2019 Visit to Wellborn Muscle Car Museum

March 16, 2019

Occasionally we British Car Owners like to broaden our horizons. A visit to the Wellborn Musclecar Museum is just such an outing. While there are a few Fords, AMCs, Chevrolets, and motorcycles to be seen, this is predominately a MOPAR collection of muscular brutes from the 60s and 70s. We had three informative guides talking us through the cars. Blitz, Russell, & I enjoyed the old test equipment as much as the cars. I found one floor jack that had to be from the 40s.

I grew up in this era and while I lusted for a few, I never owned one of these cars. My favorite Uncle did however. The same Uncle who later owned TR6s which led me into this British car hobby. He had a 69 Dodge Charger. Yellow. Black interior. I was 15. He let me drive it a little. It seemed quite faster than my sister’s Beetle! He claimed to have had it to 140. Who was I to challenge, he was my favorite Uncle!

This place had so many Chargers it was amazing. I don’t remember the wild colors, blacked out hoods, or the billboard cars on display from my youth.  I found out why. Some of these cars were one of only 25. There was one of only one. I’m not a MOPAR aficionado, and was quickly corrected when I told Pam they had sold a Superbird for a million bucks. Nope, that was a Daytona Dodge, quite a different animal! Both were in the museum, I didn’t see the difference.

 Tom again amazed me with his knowledge of all cars. It just doesn’t matter. I believe he can tell you the screw size for the little plastic piece behind the thing under the whatchamacallit. He really is amazing!

Alton was fun and told me to visit the “clean up room” where he got cars ready for display. Cleaning, buffing, replacing parts – he does it all in this back room. In that room was a Dodge Dart Hang 10. Dude, it came with a surfboard! It also came with orange shag carpeting!  Perhaps, we had never seen one because – well I question the marketing – most of us do not live on a coast!

I migrated to the front and joined Don & Verna. Alton began informing us of what we had just seen. Several cars in this collection range in value north of the million mark. And he drives them. Every month the cars are driven a 14 mile course and he tromps on it to keep them running like they are supposed to run. I asked him what its like to drive a million dollar car. Frightening at times was his answer. He’s not supposed to baby the cars, but the higher valued ones – he’s not supposed to hurt them either!

I counted thirteen of us enjoyed the exhibit. After, we did what we really enjoy doing! Bar B Que!! Who else but Russell should lead us to the promised land? Sho Nuff BBQ is always good. Portions are large. So large we all said Wow, this will be supper too. Somehow, some of us didn’t make that happen. I was one.

It was a fun day seeing cars of our youth we may – or may not – have wanted at the time. It really is a nice collection.

David

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