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Greetings to all fellow MoPar Enthusiasts:

My name is Ian Smale,  the former 1960 Dodge web site editor.   I live on  Vancouver Island, Canada  - just off the west coast.   Victoria, the capital city of  the province of British Columbia,  is on the southern tip of  Vancouver Island,   a 1-1/2  hour ferry ride from the mainland and the city of Vancouver, and a two hour catamaran ride from Seattle, Washington via the straight of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound.   Victoria, with a population of about 300,000 people  has the mildest climate in all of Canada,  with winter temperatures seldom going below the freezing mark and summer temperatures which can climb into the 90's but average  in the 70's.

I  started my interest in Mopars at the age of 19, back in the summer of 1974 - when I acquired my first car - donated to me by  my brother -  a 1958 Dodge Custom Royal 2 door hardtop, black on black with a black and white interior.    This car had a lot of go, but the body was fairly rusty and the torqueflite was giving problems.  Now that I know a little more about these cars I suspect that the torqueflite had a clogged valve body which was  causing downshift problems and could have been a relatively easy fix.   Nevertheless,   I  only kept the car until October that year when I was looking for something a little more reliable, and I spotted an ad in our local newspaper for a 1960 Dodge Polara four door hardtop.  Needless to say my attention was caught.  I tried to picture this car in my mind - and had  some  difficulty.   I could not remember the last time I had seen one around, and slowly began to remember the basic lines of 1960 Dodges.  Still,   I think I was picturing one more along the lines of the Dart, rather than the Polara.  Remeber this was 1974, and the car was only 14 years old!   There were just not any around even then.

A phone call was made with arrangements to view the car that day.  My eyes popped out of my head when I  viewed it for the first time.  I must admit I am a sucker for anything with fins,  at least in the Mopar department.   The car was white with a red and black interior and very good  looking - very clean inside and out.  Upon speaking with the owner, a real estate agent - he informed me that he had owned the car for less than a year but wanted to sell it before his teen aged son ruined it - and here I was -  now a twenty year old - looking to buy it.   Prior to that it had been owned since new by the lady vice-president of a local radio station,  then traded in on a new 1974 Buick Limited and wholesaled off - when the real estate agent purchased it.   He was asking $925.00,  I offered him $700.00, and a deal was  struck for $750.00.   I took it home the next day, popped an ad in the paper for the 58 Custom Royal and sold it for $200.00.

This car was loaded - at least for a 60 Dodge.   It had power steering, brakes, windows and an automatic headlight dimmer, along with a radio, rear defroster fan,  day-night inside mirror, dual fender mirrors with driver's remote control, AM radio,  and the 361 V-8 with four barrel and dual exhausts ( power pack option in Canada ).    Over the years I added the factory "satellite styled" clock,  a 6 way power seat, a  mirromatic ( tips from day to night position automatically when headlights from the car behind you hit it, and yes it was a 1960 option ! )  a power antenna, and my own remote electric trunk release which I made up myself.

In 1976 I had a minor accident - not my fault - which led the to the acquisition of two rust free front fenders from Phoenix, AZ.    I had the car repainted in 1978,  and over the next two or three years  had some upholstery work done,  front end work and miscellaneous other mechanical and cosmetic repairs over the years.   I joined the WPC (Walter P. Chrysler)  Club as well in around 1978 and that was the beginning of a long and happy association with that organization, which I am still a member of,  and for which I edit their web site.  I am also involved in the local  Vancouver Island Region  of the WPC Club,  for which I am also the web site editor.  Another club I am a member of is the  Chrysler 300 Club, INC.

Along the way  I have owned a number of other old Mopars,  including a 1960 DeSoto four door sedan (1977), a 1960 Dodge Matador 4 door hardtop (1980-81), a 1959 Chrysler Windsor 2 door hardtop (1981-82) and a 1962 Chrysler 300 2 door  hardtop (1982-present).   I sold the Polara in 1995 to a good friend of mine,  mechanic and tech. editor for this site Ron Wenzel.  The Polara is featured in the photo gallery on this site.  Newer Mopars have included a 78 and an 80 Cordoba,  93 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and several Chrylser built minivans, as well as a number of  full size Dodge Ram Vans for my business.

I am married with four children.   My family is a great blessing in my life.  I am a practicing Christian and church  is a big part of our lives as well.   I  have been in  the Locksmithing industry since about 1972 and owned a Lock and Safe business since 1976.

Here are a couple of shots of our 1962 Chrysler 300.  This  car is not a letter car, but has a complete "300-H" drive train, (factory installed)  including the  380 Horsepower 413 with dual four barrels,  heavy duty suspension, sure grip rear end, 15 inch wheels,  300-H wheel covers,  150 MPH speedometer,  tan leather upholstery with front buckets, power windows, power seat,  power antenna and rear defroster fan.    It sold in  1962 as a demonstrator at Al Roberts Chrysler Plymouth in Garden Grove, California for $4300.00 plus tax.   I purchased the car in 1982 after it was brought to Canada from Southern California.