Why did you buy the modern mopar you have now?

Earlier today I was sitting in my office looking at my car while there was still some daylight left and I started to wonder why all of my fellow CAMM peeps decided to get their current CAMMobile. Also how did it come about you getting the one you have now. So I wanted to pose those questions out to you all.


Why did you get what you got and what's the backstory to how you got what ya got.

Will post mine.

I got to drive a 300 for a week in VA because the rental company could not get me into a Charger. I was currently driving a 96 Jeep Cherokee with the awesome inline 6 motor. Saw a Charger one day on the road and was like hmmm its about time I got a fun car. I supported my ex's fun car habit for 8 years and all I got to do was look at them, never drive. Drove the 300 in VA and really did like it but there was just something missing.

When I got back I called up my friend that worked at a Dodge dealership and asked him could he get me a deal if I stopped by. Worked out the financing through my credit union before I went so I knew what I could get. I looked at a v6 in black and was ready to buy. My ex had gone with me since this was the first car I was ever buying. He suggested that I try out the V8 just for the heck of it. So my buddy Spencer had them bring out the only Inferno red V8 they had, didn't have a black V8 on the lot. The second I sat in the car I felt like I had been there before and that was it.

One test drive and 20 mins of signing papers later I left off the lot with my new toy and have not regretted the decision one second. My dad bitched at me for buying a V8 and going Dodge but after he saw the pics he came around. I think he is a little sad I am not driving it home for Christmas but hopefully he will get to see it before he goes to Egpyt next year.

So that is my story.


The reasons I went with the Charger is because of its look and the power that Dodge puts into these cars. I think the Charger looks fast just sitting still, it always looks like its ready to go and the lines on the car are just so well put together. Plus they don't look like anything else on the road out there, I think the same can be said for the Challys and Maggie's as well.

I have never owned a car before that people actually looked at and seemed to like. Its kinda cool still two years after I bought the car.

I was into crotch rockets big time, and I was a complete nut on any bike I owned or rode. It was nothing for me to pick the bike up and ride on 1 tire and speeds of 60-70mph. My wife hated me being on bikes cause we had kids. Well I had an accident, head first over the handle bars and into a brick wall, with no helmet on. Luckily I was fucking around in a parking lot trying some new tricks and I was only doing about 20-30 mph. Wound up in hospital with a concussion and tore up my ankle pretty bad. Bike was fucked so she said no more bikes, so I basically bought the Charger so I couldnt afford another bike. When I bought my Charger I thought and still think it was one of the sickest looking cars on the market. I still want another bike, but I think its best I dont get another one!

I've had these cars so far, in order by year acquired:

1984: A pumpkin orange, 1980 LX Mustang. A performance DOG.
1986: A Black/Grey 1986 Cougar.
1994: A 1992 Fire-red Chevy Lumina Euro 3.4L. Totalled the Cougar on the way home from the airport from my honeymoon when another driver ran me into the median wall.
1995: Sold the Lumina because I couldn't afford $239/mo.
1999: A 1997 dark green Suzuki Sidekick
2002: A 2002 dark cherry Chevy S10 ZR-2 pickup.


I bought the ZR-2 new, and 6 years later I had 130,000 miles on it. It only had 3 seats (jump seat that folded into the wall in back) and when my second son was born in 2003, I knew we were on borrowed time, because we always had to take the van if we wanted to go somewhere.

In summer last year, I was starting to have quite a few problems with the truck and it was starting to nickel and dime me. I figured it was time.

Given my love for the Mad Max Interceptor, I had designs on buying a 71-73 Mustang and trying to make the American Interceptor. But who was I kidding? I don't know how to work on cars. Then I was looking at 91-ish Eagle Talon turbos...I drove one for a few weeks years ago, and really liked it. But they were too much for what you were getting and I didn't want to deal with their issue of the timing belt breaking and screwing up the engine. I looked at mid-90's Grand Prix GTPs, but then it surfaced that they had a problem with oil leaks and engine fires. A test drive that had the engine billowing a little smoke settled that.

So I reset my levels...one of the things I said I always wanted was a big, fast, growling, American muscle car, preferably a sedan. When I started looking around, it was down to the 05+ Mustang or the Charger. I checked out the Mustang at the auto show, and it lost out of the running because it had no back seat for the boys and 2 doors. But I still do like the styling.

