1969 Dart Street/Strip (Re)Build

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What tire pressure and where did you have the dial set at on the rear shocks?

It takes some tweaking to get a M/T ET Street Radial to hook too. A set of slicks would be something to think about.

I have M/T ET Street Radials as well but I bought a set of M/T 29.5x10.5W's that I will be mounting on a separate wheel. 1st time out I will probably be on the M/T ET Street Radial as well.
 
Started pressure at 30 and ended at 19. Dial on rear shocks was at center setting then to full counterclockwise setting.
 
Just went threw your whole build, love it! you do some awesome work! I was debating on taking out my smallblock and going to a bick block but I think you have just inspired me to keep it!
 
Just went threw your whole build, love it! you do some awesome work! I was debating on taking out my smallblock and going to a bick block but I think you have just inspired me to keep it!

Glad I could inspire! Big blocks are cool and they have a sound to them, but these small blocks can definitely run too without all the extra weight of a BB.

Oh and just a note, a good set of heads are where you are going to see the power come out of these things.
 
Where did you get that cooling fan what size is your radiator. Is it a push or pull

It's for a mid 90's Ford Taurus. I ordered it new through Amazon actually. You can also find them in junk yards too but I didn't want an old worn out fan on a new build. My radiator is 16" tall and 26" wide. Where I had to locate the fan to clear the water pump, I ended up with a few inches of radiator that was not covered by the shroud. I didn't really like that but it works. Fan is quiet and can move some air. Especially if it's ran on the high setting. It's somewhere around 3000/5000 cfm low/high. It had a clicking noise when I tested it outside of the car but when I installed it, you can't hear anything. Just a tiny bit of wind noise is all.
 
Thank you for the information. You have a real nice car for sure.

just went thru the whole post on your build. sorry I didn`t come around and look your car over,it`s kick ***. wish it wasn`t so windy out there sat. I could see myself and my old ex partner sitting in the second set of stands, by ourselves in some of your videos. good job, enjoyed them.-------bob
 
just went thru the whole post on your build. sorry I didn`t come around and look your car over,it`s kick ***. wish it wasn`t so windy out there sat. I could see myself and my old ex partner sitting in the second set of stands, by ourselves in some of your videos. good job, enjoyed them.-------bob

Thanks Bob it's no problem. I didn't get around much myself. Maybe next time around we'll meet up and shoot the bull.
 
Youre right, any motor depends on the heads/cam, I gotta start researching small block heads lol
 
Just found this thread. i was looking at my thread for the gauge cluster ideas. I'm gonna do a version of what you did for the dash.
Great car Clint.
 
Hey man awesome car, great job on build. That thing hauls. BTW born and raised in Hutchinson.
 
Just found this thread. i was looking at my thread for the gauge cluster ideas. I'm gonna do a version of what you did for the dash.
Great car Clint.

Cool deal! I'll have to watch and see how it comes out.

Hey man awesome car, great job on build. That thing hauls. BTW born and raised in Hutchinson.

Thanks. I'm enjoying the power for sure. Hutchinson isn't too far away from here. Can't imagine why you'd be living elsewhere now. HA!
 
I just spent a couple hours readin' your thread. Very nice work. You kept going where a lot of people would have thrown in the towel. I'm building a 408 for my Dart right now and after watching your videos, I'm really starting to get excited! You can check out my engine build thread in my signature. I'm in KC so maybe we'll run into each other next summer. Do you ever go to Topeka? Heartland Park is gonna be the closest 1/4 mile strip to me now.
 
I just spent a couple hours readin' your thread. Very nice work. You kept going where a lot of people would have thrown in the towel. I'm building a 408 for my Dart right now and after watching your videos, I'm really starting to get excited! You can check out my engine build thread in my signature. I'm in KC so maybe we'll run into each other next summer. Do you ever go to Topeka? Heartland Park is gonna be the closest 1/4 mile strip to me now.

Thanks Brian! Believe me I considered throwing in the towel several times, but something pushed me to see it through. I've been to Topeka long long ago but only as a spectator in my teens. Depending on how things go, I may head up there this year if there's a Mopar event or something. I had barely got the car driveable last November for Tulsa for test n tune. After that, everything was shut down for the winter. I never had been down a track prior to that. But yes hopefully we can run in to each other. That car of yours is sawweeeet man! I've been fond of it for a while. It's got that stance!
 
