Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked for a line of antifreeze products in 1937. It also was 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.
The MOPAR Name’s History
Go Man Go!
The modern MOPAR is everything it should be, it’s the perfect balance of comfort, style and performance! My 2006 Dodge Charger Daytona was actually purchased in October 2005 and has 187,000 miles on it already! My story is about performance that lasts! I bought my car to drive it, I’m a Police Tactical Driving Instructer, so I like to drive hard. I would assume that I am in the top 5% when it comes to being hard on a vehicle. The car had running through Superchips as soon as it was available and has been at the track and on the road courses since the week after I bought it. I’ve also driven it several times on the police pursuit training tracks where seeing a police crown victory interceptor with a blown motor is common. My Daytona was also my daily driver and has driven coast to coast. I skipped oil changes, I did top speed runs hitting 170 miles per hour and have just enjoyed my car so much! All of that and I managed to go 185,000 miles before having any mechanical issues!
Modifications: Borla long tube (off road) headers, full exhaust, volant cold are with custom ram air, custom pcm and tcm tune.
Roger
Surprise Mods After Iraq Deployment
As a young kid, I had always loved muscle cars. The roar of the engines, the sleek body lines, they all intrigued me. I didnt know their names early on but I knew there were certain cars I gravitated towards more than others. As I grew up, there were names that came up more than others. Superbird, Duster, Roadrunner, even Camaro and Mustang (Hey, no ones perfect). After joining the Army and wrecking my first car in a rollover accident, I was blessed with the opportunity to purchase a new 2008 Dodge Charger R/T during my deployment to Iraq. The day I drove it off the lot was one of the greatest days of my life. I loved the power, the room, the look. It was the perfect car for me, and my soon to be family as my then wife was pregnant with my Son. It didnt take long for the mods to start. An emblem here, an intake there, a new magnaflow exhaust. Soon I had vinyl racing stripes across the top, and a stripe along side that harkened back to the days of the hot rods. As I modded my ride my intent was to make it look like a classic muscle car as much as I could. In the 15 months in between deployments I spent plenty of time on various car forums (especially chargerforumz.com) and with my club (DFWLX) learning, growing, and turning my ride into the beast it has become today. During my second deployment, the great people of the “Z” and my car club came together, and raised nearly $1600 to mod my ride for me. They purchased an OEM SRT8 hood, a predator tuner, lights, and many other things to compliment the painted tailights, painted side markers, and billet aluminum products engraved with the Punisher skull. When I came home from Iraq, it was like a whole new ride. I am very proud of my car, and it turns heads from the West coast, to the east coast, even all the way here in Germany where I am currently stationed. I am proud to be apart of the MOPAR family, and I am MOPAR till I die. MOPAR or NOCAR!
SSG Jeremy M. McNichol
Demon Returning, 12 to be Produced
Our sources tell us that Mr. Norms Garage and Bosak Performance Group have joined to bring back this very famous piece of automotive history. This comeback will be made available in a very, very limited quantity … only 12 will be available! The first public showing will be at Monster Mopar Weekend at INDY, and you will be able to secure 1 of the 12 for yourself right there at the show. We have a sneak peek for now …
Contract Extension between Chrysler Group and the UAW
Chrysler Group and the UAW have agreed to continue bargaining past the September 14 expiration of the national labor contract. Chrysler will continue its efforts to reach a new agreement. Once we have an agreement, it is subject to ratification — a UAW internal process — and then implemented.
