Losing Muscle As We Age? Not This Kind!
I’ve been hooked on muscle cars ever since I was a teenager. Back then, muscle wasn’t just something you worked on in the gym, it was the roar of big engines, the gleam of chrome, and the thrill of speed. The muscle car era was in full swing, with Dodge Chargers and Challengers, Plymouth Roadrunners and ‘Cudas, Chevy Camaros and Chevelles, and Pontiac Firebirds and GTOs tearing up the streets. Even the underdog American Motors joined the race with their AMX. Of course, Ford lit the spark with the iconic Mustang.
If you were a young man with a thirst for adrenaline and enough cash in your pocket, you bought one. The more horsepower, the better. These cars weren’t just transportation -- they were statements. They represented freedom, power, and a little bit of rebellion.
I’ll never forget when my dad bought a 1968 Dodge Charger. I was over the moon. I’m pretty sure it was his way of dealing with mid-life crisis. Though it wasn’t the flashy, souped-up version with racing stripes, it still had a beastly 383-cubic-inch, four-barrel engine under the hood. It may have looked ordinary, but the moment you pressed the gas, it roared to life. My dad managed to sell it to my mom as our “family car”, how, I have no idea. But I wasn’t asking questions. I was too busy burning rubber with that beauty.
Sadly, the muscle car era came to a screeching halt. Rising gas prices, insurance rates, and government-imposed mileage standards sidelined these gas-guzzling beasts. The focus shifted from speed to efficiency, and the glory days of the muscle car faded. But for some of us, the passion never died.
Today, those same muscle cars have become prized collectibles, and their value has skyrocketed. They’re more than just cars -- they’re a time machine to a golden age.
A few years ago, I decided it was time to bring some of that nostalgia back into my life. My wife, to my delight, shares my love for muscle cars, especially the Dodge Challenger. When manufacturers started reviving these classics with modern updates, it reignited the dream. After a long search, I found a gem -- a 1971 Dodge Challenger, purposefully the same year my wife was born. I secretly arranged to have it delivered to the bed-and-breakfast where we were celebrating her 50th birthday. The surprise on her face when the B&B owner handed her the keys to that bright, bold Challenger was priceless.
Alan and Rebecca Bergstrom's 1971 Dodge Challenger "Muscle Car". This photo taken just before they've taken it out for a spin, burned some rubber at a stoplight, and made it home safely before the Arizona Highway Patrol knew what happened.
Of course, the car wasn’t perfect. It needed a new trunk pan, ball joints, a gas tank float, new front seats, and a dashboard upgrade with digital gauges. Thankfully, a neighbor who’s a “car guy” jumped in to help with the repairs. In Wisconsin, we enjoyed cruising in the summer months, storing the car safely in our garage during the long winters. When we moved to Arizona, the Challenger came with us, transported across the country to its new home in a friend’s airplane hangar.
Now, we take it out as often as we can, cruising the desert roads and reminiscing about the good old days. This muscle car isn’t just a nostalgic throwback; it’s a source of joy, excitement, and connection. It reminds us to inject some fun into life, even in retirement, and to never let go of the things that make our hearts race. Every now and then, when we lay down some rubber at a stoplight, it feels like we’re young again, with the whole open road ahead of us.
