Original hemi dart information

[Liteweight]

Originally Posted by hemitime

Interesting story on the early 70s raceway news scans post, the story of Charlie Castaldo says for the 71 season he was adding a third car ,an A automatic in super stock for a backup car ,, this car had to be a dart or cuda to run A , where did it come from as story had it his other dart was a stick ,if thats a different car whats the story on the automatic car ? Could this have been another dart he picked up and never raced ? Daryls(lightweight) dart is an automatic,hmmm.

This is the article hemitime speaks of from Pete's (mopar68) collection of Raceway News which he started a thread on a couple weeks back. If you havn't checked it out yet(you all must be under a rock) , DO IT. Thanx Pete for letting me share this!!!!@


ps it's the last paragraph that has created my newest headache




Good eyes there hemitime!!!!!!. I don't know if I should thank you or take you off my Christmas card list....LOL!!! I just don't know where or who I can follow up on this with. I think I've contacted half of New York state already. I've spoke with Charlie Licata, Crew member for Castaldo) on several occasions about the possibility of Castaldo having a 3rd Dart. Every time has the same outcome "NO he didn't". Looks like I gotta contact him again to see what he remembers about that press statement.
What we have is several accounts of people remembering Castaldo's name on the doors of this car, (to the best of their recollection (( BUT, there are several))). Next you have several people including Castaldo's crew member's ( And yes that's plural) who swear Castaldo never had a 3rd Dart, a backup, or even one sitting for future use.

What I REALLY want to know is when do I get off this Merry-Go-Round from Hell !!!!!


liteweight

[mopar68]

Originally Posted by Liteweight

I've spoke with Charlie Licata, Crew member for Castaldo) on several occasions about the possibility of Castaldo having a 3rd Dart. Every time has the same outcome "NO he didn't". Looks like I gotta contact him again to see what he remembers about that press statement.
What we have is several accounts of people remembering Castaldo's name on the doors of this car, (to the best of their recollection (( BUT, there are several)))

Perhaps Charlie Licata was not aware of Charlie Castaldo's third Hemi Dart? Jimi Vignona certainly remembers seeing his name on the doors of the Dart (that you own) when his dad owned it. Residing in New York and all, it is a very good possibility that C.C. purchased the Manhattan Speed Parts Dart, had it repainted and lettered, with little or no track use. That would explain Jimi's explanation. But that would also mean his crew member(s) would be involved with the project.* Or were they? One thing however, that I am convinced of is, your car is the former Manhattan Speed Parts Dart based upon the unique dent and repair work.

Very puzzling. This is a case for Sherlock Holmes.

Pete

*Daryl, you contact all of Charlie Castaldo's former crew? Or just Charlie Licata?

[mopar68]

So, to the best of my understanding, the above can be construed as::

1) SS/AA Hemi Dart (second Hemi Dart--first one wrecked)

2) SS/DA Hemi Challenger

3) SS/AA Hemi Dart (third car?)

4) Pro Stock Dodge Challenger

or

1) SS/AA Hemi Dart

2) SS/DA Hemi Challenger

3) Pro Stock Challenger (i.e., 3rd car)

Any lawyers out there?

Pete

[mopar68]

Daryl,

On the quarter panel of Charlie's Challenger it reads:

Competition & Sports Cars Ltd
Greenwich, Conn.



I did a Google search and came up with the following address:

Name:Competition & Sports Cars Ltd
Address:355 W Putnam Ave
City:Greenwich
Zip:6830
State:CT
Phone:(203) 661-1725
Fax:(203) 869-2707

Maybe someone there knows something. It's worth a shot.

Pete

[Paul Ceasrine]

Never saw Charlie with '3' Cars at the Track.

In 1970,

Charlie was running the 1970 Challenger '426 Hemi' in SS/DA.

That was the 'primary' Race Car from 1970 thru 1972.

[mopar68]

Originally Posted by Paul Ceasrine

Never saw Charlie with '3' Cars at the Track.

In 1970,

Charlie was running the 1970 Challenger '426 Hemi' in SS/DA.

The 1968 LO23 Dart {2nd Dart} that he bought from Tim Crutchfield
{Palmer Dodge} was run in SS/AA.

In 1971,

The LO23 Dart was run in A/MP, and was also entered into Pro/Stock
with a 'Clutch-Flite' and 1969 trim.

Was that Dart ever found?

Pete

[Liteweight]

Originally Posted by mopar68

Was that Dart ever found?

Pete

The different transformations of Charlie Castaldo's Auto DArt












Current in NY

[Paul Ceasrine]

Charlie Castaldo

Campaigned 'primarily' the 1970 Challenger '426 Hemi' in SS/DA in
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972

The Challenger was a very successful car.

There was 'talk' of Charlie campaigning a 1971 Demon in Pro/Stock
for 1971, but he never did.

Charlie made his first 'true' Pro/Stock ventures in 1973.

[beekool]

daryl, i'm sure you thought of this. but WHO exactly did all the paint and letting for C.C. in 66 1 guys swears he lettered the car i own but the original owner says other wise!

[ScatPackDodge]

To Liteweight: I've only known Glen to own one original LO23 dart. Could be wrong. I own the one he had. It originally came out of Biscayne Dodge, and was given to Joe Ort to race. It was painted red and named the Deadly Dart with a white bumblebee stripe. Joe sold it to Glen in the early 70s, and Glen painted it the same color gold as the car you have pictured. He named it the Scat Pack Dodge. I have the listings/documentation of other owners, but Reid wasn't one of them. I've owned it since 1992. It might be for sale, by the way....