1 1: John Lodge’s collection of Impact
Orange CL Drifters came together
through a search that took him
from his hometown of Newcastle
to central Queensland and as far as
WA – twice! The Charger uses 318/
four-speed running gear, the van
runs a 318 auto, and the ute is a one-
of-one build with its factory-ordered
specifications, featuring a 265/four-
speed for motivation. The trio was the
centrepiece for this year’s ‘Spotlight’
collection held at the Ettamogah Pub
on the Saturday
2: The COTM swap meet offered
plenty of items to help start or finish
your project. I mean, where else
would you find on offer one of only
1959 Valiant panel van top tailgates
ever made?
3 3:3: For $25K you could have been
the proud owner of this fully sorted,
alloy-headed, 496 big block-powered
CL ute. The running gear alone would
probably set you back the asking
price if you were to build from scratch,
so the tidy paint and panel along with
a neat interior were a bonus4 4:Don’t let the number plates, er,
fool you – Brisbane’s BJ Donnelly
is pretty much The Stig with a grey
beard, and has impressive skills
behind the wheel. His latest roundie
racer is this VH Charger dressed to
replicate the old Nelson/Naughton
Bathurst runner, and packs a 277-
cube Hemi-six sporting triple 50mm
Webers, backed by a five-speed and
Detroit Locker-equipped HiLux diff.
“It’s a little cranky around town but
we’ll get it out for some street driving
this weekend,” BJ said. “It’s my 22nd
visit to Albury and I have always
enjoyed the mix of the show side and
the cruise action”WITH A RECORD NUMBER OF 741 ENTRANTS,
WE CAN ONLY HOPE THE PASSION FOR EVENTS LIKE CHRYSLERS
ON THE MURRAY CONTINUES TO GROW
111car guy on the open road, in the company of other likeminded folks
enjoying the camaraderie that comes with blasting down the highway.
Cruising with Michael in the company of four other Chargers with their
distinctive ducktail styling gave me a new appreciation of what cool-
looking cars they truly are. The Chrysler Australia Limited designers
got it so right!
The spotlight at this year’s event was on the models that bookend the
Valiant legacy in Australia – the R- and S-Series and the CL-CM range –
and a healthy array of these cars on the Ettamogah Pub’s oval offered up
the perfect chance for happy snaps or just a view to be savoured along
with a steak burger and cold beer.
As the sun set on another great day, I was reminded that cars have
to be driven and enjoyed. The core of this can sometimes be lost in the
process and tribulations of building your preferred ride, but there were
plenty of people who didn’t need reminding during Saturday night’sstreet cruising. If I thought Friday night’s experience was awesome then
Saturday blew my mind! The atmosphere is difficult to describe, mainly
I think because it’s just such a rare experience in our modern-day over-
regulated society.
Sunday arrived all too quickly and it was back to the Gateway for the
final events and afternoon trophy presentation. I swear there were even
more Chryslers on the field and in the carpark than the previous day, and
with a record number of 741 entrants, we can only hope the passion for
events like Chryslers On The Murray continues to grow.
As Sunday drew to a close I made peace with the Commodore then
headed south towards Melbourne, my mind awash with plans to return
to COTM with my own car. Maybe if I incorporate Chryslers By The Bay
in Geelong the week prior and the SA All Chrysler Day the following
weekend, I can have the ultimate Mega Mopar road trip. Now that sounds
like an awesome idea! s