It Only Took 33 Years!

Welcome to the Welborn Musclecar Museum!

Many of you already know about the Welborn Muscle Car Museum and who Tim Welborn is. For those who need a little kick to get up to speed, here is the description of the museum and its collection taken directly from their website. 

“The Wellborn Musclecar Museum is devoted to the great American automobiles of the 1960s and 1970s, showcasing classics such as the Charger, Road Runner and SuperBee, as well as the nation’s largest high-performance Dodge collection.

Preserving the American Musclecar Heritage

Having spent considerable time trying not to drool on this collection, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, you’re going to LOVE it!

There is one problem I’ve run into every time I pay a visit to this museum. It is one of the most target-rich environments on the planet for classic, incredibly rare and absolutely stunning Mopar® vehicles. The problem? Picking what to write about! Stop reading for a minute and look at the video below. No … seriously. Watch the video!

And … you’re back. Now that you’ve watched the video, you get it. This museum is a must-see for anyone who loves Mopar muscle.

This place houses a lifetime of stories, and we intend to share as many as possible. Starting with a 33-year-long quest to bring a 1970, 4-speed HEMI® engine-powered Charger into the museum’s collection. 

It shouldn’t be hard to understand why this Charger is one of Tim’s favorite cars in the museum. A call was placed every year for 33 years, right around Christmas time, to ensure Mr. Clark remembered how much interest Tim had in giving this car a home. The calls were always pleasant, and they all ended the same way. Tim would ask if Mr. Clark was ready to part ways with the Charger. And Mr. Clark would reply, “No, son, it’s still not for sale.” 

Several years into this cordial exchange, Mr. Clark finally came to Alabama to see the museum and the collection for himself. Mr. Clark truly liked what he saw. He liked it so much that the words, “This is where I want my car to be” were spoken. Tim thought this was his lucky day and had to ask again, “Are you ready to sell?” only to be met with another, “No, son, it’s not for sale.” But this time, there was more! Mr. Clark said, “When I pass away, my daughter is going to call you.” And that is precisely what happened. About three years ago, Tim received a call from Mr. Clark’s daughter, a deal was made, and the Charger found a new home. 

The level of persistence it took to bring this Charger to Alabama might seem a tad obsessive. But, once you look deeper, it is abundantly clear this is not your normal R/T. Words and numbers matter when you are describing something rare. Phrases like totally unrestored, not a scratch and HEMI engine-powered start to paint the picture. While numbers like 426, 4 speed and 1 of 54 solidify the fact this is no ordinary car. There can be no doubt Mr. Clark went above and beyond to preserve this car. He even kept a blue towel in the front seat to ensure his son and daughter didn’t scuff or crack the center console on the outside chance they decided to crawl across it. 

As we were wrapping up our walk around the car, Tim recalled a story from the day he picked it up. In Tim’s words, “It was quite an emotional day when we picked up the car. Mr. Clark’s daughter had one final request. She asked if they could take the Charger to her father’s gravesite for one last picture of the car sitting beside him.” There was no doubt in Tim’s mind as to how much the Charger meant to Mr. Clark and his family. But this request touched him. The Charger had become so much more than just a car to them. 

During the delivery, stories kept pouring from Mr. Clark’s daughter, and you can see how much they mean to Tim by the expression on his face as he recalls them for us. Not only is this a 426, 4-speed Charger, it’s also equipped with the 4:10 Super Track Pack. The family made several trips over the years from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Talladega, and these trips are some of the fondest memories she and the family have. Let that sink in for a second. If you concentrate hard enough, you can hear the 426 making noises we all know and love, with a bit more RPM added on because of the 4:10 gear. Stops had to be made a bit more frequently to top off the tank with some $0.35 per gallon fuel (adjusted to today’s dollar, that’s $2.50 per gallon. I did the math just in case you wanted to know, lol). Can you imagine the conversations with other travelers asking, “What’s under the hood?” and “How fast is it?” Their expressions as the Clarks answered 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds, and the quarter-mile goes by in about 13 seconds if you know what you’re doing with the shifter and your right foot! 

The stories continued. Mr. Clark cared for his Charger as if it were a family member. Tim loves survivor cars, not just because of their looks and value but also for the stories the vehicles will tell you if you pay attention. He found a stick in the Charger. It was about 8″ long, and for a minute or three, Tim didn’t give it much thought. He thought it was just a random stick that somehow got left in the interior. When he asked Mr. Clark’s daughter about it, she lit up and said, “NO, every few miles my dad drove the car, he would wash the engine. He used the stick on the throttle to keep the RPMs right at 2,000 RPM to help dry out the motor.” Mr. Clark truly loved his Charger, and we love hearing how this car positively impacted his family. 

Tim said the Charger is one of the strongest running in his collection, and it gets driven occasionally. Consider the sentence before this one as foreshadowing. One of the last things he and I spoke about was the possibility of creating a series of test drive videos featuring the cars of the Welborn Musclecar Museum. I feel as though I’ve been tempted with a good time. Let us know which cars in the collection you would like to see us take for a spin in the comments below.

4 Comments

musicbbbtom

In 1994, I had the privilege of driving the “HEMI,” as my father in-law Mr. Clark used to call the car. A year or two later it went into hibernation and limited use. My wife was entrusted to take care of the car when my father in-law got sick. She made sure the HEMI was going to a good home at the Welborn Musclecar Museum for everyone to enjoy.


fsteddie

I went there 2 summers ago while visiting my father-in-law. It was truly amazing and Tim is a great storyteller. If you are ever in the area you must go see it.


YodaSRT

Every time I walk through the Wellborn Musclecar Museum I find something I haven’t noticed before. Getting to talk to Tim Wellborn about the collection is a massive bonus. Thanks so much for taking the time to chat Tim. The lesson in perseverance this piece showcases is far beyond incredible.