Source: Chrysler Group, LLC
Modern Mopar represents a true American heritage
My name is Kalem Romero and this is my story…
For me Modern Mopar represents a true American heritage that is still alive and kicking today. Unlike other car makers, Modern Mopars did it right and are still iconic today for being able bring you back to a day when big engine, big comfort and big bodied iron ruled the road. They stuck behind the philosophy that a car should have great styling queues but also always be fun to drive. Every Modern Mopar has a personality of its own, you’re not just driving the newest dull and boring grocery getter. You’re driving a grocery getter with a 6.1 liter V8 that has amazing handling and enough room to stretch out and take the long way home. It’s that point of not compromising when it comes to there cars and them not saying this car shouldn’t have this or be able to achieve that. Every car that rolls off there assembly line has a soul amongst it own because we the driver give it one. Rather it be a SE model to an SRT it’s a car you wanted and in the exact fit and trim you desired. You never had to say well I guess I have to pass on this one because I want the look but can’t afford the gas for it. Or I love the look and practicality of the design but really wish it had a bigger engine. Modern Mopar’s fill that gap in a world that usually pushes cars on you, that they think you should drive and not what you want to drive. And instead bring you the heritage of old, of either get me to church on time or get me to church in 8 seconds. That’s what I love about my car and Modern Mopars. Who am I? I am a Chrysler 300c SRT8 owner and I drive it daily, take it to the track on Thursdays and to the carshows on Saturdays. No compromises and always pure enjoyment!
Club affiliation and staff member of DFWLX out of Dallas, Texas
Mod list
Performance Mods- Exatorq Tuning and Performance CMR Street Tune and Ported Throttle Body, AFE Stage 2 CAI With Ram Air Tube, Diablo Predator, 180 Thermostat, Blastin Bobs Resonator Deletes, Flowmonster Mufflers, Staggered tire setup, DC Strut Brace, Stack Performance Oil/Air Separator
Appearance- Color matching done through out engine bay, exterior and interior, Black Chrome Grille, Hurst Billet Shifter, Carbon Fiber Pedals, Color matched Fogs and Side Markers, Demolded and debadged, Custom Black Mesh Front Bumper Backings, ABS Cover, Billet Technology custom parts/caps throughout engine bay. Custom Strut Covers, Custom Trunk interior lid, Black on black painted center console
Tell Us YOUR Story!
Modern Mopar Magazine wants to hear from YOU! Our magazine was born from one enthusiast, who became a group of enthusiasts, who wanted to see a publication for the often-neglected modern Mopars. A huge part of our mission is to get YOUR story told. So, tell us why you love your modern Mopar and we’ll share it with the world. Whether you recently got your car and are eager for your future together, or you have been together for years with a long history of modifications, we want to meet you.
Send your story to us (don’t forget the pics!) and you may see it published on our web site. Be sure it’s ready for the world as we will publish it on our site as-is. Email to: mystory@modernmoparmagazine.com
Chrysler Group LLC to Feature Mopar® at Frankfurt Motor Show
September 12, 2011 , Auburn Hills, Mich. – After showcasing its Mopar® brand at auto show exhibits throughout the U.S., Chrysler Group LLC will now show a Moparized vehicle for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
“At shows in the U.S., we’ve demonstrated how we can add value to our brands and vehicles ,” said Pietro Gorlier, COO of Mopar, Chrysler Group’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “We’ll now show how we can further enhance the performance and appearance of our vehicles in other parts of the world.”
At the Frankfurt Motor Show, Mopar will display a fully accessorized Jeep® Wrangler. In addition, Mopar will activate an Accessorization Station where Mopar representatives will install and remove accessories for show-goers.
“More than 60 percent of consumers who are in the market to purchase a new vehicle will consider the breadth and availability of accessories,” said Gorlier. “At Mopar, we aggressively accessorize every single one of our vehicles. In addition, our parts and accessories are thoroughly quality-tested for performance, durability and reliability.”
