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I HAD SEEN IN CAR MAGAZINES THAT 1971 WOULD BE THE LAST YEAR FOR A HEMI ENGINE IN A CAR FROM
CHRYSLER, I ORDERED THE CAR ON OCT 14, 1970 FROM MY FAVORITE DODGE DEALER WHERE I HAD BOUGHT
MY OTHER DODGES, HE HAD ONLY SOLD ONE OTHER HEMI CAR BEFORE AND AFTER MINE, AND THAT FELLOW
BLEW THE FIRST ENGINE NOT LONG AFTER HE TOOK IT HOME, THE DEALER REPLACED THE ENGINE, A FEW
WEEKS LATER HE CAME BACK WITH A BROKEN ENGINE, THIS TIME HE COULD NOT REPLACED IT ANYMORE, SO
HE TRIED TO TALK ME OUT OF GETTING THE HEMI OPTION, BUT I INSISTED. THE DARK GOLD METALIC COLOR
WAS NEW FOR THAT YEAR, SO I ORDERED IT, SUPER TRK PACKAGE WITH 4.10 GEARED DANA, GOLD VINLY
ROOF (VERY POPULAR THEN) 4 SPEED, BLACK LEATHER INTERIOR, R/T PACKAGE, STANDARD WHEELS WITH
DOG DISHES (I HAD MAG WHEELS OFF MY TRADE-IN). I RECEIVED THE CAR ON DEC 8 1970. MY WIFE DROVE OUR
1960 CHEVY IMPALA AND I DROVE THE 1969 DODGE CHARGER R/T WITH A 440 MAGNUM, R/T PACKAGE, 4 SPEED
CAR THAT I TRADED IN ON THE CHALLENGER, IT HAD 17000 MILES ON IT IN A YEAR I HAD IT..THE 440 WAS VERY
GOOD, BUT I HAD TO HAVE A HEMI, AND BOY WAS I SURPRISED ON HOW MUCH MORE POWER THE HEMI HAD
OVER THE 440...OF COURSE IT WAS SNOWING AND I HAD TO DRIVE MY WIFE TO WORK AND I HAD TO DRIVE TO
WORK 40 MILES EVERY DAY, I HAD THE 60 CHEVY TO DRIVE IN THE SNOW, SO THE HEMI SAT AT HOME, I ALSO
BOUGHT A 1971 VOLKSWAGEN AT THE SAME TIME TO DRIVE IT TO WORK ALSO. THE HEMI SAT AT HOME, I
BOUGHT A 1974 VW, TO REPLACE THE 71 VW, THE HEMI SAT AT HOME...SO ONE CAN SAY, THE VOLKWAGENS
SAVED THE HEMI FROM ALL THOSE MILES OF WEAR AND TARE (AND TEARS) THERE WAS NO OTHER CAR THAT I
WANTED AFTER THE HEMI, SO IT STAYED FOR GOOD...AND LONG...THAT DODGE DEALER MOVED FROM THE
MAIN STREET LOCATION TO THE BIGGER HIGHWAY LOCATION SINCE AND THE OLD DODGE BUILDING STILL
STANDS IN THE MIDDLE OF DOWNTOWN CENTER POINT, IOWA, A VERY SMALL TOWN OUTSIDE CEDAR RAPIDS
IA, ITS ABOUT 40 MILES FROM HOME. IN FACT THAT DEALER, MR IVAN COONROD, STILL LIVES IN THAT TOWN, I
JUST HEARD FROM HIM LAST SUMMER WHEN HE MAILED ME A CAR DEALER EMBLEM FROM HIS DEALERSHIP,
CHROMED METAL EMBLEM WITH THEIR NAME ON IT..WHEN I ORDER THE CAR BACK THEN, I TOLD HIM NOT TO
PUT A DEALERSHIP EMBLEM ON THE CAR'S TRUNK (THEY HAD TO DRILL 3 HOLES FOR IT). I HAVE SPOKEN TO HIS
SON LAST SUMMER AND HE FOUND OUT I STILL HAD THE CAR, SO HE SEND ME THE EMBLEM HE NEVER COULD
PUT ON MY CAR!!! IS THAT GREAT OF HIM OR WHAT? HE IS 86 YEARS OLD NOW...
NOW THAT WE HAVE THIS GREAT MEDIA OUTLET, THE COMPUTOR, IT IS TIME FOR ALL THE SEE THIS CAR.
CANNOT HIDE ANYMORE...THAT, IN A NUTSHELL, IS THE HISTORY OF THE CAR: 40 MILE TRIP DEALER TO HOME,
CAR SITS, CAR IS BROUGHT OUT TO THE LIGHT, I AM GETTING OLD AND THE CAR IS TOO...WHAT A WAY TO GO....

Feature Car February 2007

1971 Dodge Challenger R/T 426 Hemi. Register # 160
Build (scheduled) on November 11th 1970 and sold by Dodge-Dealer Hendryx Motors-Center, Point, Iowa.
This Survivor car has original 1860 miles (YES, that is right !) and is still owned by the original first owner.

Now you probably think, that this car in such condition is ultra rare, then you are absolutely right. But if we look at
only some of the facts: This car is still owned by the first owner, he has all documents plus all other original things
that came with the car in 1970 and he knows the history of the car in every detail, actually he lived the history with
his own car ! That makes this Survivor, in my opinion, the most desirable Hemi Challenger in existance.

I asked the owner to write a brief history about himself and the car. He describes how it all started in 1970 .......