66 Dart Owners thread

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That is about the nicest looking BLACK early Dart I have ever seen...and I don't even like ragtops.
 
Here is my 66 170 2 door sedan (post car) factory 273 HiPo/4-speed/3.91 gears in a 8 3/4, Factory Disc and Radio delete.
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Here is my 66 170 2 door sedan (post car) factory 273 HiPo/4-speed/3.91 gears in a 8 3/4, Factory Disc and Radio delete.
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That is super sweet, I have a similar car that I created, and now I need to drive it to work tomo to take some pics with the digital camera... damn...
 
My first was the 270 ht 273 3 on-the-tree. Bought at an estate sale. Only needed an interior, a clutch, and a lot of TLC.
The second was the GT ht. It was an original 273 HP, disc brake, auto, air, very early production model (build date 8/25/65). I got it in rough, but running, condition. The work took five years to complete. You may have seen this car before in the High Performance Dart and Duster book.
Was looking for a 66 wagon when the "devil made me do it" and got the Demon.

This is the car that I saw that prompted my search for a wagon. It has a 360 crate engine, 4 speed auto OD, 8 3/4 w/3.55:1 gears. Original car with factory air.

ccrp_0803_18_z+custom_hot_rods_readers_pages+.jpg
 
I am looking to buy a 1966 Dart 4 sedan as well here locally (Phx area).
 
Here is my 66 170 2 door sedan (post car) factory 273 HiPo/4-speed/3.91 gears in a 8 3/4, Factory Disc and Radio delete.
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I have an odd question for ya... Can I see your fender tag? Feel free to PM me if you don't want to share publicly, but I am VERY interested in '66 HiPo/4-speed cars. I keep track of them. If yours is actually a factory car it is the only one I have run across that is legit. Lots of people trying to pass them off as real, but the tag doesn't back them up. I'd love to see a stripper HiPO car.
 
My first car was a 65 Dart 270 post car with a HP273 and a "3 on the tree".
I have never seen or heard of that combination. saw a chart somewhere that
there were 660 - 65 Dart 270's made. How many of those were post cars and/or 3 speeds no one will ever know. I can't seem to find my fender tag info but I did find the breakdown for my car. Other than breakdowns for paint and interior the middle row (capital letters) is A B C
3 2 3 which translates to
A3 = 273-v8, B2 = 1-4bbl HP engine, c3 = 833-4-speed toolmanmike
 
I have an odd question for ya... Can I see your fender tag? Feel free to PM me if you don't want to share publicly, but I am VERY interested in '66 HiPo/4-speed cars. I keep track of them. If yours is actually a factory car it is the only one I have run across that is legit. Lots of people trying to pass them off as real, but the tag doesn't back them up. I'd love to see a stripper HiPO car.

I'll get a pic of it,thou it might take a little time as I keep the car at a buddies house (no garage at home :neutral:) and I'm in the middle of rebuilding a 360 for my Crew Cab that can be seen on the left of that pic.
 
I'll get a pic of it,thou it might take a little time as I keep the car at a buddies house (no garage at home :neutral:) and I'm in the middle of rebuilding a 360 for my Crew Cab that can be seen on the left of that pic.
One of the reasons this is so interesting is that alot of the '66 Dart race cars were that exact combo. Post cars with 4-speeds. I've seen pics of Trans Am type cars that were built from that platform. (tell that to the T/A-AAR crowd :-D ) I've got a ton of questions... do you have the original shifter setup, I doubt 3.90 was the original gear, but is an 8.75 original to the car? The early cars had grips in the 7.25. Toolman and I both have original 8.75 cars which are rare. I know a guy who just parted out a '66 GT, 4-speed car that had the 7.25 grip. I have that cars info...I should just start a registry. Was your car a bench seat? (that would be AWESOME...bench seat 4-speed!) Does your car have the original disc brake master cylinder? What size wheels were factory, I'm guessing you would have had 14 inch...that is rare as well.... lots of questions. That is a rare and historically significant car.
 
