Schen
05-23-2014, 10:12 AM
Back in 2008 I made my first major life purchase. I was fresh out of high school and I was driving a dinky little Ford Escort. I wanted a Mopar bad. I settled on two choices. A Magnum or a Challenger. I couldn't afford a brand new HEMI Challenger so I was left with picking a V6. I wanted a HEMI Magnum but couldn't find a single one. As for the Challenger I couldn't live with myself knowing it be a V6 so I ended up choosing the Magnum. Now it was a matter of finding one. Richard Lucas down on Route 1 had a silver one for sale, no tint, just a plain 3.5L V6 Magnum. Then one day, I was with my Mom and convinced her we should go check it out. As we were headed towards my high school, we passed Mauro Chrysler and sitting out front was a 07' Brilliant Black SXT. So we stopped.
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5524/14248448121_95f86035f1_o.jpg
BTW it was the middle of May, for us up here in the Northeast that meant Mopar Nationals. As we went inside and talked it over about the car with the salesman, I mentioned my past being involved with Viper and Prowler clubs, going to nationals for years and attending the LXForums Mopar Nationals the year before. We talked numbers for a while, went home briefly and then went back later that afternoon. Dad got to check it out and then before I knew it I was told, 'Here. Take the car, go to Nationals and enjoy it. Come back Monday and will have everything finalized.'
Welcome to the club, now your in. Hook line and sinker.
https://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/208666_1035163333981_1167713_n.jpg
No I didn't race the car first time out to Englishtown but the modding began shortly after. I ordered a set of eyelids, Ernie at 402 supplied me with a SLP performance hood scoop someone had on their Charger, I painted the wheels black, made the calipers red, did the cheap recessed black grille, pulled emblems and so on. Not only did I have my own Mopar but it was my first fun project. These cars are canvases for whatever you want them to be. We had roughly a half-dozen V6 LX's racing at Englishtown at the time. Myself, Joel, Todd, and a few others raced our V6's. While the fastest HEMI's were looking for low 11's-high 10's, we V6 owners were battling each other to break into the...14's. But it was fun and I really miss racing. I loved racing against NHDave, Erik, Mario, Dan, and Stell in the bracket class. I learned about weight, tire pressures, how to launch and be consistent. It was just good fun. In 2009, I took the win in the bracket class at Mopar Nationals a year after getting the car. I won again at the last race of the year, the Frozen Balls shootout and finished 3rd overall in points that year.
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8392/8582673763_2b97e0dc05_b.jpg
I've had the car at plenty of car shows up and down the east coast from Vermont, all the way down to Florida. I eventually added the ACR drivers stripe and after I went to the SRT track experience I had to upgrade my suspension in some way. So I got a set of SRT Charger springs and put them over KONI oranges. A friend of mine sold his Charger and gave me his Daytona R/T wheels, I ended up wrapping them in the nice set of Falken's. The car has met with celebrities and has been signed multiple times. John Force, Steve Saleen, Valentino Balboni, Sam Hubinette, and Rhys Millen have all signed the car over the years. On my way back from Florida, I stopped in North Carolina for a few days and stopped at Hendrick Motorsports. Just as me and my family were about to leave (with parts of Jimmie Johnson's race car in my trunk, seriously), Mr. H showed up with a friend in a Ferrari 458! He was very nice, very humble and we talked about my car. I've made so many friends over the years because of the Magnum. It's been parked with Formula Drift cars, helping Team Hankook to chilling in the sun with dozens of super cars.
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5501/11790536274_27aed42256_b.jpg
Of course it hasn't been all perfect. It's gotten me in trouble if you know what I mean, it's had the upper intake manifold replaced (luckily under warranty), it's got nicks and scratches I've had to repair. But it's a daily driven car, not a garage queen. A lot of us won't see the resale value in these cars for what we paid for them, but I couldn't sell this thing. I've had so many stories to go with it, I'm glad I got this car.
The car has won numerous trophies in both racing and car shows. It's been quite the fun ride over the last 7 years, but as of this month, it's finally paid off. It's finally mine. 70,000 miles later it's still a trip. I'm not sure what will come next, I have an idea but it'll have to wait.
--RS
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5591/14203365656_78f5c83a8b_b.jpg
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5524/14248448121_95f86035f1_o.jpg
BTW it was the middle of May, for us up here in the Northeast that meant Mopar Nationals. As we went inside and talked it over about the car with the salesman, I mentioned my past being involved with Viper and Prowler clubs, going to nationals for years and attending the LXForums Mopar Nationals the year before. We talked numbers for a while, went home briefly and then went back later that afternoon. Dad got to check it out and then before I knew it I was told, 'Here. Take the car, go to Nationals and enjoy it. Come back Monday and will have everything finalized.'
Welcome to the club, now your in. Hook line and sinker.
https://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/208666_1035163333981_1167713_n.jpg
No I didn't race the car first time out to Englishtown but the modding began shortly after. I ordered a set of eyelids, Ernie at 402 supplied me with a SLP performance hood scoop someone had on their Charger, I painted the wheels black, made the calipers red, did the cheap recessed black grille, pulled emblems and so on. Not only did I have my own Mopar but it was my first fun project. These cars are canvases for whatever you want them to be. We had roughly a half-dozen V6 LX's racing at Englishtown at the time. Myself, Joel, Todd, and a few others raced our V6's. While the fastest HEMI's were looking for low 11's-high 10's, we V6 owners were battling each other to break into the...14's. But it was fun and I really miss racing. I loved racing against NHDave, Erik, Mario, Dan, and Stell in the bracket class. I learned about weight, tire pressures, how to launch and be consistent. It was just good fun. In 2009, I took the win in the bracket class at Mopar Nationals a year after getting the car. I won again at the last race of the year, the Frozen Balls shootout and finished 3rd overall in points that year.
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8392/8582673763_2b97e0dc05_b.jpg
I've had the car at plenty of car shows up and down the east coast from Vermont, all the way down to Florida. I eventually added the ACR drivers stripe and after I went to the SRT track experience I had to upgrade my suspension in some way. So I got a set of SRT Charger springs and put them over KONI oranges. A friend of mine sold his Charger and gave me his Daytona R/T wheels, I ended up wrapping them in the nice set of Falken's. The car has met with celebrities and has been signed multiple times. John Force, Steve Saleen, Valentino Balboni, Sam Hubinette, and Rhys Millen have all signed the car over the years. On my way back from Florida, I stopped in North Carolina for a few days and stopped at Hendrick Motorsports. Just as me and my family were about to leave (with parts of Jimmie Johnson's race car in my trunk, seriously), Mr. H showed up with a friend in a Ferrari 458! He was very nice, very humble and we talked about my car. I've made so many friends over the years because of the Magnum. It's been parked with Formula Drift cars, helping Team Hankook to chilling in the sun with dozens of super cars.
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5501/11790536274_27aed42256_b.jpg
Of course it hasn't been all perfect. It's gotten me in trouble if you know what I mean, it's had the upper intake manifold replaced (luckily under warranty), it's got nicks and scratches I've had to repair. But it's a daily driven car, not a garage queen. A lot of us won't see the resale value in these cars for what we paid for them, but I couldn't sell this thing. I've had so many stories to go with it, I'm glad I got this car.
The car has won numerous trophies in both racing and car shows. It's been quite the fun ride over the last 7 years, but as of this month, it's finally paid off. It's finally mine. 70,000 miles later it's still a trip. I'm not sure what will come next, I have an idea but it'll have to wait.
--RS
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5591/14203365656_78f5c83a8b_b.jpg