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[[Image:Moparwikiexp.jpg|thumb|350px|left|border|Example of a MoparWiki]]
 
;Our Mission
 
:The MoparWiki has the goal of ultimately being the single best source for All Things [[Mopar]]. [[Makes]], [[models]], people, [[platforms]], components, [[racing]] -- anything Mopar. This is to be accomplished by the [[collaboration]] with anyone wishing to improve a MoparWiki with facts or editing for style.
 
 
 
 
 
;About MoparWiki
 
:The engine that runs the MoparWiki is the same engine used for the very popular Wikipedia. It allows for anyone to start an appropriate article, and for others to collaborate on the improvement of it. We try to follow a uniform format for consistency. You can get to a MoparWiki of a specific topic by typing the topic in the search box to the left -- or clicking on a link in another MoparWiki. There are links for a random page, recently updated, or help. Please take a few moments to read further -- and to browse around. We hope you will assist us with collaborating on existing MoparWikis, from adding appropriate facts (and your reference source) or cleaning up the text and styling.
 
|}
 
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|-
 
| '''Well Seasoned MoparWikis'''
 
|}
 
 
 
:[[Plymouth]]
 
:[[Dodge]]
 
:[[Lil Red Express]]
 
:[[Magnum]]
 
:[[Volare]]
 
:[[Walter P. Chrysler]]
 
:[[Richard Petty]]
 
:[[Charger]]
 
:[[Challenger]]
 
:[[Don Garlits]]
 
 
 
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| '''MoparWikis Well on the Way'''
 
|}
 
 
 
:[[Javelin]]
 
:[[Mirada]]
 
:[[GTX]]
 
:[[Diplomat]]
 
:[[Belvedere]]
 
:[[Dick Landy]]
 
:[[Valiant VIP]]
 
:[[Polara]]
 
:[[Nostalgia Super Stock]]
 
:[[Aspen]]
 
 
 
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|-
 
| '''MoparWikis Needing Serious Help'''
 
|}
 
 
 
:[[‎Demon]]
 
:[[Durango]]
 
:[[Warlock]]
 
:[[Honcho]]
 
:[[Rampage]]
 
:[[Matador]]
 
:[[Omni]]
 
:[[‎Lancer]]
 
:[[Cordoba]]
 
:[[B body]]
 
 
 
|}
 
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|-
 
| '''Featured MoparWiki 1'''
 
|}
 
;Virgil Exner
 
:<center>[[Image:Ex1.jpg|thumb|200px|The X-Man]]</center>
 
 
 
To the most of us [[MoparStyle]] kind of guys, Virgil Exner is most famous for his “[[Forward Look]]” years at the [[Chrysler Corporation]]. I like to refer to him as the “Father of Fins”. However, his auto design career started long before his years at Chrysler – and continued after he left Chrysler.
 
 
 
My research finds that the Ex was born September 24, 1909 in Ann Arbor Michigan, and adopted almost immediately by George and Iva Exner. At an early age, Virgil started to show an interest in athletics and art. When looking at photos of him at any age, you will see that he had a good athletic built – and was very dapper. Exner also showed an interest in cars at a young age, and collected car catalogs. As a teenager, Exner insisted on his friends calling him Ex – as he felt the name Virgil to be too feminine. He attended Notre Dame University for art training but had to drop out in 1928 for financial reasons. He stayed in Southbend, IN (home of Notre Dame and Studebaker) and took a job drawing advertisements for Studebaker.  A friend suggested he contact Harley Earl at General Motors, and show him his work. When Harley Earl saw Exner’s work, he hired him to work in the Pontiac design studio.
 
