for their cars. 

I can believe it!

[JollySipper]

Bill, was that the same 273 that they put in the Formula S Barracuda? I believe they had "wedge" heads and big valves...........

[NYLIBUD]

EVERYTHING!!!!.Again Mopar,or no car.

 

 

[Snake45]

EVERYTHING!!!!.Again Mopar,or no car.

 

 

 

 

 

Is that one of the pre-painteds? I have one of those around here somewhere and I think it's about the same color.

I really dig that murdered-out Dart, too. I gotta build something like that--very very soon!

[redneckrigger]

I have always loved the sound of a hot Mopar engine.................nothing quite like it, and recognizable across town. When I was growing up, they were the hottest cars around.........69 Road Runners, GTX's, 70 'Cudas and Challengers, Dusters, Chargers etc.........awesome. My only foray into Chrysler products in the 1:1 world though has been trucks, and a couple jeeps. I had a  two year old former Forest Service 74 Dodge W100 that was on death's door when I got it, and it never failed me as I wrung another several more years out of it. I then traded it in on a new '80 W200 and rode her hard and put her away wet, and even rolled it on it's roof before it was a year old. I fixed it and kept that one for about 5 years until I traded it in on a GMC K3500. I ran a garage, and several years later took an '89 Cherokee in lieu of payment on a bill. That old girl ran well, but the electrical gremlins in her were epic. I finally sent that one to the next owner VERY happily. After having two almost bulletproof Dodge trucks, I decided to try a new one in 2006, with an '06 Ram 2500. Wow, power out the ears with the Hemi, but the rest of the truck was like the Cherokee times 100 and then some. Electrical issues, smog system failures, rusting EVERYTHING, exhaust manifolds rusted and fell off three times, two A/C blend controls at $900 each, a rear end, 10 u-joints, all calipers and rotors, fuel pump, injectors, coils, entire lighting system, tailgate latch, rot through both 1/4 panels, and finally the oil pan rusted out from the inside...................was removing the drain plug and the entire bottom of the oil pan ripped out. Sure drained that oil fast though! Dumped that POS at 62000 miles, and just 6 years old, and the brake system failed the day I traded it in! She cost me $8500 in out of pocket, non warranty repairs the last 12 months I had her. Won't EVER own a Chrysler product again. But the memories of those screaming Mopars, (especially those $%@^!&@#**! 340 Dusters that seemed to always beat our '67 GTO in the Sunday drags!!), will always make the grief I've had as an owner of Mopars be a little less painful!