Earnhardt Dodge Hosting 8th Annual MoPower Cruise Kickoff Breakfast

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Mopars at the Strip 2012Mopar enthusiasts, it’s that time of the year again! Grab your sunglasses, your favorite tunes & your driving gloves, hop in your ride and hit the open road! We’re headed to Vegas, Baby, for the 2012 Mopars at the Strip and getting there is more than half the fun! Join dozens of other motor-heads like yourself as we cruise from Gilbert, AZ down to Las Vegas, NV… Mopar style! Be part of one of the largest Mopar vehicle events this side of the Mississipi. Trade car stories, meet new friends, and make some memories that will last a lifetime!

Earnhardt CJDR in Gilbert will be the starting point of the MoPower Cruise. All participants that meet at Earnhardt’s get a cruise t-shirt and cruise window banner for the back window of their Mopar along with breakfast.

Check out the details below, and of course, don’t forget to change your oil, top off your fluids, and check your tire pressure at Earnhardt Dodge before cruise day.

8th Annual Cruise to MATS
Thursday, April 12th, 2012
Gilbert, AZ to Las Vegas, NV
Kickoff party and breakfast at Earnhardt Dodge
1301 N. Arizona Ave
Meet at 8:00AM, approx departure time 10:00AM

To get to Earnhardt’s, take the US 60/Superstition Freeway, and exit south at the Country Club exit. Country Club changes its name to Arizona Ave. upon entering Gilbert. After leaving Earnhardt Dodge we will turn right (north) onto Arizona Avenue for approx. 1 mile, we will get on the Superstition Freeway heading West for approx. 3 miles. Exit in the far right lane onto the 101 Freeway North towards Scottsdale. Stay on the 101 until it meets up with I-17.

Get on I-17 headed North to the Carefree Highway WEST exit. Turn right onto the Carefree Highway, heading west (state route 74). Proceed 30 miles, then turn right at the stop sign onto state route 60 towards Wickenburg. In Wickenburg, we will stop for fuel at the SECOND Shell station in town on the right side of the street. We will then continue thru town, and after crossing the bridge, take the new 93 North Bypass out of town for approximately 110 miles.

Route 93 then merges with I-40. Take I-40 West, and exit at Blake Ranch Road (Exit #66) for fuel at the Petro truck stop. Then get back on I-40 West to the Andy Devine Exit in Kingman. Turn right at the bottom of the off-ramp to Martin Swanty Dodge at 2640 East Andy Devine. The good folks at Martin Swanty Dodge will have a mobile BBQ lunch available for purchase, while all the Mopars create a great car show for the locals.

Upon leaving Martin Swanty Dodge, turn left on Andy Devine thru town (this is the old Route 66), then left onto Beale Street and under the freeway continuing on 93 North. Continue 90 miles and over the new bridge at Hoover Dam, and on into Las Vegas. Those going to the Cannery Casino Hotel, take I-15 North towards Salt Lake City exiting onto Craig Road to the left. The Cannery is on the corner of Craig Road and Losee Road.

Questions? E-Mail Bill Tarver: got2bnaz@cox.net, or visit matslv.com.

This itinerary is a brief overview of meeting points and scheduled stops; it is a tentative schedule, not a guarantee of times and places. Please remember to obey all traffic laws, this is not a race.

Participating in this cruise is an open invitation for all. The Promoters of “MATS’ The Moparty at the Strip, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Sponsors, listed Dealers and Chrysler cannot be held responsible for your travel during this cruise. Your participation in this event is on a volunteer basis, you are solely responsible for your travel and costs incurred as a participant.

Jeep JK8 Now Available

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Exciting news for Jeep Wrangler fans everywhere. The new Jeep JK-8 Independence Wrangler Unlimited Pickup Truck is now available at Earnhardt Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram in Gilbert. The JK-8 features a dealer installed certified Mopar kit which turns the Jeep Wrangler into a mini pick-up truck with a removable hard-top. Check out the official Mopar press release below and stop into Earnhardt’s to get your hands on one.

Press Release:
Mopar Answers Call for Jeep® Wrangler Unlimited Pickup Truck
Brand Announces Pricing for New JK-8 Kit

  • Priced at $5,499, the Mopar® JK-8 Kit enables owners to transform their Jeep® Wrangler Unlimited into a pickup
  • Kit now available for ordering through Mopar at Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram dealerships
  • Dealership or skilled do-it-yourselfers may do the installation
  • Major components of the Mopar JK-8 kit include steel bed, inner and outer bedsides, sport bar extensions, Freedom panel assemblies, fiberglass hardtop and bulkhead
  • Kit shipped in JK-8 and Mopar-stamped wooden crate (85.25-inch by 62.25-inch by 30-inch), instructions included

July 14, 2011 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Jeep® enthusiasts now have the opportunity to transform their four-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited into a two-door pickup truck.