 
 
<center>[[Image:Ex2.jpg|thumb|300|Ex with wife and Son]]</center>
 
 
 
In 1938, the Raymond Loewy industrial design firm hired Exner away from Pontiac. Ex would work on Studebakers for the next eleven years. Most feel that he was most responsible for designing the 1947 Starlight coupe, despite Raymond Loewy grabbing all of the credit for the design. The 1947 Studebakers were the first Post-WWII American cars introduced to the public. Studebaker’s slogan in 1947 was “First by far with a post-war car”. He was also instrumental in the design of the famous “bullet-Nosed” Studebakers – but did not receive proper credit for that either. I have read much on Raymond Loewy . He and his firm is credited with the late forties and early fifties Studebakers, the 1963 Studebaker Avante, the design of the current Coke Bottle, streamlined trains, streamlined toasters, and the modern look of many items we take for granted today. However, the more I read about Raymond Loewy , the more I find that his talent was hiring the best designers, managing the projects they worked – but taking all credit for their work. Since his company employed the designers, he felt that there was no reason to give credit to others. Many famous designers who worked for Raymond Loewy left for this reason. It is said that Ex and Lowery despised each other.
 
 
 
In 1949, Exner joined Chrysler as head of the [[Advance Styling Group]], where he helped to create “[[idea cars]]” like the [[DeSoto]] [[Adventurer]], Dodge [[Firearrow]], [[K-310]], Chrysler [[d’Elegance]], [[Plymouth]] [[XNR]], and a few others. After World War II, the Chrysler Corporation cars were the stodgiest looking of all American cars. Chrysler’s president, [[K. T. Keller]], insisted that a car’s roofline should be high enough for a man to wear his hat while driving. While the other car companies were making their cars lower and sleeker – Chrysler cars were tall and boxy, costing Chrysler market-share. Directors at Chrysler soon realized that something had to change, and Exner became Chrysler’s first vice-president of styling.
 
 
 
Immediately, Exner designed the [[production models]] to be lower, sleek, and tiny fins started to sprout. He referred to this as the 'Forward Look". Ex’s designs combined with Chrysler’s technology ([[Hemi]] engines, first [[alternator]], first [[power steering]], [[shifter]] on the [[dashboard]] – and then later pushbuttons, etc) increased Chrysler Corporation’s market share. Years ago, I read a Studebaker book were it told of how envious Raymond Loewy was with Exner’s success. Legend has it that Loewy made a 1/12 scale clay mock up of a car with gigantic fins. He then sent this mockery to Exner with an insulting note about the design of his cars.
 
 
 
Despite the successes Ex brought Chrysler, Virgil Exner would ultimately become a scapegoat for others at Chrysler’s errors. It started with the cars of 1957, when Chrysler’s rush to manufacturing caused quality issues. The biggest was these cars were rusting fast. Chrysler was due for a major design change for 1962, and the 1961 cars were to be a [[transition car]] – taking the cars from fins to the new style due in 1962. Unfortunately, Virgil Exner had a heart attack in 1956 (when the 1961 cars were being designed) – and the 1961 car did not have enough of his direction. Ex returned to work in 1957 and immediately went to work on the 1962 cars.
 
 
 
In the summer of 1959, a Chrysler executive received a tip that Ford and GM were going to downsize their cars dramatically, and executives viewed “[[Spy Photos]]” of the downsized cars.  There was panic because they were convinced that customers would buy the smaller cars – and not Chrysler’s cars. The designs for the 1962 Chryslers car had already been set – but the directors immediately gave Exner the directive to shorten the wheelbase by three inches and to make it eight inches narrower. Virgil Exner told the directors that doing that to his designs would make the car look like Hell – but it fell of deaf ears.
 
 
 
When the 1962 models of Ford and GM roll out, Chrysler found out that they had been a victim of a hoax by Chevrolet. The car buying public agreed with Exner that just lopping inches off the car would make it ugly – and would not buy them. Chrysler needed a scapegoat, so they fired Ex.
 
