# One "EVIL" Dart



## Stangfreak (Jun 7, 2007)

*This kit is about 20-25 years old. It has been rebuilt and repainted 3 times now and still looks decent!!!*


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## DCH10664 (Jul 16, 2012)

Great looking Dart. You do some nice work ! :thumbsup:
I remember my Dad had one like this for a short time. Seems to me it was red. And had a wide black stipe across the rear end. Though I don't think it was the original engine. It had a 340 HP with a Holley double pumper,a edelbrock intake and headers. And it would giddy-up go !


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## -Hemi- (May 5, 2014)

NICE Dart man! They have to be thee best looking year of them the '68 -'69 Darts, I like the '70 too but the '68 an '69 were just a tad better looking! You did a GREAT job on this one!

DCH, your Dads wasn't stock LOL -maybe if it had the "original" 340 as a GTS Dart, but not with the Edelbrock intake and headers and a Holley Carburetor. LOL BUT, I can tell you I bet that little 340 had some gut up and go with the added performance parts on the 340 block! -Imagine all that, with a set of ported heads! :thumbsup:


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## DCH10664 (Jul 16, 2012)

-Hemi- said:


> NICE Dart man! They have to be thee best looking year of them the '68 -'69 Darts, I like the '70 too but the '68 an '69 were just a tad better looking! You did a GREAT job on this one!
> 
> DCH, your Dads wasn't stock LOL -maybe if it had the "original" 340 as a GTS Dart, but not with the Edelbrock intake and headers and a Holley Carburetor. LOL BUT, I can tell you I bet that little 340 had some gut up and go with the added performance parts on the 340 block! -Imagine all that, with a set of ported heads! :thumbsup:


The old Dart would definitely get down the road ! I drove it twice. A Dad drove it once. We probably didn't put 20 miles on it between us. As I remember it, Dad only had the car about two weeks. He had bought it for the engine, transmission, and rear end. But before we could get around to pulling the engine and such, someone came along and made Dad a good trade on it. Dad was always one for selling and trading. I never knew what might be parked in our yard from one week to another, lol.


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## Stangfreak (Jun 7, 2007)

*Those 340s were some of the meanest small block power plants to ever hit the streets. I bought my first one in 75 in a 71 Demon body. The engine was mostly stock except for the heads, headers and camshaft. Never beat on the streets and ran low, low 12s in the quarter. Heads were ported and polished with 202/160 valves, Hooker Headers, and a Mopar Purple Series mid range camshaft. Back then a 12 second car was very quick on the streets. *



*A buddy found a 69 340 Dart in a barn covered with hay and other junk. The owner had passed away and the lady sold it to him for 50 bucks. It was no show car by far and needed some TLC badly. It leaked every kind of fluid in it. Nothing fancy at all, no carpet, just a rubber mat on the floor, very little chrome trim, and an ugly tan color. We worked on that grease covered engine for about a week just tuning it up and I seen that little Dart blow the doors off of many sweet looking built and powerful racecars. The power in that ragged little Dart was unbelievable!!!
In 1972 when our government stepped in and made all the auto manufacturers lower the compression in the musclecar engines, it killed the little 340!!!
I also had a 72 Duster 340 that was still quick, but nothing like the 68-71 340s*



*People still talk about my Demon 40 years later. Friends nicknamed it "Screamin' Demon"... That car made quite a name for itself!!!*


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## DCH10664 (Jul 16, 2012)

I liked all the old Mopar engines back then. They either ran right, or didn't run at all. But my favorite Mopar engines were the 340 and the 225 slant 6. For a small block engine you just couldn't beat a 340. Even a 340 HP straight from the factory with a 4 barrel was a wicked engine. And gave the average Joe some serious horses under the hood. Without having to cross the line into the big block realm.

And speaking of Demons,......I remember as a teen going to look at a Demon with my Uncle (not the smartest guy). He seen a for sale sign on it, and wanted to try it out. To make a long story shorter. He stomped down on the Demon and it was getting away from him. I mean he was losing control bad. And for some stupid reason, he reached down and turned off the key. Well, as we all know, this locks the steering on a Demon. And he barely managed to get the car stopped before we ran off the road and into a creek !! 
I cussed him all the way home !!! I laugh about it now. But he scared me to death that day. And I was MAD !!!

BTW, nice pics of the old Demon :thumbsup: Thanks for sharing. I like seeing pics of the cars.


