Celebrating its seventh anniversary, MoParty is once again the place to be for all connoisseurs of Dodge, Chrysler, Plymouth, and AMC-badge rides Over two days at Beech Bend Raceway, MoParty delivered a packed schedule of drag racing, autocross, burnouts, and a sprawling car show showcasing Mopar vehicles from across the decades. More than a collection of competitions, the event brought enthusiasts together to celebrate the cars, performance, and community that continue to make Mopar culture unique.

This year we are bringing you a closer look at the cars and fans that define the community. All car enthusiasts like to the ‘whys and hows’ behind a build… the origin story of the car and how it was built which can reaffirm what they are doing in their own garage and may reveal a trick or two to them along the way. We’re not looking for the high-dollar professional cars that always get the spotlight, we’re aiming for the more relatable real-people cars—serious builds, survivors, pristine paint or patina, towering scoops atop carburetors or tucked away EFI set-ups — expect to see it all.

Dave Trojahn’s ‘72 Dodge Dart: Pentastar-Powered In A World Of Hemis

The unique whine of a Pentastar V6 is what catches your attention first when you hear this ‘72 Dodge Dart ripping it on the autocross course. You think your ears are deceiving you, but no. In a sea of Hemi’s, Dave Trojahn’s Swinger stands alone.

Dave bought the Dart as a $2,500 roller in 2016. It already had replacement quarter-panels, new floorboards, and presentable paint, but the engine and transmission were missing. A Hemi and five-speed seemed like the obvious solution until Dave began considering what he actually wanted from the car.

“I like to be that niche guy,” Dave said. “I want to pick my lane and stay in my lane.”

Rather than add another Hemi-powered A-Body to the field, Dave installed a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 from a 2013 Jeep Wrangler. The compact, lightweight engine offered solid factory power while helping him avoid the nose-heavy balance common in traditional Mopar builds.

“The whole theme of the car is lightweight,” Dave explained.

A roots-type supercharger system adds a 1,340cc blower, intercooler, injectors, fuel rails, and supporting hardware. Dave estimates the completed car now carries approximately 52 percent of its weight over the front tires—a useful advantage for a Dart built to autocross.

Backing the Pentastar is a Mustang-sourced Tremec T-5 five-speed. Since the combination was never offered by the factory, Dave adapted a removable Wrangler automatic bellhousing. As a mechanical engineer, he scanned the housing, modeled the necessary changes in CAD, and fabricated an adapter plate to mate it to the transmission.

The ingenuity continues throughout the car. Wrangler electronics operate the engine and much of the Dart’s lighting, while accessory-drive pieces from hybrid Wrangler and Pacifica applications help route the supercharger belt. BMW seats provide additional support inside the otherwise mostly stock-style black interior.

The result isn’t simply different for the sake of being different. It’s a carefully engineered alternative to the expected Mopar formula—and exactly the kind of build that makes walking through MoParty worthwhile.

'63 Dodge D100: A Full Patina Hemi-Swapped Tow Rig

Chase Atherton’s 1963 D100 is a cool, patina truck with modern amenities. But, certainly not as common as LS-swapping a Camaro.

“I’m always into the oddball stuff,” Chase said. “You go everywhere and you see a C10 and everything else.”

His interest in these trucks began during childhood. Chase liked the D100’s body lines, forward-opening hood, refrigerator-style door handles, and other unconventional details. Finding replacement parts can be difficult, but that rarity is also part of the appeal.

Power comes from a 2003 5.7-liter Hemi backed by its matching 45RFE automatic transmission. Chase sourced the combination through Facebook Marketplace and retained the factory engine and transmission controllers. A Holley high-rise intake adds some visual height, while updated valve covers and ignition components eliminate the plug wires crossing over the engine—a familiar sight on early Gen III Hemis.

Underneath, a Crown Victoria front crossmember and QA1 coilovers give the truck its low, static stance. American Racing wheels feature bronze-gold centers and polished lips, complementing the aged paint without making the truck look overly finished.

Despite its appearance, the D100 isn’t simply a low-slung showpiece. Chase drives it several times a week and built it to remain useful. A receiver hitch, rear helper airbags, and an electronic trailer-brake controller allow it to tow his Plymouth Fury to events.

“It always gets a lot of looks,” Chase explained, “because obviously it’s weird to have that truck towing that car.”

The fuel-injected Hemi also makes the D100 far easier to use than the carbureted Fury. “You can hop in that truck and just go anywhere,” he said.

Future plans include cleaner wiring, a new seat, and air conditioning so the Dodge can handle longer summer trips, including Hot Rod Power Tour. The larger goal is even simpler.

