Fletch's USA Road Trip - Part 4: Classic Restos Series 42
The final instalment of Fletch's 2019 USA Road trip from Ohio is about to begin. But before he departs, he takes another quick look at Murray Park's Mopar collection. Two Chrysler 300 Convertibles that might appear identical, but still have their differences as Murray explains.
The road trip is around 3,000 miles across two-thirds of America, from Ohio to the shipper in San Francisco. Just as they get started there is another quick stop to buy some Magnum 500 wheels and centres. Whereby chance they discover a restored 1966 Dodge Charger, the owner Jim details the history of the car. Fletch keeps discovering classics wherever he goes.
Mark has undertaken quite a bit of work on the Chrylser 300 now 52 years old in readiness for the road trip, but it's only 60 miles into the journey when trouble starts, snapping a belt. It takes a bit of MacGyver ingenuity by Fletch to get it back on the road.
Talk about the loneliness of the long-distance runner, Mark and Fletch drive a minimum of 12 hours a day, with no two-way communication between them. Just a preset drill of indicators when it's time for a rest stop or a vehicle problem.
There are some mandatory stops for these enthusiasts and Joes Wrecking Yard in Denver is just one of them. One hundred acres of cars from the '50s to the '80s. A couple of highlights include a 73 Ford Mercury Marquis 429 V8 and a 71 Ford Custom 500 as featured in the Clint Eastwood classic 'Dirty Harry'. There are 1000's of cars, a Ford section with Lincolns and Mercurys, a Mopar section with Dodges, Chryslers, Imperials and even Desotos and a GM section with a full range of classic Cadillacs. Some with the opportunity of restoration and others just a massive reservoir of parts, for all of these makes. It's an incredible thought, that all of these were once new vehicles and delivered out of a dealership.
The journey for the Chrysler 300 continues onward to San Franciso on its last crossing of the USA, bound for Australia - another classic car saved.