The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) for the Mopar® JK-8 kit is $5,499. The kit, which comes with a three-year/36,000-mile warranty, is now available for ordering through Mopar at Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram dealerships. The warranty covers kit materials and workmanship performed at a Chrysler Group dealership.

Mopar first revealed its JK-8 kit at this year’s Moab Jeep Safari. The kit takes cues from the popular Jeep Scrambler CJ-8 from the 1980’s. Major components include a spacious 44-inch by 50-inch steel bed, inner and outer bedsides constructed from stamped sheet metal, sport bar extensions, Freedom Panel assemblies, a removable fiberglass hardtop with a sliding rear window, two fixed side windows and a fiberglass bulkhead.

Staying true to the Jeep brand, the JK-8 kit offers Jeep Wrangler Unlimited capability in the form of a mini pickup. In addition, the top may be completely removed for an open-air experience.

A special badge is featured on the left rear quarter panel of each kit, celebrating the heritage of the Jeep Scrambler CJ-8, along with design implementations that were adopted from original J-8 military Jeep pickups.

For ease of purchase, the kit is available as a single part number (77070049) with all hardware and body panels included. The kit may be purchased and installed at a Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge or Ram dealership.

Conversion Process
Two processes are involved in the conversion from a four-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited to a two-door pickup truck: disassembly and reassembly.

In disassembly, each rear door is removed. Next, the rear-bumper assembly, hard top and Freedom Panels are removed, followed by the rear portion of the interior, which includes seats and carpeting. Exterior trim parts are removed and preserved; inner and outer body panels are removed by drilling out the spot welds, which allows the panels to fall away and avoids having to cut into the sheet metal. The rear sport bar is cut away and removed along with B-pillars.

Reassembly into a two-door pickup truck begins with installation of the B-pillars, cross member, floor-pan assembly (truck bed), and the inner and outer quarter panels (welding is involved in assembly). Next to be installed is the bulkhead reinforcement assembly and sport bar extensions, and finally the installation of the fiberglass bulkhead itself. The kit, with components delivered e-coated, is then prepped for paint. Windows are installed to the hard top, which is then installed on the vehicle. Exterior trim parts are then reinstalled.

Following is information regarding some of the main components included in the Mopar JK-8 kit.

Mopar JK8 Body Weld Kit Complete (All parts are sold together in one complete kit)

Freedom Panels: Fiberglass panels over front seats.

Hardtop: Made from fiberglass, the hard top may be removed and features a sliding rear window.

Bulkhead: The bulkhead for the kit is made of fiberglass and separates the cab from the bed of the truck, and permanently attaches to the vehicle.

Bed: The spacious 44-inch by 50-inch bed features strong steel construction.

Inner/Outer Bed Panels: Bed panels are stamped sheet metal and provide durability and functionality.

Sport Bar Extensions: New sport bar extensions replace the rear portion of the sport bar that is removed for the conversion. These bars complement the structure of the vehicle.

Walk for Rockin’ Ryken

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Mike McTighe is the Body Shop Manager for Earnhardt Dodge. He and his wife Sarah, a former Earnhardt employee, have a son with Down Syndrome. They would like to personally invite you all to participate in an organized walk event to raise awareness and funds for Down’s Syndrome research. Check out all the details below to find out how to help support their event:

Rockin Ryken

Rockin Ryken

For: Rockin Ryken

What: 12th Annual Walk for Down Syndrome (formerly the Buddy Walk)

When: Saturday, Sept.10, 2011

Where: Tempe Diablo Stadium
2200 West Alameda Drive
Tempe, Az. 85282

Time: 7:30am to 11:30am
9:30 walk begins
more information on www.sharingds.org

It’s that time of year again to join Rockin Ryken at this years 12th Annual Walk for Down Syndrome. We are currently putting together our team on behalf of Ryken called Rockin Ryken. We would love for you to walk our mile as a proud team supporting Ryken and Down Syndrome. So if you are Down with xtra chromosomes come out and be a part of our team. We would love to share this experience with all of you. Respond and let me know if you are willing to be a part of our team.

We are working hard to help reach a team donation goal and hope to pass this goal of $1000. Would you care to be the first donation? A donation of any size is greatly appreciated. Even if our goal is reached it is ok to to raise more money for this great cause. Thank you for your support.

