The Magnificent Seven

The best of the best. The cream of the crop. They’re the 2007 Mopar Top Eliminator winners.

Mopar developed the year-long 2007 Top Eliminator program to recognize the most passionate and skilled Mopar enthusiasts and their restored or modified cars. Thousands of cars were considered. Only seven were chosen.

The seven winners and their vehicles attended the 2007 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas on Oct. 30–Nov. 2, with the cars displayed in the Mopar Alley at the SEMA show. Mopar Performance Parts chose winners at four events in 2007, with a Mopar Top Eliminator named at the Autorama in Detroit in March; Mopars at the Strip in Las Vegas, held on March 30–April 1; the Chryslers at Carlisle in Carlisle, Pa., held on July 6–8; and the Mopar Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, which took place on Aug. 11–13. In addition, the editors of Mopar Muscle, Mopar Action and Mopar Collector’s Guide each picked one Mopar Top Eliminator winner.

The winners run the gamut from a 17-year-old Eagle Scout to a Greek immigrant. But the diverse group has at least two things in common: a true passion for restoring and modifying their classic Mopar cars and true joy at being named a Mopar Top Eliminator.

“It was huge,” said Mark Halbach of the honor. Halbach was chosen by the editors of Mopar Muscle. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I really enjoyed it and loved the overall experience. Seeing all the people streaming by day after day, and commenting in a positive way about what you’ve pored your heart and soul into was a really neat experience. It was neat for Mopar to do that, and to recognize the smaller guys throughout the U.S. for what they have been doing with their cars.”

“I never thought that my car would be displayed at SEMA,” said Gaisbacher, the young 17-year-old enthusiast chosen by Mopar Performance Parts at Chryslers at Carlisle. “The publicity that this car is getting is just amazing. When I type in my name on the Internet, pictures come up of the car. We have people calling up telling me that my car is in this magazine, in that magazine. It’s really neat, and I’m really honored that Mopar picked me. It was a big deal for me.”

“The 2007 Mopar Top Eliminator program was a tremendous success, as the quality of cars we had on display at the show drew a great deal of attention from the thousands of SEMA attendees that walked through the Mopar Alley,” said David Hakim, Program Manager, Mopar Performance Parts. “The owners of these vintage Mopar muscle cars were like proud parents as they fielded many questions about their cars.

“We wanted to identify true, passionate enthusiasts who put their heart and soul into a project—people who do much of the work themselves. We think their vehicles truly represent the ‘Mopar’ brand.”

That they do. So without any further ado, let’s meet each of the seven 2007 Mopar Top Eliminator winners.

MATT GAISBACHER

Gaisbacher, of Charleroi, Pa., wasn’t even alive when the car he restored rolled off the assembly line. That didn’t stop the 17-year-old from falling in love with and restoring a 1973 Plymouth Barracuda.

In the summer of 2005, Gaisbacher bought the ’73 ‘Cuda because he liked its sleek and smooth styling and also because he didn’t want an import tuner like his friends. Gaisbacher works at the family business, Russell’s Body & Frame Service, and did most of the restoration himself with guidance from his father and shop employees. He completed the two-year restoration on June 2, 2007, just in time for Chryslers at Carlisle.

The ‘Cuda was originally built with a 340 cubic-inch V-8 and four-speed transmission. However, the vehicle no longer had its original motor or transmission. So, rather than restore it to its original condition, Gaisbacher converted to a 451 low-deck stroker motor with a four-speed overdrive transmission. The 400 cid engine has a 440 crank, Eagle H beam rods, Ross pistons, Edelbrock Performer RPM heads with a Mopar Performance dual-plane intake, COMP Cams valve train, Edelbrock Performer carburetor and Mopar Performance electronic ignition.

The ‘Cuda’s 75,000 odometer miles under harsh northern climate conditions had caused severe rust damage to its quarter panels, fenders, doors and cowl that needed repair. The door panels, carpet, headliner and dash were still in good condition. On the exterior, Gaisbacher’s most significant changes included: barbed wire grille inserts, flush-mounted turn signals on the front bumper, shaved bumper guards and side marker lights. He removed the trunk- and door-chrome trim and added FOOSE Nitrous Two wheels and a smooth lower rear valance. On the interior, Legendary Auto Interiors assisted Gaisbacher with custom-upholstered, two-tone black/charcoal ‘Cuda seats. Redline Gauge Works made a custom silver-faced gauge cluster.