“Just keep driving it.”

That combination of rare sheetmetal, preserved character, modern drivability, and genuine usefulness made Chase’s D100 another favorite from Holley MoParty.

Hemi-Powered '34 Plymouth Coupe: Built to Go the Distance

Gary and Sally Conrad’s 1934 Plymouth PE Coupe may wear decades of patina, but underneath is a thoughtfully assembled hot rod built for serious highway travel.

Gary found the Plymouth online and brought Sally into the decision. They both liked it, so the Kentucky couple brought it home. What they purchased was little more than a starting point.

“We built the whole thing,” Gary said. “It was just a rolling chassis when we bought it.”

Power comes from a 331-cubic-inch Chrysler Hemi. Behind it is a 1990s Dodge overdrive automatic transmission with a lockup torque converter, giving the early Hemi Plymouth a more relaxed personality on long trips. A narrowed 1970s Chrysler 8¾-inch rear axle carries 3.73 gears and a limited-slip differential.

The Plymouth rides on coilovers, with QA1 units currently installed at the rear. Gary has been happy enough with their performance that upgrading the front suspension with matching components is already on his list. Four-wheel disc brakes provide modern stopping power.

Gary and Sally also equipped the coupe with air conditioning, heat, and cruise control. Those additions might seem unexpected in a weathered 1934 Plymouth, but they make perfect sense once you learn how the car is used. This is no fairgrounds-only hot rod. “We’ve driven it all the way to New Hampshire from Kentucky,” Gary said.

The Conrads have also attended every edition of Holley MoParty at Beech Bend Raceway Park. Their Plymouth fits the event particularly well: It combines genuine Chrysler history with a traditional hot-rod attitude and the comfort needed to put real miles behind its split windshield.

After 46 years of marriage, Gary and Sally continue to enjoy the car—and MoParty—together. The Plymouth’s unfinished-looking exterior may attract the first glance, but its early Hemi, overdrive transmission, and road-trip résumé give people a reason to stick around.

’72 Plymouth Satellite Wagon: A 230,000 Original Mile Survivor

Among the restored muscle cars and modified Mopars filling Beech Bend Raceway during Holley MoParty, Eugene Smith’s 1972 Plymouth Satellite Custom station wagon stood out for what hadn’t been changed.

The Spinnaker White wagon still wears its original paint and, according to Smith, remains original except for its wheels and tires. Those came from a friend’s car.

“We drive it everywhere we go,” Smith said. “We don’t haul it.”

Smith drove the Satellite approximately 220 miles from his home in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to MoParty at Beech Bend. The trip took a little over four hours, and the wagon arrived alongside a survivor Dodge van and a Dodge Dart driven by friends from Dalton, Georgia.

Smith has owned the Satellite for approximately 30 years, but its story with him began in an ordinary grocery-store parking lot. The Plymouth was sitting outside with a handwritten piece of notebook paper taped to the driver’s window.

“It said, ‘For sale, $450,’ and it had the man’s phone number,” Smith recalled. “I bought it.” Smith became the Satellite’s third owner. Three decades and many miles later, his plans for MoParty remained as uncomplicated as the original purchase.

“Put it in the car show and hang out and talk to people,” he said. “I love it.”

That may be the best way to enjoy an old station wagon. Keep it original, keep adding miles, and never become too concerned about where to park it.

Hemi History: Len Grimsley Jr.’s '64 Plymouth Savoy Race Hemi

Few displays at Holley MoParty carried more concentrated Mopar history than the National Hemi Owners Association reunion. Formed through Chrysler Power Magazine, the NHOA brought together an impressive collection of factory 426 Hemi cars built between 1964 and 1971. Restored survivors, former race cars, and historically significant Hemis filled the display, creating the rare opportunity to see machines that are normally scattered across private collections gathered in one place.

“All these unique cars—it’s probably the only time all of these cars will be together in one place,” said Len Grimsley Jr.

The car Len brought with his father, Len Senior, is a perfect example. Their 1964 Plymouth Savoy is a genuine A864 Race Hemi car originally delivered to League City, Texas. It retains its original 426 Hemi and transmission, along with period lightweight equipment that includes an aluminum front end, thin glass, a trunk-mounted battery, and magnesium front wheels.

Its original driver was Hank Taylor, a Texas teenager who had already raced aluminum-front-end Max Wedge Mopars before the Savoy. Taylor was only 15 when he drove the car, making him the youngest driver at the time to set an NHRA record. When NHRA asked if he had a license, he simply replied yes. But it was an agricultural license for farm equipment, not a driver's license.

