Re: Original hemi dart information
 

According to the Mecum site, this Dart bid to $125,000 and "The Bid Goes On"....it has a 3 speed?...I have a feeling there might be more ???s

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Sudsaroo,

The photo is from 1966.

I think the Valiant is a 'Signet' (Hardtop with Exterior Trim).

The 1965 Signet was a 273 (see the fender lettering), and I believe it was a 273/235 HP 'Commando',
and should have been classed in F/S or F/SA in 1966 (11.89 to 12.49 Wt/Hp).

The Signet weighed in at about 100 lbs. heavier than the Valiant.

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Joe Ralph Thompson from Rison, Arkansas lost his battle with cancer last Sunday, May 12th. He was 82.

Joe Ralph raced an original hemi dart that he bought new from Mr. Norm. He loved the 426 hemi until he took his last breath. RIP

Phil Wilson
Sheridan, AR

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

A true racer/legend from my teenage days. http://aecc.com/annualreport/img/sta...h-Thompson.jpg

God's speed sir.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f3...g?t=1230728498

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Paul,
You are certainly correct about the engine. Seeing is believing! But as I said before I was about 11 years old when that photo was taken and I'm now 58 so my memory of a lot of racing days is foggy at best. Thank you for sharing the photo though. Are you from central Pa? I'm sure this was taken at Peterson Memorial Dragway in Tipton Pa.

Thanks,
Mike Faretta

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Yeah,,, You're probably right.
Danny Durham

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

I haven't had much time lately to visit this thread due to the time I've been spending getting my car ready for the season. It's had alot of upgrades since the last time I drove it a couple years ago when I bounced 3 valves off the piston tops due to 2 different deck heights. Leason learned---- NEVER ASSUME just because you measure one deck that both are the same height......... Even when both were freshly machined. Passenger side was .040" shorter. I purchased it this way a few years ago.
Forward to today. The elfunt's back in it's rightfull place finally. Should be ready to fire in a couple days.
I fiqured in the next few posts to give you a tour of what's being done to the car in the months previous of many hours.

The base for this build is an original 1968 casting 426 block & heads. Crank is a Crower 1/2" stroke with 2.200" rod pins so I could use the BB Chevy 7.0 Crower connecting rods with the small .990" wrist pins. Lighter reciprocating mass, less clearancing issues, & easier to get bearings for. It displaces 492 CI.
Compression was kept to 12.8-1, because fuel to fire it is ALOT cheaper than fuel needed for a 14-1 motor.( And it'll have way nuff power this way anyway.)

http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/...psc63e0ef7.jpg

http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8ae3287c.jpg

http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3a48e069.jpg


liteweight

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Cylinder heads have been worked abit, flow benched, & will support around 900 hp. I went with only a .700" Crower roller so there wouldn't be the high maintence involved with a larger stick. I ran out of time, so it didn't make it to the dyno, but if my calculations are right it'll make an easy 750 hp with more than likey 800. The only thing holding it back from making more is the stock, as cast magnesium intake. I ain't touching that one. I have an old Edelbrock crossram that will have some extensive rework done to it. Hopefully I won't turn it into a large pile of aluminum alloy. It would be alot easier to throw on a sheet metal onto it, to make some good numbers, but I want the old school look and the challenge.

liteweight

Intake ports
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/...psfcd35b00.jpg

Exhaust ports
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/...ps600f32d4.jpg

http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5287a2bc.jpg

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

What was the deck height of that block? It looks like it might have been an old SS block that had been cut around .100". I have one of Bullet Bob's old blocks I got from Jim Hale via Tommy Slaughter. The valley rail had been cut too and it left a flat like yours.

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

I have an old Barnett SS Hemi with a similar deck height based on the flat. I haven't pulled the heads off of it to measure that one.