The Hot Rod,
Ferro's own, Totally Auto built, '68 Road Runner Convertible clone.

The Mopars Specs,
Starting life as a '68 Satellite Convertible 318 car, the metamorphosis produced something much different. Highlights go something like this: *A fully restored car including a fresh Totally Auto applied custom Base/pearl/clearcoat paint job.
* Full Powder Coated suspension stuffed with polyurethane. *Koni Gas-A-Just shock absorbers.
*A Ray Barton Racing Engines built 446 cubic inch big block producing over 550 horse-power.
*Three Two-Barrel induction with K+N filtration. *Factory HP exhaust manifolds, flowing through Dyno-Max mufflers. *Ceramic Coated 2 1/2" pipes.
*Firm-Feel power steering.
*Power disc brakes with 11" rear drums (police style). *15" Police wheels with NOS trim rings and poverty caps. Big radial tires. *MSD ignition complete with billet distributor. *All the goodies one would expect in a 2001 model new-car, including, *AM/FM, stereo with CD.
*3-speed wipers.
*150 MPH GTX dash cluster with tachometer. *Console with full complement of interior lighting. *Custom velour and vinyl interior, based on 71 style bucket seats. *Power trunk release
*Front and rear swaybars
*Reworked 727 automatic trans with 18000 GVW cooler. *8 3/4 rear end with sure-grip and 3:23 gears *Custom built subframe connectors.
*Factory appearing road lamps.
*Auxiliary electric cooling fan.
*Plus just about every other trick, device and gadget Ferro and his crew at Totally Auto have learned over their past 15 years professionally building Mopars!

The Route,
The Pennsylvania turn-pike west through the state, then onto I-70 straight into Columbus.

The Mission,
Fill the huge B-Body trunk with stuff, fill the tank with fuel and hit the road running. Stop only for food, fuel and the occasional Hot Wheels pit-stop (Charlie is a major collector). Leaving after work on Thursday the plan was to run as fast as we could to make Brice Road before midnight. WE DID! (see trip specs.)

The Forecast,
Not good. Rain likely all weekend and it did, save for a few hours here-and-there of pure top-down sunshine. Of course anyone who has ever been to National Trail Raceway in the rain knows; RAIN MEANS MUD PIT!

The Trip Specs.
11:52 total driving hours
82.30 overall average mph
987 total miles
109.32 gallons fuel used
9.2 average miles per gallon
$209.26 total fuel costs
$0.21 cost per mile

Points of view,
From the drivers seat;
Wow! I've made this same trek literally dozens of times. From the first Mopar Nationals in Columbus and right on through Columbus to the Nats in Indy. Most times with my wife and then later with the kids. Admittedly many of those trips were in a cushy SUV (assorted Jeeps and Durango) or in my V/10 Ram with a enclosed trailer in tow. but this time was different.
This trip there was no wife, no kids, no baby seat, no luggage and NO TRAILER. Best of all, (no offense to the wife and kids) there was no responsibility! Just a couple of guys in a convertible out for good clean (except for the mud) fun.
The car (my seven-year-old calls her Beeper) performed beyond my expectations! That point really hit home on the return trip as we passed an Audi Quatro in the pouring rain at 95+ miles per hour. All I could think is, are we really in a 1968 musclecar? And why do the new cars need so much crap? Long may she run! Dave Ferro

Passengers Side
After 33 years of automobile advancements, one would think driving a 1968 Plymouth on a 500-mile road trip would seem mundane. Not so! First, someone sitting in the passenger seat would take notice to the mass amount of room. Being just under six-foot tall, legroom was no problem; even with the top up headroom was abundant. Extra creature comforts made a significant difference. Tricks like extra lighter sockets for a radar detector, wireless phones and laptop charging, combined to add a high tech flair. A CD player for tunes, and plenty of lights to find stuff in the dark made the trek even more pleasant.

The road qualities of the car were exceptional. I could not believe how smooth the ride was. There is a lot to be said for putting these cars together properly. What a tight machine! Top end power was so phenomenal that the car would give you whiplash if you mashed the loud peddle, even at high crusin speeds, and let's not forget the sound of the 6BBL doing its job.

Pennsylvania was the longest leg of the tour. What better way to see the scenic mountains than with the top down? Wind noise was minimal even at highway speeds. The trip took less time than I had expected. I believe this was due to the fact that this car was such a blast to ride in, and so comfortable that we wanted to stay on the open road as much as possible.
Carl Abbott

REAR VIEW FROM THE BACK SEAT

Three years ago if someone would have told me that I would be riding 500 miles to a MOPAR show in Columbus Ohio, I would have laughed at them. I would have laughed even harder if they had said it would be in a fully restored 1968 Roadrunner convertible with a 440 6-pack done to the max. No one said that to me but that's exactly what I did the weekend of May 17 to May 20.

Considering that I had torn a muscle in my left shoulder, I really wasn't looking forward to the long journey in the back seat. I was armed with all the meds the Dr. had given me for pain, figuring that the journey could be quite uncomfortable. WRONG! I sat in the back of that car for the entire ride stopping only when we needed fuel, and all things considered with the powerplant in the vehicle, we really didn't stop that often.

I hate to say it but the old Mopar's back seat was more comfortable than my Sebring in the front seat. It was quiet, smooth and you could just barely hear the tone of the exhaust at 80 MPH or better. It was a combination of old classic power and ruggedness found only in the 60's and early 70's with the feel and ride of the more modern luxury cars. Talk about having your cake and eating it too.

After spending the weekend looking at Mopars, talking Mopars and pretty much living Mopars, most people would have looked forward to getting back to reality. I was looking forward to the ride home, top down wind in face and Oh, lets not forget about the little rain storm that we drove through in the outskirts of Pa. No one in the front seat realized the rain had been coming down, probably due to the airstream from the windshield, but it hit me dead in the face. It didn't matter. I was kicked back enjoying the ride and getting wet, (at least till Dave decided top stop and put the top up). This was a dream that I got to live. Here's to the next one. Chas Dallas

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