With all the recent activity and opinions being expressed on the Forums, I thought it might be a good time to set the record straight. Many have called my actions “arrogant” and/or short sighted with regards to the advice offered by others. With that said, please follow along and answer this question.

Let’s say you own a Home and have decided to add an Addition to it. While working on this project, your Neighbor “Bob” goes out of his way to approach you and tells you that he doesn’t like the design you have chose for your Addition. Bob then proceeds to lecture you about what you should have done and how he would have approached your project. You explain your intentions but Bob continues to argue and impose his differing views regarding your efforts. A few days later you are told by another Neighbor that Bob has been gossiping to other people about how arrogant and closed minded you are. Bob is saying this because you wouldn’t change your opinions, about your project, to agree with his point of view. Keep in mind that it’s your Home, your money and your time being spent to build YOUR Home Addition.

With that said, who is the “arrogant” one in that scenario? Is it the person minding their own business and doing what they want with their property or the Neighbor that decides to put their nose in someone else’s business and push their agenda? I would say the “arrogant” one is “Neighbor Bob” who seems to think that his opinion should dictate and rule what others do with their property. So the next time someone like “Bob” suggests that I’m being “arrogant” for not succumbing to the opinions of strangers on a Forum, (regarding how I handle/view my 4 Door Project) ask yourself who is actually the “arrogant” one.

The Interior is ready to be installed and the vehicle will be almost be complete. The Interior is the area that I love to work with and the details make all the difference in the world. Here are a few pictures of the Dash Pad and a few of its features.

Here are a few pictures of the Rear Assembly Vent Tube and the Driveshaft that we had “custom” made for the vehicle. The Tape that covers the Vent Fitting Hole was used to keep contaminants out of the threaded opening during shipment. Once the Rear End Assembly made it to the Plant, the Vent was installed and the Tape was sometimes left in place. We have documented many original Chrysler vehicles that still had remnants of the Tape still in place.

I have been asked numerous times if we will ever enter this vehicle in an OE Show. If we do not enter it in the SEMA Battle of the Builders venue, the only showing for this Car will be “display” orientated. Unlike the many OE Cars I have restored, this one will not be allowed to enter that arena because it is not an OE Car. I’ve been involved in the OE Competitions for the better part of 25 years. Prior to the Mopar Shows, I’ve had GM & Ford vehicles that took top honors in their showings. Other than the first Show I entered in 1992, my vehicles have never placed worse than First Place & Best of Show. After a second place finish in my first Show, I vowed never to take anything less than 1ST Place and Best of Show in any National venue. To date, that goal remains unblemished. I’ve been doing OE Competitions since the early nineties. Prior to working with Steve and meeting him in 2002, I did the Restorations on my own.

If it were possible to enter this Concept Tribute in an OE venue, I would do it in a split second. This Car displays OE characteristics, superior to ALL of the other vehicles we have done. I felt bad for a couple of guys that I read about on one of the Forums a while back. One guy had a Burgundy Duster and the other had a Black Charger. The pictures showed the cars sitting in a parking lot with their Hoods open while braving the Summer Heat. I believe it was at a McDonald’s (Restaurant) Parking Lot Show. One of the guys talked about the thousands of dollars he had spent on his Car but never could win a thing. The only thing he got at that Show was a “Ham-burglar or Big Mac” Participation Award. It’s the details that makes the difference between a National Champion and a wannabe.

Here are some of the past Awards from my OE Restorations.

I’ve had a few inquiries this past week about some of the Internet activity that follows this Project. Someone had asked why it brings a “trail of destruction” wherever it’s discussed? The only response I can offer is that you would have to ask those people who make it a “trail of destruction” as to why they continue to do so. I can’t explain why these mindless individuals choose to let something unrelated to their life, take such a personal precedence with them. There have been no falsehoods or comments conveyed anywhere that have not been 100% factual in the expression of this build or the manner in which it has been presented.

We set out to construct a vehicle that was never built by the Factory. Along the way, we learned about an Automotive Journalist/Historian named Roger Johnson who claimed to have seen a red, 1970 4 Door Concept Barracuda while working at the Chrysler Headquarters in 1969. We decided to build this Project to mimic the vehicle he claims to have witnessed. That’s the complete story in a nutshell.

Throughout the build process, some of the design characteristics of the car has changed. The story/information about the Gentlemen who claim that Chrysler built these 4 Door Concepts has not. I have conveyed and shared their information exactly the way they presented it to me. After numerous conversations with Roger Johnson and Larry Saunders about the topic, I personally believe their information to be true. Passing along their commentary about this topic does not constitute “deception” of any kind. I still proudly stand by my statements made at the earlier stages of this project.

Some of you know that ECS is involved with building a “ONE of a KIND” Plymouth Concept Vehicle that involves both Chrysler and the DMV. We are assembling an OE type Four Door 1970 Plymouth Cuda. The concept was taken from the ONLY red vehicle that was actually built (and later destroyed) by Chrysler in 1969. We will be covering the process and hope that everyone will join in the pictorial journey as things progress.