63 Dodge Max Wedge
After flogging the 74 Charger for almost 10 years the desire came to move on to something else. Cruise nights are now the rage. Whoever invented them should receive the Nobel Prize. I enjoy them. My all time favourite car was the 63 Dodge. I had a 2dr post car that you can see with a 426 Hemi in the very early seventies at the beginning of my serious racing days. Now retired and a little saddle worn, I looked around for one to restore. The Easy Cruisers Car Club of the Alexandria area of Eastern Ontario had one they had brought back from BC. Dave Brooker was the man who owned it when I finally got around to making  a deal. The picture below is of my wife and me and "Bertha"(my 94 V10) picking up the car at Dave's place. Dave is a decent guy and I enjoyed meeting him. I think he would have kept it for himself but he sold it to me because he realized how badly this "ol boy" wanted it.

I did the rough body work but my friends, the Vanderveldes, who are Farmers by trade, Hot Rodders by choice and Painters by night, did the final body and paint for me. That is Darren in the white, Jamie in the blue and if you look real close you can see their Dad Jake in the background (counting the money probably.) Darren has a 55 GMC pickup with a 455 Olds I did for him. Jamie has a very hot street 74 Z28 with a 350 I did for him and Jake has a 78 Chev pickup with a 455 Olds, an 85 Cadillac coupe de ville with a 455 Olds and a 57 Cadillac 2dr htp with a 455 Olds. All Jake's engines are also by yours truly. Since they have given me so much business over the many years we have been friends it seemed only fitting to give them the job. If only they liked Mopars! One can always hope.

Some ying-yang had cut the rear valance off with a torch so as to fit a trailer hitch. I had to fabricate a new one. For those who do body work for a living or those who enjoy it, my hat is off to you. I find it extremely hard and frustrating but it turned out not too bad all the same.
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                   Things are beginning to take shape. Those wheels have to go though. 
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The upholstery is done with the exception of the headliner which I'm having trouble locating
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   I made a deal with Wager (see 460) for a set of wheels. I am beginning to get excited!
Big-D