 
 
[[Virgil Exner | More]]
 
 
 
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|-
 
| '''Featured MoparWiki 2'''
 
|}
 
;Jeep
 
:[[Image:WWII COTP Jeep2.jpg|thumb|300px|WWII Jeeps]]
 
 
 
'''History'''
 
 
 
World War I started the age of mechanization of the US Army. The Army bought many vehicles from many vendors to move men and materials from location to location. By the middle 1930’s the Army realized the logistical nightmare causing maintenance and supply issues caused by having so many vendors and vehicle types. The desire to standardize on a smaller group of vehicles led to the search for smaller, faster easier to maintain vehicle.
 
 
 
The army tested several vehicle concepts over the years, including a vehicle dubbed the “Belly-Flopper”. The “Belly-Flopper” was designed much like a cross between a kid’s sled and a go-cart. The driver and a passenger lay on their stomachs to drive the vehicle, unseen by the enemy. The specifications for 70 units of a test vehicle were sent out on July 7, 1940, called for:
 
 
 
# A driving front axle with 2-speed transfer case including provisions for disengaging the front axle drive.
 
# A body of rectangular design with a folding windshield and 3 bucket seats.
 
# Increased engine power (presumably in respect to the Belly-Flopper prototype).
 
# Means for towing.
 
# 30-caliber machine gun mount.
 
# Blackout lighting.
 
# Oil-bath air cleaner.
 
# Hydraulic brakes.
 
# Full floating axles.
 
# Wheelbase of 80".
 
# Maximum height of 40".
 
# Maximum weight of 1275 lbs.
 
# Approach and departure angles of 45 and 40 degrees, respectively.
 
# Must reach 50 mph on hard surface.
 
# Special bracing for a pintle hook setup.
 
# No aluminum to be used for cylinder head.
 
# At least 4 cylinders.
 
# 8 of the 70 vehicles had to be four-wheel-steer.
 
 
 
Only three companies, of 135 invited to bid, responded to the contest, Ford Motor Company, Willys-Overland (pronounced Willis-Overland), and American Bantam Car Company and of these, the Bantam Car Company was the most aggressive. They had their blueprints of their vehicle into Washington in 5 days. Bantam delivered a prototype by the September 23, 1940 deadline.  With war breaking out in Europe, both Ford and Willys were allowed to submit vehicles for testing. Both of these competitors were also given access to the Bantam plans, explaining the look-alike similarities of the three prototypes. The Army ordered a total of 1500 of each vehicle for further testing and early 1941 saw these vehicles entered into Army inventory. Willys and Ford received the contracts to actually build the vehicles based on Bantam’s designs, as Bantam didn’t have suitable manufacturing facilities. Bantam did get the contract to build the trailers need for the vehicles. Both the Willys and Ford parts were interchangeable.
 
 
 
The name Jeep is said to derive from several sources. Some say the name came from the GP (General Purpose) designation, others say it came from the cartoon character “Eugene, the Magical Jeep” from the Popeye cartoons. Eugene had the ability to go anywhere (by magic of course), as did the Willys vehicle.
 
 
 
The Jeep became the vehicle of choice for the Army and it was said that the little vehicle could move faster than a tank and go places that tanks couldn’t go. The Jeep (both the Willys MB and Ford GPW) proved to be a reliable, well made vehicle, impressing soldiers who both drove and maintained the vehicles. It was said at the time that Jeep won the war.
 
 
 
 
 
'''Post War'''
 
 
 
After the War, as soldier were returning home, many wanted a Jeep of their own. [[Willys]], seeing a demand for the Jeep trademarked the name, for its line of vehicles based on the venerable vehicle.
 
 
 
The Jeep [[CJ-2A]] (Civilian Jeep 2A) was introduced in late 1945, and was mechanically identical to the MB that was produced for the Army, but with a few differences, such as chrome trim and larger headlamps. The fuel tank intake was on the left side panel, and the spare tire was moved to the rear tailgate. The rear panel also became a flip down tailgate. The first year saw only 1,824 units made, but the end of production in 1949 produced a total of nearly 137,000 units.
 