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## Stangfreak (Jun 7, 2007)

*I loved it to the max when Johnny Lightning made replicas in 1/64th scale of my beloved hot rod Mopars!!!*


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## DCH10664 (Jul 16, 2012)

Hey, those are Cool :thumbsup: I collect a few Hot Wheels/Johnny Lightning cars too. Don't have many at all. But those would certainly be worthy of adding to my little collection. They look great !


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## -Hemi- (May 5, 2014)

NOW ya both got my attention (but I BET you knew that!)

I've got 2 of the AMT-Ertl '71 Dusters, that I'd LOVE to take one of them and turn into a '71 Demon...... I know one was made so you guys EVER find the grille to that car, I'll trade whatever I have too in resin parts for it, and if I find a grille, I think I can mod the hood in the kit to be like the Demon hood.. just to have something slightly different!

I got a few 1/64th scale die-casts too. ALL Mopars but, I don't have either of the 2 pictured here. most of mine are Johnny Lightening, OR M2


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## Stangfreak (Jun 7, 2007)

-Hemi- said:


> NOW ya both got my attention (but I BET you knew that!)
> 
> I've got 2 of the AMT-Ertl '71 Dusters, that I'd LOVE to take one of them and turn into a '71 Demon...... I know one was made so you guys EVER find the grille to that car, I'll trade whatever I have too in resin parts for it, and if I find a grille, I think I can mod the hood in the kit to be like the Demon hood.. just to have something slightly different!
> 
> I got a few 1/64th scale die-casts too. ALL Mopars but, I don't have either of the 2 pictured here. most of mine are Johnny Lightening, OR M2


*I used the front end from the 71 Dart by MPC... The LA Dart... Combining the two will make a fantastic Demon...*


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## Stangfreak (Jun 7, 2007)

*This was the Dart I originally posted... *


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## -Hemi- (May 5, 2014)

-I've seen Demon looking front ends from I believe a Richard Petty car...... And wondered if that grille would fit into my '71 Duster to make it a '71 "Demon"....As that LA-Dart I bet is not easy to find!


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## DCH10664 (Jul 16, 2012)

The one Dad owned was like Mr. Norm's Dart. But it was red with the black stripe across the tail end. And unfortunately it didn't have the big block hood. But I sure wouldn't mind finding a model of the 68. Sharp looking cars.
The Dart is just one example that proves (IMO) that a car doesn't have to be chromed out. Or have a complicated body design to look good. 
Sometimes something simple is nicer.


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## -Hemi- (May 5, 2014)

Your absolutely right tho... the chrome doesn't make the car run! NOR needed to make it look good! I myself think the Dart '68 to '70 are thee best looking Mopar "A bodies"..... The Dart Swinger is an AWESOME looking car in '70 (My uncle had one) and then it goes from there right to the B body Mopars for me.......

Big block hood?  The "power bulges" seen on the model that stangfreak made with an added hoods scoop in it, the red model remove the scoop and not have a scoop hole in it and thats the stock hood, if I remember correctly the big block hood was a flat hood with a rather large scoop in the middle (correct me if I'm wrong here)..... You could order the flat hood for your choice of scoop that you had to add as the consumer, the power bulges were on the every day street cars!

Either way, they looked GREAT tho!


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## DCH10664 (Jul 16, 2012)

The power bulges, as you call them, is what we always called a big block hood. Probably wasn't the correct name for it. But that's what we used to call it. Sort of like the 66 Chevelle had two different hoods. The fancier hood with the chrome vent looking things on it was what we also called a big block hood. But Dad's Dart had the flat hood. No bulges.

And BTW, I found one of the Mr. Norm's Dart models on Ebay. Might get it, if I can spare the money this week. Would love to have it !


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## -Hemi- (May 5, 2014)

Don, yes! I forgot something, was your Dad's Dart, 2 door or 4 door? (the 4 door models was standard with a flat hood!) The 2 door models or the GTS versions were standard withthe power bulge hood, and could be had with the flat hood for racing, due to the GTS having other engine options for it.... Then ya had Mr. Norm going an adding all sorts of power things to up it and look good all at the same time!

I have a '68 Dart model thats from Revell (the newest addition of the car)....BUT I'm needing a body for it as the one I had almost perfectly done got knocked onto the floor by one of 2 people in my house, and then who ever bumped it, and got it on floor, stepped on it, as well as the hood.... NOW I've got an almost complete frame and interior, with no body or hood! -SO, I'm on the hunt for both a hood and a body to do it all over again.... GO figure LOL


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## DCH10664 (Jul 16, 2012)

Dad's was 2 door. Just like the one on the Mr. Norm's box. But had the flat hood.


