1969 Race Dart w/ 426 Hemi- garaged for 45+ years

-
Are you going to re-use the headers if they're in good shape? The reason I ask, is there is a top-notch coating place not too far from @replicaracer43 that does awesome work.
Thanks, Yes we will use the same headers.
 
Try slip plate on them stuff works great and makes metal look new including exhaust manifolds. Stuff is incredible google it.

136.jpg
056.jpg
 
Awesome! Fits perfect with the build. I have had 2 sets of headers coated at Calico and couldn't have been happier with either set. They do polished ceramic on the outside, and a black thermal barrier on the insides of all tubes and collectors. The price is very reasonable too. Thanks for sharing the journey of this great car with all of us.

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
 
Lasts on them around 5 years, basically graphite. Used it on my bare headers a long time ago they still look great.
 
Last edited:
Awesome! Fits perfect with the build. I have had 2 sets of headers coated at Calico and couldn't have been happier with either set. They do polished ceramic on the outside, and a black thermal barrier on the insides of all tubes and collectors. The price is very reasonable too. Thanks for sharing the journey of this great car with all of us.

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Thank you!
 
I’m in the same boat as the OP. My dad passed away a few weeks ago and has had a 68 dart for 36 years and I had never seen it on the road. He had swapped in a 383 and 727 but never had it finished. I was able to get it running and drive it to his service. I will start a build thread when I get going on it
 
This thread wins the internet !! Thanks Max for sharing this awesome time capsule

I got into cars because my neighborhood was into anything and everything that could be hot rodded, neighbors next door had a 55 chevy called the ugly stick, small block 4 speed car, t-bucket roadster, nice el camino and a 4 speed cuda

Guy around the corner had a boat with a big block tunnel ram 2 4-barrels, not far was a early sprint car-followed by a later one and the baddest of all was a Hemi Dart owned by a guy in a wheelchair and driven by Jim L, car guy guru for the neighborhood, I think I have a pic of this car at the Autorama I'll try to dig up.

So when any one of these would fire off, I'd hop on my bike and be right there watching, great times to be a kid in the 70's !! Thank you for taking us along on this incredible journey.
 
Zero chance of using that crankshaft, it is JUNK. Using a crank that someone grooved the mains is a bit crazy, and zero chance of leaving the torsion bar crossmember cut out and twisting the floor also. The spirit of the car will remain, but it will be built to be drivable, and safe.

didn't catch either of those issues, but I'm a Evelyn Wood speed reader. (I look mainly at the pictures)

Now I better understand why it was parked.
 
Last edited:
are the grooves cut in the crank square or half round? wasn't half round the style of the day before full grooved main bearings?
 
I don't know enough to get it running. FIL's friend said there are some radical race parts in it and not meant for the street. Also like I said I don't know how it was put away. I didn't want to hurt anything internally. I am looking into Hemi builders to tear apart and rebuild to put it back in the car.
Hey man this is VERY COOL!! One word of caution is that do not advertise too much to the "HEMI" experts that you don't know what you're looking at or doing. That's a sure fire way to get taken advantage of by the devilish "Hemi aficionados" of the universe. I would pull in a long time trusty friend to help you disassemble the engine yourself so that you at least know what is inside the engine before you drop it off. You can' hurt the engine by taking it apart your self as long as you retain that same cadence of "baggin' and taggin'". Take plenty of pics and then drop it off.
 
Yes Sir, thanks. I gave them a call and talked to Ray, he said they would tear it down, clean and prep everything and rebuild. They are about 9 moths out so no hurry on my part. I am still trying to figure best way to pull motor out?
The best way to pull the motor is to drop it out the bottom by unbolting the K-member.
 
Hey man this is VERY COOL!! One word of caution is that do not advertise too much to the "HEMI" experts that you don't know what you're looking at or doing. That's a sure fire way to get taken advantage of by the devilish "Hemi aficionados" of the universe. I would pull in a long time trusty friend to help you disassemble the engine yourself so that you at least know what is inside the engine before you drop it off. You can' hurt the engine by taking it apart your self as long as you retain that same cadence of "baggin' and taggin'". Take plenty of pics and then drop it off.
i wouldn't sweat it. he's got member @replicaracer43 on the case with him so he's in great hands.
 
This thread wins the internet !! Thanks Max for sharing this awesome time capsule

I got into cars because my neighborhood was into anything and everything that could be hot rodded, neighbors next door had a 55 chevy called the ugly stick, small block 4 speed car, t-bucket roadster, nice el camino and a 4 speed cuda

Guy around the corner had a boat with a big block tunnel ram 2 4-barrels, not far was a early sprint car-followed by a later one and the baddest of all was a Hemi Dart owned by a guy in a wheelchair and driven by Jim L, car guy guru for the neighborhood, I think I have a pic of this car at the Autorama I'll try to dig up.

So when any one of these would fire off, I'd hop on my bike and be right there watching, great times to be a kid in the 70's !! Thank you for taking us along on this incredible journey.
Thank you!
 
Oh crap, we’re at the point in the thread where people read the first page and the last page, then comment. Sucks because there are 18 pages of awesome here.
 
Thanks....................A little of both I think, LOL
INDEED!! Wish we were neighbors because I would've tried to convince you to fire it up! I've gotten many cars fired up that have sat several years, but never a real, true Hemi. The process is the same for all gas engines. If it rotated by hand, its just a matter of air, fuel, and spark delivery. Those carbs would've been the showstoppers if they had fuel in them when parked.

Do you plan to return and hunt down the 340 in the "organized confusion" garage?
 
-
Back
Top