 
 
[[Jeep | More]]
 
|}
 
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{| style="color:white;width:99%;background-color:#036894;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #8DCEEE;" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="2" align="center"
 
|-
 
| '''Collaborate & Edit'''
 
|}
 
;Collaborate
 
:To collaborate is for many people to work together to create a finished product. It is not necessary for any one person to complete and entire MoparWiki on his own, nor is it necessary for a MoparWiki to be completed in one sitting. It works best when people improve the MoparWiki one section of the wiki at a time.
 
 
 
 
 
;Edit
 
:Editing for grammar and style is just as important as giving the facts and stating references. People who know nothing of Mopars can still help us out if they have a better command of the English language than many of those who are improving the MoparWikis. If you stumble across a MoparWiki with typos, misspellings, and grammatically incorrect -- please help out with a quick edit to correct.
 
| style="width:25%;background:#EBF8FF; border:1px solid #004E7C; color:black;align:center;vertical-align:top" |
 
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|-
 
| '''Navigate'''
 
|}
 
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{| style="color:white;width:99%;background-color:#036894;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #8DCEEE;" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="2" align="center"
 
|-
 
| '''Newbies'''
 
|}
 
;Your User Page
 
:The best place to get some quick experience with getting comfortable formatting MoparWikis is going to be your User Page. Each registered member has his own User Page. [[User:BK | Example of a User Page]]. If you are logged in, you will see the link to your User Page at the most left link in the NavBar at the top of the page. The link will be your user ID. If you have not registered, you can do so at [http://www.moparstyle.com/forums MoparStyle Forums].
 
 
 
 
 
;The Sandboxes
 
:The very best place to collaborate on a MoparWiki is going to be one of the three [[Sandbox | Sandboxes]]. In the sandbox you can perfect your formatting and style without the risk of damage to the [[Live Code]]. [[Copy and Paste]] the code from the actual MoparWiki and modify it to your liking. Once you are sure you have it correct, then Copy and Paste back to the appropriate MoparWiki.
 
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|-
 
| '''SysOp & Editors Needed'''
 
|}
 
;SysOp
 
:We are looking for a volunteer with Administrator and programmer experience to help out with the the administration of the MoparWiki web site.
 
 
 
 
 
;Editing Supervisors
 
:We have an immediate need for a expert Wordsmith to spend a couple of hours a week reviewing pages for corrections, reference citations, and reversing any vandalism.
 
 
 
 
 
;Contact BK
 
:If you are interested in and qualified for any of these positions, contact BK through the forum's Private Messaging.
 
|}
 

Revision as of 02:10, 27 April 2020




Discussion.png
If you have information, corrections or reference links that could improve this Wiki, but are uncomfortable with editing in the markup language - you can click the Discussion Tab above and freehand type your information. An editor usually checks the discussion prior to editing the Wiki.


Welcome to the MoparWiki
The Mopar Wiki Site
The Mission
The MoparWiki has the goal of ultimately being the single best source for All Things Mopar. Makes, models, people, platforms, components, racing -- anything Mopar. This is to be accomplished by the [[Collaboration|collaboration] with anyone wishing to improve a MoparWiki with facts or editing for style.


About MoparWiki
MoparWiki was created in 2008 and is administered by Dave Schultz. The engine running the MoparWiki is the same engine used for the very popular Wikipedia. It allows for any registered editor to start an appropriate article, and for other registered editors to collaborate on the improvement of it. We try to follow a uniform format for consistency. You can get to a Wiki of a specific topic by typing the topic in the search box -- or clicking on a link found in another Wiki. There are links for a random page, recently updated, or help in the left sidebar. Please take a few moments to read further -- and to browse around. We hope you will assist us with collaborating on existing MoparWikis, from adding appropriate facts (and your reference source) or cleaning up the text and styling. Please clicks under the heading of Understanding Wikis in the sidebar.
Featured Wiki
1978 Lil Red Express
Lil Red Express

The Last American Hot Rod to roll off the assembly line in the late 1970s.78 Lil' Red Truck

Dodge released the Lil' Red Express Truck In 1978 it was one of the most unique Dodge trucks that had ever been produced. The Lil' Red Express was not only a real looker but these trucks were also real performers also. In 1978 The Dodge Lil' Red Express was the fastest American made vehicle from 0 to 100 MPH as tested by Car and Driver magazine.