My first car was a 65 Dart 270 post car with a HP273 and a "3 on the tree".
I have never seen or heard of that combination. saw a chart somewhere that
there were 660 - 65 Dart 270's made. How many of those were post cars and/or 3 speeds no one will ever know. I can't seem to find my fender tag info but I did find the breakdown for my car. Other than breakdowns for paint and interior the middle row (capital letters) is A B C
3 2 3 which translates to
A3 = 273-v8, B2 = 1-4bbl HP engine, c3 = 833-4-speed toolmanmike
HiPo 3 on the tree... that is beyond bizarre. Are you coming up to Mopars in the Park?
 
I would sure like to but I have been too busy lately. I've got graduations to do or go to for the next few weekends... toolman
 
Outsider I'll start with with I know for sure the car has almost all of it's original parts Engine/Trans/Rear. Third member might have been changed over the years but I believe the housing to be original. It is a bench seat car thou I don't have it (I am looking) I do have the complete Inland shifter set up for the car. It did have the original style master which is being replaced.

I bought the car in 97 from a buddy that got it in 95 the car sat for many years behind a house where a different buddy found it it had a pretty hot 340 & 727 in it at that time but we were told that the garage full of parts went with the car. When I ended up with it we found that the original 273 was included in those parts and we knew little of them the adjustable rockers with the Chrysler PN #'s led to the researching of the car.

I rebuilt the Eng/Trans along with the front and rear suspension at that time no one was making any parts for early A body's and it needed floor pans. I had a fairly bad motorcycle accident in 99 which left the car in limbo till 04 or so when I was really able to start working on it again. Currently replacing all 4 floor pans and adding frame connectors. Possibly even torque boxes, apparently the car was a toy for it's early owners as the mileage was low and it has additional bracing on the firewall for the clutch pedal seen in the pic attached. Car is a LL1 Turquoise interior/exterior and will be redone as such I am also fairly sure it had 14" rims as from the dealer brochure mentioned that there Std in disc brake cars I have had a set of 15x8's made for the rear to keep the dog dish hub caps.


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That is one great car, great color combination too. Gotta love a bench seat 4-speed!
 
Glad to see another early-A being saved!Which we all know,will be a very sought after car soon if not already!Did any of you see the one the young buck bought for a dollar?Lucky!
 
You guys sure have some sweet 66 Darts.. I think when I first came on this site I had the only 66 Dart.. Sure glad to see more enjoying them as i have mine for the last 14 1/2 years.. Just hope some day mine will liook as nice as the ones on here
 
I've got a ton of questions... do you have the original shifter setup,

I have the original 4 speed shifter handle from a 66 Dart, 273 2bbl, factory 4 speed car....bench seat, and a 2 door post car...

All I have is the Inland shifter handle...had I known then what I know now....car would be sitting here at my house instead of at the wrecking yard where I found it decades ago...

Picture below of shifter in my Charger years ago....


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When I was first researching my car and gathering parts I read a lot of bad comments about the inland setup and was hesitant on using it, but after assembling it and finding that the slop was in the mounting bushings I machined a set of steel inserts that solidly mount the shifter. It made all the difference in the world and I really like the reverse lock out.
 
A neighbour of mine walked up my driveway last week and asked me if I wanted an inland shifter?I said how much?He said free,you can have it!I,ll have to take him up on it.I already have a hurst shifter with pistol-grip!

car 005.jpg
 
When I was first researching my car and gathering parts I read a lot of bad comments about the inland setup and was hesitant on using it, but after assembling it and finding that the slop was in the mounting bushings I machined a set of steel inserts that solidly mount the shifter. It made all the difference in the world and I really like the reverse lock out.

I'm still running the original Inland shifter set-ups in both our 66 Chargers...no problems with either of them..here is what the black Charger looks like now..

buddyseat1a1a.jpg
 
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