{"id":36935,"date":"2020-04-21T09:00:19","date_gmt":"2020-04-21T13:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dodgegarage.com\/news-api\/?p=36935"},"modified":"2024-03-25T11:23:01","modified_gmt":"2024-03-25T15:23:01","slug":"the-club-connection-modern-mopar-muscle-of-the-ozarks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/owners-clubs\/2020\/04\/the-club-connection-modern-mopar-muscle-of-the-ozarks.html","title":{"rendered":"The Club Connection: Modern Mopar®<\/sub> Muscle of the Ozarks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When you purchase a new Dodge Brand vehicle, a lot of things come\nstandard \u2026 air conditioning, a media center, USB ports. But one item you won\u2019t\nfind listed on the window sticker or website is the built-in network of friends\nthat come along with your car. As with any group of people, though, sometimes\nthey can be a bit exclusive, but that just means you need to keep searching\naround and potentially form your own circle of friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is exactly what Pete Iles and his wife, Connie, did. Back in 2007, when they purchased a green Charger Daytona, the couple explored some regional Mopar\u00ae<\/sub> clubs, but found these organizations were exclusive to older models and not interested in forming a sub-chapter. \u201cWhile we certainly appreciate the classics, our interest is in the newer models,\u201d said Pete. \u201cThat is why we founded Modern Mopar Muscle of the Ozarks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The club is a little less formally structured than others without\nannual dues or elected officers. The only hard-set rules are that you need to\nown a “Modern Mopar” (defined as anything 2005 onward) and live in the region of\nnorthwest Arkansas, northeast Oklahoma or southwest Missouri. A Facebook group\n(currently over 400 members) is used to keep the membership informed of\nupcoming activities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the warmer months of April through November, there is something\ngoing on every weekend that members gather to participate in \u2013 from regional\ncar shows to local cruises. And then, of course, there are monthly Cars and Coffee\nevents held behind the local Krispy Kreme, which can have anywhere from 300 to\n500 vehicles on display. In the winter months, the club still gets together for\nmonthly meal gatherings, and perhaps a cruise around with the windows rolled up\nand a pair of gloved hands at the wheel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"vehicles<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Without dues, bylaws, officers or an annual show, you might be wondering what the glue is that keeps this club intact. \u201cThe cars brought us together, but the friendships are what KEEP us together,\u201d Pete explained. \u201cWe don\u2019t care what type of Mopar you have. You are welcome if you have a basic 6-cylinder or the latest SRT Demon. And even if you end up selling it down the road, you are a friend for life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, once club members get to talking, they realize what other\ncommon interests they have \u2013 from life experiences to other hobbies like coin\ncollecting or motorcycles \u2013 which only strengthens these bonds. And as with\nevery Mopar club, the networking opens you up to a vast array of knowledge on\nhow to do things to your vehicle, where to get particular parts, etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we asked Pete to tell us about a few of the more unique Mopar vehicles\nthat are part of the club, he was overwhelmed with trying to decide which ones\nto talk about. The first one he described was a Dodge Challenger SRT\u00ae<\/sup> Hellcat with an Iron Man theme.\nThe owner went all out with a gold side skirt and supercharger, new wheels, a\ndifferent splitter on the front and so much more. Words can\u2019t begin to\ndescribe it, so thankfully, we have a pic below to show you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"iron<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"snake<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Other notable mentions include a \u201909 RT previously owned by Alice Cooper, which now has a snake skin wrap, as well as The Joker, which in addition to lots of custom detailing is a true marvel to behold when you open the hood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone has a reason why Mopar stands out in their minds. Pete credits\nhis wife\u2019s insistence on owning the new Challenger when it was released as the\nbug that began it all. \u201cAfter she saw the first advertisement, Connie informed\nme that we were absolutely going to have one,\u201d Pete explained. \u201cWhile she may\nhave started it, no one could resist this line of products. It goes beyond the\ndesign of the vehicle though. Dodge is great at marketing \u2013 and I give them a\nbig kudos for that. They make everything exciting, and you are constantly\nguessing what they might do next, and are surprised each time with what gets\nannounced.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Joker<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The DodgeGarage team can\u2019t give away any surprises that lie in store for the future, though we\u2019d love to! But it should come as no surprise to anyone who belongs to a club like Modern Mopar Muscle of the Ozarks are the very heart and soul of what makes up the Dodge Brand and owner experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"vehicles<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you happen to live in the region and own a Modern Mopar, join the club\u2019s Facebook group<\/a> to get in on the action and make a few (hundred) new friends. And if you aren\u2019t in the area but still want to hang out with some of the friendliest and coolest people on the planet, check out your local Mopar club. <\/p>\n\n\n\n