Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Here's another shot of "The Good Guys" L023...and a few other '68 Hemi Darts.

http://www.redlinedodge.com/wp-conte...2011/01/24.jpg

http://race68.com/hermansson.jpg

http://classracer.com/classforum/pic...&pictureid=649

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/...4-ThatDart.jpg

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Here's some pics of some B029 '68 Hemi Barracuda's...

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/...Untitlerd2.jpg

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/...rracuda042.jpg

http://www.prostockhemi.com/gallery/ss/1.jpg

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/...ryHutter68.jpg

http://www.prostockhemi.com/gallery/ss/43.jpg

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Jared, no there isn't any others but any old pics of '68 Hemi Dart or Barracuda's that you might have should work in here...unless you want to start another thread for some of the current stuff.

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

1600+ posts and we have not yet defined Liteweight's Dart.

Wish I had something more than pictures to add to this topic.

Great history lesson and memory lane but still.......

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Charlie,
Here ya go...if you can figure out who's '68 Hemi Dart this was you will win the free dinner that Liteweight's offered to anyone that can identify this car...maybe you can spot something that everyone else here has missed.

http://classracer.com/classforum/att...0&d=1294465564

http://classracer.com/classforum/att...1&d=1294465564

http://classracer.com/classforum/att...2&d=1294465564

http://classracer.com/classforum/att...3&d=1294465564

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Maybe a quick refresher is needed again

-Earliest known owner circa 1982 was Lou Vignonia
-Sold to Tim Hennessey circa 1985
-1985 to present, ownership & history is known

-Lou told me he purchased the car from some dude in Mt. Cisco NY. It was sitting in an apartment complex parking lot.
-Car is reported to have been Red & Silver at the time Lou purchased it, so probably campaigned in the late 70's in this color combo. There was a NHRA Division 1 bracket nationals decal on one of the quarter glasses, so it's last races were there somewhere.

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

-It has always been a auto car, never had a stick in it.
-It has been mini tubbed, with the leaf springs installed inside the frame rails,

http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/...t1985_0002.jpg
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/...t1985_0001.jpg
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/...Bought1985.jpg

The above photos were taken by Tim Hennessey in 1985. Lou had the car stripped & painted in this white paint by Paul Pitman. It was never raced in this color.

liteweight

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Two for the collection -- more to follow when I scan the pile I've got.

The car that says "Hemi" on the door was bought from Jim Clark and, we believe, was the first SS/AA in the 9's on 3/24/74 @ Sacramento Raceway. Ran 9.99 @ 134 and 9.96 @ 135 that day. Clark had called his cars the "Hemi Express." When Grandpa got it, rather than repaint the car, he had a mural painted over the "Express" portion. This is the only car of my grandpa's of which the whereabouts are unknown to us. I seriously doubt this car survived. According to my grandfather it was acid-dipped so much you could almost literally put your foot through the floorboard...

The other car we affectionately refer to as the "Circus Car" because of the paint. Grandpa bought it from Jim DeFrank in the late 70's. Originally, he kept the DeFrank & Cohen paint scheme and changed it to his name in lieu of D&C. Car was parked around 1981 and sat for a year or two. When it came back, it looked like this. It was subsequently sold to Dave Wren, then to Mike Booker. It ended in in Minnesota (spoke with the owners at Indy in '05) and now has resurfaced in Washington State. This is the car that was all white on eBay a while back.

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Great shots & story on some old factory B029 '68 Hemi Cuda's...

http://classracer.com/classforum/att...8&d=1333936208

http://classracer.com/classforum/att...7&d=1333936208

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Liteweight,

I spent some time thumbing through my library of 80s and 90s Mopar and Musclecar magzines last weekend. I came across a couple of feature articles of your red Dart when Tim Hennesy still owned it and then came to reallize that your car was featured on the 1991 Mopar Nationals show trophies. My F8 green '69 Cuda 340 was awarded 1st place in A Body - Modified that year in Columbus and your red Dart with plain steel wheels has been on my trophy all of this time.

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

thanx A990hemi
I still have those same black steel wheels that the car was shown with back in the 80's & early 90's. Hey, throw a picture up here if you wouldn't mind sometime. I've heard of those trophies, but never saw one.

