by a torqueflight transmission and a 3.23:1 suregrip in an 8 3/4 rearend.
My scheduled production was May 5th 1966. I was built with a black roof stripe, music master AM radio, front and rear bumper guards, light package, padded sun visors, glare proof inside mirror, left outside rearview mirror, undercoating and a console mounted clock. I arrived at King Dodge on May 31st 1966 and went home with my new owner Jacky. My sticker price was $4502.05, however my hand written order sheet totaled $4468.15 but with the $575. cash discount my final price was $3893.15.
I was driven regularly around St Louis but was not driven in winter. I received a set of new JR Headers in the late 1960's that I still wear today. They were installed by a local super stock HEMI Barracuda racer by the name of Rich Thomas. In 1970 I was retired from daily duties and only driven on special occasions. One such occasion was when Jacky would load me up once a year with his prized hunting films and his Elephant tusks that each weighed around 110 pounds, he would take me down to the local JR high school to show the children his hunting excursions and prized tusks.
During the early years some
neighborhood boys often gazed at me. They would ride up the alley on their
Z50 Hondas and talk to Jacky. They always asked if Jacky was going to sell me
and he would always respond with " I don't think so". The boys Don and Dave
Cobb barely had money for gas in the mini bikes but knew they wanted to own
me. In 1978 Jacky hired a contractor to do some work on his home. The
contractor's son saw me in the garage and offered to purchase me for $2700.
Jacky accepted the offer but would only take it, if Don and Dave didn't want
to purchase me. Don agreed to buy me immediately but had to work a few
things out first. He paid Jacky $2750 for me and became my second owner in
1978. Don agreed to take real good care of me just like Jacky had always
done. I was driven sparingly but was still enjoyed and maintained. I even
wore a set of U.S. Mags with some nice fat JC Penny brand tires throughout
the late 70's and 80's. During the late 80's I was taken to the Mopar
weekend at Gateway Raceway and even made a few passes down the 1/4-mile. I
received a set of reproduction red line tires and my original hubcaps were
put back on me as I was shown there over the next few years.
In 1992 it was time for me to move to
a new owner. I was listed for sale in Old Cars Monthly. I was advertised
with my original hand written order sheet and window sticker. Two men from
Ohio showed up to look at me and decided I needed to go home with them.
After the check and cash was handed over to Don, I was fired up and driven
10 hrs to my new home in Salem Ohio by a man they referred to as " Mad Dog"
Melitshka. My new owners were Dick and Vivian Mossey, the owners of Quaker
City Dragway. They had quite a few other cars in the same storage garage as
I was kept in but I was the only one with a HEMI. It was shortly after Dick
purchased me that he brought one of his workers in to see me. This young
mans name was Jason Hephner. He was much younger at 16 yrs old, but Dick let
him start me up and drive me around the dragstrip. Dick would sometimes get
in another car and Jason would always pick me to drive. They would run me and
the others up and down the dragstrip for fun, then fill our tanks back up
with Cam2 before putting us back away.
Jason seemed to really enjoy taking
care of me through out the next 6 yrs. He always told Dick how he wanted to
own me and if Dick ever wanted to sell, he wanted first chance to buy me. In
1998, Dick was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Jason went to Dick and Vivian
and asked Dick if he would be able to have first chance to buy me when the
time came. He promised to continue to take good care of me like all my
previous owners. Dick passed away in July and I was sold to Jason soon
afterward. He is currently my 4th owner and I continue to be driven on nice
days and shown regularly. I was shown in 2006 at the Walter P Chrysler
Museum for the 40th anniversary of the Dodge Charger. How fun it was to be
with 80+ other 1st generation Chargers. In 2007 I was taken on my first trip
to Carlisle and to Columbus Ohio to the Mopar Nationals. While at
the nationals I was photographed by Rob Wolf of Mopar Collectors guide for an
upcoming issue. Then in Sept of 2007 I was shown for my very first time at
Norwalk Raceway Park in the "Survivor" display tent. What a great year it
was! Over the past 42 years I have won numerous awards and with each passing
year I continue to show my age with some minor scars but overall I still
look pretty darn good! My owners have kept all my documentation with me
throughout my life. I have my original window sticker, my broadcast sheets,
my certicard (that still shows Jacky's name on it) and all my service
records.
I
currently show about 62,500 original miles on my odometer. I still use my
original spark plug wires and my original blue streak Goodyear spare tire
has never been mounted on the car. I am so glad to have been maintained to a
survivor status. I have been used and enjoyed but have never been abused to
the point where I needed to be restored. I can be restored numerous times
but I can only be original once!!!!
Owner Jason Hephner