Member’s Bio Page

Tom Denkler


Spouse: widowed

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky

Contact Info: 1305 Jim Fox Rd.
Greeneville, Tn. 37743
423-638-8680
Cell 423-972-9940

Email: tdenkler3853@earthlink.net

Tenure In Club: Since 1976 off and on

Traveler's aid: Yes, I volunteer my son Chris. He's a good wrenchman

Work: CenturyLink Tel, Central Office Tech

Other Clubs: Both 300 Clubs

Current Stable: 63 300 J, 3 300 L's. 1 300 L 4 speed, 65 300 Convert, 79 300, 67 Plymouth Sport Fury 4 speed, 2006 Hemi Jeep.

Automotive History: Owned 66 Polara 500 Convert 4 speed, two 67 Sport Fury 4 speeds, and 300 L with ALL options. Missed out on 65 300 L Convert 4 speed for $450 in 1977. Had 3 kids in diapers! No money, no place to keep em! ARGGGGGGGGG!!!!! Bob Dupin got me started. I dropped out of sight. Found out Bob had died. Floored me. Bob was unique in his passion for letter cars!

300 Letters Owned: That 300 L with ALL options. I think parts are living on many L's now!

Aspirations: To live long enough to restore cars I got! I remember how hard as a kid to scrape up money for one of these Brutes. I have collected enough now so my kids can live a dream instead of wishing/hoping to be able to own one. Now if I can just hang on long enough to bang the gears in the L again!

I bet you didn't know: Bob and I lost track of that L convert 4 speed back in 77. Bob took the bullit for losing track of it, but it was all my fault. He really wanted me to buy that car, and I just couldn't scrape it up! Story of my life!

Funny story Bought the L 4 speed from Steve McCloud in Sevierville,Tn. He had 2 4 speeds! Go figure! Drove it all over country, from Tn to Iowa to New Orleans. Ran 240 degreees all the time. Burned almost as much oil as gas! Commuted from Baltimore to D.C. every day for a year. Stopped to get parts one evening, and shop closed early. GRRRRR. Turned back out on Hwy 1 and loaded rpm's up and dumped clutch (it was the cars fault shop was closed, right?) There was a Maryland trooper 1/4 mile in FRONT of me. He must have seen smoke or heard racket. He made a u-turn on Hwy 1 (4 lane, real busy) and I just went from full throttle in first gear to idle in fourth gear. The front end (weak shocks and all) just kind of went limp! The trooper passed by me and I know he was thinking "no way that car could do that". He kept looking for a Road Runner or Camaro, anything but an old beat up 2 tone Chrysler!



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December, 2011