ROB LELAKOWSKI

Buckeye, Ariz., resident Rob Lelakowski restored a rare 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T that he displayed at Mopars at the Strip in Las Vegas. His labor of love was chosen by Mopar Performance Parts as the second winner of the Mopar Top Eliminator award.

“This Coronet was and is a true ‘muscle’ car in every sense of the word,” said Lelakowski. “She caught my eye immediately and I enjoyed every hour it took restoring her.”Purchased from a friend in 1999, Lelakowski’s goal was to restore the Coronet to its original stock form. Over the last two years, the complete disassembly took most weekends. He knew his biggest challenge would be finding all the ‘67 parts he needed for the restoration; one really rare find was the white plastic windshield wiper motor cover.

The Coronet’s exterior is distinctive. It glides on its redline radials—with the “red” accenting the R/T’s “red” emblem above the quarter panel. All the body panels are original and were rust free. Endless hours went into refurbishing the stainless steel and chrome accents. Best of all, the Coronet came with four rare wheel covers made of simulated magnesium.

The Coronet’s 440 Magnum® engine pushes 375 ponies with 480 lb-ft of torque. The 727 automatic transmission delivers power to the 8 3/4 rear end with 3.23:1 sure grip. Lelakowski’s restoration included one exception to the original Coronet: power steering, to accompany the vehicle’s power brakes. He did save all the original manual steering components so he could change it back quickly—to please the ultimate purists.

DON PETCO

Don Petco of Shelby Township, Mich., was named a Mopar Top Eliminator by Mopar Performance Parts when he displayed his restored and rare 1964 Dodge Ramcharger 330 at the Autorama in Detroit in March 2007. The honor was especially dear to Petco, who grew up with strong Chrysler roots.

“I’m very excited. It’s a pretty rare car,” said Petco. “My father worked at Chrysler for 30 years. When I was 13 … I sat in an original ‘64 Dodge Ramcharger Super Stock car with the HEMI®. I told myself that someday I would own one.”

One of approximately 50 original factory lightweight 1964 Dodge 330 “Package” cars with a 426 HEMI engine, the front end and doors were stamped in aluminum to make the car lighter to dominate in Super Stock. Petco’s restoration was a complete disassembly. The interior and exterior were blasted and painted. He painstakingly detailed each replacement piece during the vehicle’s construction. Performance and rear suspension upgrades (ladder bar with adjustable coil over shocks), wheels and tires and a roll cage for safety are the only departures from the original.

In 1989, Petco sold the car to a friend, and soon came to regret it.

“Then I spent the next 11 years trying to get him to sell it back to me,” he said.

Petco ran the Ramcharger with its original motor, clocking in at the quarter mile in 9.59 sec. doing 137 mph. Now, he’s installed a HEMI stroker that displaces 526 cubic inches, churning 820 horsepower and 730 lb-ft of torque, and he can’t wait to see how it times at the quarter-mile!

MIKE EGE

Mike Ege of Cornelius, N.C. purchased his 1969 Dodge Dart Swinger 340 from his parents in 1974 on his 16th birthday. Thirty-three years later he displayed the restored car at the Mopar Nationals in Columbus, Ohio in August, where he was named a Mopar Top Eliminator winner by Mopar Performance Parts.

From 1974 to 1977, Ege was a regular Friday night cruiser on “E” Street in San Bernardino, Calif. He and his wife even had their first date in the car in 1982. After putting the Dart in storage in 1989, he began its restoration in 2003.

The term “the real McCoy” takes on a whole new meaning for Ege’s restoration. He calls the two-year project, “rotisserie restoration.” His goal was to turn back the clock to 1969. Every effort was made to restore the Dart to “OE/Factory” specifications—the way the dealer would have received the Dart after it rolled off the assembly line. He used very few reproduction parts on the Dart. If new-old-stock (NOS) parts weren’t available [factory parts built by the original manufacturer], then he used a high-quality reproduction part.