I rented a Charger SXT and fell in love with the platform. It had everything I wanted styling-wise...just needed a V8. And it HAD to be black. I test-drove a white R/T and loved it. Came across a pretty pristine black 2006 Charger R/T at Richard Chrysler in St. Charles, and the used car sales manager happened to be an old sales buddy of mine from the car business and he knew the guy that traded it in...he'd babied it.

I signed the papers on a great deal an it was mine.

Way back when we saw the mango and thought it was damn cool but we couldnt afford one so went on with our lives. One day had to pick up dad at a local Chevy dealer and saw another mango. Well we looked at it and the keys were in it like it came back from a test drive and the guy came up and asked if we wanted to take it for a ride. We did and brought it back then the salesman asked how we liked it and we said it was great bt we were just looking well he said the magic words DO YOU WANT TO TAKE IT HOME TONIGHT Jackie was like nooo and I nudged her and said sure we will hahah the next day we bought it.

As far as the chally goes I told Jackie hey I am going to go buy a Challenger and theres nothing you can do to stop me.........


well actually when we got the Daytona I never let her drive it and she let me get the Chally so she could drive her own car which was the Daytona originally hehe say what you want about my tactics but it was pure genius

Headtripp wrote:

Way back when we saw the mango and thought it was damn cool but we couldnt afford one so went on with our lives. One day had to pick up dad at a local Chevy dealer and saw another mango. Well we looked at it and the keys were in it like it came back from a test drive and the guy came up and asked if we wanted to take it for a ride. We did and brought it back then the salesman asked how we liked it and we said it was great bt we were just looking well he said the magic words DO YOU WANT TO TAKE IT HOME TONIGHT Jackie was like nooo and I nudged her and said sure we will hahah the next day we bought it.

As far as the chally goes I told Jackie hey I am going to go buy a Challenger and theres nothing you can do to stop me.........


well actually when we got the Daytona I never let her drive it and she let me get the Chally so she could drive her own car which was the Daytona originally hehe say what you want about my tactics but it was pure genius

Lol pure genius for sure bro!!!

Hee hee hee

Great stories so far guys.

About to go let mine warm up for the drive home. Still love every sec I drive it. I hope it never gets old.

I wanted a truck, not a big one....and not an s10 or ruster....and no way in hell an import...so I decide I want a gen III dakota (97-04), start looking, anything I can afford is total shit....anything decent way out of budget...dad was driving in steger past a car lot, saw my truck...came home and said wanna look at a truck? (I had contemplated getting a wrecked truck and rebuilding it....) I asked is it wrecked? Nope...does it run? Yep...rediculously high miles? Nope...63,000mi. Is it in budget? Yep...what year? 96...I know its not the style you wanted, but just look at it....its immaculate....and v8....

We went that saturday nite and looked at it, went monday morning, test drove it, and bought it for $3750 out the door....

And that's how I got it 4.5 years ago.......

I bought mine because it reminded me of my 55 Ford F-100. Oh yeah, it had a 426 Hemi in it. Now I want another blower though. You would think once would be enough, but nooooo. lol.

i just got out of the hospital for 2 years and i needed something to make me happy.

i just wanted to get a new toy with a big ass motor and a manual gear box. i originally wanted a viper truck. i wanted the viper truck more because the manual gear box but i couldn't justify 6mpg on premium at the time when gas was 5bux a gallon. so i decided on the 6.1L motor and at least the auto-stick option kept me kinda happy rowing the gears. they didn't make it in a Dakota or i would have that instead so i looked at what car with that motor fit me best. the 300c was too gangster for me. i didn't like the jeep cause most road race tracks don't allow SUV's and i didn't want all wheel drive since i like to drift from time to time. that left the charger and maggie. i just thought the charger was more sporty with the ram air hood and stuff and the name had muscle car nostalgia so thats what i got. i had to buy used cause i couldn't afford new and i was not going to buy a 5.7L since the brakes were not up to par with what i planned on doing with it. i wanted to get silver and put black rims on it because i was tired of cleaning black cars but at the time i had to choose between deep red and black or pay an extra three and a half grand for a superbee. the numbered car might have been cool but there is no way i was getting a yellow car. the red one sold on my way to get it so i piked up the black one.

i told myself i wasn't gonna mod this car when i bought it besides powder coating the stock wheels black.... well that kinda went out the window.

