DRD

I call the 67 Red Charger, "Ole Red" The black 59 Impala Convertible, I call "Blackie"

Steve, I hope I'm not out of line with my response, but if it is, then feel free to delete it. I had both of my cars in the contest, one was a 67 Dodge Charger which is my baby, so to speak. It has loads of history associated with the car since I am the original owner, and it has appeared in several magazines along with Kasey Khanes's #9 Dodge Charger in a MSD Eleectronics Ignition advertisement. It has appeared in 4 different newspapers, appeared on WGHP Fox 8 in High Point, N.C. 4 times to promote the car shows at Kagan's Furniture market. It was serviced by Willard Milo Sox at Sox Sinclair in Burlington, N.C. back when the car had to be serviced by an authorized service facility back when the warrenty was in effect. Mr. Sox is the father of the late, Ronnie Sox of Sox & Martin Drag racing. The wife and I dated in the car and we got married and took our honeymoon with the car. The wife owns and runs a laundromat, and my first lil girl (now 37 with two little boys) used the rear of the car for her play pen while the wife worked in the laundromat. (We used to be able to do that sort of stuff without the sorry of someone running off with our little precious one). The rear seats fold down, and the trunk divider lets down into the trunk. Plenty of room for a play pen. There was a treasure trove of little girl stuff under the seats when I took them out for restoration. Kimberly asked me, "Diddy, what are you gonna do with that car when you can't drive it anymore"? Honey, you will git that car since it used to be your play pen. That is when my other 'Lil girl responded, "Well what am I going to get?"] So I restored a 1959 Impala Convertible for her. Lots of feelings associated with both of these high value cars, and lots of memories that I won't go into any futher. When I entered the cars in the Texaco venue, it all came crashing down around me. One minute I had a rating of 10 and then the bottom fell out as SO many others experienced. It went down to a 4 on both cars, and I knew/know that I had never had such an experience when people at the car shows, and cruise in's never exhibited such feelings. I wanted out of the show, and thanks to Jonas, he removed both of my cars, and the memory of the contest is slowly fading away. I know pictures doesn't give true credit for a car or condition of the car, however neither is true credit of a car's condition presented by online voting. It turns into a "good Ole Boy show" then. A car show MUST be judged by reliable independant judges, and the contestants MUST present the car to the judges in a manner to show the best points of the car along with a story or history that is enjoyable to read. I know that will involve some thinking, time, and patience by the judges, but we all can see what happens when things are not thought out carefully. A car show is suppose to be fun, and not derogertory to those who enter their car in a show. The 59 Impala will appear on WGHP Fox8 Good Morning Show, on 5 October to promote the car show at Kagan's Furniture market on the 7th of October. Yawl come on down for that one. There will be church services for those that want to attend worship and singing.

Congratulations Mat for the fine showing you made today at Charlotte Motor Speedway's AACA Hornet's Nest Car show. Folks, he came away with a 1st place trophy. That car is one fine piece of craftsmanship,with the detailing correct in every respect. She is truly a beauty. Way to go there Buddy! ~ Don ~

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MCHinson</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Don, I will try to find you at Charlotte. I will have my 1929 Ford Model A Phaeton in the show there. </div></div> Yippie Howdy! Now I get to shake a hand for sure. I'll try and find you there, that is, if the rain lets up in time. It's gonna be real good weather for a car show, cool and not hot. I'll be in the 59 Impala Convertible, black with a white top of course. I had the Charger there last spring, and got my 1st place with that one. Maybe next spring, I can take the 50 Stumpjumper, if the foul taste leaves me. I have a feeling the cabin fever will help in that regard by the time spring gets here ~ Don ~

I am a retired IBM Customer Engineer. Fancy name for Computer Technician that gave the Customer a good feeling to see his computer turn belly up, with the data entry people sitting around getting paid to loaf, whil'st I worked my magic. ~ Don ~

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jonas419</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Got it Don, thanks. </div></div> Dan, I appreciate your taking care of my request. Hope you had a memorable experience at DisneyLand. Memories is something that can never be taken away from you and your Lil boy. You must be on the East coast somewhere. I will have the 59 Impala at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Hornet's Nest car show this coming Saturday if you are in the area. That is if it doesn't rain. If anyone else is at the show, look me up for a handshake. I like doing that sort of thing now. ~ Don ~

Dan, I hope you got my response to your email to remove both of my cars from your web site. 1959 Chevrolet Impala Convertible, and the 1967 Red Dodge Charger. Thanks! ~ Don ~

