Alright sounds good to me. Once I get rid of the shock of seeing it in person i'll be sure to take numerous pictures of just about every little detail. Last year people were allowed withing a few feet of the car so i suppose it will be near the same.

 

I attended the Mopar Nationals on Saturday August 11, 2007. It was a perfect day for a car show, with sunny skies and plenty of summer heart. A good day for sun screen and ice cold lemonade and great looking cars. Chrysler fever started on the drive to Hebron, Ohio’s, National Trail Raceway. Plenty of vintage Mopar Muscle was to be seen along I 75 and I 70 leading to the site. The spectator parking lots looked like a Chrysler company sales lot, as few other marques are driven by Mopar loyalists. Surprising to me were the number of vintage Chryslers parked in the spectator lots, that I thought fully belonged in the show! Contemporary Dodge Ram trucks, and the complete line of Chargers (base, RT, SXT, SXT 8, Super Bee and Daytona) could be found parked as well.

The show is expensive, $5.00 to park, $20.00 ticket price and $3.50 for a bottle of water, but well worth it as there were large crowds and lots to do.

The smell of burning rubber from the wet pits and the ROAR of Mopar muscle engines is experienced from far away as you walk from parking to the show. The Nationals comprises two fields of show cars, a HUGE swap meet, a large car corral and an impressive vendor display area, in addition to drag racing.

Drag racing events included burn out contests, historic “rail” dragsters and lots and lots of Mopar super stock and modified racing.

The show fields did present only a handful of historic Chrysler products including a 1936 coupe and a 1920's Dodge. There were several Dodge Royal Lancers, and a 1959 Belvedere, and some Imperials of different 1960's model years. I saw a Le Baron and a Cordoba, as well as a single Javelin.

The Car corral was most interesting with finds ranging from “drive it home right now” finished and survivor cars to diamonds in the rough and heaps strapped down to trailers. I did not find a 1968 or 69 AMC AMX for which I was looking.

The swap meet is HUGE. You should come with your shopping list and your specification, or old part. I found the used parts well marked, although knowledgeable Mopar enthusiasts will know that Chrysler is known for various and differing parts listed for the same application. I thought swap meets would become a thing of the past, with ebay and internet selling readily available. But I am proved wrong here, as I witnessed many pieces of sheet metal being carried out to the parking lots. I did not find any of the more obscure die-cast cars I was looking for, although many die-cast vendors were on hand. I did not find but a few memorabilia for sale among the swap meet sellers.

The show fields primarily displayed the Belvederes, Belvedere II and GTX, as that was the show highlight car. Truly, model years 1962 to 1972 were the rage with Road Runners, and Chargers and e bodies a plenty. Throw in Coronets and Furys...and ...well, you get the idea.

The vendor area showcased the ususal commercial supporters of restoration work, including parts suppliers Year One, Legendary and many others. Mopar magazine sales were brisk.

Chrysler’s Mopar Direct trailer was there, at the center of a loosely laid out Vendor area, with no overhead balloon to locate it. The Black Super Stock Challenger concept car was on display there. Ironically, and amusingly, the multi million dollar one of a kind car does not have locking doors. Set out for display, passers by would simple reach for the door handle and open it, where upon the assigned polite young man would run over and ask, to please not touch the car. He was busy all afternoon I’m sure, but knew nothing about the car, its orange companion, not present, or the production plans for 2008 Dodge Challenger.

The Dodge Concept car was not shown in the show program, and the only souvenir for concept Challenger was found on the cover of the 2006 Mopar Nationals video. (Priced $29.95 + S&H on Mopar Nationals web site) or $15.00 cash and carry at the show.

Respectfully submitted,
S

 

photos

 

Pair of classics share Mopar spotlight

By JOSH HACHAT
Sports Writer

HEBRON — Two types of Mopar cars will garner much of the focus at this weekend’s 27th annual Mopar Nationals at National Trail Raceway.

But they will do so in entirely different ways.


The tribute car of the Mopar show is the Plymouth Belvedere/Satellite/GTX, and it takes the spotlight as a car known mostly for its diversity and unique combinations.

The other, however, is arguably the biggest eye-catcher of the weekend. The 2008 Dodge Challenger made a huge splash at last year’s show, and the response could be at an even higher level this year.

“It’s closer to production this year,” NTR sales and marketing manager Mike Fornataro said. “Many people saw it last year; now they can taste it. It’s starting to get to a fevered pitch.”

The Challenger, with a striking black stripe on a rich orange body, was met with long lines and thousands of photographs a year ago.

The Dodge employees were expecting a big crowd, but were blown away by the crowds that surrounded the car all weekend. Again, it showed the enthusiasm Mopar fans have for their respective brands, but the Challenger promises to be a hit.

Due for release into the consumer world within the next year, the Challenger R/T boasts a 6.1-liter Hemi engine with 425 horsepower and 420 pounds of torque.

Its body design is striking, as is the power. The car weighs 4,100 pounds, can go 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds and blasts through the quarter-mile in 13 seconds.

“Things are cooking now,” Fornataro said. “People are really starting to anticipate it. I think it will be every bit as big of a crowd. They’ve made tweaks to it, and people want to see it.”

The Challenger also has a top speed of 174 mph, but fans also enjoy the futuristic look that also manages to tie in qualities of its past.

The past is precisely why the Plymouth Belvedere/Satellite/GTX is being honored in the show’s 27th year.

It doesn’t boast the illustrious history of past tribute cars like the Roadrunner, Challenger or Barracuda, but, at 27 years old, the Mopar show also is running out of tribute cars.

“It’s a matter spreading the love,” Fornataro said.

But the Plymouth vehicle also has a unique history, much like several of the Mopar vehicles produced in the 1950s.

The Belvedere was introduced in 1951, and the GTX version of the car was the high-end model that had some impressive features.

The GTX was a high-performance car, but the base model was very much a basic car, catering to the more casual Mopar aficionado. But the car could be customized in just about any way imaginable, leaving a lot to the imagination.

“You could get everything from convertibles to station wagons to hot rod station wagons,” Fornataro said. “You could have different trims levels or whatever. There was a lot of diversity with the car.

“If you wanted something, they would build it for you. They basically built anything you wanted to buy. It wasn’t uncommon to do a one-of-a-kind car with the Belvedere.”

One other big Mopar draw is the Dodge Viper. During this weekend’s show, a new Viper-specific racing class will take place, along with a Viper Show n’ Shine.

“There’s always a big turnout of Vipers,” Fornataro said.

 

Man I can't help but look... That Black SS Challenger is pure sexy. That is one really nice and mean looking ride. I can even see myself driving through town in that ride, the fog rolling in and the sound of a big cube HEMI monster terrorizing the streets. Little kids cowering as the beast cams past and mothers grabbing their kids and getting off the sidewalks. Lesser men(because they don"t drive the SS) sneak a peak out of the sides of their eyes. The elephant is on the street and it ain't pretty for everyone else. O.K. I worked out in the sun too long today

 

Now that was funny!