I got my charger because i was tired of having a 2 door cavalier which was getting to be too small for me. I remembered I used to deliver rims to Shermen Dodge when i worked at a rim shop and got to know the manager pretty well. So i decided to stop by and see what we could do. I had originally tried to get ther srt4 caliber but was too much money for me at the time and they tried to get me into an 08 avenger with 30,000 miles. i told them thats not what i really wanted and started to walk out. My friend that worked there had asked me what i wanted and told him I'll leave with my cavalier or a brand new charger so about 2 hours later i drove off in my charger. I love my charger!! even if it is a 2.7!!

I was into 4x4s when I was a yute (as was every redneck Floridian in my neck of the woods) and I never really had a fast car. My 4x4 Dodge had a big engine (a 383 pulled from a Road Runner), but it was not geared to be fast. Man, that thing pulled though.

So, when I paid off my '02 Intrepid, I decided I'd get a fun car and found Plain Jane for sale by a UAW member out on disability in Flint, MI. He was wanting to get rid of the SRT Charger and get an SRT Challenger. UAW members get awesome deals on new cars, it seems.

I made the mistake of telling the guy that I'd be giving him cash for the car and he became a real pain in the ass about it. I received like five messages from him telling me that he hopes that I understand that this is a cash deal and I need to bring cash. I withdrew my limit from my bank here and went there and paid off his loan and then went to a branch of my bank in Flint and withdrew my limit to give to him. They wouldn't let me take out any more money and I thought the guy was going to pitch a fit right there in the lobby. But they managed to convince him that a cashier's check was just as good and he could come back to them the next day to cash it.

And now she sits in the garage because of the DAMNED SNOW!

HiPwr wrote:

I was into 4x4s when I was a yute (as was every redneck Floridian in my neck of the woods) and I never really had a fast car. My 4x4 Dodge had a big engine (a 383 pulled from a Road Runner), but it was not geared to be fast. Man, that thing pulled though.

So, when I paid off my '02 Intrepid, I decided I'd get a fun car and found Plain Jane for sale by a UAW member out on disability in Flint, MI. He was wanting to get rid of the SRT Charger and get an SRT Challenger. UAW members get awesome deals on new cars, it seems.

I made the mistake of telling the guy that I'd be giving him cash for the car and he became a real pain in the ass about it. I received like five messages from him telling me that he hopes that I understand that this is a cash deal and I need to bring cash. I withdrew my limit from my bank here and went there and paid off his loan and then went to a branch of my bank in Flint and withdrew my limit to give to him. They wouldn't let me take out any more money and I thought the guy was going to pitch a fit right there in the lobby. But they managed to convince him that a cashier's check was just as good and he could come back to them the next day to cash it.

And now she sits in the garage because of the DAMNED SNOW!

I am pleased to report that my Interceptor is in the garage today, and I have taken the wife's van to the train station.

Eric, I think you should take Plain Jane out to the train today and take pictures next to my wife's van. Yeah, that would be good. Good idea by me. I think you should. Yeah....

This was a upgrade form my old 1998 dodge stratus. I figured that a car payment was less than the $1000.00 a month in repair bills on a car with 157K on it.

Deb's Jeep Grand Cherokee was starting to give us a few problems and I like her to have a dependable car because I spend so much time on the road. So when I saw a black Charger with $19,000 add in the window I stopped in. The dealer had the black Charger SXT and a silver Magnum SXT. Both were demo's with the same option package, same price and about the same milage. I test drove the Maggie and I liked it a lot. The 3.5 was pepppy and to tell the truth I REALLY liked the styling of the Maggie.

When I got in the next week on Friday night deb and I decided we would go to the dealer on Saturday after she got off work. Saturday morning I was bored and decided to stop in at Liberty Dodge just to see if I could do any better. Well, the salesman showed me a couple of Chargers with the SXT package then asked me if I wanted to test drive an R/T. I told him it was really more than I planned on spending but, yea, I would like to test drive a Hemi...........When we got back I called Deb and told her "I'm buying this one!" She asked what color is it and I said RED and then she asked how much is it. When I told her she said......well, this isn't the XX section. I told the salesman I liked it (Like that was a big secret after the test drive) but it was more than I could afford HOWEVER, if he could get my payments down to $370 a month I would take it. After some back and forth they came down on the price and gave me a good amount for the jeep and got a 7 year loan for me we had a deal and I drove The Lady home that night. (I named her The Lady in Red that night)

A note on Liberty Dodge: The next Monday they called and said if I would come in and sign some more papers they found me a lower rate loan. They had already sold me the car, deal done and I was really impressed they did this.

