Mr. Angry on SpikeTV

Mr. Angry's 1968 Charger is already a star on CarDomain. Starting March 13, it's going to be a star on SpikeTV's Bullrun reality show. We talked to MrAngry about his car, the show, and how he got his handle.

How long have you been a CarDomain member?
Since January 2003

Where does the name Mr. Angry come from? And is that you or your car?
At first it was just me... when I purchased the car my wife and I were living in this really crappy apartment in Astoria, Queens that was way too small for us, plus we had this nut ball cat named Pepe' who was the devil reincarnate, money was tight, 9/11 was still pretty recent (I was down there) so my whole attitude towards everyone and everything was go f*ck yourself... I was just always pissed off. I knew I wanted a custom license plate on the car so I figured what the hell... and "Mr. Angry" was born. Once the plate was put on the car though the roles sort of just meshed together. People would see the car and refer to it as, "Mr. Angry" or they would ask who owns that black 68' Charger and someone would point over to me and say "Go talk to Mr. Angry"... it all just escalated from there. I suppose it fits though because in my opinion there is no meaner looking car then a black 1968 Dodge Charger, that and the fact that I'm 6'4" and almost 235lbs. and originally from Brooklyn doesn't hurt either.

How long have you had the Charger?
3+ years

Where and how did you find the Charger? Were you specifically looking for a 68?
I had been looking on and off for 68 for about three years but never found the right one until I found the Charger while surfing the internet one day - it was located in Woodinville, WA. As soon as I saw it I knew it was the one. From the get go I wanted a 68. In my opinion it has the cleanest lines of all the 2nd generation Chargers. The open grill is simply beautiful and the round taillights are just amazing looking - it looks just as good from the front as it does from the rear and is probably the best looking car to come out the muscle car era. There is not a bad line on the entire car.

What kind of shape was in it when you got it?
The car was excellent shape when I got it. The previous owner had spent A LOT of time and money on the paint, body and wheels. He did the exterior of the car up EXACTLY as I would have done it (Thanks Marty!). The side makers and rain gutters had been shaved and the wheel choice was dead on. The engine was complete as well but needed to be massaged a little. The rest of the car needed to be sorted out, though. Don't get me wrong, it was completely drivable as it was, it was just not where I wanted it to be for the way that I was going to drive it.

What was the first mod? (see Mr.Angry's ride page for complete list of mods)
The first mod was THE most important one - a center console with two big cup holders. I need a big cup of Dunkin' Donuts coffee when I roll. Give me that and everything else will fall into place.

When it comes to modifying 60s muscle cars, where do you draw the line?
I don't. Everyone has their own idea of what a muscle car is or what it should be – they are piece of Americana and evoke different reactions from everyone. Some people keep them stock, which is fine if you're into the nostalgia thing. Others like me want to modify them. To each his own, that is what make this such a great hobby.

Do you do all your own work?
Not all of it, but I do what I can and learn a little bit more everyday. I have a great friend, Peter Bergman of XV Motorsports who has taught me A LOT about these cars. He's been a great mentor and a wonderful friend. One the most important things he's taught me is that when you build ANYTHING, make it work correctly and do it correctly. Make a plan, focus on it and you will get the end result you are looking for. Like he tells me, "I've taught you everything you know about these cars, not everything I know." Very true statement indeed.

You live in Queens? Where do you keep the car?
The car is an undisclosed location guarded by large burly women toting machine guns.

When/where do you drive the car?
The car doesn't come out in bad weather, but that's not to say I haven't been caught in my fair share of rain here and there. As for where... I'd drive that thing anywhere at anytime as long as the weather is nice when I leave. These cars are meant to be driven - that's why they were built in the first place, so please, if you own one, go outside start it up and take it for a nice looooong ride, you'll be happy you did.

What other cars do you have?
A 2006 Honda Accord, with a pavement shredding 166hp 4-cylinder… Bitchen' right?

What do you do for a living?
Web administrator for an investment bank

Tell us about your friend Jimmy.
Ah yes… Jimmy. Jimmy is a rock star. He is probably one of the most charismatic people I've ever met. He's the type of guy that if he's at a party, the party will center around him, not the host… which is actually pretty funny. He is also one the most level headed and down to earth individuals out there. I've know Jim since high school--for about 15 years now--and we've been through a lot together, plus the amount of laughs we've had over that time is immeasurable. He's one of my best friends and has always been there for me – they don't come any better.

