'66 Dodge D-Dart at Mecum auction

[dart4forte]

Originally Posted by Rory McNeil

Could the Hurst shifter have been a 65 thing? Back in high school, I had a 65 Plymouth Valiant Signet (Our Canadian Valiants looked more like the same year US Darts in 65 &66) It had a 235HP 273 "Commando" & 4 speed, and it had a round handle shifter with a flat section on either side with "Hurst" stamped into the stick. Up here at least, the 65 V8 Valiants used the small 6 cyl. type rearend (mine had 2.91 limited slip), while the 66`s used a 8 3/4. My car also had a tiny (9 1/4"?) clutch, what size clutch would a D Dart have used? Did they also retain that oddball "ball & trunion" driveshaft like mine, which used a bolt on flange on the back of the 4 speed trans?

66 was the first year for the Inland shifter. Ma Mopar went to that POS shifter as a cost saving measure. I heard another story that Hurst wasn't able to keep up with the demand for their shifters in that GM was also a large purchaser of the Hurst product. Anyway, it wasn't until mid 68 that they went back to Hurst.

On the clutch, they used a Weber Speed Equipment clutch set-up but not sure on the diameter. Good question on the ball and trunion tranny. My guess is that it didn't use that set-up in that they were transitioning over to the new u-joint style of shaft.