Like Shawn, I am a lifelong bike addict and after my last crash that left me with a broken foot and 5 months off work Deb is happy I am spending more time (and $) on The Lady instead of my bikes though I haven't given them up entirely.

I had an 06 midnight blue SE with the 3.5L.. I told myself that I would never drive the HEMI because I knew that I would want it..

My buddy traded up to a R/T and I started getting hemi fever.. lol.. I finally convinced the wife that we should at least go test drive it.. So we did.. Needless to say, I fell in love with the new styling of the '08 interior (ALL lower panels black).. The bigger engine was great and decided that I wasn't going home with my old charger and took the new one home..

I got mine cause I pointed at it and said "baby I want that one"....and he got it. HAHA...Im spoiled


All kidding aside. lol That jeep is my dream car. I wanted a yellow jeep wrangler since I was 10 or 11 years old. Well when I finally made enough money to get one...they stopped producing yellow ones...so I drove a crappy cavalier...a 106 horsepower toyota yaris...a jeep compass...and then passed the dealership and saw this one...

The rest is history lol...ty honey.

My next baby is an Acura TL or RL...not sure yet. Gotta pay for this one first lol

I got the hint I liked the Chargers after I drove one while doing an alignment for a local stealership. Got back from the test drive and told everybody I'd have one. They were all like "no way fucker whatever" lol

So I waited a while......... and THE DAY my divorce was final, I drove from Waukegan court house to Antioch Dodge, and traded my Alero (her car) and my Neon, in for the Charger. It was pretty funny seeing her face though around town.... PRICELESS!!!! ha ha ha ha TOO FUNNY!!!

i needed a bad ass car for my snowboarding hobby in the winter wouldnt you know my car became my hobby instead and i needed to get rid of my pos pontiac grand prix

Back in 2006 when I was shopping for a new car my wish list consisted of American name plate, 300+ hp, cup holders, a satallite radio, and less than $30K. I narrowed the list down to the Charger, Mustang GT, and Impala SS, and test drove them all. The Impala is a fwd car and had terrible torque steer issues. The Mustang was a lot of fun but its trunk was too small for my purposes. The Charger had everything I wanted and more. I've also been a fan of the TV show NCIS for years, and the Charger is featured on the show. I even got mine in midnight blue (just like the TV show). In retrospect, and now that I've seen Vic's car, I wish I had waited a couple more years for the Challenger to hit the showrooms.

my neighbor would take my xterra to work with him and have his dealership change my oil whenever it needed it. he would pick it up and drop it off all i did was write him a check it was a pretty good deal, well one day i noticed a few drops of oil so i told him i was gonna bring it in the following moday. so i bring it in and was gonna look at a mustang they had there since i had paid off the xterra three weeks prior and when they pulled it up i told him nevermind i want the key to the challenger and i knew my mind was made before getting in.

FUCKING HEMI!

Headtripp wrote:

Way back when we saw the mango and thought it was damn cool but we couldnt afford one so went on with our lives. One day had to pick up dad at a local Chevy dealer and saw another mango. Well we looked at it and the keys were in it like it came back from a test drive and the guy came up and asked if we wanted to take it for a ride. We did and brought it back then the salesman asked how we liked it and we said it was great bt we were just looking well he said the magic words DO YOU WANT TO TAKE IT HOME TONIGHT Jackie was like nooo and I nudged her and said sure we will hahah the next day we bought it.

As far as the chally goes I told Jackie hey I am going to go buy a Challenger and theres nothing you can do to stop me.........


well actually when we got the Daytona I never let her drive it and she let me get the Chally so she could drive her own car which was the Daytona originally hehe say what you want about my tactics but it was pure genius

Funny, but I don't really remember it going down quite that way, but whatever makes you feel better honey.

Ohh burnnnnn.....