1966 Dodge D/Dart ~ 'Mystery, Myth and Misconception'

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Just saw this inquiry on Meatball # 1

This goes back to Post #172

http://waterwinterwonderland.com/dragway.aspx?id=1335&LocTypeID=6

8/26/2014 - Tom Nelson
I am looking of info and pix from 1965 / 66 of Dodge Darts that ran out there back then I had a dark blue 65 Dart that sometimes i had Little Bear on the side. We also ran a D Dart in 66 that was called Meat Ball #1 if you have any info or pix please get with me. Tom Nelson, Stroker498@yahoo. com Thank you.

Tom did a nice job on this 65

http://www.1962to1965mopar.ornocar.com/nelsont65.html
 

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Thanks!!! It is a cool car.

I went to put the tire spacer in the other day and it stalled out. It would only turn over. I ended up changing the little black box (ECU). A majority of the potting material ran out of it. I made a bracket and mounted the ecu with the potting material facing up. I have an old MSD-5 that I'm thinking of putting on the car. I have to see what has to be removed and what can be used.


Paul,
Got a couple of Questions.....................

--- Were there any Chrysler backed racers in the Kennett, MO. area? I have a dealer number of 56187 with a question mark after it. It just has the city and state listed on my sheet. I heard that there were a few tracks down there in southeastern MO. I tried 4 sources to find out about the dealership but they came up with nothing. This car was shipped on May 4th. On the other hand, the 'Coronet Dodge' (race car) was shipped to Kirkwood, Mo on May 6th.

--- If a couple of the numbers are wrong, how about dealer 56177 which is/was Thompsons Garage in Lebanon, NH --- or --- 56189 which is/was Hinkleys Inc in Salt Lake City, UT. Would either of these places have gotten a D/Dart? I have a car listed that was shipped to Peck & Shaw Dodge, Inc in Murray, UT on May 2nd. Murray is just outside of Salt Lake City.

What do you think?

Alan
 
69 Cuda 440 said:
Alan,

That would be AHRA Country.
Click to expand...

I was just wondering if any D/Darts ran out of the Thompsons Garage in NH or Hinkleys Inc in Salt Lake City. Thought that the dealer number that I got may have been wrong.

Per my sheets, I know that San Leandro Dodge got a D/Dart. They also ran another 1966 Dart GT in AHRA -- MSO1. The guy that I bought the pictures of the AHRA car from said they had a D/Dart but it was missing some pieces.
 
Not a lot of fluff info like Mecum. Truly a unique car, but have to be the right buyer at the right time.
 
The big Pontiac's were huge. Passed this 2 door today. It almost took up the whole city block.
 

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Don Gartlis Dart began in 1965 as the Dart Charger.


2005 Hot Rod Magazine Dick Branstner (M) from Troy, Michigan USA (Comp Nr/Finish: ) 1965 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: S/US, Div: 3
"Dart Charger" Owned by Dick Branstner from Troy, Michigan USA Crew Chief:
'64 Dodge Dart by Jay Howell | Powered by Supercharged Nitro 426 Chrysler Hemi by Jay Howell with direct drive


1965 Records: 1/4 Mile: 8.630 ET, 178.92 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH
1965 Average: 1/4 Mile: 9.780 ET, 150.00 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH
1965 Minimum: 1/4 Mile: 10.318 ET, 141.24 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH
No Racer Website | No video link | Web Search | Web Image Search | Web Video Search
Notes: Richard 'Dick' Branstner did not drive but was contracted by Dodge to do several projects in the 1964-66 era. This was one, created as a mid-engine experimental to move weight rearward in the Dodge Dart compact body. the motor and tranmission was located just forward of the rear axle. This followed Branstner's Little Red Wagon, presented to Super Stock standout Bill "Maverick' Golden. Associate Jay Howell drove this car, first called the 'Dart Charger' and later repainted as the 'Polka-Dart.' The car was destroyed on July 11, 1966 after being turned over to sponsored Dodge racer Don Garlits earlier that year for further development. driver Emery Cook was uninjured in that accident, a testimony to Branstner's careful construction. Chris Martin cited a best speed of 171 mph.
Submitted by Dennis Doubleday, Last updated on Sunday, December 16, 2012, 08:01:58 PM by Geoff Stunkard.

http://www.draglist.com/draglist/se...EW=Extended&LASTUPDATER=Geoff+Stunkard&page=2
 

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Garlits was able to yank the torqueflight and move the engine 13 inches further rearward.

Drag Strip 7-66 Emery Cook (M) from San Diego, California USA (Comp Nr/Finish: ) 1966 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: Match Race, Div: 2
"Polka Dart" Owned by Don Garlits from Seffner, Florida USA Crew Chief: Don Garlits
'66 Dodge Dart by Dick Branstner/Roger Lindamood | Powered by Supercharged Nitro 426 Chrysler Hemi with direct drive
1/4 Mile ET: 9.130 at Unknown 1/4 Mile MPH: 161.00 at Unknown

