Welcome to the Home of the Mid-America E-Body Mopar Club
Dedicated to the preservation and enjoyment of
'70-'74 Plymouth Barracuda, Gran Coupe, 'Cuda, AAR
and
'70-'74 Dodge Challenger, SE, R/T, T/A
Mopar's fabulous E-Bodies!!
The Mid-America E-Body Mopar Club was founded in the Spring of
1998, so we are still a relatively new Club, for owners/enthusiasts of
'70-'74 E-Body Mopars.
Although our name
implies Mid-America, this is more a geographic reference to the
location of our current
headquarters and is in no way intended to limit membership to this area
of the Country. In
fact, we currently have members from Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota,
North Dakota
Minnesota, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio,
Florida, Arizona, California,
Washington and New York.
In the future, and with your help as a member, we hope to some
day be
able to have both
Regional and National E-Body Mopar meets in various parts of the
Country to correspond
with our membership. This will not only give owners/enthusiasts a
chance to participate in
shows and judging, but also in hosting these events in their area.
The Club also publishes a fine, bi-monthly newsletter
featuring
stories, event coverage, member's features, technical and restoration
articles, cars and
parts for sale, and much, much, more.
Annual membership to the
Mid-America E-Body
Mopar Club is just $25.00 and includes a subscription to The Broadcast
Sheet newsletter.
Send us a buck, along with your complete mailing address, and
we'll
send you a
complimentary issue of The Broadcast Sheet for you to review. If you
don't agree that
we're on the right track and that the Mid-America E-Body Mopar Club is
not for you, you're
out nothing else.
Secretary/Newsletter Editor for the Mid-America E-Body Mopar
Club is
Bill Wonder of
Onawa, Iowa. Bill and his wife Kitty own a loaded (dealer demonstrator)
TX9 Black Velvet
'70 'Cuda hardtop with the 440 4V/375 h.p. engine (one of 618 built
with an automatic).
They recently purchased a '70 'Cuda 'clone' Convertible (originally
318/now 340). Originally
Rallye Red w/Red interior and a white top, it is now Red on Black w/a
black top. This car is
also unique in the fact that it is an original Y09 Code car "Built for
Export" and was originally
ordered by a serviceman in the U.S.A.F. and enjoyed in Germany during
his Tour of Duty!
In addition to our fine newsletter, being a member also
includes often
needed Technical
Assistance from some of the most knowledgeable experts in the
hobby.
For assistance with '70-'71 Plymouth Barracuda models, contact
Dan
Powell of Collinsville,
Oklahoma. Dan and his wife Joni own a loaded, award-winning Curious
Yellow '71 440+6
'Cuda hardtop recently featured in the June 2000 issue of MOPAR ACTION
and a TX9
BlackVelvet '71 440+6 hardtop that has been tubbed and now boasts a 426
Hemi!Give him a
call at 918-371-2901.
You may also contact Dan Nielson for '70-'71 Plymouth
Barracuda
Technical Assistance by
e-mail: danscudas@cs.com. Dan owns a very nice FC7 In-Violet '70 440 4V
'Cuda and
recently purchased a GA4 Winchester Gray (now blue) 4-speed 440+6 '71
'Cuda.
Dan also does expert restorations of your Standard Three Spoke and Rim
Blow Steering
Wheels, so give him a call TODAY!!
For assistance with '70-'71 Dodge Challenger models, contact
Jim
Spetzman of Lino Lakes,
Minnesota. Jim and his wife Linda owned a Hemi R/T (one of 9 built with
a 4-speed) that
was recently featured in the March 2000 issue of MOPAR COLLECTOR'S
GUIDE and a
Hemi R/T SE (one of only 4 built with an automatic)! They recently sold
their 4-speed Hemi
R/T and purchased a RARE '70 440 Six Pack Challenger Convertible that
was a FACTORY
SHOW CAR built the first day of E-Body production and LOADED with
options. This car
traveled the Country from dealership to dealership to display the new
model and options to
customers!! Give him a call at 651-780-2026.
For assistance with '72-'74 Plymouth Barracuda/'Cuda models,
contact
John Born of
McLouth, Kansas. John and Michele own a really nice '74 Barracuda with
a 'built' Triple
Threat 440! Give him a call at 913-796-6221 or e-mail him at
john.born@med.va.gov.
We are currently looking for an individual interested in serving as
'72-'74 Dodge
Challenger Technical Editor for the Club. If anyone is interested in
serving this growing
organization in this capacity, please contact us
TODAY!!
David & Madeline D'Aversa of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who
own a GY9 '71 base (JH) Challenger ordered out with a 335 H.P.