His attention to detail paid off. At the 2006 Mopar Nationals in Columbus, the vehicle won Best of Show—the first “A” body to realize that achievement. It also was awarded O.E. Gold certification—only the second “A” body vehicle to achieve that status.

A Mopar fan since 1966 when his father started racing Plymouth and Dodge cars, Ege estimates the restoration cost him over $100,000.

MARK HALBACH

Halbach, of Janesville, Iowa, who transformed a 1970 Plymouth HEMI 340 ‘Cuda into a HEMICudzter, chose the car because he believes the “E” body has timeless Mopar body lines and was the pinnacle of American muscle cars. He also wanted to apply modern technology and ingenuity to a ‘70 ‘Cuda. “When I first saw Mark’s ‘HEMICudzter, I was immediately drawn to the fact that he had created a beautiful, modernized muscle car,” said Randy Bolig, editor of Mopar Muscle. “The attention to detail and the overall package creates exactly the kind of ‘modernized classic Mopar’ that any enthusiast can really enjoy.”

Halbach purchased the car in 2000 and began the ‘Cuda-to-HEMICudzter transformation in 2002. His original minor modifications soon spiraled into a hardcore “restomod.” Every part of the car’s interior and exterior is new, fabricated, rebuilt or customized down to the polished stainless steel bolts. Halbach even smoothed and sprayed clear coat on the undercarriage of the car.

To increase the “wow” factor, he built a removable, rubber-sealed roadster hard top. He originally dropped in a 5.7-liter HEMI engine to give it power. Then in the middle of the project, Mopar announced a 6.1-liter HEMI motor. He then upgraded to the 6.1 and mated it to a Tremec five-speed transmission for 430 horsepower. He also fitted it with a custom side exhaust.

GEORGE SERGAKIS

George Sergakis arrived in America from Crete, Greece in 1973. The first car the Grand Island, N.Y. resident bought was a used ‘71 ‘Cuda. He sold it in 1976 but never forgot it. In his mind, the “E” body was one of the finest vehicles ever made. So he bought and restored a rare 1971 Plymouth ‘Cuda 440-6 BBL, which was chosen as the Mopar Top Eliminator award winner by the editors of Mopar Collector’s Guide.

“George sees his ‘Cuda as his realization of achieving the American dream,” said Robert Wolf, editor of Mopar Collector’s Guide. “Couple that with the significance of his car being the last ‘71 Six Barrel ‘Cuda built and you see why George was, hands down, my pick for Mopar Top Eliminator this year.”

One of only 108 produced with this engine/transmission combination, the vehicle had 54,000 miles on the odometer when he purchased it in 1992. When it was new, the car was ordered as a sleeper street fighter with the nickname “Thunder 71.” It’s still known by that name in upstate New York. It took him nearly 3 1/2 years to restore it to exact factory/assembly line specifications.

The original 440 cid engine with three 2 BBL Holley carburetors churns out 385 hp and 490 lb-ft of torque. All internal components are Mopar Performance restoration parts.

ROBERT MOTZ

Robert Motz of Holland, Ohio, restored a 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T and was chosen by the editors of Mopar Action as a Top Eliminator winner. Motz thought the ‘70 Dodge Challenger had the best styling of any muscle car on the road—back then and now. His son agreed and joined him in the restoration project, which took nearly five years.

When he bought it, the car had no motor or transmission. There was a lot of work to be done. He then went to work on the body including new sheet metal, hood and bumpers. Using the vehicle’s body lines, he painted it a combination of candy apple red and black cherry, and painted “550 HEMI” in a variegated “old school” gold leaf on the side of the hood and on the body lines. For the interior, he first designed a black and red interior and later changed to leather and suede.

The motor is a Keith Black aluminum block with Mopar Performance aluminum heads, and a Crane roller cam and valve train components. It has a 1250 dominator with a 500 hp NOS Proshot fogger, producing 810 horsepower. It has a Keisler five-speed transmission with a Lakewood bell housing and hydraulic clutch. It also features an aluminum drive shaft and custom-built air cleaner.