A Hellcat love story

[Hickster]

I have not found one deserving,, yet. Lordy, I have tried and they don't appreciate the cars. I mean sum times 6 is a bitch much, but it keeps me out of Costa Rica. The fishing and buffet there at the El Presedente is 1st classss.

 

[Green717]

Hickster,
You lost me.

Congratulations on your HFCOTM award. Beautiful ride.

 

[Hickster]

Well, well another Floridian on the fore um. Congrats. Happy hour, now that is a funny one. My hole damn life has been a very long happy,, sumtin. Don't know what to say, but keep reading. I am a very nice guy escape that bitch and the renters whom just got me for $5,000 and that is not to take a look see on the inside. Never mind that yet. That will come later. . Thank you for the strangest car of the month. Next one will be a balloon cat. Guess we got track day in Orlando next month. See what El Ri co la has in mind. Well come.

 

[RedEye19FL]

Hickster,
You lost me.

Congratulations on your HFCOTM award. Beautiful ride.

Hickster dances to the beat of a different drummer, but he's okay. You'll get used to his cryptic posts. Ha! Ha!

 

[DGatzby]

@Green717 congrats! Sorry I am a bit late reading your thread. Great story, and it sounds like you have a great family! Now go hug them all an extra time today for all of us. Looking forward to reading more posts as you mod and drive it more.

 

[McLovin]

I have enjoyed everyone's comments and again thank you all. I've been reading HellCatForum for quite a while (way before my Cat became a reality) And I must say, what a great concentration of combined knowledge and experience! Thanks to you guys, I've begun to assemble a Hellcat owner's starter kit.

Oil change parts i.e. plastic rivet tool, nifty oil funnel that locks into filler, quick drain oil plugs, oil filter socket, jack lift pads, PUP sales sources...
Dr. Beasleys for the hood and spoiler. Plastic coated wheel lug socket. Black TPMS covers, cleaners, wax, the list I'm sure will never end. One of the very few times that I ENJOY shopping for stuff.

This weekend I plan on installing my new Barton shifter, 1-4 shift eliminator and pulling the CDV. The little pieces of mahogany inlay probably took 100 times the time to carve, sand and varnish than the time that it will actually take to install it.

View attachment 11825

Hopefully you have had a chance to drive it around for a bit, so you can really appreciate the difference your weekend project is going to make.

Doing those 3 things makes it so much better.

BTW...that shifter is a work of art. Love it!

 

[coolblue]

Just caught this thread myself. Great story and beautiful car. The Barton will really enhance the M6 driving experience. Nice work on the inserts btw, love unique personal touches on a car. Good luck with her!

 

[DodgeCares]

A Hellcat love story

First post (ever, to any online forum).

At 13 years old, I was mowing grass for neighbors, saving my money to buy my ultimate dream. I graduated from mowing yards to bagging groceries at Winn Dixie. By 16 years old I had almost saved enough money to buy my first car. I'd ride my bike to 7-11 every Friday afternoon, buy the latest AutoTrader and read it cover to cover. Month after month. I finally found a used car that looked promising at $1,500. I got a ride from a friend and we headed for Miami. That night I came home with a black/black '71 Olds 442. 455, 4:11 rear gear, 3-speed automatic with shift kit, jacked up high in the rear with massively wide chrome Crager SS wheels. As a 17 year old, I had the fastest car in my high school and would routinely burn an entire tank of gas on a Friday night just cruising the strip at Ft. Lauderdale beach.

Hi Green717, Welcome back to the brotherhood of muscle. So happy to hear that your wife surprised you with a new Hellcat! After such a long time away from muscle cars, we hope you enjoy your new Hellcat as much as we enjoy an enthusiast like you driving one.
Rob
DodgeCares

 

[2fast4u]

@Green717 Congrats and what an AWESOME story!!! Enjoy your new HC and make sure you take VERY good care of your wife, she is one in a million.

 

[45-70govt]

If you put Hicksters posts into google translate, then they make since about 50% of the time..... The politicly correct police will not let us refer to him as a redneck, so we have to refer to him as our resident Appalachian American.

 

[Green717]

OP here. I wanted to add something relevant.

From the original post, my youngest daughter and her Marine boyfriend that took me to dinner on my birthday, later got engaged.

Months later, my daughter calls. “Dad, what’s a cool vintage car?”

I think for about 4 seconds and say, “Stutz Bearcat”.
OK, bye.

A week later she calls again. “Dad, I can’t find a single Stutz Bearcat for rent”.
”What the heck are you talking about”?
”I’m looking for a cool car to take me to my wedding“.

Trying not to laugh, “Sweetie, there’s only a handful of those left in existence in the world and they’re in private collections of billionaires or in a museum. Not to mention that they’re priceless”.

Long pause.

I say, “What about a car that looks vintage but is very cool?”
Yeah? What?
The Hellcat ! I’ll drive you to your wedding.
Oh Dad. That would be awesome. Thank you soo much. I was hoping you’d say that. Will you rev it when I arrive?

Of course baby girl.

 

[Hunter]

OP here. I wanted to add something relevant.

From the original post, my youngest daughter and her Marine boyfriend that took me to dinner on my birthday, later got engaged.

Months later, my daughter calls. “Dad, what’s a cool vintage car?”

I think for about 4 seconds and say, “Stutz Bearcat”.
OK, bye.