Len’s father purchased the Plymouth in 1994. Although they knew it was a legitimate Race Hemi with valuable original components, they did not yet know its connection to Taylor. That history emerged after they met Texas racer Don Gay at the U.S. Nationals. Gay helped put them in contact with Taylor, who confirmed the Savoy was his former race car.

The reunion became even more meaningful in Virginia in 1996, when Taylor climbed back behind the wheel roughly 30 years later. He skipped the burnout—because burnouts weren’t part of his routine in 1964—and promptly ran a 10.20.

“He got out of the car and gave my dad a big hug and was bawling,” Len recalled. “He was like, ‘This is the greatest thing that’s ever happened.’”

Len and his father restored the altered Plymouth to its original configuration, returning details such as the wheel placement, transverse muffler, and hood pins. Today, they continue showing it to preserve both the car and Taylor’s story.

“It’s kind of part of our family now,” Len said.

Built by the Butcher Shop: Joey Morris’ Redeye-Powered '70 ’Cuda

Some of our favorite cars at Holley MoParty aren’t products of high-dollar professional shops. They come from home garages where family and friends spend nights figuring things out together. Joey Morris’ 1970 Plymouth ’Cuda is a perfect example.

Joey built the car with his father and their friend, Donnie Horton, inside a small garage behind his house. The project began with an original 318 car selected from a friend’s collection because it was the least desirable option available. That decision made it easier to start cutting.

A complete Schwartz Performance chassis replaced the factory unibody structure, requiring Joey and his crew to remove much of the original underside before mounting the body. When the previous owner saw the surgery, he told Joey he never would have sold the car had he known their plans.

“So we became the Butcher Shop around home,” Joey laughed.

A Redeye crate engine now supplies the power, backed by a Tremec T-56 Magnum six-speed manual. Schwartz Performance positioned the drivetrain and fabricated the headers around it. Surprisingly, Joey said fitting the engine and transmission was one of the easier parts. Packaging the supercharger’s heat exchanger while retaining the factory hood latch required more creativity.

The shaker bubble is genuine, but it is mounted to the hood instead of the engine. Lift the hood and the supercharger hiding beneath it comes into full view.

Modern SRT seats were sourced from a wrecked Challenger. Because they looked too bulky in the classic interior, Joey lowered the floor approximately 4.5 inches to position them correctly.

Outside the Mopar is shot in 2024 Corvette Red Mist Metallic Tintcoat before the painter added extra candy and metallic. A handmade gator-skin-style vinyl top eliminates the large seam found in many factory-style covers. Custom-offset billet US Mags measure 18x9.5 inches up front and a massive 18x14 inches at the rear.

Joey and Donnie completed the bodywork themselves, transporting the panels roughly 30 miles to a borrowed paint booth—sometimes one piece at a time. Joey admits he isn’t a professional fabricator: “I’m not a welder. I’m a grinder.”

Professional or not, the Morris family’s so-called Butcher Shop produced one of the cleanest and most memorable builds at MoParty.

Blown '70 Plymouth Duster: In The Family Since New

The towering 6-71 blower immediately made Bob Pontrelli’s 1970 Plymouth Duster one of our favorite cars at Holley MoParty. Look beyond the polished hardware, however, and its family history makes the B5 Blue Mopar even better.

Bob’s father purchased the Duster new in 1970. It carried Bob, his brother, and his sister on family trips to Florida and upstate New York long before it became a street machine. Bob’s sister received the car first but didn’t particularly enjoy driving it. After earning his license and graduating high school in 1975, Bob also took over the Duster as his first car.

A failure in the original blower drive eventually sidelined the car. After it sat for a period, Bob committed to rebuilding the entire Duster. The current 340 is bored 0.030-inch over and uses 7:1 compression, a Comp Cams blower camshaft, a 6-71 supercharger, and two 750-cfm Holley carburetors. Bob was told the street-oriented combination should produce slightly more than 600 horsepower, all while running on 93-octane pump gas.

A 727 automatic with an approximately 3,500-rpm stall converter sends power to a narrowed Dana rear axle with 4.10 gears and CalTracs. Up front, an AlterKtion suspension provides rack-and-pinion steering and coilovers, while Wilwood disc brakes sit behind 17-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels. The rear of the car is tubbed to the frame rails.

Bob also worked to keep the engine compartment and wiring clean. That attention to detail reflects his 48 years as a GM automotive technician—even if, as he quickly pointed out, he has always been a Mopar guy.