To donate money please go to www.sharingds.org you might need to register first (for security purposes) it only takes a few minutes, then you can give your desired amount you would like to donate. Make sure thou, when making a donation that you donate to team Rockin Ryken. You can also send payment to Mike or Sarah at 1912 East Shannon Street, Gilbert, Az. 85295. Please make sure not to make it out to Ryken or team Rockin Ryken but to Sharing Down Syndrome in the memo you can put team Rockin Ryken. (there website has changed and is to be easier than last year so if you need help just ask and I can try or I can get the help we need)

To view the team profile of Rockin Ryken or to make a donation visit the following link: www.sharingds.org

Click on Sharing Walk (upper right hand corner) view team, click on Rockin Ryken.

Also, this year so we go in looking like a team we will be having t-shirts made with our team logo. (NOT thru Sharing Down Syndrome) Cost of shirts will be $10.00. Please send me (Sarah) money, sizes, and how many you would like by August 10, 2011 so I can get the order in. Even if you are not able to attend and would like one I can get you a shirt and mail them to you. If you are wanting to send me money for a donation and a t-shirt and pay with a check please enclose 2 separate checks.

Please spread the word to everyone thru voice, e-mail, Facebook, ect. the more the merrier!!!

Hope you can join us Sept 10th and support our favorite little guy Rockin Ryken!!!!!

Thank you!

Mike and Sarah McTighe

P.S. I just registered and if it says you need to pick another e-mail address go to the front page and at the very bottom click on log in and use your password you used last year. (it was much, much easier than last year)

$1000 Text Contest Prize Goes to Deserving Marine

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Joel Danielson Winner of Cox Media Text to Win Contest

Joel Danielson Winner of Cox Media Text to Win Contest

Joel Danielson of Mesa, Arizona was the winner of Earnhardt’s 60th Anniversary Bonus Cash sweepstakes held in partnership with Cox Media. He was awarded $1,000 in American Express Gift cards. Joel entered the contest at Earnhardt Toyota while he was there to purchase a Toyota Camry.

Joel, accompanied by his mother, stopped by Earnhardt Ford in Chandler to claim the prize money, which Joel says came a great time. Joel was recently discharged from the Marines where he had served since 2007 and included two tours of duty in Iraq. He is planning to enter Mesa Community College in the Fall, where he will major in history.

Congratulations, Joel! Earnhardt Auto Centers thanks you for your business and for your service to our country. We wish you the best of luck in the future.

General Manager’s Son Gives the Gift of Sight

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Kevin Murphy Jr. receives the "Gift of Sight" Award

Kevin Murphy Jr. receives the "Gift of Sight" Award

Kevin Murphy, Jr., the son of Kevin Murphy, Sr., Earnhardt CDJR’s General Manager, has been working hard to provide free cornea transplants to the poor and underprivileged. Kevin formed a non-profit organization called “Let There Be Sight” with a mission to help those in need restore their sight.

After conceiving the idea for the organization, Kevin met with the Donor Network of Arizona (DNA) to propose a mutually beneficial and charitable partnership. They agreed that if Kevin’s organization would focus their resources on fund raising for the cornea transplants, DNA would provide the corneas at no charge. Since then, Kevin has been building relationships with doctors in third world countries resulting in an outpouring of donated doctors’ surgical skills and services.

Through this generous cooperative effort, Let There Be Sight can now cure blindness for someone in desperate need for only $550! It’s hard to believe, with the price of medical care today, that the cost of this life-changing surgery can be covered for so little. Kevin has created a website – lettherebesight.org – where people can learn more and donate if they would like to help. 100% of all donations go to restoring a blind person’s sight and covers the cost of shipping the corneas, surgical supplies, anesthesia and operating room costs.

The Eye Bank Association of America recently honored Kevin Jr. by bestowing their annual “Gift of Sight” Award for his current work providing free cornea transplants to the poor. As of June 2011, Kevin Jr. has raised enough money to pay for 12 cornea transplants this year. The Eye Bank Association of America also recognized Kevin’s parents for their work almost a decade earlier providing cornea transplants for the poor. In 2000 Kevin Sr. and his wife Susan helped arrange 2 cornea transplants for a poor young university student in Morocco and went on to fund and organize countless more cornea transplants over the span of 3 years.

Kevin Murphy Jr. recently graduated from Arizona State University and hopes to attend medical school next year. His ultimate goal is to be selected to the University of Arizona Ophthalmology Residency Program and someday perform these sight giving surgeries himself.

Helping others is an Earnhardt Family tradition and it looks like that tradition is alive and well with the Kevin Murphy family. Keep up the great work!