The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

Hello everyone! Great website. What an amazing number of great cars and owners I see here at YENKO.NET. Here is a story I’d like to share with you.

Today is a very special day for me. It marks the 40th anniversary of the day my father (RIP) took delivery of what has become a permanent fixture in the ESCALANTE family, A 1970 Dodge Hemi Challenger R/T (EL HEMI).

It was a Friday morning December 12, 1969 when my father went to Northwestern Dodge in Detroit to pick up the car he had ordered a few weeks prior…..an orange with black stripe machine and a HEMI in between the fenders. This HEMI, the motor he had sworn to one day own after hearing one outside a restaurant in Venezuela was now his!

My dad was 27 yrs old and I was 4 when EL HEMI came home. What he did not realize when he bought the car was that it would also become the greatest source of bonding with his two sons and grandsons. Any time you expose kids to kool cars, awesome sounds, and speed, a bond starts to form. In our case it surely did….a bond between our father, ourselves, and this kool car. A recipe that continues to work as my brother Gus and I use it to pass along grandpa’s passion for DODGE MATERIAL among other things.

There are numerous stories and memories we want to share with you. One such story was dad’s drive from Detroit to Chicago in late winter to have the car Dyno Tuned at Mr. Norms. The frequent visits he paid notorious speed shops in the Detroit area where he spent every dime (according to my mom) on the car, were all documented as he kept every receipt for the purchases.

For now…let us pay tribute to an awesome father-grandfather and car enthusiast……Jose Escalante. A good friend of ours convinced us to put our story on a website for people to see and friends and family all over the world to keep up with this kool car we all call EL HEMI. We just updated our website. Check it out. http://www.elhemi.com

“Son….rev it up..c’mon keep it alive…don’t let it die!!!” Dad’s words as I was learning how to drive EL HEMI. I was 14. I am now 44. I can still hear his words when I start the car and occasionally wrestle with the cold natured elephant!

Here is the FAMILIA picture. I am the one in blue jacket http://i961.photobucket.com/albums/a...lyPicture1.jpg

With my brother Gus
http://i961.photobucket.com/albums/a...0-JuanGus1.jpg

Daytona 1972 - DAY TWO LOOK
http://i961.photobucket.com/albums/a...-circa1972.jpg

Tail end of its resto
http://i961.photobucket.com/albums/ae98/elhemi/137.jpg

http://i961.photobucket.com/albums/ae98/elhemi/142.jpg

My father's last visit to see his baby - 3 months after this picture was taken he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Lasted just enough to give me time to jump on a plane and be by his side until his last breath.
http://i961.photobucket.com/albums/a...resto-2003.jpg

There is more at http://www.elhemi.com

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

Let me be the first to say, Welcome Aboard! Lot of closet Mopar enthusiasts here. Very https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/cool.gif story, great to see it stay in the family. Love the El Hemi moniker.

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

Great car and story! The old pictures are just so cool! I will check out your web-site.

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

Awesome!

Welcome to the site.

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

Welcome Juan
WOW.. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...emlins/eek.gif...cool story, cool vintage pic,s, very neat websight, and there is a little closet Mopar in all these Chevy guy's.... https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/naughty.gif
Sorry to hear about you Dad, my dad just passed at 88.
Oh Yea...we love pictures, anymore old stuff.. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...s/headbang.gif

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

I hate Mopars..... :-)

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

Juan - welcome aboard! What a terrific family story with "El Hemi"!. You have a very nice website. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

Cool story..and car...thanks for sharing it with us. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

WOW! Some of them really did come with dog-dish hubcaps!

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

Welcome
Great story with even better pictures.
Do you still have that orange Dodge jacket your fathers wearing in that pic too?

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

What a cool car and story to go with it. Glad to see it has remained in the family all these years. Your Dad would be proud.

BTW...What kind of car is that driving by in the background?? Camaro??

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

The white car is a Volvo P1800.

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

Thanks Steve. LOL - I wasn't even close https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/crazy.gif

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

[ QUOTE ]
Welcome
Great story with even better pictures.
Do you still have that orange Dodge jacket your fathers wearing in that pic too?

[/ QUOTE ]

Sure do! Now his 18 yr old grandson wears it.
http://i961.photobucket.com/albums/a...et-resized.jpg

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

Very COOL Juan! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...iggthumpup.gif

Does your mom still have those boots? https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/naughty.gif (just kidding! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif)


AWESOME story, vintage photos, and website! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...iggthumpup.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...iggthumpup.gif

Being from the Detroit area, I loved this line: "The siren call of Woodward and Gratiot Avenues were too much to resist!" https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...s/headbang.gif

Rita

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

Well Juan, let me add my welcome to all the others so far. What a terrific story and some very cool vintage pics.

It's nice to see the enthusiasm passed down between generations. When I got back in the Musclecar hobby in the early 1990's I restored a 64 Goat. My son was 13 at the time and he just loved that car. However, he expressed no interest in the other Musclecars I've had since then. Sounds like your offspring are well on track to keep your tradition alive. Thanks for sharing.

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

that is a very nice website, awesome!

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

Those vintage pictures make me crazy for this car! Love the restoration shots too.