One of the frustrating things bout trying to find out my cars history, is that SO MANY people know of, heard about, or have seen my car either in print, online or in person, but yet I can't get it's history previous to about 1982.
It's probably one of the first original Hurst cars to be restored (1985)
This thing probably has the most print and is known by more people than probably any other Hurst car built, but yet it's still what I call the "unknown soldier".
--------- Hopefully, one day---------
All it's going to take is one person who has the right info to be able to connect some dots. This thread has about 240,000 views, & I truly believe one of them knows my cars origin.
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/...pt03JPG596.jpg

liteweight

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Liteweight,
I don't know if I've asked you this in the past but did you ever check any old back issues of National Dragster for sale ads before Lou bought the car...I'd check back about year from the date of purchase, and I can almost bet that it was advertised in a National Dragster ad...also have you checked into the local drag strips in that area that it was for sale, someone has to remember that car from back then.

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

I'll scan the magazine articles of when your car was rolling on steel wheels and I'll take a pic of my '91 Mopar Nats trophy and post them a little later this week for you.

I can understand your dilema since I restored numerous musclecars in the 80s and we did not yet have the insight or technologies to properly document our cars prior to the restorations.

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

HM
It has been a thought, but locating someone who has kept those ND will be a challenge in itself.
When I was trying to document the Landy stick car, I found someone who had a collection from the 60's into the early 70's. it might be worth a try again. Thanx
As far as local tracks in that area, how many were there, what's the names????.
I know just about every track had their own track photographer. Can someone put a list together for me of the NHRA tracks in this division, & of known track photographers durring that era1975-1978????? Post it here & add on as people think of them.
The one thing I have to go on right now, is that it was bracket raced in the NED #1.
Ya, it would be great just to find a little tidbit of info that would point me in the right direction.
thanx guys for keeping this thread alive & making it possibly the most informative LO/BO ones online. It has the best pix for sure!!!!!!!!!!!

liteweight

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

So, I'm thinkin of trying it this way.
Does anyone remember what track would of held a Bracket Racing Championship in the mid to late 70's in Division #1???. The way I'm reading it, being a "national", it would have been held towards the end of the year where a person would of had to qualify from their winnings at their home track to be able to be a participant at this event.
Input????

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

liteweight

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

US 13 in delware had a lot of them over the years

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

I was at a Division 1 Bracket Finals at York US30 in 1979. I barely remember it. They may have hosted this race too. You can see the "NED" logo on the sticker.

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

This magazine article from 1991 features Liteweight's Hemi Dart back when Tim Hennessey still owned it. I was competing for a Concours show award at the Mopar Nationals in Columbus, Ohio back then and Hennessey's Dart changed the level of show detail standards when it arrived on the scene. I'm guessing that this was most likely the very first Hurst Hemi A body to receive a Concours caliber restoration.

http://i705.photobucket.com/albums/w...sTrophy006.jpg

http://i705.photobucket.com/albums/w...sTrophy004.jpg
http://i705.photobucket.com/albums/w...sTrophy005.jpg

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Tim Hennessey's Dart was featured on all of the official Mopar Nationals artwork in 1991. This is my trophy from that event.


http://i705.photobucket.com/albums/w...sTrophy001.jpg

http://i705.photobucket.com/albums/w...sTrophy003.jpg
http://i705.photobucket.com/albums/w...sTrophy002.jpg
http://i705.photobucket.com/albums/w...sTrophy008.jpg

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Another lurker i have read all the pages and such a good thread .I work for a guy who owns one of Eddie Smiths old BO29 cars .I believe this is the car Bob Porter bought new and raced as PORTERS PRIDE any pictures or details would be appreciated .

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Here are a few more pics cherry picked from Liteweight's Class Racer photo album...

http://classracer.com/classforum/pic...pictureid=3144

http://classracer.com/classforum/pic...pictureid=3145

http://classracer.com/classforum/pic...pictureid=3146

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

What does the car look like today, is it still painted the same color as above...also does anyone else here have any old pics of the "Porters Pride" '68 Hemi Barracuda...

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Mike,
I found this old link with the '68 B029 advertised in it and a few others race cars...does anyone here remember who's red & white '68 B029 project car that was originally?

http://bringatrailer.com/2009/07/01/...ar-collection/

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Thanks for link to pictures .The picture on the trailer is current

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Here's Larry Griffith's old L023 '68 Hemi Dart before it was re-restored to it's former metallic blue & black lace & checkers paint.

http://www.motorbase.com/uploads/pic...ynews_com_.jpg

http://www.motorbase.com/uploads/pic...ynews_com_.jpg

http://www.motorbase.com/uploads/pic...__DSCN7292.jpg

http://www.motorbase.com/uploads/pic...__DSCN7308.jpg

http://www.motorbase.com/uploads/pic...C_DSCN7396.jpg

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Is that pic taken @ Chrysler headquarters? Looks like a Chrysler employee's car show. Joe H who got the car when it was black and took her back to her old colors is a great guy who did a lot of great things at Chrysler not only to support vintage parts availiablity but also the new performance direction of Chrysler's car lineups.