Thanks! I showed my eighteen year old daughter the video of you at the track, now she's not sure whether she wants to drive the car or not?!? Lol She drove it with the old engine and thinks that when it's back on the road, it's gonna be HER toy too. We'll see. Hopefully we can meet up this summer.
 
I bet she'll want to drive it once it's all together. But she'll probable have a whole new respect for the car with a new stroker motor! My wife says she feels like she can't breathe when she rides with me when I'm into the throttle. I'm like, you should feel what the acceleration is like on the track. How it pulls on the street vs the track is MUCH different! She says she's not sure she could handle it lol.
 
I know you have answered this before.. What gear is in the rear?

Richmond 4.10. They were very whiney on deceleration as you can hear in one of my early videos. But now the whine has seemed to go away. I think I'm just about right on the gear. When I ran through the traps at Tulsa I was passing through the traps at around 6800 rpm.

Although I do want to post this question. When I ran the calculator on how fast the top end should be, it said 140+ @ 7200 RPM. When I was at the track I was around 123 mph @ 6800. Now how can that be that 300-400 rpm more would get me into the 140 mph range? Am I thinking that wrong?
 
Although I do want to post this question. When I ran the calculator on how fast the top end should be, it said 140+ @ 7200 RPM. When I was at the track I was around 123 mph @ 6800. Now how can that be that 300-400 rpm more would get me into the 140 mph range? Am I thinking that wrong?

Two things. First, and foremost, you have an automatic transmission. Input speed to the convertor does not equal output speed. You will have loss. Some converters more than others. If you have a cheap "Saturday Night Special" verses a well built efficient converter, say a Coan for example, you could pick up a few mph in the quarter from that one change alone. Even with a good converter you will have slippage. And, the more torque you input, the more slip you will have.

Second, the roll out on your tire. Did you measure it, get the number from the MFG, or just assume based on the diameter?
 
I can hear my rear just a little. I have 4:30's with a Spool. A little bit is expected on mine now because the shocks are tied to the cage and the ladder bars are solid mounted to the chassis with SOLID Bushings. It is very minimal at best. I can also hear the chassis more. It makes noises through the cage and I can hear the shocks clicking etc. All is expected though because the cage runs throughout the car from front to back. Sounds travel through the tubes.
 
Two things. First, and foremost, you have an automatic transmission. Input speed to the convertor does not equal output speed. You will have loss. Some converters more than others. If you have a cheap "Saturday Night Special" verses a well built efficient converter, say a Coan for example, you could pick up a few mph in the quarter from that one change alone. Even with a good converter you will have slippage. And, the more torque you input, the more slip you will have.

Second, the roll out on your tire. Did you measure it, get the number from the MFG, or just assume based on the diameter?

That does make sense. The converter is no cheapy though. It's an 8" made by Dynamic that they built for my combo and I did pay a lot of money for it. The tires are 325/50/15 and I was just soley basing the calculation on it being a 28" tire. I really don't think I WANT to go 140 in this car anyway lol! I think it would scare me. 160 mph on my old bike wasn't a huge deal but something scares me about going 140 in this car.
 
I really don't think I WANT to go 140 in this car anyway lol! I think it would scare me. 160 mph on my old bike wasn't a huge deal but something scares me about going 140 in this car.


Awe c'mon, a buddy of mine does it regularly with his 69. It's kinda comical, after a run he gets out of the car, and while holding his time slip his hands are quivering.
 
I can hear my rear just a little. I have 4:30's with a Spool. A little bit is expected on mine now because the shocks are tied to the cage and the ladder bars are solid mounted to the chassis with SOLID Bushings. It is very minimal at best. I can also hear the chassis more. It makes noises through the cage and I can hear the shocks clicking etc. All is expected though because the cage runs throughout the car from front to back. Sounds travel through the tubes.

Never really thought about sound traveling through the cage like that but you're right, it would. I think that's why my fuel pump sounded so loud until I insulated it. I can hear a clunk every now an then if the car tries to sway from one side to the other. That's coming from the anti-roll bar arms (I believe) having just a slight amount of play on the teeth (and possibly a little between the heims and bolts). I hate noises, creaks, clunks, whatever, but I just chalk it up as acceptable noises on this car.
 
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