AutoX/Road race in a dart??

WyKev · 09-23-2008, 10:38 PM

Still planning what direction to take my Dart while I assemble parts and pieces.

I've always wanted an AAR Cuda over a drag car, and wondered about how I could make a road hugging dart. And I swore I saw someone whose name was autox dart or something like that and my brain took off from there.

So, basic or complex, whats needed to make a Dart a slot car?( I've been offroading for years. No need to there!)

mguner · 09-23-2008, 10:42 PM

The is an article out there about the "Green Brick" or just "The Brick" in which someone did this with a Valiant. I bet someone here can find the link......

Burntorange70 · 09-23-2008, 10:49 PM

I think you are talking about autoxcuda.

It should not be to hard BobTullius raced a Dart in Trans-Am back in the mid 60's. And a fun fact for you. A-bodies won more races than E-bodies. So I think you are on the right track.

mguner · 09-23-2008, 10:53 PM

Found it!!

http://www.moparaction.com/Article/B...reenBrick.html

http://www.moparaction.com/Tech/arch...e-lap-pix.html

http://www.moparaction.com/Next/history/feb2003.html

toolmanmike · 09-23-2008, 10:56 PM

Try "auto hobby digest" on the web. There's info about the old 1966 Trans Am series. Not a lot of info about building cars but fun to read. Also info on the D-Dart. toolmanmike

alan627b · 09-23-2008, 11:33 PM

tool on over to Mopar Action's website and read all about it.
http://www.moparaction.com/Tech/arch...e-lap-pix.html
You can go through the magazine tech archives to get most of the info you will need, and find the back issues, if you want to go that route.
Try typing in "road race barracuda" Dart, valiant, or "Green Brick" etc on a Google search, and be prepared to spend hours reading and saving stuff on the subject.
It's out there.
alan627b

NJDart · 09-24-2008, 12:34 AM

WyKev,

What year is your Dart? I'm planning to do the same thing with my '69. I recently did my first track day at Pocono Raceway(not in my Dart yet) and ever since then I've been thinking about what I can do to make the Dart road course worthy. As others have suggested the Green Brick articles are a great place to start, nothing too exotic but it works.

So far the only thing I have done to mine has been to put 1" torsion bars and sway bar on the front. The next thing I'm going to do and what I should have done first is reinforce the K-frame and all of the welds, if I remember they cover this in the Green Brick articles. The bigest drawback I can see with these cars is you are limited to the size tire you can get in the front wheel well with out hitting anything while still maintaing suspention travel.

Good luck.

RAMCHARGED · 09-24-2008, 01:25 AM

Here's some good links:

http://hometown.aol.com/pwall5/cars/2cudapag.html

http://www.firmfeel.com/

http://users.erols.com/dmapes/

http://www.arengineering.com/
some good info & parts suppliers

WyKev · 09-24-2008, 10:26 AM

Boy, now I've got some reading to do! Thanks for all the info and threads.

NJDart, mines a 71 that is currently awaiting the 340, 727 and basic restore to get on the road. NO RUST is the best thing so far. Was a V8 car, has ft disc.

My buddy is into German cars, loves to scream thru the Colorado mtns. He gave me all kinds of shit when I bought the dart about how I'll never keep up. I think it would be awesome to pass him around a curve. LOL

2 Darts · 09-24-2008, 11:17 AM

I've been toying with the idea of going vintage racing in an old Dart using the Group 44 Dart of 66 & 67 as a guide. Don't see why it wouldn't be a good autoXer as well. Good luck. Start a thread to keep us posted.

71autoxr · 09-30-2008, 10:58 AM

http://hometown.aol.com/pwall5/cars/2cudapag.html

I believe he's a poster here under autoxcuda

here's more to get you motivated:
http://users.erols.com/dmapes/NINETH.HTM

http://www.rittich.ca/barracuda/

http://teamstarfish.com/

http://users.erols.com/mathewg/mgcuda.html

Happy reading. A bodies can be made to handle exceptionally well. There is no need to re-invent the car and it can be done with mostly stock pieces. Brakes, tires/rims, torsion bars and springs will make all the world of difference. Find the local autocrossing group through SCCA, and go be a spectator, meet some folks and bring your car out. Guarantee you'll be hooked.

watchdoc · 10-20-2008, 07:56 PM

Well, this is my first post although I've been an A body owner for over 20 years.

The green brick is pretty much the template although there are some great upgrades out there over what low buck ehrenbooger did.

Unisteer.com will release their A body bolt in rack and pinion steering in the next month or so. Final specs are still fuzzy but they are aiming for a performance oriented setup. Just Suspension estimates the complete setup to be $1,099.

