When did you get your first E-Body?

[chargerdon]

December 1969.    I was 22 had gotten married that summer expecting to get drafted.   Then my job got an occupational deferment (2A)...so whooopppeee...   

Went to the local Dodge/plymouth/chrysler dealer and purchase my first brand new car !   A 70 Challenger with the base slant six, and base 3 sp manual on the floor.   It had PS, white walls, wheel covers and an AM radio...and that was it !    A stripper...   It was Dark Mettalic Green (i think J6), with baige interior...   LOVED that car...   

Then i traded it in the summer of 72 for a 72 Dodge Charger SE, 318 auto with air conditioning !!   Gorgeous car in Electric Blue (B5) with black vinyl roof.   Two days later went back to dealership for a minor problem and saw my salesman..asked him what did you guys do with my old Challenger as i don't see it on the lot.   He told me they sold it the next day to a 17 year old kid... but its back !  HUH?   He then showed it to me...wrecked..totaled...the kid rolled it over within first hour after he bought it.   Made me sick to my stomach ! 

[1ownr]

When we ordered our 71 cuda 383 3 speed convertible, Charlie & I were 22 and getting married in just a few months. It was my daily driver until the mid 80's when we took it off the road where it sat quietly waiting for its turn for funds to restore it. Hope to have it done for 2021.

Judy

[fronteyejack]

I was 23 in 81 when I did buy this Challenger 70 R/T w/383 Magnum,727 auto,3.23 rear.
Sold car this summer with same combo,but have six pack on it.

[FJ6TA]

Purchased on 19th Birthday in 1983, Still have today

[ramiron]

Wanted a Challenger in 1972, fresh out of college, low funds, No Challenger.  Bought a '72 318 3spd Duster Twister.  Now at 70+ y.o., I have my first, '70 Cuda, aquired October 2018 with a lot of help from this forum.  More pics and the trials of acquiring this survivor are covered in my first ever post on e-bodies.com

[YellowThumper]

Bought my first and only as I still have it. 74 in 83 for the whopping sum of $1,200. Base model 318 with 3spd with 180,000 miles on it. All highway. Power nothing.
Iterations:
318 w/340 heads.
Added front sway bar.
Bulge hood, fender louvers, rallye dash.
Added rear sway bar.
3spd to 4spd.
Cruise control. All removed now.
360 la.
Power brakes then to hydroboost.
Fuel injection along with eventual power adders.

After all these years and iterations it remains an enjoyable ride above anything else I have owned. New and old.

First pic is around 84. And the now pic.
Mike.

[70Barracuda]

1979-80, had a 69 Chevelle paid $500 nice car, traded it and my clapped out 125 Elsinore for a 69 AMX, rebuilt the 390 it blew up shortly after.  Traded it for a friends 70 Cuda, Tor Red, vinyl top 340 auto.  Big option car..  No pics  You know what it looked like, 15 x 10 cragers, Pro Tracks, air shocks.

[Jay Bee]

Bought on March 05, 1979 for $2951.00 CAD total (car, safety inspection, tax, licencing) @ 23 years old. According to the on-line inflation calculator that would be $9,722.62 CAD in 2019.

Driving home, not more than a couple minutes from the dealership, a guy pulls up beside me and gives me a thumbs up. Right then and there I knew I had something. Another early incident was being followed by a cop that felt like forever. I'd turn here there and everywhere until finally pulling over getting out and asking if I was doing anything wrong. He said no, I just wanted to look at your car.

[RusTy/SE]

December 1976

1973 318 Rallye Challenger in JY3

How she looked early 80s

[cuda dad]

We bought this 1970 'cuda 340 in 1979 for $1,000, VIN 0B171341 if anyone happens to own it.  I was 20 at the time.   Sold it in 1983 when we found that the car seat would not clear the bucket seat backs.

[Mr Lee]

Good thread. love all the old pics and the stories.   

Grew up in a Mopar family - my dad had lots of 440 Station wagons that he liked to do 100mph in with the whole family on board lol, but my older brother is responsible for introducing me to the E - body.  Back in 1989, he drove us to high school every day in his '73 340 Rallye Challenger.  He'd routinely stop in the middle of the road just to do a 100 ft burnout.  That was it for me. 

So, in 1991 we found me an FF4 green (love that color) '70 R/T 383 Challenger automatic with a gator grain top and bought it for $900. It was rough.  It had a green interior and lime green shag carpet glued to the dash.   It ran but I was only 16 and didn't even have my license yet.  Thought I'd fix it up as I drove it, but wound up just tearing it all the way down to the frame cause we just kept finding more rust.  So I never did get to even drive the car cause by the time I got my license, the car was in pieces.  I worked on it in stages over the years though. 

Today I still have it and hope to finally have it on the road in 2020.  Restoring it mostly to stock except I turned it into a 4 speed.   

[7E-Bodies]

Wow @Mr Lee, what a difference.  Looking good.  I had a F4 RT myself. 440 Auto. Sold it in '87, sadly. Never saw it again. 28k miles on her.

[1 Wild R/T]

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!

Every time I read about some newbie throwing away all the garbage Mopar suspension parts so they can bolt in a new AlterKation kit I think of your car and so many others that have proven the capabilities of Ma Mopars basic engineering.... 

[700 AKN]

My 1st ebody was purchased in 1982 at the age of 19.  I found it looking through an Auto Trader magazine and paid $2,500.   It was a 1972 340 auto in excellent condition, but being a young lad I wanted to change things and so I did.  I had a friend take out the original grill and replace it with a 1971 grill ( I traded a few small parts for it. ) and also put in square headlights to boot.   I got the idea from a hot rod magazine.  I also glued some shag fur over the dash, door panels and centre console.    Please don't throw rocks, but if I knew back then what we all know now I would never have done the things I did.   The 71 grill alone I could have sold for a few pennies today.   I did sell the 4 rings on ebay for $174.00 ( I still had them in a box ).    I also had a CB radio, musical horn and a old style crystal police scanner just in case.  I did very little to the motor.  I did put on some new rims & tires to give it that mean 80's look.   I sold it in 1985 for $3,000 and purchased the car that I have today.  I paid $9,100 for my AAR in 1985 from John Vanka.  No, I did not rip out the grill or put fur on my AAR.   Phew, now I feel better.

[wldgtx]

1985, I was working at a dairy queen to save up money.  My buddy and I used to scan the local auto traders constantly trying to find something we could afford.  A guy was selling a 70 Challenger RTSE that was in rough shape (but it had a 440) I went to see it with all of the money I had saved.  I looked at the car and had no idea what I was doing, I don't remember what questions I asked all I knew is that the car fired up and that was all I needed.  I was 15, I had no license, I was way short on money but cash spoke and I bought it.  I drove it home so excited that I could not contain myself. 

I do not have any pictures of the car, but I do know it was a gator grain car and I loved it.  I drove it for a summer and it had some carb issues that I could not resolve and I had to sell it as I went into winter and needed a car for school.