Following are accessories that will appear on the “Moparized” Jeep Wrangler:
Front off-road bumper
Rear off-road bumper
Warn 9.5ti XP Winch
Synthetic winch line
Rock rails
Tube doors, front
Snorkel, Ram air inlet
Cat-back exhaust
2-inch lift kit
Tonneau cover for rear cargo area
Tonneau cover for second-row seats
Tail lamp guards
Black door-sill guards
Slush mats
Fuel-filler door
Grab-handles with coat hook
The Mopar brand has a large wordwide footprint:
More than 40 commercial offices
Operated by 50 parts distribution centers
Parts distribution centers occupy 12 million square-feet
17 call centers
180,000 order lines daily
800 trucks shipped daily
More than 2,000 suppliers
More than 4,000 dealers
Mopar-First Features
In the U.S., Mopar has introduced numerous industry-first features including:
Camper trailers: first to introduce off-road camper trailers
Vehicle-information smartphone apps: first to introduce smartphone vehicle-information applications, a new channel of communication with consumers
Electronic owner manuals: first to introduce traditional owner manuals in a DVD and brief user-guide format
Electronic Vehicle Tracking System (EVTS): first to introduce new vehicle tracking system that sends owner a text when vehicle is driven too fast or too far based on set parameters
2011 Challenger Drag Pak: first to introduce a 500-plus cubic-inch V-10 drag-race package car
WiFi: first to offer customers the ability to make their vehicle a wireless hot spot
Brand-specific customer-care telephone lines: first to offer Sunday service hours to customers
WiTECH: first to support vehicle diagnosis and software updates leveraging off-the-shelf personal computers and a dedicated wireless tool network
Source: Chrysler Group LLC
Woodward Wrap-Up 2011
By: Steve Legel
In case you haven’t heard … The Woodward Dream Cruise wrapped up it’s 17th year with a bang!
Woodward Dream Cruise is billed as the world’s largest one day rolling car show. The Cruise attracts over 40,000 (forty thousand, not a typo) special interest cars and an estimated 1 and ½ million spectators line the 16 mile stretch of Woodward Avenue to watch and participate in the show. The 8 local communities through which Woodward winds its way, host entertainment and family activities. Local stores and restaurants do a booming business and other businesses just shut down due to the commotion, but in turn rent their parking lots to clubs or host private parties. The Cruise and all the cars and all the people are followed on local TV broadcast. Hard core enthusiasts view the cruise both by driving the stretch of Woodward and by parking and just watching the cars go by.
I’ve been attending Woodward Dream Cruise for 12 years. This year’s “Woodward” advanced the observation that while the classic and special interest hobby is alive and well, it is also ‘graying’. I did not see any 20 somethings driving a 1962 Hemi Belvedere. However, auto enthusiasts of all ages were out in force. The argument can be made that Woodward should be reserved for classic cars. The contrary argument is that is it is a celebration of Detroit and all things automotive which includes daily drivers, and modern muscle.
As an owner of both a classic and retro Thunderbird and of both a classic (1970 RT/SE 440 Magnum) Challenger and a new 2008 limited edition Challenger SRT8, I can see both sides of the equation. Even though both my classics have been attentively restored and should run like they were new, the past automotive technology just does not compare to the creature comfort and reliability of contemporary cars. I am fortunate, I can ‘do’ Woodward both ways … I live here!
On that note, my good buddies Bill and Trish Pitt and I hosted nearly 50 new Challengers at the Beth El Church on Woodward at 13 1/2 mile road. Friends drove new generation Challengers from 13 states and Canada to join us. We held out over 3 days, and were visited by Scott Vandekercove (media specialist) and David Cottrell (SRT brand production manager) for tire kicking and shop talk.
This year, Bill arranged a parade lap on Woodward of the 37 or so Challengers that were out and ready on the sunny Saturday morning. Challengers of all colors received applause and thumbs up from spectators already perched in their lawn chairs along Woodward Avenue. My photos of the pack don’t quite do justice to the sight. I did not see a group of Mustangs or Camaros pull off the same feat, by the way.
Further south, on Woodward, the Michigan LX Club gathered strong participation. Chargers, Magnums and 300s filled a parking area, and attendees welcomed the shade from the canopy announcing their presence. They selected a great spot south of 12 mile road for easy access to cruising and room for picnic too. The LX group is a welcoming sort, and while the cars I saw there all had deep rich shines and some were modified for performance and appearance, this club would welcome any LX platform vehicle.
Bill and I host our gathering event every year, 2 years running. We welcome you to join us. You can email me (steve@modernmoparmagazine.com) and if you are coming from out of town, we can give guidance for hotels and local directions.
Woodward, it’s where ya gotta be on the 3rd weekend in August.
Toyo Tire Sweepstakes: Win Tires … or 2011 Durango!
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To enter the contest: http://toyotires.com/sweepstakes/