Ralph's Rapid Transit Mopar Cruiz-In, April 24th, 2010

It was another capacity night for Ralph’s Rapid Transit Mopar Cruiz-In at Newington’s Burger King. The evening’s featured cars were Road Runners and Super Bees, with both well represented. Rarities spotted throughout the evening included a beautiful Dodge Polara and a Mercury Comet. The Cruiz-In was also a fundraising event for the Connecticut chapter of the ‘Make-A-Wish’ Foundation.

Cruisin’s Star CarOur ‘Car of the Show’ was Gil and Cindy’s 1964 Dodge A-100 pickup truck. Gil will be testing and exhibiting the truck at Connecticut’s Waterford Speed Bowl on Friday, May 7th, at the 100ft drag event.

“It’s completely Mopar,” Gil said of the retired Navy truck originally from New Mexico. The truck’s engine is now located behind the cab and is 440ci stroked to 493. Rated at 650bhp, the motor gains an extra shot of power from a 175bhp Nitrous Oxide system located in the pickup bed. Gil and Cindy have owned the truck for two years.

The truck’s construction is a replica of Bill ‘Maverick’ Golden’s Little Red Wagon, which became a legend in its time as the first ‘wheelstander’ back in 1965. The world's fastest truck was a major hit with fans, and ran at drag strips throughout the USA. What made the Wagon famous was the way that, when throttle was applied, it popped its front wheels into the air, while still achieving acceleration that no doubt made many competitors rather envious. The Little Red Wagon was also used in Dodge truck commercials.

Ralphs Rapid Transit Mopar Cruiz-In, April 3rd, 2010

To say that the kick-off to the Ralph’s Rapid Transit Mopar Cruiz-In was a success would be an understatement.

“This was a very good night. We filled it, as usual. I got here at 5 o’clock and there were already eight cars,” according to Ralph Barbagallo, of Ralph’s Rapid Transit LLC. “By six o’clock, the Berlin Turnpike Burger King parking lot was completely full, and the show didn’t start for another hour. If this is a sign of what’s going to happen for 2010, I think that we’re going to do really well.

“Our last cruise night of every month is our fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. We’re excited about that. Between the 2009 Mopar Cruiz-Ins and the Supercar Shootout Drag Racing series, we donated $1,700 to Make-A-Wish,” Barbagallo said.

The night featured a great selection of Mopar products, with late model Challengers and Chargers rubbing shoulders with muscle cars from the 1960s and 1970s. Chevrolet and Ford were well represented. A red GT350 Mustang from the 1960s and a 1955 Chevy Bel Air were real standouts. The evening’s rarity had to be a two-door Plymouth Scamp hardtop coupe. Based on Plymouth’s Valiant, the Scamp had a six-year stint from 1971-1976.

Star of the show was a Dodge Challenger RT. From the huge supercharger jutting through the hood to the molten burnout rubber stuck to the rear fenders, it was every inch the drag strip refugee. Within seconds, the Challenger had an appreciative crowd milling around it.

The next Ralph’s Rapid Transit Mopar Cruiz-In, on April 17th, features a Multi-Carburetor theme.