- Mopar(R) developed the year-long program to recognize the most passionate
and skilled enthusiasts and their restored/modified vehicles
- All winners and their vehicles will attend the 2007 SEMA Show in Las
Vegas
CENTER LINE, Mich., Sept. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Mopar(R) Performance Parts
and the editors of Mopar Muscle, Mopar Action and Mopar Collector's Guide
have chosen the final four 2007 Top Eliminator award winners. Mopar, the
Chrysler LLC's original equipment (OE) parts manufacturer, developed the
year-long program to recognize the most passionate and skilled Mopar
enthusiasts and their restored or modified cars. The seven winners and
their vehicles will attend this year's Specialty Equipment Market
Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas on Oct. 30 - Nov. 2, 2007.
"These four Top Eliminator award winners, as well as the three winners
we chose at Chryslers at Carlisle, Mopars at the Strip and Detroit
AutoRama, did an outstanding job modifying or restoring their vehicles,"
said David Hakim, Program Manager - Mopar Performance Parts, Chrysler LLC.
Hakim added, "The work done by all seven Top Eliminator award winners
attending this year's SEMA Show shows the passion that represents our Mopar
brand."
Mopar Performance Parts Winner
Mike Ege of Cornelius, N.C. restored a 1969 Dodge Dart Swinger 340 that
he displayed at Mopar Nationals in Columbus, Ohio in August.
Ege purchased the car from his parents in 1974 on his 16th birthday -
his parents had purchased it used in 1970. From 1974 to 1977, he was a
regular Friday night cruiser on 'E' Street in San Bernardino, Calif. On
Saturday nights, he would it drive to the Orange Show Speedway. The Dart
became such a part of his life that he could never sell it. He and his wife
even had their first date in it in 1982. After putting the Dart in storage
in 1989, he began its restoration in 2003.
The term "the real McCoy" takes on a whole new meaning for Ege's
restoration. He calls the two-year project, "rotisserie restoration." His
goal was to turn back the clock to 1969. Every effort was made to restore
the Dart to "OE/Factory" specifications - the way the dealer would have
received the Dart after it rolled off the assembly line. He used very few
reproduction parts on the Dart. If new-old-stock (NOS) parts weren't
available [factory parts built by the original manufacturer], then he used
a high-quality reproduction part.
His attention to detail paid off. At the 2006 Mopar Nationals in
Columbus, the vehicle won Best of Show - the first "A" body to realize that
achievement. It also was awarded OE Gold certification - only the second
"A" body vehicle to achieve that status.
The interior is stock and includes factory floor mats, plastic bags
covering the seat belts and an engine-starting procedure tag hanging on the
turn indicator lever. The engine and drive train were restored to OE specs
as well. Even the odometer was reset to zero (before the restoration, the
Dart had 117,000 miles). It's painted R4/bright red.
A Mopar fan since 1966 when his father started racing Plymouth and
Dodge cars, Ege estimates the restoration cost him over $100,000. But the
praise he receives on the project is worth every penny.
Mopar Muscle Winner
Mark Halbach of Janesville, Iowa transformed a 1970 Plymouth HEMI(R)
340 'Cuda into a HEMICudzter. Halbach chose the car because he believes the
"E" body has timeless Mopar body lines and was the pinnacle of American
muscle cars. He also wanted to apply modern technology and ingenuity to a
'70 'Cuda.
He purchased the car in 2000 and began the 'Cuda-to-HEMICudzter
transformation in 2002. His original minor modifications soon spiraled into
a hardcore "restomod." Every part of the car's interior and exterior is
new, fabricated, rebuilt or customized down to the polished stainless steel
bolts. Halbach even smoothed and sprayed clear coat on the undercarriage of
the car.
To increase the "wow" factor, he built a removable, rubber-sealed
roadster hard top. Other restoration modifications include subframe
connectors and four-link air-ride suspension in the back. He minitubbed the
car and added air ride in the front to work in tandem with the torsion bar
set up. He also made a floating roll bar for the back. The HEMICudzter is
painted a custom PPG silver.
He originally dropped in a 5.7-liter HEMI engine to give it power. Then
in the middle of the project, Mopar announced a 6.1-liter HEMI motor. He
then upgraded to the 6.1 and mated it to a Tremec five-speed transmission
for 430 hp. He also fitted it with a custom side exhaust. The rear axle is
a Chrysler- built 8-3/4 in. with 3.91 gears.
"When I first saw Mark's 'HEMICudzter, I was immediately drawn to the
fact that he had created a beautiful, modernized muscle car. The attention
to detail and the overall package creates exactly the kind of "modernized
classic Mopar" that any enthusiast can really enjoy," said Randy Bolig,
editor of Mopar Muscle.
Mopar Collector's Guide Winner
George Sergakis of Grand Island, NY restored a rare 1971 Plymouth 'Cuda
440-6BBL. Arriving in America in 1973, the first car he bought was a used
'71 'Cuda. Sergakis sold it in 1976 but never forgot it. He thought the "E"
body was one of finest vehicles ever made.