Is there anyone besides Jimmy you'd let drive your car?
Sure, but I have to know you and more importantly, like you. I think the beauty of having a car like this is letting other people experience it. Don't get me wrong, I love my car and treat it well, but I also love it when I get to see the faces of others when they slip behind the wheel of one the coolest muscle cars on the planet. That's totally priceless and makes you feel pretty good about what you've put together – the kid's reactions are the best though. Plus, regardless of what you drive or how much money you have, I truly believe that everyone on this earth should be able to slip behind of wheel of a big block muscle car and drive a piece of American history.

Why did you want to do the show?
I knew about the Bullrun Rally long before the opportunity for the show came about and I always said that I would one day take part in it. I also wanted to prove to people that you can in fact take a 39-year-old muscle car, update it correctly and run against some of the best cars on the planet. Again, all this comes down planning.

How many hoops did you have to jump through to land a spot on the show?
A few hoops here and there, but we pulled no punches on the interview process and honestly we didn't think we had a chance, but fortunately luck shined on us a little bit and we got the chance of a lifetime.

What kind of prep did you do to the car before the show?
Man… we did a lot of prep work on the car. New tires, cleaned up the all the engine bay wiring, new steering box etc… etc… etc… Basically we did a lot things that I wanted to do to the car over time, we just did it in a very condensed timeframe. The key was making a realistic plan and then sticking to that plan and then testing, testing, testing until the desired result was obtained.

How did you feel about shipping your car to an unknown location?
It scared the ever-loving crap out me… I hated it.

How fast did you take it in the show?
Let's just say my car goes WELL into triple digits…

Does it take a Mopar to catch a Mopar?
Nope, it takes someone with a brass set to try and catch a Mopar – every car is only as good as its driver. Put a fast car and good driver together and you've got a real good combination.

What did you think of your competitors?
Good question. There was such an eclectic group of people that were chosen for the show that at first we didn't know what to make of the other teams. As time went on, though, we came to see that everyone brought a little something different to the game, for better or for worse. In the end though one thing that held true was that we met some truly amazing people, made a lot of new friends and had access to some of the most amazing cars around.

Which other car most impressed you?
The most impressive car in my opinion was definitely the Lamborghini Murcielago. It's simply a wonderment of modern engineering and design. With 575hp / 479lbs.tq., the car is simply an animal. Combine that with all-wheel drive and traction control and you have one of the most vicious automobiles on the planet.

Did you have to fix anything when you got the car home?
Yep… let's just leave it at that.

What have you done to the car since the show?
Fixed the above stated "Yep…"

I have a feeling you're going to get (and have gotten) some offers for that car. How much $$$ would it take for you to part with it?
Honestly, it would have to be a REALLY big number. We get offers, big offers on the car every time we take it out and so far we've turned them all down, simple fact is I don't need to sell it. The car is like a family member to us. It was the car that my wife and I drove to our wedding in, it's the car that make my two year olds nephew's eyes light up and it's the car that makes me feel like a rock star even when I've had the crappiest of days. Can you put a price on that? Probably, but I can assure you, it will be a VERY high one.

What's next for Mr. Angry?
We'll be running the actual Bullrun Rally this coming May from Montreal to Key West. Right now we're in the process of prepping the car for another eight days of mayhem and excitement. Just remember, though, when all is said and done and all the tickets have been paid… it's a rally, not a race.

Thanks for talking to CarDomain!
Cheers!

A note on the photos. We wanted to get some new photos of the Charger for this feature, so Mike kindly obliged and took the car out a few days after this interview. He e-mailed us the following Monday with this story:
So this weekend my wife and I go into NYC to try and get some photos of the car for you guys. We roll down to Union Square in NYC (really swanky area) when an NYPD patrol car pulls up next to us... I was like, "f*ck, what'd I do…?" The cop proceeds to roll down the window and yells, "LIGHT EM' UP!" I smoked up all of 14th street, it was f'ing' hilarious. The cops then pull up next to me laughing. I then ask where I could take some pics, as I needed them for CarDomain (which they were both familiar with). They just said, "follow us.” We go back into Union Square (now keep in mind that Union Square park is a no vehicle zone) and pull up to the barricade. They turn on the lights, get out, and proceed to remove the barriers and tell me to pull in. Only in NYC, I swear. We sat there for about thirty minutes BSing with these two great NYPD cops while everyone else just looked at us. Totally cracks me up.

 

 

Got a cool story to share? Contact editor@cardomain.com