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Mopar “Top Eliminator” Winners

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#1 ·
Neil Wedeking Named Second Mopar ‘Top Eliminator’ of 2012 at Midwest Mopars in the Park

The Mopar ‘Top Eliminator’ program recognizes the most skilled Mopar enthusiasts and their modified Mopar vehicles

‘Top Eliminator’ winners will also be picked at the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals in Carlisle, Pa., and via an online competition

Mopar ‘Top Eliminator’ winners will have their vehicles showcased in the Mopar display at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas later this year







June 8, 2012 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Neil Wedeking of Marble Rock, Iowa, was named the second 2012 Mopar “Top Eliminator” winner for his 1970 Plymouth AAR ‘Cuda during the 28th Annual Midwest Mopars in the Park car show in Farmington, Minn., on June 2–3. Wedeking’s car was chosen from the more than 1,200 Mopar vehicles on display at the event.

In recognition of being named a Mopar “Top Eliminator,” Wedeking will have his car showcased in the Mopar display at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas, Oct. 30–Nov. 2, 2012.

“Congratulations to Neil Wedeking on being honored as the second 2012 Mopar ‘Top Eliminator’ winner,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “As with previous ‘Top Eliminator’ winners, Neil possesses an extraordinary passion and dedication for the Mopar brand. His beautiful ‘Panther Pink’ AAR ‘Cuda will be a most welcome addition to our Mopar display at SEMA.”

The Mopar “Top Eliminator” program, now in its sixth year, shines a light on passionate Mopar enthusiasts who display unmatched skill in modifying or customizing a classic or modern-day Mopar vehicle. Mopar “Top Eliminator” candidates are judged on a number of criteria, including Mopar content, overall appearance and additional benchmarks.

Wedeking spent five painstaking years restoring his “Panther Pink” 1970 AAR ‘Cuda. “I’m very happy to be picked as the Mopar ‘Top Eliminator’ winner at this show and for having the opportunity to show the car in the Mopar display at SEMA,” said Wedeking. “Many hours and years of love we’re put into the car. It’s a heck of a big honor, and I’m very enthusiastic about being chosen. We’re really looking forward to the SEMA show.”

Wedeking’s 1970 AAR ‘Cuda features a four-speed transmission, Mopar 340 six-barrel engine and stunning FM3 “Panther Pink” paint. Wedeking utilized many New Old Stock (NOS) Mopar parts during the restoration process, including the steering wheel, four-speed handle, mirrors, headlamps, shock absorbers, grille bezels and ‘Cuda emblems. The tires on the ‘Cuda are also time-era correct.

“I’ve had the car for 15 years,” said Wedeking. “We spent five years putting it back together, and have been showing it for the last ten years. It was originally going to be ‘parted out’ (used for spare parts), but we decided it was too nice of a car and it needed to be put back together.”

The third 2012 Mopar “Top Eliminator” winner will be chosen at the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals in Carlisle, Pa., July 6–8. The fourth and final Mopar “Top Eliminator” will be picked via an online competition. Tom Ledoux of Pearland, Texas was named the first 2012 Mopar “Top Eliminator” for his modified 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8® at the Seventh Annual Spring Festival of LXs in Irvine, Calif., held on Saturday, March 24.

Further details of the online competition will be revealed later in the year on Mopar’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/mopar, and on Mopar’s Twitter handle, @OfficialMopar. Twitter users can follow the hashtag #TopElim for program updates. To see photos of Mopar “Top Eliminator” winner Neil Wedeking and his 1970 AAR ‘Cuda, visit www.facebook.com/mopar.
 
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#2 ·
Rich Gengo Named Third Mopar® ‘Top Eliminator’ of 2012 at Carlisle Chrysler Nationals

The Mopar ‘Top Eliminator’ program recognizes the most skilled Mopar enthusiasts and their modified Mopar vehicles

Final ‘Top Eliminator’ winner will be chosen via an online competition

Mopar ‘Top Eliminator’ winners will have their vehicles showcased in the Mopar display at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas later this year






July 11, 2012 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Rich Gengo of Piscataway, N.J., was named the third of four 2012 Mopar® “Top Eliminator” winners for his 1951 Dodge pickup truck at the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals in Carlisle, Pa., July 6–8. Gengo was recognized in the Dodge Showcase display area during the three-day event.

The long-running Mopar “Top Eliminator” program shines a light on passionate and dedicated Mopar enthusiasts who display unmatched skill in modifying or preserving a classic or modern-day Mopar vehicle. Gengo will be honored by having his 1951 Dodge pickup showcased in the Mopar display area at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas, Oct. 30–Nov. 2, 2012.

“Congratulations to Rich Gengo for being named the third Mopar ‘Top Eliminator’ winner of 2012,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “Rich’s pickup will be a great addition to the Mopar display at SEMA, and adds variety to the muscle cars from our other two winners.”

Tom Ledoux of Pearland, Texas, was chosen as the first 2012 Mopar “Top Eliminator” winner for his modified 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8® during the Seventh Annual Spring Festival of LXs in Irvine, Calif. Neil Wedeking of Marble Rock, Iowa, was named the second 2012 Mopar “Top Eliminator” winner for his 1970 Plymouth AAR ‘Cuda during the 28th Annual Midwest Mopars in the Park car show in Farmington, Minn. The final Mopar “Top Eliminator” winner of 2012 will be selected via an online competition, with details released at a later date.

Gengo devoted five years to restoring the 1951 Dodge pickup, which he purchased for $75, from an ad in the newspaper. One of the major modifications he made to the truck was to shorten the bed in order to put longer fenders on the frame. The truck, painted in Intense Blue, has a butterfly hood, which is the feature of the truck that originally caught Gengo’s attention when he was a teenager. On the interior of the truck, Gengo rearranged the original gauges, in addition to adding air conditioning.

“I’m ecstatic to be named the Mopar ‘Top Eliminator’ winner at Carlisle,” said Gengo. “The best of the best were on display at the event. My wife asked me what’s next and I told her that there is no next. This is the top. There is no going up from here, and you couldn’t ask for anything more.”

While working on his 1951 Dodge pickup, Gengo found many of the parts and pieces he was looking for at swap meets. He utilized numerous Mopar parts when completing the Dodge truck, including a Mopar 400-engine, a Mopar 727-transmission, Mopar electronic ignition, valve covers and air cleaner.

“I wanted it to look like the truck that Dodge made in 1951,” said Gengo. “It’s basically a stock bed and head. I didn’t alter too much. The outside of the cab is pretty much all original. I added new fenders and grille moldings and a couple of items like that, but I really wanted to have the original look, and was able to accomplish that.”

The Mopar “Top Eliminator” program, now in its sixth year, shines a light on passionate Mopar enthusiasts who display unmatched skill in modifying or customizing a classic or modern-day Mopar vehicle. Mopar “Top Eliminator” candidates are judged on a number of criteria, including Mopar content, overall appearance and additional benchmarks.

Further details of the online competition will be revealed later in the year on Mopar’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/mopar, and on Mopar’s Twitter handle, @OfficialMopar. Twitter users can follow the hashtag #TopElim for program updates.
 
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