Barry, I know how you feel my friend. Here is the corrispondence I have had with the Texaco people. Only a matter of time (I Hope) before I get relief: ~ Don ~ Dan, I appreciate the nice words you have sent me, however it fails to remove the ugliness of what has transpired with the contest. It just upsets me to even sign onto the site and think of the way that not only myslf was treated, but other good people also. If I have no reason to sign onto the site, maybe I can get over this bad feeling. Please remove both of my cars from the contest, and if I can ever be in a position to help you in an advertisement with either of my cars, I will more than happy to oblige you or your marketing team. The Charger was used by MSD Electronics Ignitions with Ray Evernham Motor Sports and has appeared is several magazines along with Kasey Khane's #9 Dodge Charger. that can be verified by contacting: Jim McGinn RMI Atlanta 2498 Jett Ferry Road Suite 100 Atlanta, GA 30338 770.399.9668 - phone 770.391.9518 - fax The 59 Chevrolet is on the cover of Hubbard's Impala Parts, parts catalog for 2007, and the contact there is James Hubbard at 800-846-7252 Sorry things didn't work out by the way the car show went on the web site, but that is the internet bringing out other plans that neither of us have control over by the way some people choose to act. I will never enter another Internet Car show. ~ Don R. Dodson ~ 336-***-**** home or cell 336-***-**** ----- Original Message ----- From: Texaco.com Email Response To: Don R. Dodson Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2007 2:10 PM Subject: RE: People are noticing your car Hi Don. We're keeping the voting submitted legitemately. For instance, we have no problem with someone spreading the word and getting a thousand friends to vote for his or her car. However, we are removing votes from falsified email addresses. We hope this ends the controversy and the acrimony. You've got truly beautiful cars! And as you say, they are pieces of American history. Some of my fondest memories are working on a '59 Impala in high school -- and it wasn't even mine! It's clear that you love these cars as we do, and that seeing the ugliness surrounding them bothers you at a visceral level. It's truly a shame. We respect your wishes, but hope you'll agree to leave your cars on the web site to see if the anger subsides. If you'd still like to remove your entry, of course we'll comply at any time that you choose. Thanks for your interest in our contest -- and in keeping it clean. Please feel free to contact me. ---------------------------------------- Dan Goldberg Web Producer http://www.Texaco.com http://www.TexacoCaroftheDecades.com dgaj@chevron.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Don R. Dodson [mailto:] Sent: Monday, September 10, 2007 12:36 PM To: info@carofthedecades.com Subject: Re: People are noticing your car I have been in contact with PETER NGO of your organization with an email address of pngo@uritechnology requesting that both of my cars be removed from the list of cars to be considered for contention in your car show. I want NOTHING futher to do with TEXACO after what has transpired with the peace and tranquility normally associated with a car show. This is not fun to see either one of my cars brought down to build up another person's ego. Both of my cars are perfect cars and the Charger is a true piece of Amercian History. I am not enjoying what is going on with the Studebaker bunch going after everyone that does not have a Studebaker. Incidently I am restoring a 1950 Studebaker and now I am ashamed to let anyone know that I even have a Studebaker from the way that bunch at the Studebaker Drivers Club Forum ia acting. I will be removing myself from that forum also. I am a member of Alamance Region AACA in North Carolina, and was following the discussions on their forum about the Car of the Decades promotion, and that blog turned into name calling and attacks as well, from the Studebaker bunch, until AACA removed the discussion. Your comments section with the cars is now turning into another means of venting anger amongst fella car enthusits. PLEASE REMOVE BOTH OF MY CARS FROM THE CONTEST . One is a 1959 Impala Convertible, and the other is my 1967 Red Dodge Charger. Here is the email that I sent to Peter Ngo at pngo@uritechnology.com Peter, I am a participant in the texaco car of the decades promotion, and have corrisponded with you several times about my two cars that I have entered in the contest. I now am disgusted with the way things are going with the politics of the participants, and their unscrupulous behavior. It is my desire to be removed from the participation list and to have both of my cars removed from the contest. I have a 1959 Impala Convertible,black with a white top, and a 1967 Red Dodge Charger among the entries. I wouldn't participate in anything Texaco had to offer even if for some reason the Studebaker people allow either car to become a finalist. This ain't fun any longer and I want OUT. Can you arrange that for me? Incidently, I really appreciate your helping me with the other problems I ran into, such as the 59 not showing the results of people voting for the car. Now the votes show, but with a different meaning after the Studebaker bunch go in there, and messed things up. I just got back from a car show with the 59 Impala today, and got 1st place with the car. It was an AACA show, and I am a member of the AACA Alamance Region, in North Carolina. Please let me know if you can help me with my request, or if not, who should I contact? Thanks Buddy! If you read the details of the comments of both of my cars, then you can see why I feel the way I do. Both cars, especially the Charger is not deserving of the way they are being presented to the onlookers of the site. Too much history of good events with the car for me to accept any other way. And I only touched on a small fraction of the history of the car. I will be showing the car to Cotton Owens in the near future. Don R. Dodson 67RedCharger