One of only 108 produced with this engine/transmission combination, the
vehicle had 54,000 miles on the odometer when he purchased it in 1992. When
it was new, the car was ordered as a sleeper street fighter with the nick
name "Thunder 71." It's still known by that name in upstate New York. It
took him nearly 3-1/2 years to restore it to exact factory/assembly line
specifications.
The tan and brown interior features bucket seats. It also has a Hurst
pistol grip shifter with console, Rallye instrument cluster, a Rimblow
steering wheel and five-speaker AM/FM multiplex stereo.
The exterior is black and features a Rallye hood and all available
moldings.
The original 440 c.i.d engine with three 2BBL Holley carburetors churns
out 385 hp and 490 lb.-ft. of torque. All internal components are Mopar
Performance restoration parts. It has a manual four-speed A-833
transmission. The rear end came with an "A34" super track pack option,
consisting of 4:10 gear ratio, 9.75-in. Dana 60 axle, sure grip, power disc
brakes, maximum cooling and HEMI suspension.
"George, an immigrant to the U.S. from Crete, Greece, is one proud
Mopar enthusiast. George sees his 'Cuda as his realization of achieving the
American dream. Couple that with the significance of his car being the last
'71 Six Barrel 'Cuda built and you see why George is, hands down, my pick
for Mopar Top Eliminator this year," said Robert Wolf, editor of Mopar
Collector's Guide.
Mopar Action Winner
Robert Motz of Holland, Ohio restored a 1970 Dodge Challenger RT. Motz
thought the '70 Dodge Challenger had the best styling of any muscle car on
the road - back then and now. His son agreed and joined him in the
restoration project. When he bought it, the car had no motor or
transmission. It was not in very good shape.
Motz and his son first installed tubs for the rear wheels, a four-link
system that he chromed, a fab nine rear end, strange axles and strange
aluminum third member. He also installed a magnum force front-suspension
system with Wilwood brakes on all four corners.
He then went to work on the body including new sheet metal, hood and
bumpers. Using the vehicle's body lines, he painted it a combination of
candy apple red and black cherry. He painted "550 HEMI" in a variegated
"old school" gold leaf on the side of the hood and on the body lines. He
also used a "gold" line to break the black and red. Finally, he fitted the
Challenger with a set of one-off Boyd Coddington 10-spoke wheels.
The motor is a Keith Black aluminum block with Mopar Performance
aluminum heads, and a crane roller cam and valve train components. It has a
1250 dominator with a 500 hp NOS Proshot fogger - producing 810 hp. It has
a Keisler five-speed transmission with a Lakewood bell housing and
hydraulic clutch. It also features an aluminum drive shaft and custom-built
air cleaner.
He first designed a black and red interior and later changed to leather
and suede. He installed bucket seats, custom steering wheel and an air-ride
suspension with custom chrome dual air tanks (placed between the tubs).
The restoration took nearly five years. He and his son have enjoyed
attending Classic Mopar car shows around the country. According to Motz,
"Everyone loves a Mopar."
"Mopar Action recognizes the innovation and fine craftsmanship on the
part of Bob Motz in creating this Challenger. He retained the spirit of
Dodge's classic muscle car, while infusing it with contemporary technology.
He managed to come up with a package that's wild, yet still tasteful. Most
important, Motz handled virtually every detail of the project himself,
rather than farming out all to a shop. And that, we think, is the sign of a
true Mopar enthusiast," said Cliff Gromer, editor of Mopar Action.
Information and photos of all seven Mopar Top Eliminator award winners
attending the 2007 SEMA Show are available at
http://www.media.chrysler.com.
70 Years of Mopar
When Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928, the need for a dedicated parts
manufacturer, supplier and distribution system to support the growing
enterprise led to the formation of the Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation
(CMPC) in 1929.
Originally used in the 1920s, Mopar (a simple contraction of the words
MOtor and PARts) was trademarked for a line of antifreeze products in 1937.
It was also widely used as a moniker for the CMPC. The Mopar brand made its
mark in the 1960s - the muscle car era. The Chrysler Corporation built
race-ready Dodge and Plymouth "package cars" equipped with special
high-performance parts. Mopar carried a line of "Special Parts" for super
stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar
Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing
use.
Today, Chrysler LLC's Global Service & Parts division is responsible
for the manufacturing and distribution of nearly 250,000 authentic Mopar
replacement parts, components and accessories for Chrysler, Jeep(R) and
Dodge vehicles sold around the world. To assure quality, reliability and
durability, all Mopar parts and accessories are designed in strict
adherence to Chrysler engineering standards.
SOURCE Chrysler LLC
 back to top
Related links:
http://www.media.chrysler.com
http://www.chrysler.com/
CONTACT:
Patricia Georgevich of Chrysler LLC,
+1-248-512-4889 (office), +1-248-514-1313 (cell),
pg572@chrysler.com
|