Because of a loophole in the emissions regulations the 1978 Dodge Lil' Red Express Truck's did not have catalytic converters, what the Lil' Red Express did have was a special High Performance 360 C.I. 4-barrel small block engine code (EH1) which was a modified version of the 360 police engine (E58) producing 225 net horsepower @ 3800 RPM. The package also included Hemi style mufflers with a crossover pipe breathing through 2 chrome stacks located behind the cab, a special 727 transmission and 3.55:1 rear gearing.

The 1978 Dodge Lil' Red Express Truck rode on GR60x15 raised white letter tires on 7-inch Chrome wheels up front and LR60x15 on 8-inch chrome wheels on the rear and there was no spare included. All 1978 Dodge Lil' Red Express Truck's were automatics the interiors were available with a standard bench seat in red or black or with optional buckets and a fold down arm/rest console which was available both years. 1978 and some early 1979 Dodge Lil' Red Express Truck's used the "tuff" steering With the success of the 1978 Dodge Lil' Red Express Truck production of the 1979 Dodge Lil' Red Express Truck's was increased to 5,118. Most of the features remained unchanged for 1979 however there was some changes which included a catalytic converter, unleaded gas, 85 MPH speedometer. Read More

Your Help is Requested
Collaborator-Moderator
To collaborate is for many people to work together to create a finished product. It is not necessary for any one person to complete and entire MoparWiki on his own, nor is it necessary for a MoparWiki to be completed in one sitting. It works best when people improve the MoparWiki one section of the wiki at a time.
Edit
Editing for grammar and style is just as important as giving the facts and stating references. People who know nothing of Mopars can still help us out if they have a better command of the English language than many of those who are improving the MoparWikis. If you stumble across a MoparWiki with typos, misspellings, and grammatically incorrect -- please help out with a quick edit to correct.
SysOp
We are looking for a volunteer with Administrator and programmer experience to help out with the the administration of the MoparWiki web site.
Editing Supervisors
We have an immediate need for a expert Wordsmith to spend a couple of hours a week reviewing pages for corrections, reference citations, and reversing any vandalism.
Attorney Volunteer
Looking for a tax attorney in Montgomery or Fort Bend County of Texas, who is also a Mopar Man, to donate a little of his time to help set up MoparWiki as a Tax-Exempt Non-Profit Organization. MoparWiki will come up with the money for and of the filing fees, but needs assistance with the advice and document preparation.
If Interested in Helping
If you are interested in and qualified for any of these positions, Click Here.
Start with your MyWiki
Every Member is given their MyWiki page, which has already been created for you. We strongly suggest that you create your page first, to get the basic understanding of MoparWiki's [Markup Language]]. Click for instructions to create you MyWiki.
Important Links
You may find the below links helpful
User Page Example
An example of a "Users Page" would be Bk's
BK

Each Registered User gets his own User Page that he can update with his information, so that visitors to the site get an idea of who the people collaborating on the MoparWiki are. This Page can also be used as your personal web page, which you can link in your signature on forums, or included on your personal business cards (500 at Vista Print for $10).

But most importantly, a User Page is a place where you can practice and perfect your editing skills before taking on major changes of the creation of a wiki. MoparWiki encourages you to become a registered member, to spend a little time playing around with creating your personal User Page, and then to jump in and collaborate on the Wiki pages needing improvement. Read More