383/automatic. . .this
car is also a Y57 Code 'Lease/Bid Sale Car'!!; Michael & Debbie Pavlo of
Stirling, New Jersey, who own an EV2 Billboard '71 340/automatic 'Cuda;
John & Angela
Turin of Worden, Illinois; Al & Pat Lavoie of Riverside, California who
own a Go-Mango Orange '70 Western Sport Special Challenger;
James & Myran Schild of Columbia, Illinois; David & Ida Pealer of Taft,
Texas, who own three Challengers, a '70 383 4-speed R/T 'Basket Case', a
'70 Drag Car, and
a rare, '70 383, auto R/T that is possibly one of one painted B3 Blue
with a B5 Blue interior and B5 Blue Longitudual Stripe; Mark & Mary
Hommes of
Anoka, Minnesota, who own a '70 Barracuda Gran Coupe; Doug & Sharon Rush
of Onawa, Iowa, who own a Candy Orange '70 Challenger w/'warmed-over'
340; Pat & Diana Garvey of Omaha, Nebraska, who own a '74 Cuda; Chris
Rogers of Danville, Illinois; William Bailey of Branch, Michigan,
who owns an FC7 Plum Crazy '70 Challenger R/T Convertible with 440; Greg
Garner of Springdale, Arkansas, who owns a rare (1 of 1) '70
Challenger T/A in TX9 Black with red interior! Greg also owns a '70
Challenger R/T FK5 Burnt Orange Convertible with 383; Patrick J. Fults
of
Herculaneum, Missouri, who owns a red on red '70 440 Six Pack 4-speed
Challenger R/T; Todd & Sherra Payne of Hollywood, Florida, who own
a '70 Challenger T/A; David & Susan Bolinger of Pembroke, Kentucky, who
own a '70 Challenger R/T with 440 Six Pack, and a '74 'Cuda
powered by a 360; Brian & Kim Tucker of Syracuse, Indiana, who own a
Hemi Orange '71 Challenger R/T with 340 Six Pack and an automatic;
Mark & LuAnn Masters of Morenci, Michigan, who own a '70 Challenger T/A
and a GA5 Silver '73 'Cuda with just 27,000
actual miles; Mike Nelson of Sioux Falls, South Dakota who owns a '70
Challenger R/T SE; Kevin & Kimberly Oakley of Hallstead,
Pennsylvania, who own an FE5 Rallye Red '70 'Cuda Convertible w/383 H.P.
and an automatic; Gary & Denise Wiegand of Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania who own two E-Bodies. . .a Bright Red on Red '70 Dodge
Challenger T/A w/automatic and a Rallye Red w/black interior
and 4-speed '70 Plymouth AAR 'Cuda; Dan & Jody Vallier of Missouri
Valley, Iowa who own a rare, GA4 Winchester Gray Metallic
'71 340 4-speed 'Cuda (a two tag car) w/White Billboards and Wing Pkg.
stored for many years; Don & Mary
Beth Sloper of Riverton, Illinois who own a Red '70 R/T SE Challenger
with a 472 cubic inch Hemi; Jim & Dawn Helmberger of Papillion,
Nebraska, who own a '70 Limelight 383 'Cuda 'clone' Convertible and a
'70 Sublime 383 Challenger R/T Hardtop; Gary and Amy Wilson
of Emerson, Nebraska, who are currently looking for an E-Body to buy;
Mark & Susan Herbstrith of Utica, Illinois, who
own a RARE '70 Challenger R/T SE equipped with a 440, 4-speed and is
finished in Go-Mango Orange with a factory Top Banana Yellow
tail stripe!! This car has been featured in many national magazines,
including Mopar Collector's Guide and
Mopar Muscle; Larry & Mindi Ginger of Des Moines, Iowa, who own an FM3
Panther
Pink '70 Challenger R/T Convertible equipped with a 383 and a 4-speed,
along with
a 318 powered '73 Challenger; and Ted & Trina Sweet of Gloversville, New
York, who
own a '70 Challenger R/T and a 318 powered '73 Barracuda; Peter &
Cynthia
Ammirati of Staten Island, New York, who own a '74 Rallye Challenger;
and William
& Joanne Muller of Hampton Bays, New York, who own a '72 Challenger.
If you have questions or comments about the Mid-America E-Body Mopar
Club please write
to us at Mid-America E-Body Mopar Club, P.O. Box 418, Onawa, Iowa 51040
or e-mail us at
ebodies@willinet.net
Mid-America E-Body Mopar Club members Kevin and Sandy
Faris of
Plattsmouth, Nebraska said goodbye to an old friend on Friday, December
14 with the
sale of their '70 Hemi 'Cuda Convertible
The 'Cuda, with its custom silver and graphic embossed metalflake paint
job applied by
Kevin and some friends back in '75, was a period-perfect reminder of
the '70s psychedelic
era.
