Nitro with Lambos

A car is much more than a way of transportation to me. It’s my way of feeling young again, and being 67 years young, there’s not much out there that can do so. From my first car to my current car, I’ve always added parts to them to make heads turn. But with the 2007 Dodge Nitro I own now, I wanted to do more than turn heads, I wanted to make people take another look. That’s when the ideas began flowing and it seemed like with every part, large or small, it was getting more attention. And here I am today, writing you this letter in hopes that this car of my dreams has the potential to make it into your magazine. From the 22-inch shinning chrome wheels to the Lambo doors, this car grabs attention.
Warren Isserlis
Bath, Pa.

1968 Road Runner … Again

I ordered this 1968 Road Runner the summer after my freshman year in college. I drove it two years and sold it when I ordered a 1970 Plymouth 340 Duster. Twenty-four years later, in 1994, I found my Road Runner sitting in a Quonset hut in a town about 160 miles from where I live. A title search revealed that it had 15 owners but had spent its whole life in my home state of South Dakota. It had been used as a drag car, named Mr. Savage, and had gone through many changes from the time I originally owned it. The engine had been bored .060" over. It had a pretty radical Crane Cam, and 12.5:1 pistons had been installed. Two four-barrels sat atop the 383 engine. The four-speed had been yanked in favor of an automatic. The interior had been gutted except for the front bench seat. Stuffed in the back were 4.88 gears. The trunk had been cut out, the fuel tank removed and a fuel cell was bolted in its place. And as you can see it was painted yellow. My college parking sticker was still on the back bumper. It took about 18 months to get it back the way I remembered in 1968. I work for a Chrysler dealership and so does the salesman that originally sold me the car. And, yes, he did go with me when I bought the car back. Now I wonder whatever happened to my 1970 Duster!
Rich Shangreaux
Pierre, S.D.

Dusting his Classmates

My 11th grade auto mechanics teacher agreed to let me put a 440 engine in my Duster. Needless to say, I had the fastest car in high school. The $475 Duster sure didn’t look as sharp as it does today, but I’ve driven it since 1981. I traded a transmission overhaul for a paint job, plus I traded two old 440 engines for a Max Wedge top end. I rebuilt the motor, which is a stock block and crank with aluminum rods and stock Max Wedge heads, plus an intake with a 400-horsepower shot of NOS. All weighing in at 3,500 pounds. She can be a gentle ben or a mad max, just a matter of throttle position. This car will run 5.90s with slicks on a 1/8 mile track.
Kevin Jones
Via e-mail

What is Mopar®?

My boss, Ed Ashe, owner of Jacky Jones Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep® in Hayesville, N.C., is literally Mopar® crazy. Ed eats, drinks and breathes Mopar. I’ve never seen anyone get so excited about a car. The first car show he took me to I had to ask, “What is Mopar?” Now after going to work for him I’ve finally learned what Mopar really is! Currently he has the following cars in his Mopar collection: 1969 Plymouth Road Runner, 2008 Dodge Challenger, 1970 Dodge Dart Swinger, 1970 Plymouth GTX and a 2000 Dodge Viper GTS ACR.
Jodie Martin
Hayesville, N.C.

Dodge Charger … And Them Some

I have a 2006 Dodge Charger that I started building in December of 2006. Just about everything has been changed or modified. I’ve stripped the door molding and emblems off, and tried to mix the old school with the new. I switched my seats from the R/T gray leather to black 300C SRT8® seats. I was recently sponsored by Boston Acoustics and they sent me a car load of their top equipment that’s now being installed. I’ve upgraded to a custom ground cam and 6.1L valve springs. I’ve also installed an SRT8 hood and rear bumper, new KW V1 adjustable coilovers, Hotchkis sway bars, MHT wheels, high intensity discharge headlights with blue halo lights, custom front and rear spoilers, and pistol grip shifter. I’ve also put in LSD Lambo doors. The list goes on and on.
Bryan Fuller
Colbert, Wash.