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Barry Wolk</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I don't think anything's been fixed, either. Did they remove your car when you asked? I noticed that there was a 1953 Corvette and now it's gone. I suggested that they simply drop the points, let everyone enjoy each other's cars and let the judges decide decade winners. The same goal is accomplished without the animosity. </div></div> Barry, You sound like good people, and you hit the nail on the head. Exactly what I suggested to my communique at the Texaco site Peter Ngo at pngo@uritechnology When I saw the thing going banannas, I suggested that if they just let the judges do their thing, then all of this negativism would go by the wayside, and that I would stick around for the results. Peter said that they would have a meeting today and try to sort things out. I told him in my corrispondence that I no longer wanted anything to do with the contest and to let me out of the competition, as it wasn't fun any longer. I told him that if for some reason, I started placing where the judges would consider either of my cars, that I would not accept any recognition is such a farce. I know what I have, and neither car is deserving of what has taken place. 29Lincoln, Thanks for your offer to vote for my cars, but I am not seeking any futher votes. I don't want to let people down with their decision. I have a 1959 Impala Convertible with a 348 tri-power engine, and straight gear 3 on the tree with a Posi Traction rear end. the car is appraised at $150,000.00 and for that 63 Avanti to whoop up on such a car is ridiculous. The Chevy is on the cover of Hubbard's Impala Parts, Catalog. It is on the third page of the 50 decades. The other car is a 1967 Red Dodge Charger, that is my baby. It is on the 3rd page of the 60's decade. It is appraised at $75,000.00 A whole lot of history with the Charger from being the Original owner to the way it has been accepted by my fella Mopar people. It has appeared in Hot Rod Magazine, Mopar Muscle Magazine, Speedway Mag, and three different newspapers, It has been on WGHP-TV8, in High Point, N.C. 3 times and it will be on the Good Morning show at WGHP on 5 October. Herb McCandless had his hands in on the restoration of the engine. I had a hard time of getting Ray Evernham, to leave the car alone when it was in a photoshoot at his Motor Sports location in Statesville, N.C. The photoshoot was for MSD Electronic Ignitions. The car was serviced at Sox Sinclair by Ronnie Sox's dad, Willard Milo Sox back when the car was under warranty, and I have the paper trail left by Mr. Sox. I will be showing the car to Cotton Owens on September 29 at a car show at Occoneechee-Orange Speedway URL for that is http://www.historicspeedwaygroup.org Everyone here that reads my ramblings, I feel knows exactly the delight that comes my way when the car attracts attention, the way it has since I restored her. That is the main reason we all go to car shows is to show off our cars. The idea to show appreciation by running the car down to build up one's standing in a competative environment is wrong, pure and simple. Once the damage is done, it will be hard to make a correction. I will never enter another internet car show. And the kicker of my feeling is that I am restoring a 1950 Studebaker Champion, and this fiasco has made it difficult to enjoy the restoration of that car. I am a member of the Studebaker Drivers Club Forum, and I will seek a way to get removed from that forum. I have posted 2 messages on that forum, only to get shot down by the doo gooders there to keep my yap shut. When I get my 50 Champion finished, there will be some that will contend with that car only to be whooped up on by an Aqua Green 4 door Bullet nose 6 cylinder. If yaw look at my two cars, you will see to what extent I restore my cars. They all go back original and thanks to the people that do the work, they are perfect in every detail. I am a member of the Alamance Region AACA in Burlington, N.C. I hope I haven't left a bad taste with my feelings about what has transpired with the Texaco Contest. Not my intentions at all. ~ Don ~

I don't think anything has been fixed. Evidently the Texaco people found some irregularaties going on and TRIED to make some adjustments to the vote count. There is no way to fix something like this other than to shut down the contest. Playing with the numbers is an effort, but it still leaves a bad taste to an environment that should have never taken place. I saw things going South right after the voting took place, and I contacted the Texaco people at email address pngo@uritechnology.com and voiced my concerns that there was recognizable vote manipulation going on, and that I wanted for both of my cars to be removed from that fiasco. What has transpired on that site is not fun, puts a bad taste in peoples mind, and is no way to present a collector car to others to show what we all are familiar with, and that is to have a good time while showing off our pride and joy's to an accepting venue. To be rated in a way to bring down the feelings that legitamate admirers have felt rewarding is ludicrous. And for the Stumpjumper people to go after nice cars to build themselves up is the way it was done. No sir, I don't want any part of Texaco and their car show. If magically I should win anything, I will NOT accept anything that Texaco has to offer, nor will I ever visit another Texaco station for what has transpired on that site. That site represents Chevron Texaco. I will leave it at that. ~ 67RedCharger ~