Cop's family happens to like fast cars
When a burly young man buys a high-revving muscle car new, the last thing he wants is mom hanging around. Bad-boy visions of peeling away in a plume of tire-squealing smoke could be hampered if he knows she's there.
Unless of course, she's buying the exact same car.
That's the story of Ron Baran, who at the age of 26 went to Cee Eddy Dodge in Chicago on May 21, 1969. The leadfoot loved the recent film "Bullit." While most swooned for actor Steve McQueen's Mustang, Baran had to have the henchmen's Charger.
"Dad's favorite part was the chase scene," said his son, Scott. But the elder Baran's preference was ironic: Ron served on the Skokie Police Department.
"Here's Dad, a cop, wanting the bad guys' car," laughs Scott, who lives in Streamwood.
That leaning was cemented when the young police officer got onto the dealer's lot. In the back was a black 1969 Dodge Charger, a near equal to the one in the movie. Scott's father had to have it and traded in a 1967 AMC Ambassador to complete the transaction.
But that wasn't the only deal done that day. Ron's mother and Scott's grandmother, Eleanor, was there, too, and she purchased herself a yellow 1969 Charger.
As for Ron and his new ride, it stayed parked most days. Skokie offered a shuttle from his home to the station. Once there, he patrolled the city streets in issued cruisers. But during off-duty time, he racked up miles and memories, taking his family on many out-of-state vacations. The Barans traveled to such places as Michigan, Arkansas and Missouri.
In 1982, Ron traveled to Chrysler's Chelsea, Michigan, proving grounds to attend a special event. He even got to drive his Charger on Chrysler's test track, speeding up to 120 mph.
None of that time on the road brought on repair issues, but rather problems popped up back home. Ron's garage was small and snow and water leaked inside. The vehicle sat parked from 1986-'99, exposed to our Midwest nuances. Fearing what was to come, Ron asked Scott to keep the Charger in his much-larger, protected garage.
"My intent was to breathe new life into it," Scott says. After popping the hood, he found the engine and carb gummed up and numerous belts and hoses dried out. As much as he tried, he couldn't get things right.
Help came this past year and in a big way. Scott was selected to be featured on the Velocity TV show "Garage Squad." The crew stepped in and helped get the classic Dodge showroom fresh, completing the project in May.
Now the Charger gleams and the father-and-son team couldn't be happier.
"It still amazes me that we kept it his long," says Ron, who still lives in Skokie.
"It's just awesome to be behind the wheel," his son agrees. "You can't help but grin."
And Grandma Eleanor's yellow Charger? She traded hers back in two years after buying it.
• Share your car's story with Matt at auto@dailyherald.com.