The Duster now wears its original B5 Blue color and carries the paperwork saved by Bob’s father. Asked whether he would ever sell the car, Bob’s answer was simple: “Probably not. Cars like this, it’s hard to put a price tag on.”

After more than five decades in one family, this Duster is more than a blown street machine. It is the Pontrelli family history, topped by two Holleys and a whole lot of boost.

‘72 Plymouth Duster: This 1,400-HP Police-Themed Ride Is On A Mission

I don’t believe any of us has willingly asked for a police car before, but this ‘72 Plymouth Duster police car is a bit unique. Retired Edmonton police officer Mike Wynnyk is president of Blue Line Racing, a registered Canadian charity that combines drag racing with traffic-safety education. He offers “call-outs,” where street racers can race him head-to-head on a real drag strip, and it’s for a good cause.

“I was a drag racer, street racer before that,” Mike said. “When I got on the job is when I made this whole marriage up with the police and the drag racing scene.” The organization began 29 years ago, bringing together Mike’s police career and his history as a racer.

Today, Blue Line Racing’s Officers versus Outlaws program calls out street racers for grudge matches at the track. “It’s becoming very popular wherever we go,” Mike explained. “We’re calling out street racers to grudge match us on the track.”

The Duster gives them an effective tool for making that point. Its stock-based 6.4-liter BGE Gen-III Hemi uses a partially filled production block, ported factory cylinder heads, a custom camshaft, and an upgraded rotating assembly. Twin 76mm Precision turbochargers help produce approximately 1,400 horsepower at the rear wheels on methanol.

A Holley intake manifold, throttle body, and valve covers are already part of the combination, with a Holley engine-management conversion and Smart Coils planned. Mike credits the company as an important supporter of the nonprofit.

A Rossler Powerglide sends the power to a fabricated 9-inch rear axle filled with Strange components. The car has run approximately 7.8 seconds at 173 mph in the quarter-mile and around 5.0 seconds in the eighth. Mike’s immediate goal is simple: break into the fours.

“All I need is that 4.99, and I’m there,” he said.

Mike and a friend built the Duster in their own shop. It began as a rough, primer-covered ladder-bar roller and initially ran with small-block power. In 2016, they rebuilt it around a full tube chassis, knowing more power would follow.

Although the car is fast enough to attract attention anywhere, racing represents only part of Blue Line Racing’s work. The organization makes 45 to 50 appearances annually, including car shows, schools, and children’s charity events.

“We go right into the school with the car, and we talk to the kids about traffic safety,” Mike said.

At MoParty, the Duster’s police graphics and twin-turbo Hemi made it a natural crowd favorite. More importantly, it demonstrated Blue Line Racing’s message in the loudest possible way: keep the competition on the track.

Blown ’70 Hemi ’Cuda: Todd Cameron Brings Family Tradition to MoParty

An 8-71 blower rising through the hood of a 1970 Plymouth ’Cuda makes a strong first impression. The story behind Todd Cameron’s Michigan-built street machine, however, stretches back much farther than its current supercharged combination.

Todd has owned the ’Cuda since 1997. It began life as a six-cylinder Barracuda with an automatic transmission, far removed from the all-aluminum Hemi and Lenco gearbox it carries today. Todd added the roll cage and originally powered the car with a 440 backed by a four-speed manual.

Todd blew up the 440, and as the old saying goes: “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it… but if it is, put a blower on it…” something like that.

Its replacement is a 526-cubic-inch, all-aluminum Indy Hemi crate engine topped with an 8-71 supercharger and two 750-cfm Holley carburetors. Behind it sits a Lenco ST1200 transmission. Despite the imposing hardware and competition-inspired interior, Todd said the ’Cuda isn’t reserved for trailers and racetracks.

“I do a lot of cruising with it,” he explained, adding that the Lenco-equipped combination isn’t especially difficult to operate on the street.

The car also reflects a lifelong connection to Mopar performance. Todd still owns a 1971 ’Cuda he has had since high school, and his interest in Hemis goes back even further.

“I grew up in a ’34 Ford truck with a 392 Hemi in it,” he said. “That’s what my dad drove, and I used to drive that all the time.”

“We’re a big Mopar family.”

MoParty may bring together thousands of Mopar enthusiasts for a weekend of racing, autocross, burnouts, and more, but the cars and the people behind them remain the heart of the event. From historically significant Hemis and family-owned street machines to unconventional swaps and home-built race cars, every corner of Beech Bend offered another story worth stopping to hear. That variety is what makes walking through MoParty as interesting as watching the action on track—and ensures there’s always another build waiting to be discovered.