A week later she calls again. “Dad, I can’t find a single Stutz Bearcat for rent”.
”What the heck are you talking about”?
”I’m looking for a cool car to take me to my wedding“.

Trying not to laugh, “Sweetie, there’s only a handful of those left in existence in the world and they’re in private collections of billionaires or in a museum. Not to mention that they’re priceless”.

Long pause.

I say, “What about a car that looks vintage but is very cool?”
Yeah? What?
The Hellcat ! I’ll drive you to your wedding.
Oh Dad. That would be awesome. Thank you soo much. I was hoping you’d say that. Will you rev it when I arrive?

Of course baby girl.


View attachment 72906

View attachment 72902
View attachment 72903
View attachment 72904

Cool story!

 

[DavidKFla]

Story brings tears to my eyes.

 

[ChargerChallenger]

Congrats and hope the best for your daughter and her new life.

 

[Magnified]

Seconded. Good on you mate.

 

[45-70govt]

Despite what some might say, this is proof that its not "just a car".

 

[ACMAVRO]

Awesome story and congrats! I know that meant a lot to both of you. I also did some revs and a very small burnout on the way to our honeymoon after our wedding. Everyone loved it!
Agree ^^^^^ Not “just a car”

 

[1971demon]

A Hellcat love story

First post (ever, to any online forum).

At 13 years old, I was mowing grass for neighbors, saving my money to buy my ultimate dream. I graduated from mowing yards to bagging groceries at Winn Dixie. By 16 years old I had almost saved enough money to buy my first car. I'd ride my bike to 7-11 every Friday afternoon, buy the latest AutoTrader and read it cover to cover. Month after month. I finally found a used car that looked promising at $1,500. I got a ride from a friend and we headed for Miami. That night I came home with a black/black '71 Olds 442. 455, 4:11 rear gear, 3-speed automatic with shift kit, jacked up high in the rear with massively wide chrome Crager SS wheels. As a 17 year old, I had the fastest car in my high school and would routinely burn an entire tank of gas on a Friday night just cruising the strip at Ft. Lauderdale beach.

That same year, I met a cute, sweet girl at church youth group. She was only 15 and with strict parents so if we went to a movie or the roller rink, I had to have her home by 9:00. With me being smitten and her being a church girl and all, I drove that Olds quietly while she was in it. But after dropping her home, I'd head straight back to the strip, roar and burn rubber the rest of the night.
The 442 became a stepping stone to a '69 GTO convertible ($3,000). Silver, white top, hide-away lights, tach on the hood, 4 on the floor Ram Air 400 with a lopey Crane cam. My girl-friend liked it too. 7 years later we were married.

2 years later she was pregnant with my son, the next year, my daughter. 2 years after that, another daughter. Hot rods went away, Hello Eddie Bauer mini-van. Later, a Ford Winstar.
I knew she was right, hot rods aren't practical, can't fit the family, gas guzzler, blah, blah, but damn, I sure missed those cars. When driving the whole family to Disney, there's nothing like trying to get a mini-van to go just a LITTLE faster on the turnpike to get around a car going 57. Press the pedal a little, (not going faster) just a tad more (not going faster) then suddenly wooWAAAA, surprise 2 gear downshift and a dirty look from my wife who was trying to take a nap.
I love my kids but I sure missed the feeling of driving an enjoyable car. Years pass, kindergarden plays, recorder flute performances, boy scouts, girl scouts, high school, college graduations, all kids moved out, wedding, grandson...

A few months ago I had a birthday but my wife was out of town that day on business. My youngest daughter and her Marine boyfriend took me to dinner. My wife called and said we'll celebrate this coming weekend. Friday night her airplane lands and we make plans to meet at a local restaurant/bar. I arrive before her and order a Jack Daniels. During my first sip, my cellphone rings. She says, "Change of plans, we're going someplace else, meet me outside". Uhh. OK. Chug my drink, pay the girl and walk outside. Just outside the door, she's sitting in her running car, rolls the window down and with a sly smile says, "Get in".
She says it's a surprise and I have to to wear a blindfold. She then wraps my head with a girly pink flowered silk scarf. I reluctantly go along with the shenanigans, figuring we're going to some fancy seafood restaurant for stone crabs. (she did this once before when we were in college) 10 minutes later we arrive somewhere. She leads me out of the car and walks me into some place, leading me by the hand, "walk this way, watch your step here, turn here, now sit". I can hear music but no smell of food. I sit down but my butt feels crooked, I say, "Honey, something's wrong with my chair". She pulls the scarf off my head.

I find myself sitting halfway in a Challenger inside a Dodge dealership showroom. She smiles and says, "It's a Hellcat. Happy Birthday Honey". I'm in shock. Speechless. Bewildered. There's a couple of salespeople standing at the edge of the showroom staring at me. She notices me glance at the auto shifter. "Now we going to sit with this nice lady over there and order the one you want because I can't find a single military green stick shift Hellcat for sale in the country".

I am in awe and still in love with my high school sweetheart.

Like they say in that commercial......IT DONT GET NO BETTER THAN THAT

 

[bobn]

Awesome story!

 

[McLovin]

Congrats to you and the newlyweds...and yet another great story.

Good thing this guy doesn't post more often. Every time he does, it's an amazing story.

The rest of us Jabronis are here arguing about ceramic coating and dipsticks. Makes us look bad. (Not that we need the help)