To change the topic slightly, on your site you have a picture of one of those "Swinger" Corvettes... where was that photo taken? Date? I have two vintage shots of the same toy.

Best,
Dan

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

[ QUOTE ]
Those vintage pictures make me crazy for this car! Love the restoration shots too.

To change the topic slightly, on your site you have a picture of one of those "Swinger" Corvettes... where was that photo taken? Date? I have two vintage shots of the same toy.

Best,
Dan

[/ QUOTE ]

MosportGreen66: Autorama Show 1971 - Cobo Hall - Detroit.

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

Very cool story! Thanks for posting it up, and welcome.

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

The note to "piston #1" is just plain unforgetable. How cool is that?

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

Just an incredible story and so neat to see the dedication to the vehicle (and its original owner) that the family maintains. Welcome and we hope to see and hear a lot more from you, Juan!

Especially meaningful to me as I spent 7 years restoring a 70 Hemi Challenger that was about 200 cars ahead of yours on the assembly line (mine was VIN sequence 186914) https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/cool.gif

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

Their is nothing better than cars with Family history. This one is one of the best.

Paul

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

Speechless and Priceless! My hats off to the Escalantes Family!

Dan.

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

Juan,
Welcome, I love hemis! Great story and website. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...iggthumpup.gif

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

Now his 18 yr old grandson wears it.
http://i961.photobucket.com/albums/a...et-resized.jpg


https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...s/headbang.gif can still hear his words when I start the car https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...iggthumpup.gif

Very very cool !!

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

[ QUOTE ]
Just an incredible story and so neat to see the dedication to the vehicle (and its original owner) that the family maintains. Welcome and we hope to see and hear a lot more from you, Juan!

Especially meaningful to me as I spent 7 years restoring a 70 Hemi Challenger that was about 200 cars ahead of yours on the assembly line (mine was VIN sequence 186914) https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/cool.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
Bill: that is probably the closest VIN I've seen to ours. PM some pictures. Love to see it? I suppose it was built on or close to NOV. 11.

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

Great story, keep the Hemi alive

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

Great story!!

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

Love the car and story of El Hemi. So sorry about the loss of your dad - I too lost a father who died way too young due to pancreatic cancer - a cruel killer.

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

Your DAD looked real happy in that photo.......I don't blame him........... https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/cool.gif

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

[ QUOTE ]
Love the car and story of El Hemi. So sorry about the loss of your dad - I too lost a father who died way too young due to pancreatic cancer - a cruel killer.

[/ QUOTE ]
mmcporter: Sorry to hear about your dad. You are right..of all cancers this one is a tough one to beat.

On a lighter note and for some of my own therapy here is a picture in 1996 of my dad moments before he trailered the car to the port in Venezuela. It wasnt easy to get EL HEMI out of Venezuela and back to the US. The trouble started in 1972 when he imported the car to Venezuela and had the car registered with Vzla's own version of a BMV. A clerk at the BMV in Vzla did not pay attention and mistyped the car's VIN #. Dad never checked it! When it was time to start all the proceeding to bring the car back to the US we found the mistake. It took over a year to get this corrected. If you think BMV is bad in the US you have no idea how BAD it is in other places. You can't see from this picture but while we were going through all the red tape my dad had the car stored at a friend's JUNKYARD. Check out the 1968 camaro in the back.
http://i961.photobucket.com/albums/a...ra-resized.jpg

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

Nice Scrambler too.

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

Here is another shot of the car leaving our friend's junkyard on its way to the port.
http://i961.photobucket.com/albums/a...rd-rezised.jpg

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

[ QUOTE ]
Nice Scrambler too.

[/ QUOTE ]

hmmmm...me thinks that red/white nose belongs to a 68-72 Chevy-GMC pickup or blazer instead?

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

I was referring to the tow vehicle; it's definately a Jeep CJ8 Scramble.

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

right you are.

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Nice Scrambler too.

[/ QUOTE ]
hmmmm...me thinks that red/white nose belongs to a 68-72 Chevy-GMC pickup or blazer instead?

[/ QUOTE ]
You are both right....towing vehicle out of the junkyard is a Jeep Scrambler and red/white nose appears to be a GMC truck behind the red fence.

Here more pictures circa 1996 when El Hemi made it to Jacksonville, Florida. My heart was pounding when the container showed up.
http://i961.photobucket.com/albums/a...ainer-Jack.jpg

Picture below...workers from the port - The guy with the camera was from Mopar Muscle Magazine who came to photograph the arrival of the car. You cant see it in this picture but there was a lady from the Food and Drug administration who was there to inspect the car. When the container doors opened the lady didnt understand why the guys were in ahhhh! After one of the workers told her what it was she asked me for the form she needed to sign...signed it, gave it back to me and said "I dont need to inspect the car. Good Bye".

http://i961.photobucket.com/albums/a...1-Jacksonv.jpg

http://i961.photobucket.com/albums/a...2-Jacksonv.jpg

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

More great photos and story....keep 'em coming, Juan! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...iggthumpup.gif

Re: The Escalantes '70 Challenger R/T "EL HEMI"
 

Neat!