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## -Hemi- (May 5, 2014)

Thats an interesting trait! I have to say..... You had the flat hood on a 2 door meaning SOMEONE had ordered to have such! It sounds as tho your Dad got the car used, right? If I'm getting this, ya gotta love it!

_I love old cars, like this, they tell a story all by themself!


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## DCH10664 (Jul 16, 2012)

Yes, it was used. Dad was a guy that would trade at the drop of a hat. He worked then as a truck driver for Pepsi. But was always off on the weekends. So from Friday evening to Sunday night we were usually in the garage together working on something. We also had a small used car business. We bought cars. Fixed them up. Painted them. Just whatever they needed.

And guys were always stopping by to see what Dad had to trade on. So there was no telling what might be parked in our yard from week to week. The Dart was just one of the cars he had done some trading on. And he didn't have it long before he traded it off to someone.

Dad also often bought old cars with big block engines. Even if the body was eat up. Dad liked the old big blocks like the 440's, 460's, 455's, etc.

I really enjoyed those days. I was driving different cars all the time. Since we had the dealer tags. Often when we needed to go somewhere. We just slapped a magnetic tag on whatever car we could get out of the yard the easiest.

And I have to admit that it was kinda cool to be showing up for dates, and school in all these different cars. I might show up in a Firebird one week. Then a Barracuda then next week. Or drive to school in a Camaro one day. And the next day be driving an old 77 Cougar XR-7.


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## -Hemi- (May 5, 2014)

Now that is cool... I was about the same after I got to be able to drive "legally" as I drove WAY before I was legally "able" due to being known garage guy and the garage, VERY respected so. I was allowed to drive 4 miles from the garage, 2 miles out 2 miles back and not get into trouble.... as it was some sort of "goffers" certificate with the garage....

What really got me "brownie points" with the city police was the fact that I built him a race car, at that same garage...... -Wasn't a Mopar, but was an Olds with a 455 Golden Rocket in it. was a damn fast car I must admit! (I'ma in the closet Oldsmobile guy) honestly...... -I've owned a few over the years.....

The fact that you were able to drive something different any given time is AWESOME and I BET it was a "chick magnet" too. specially with those types of cars and the hype they got. to this very day really.......


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## DCH10664 (Jul 16, 2012)

Ok,....from one closet Oldsmobile guy to another,..(LOL) I will admit I liked some of the Olds. Dad had a 1970 (I think it was a 70. Will have to double check with Dad) Cutlass Supreme. It was orange with a black vinyl top. I loved the car. But he totaled it out in a wreck on the West Virginia Turnpike.
But what you may laugh at is that he also had a 69 or 70 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser station wagon which I loved. And I still think it's one of the coolest cars. Even if it is a station wagon. 
But strangely enough, he also totaled it out in a wreck on the West Virginia Turnpike a couple of years earlier !! :tongue:

And odd as it may seem. A few years ago I was in a 99cent store. And found a matchbox car of the Vista Cruiser. So I bought me one for my small collection. And got Dad one for Christmas ! He got a good laugh out of it. And was as shocked as me that they even made a matchbox car of the old station wagon.


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## -Hemi- (May 5, 2014)

LOL @ 2 Ols in da closet guys...... 

I built the race car from a '70 Cutlass, for the chief of police in my home town, DROVE it to him when done, without a drivers license, and NO learners "permit"..... -was within the 2 miles to or from limitations! LOL

BUT he STILL has that car, its the dark red, with white inlay, blocks and outlines the white blocks with white stripes, ALL painted, no stick on stripping! I WISHED I had pics of that car, as that 455 Golden Rocket WAS a rocket, I tell you, it give a 426 Hemi a damn good run for its money.....

The matchbox story, thats pretty COOL! I bet your dad loved that little thing. Just cause he owned a real one!

I myself, found a model "1/25th" scale of my '67 Power Wagon, BUT, its a resin "glue bomb", that well you know what its gonna look like when I'm all said and done with it..... (assuming here, you've seen pics of my REAL '67!)

I've been trying to get models of EVERY family car that I know rode and can remember...... BE an AWESOME set of cars! Speaking of, I need to find a '70 Roadrunner for my uncle on my Mothers side of the family.....

Not to mention I need to locate one of the early '80's Dodge Ramchargers too.... that ought to be a fun one! Then a single '76-'78 Ford F-250, for my other uncle on my Dads side.....

Needless to say, I got WAY to many to find yet... (big family!)


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