What makes this particular car so special (read that rare) is the fact
that Chrysler only produced
14 Hemi 'Cuda Convertibles in 1970. . .nine with Torqueflite automatic
transmissions and just
five with the more desireable Pistol Grip four-speeds. Kevin and Sandy's
car is an original 4-speed
car!!
Originally FC7, In-Violet Purple, Kevin purchased the car in 1972 with
just a little over 10,000
miles on the odometer (minus the original engine and transmission which
had spun a bearing) for
a mere $850.00. In 1975, he was able to purchase the original, numbers
matching engine and
transmission from under a service station work bench (in Council Bluffs,
Iowa) where it had been
stored three years earlier. Kevin (just married at the time) said it was
a lot of money, but he doesn't regret
it today. . .the price was a whopping $375.00!!
This was a low-optioned, 'ordered car' whose original owner bought to
race on Dodge Street in Omaha!
It came from the factory with the Hemi engine, 4-speed, 3.54 Dana,
Rallye dash, High-Impact paint color,
V5X black body side moldings and painted steel wheels with dog dish
'poverty' caps. . .a REAL sleeper!!
When new, the awesome 426 cubic inch engines with dual 4 barrel Carter
carburetors were conservatively
rated at 425 horsepower, but developed much more. Their demise at the
time was caused by rising insurance
rates and pending gas shortages. In fact, the service station where the
rare drivetrain had been stored, had been
closed as a sign of the times, and the cars previous owner had lost his
storage space!!
In today's collector market, however, these are very desireable vehicles
and the powerplants alone can demand
in excess of $10,000. When combined with the 'Cuda Convertible body and
keeping everything 'numbers matching'
makes these vehicles almost invaluable.
Kevin and Sandy figure they had just over $5,000.00 in their 'Cuda and
have pampered and enjoyed it for the
past 30 years. This car has never been hit or rusty, but Kevin was never
afraid to 'hammer' on it now and then. . .like
they were meant to be when new!! The torque and power this car produces
easily planted you firmly into the deep
foam seat backs!! Truly a 'ride of a lifetime!'. . .
Watching the markets, however, they realized that one day, it
could prove to be their retirement.
Over the past five years, a Minnesota collector has been calling Kevin
with a request to purchase the car (for six figures)
but the Faris' just 'weren't ready to let go'. . .until recently, when
the offer increased to a new level.
Not knowing if they would get another bonifide offer like this in the
near future, they finally decided to 'cash-in' on their
30-year 401K.
The collector contracted a world-reknowned Mopar 'expert' (Galen Govier)
to travel to Plattsmouth for $1,500 plus expenses.
Once there, he documented all the numbers on the car and examined the
'Cudas original paperwork to authenticate the car.
Once this was done, Galen made a call to Minnesota and Kevin and Sandy
received a wire transfer for the car in the amount
of $300,000.00!! About $50,000 over any previous offers they had
received from the man from 10,000 ponds!!
We know it had to be a tough decision to sell (even for all that
scratch) but like Kevin and Sandy said, it's a lot of money, and
will go to the bank for their retirement!
Still, word travels fast in Mopar circles, and we've already heard many
saying 'are you sure that was enough' for the one of a few solid,
original 4-speed Hemi 'Cuda Convertibles still boasting its original
drivetrain? Some are already putting estimates on this cars value
at $500,000 to $750,000!! Should be interesting to see what this former
Mid-America E-Body Mopar Club showpiece does to market
trends in the Mopar hobby!!
Having been a member of their family for some 30 years, Sandy admitted
that she cried when they loaded the 'Cuda in an enclosed
trailer for transport to Minnesota. ..while Kevin, a bit more private in
his feelings, realizes that fate brought him and the car together,
and with a stiff upper lip, kept his thoughts and fond memories of the
car to himself.
Anyone and everyone who appreciates E-Bodies also feels fortunate for
Kevin having been chosen to own and preserve one of the very few
'70 Hemi 'Cuda Convertibles ever built!! The 'Cuda will truly be missed
in this area, along with some of those awesome 'rides' Kevin would
give, but neither the car, or those rides will ever be forgotten!!
We've heard that Kevin and Sandy's Convertible already sold once again.
. .going to another enthusiast in New York. The price this time
was reported to be $325,000. Pretty good two week return on the previous
buyer's investment, wouldn't you say?
Visit us often. . .as this page is always
THIS BARRACUDA
WEB RING SITE
IS OWNED BY
Bill Wonder
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