When did you get your first E-Body?

[Swamp Donkey]

I bought a 73 Cuda when I was 16 in 1990.  Never did drive it.  In fact, it never had an engine. Was going to take an engine out of my Duster and put it in the Cuda.  Then that 73 Cuda ended up as a parts car.  Because I bought the current car that I now have when I was 18 in 1992.  I drove the current car for one summer and it is still awaiting a little TCL to get it on the road.  2024!!  I'm going to get it done. 

I wish i had pictures from way back then.  I just asked my wife just now if there are any pictures at all of me and my car.  Sadly there are none.  We were just dating for about 4 or 5 months when I got my car in 1992.  Still have the car and my wife, so it's all good. 

[GoodysGotaCuda]

Still have mine, picked it up in 2004, I was 17 at the time. 

[71vert340]

 I bought my convertible in June 1972 for $1950 at the age of 19. I still enjoy driving it. I had to sell my 1966 Impala to afford it.
Terry

[Blake@diyhemi.com]

My first was in 2011 when I was around 27.

1973 340 Cuda 727 slapstick
A5 silver
Black vinyl top
Black side stripe
Cloth and vinyl interior
AC car

It was a complete basket case, so it wound up being a parts car to a car I bought a year later

1973 318 Barracuda
FE5 red
Very early 73 made on first day of 73 production in 1972
Little to no options


Third was my 1970 Gran Coupe in February 2013
FY4 Citroen Mist
P6XY black and gold interior
Power windows
AC


Now on my 4th E Body at 35 years old
1970 AAR Cuda


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[cudaragtop]

1986 - 72 318 Barracuda. Baby Blue, Black vinyl top, B5 interior, console. $500
The next year, 1987, I bought my 70 Cuda 340 4-speed Convertible. $5800

[7E-Bodies]

I was 19. The year was 1980. I was driving a Chevy Monza (I'm sorry) , my first car. A buddy had a JH23C0B in gold, black interior. 47,000 miles. Sold it to me for $900 I think. Gateway drug was then in my blood. I'm now on E #9. Wish I still had that car. Oh the memories.

[ec_co]

after 20 years of convincing, in 2013 my dad agreed to gift me his '70 /6 Barracuda that he bought in '73, brought it home in 2014 and I've been dismantling and refurbing parts as the limited budget allowed. I have fond memories of that car growing up and seeing it sit since '87 was heart breaking. it's with my body guy now and if the stars align right it will be back on the road this summer. contrary to a prior post and after many months of internal debate (aren't they the worst!) I'm keeping it a slanty, but upgrading to a 4spd, 8 3/4, front disk and some engine mods to make it more fun, but still streetable. I consider it a family heirloom at this point and it will be gifted to my son eventually (if he can ever learn to drive a stick, lol)

dad, me and my son

[benlavigne]

I bought my convertible in June 1972 for $1950 at the age of 19. I still enjoy driving it. I had to sell my 1966 Impala to afford it.
Terry

Terry, is this a factory Shaker A66?
Wow!

Ben

[RUNCHARGER]

Great plan, I would keep the slanty as well. It makes it unique and keeps the heritage.

[e_body70]

I was 15 years old (year 2000) when my Dad bought me my dream car: '70 Challenger R/T 

My dad introduced me to Mopar's, and we were on the lookout for, specifically a '70 Challenger, for over a year before we spotted this one for sale at a local Mopar car show in California. The first two pictures is when we first saw the car for sale on a trailer at that car show. We jumped on it and took it home!

383 Magnum automatic car; White on White! EW1 & H6XW on the fender tag.

It was my daily driver in high school, and gave me a handful of speeding tickets  I even got arrested in high school for doing a burnout (he got me for exhibition of speed) leaving the high school parking lot after school. They towed the Challenger to the impound lot and all.

Still own it today! And it's currently futured in our 2020 E-Bodies.org Calendar 

[bennydodge]

1988, I was 19 years old-paid $500 for a 72 Challenger with a factory slant 6. It was brown with column shift auto and very few options. Rusted away before I could scrape up enough dough to swap a V8 into it-was my daily driver for a few years. I owned the thing for 3 years and don't have even 1 picture of it..

[71vert340]

I bought my convertible in June 1972 for $1950 at the age of 19. I still enjoy driving it. I had to sell my 1966 Impala to afford it.
Terry

Terry, is this a factory Shaker A66?
Wow!

Ben

It's an original 340 shaker 4 speed convertible with am radio/ cassette player car. I have all the factory paperwork for it.
Terry

[MOPAR MITCH]

For me... June of 1975...  it was a '72 318 Challenger Rallye Pack..., 904, 2.76 open, ps, pdb, Hemi Orange, black vinyl top, white bucket seal interior, rally dash, 5.5" rallye wheels, Goodyear raised white letter F70-14 Polyglass, no a/c.

