September 2007 LXOM: ZMagnum

[DMAG]

written by ZMagnum

What a great honor it was to be nominated and then later elected LXOM. There are so many great people here on this message board. I consider all of you my friends. I have joined various forums in the past but none of them can compare to this place. I would also like to take time to thank the moderators and admin staff of LXForums. Your guidance is what makes a good place great. Being voted LXOM for the month of September is especially meaningful to me because I purchased my Magnum and joined LXForums in September 2005. Two years of mods and meets later and here I am.

Like many of you my first significant car love was not a Dodge or Chrysler. It all started for me in the late 1980’s with a 1988 VW Scirocco 16V. 1988 was the last model year VW sold the Scirocco in the U.S. What a great car it was. With some help from people I knew and a bit of message board help I took care of most of the maintenance on that car myself. It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot. Back then I would often get challenged on the street by a Honda CRX and one time a Mazda RX7. I killed that RX7 mainly because they didn’t know how to shift but the CRX’s where no problem at all.

In 1992 I got married. I still had the Scirocco but its days were numbered. It seemed that no one could figure out a working battery / alternator combination for the Scirocco. The last straw when I had to get a jump-start after driving 100 miles to Phoenix on a new battery and alternator. The Scirocco was traded in. After that I had a string of boring cars, not worth mentioning here.

In the late 1990’s after my wife and I started having children we decided to purchase a larger vehicle. We both agreed that no mini-van would be part of our household. I really like the looks of the new Durango. In August of 2000 we purchased a new Durango SLT+. What an upgrade it was from what we had been driving. It was amazing. At the time it was the best ride I had ever owned. Seven years and 53,000 miles later we still have the Durango and still love it. My wife was recently in an accident in the Durango. It happened on the exact same day we purchased it in 2000 (August 16th). Thankfully there were no injuries. Our insurance adjuster let us know that the Durango will be repaired and not totaled. That’s good because we want our Durango back.

In 2004 when the Magnum first came out I saw it on TV and knew I had to have one. I had the same feeling about it as I had with the Durango. Being a Dodge just like our Durango raised my expectations even higher. At the time I was driving a 4-passenger car. We really needed something that would hold all 5 of us. After looking around a bit I felt that a Magnum was really the only good choice. I bought my used Magnum in September 2005 and join LXForums after doing some Google searches. The amount of information on this site even back in 2005 was just amazing. The people have always been eager to help. I’ve never seen anything like this before.

Today I am extremely happy with my Magnum. The only way I will part with it is for another Magnum and that may happen over the next several months. Our home is up for sale.

The plan is once we sell and move into a new home I am free to get a Magnum R/T. It wouldn’t look so good to have a new purchase on our credit report right now. With Dodge offering the lifetime power train warranty I may end up just purchasing new this time. I don’t know what the future holds for Magnums but I plan on owing one for as long as they are available.

A little about me. I am a computer/network administrator for a small start-up company in Tucson. I do side work from time to time setting up home and small business networks and fixing computers. In the past I’ve been a 911 operator / dispatcher for the Univ. of AZ PD and then later for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. I have a wife and 3 boys (ages 5, 8 and 11). I’ve lived in Tucson almost all my life. I was born in Rochester, NY. I went to high school in Northern CA (Marysville / Yuba City area). But other than that I’ve been here in the hot Tucson desert.

You might find this surprising but I’ve never driven a Magnum R/T. I was a passenger in MattRobertson’s R/T but there is something overpowered under there so I’m not sure that counts as an R/T. The only other Magnums I’ve driven are hemiwagn’s SRT-8 and Moe’s former 2.7L Magnum. I’ve met quite a few forum members at meets but the first 2 were lilguyhemi from Tucson and Meister from Phoenix. Great first impressions.

Mark.

[Token]

Congrats Mark.

Great write-up., enjoy your LXOM and don't worry, you'll be pleased with the R/T.

[CANDYAPPLE]

Congrats again Mark.....well deserved!!!!!!!!!


Cheers CANDYAPPLE

[GoofyTimL]

Congrats Mark! Sept. '05 was when we first bought a used 300C as well, but the month go away before I found LXF in Oct. Good luck with your house sale, and dream of an RT down the road. I'm sure it won't stay stock either! LOL

[formerice]

Congrats man! Great pics and nice write up. Although I suddenly find myself very thirsty,hehe. You won't be dissapointed in a RT. 107,000 happy miles for me.

[Magma]

Congrats!

[NC-SXT]

Congrats Mark. It is well deserved.

[sugar-tj]

congrats.... great write up....

[iRock]

Congrats Mark! A much deserved award. Enjoy your time in the spotlight, you've earned it simply by being a great friend.

[ChargerChick]

Congrats Mark! I'm so happy for you!! Couldn't happen to a nicer guy!!!

[fatchance]

Congrats Marks, here's your 15 minutes, milk it for everything it's worth, lol

[wheelife]

Hey Mark, Congratulations!! Just wanted to say thanks for your support of HAMMER AUTOMOTIVE INC. I know for a fact Scott greatly appreciated your desire and patience to see the AIRHAMMER H.O. developed and without that desire we may have never got the H.O off the ground!
Thanks Again!
Lance.
P.S. the serial number on your H.O. is 0001!

[Cam]

Congrats Mark

[Darthvader]

Hey,nice read and congrates my man. Interesting LXOM this month. Certainly memorable.

[Carfinish]

Congrats Mark!!!