1966 Records: 1/4 Mile: 7.960 ET, 200.44 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 6.930 ET, 0.00 MPH
1966 Average: 1/4 Mile: 9.050 ET, 162.74 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 9.560 ET, 0.00 MPH
1966 Minimum: 1/4 Mile: 10.140 ET, 145.25 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 12.190 ET, 0.00 MPH
No Racer Website | No video link | Web Search | Web Image Search | Web Video Search
Notes: Blown fuel, rear-engine exhibition racer. former Dick Branstner, Jay Howell-built and campaigned "Dart Charger," also raced by Howell through 1965-early 1966 as "Polka Dart." Given by Dodge to Garlits in 1966 at Branstner's request. Cook was hired to drive and the car was converted to direct-drive at Garlits shop, then in Troy, Michigan. Repainted black as 'Don Garlits' Dart.' Per a four-page feature in "Drag Strip" 7-66 Garlits yanked the Dart's original TorqueFlite trans, replaced it with a direct drive unit and moved the entire mill rearward another 13 inches. This car was destroyed in a crash at Detroit Dragway on July 11, 1966, without injury to Cook. Garlits replaced this car with the "Don Garlits Dart 2," a slingshot rail with a Dart roadster shell that Cook also drove.
Submitted by Draglist Archives, Last updated on Wednesday, October 10, 2012, 07:59:31 AM by Geoff Stunkard. Approved by Bill Pratt.

http://www.draglist.com/draglist/se...arch&VIEW=Extended&LASTUPDATER=Geoff+Stunkard
 
It is not commonly known that Garlits didn’t build this Dart, rather it was initially constructed by Dick Brantsner in Michigan and campaigned (with early Little Red Wagon shoe Jay Howell at the wheel) as the Dart Charger. Garlits did build a mid-engine Hemi Dart around the same time but it was destroyed on its maiden run at the strip – before a very disappointed audience consisting of Chrysler Corp. marketing executives. How and why Garlits adopted Branstner’s creation is not known. The Polka Dart graphics (seen above minus lettering) was applied during Garlits’ early ownership but were quickly replaced by Garlits’ trademark gloss black. Another Garlits modification was replacing the push button 727 Torqueflite used by Branstner / Howell with a clutch-operated Schiefer in-out gearbox, for a 150 pound weight savings.

Moparmax.com
 
Dick Branstner's cars were seen outside Ted Spehar's gas station on Woodward Ave. Don't know if Don Garlits was ever there. They were together almost 50 years later for the new 2015 Drag Pak though.

"This is the 50th anniversary of the mighty race Hemi, so the debut was apt. On hand at Lucas Oil Raceway were drag racing legends Herb McCandless, Roland Leong, Ted Spehar of Mopar Missile fame, and Don Garlits. " - See more at: http://autoweek.com/article/car-news/dodge-previews-mopar-drag-pak-challenger#sthash.jR1tOLRp.dpuf
 
From
http://www.nhra.com/blog/dragster-insider/2009/10/27/the-life-and-times-of-jay-howell/

After Bill Maverick Golden left to campaign with the Little Red Wagon, Frank Wylie arranged a meeting with Dick Branstner and Jay Howell and asked Howell to describe the dream car he would like to build and drive. His answer became the Dart Charger, a mid-engine blown, injected nitro Funny Car.

"It was the first Funny Car I built," Howell recalled fondly. "Dick confided to me that the contract was the first million-dollar deal ever for drag racing by Dodge. We match raced it some and took it to Indy in '65 and set low e.t. and top speed with a 9.02 at 164

Howell left Branstner later that year to open Automotive Engineering. The Dart Charger was given to Don Garlits, who tabbed Emory Cook to drive. According to Howell, Cook turned the car overbackward in the lights at Detroit Dragway, totaling the car, but walked away unharmed.
 
Mancini loses to Sox at 2:31

[ame]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rDQ9bHvFy30[/ame]
 
Clroads said:
Photo of Iron Butterfly from http://www.competitionplus.com/2005_10/missile.html
Click to expand...

In 1969,

That was the car to beat.

Ted Spehar {Woodward Garage} built that car from a 1964 Dodge Model #330 6-Cylinder,
and converted it to an Aluminum-Nose 426 Race Hemi to run in SS/CA.

Was it really a 'Paper Car' ?

That was the argument.

The 1964 Dodge Model #330 {Aluminum-Nose} 426 Race Hemi came in at {Shipping Weight; #3329 lbs.}

Then in January 1970, the NHRA pulled out the '5-Year Rule', banning 1964 and earlier cars from competing
in Super/Stock.
 
Thank you Paul.

What is the Paper Car argument?

They went with the 64 (Tina's car) because of the hood scope rule that year?

In reading the Joe Pappas article, the next year was the Mopar Missle with 396 Hemi?

http://www.allpar.com/racing/joe-pappas.html

This stuff is really cool reading for me as my Dad was from Stoney Creek area ( near Rochester) and My weekly summer vacations were the Detroit suburbs in the 60's and 70's. My Dad had eleven brothers and sisters and it was always a world wind tour of the area.
 
Paper Car

On paper, fitting a correct year Engine Combination in a Model that wasn't really produced.

ie; 426 Max-Wedge in an Aluminum-Nose Station Wagon {ie; Tritak & Morgan}

The truth >

Is that Dodge did produce the 1964 Model #330 with a 426 Race Hemi and an Aluminum-Nose,
only that 'The Iron Butterfly' was not an original S/S car.
 
[ame]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XAnQggyVEnc[/ame]
 
[ame]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4onu2bjkvr0[/ame]
 
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