No, you are right, I wasn´t there…
In 1968 I learned how to shoot and drive a 50 ton Centurion Tank.
In 1972 at the age of 23, I started farming my parents’ place.
And in the evenings, I read Car Magazines. Now hold your laughter for a while. I wasn´t there, remember…
In 1976 I knew enough to build this Dart.
I went with the local Speed Shop owner here in Sweden to Clinton, Indiana to a guy who had a Post Order Business and picked up what I needed. Used parts we found in Terre Haute not far from Clinton. Like a flat hood for the ´68 GTS I just got home from Florida. Another guy fond a ´66 Hemi engine and trans for me. Dart looked good, but didn´t have many of the special bits and pieces I later came to learn about.
Prior to all this, I had owned one of the most iconic Mopar A-bodies there is. A ´71 340 Duster 4-speed Shark and Rallye. Yes, we could have it all here in Sweden. After 1971, when prices dropped in the US, thousands and thousands of muscle cars arrived. Went with a friend to look at a 429 Boss even…
But what we didn´t have was a Hurst build SS Hemi. So, I kept on gathering info.
Soon Internet became a good source of information. But you need to evaluate every claim people make and every picture people post. I understood and became good at that. Also important, what year are we talking, or is this picture taken?
Best decision I made was, when I decided my project build, was going be a SS/B recreation. NHRA did not allow any modifications to the body, meaning car was basically original for the first two years. Now I could pinpoint my search.
I found out about the DVFX-468 4-speed shifter used on the manual trans. cars. Don´t think Chrysler went to Hurst and asked them to make this special welded shifter handle. Why would they? Shifter was already out there. That is how I found it.
Couple years ago I posted the first ever picture showing what it really looked like…
And funny, just the other day, an article of Hall and Williams Hemi Dart, had a good picture of the shifter in the car and since rubber boot is not on (it wasn´t when delivered in ´68) you get a good viwe of it.
And I found out about alu seat brackets not being drilled according to the blueprint found in Jim Schild SS Guide. Big Deal? Maybe not. But I know how and where three new holes have to be drilled in the floor pan, to bolt these seats up correct. Crazy, when you think new brackets were specially made. The story why brackets were drilled this way, I probably never will find out. Not through this forum anyway.
I can ramble on about parts and stuff in engine compartment and over spry and trunk and interior details I have found out about and solved, but I end here, mentioning the Master Cylinder Assembly and the white marking on it. But I´m sure you know all about that too… You were there…
Early pic of Castaldo Dart master Cylinder.
And since you see this white marking in Super Stock & DI Magazine June ´68 Sox Martin Car, and Dave Wren Car early pic and the Mule Car and a couple more real early pics, I know this is not bull…
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