Who's idea for the 68' Hemi Dart

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chryco69 said:
Gentlemen, more pictures please !
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Here's a video tour of a pretty good recreation of what one looked like delivered from Hurst.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzCXe5fk3Sc"]1968 Super Stock Hemi Dart from Hurst Motor Start-Up - YouTube[/ame]
 
More from Irwindale Raceway

2793516975_3455526cba_b.jpg
 
tbenvie said:
Are these vintage photos from Hurst or Chrysler? I own the www.superstockamx.com website and am looking for any and all info on the 1969 Hurst Super Stock AMXs, which were made right after the Cudas and Darts. Thanks
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Bob Tarozzi.

those cars were his brainchild. A lot of the ideas from the Dart/barracuda program went into them. He got enticed into the deal by telling him he would share driving in a Baby Grand (now busch) Javelvin. He got like one start. They didn't have enough funding for a car for Bob and other excuses. Sorta bait and switched on him.
 
I think the Darts had exhaust or what you call exhaust, some what of a straight pipe round mufflers and turn downs. Is this true? If so did the Barracuda come the same exhaust?
 
I don't know who's idea it was, but imagine being Dick Landy or even an average joe at the time when you could buy one new at the dealer. I met Dick Landy once and he was older, I said something like" man it must have been great running a Hemi in that Dart" he said, "yeah I had a lot of fun in that car" something about the way he said it meant that only he and other people who have driven one really knew what he was talking about. I think when you bought one of the super stock A bodies, there was a placard that said, "this vehicle not meant for highway use".
They ended up being registered and driven on the street I heard. The good old days when a man could get away with driving a true race car on the street. LOL!!
 
davescuda said:
I think the Darts had exhaust or what you call exhaust, some what of a straight pipe round mufflers and turn downs. Is this true? If so did the Barracuda come the same exhaust?
Click to expand...

Yes. You can see the muffler/glasspack disconnected in some vintage pics.
 
I remember reading somewhere that the fiberglass bucket seats were actually made by a company called Solar, which was owned by Steve McQueen.

I've seen pics of a SS Dart being street raced in NYC by Ronnie Lyles, who drove Super and Pro Stock MoPars in the seventies.
 
70Swinger440 said:
I remember reading somewhere that the fiberglass bucket seats were actually made by a company called Solar, which was owned by Steve McQueen.
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I believe that the seats were made by Bostrom. The same seats can be found in some Fomoco factory drag cars as well.
 
I know the seats in the "production" cars were made by Bostrum. They were used in A-100 vans, and as passenger seats in large trucks where the driver seat had air ride. I was talking about the fiberglass seats in the prototype "Mule" car.
 
The 'Bostrom' fiberglass bucket seats.

They were only used on the 'Test Mule', for racing {testing purposes} at
Irwindale Raceway.

They were deemed 'an illegal replacement' by the NHRA, and Mopar was forced to
install a Chrysler-made original seat for the A-Body Super/Stockers.

Hence.......... the Dodge Van {A-100} 'baby-buckets'.
 
It would be interesting to use todays ideas while building a '68 Dart for "yesterdays" rules. My current car is more of a street/strip "what if" sort of ride but my current project is a "phantom" S/S Nova that GM might have built if Tarozzi got contracted to do the work. It'll have a lot of similiarities to the S/S Darts so I'm curious to see how it'll run against my Dart. I'm still betting on the Mopar !:D
 
hemicop said:
It would be interesting to use todays ideas while building a '68 Dart for "yesterdays" rules. My current car is more of a street/strip "what if" sort of ride but my current project is a "phantom" S/S Nova that GM might have built if Tarozzi got contracted to do the work. It'll have a lot of similiarities to the S/S Darts so I'm curious to see how it'll run against my Dart. I'm still betting on the Mopar !:D
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On the "what if" idea....

What if they built a Barracuda/Dart for Trans Am racing with the same level and type parts as the Super Stock cars?

C-body front disks, aluminum intake, aluminum 4 speed, glass/thin metal front end, T/A heads but in '68, destroked 340 with 2.96" stroke crank, etc...
 
Bob Tarozzi here. Hey if you break down and buy my memoir you'll out how the Hemi 'A' Body program went down. If doesn't answer all go to my website and forward your question. I was there, I think.


For all Mopar followers, and other stragglers, my memoir, ‘The Lives I’ve Lived’ is ready for inspection.
Complete with words of experience and illuminating photographs that tell the story of automobile racing in the 1950s thru the 1990s. I invite you to come along with me to hear and sense the modern beginning of the Hot Rod underground, NASCAR and Trans Am before the rules tamed the game. Before money changed the face of racing.
These cautionary tales are available directly at https://createspace.com/5773708
Or visit my website at www.rtarozzi.com
Enjoy the ride!
Bob Tarozzi collage_1.jpeg turk_red.jpeg
 
Good to see you on here, Bob! I will definitely be checking out your stuff! After reading you website that is the first time I have seen in print that there were 75 Darts and 75 Plymouths. The accepted number is 80 Darts and 70 Plymouths, I can't wait to read your book!
 
These cars are the reason I've became a Mopar Maniac.
I had to settle for a 440 car though.
 

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The title of this thread was who's idea was it for the 68 Hemi Dart and that question has not been answered here. I spoke with Tom Hoover quite some time back on this and when they were in a meeting discussing the 68 S/S program they were going to go with a B-body, like all previous S/S efforts. Dick Maxwell wanted to use the A-Body. The A-Bodies engine compartment was enlarged in 67 and there was rumor of Ford building a 427 Mustang. Dick pushed for the A-Body program and got Mr Tarozzi to do the feasibility for the Hemi A-Body - I think that Mr Tarozzi will agree with this, as he worked for Dick. Unfortuneately, I was never able to speak with Dick as he died in a motorcycle accident shortly after I began researching these cars. So the answer is: Dick Maxwell had the original idea for these cars.
Mark J
68 Hemi S/S Registry
 
You guys keep me second guessing selling that hemi clone dart I listed a few days ago....
 
rtarozzi said:
Bob Tarozzi here. Hey if you break down and buy my memoir you'll out how the Hemi 'A' Body program went down. If doesn't answer all go to my website and forward your question. I was there, I think.


For all Mopar followers, and other stragglers, my memoir, ‘The Lives I’ve Lived’ is ready for inspection.
Complete with words of experience and illuminating photographs that tell the story of automobile racing in the 1950s thru the 1990s. I invite you to come along with me to hear and sense the modern beginning of the Hot Rod underground, NASCAR and Trans Am before the rules tamed the game. Before money changed the face of racing.
These cautionary tales are available directly at https://createspace.com/5773708
Or visit my website at www.rtarozzi.com
Enjoy the ride!
Bob Tarozzi collage_1.jpeg turk_red.jpeg
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WOW....I just stumbled on this. I listened to the Turk speak at Carlisle last year. If his book is anything like his presentation at Carlisle, I will read it in one sitting. His book is at the top of my "must haves"

Just added it to my wife's Amazon list....can't wait!!!
 
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