Complete box steel front ends are also available that replace the K frame and complete steering system compeltely eliminating flex and bump steer.

GMachineDartGT · 11-22-2008, 08:53 PM

My beast is exceptionally effective on the road course, go for it!!!

autoxcuda · 11-22-2008, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WyKev

Still planning what direction to take my Dart while I assemble parts and pieces.

I've always wanted an AAR Cuda over a drag car, and wondered about how I could make a road hugging dart. And I swore I saw someone whose name was autox dart or something like that and my brain took off from there.

So, basic or complex, whats needed to make a Dart a slot car?( I've been offroading for years. No need to there!)

Autoxcuda here. My website http://hometown.aol.com/pwall5/cars/2cudapag.html is down due to aol dumping all it web hosting.

My current setup listed below. Future plans (if money falls out of the sky) for some bigger T-bars, front and rear 275/40/17 tires on 17x9's, 13" ARE disks with brembo calipers, brake ducts...

Now some of the parts are not the most perfect for their duty. But 75% of this stuff was bought used at swap meets and junk yard. For instance, if I bought a new rear sway bar it would be a Firm Feel or new Helwig adjustable. But I got my rear sway bar for $35 used.

.99 T-bar
stock 340 original 40 year old rear springs
Addco 1 1/8" front 3/4" rear sway bars
245/50/15 BFG Comp TA, 15x8 rallyes, 4.5 bksp
73-76 k-member welded reinforced
Mopar reman power steering box
La Carrea steering wheel
Moog offset 7103 rubber UCA bushings for caster on stock A-arms
poly: LCA, strut, sway bar, leaf bushings
Alignment: 4.4 deg pos caster, 1 deg neg camber, 1/16" toe in
11.75 front disk, 10" stock rear drums
Mopar Police Duty semi metallic disk pads, braided flex lines, adj. prop. valve, MP alum master
QA1 single adjustble front shocks
Koni SPA1 rear shocks

I don't think you need a rack conversion or a tubular k-member to get started. The fastest Mopar we had at Spring Fling Speed Festival 07 was a 68 Valiant with stock K-member, leaf springs, recirculating ball steering box.

Yes the Valiant's trick, but not fancy magazine stuff. He was faster than the Vipers, but he does have lots of road course experiance. He has a 8 point cage and subframe connectors that makes his chassis stiff. 1.24 t-bars, welded spool 73-76 k-member, Firm Feel tubular upper control arms, 13 ARE Brembo calipers, 275/40/17 on 17x9's, accusump, forgot his sway bar and rear spring setups.

This is 71Autoxr's Challenger behind the Valiant. He's been out each year to the all Mopar track days we have in conjunction with Spring Fling.

autoxcuda · 11-22-2008, 09:42 PM

Here's links to more picture from the Spring Fling Speed Festival's in 07 and 08 to get your blood pumping!!!

If you ever get a chance these are extremely fun event. A lot of comaridrie and exchanging ideas among Mopar guys that like handling. Last year someone brought a 67 Charger out that was set up really for drag racing. Well, he had a ball. And said he had more "on the track" time than in countless drag racing days.

BTW we have "heard" of rental cars out on the track. You can rent a hemi Charger right?

805moparkid · 11-22-2008, 09:44 PM

thats what i want to do with my 68 is make a pro touring car with either a twin turbo slant or a 10k reving 340!!!

autoxcuda · 11-22-2008, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WyKev

Boy, now I've got some reading to do! Thanks for all the info and threads.

NJDart, mines a 71 that is currently awaiting the 340, 727 and basic restore to get on the road. NO RUST is the best thing so far. Was a V8 car, has ft disc.

My buddy is into German cars, loves to scream thru the Colorado mtns. He gave me all kinds of shit when I bought the dart about how I'll never keep up. I think it would be awesome to pass him around a curve. LOL

Here's picture of Tim's old 71 Swinger. He's the one that coordinates the www.alltimeracing.com events and Spring Fling Speed Festival. The suspension on that is about like mine but with manual 20:1 steering and 1.22 MP Torsion Bars, those are 245/50/15's on 15x7 rallyes. He had to fold in the rear wheel lip cause when on track the rear will move from side to side a little with all the cornering force.

WyKev · 11-22-2008, 10:58 PM

AutoXcuda, you are a REALLY bad influence!! Congratulations.LOL Haven't even watched the vids yet, but I'm all re inspired.

The budget says low buck, but I'm going to buy new swaybars since all the old iron around got sent to china

. Decided to work on suspension and brakes first, along with tubbing it this winter. Engine and trans mods will come next and then finally paint.

Really do appreciate the specs and vids!