I was going into my 2nd year of college at the time; the car was purchased from the original owner (as I was searching for either a Challenger or Cuda e-body, I ran across three nearly identical 72 Challengers, this one had the lowest mileage at ~17,000.. also figured the 318 would get me better mpg vs the other cars having the 340 and both with A/C... I wasn't interested in having A/C).

Then... as I had always favored road racing (attending Elkhart Lake/Road America), and been bitten/hooked by the AUTOCROSS events (SCCA and similar other clubs events), I realized that the only way that I could become highly competitive would be to have a T/A Challenger... So... with T/As and AARs readily available and stripping for parts, as well as many new parts still available from the local Mopar dealers, I began to convert my '72 into a detailed T/A... new grille, new tail light panels, lenses, T/A hood, '70 trunk lid and T/A rear spoiler, and front spoilers;  changed the side marker lights on all four fenders and wiring; removed the '72 strobe stripes; added the T/A stripes and decals; picked up a couple T/A 340 six-pack engines; fully chromed the engine bay; rebuilt a '72 727 trans, installed a 3.91 742 case, installed T/A-Hemi Torsion bars (later changed to larger TBars... ending up with 1.24" diameter TBs from California Moparts/Suspension... they were a supporter of me and way ahead of all other Mopar parts suppliers; had custom KONI shocks and sway bars made.. 1.25" front, 1.0" rear, installed flattened S/S rear leafs (later changed to fiberglass leafs), found a T/A Fast Ratio ps gear box (and IMMEDIATELY installed the C-Body longer idler arm, eventually to become known/referred to as fast ratio idler arm)... all along following allowable SCCA Solo II class rules, eventual Hooker headers and Flowmasters (nobody ever heard of Flowmasters back then) ; eventual Corbuea racing seat and harness; 15x7 ralleys gave way to 16x10 rims front and rear with Hoosier 275-45-16 40 TW DOT competition tires... and an eventual trailer.

The initial T/A '70 conversion was completed in early 1978... just in time for the 1978 SCCA Solo II National Championship that was held in the Chicago area (my area)... super tough competition.. I progressed through the years to become the dominant Chicago area pony car (vs Camaros, Mustangs, Fbords, Javelin AMX, etc)... traveled over the years throughout the midwest (WI, IL, IA, IN, MI, OH, KY, MO... and KS for the SCCA Solo II Nats every September; was very successful winning multiple Regional F/S and E/SP Class Championships.

Met my wife (she was checking out my car at an autocross race!)... she eventually raced it as well.. very successful (occasionally could beat my times... and all the other guys... a very good smooth driver!).

So, I've owned the car since June 1975... always been rust free, summer driven only (was trailered to/from all the races from late 1970s--early 2000s; sold the trailer (regretfully)... now its become a street/highway driver (3.23).. local shows and hi-speed road course events (HPDE/HSAX/PACE CAR at W2W road race sanctioned club events that I'm active in.

Car has been off the road since 2015.. getting a complete clean-up (engine bay all done!); new engine 410 stroker, other mods per allowable new class rules that I'll be competing in... goal is driving/racing summer 2020.

I've also won may car show awards... people ask me why I race it as its extremely clean... because autocross/road racing is my first passion... and to campaign the Dodge T/A against all the other brands.. I've proved the worthiness and ability that our e-bodies can perform extremely well in the Handling competition arena (SCCA Solo II/autocross and high-speed road course events).. just have to be committed to the right decisions in selecting modifications... per class rules.  Its been a real blast of FUN!!!  MOPAR or NOCAR for me!   As a "tribute", I typically run numbers 77 or 76 (from Posey and Adamowicz) within my car class (vinyl magnetics, same for the various sponsor's decals, etc).

Its so cool that nearly all the spectators (and other competitors) admire my car far greater than all the rest of the usual GM and Fords, and imports, etc... even more than the Dodge Vipers (my next favorite car.. which I've driven some).  I usually come home with an award from the race (1st, 2nd or 3rd) and I've collected over 300 awards through my ownership... mostly from racing.. and some shows.   AND, perhaps most important... have met and made many new friends... some now still lasting since the summer of 1975... and my wife since mid-1980s!

[Dakota]

I purchased my one and only E Body in 2012 and have been working on restoring it ever since.  I bought it from my brother-in-law about 10 days after getting rid of a '79 Camaro project car that I'd been dragging around for the previous 9 years, so my wife's joy at ending my involvement with car projects was short-lived. The Challenger became available from the brother-in-law as he was selling off the cars that were stored in a barn he was selling.  Best I can tell, the Challenger was last registered around 2003.

My neighbors growing up were Mopar fanatics (Chargers and Darts), so I'm guessing that's where I first caught the bug.   

[dodj]

My T/A was my first car, I bought it in late '78 at age 16 and quickly found it wasn't a very practical choice for a daily driver in the snow belt!  It somehow survived, and I bought my mom's old Pinto as a beater the following September for a beater and I didn't need to risk and abuse the T/A the following winter.  And I never got rear ended driving the Pinto so I survived also!

Wow!  A T/A Challenger and a Pinto. Talk about opposite ends of the spectrum!