'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.

[Paul Ceasrine]

Alan,
I'll have to re-visit the Car Craft article. Doesn't make sense to have
that car run with an "Inland" unit. The "Hurst" shifters back then were only about $80. The "Hurst" unit would have knocked an easy 2/10's (.20) off that E.T.
Paul

[dart4forte]

Originally Posted by Paul Ceasrine

Alan,
I'll have to re-visit the Car Craft article. Doesn't make sense to have
that car run with an "Inland" unit. The "Hurst" shifters back then were only about $80. The "Hurst" unit would have knocked an easy 2/10's (.20) off that E.T.
Paul

The dart in the CC mag was suppose to have been preped by Landy. If so I wonder why he didn't put a Hurst unit in?

[dart4forte]

Originally Posted by Paul Ceasrine

Alan,
I'll have to re-visit the Car Craft article. Doesn't make sense to have
that car run with an "Inland" unit. The "Hurst" shifters back then were only about $80. The "Hurst" unit would have knocked an easy 2/10's (.20) off that E.T.
Paul

Paul,

Nowhere in that article does it specifically mention the shifter. However, looking at the picture on page 25 where Jack Cudworth is sitting behind the wheel the shifter looks to be the Inland. The stick looks a lot thicker than the Hurst and the handle is not the usual ball you find on a Hurst. In the article, Niles Holman states "the transmission shifts unusually hard on the street and in some cases impossible to place in second and third when shifting normally." Having rowed gears using the Inland, sounds to me from his description that's an Inland in the test car.

John

[Paul Ceasrine]

Well if it's and "Inland", its an "Inland".
It looks to be. I guess I wasn't looking at the picture, I just assumed
it would be a Hurst Comp/Plus on a factory package.
Going by the description of shifts between 2nd and 3rd, thats the
M.O. for an "Inland".
Whats that, about 12" between throws for shifting?
Now the crazy question. Why would they leave in the horrible "Inland" shifter, and pop on nice Cragar S/S wheels and 7" slicks. And who installed the headers, if they they came in the trunk from the factory
with the "Y" pipe connector.
I don't have the complete Car Craft article.

For Alan, Good luck on trying to find a Holley rebuild kit for the
List #3778. The only thing I could come up with is, the carb came standard with F-66 Stock jetting, 134-21 metering-plate and a 6.5
power valve. The other items i mentioned previously were changed made at Chrysler Performance, before the car left the factory.
Paul

[Paul Ceasrine]

Alan,
Performance Car Review was a Detroit-based 6-page newsletter that was published from late 65' thru 66'. Just local Performance Center
Speed Shop that did general reviews on Performance Cars. Had quotes from H. Dale Reeker, Ramchargers tech. Don't think more than a
dozen newsletters were published. Distributed at local speed shops
and performance centers, and parts stores. Like "1320 News".
The D-Dart they reviewed was from Van Dyke Dodge, Van Dyke Ave,.
Warren, Michigan.
PC

[bigshow2966]

"66 was the first year for the slip yoke trans in the A-body.

[ddartdude]

Originally Posted by Paul Ceasrine

Alan,
Performance Car Review was a Detroit-based 6-page newsletter that was published from late 65' thru 66'. Just local Performance Center
Speed Shop that did general reviews on Performance Cars. Had quotes from H. Dale Reeker, Ramchargers tech. Don't think more than a
dozen newsletters were published. Distributed at local speed shops
and performance centers, and parts stores. Like "1320 News".
The D-Dart they reviewed was from Van Dyke Dodge, Van Dyke Ave,.
Warren, Michigan.
PC

Paul,
Thanks for all the info on the D/Darts. You know more then I do about the cars. You are the master.

I'll have to keep my eyes open for the newsletters. Maybe Stacy's Performance might have them. Seen him advertise a bunch of old magazines on ebag. Never knew about them or Iwould have looked for them.

I wonder what dealership Ted's D/Dart came from. I was thinking maybe Hodges, since he was based on that side of town. But Van Dyke Dodge was close too. And the other possibility is, maybe it was delivered right to him. By the way, I lived 5 miles from Van Dyke Dodge -- from 1978-2003.

Jon had a Carter on the car when he raced it. He did send me a picture of the engine bay. It didn't have the correct D/Dart air cleaner on the car back then.

Alan

Just looked at my 1965 parts book and it shows the old ball and trunion for the A-Body.

[dart4forte]

Originally Posted by Paul Ceasrine

Well if it's and "Inland", its an "Inland".
It looks to be. I guess I wasn't looking at the picture, I just assumed
it would be a Hurst Comp/Plus on a factory package.
Going by the description of shifts between 2nd and 3rd, thats the
M.O. for an "Inland".
Whats that, about 12" between throws for shifting?
Now the crazy question. Why would they leave in the horrible "Inland" shifter, and pop on nice Cragar S/S wheels and 7" slicks. And who installed the headers, if they they came in the trunk from the factory
with the "Y" pipe connector.
I don't have the complete Car Craft article.

For Alan, Good luck on trying to find a Holley rebuild kit for the
List #3778. The only thing I could come up with is, the carb came standard with F-66 Stock jetting, 134-21 metering-plate and a 6.5
power valve. The other items i mentioned previously were changed made at Chrysler Performance, before the car left the factory.
Paul

Yeah, kinda hard to belive that they, that is Landy's boys left that shifter in/ Also, reading on D/Dart site Landy was suppose to of bluprinted that motor. With those cheater slicks I would of thought the car would of dipped into the high 13's


Would you like a copy? I can scan a copy from work and e-mail it.

[Paul Ceasrine]

Alan,
Thank you for the compliment.
Much appreciated.
Just trying to be helpful with the D-Dart thread.
Too many "Myth's and Misconceptions".
But thats a good thing, throws a little mystery into the D-Dart quotient
I wonder if you did any late-nite burn-outs an 11 Mile Road?
I'll try to print a copy of the D-Dart newsletter, faded and worn.
Not sure who put it together, looks like a bulletin that you would get at church on Sunday.
On the transmission question. The conventional yoke-type came into
play very late in 65' (66' production year). Here's the kicker, the
65' transmissions had a 3.09 1st gear. Called the "Granny-gear".
How about a line-launch with that ratio,
PC