Serious lightweight Dart | FerrariChat

Serious lightweight Dart

Discussion in 'American Muscle' started by Michael B, Dec 25, 2016.

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  1. Michael B

    Michael B F1 Rookie
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    Apr 28, 2004
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    Michael
    #1 Michael B, Dec 25, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I have had this car forever & a day. My wife hates it. Her friends hate it. But I like it a lot. Car is set up nice. Its magic to launch often times yanking the front wheels when on slicks even with the tame previous V8 lump. Over this last year I decided to build a to spec engine for it like I use to when I was young. The old engine was fine ~ but what the heck.. You only live once. It came out great with an abundance of dyno power & torque. That matched along with the reduced weight of this plaything makes for a pleasantly surprising light-to-light car. Anyhow I am just about to wrap it up and the play with other projects. But its been fun working on 'Merican Muscle again. Remember when some of us did that all of the time?

    11.0:1 408 cube stroker with CNC ported small chamber Edelbrocks. 1&7/8 TTi headers into 3" exhaust with cut-out pipes into Hooker Aero Chamber mufflers. And a small & yet un-used NOS kit for emergencies sandwiched under the giant Holley Ultra HP.

    Heading to the 1/4 mile with it once it warms up here. Like I am a kid again.
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  2. teak360

    teak360 F1 World Champ

    Nov 3, 2003
    10,065
    Boulder, CO
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    Scott
    #2 teak360, Dec 26, 2016
    That's a great car, thanks for posting the pictures.
     
  3. piratepress

    piratepress Formula Junior

    May 18, 2009
    719
    Mississippi
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    Chip A.
    #3 piratepress, Dec 26, 2016
    Looks like a lot of fun! Enjoy it in good health.
     
  4. Michael B

    Michael B F1 Rookie
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    Apr 28, 2004
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    #4 Michael B, Dec 26, 2016
    Hey thanks!

    You know... What spured me on was dying this year. I had a heart attack that took me out - but the hospital was able to bring me back ~ just in time. Lucky I guess. After that I said "welp... what haven't I done that I have been meaning to?"

    This and several other projects are now all in high gear. I am finishing them all up then going to step back & take a hard look. Life is too short to drive underwhelming cars! It is also too short to live in awful places, hesitate, hold your tongue, or not love most every day. Words to live by.

    The Dart is just a small part of it all.
     
  5. Streetsurfer

    Streetsurfer Formula Junior

    Dec 16, 2015
    934
    near Chicago
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    Ron
    #5 Streetsurfer, Dec 26, 2016
    Welcome back to life. It's great, isn't it?

    Have you had the car since high school? I rode around in a friends with him on occassion. I don't recall clearly if it had chromed or painted bumpers, but the rest looks the same, sans the engine rebuild and any post '75-'76 mods.

    Thanks for keeping and saving it, regardless. Beautiful, imo.
     
  6. Michael B

    Michael B F1 Rookie
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    #6 Michael B, Dec 26, 2016
    Yes sir. Its great.

    In high-school I had the "fastest" car. Or was at the least labeled with that. But it was a 1968 Plymouth GTX with a 440. This car came a bit after. Nice list of Mopars in my past.

    My painted bumpers are all fiberglass so that's why no chrome. Lots of lightweight bits on it.
     
  7. rdefabri

    rdefabri Three Time F1 World Champ

    Jun 4, 2008
    33,571
    NJ
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    Rich
    #7 rdefabri, Dec 27, 2016
    Nice - big fan of Mopars. I always wanted to do an altered wheelbase car...have fun with it!
     
  8. DIGMAN52

    DIGMAN52 F1 Rookie
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    Jan 30, 2004
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    Philip C
    #8 DIGMAN52, Dec 27, 2016
    A great drag car is always on my bucket list.

    Would love a video of a drag racing start with that beast !
     
  9. Ryan S.

    Ryan S. Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Mar 20, 2004
    26,804
    #9 Ryan S., Dec 27, 2016
    Great looking car!
     
  10. Nativetroy

    Nativetroy F1 Veteran
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    Nov 29, 2010
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    Troy
    #10 Nativetroy, Dec 27, 2016
    Awesome car. Sounds like it was a fun build.
     
  11. Michael B

    Michael B F1 Rookie
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    #11 Michael B, Dec 28, 2016
    Thank you again. Video soon. I will try to get one yanking the front wheels from a dig.
     
  12. solofast

    solofast Formula 3

    Oct 8, 2007
    1,773
    Indianapolis
    #12 solofast, Dec 29, 2016
    Those Darts were really "Flexible Flyers".. In high school, my best friend had a 273 with a 4 speed and the "high performance" package..

    When he would hit 2nd gear on a hard power shift the steering wheel would jump about 3 inches up relative to the dash and seats, the chassis twisted that much... I can't imagine what that big monster motor would do to that car...
     
  13. Michael B

    Michael B F1 Rookie
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    #13 Michael B, Dec 29, 2016
    Last edited: Dec 29, 2016
    I think any uni-body from the seventies had plenty of flex. However this car has an engineered cage, sub-frame connectors, Cal-Trac single leaf linked rear suspension and custom torque boxes to remedy that a non-event. Racecar stuff.
     
  14. solofast

    solofast Formula 3

    Oct 8, 2007
    1,773
    Indianapolis
    #14 solofast, Jan 3, 2017
    Yes, I would think that to put that much motor in that particular car that a significant amount of "re-engineering" of the chassis and good cage would be mandatory...
     

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