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Wow, Good eye Dave, I missed that, but your right, that is HQ.

http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/...6/HPIM0543.jpg

liteweight

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Here's another B029 '68 Hemi Barracuda...

http://www.mecum.com/auctions/SC0512...d=041212125227

http://www.mecum.com/auctions/SC0512...d=041212125227

http://www.mecum.com/auctions/SC0512...d=041212125227

http://www.mecum.com/auctions/SC0512...d=041212125227

http://www.mecum.com/auctions/SC0512...d=041212125227

http://www.mecum.com/auctions/SC0512...d=041212125227

http://www.mecum.com/auctions/SC0512...d=041212125227

http://www.mecum.com/auctions/SC0512...d=041212125227

http://www.mecum.com/auctions/SC0512...d=041212125227

http://www.mecum.com/auctions/SC0512...d=041212125227

http://www.mecum.com/auctions/lot_de...09&lottype=car

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

:D

http://www.colesy-juniorstockforum.c...le.php?id=9137

http://www.colesy-juniorstockforum.c...le.php?id=9136

Mostly early-1970s thru 1977.

M68

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Well, well well, what do we have here????
and in the years I'm looking for tooo,
Hmmmmm----- wonder how I could convince the owner of these to do some searching.
just thinkin' out loud here M68--heh,heh.heh

liteweight

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

If those back issues were mine I'd start looking back from the last known date that Lou Vignogna owned the car...and look for some detailed items on the car such as the Cragar Super Tricks, or anything else that sticks out on the body from the old photos posted earlier...I did notice that there was a big hole drilled in the dash just below the speedo gauges probably for a mechanical tach...

One thing I also noticed was the warped hood scoop in the earlier photos, was this the original hood or was it changed when Lou owned the car, because I recall the story that Hennessy told that he replaced it because it had some other type of scoop molded onto the original hood...so which hood was on there when it was sold because it doesn't make any sense, it's two different stories.

Maybe Liteweight can enlighten us on some more things to look for on the '68 Hemi Dart from any old National Dragster issues...

.

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

OK guys, Over the years I have done quite a bit of research trying to find some info on the history of Daryl's Dart. Here is what I have come up with.

Lou - told me that when he went to buy the car it was in an underground parking garage of some apartments in Mt Kisco, NY. A young kid owned it . I asked him where he had heard about the car and he told me that a friend of his (at the time) named Big Al in CT (I am pretty sure that this is the guy who builds blower motors) told him about the car and that they went there together. I called Big Al and he said he doesn'r remember any Hemi Dart - Lou also mentioned that he and Al didn't get along any more.

I thought I would focus my search in Mt Kisco - I called Mt Kisco Auto Parts - a counter guy there told me that he might know someone who knew about the car but after several calls - no luck. I was told to check with Richie Mattoni who originally ran Mt Kisco Auto parts and machine shop. I tracked Richie down in TX - He runs Storm-Vulcan. Ritchie remembered the car - said a guy who ran the gas station across the street (around the corner from the old movie house and down the street from the coffee shop/beer joint that Frank Sinatra owned - feel like I have actually been there - lol) had the car sitting along side the station. He mentioned that the only underground parking garage in Mt Kisco at that time was down the side street from shop/store. He couldn't remember the guys name and told me to call his brother and a few other people. I called his brother and he also couldn't remember the guys name but remembered the car - he said they used to call him rubberface.

I called TonySaracini who ran a Duster/Demon Stocker/SS/Bracket car that was originally Bill Davitt's car (big Mopar guy in the area). Tony remembered the Dart - said it was black with silver or gray on it, he had another scoop attached to the top of the Hemi scoop. He remembers teasing the guy calling him "two scoop Lido" - in reference to the Rasin Bran commercials of the time (two scoops of rasins) He said the guy didn't really race it - it just sat next to the station. He said that him and some friends got the guy to bring the Dart to the track with him and some friends - they all brought their cars. They were bracket racing - he said the car wasn't that fast - 11's and the guy wasn't very serious about it - just having some fun. He said that they went to Englishtown and another track in NY - have to check my notes - might have been New York National (not sure it was open at this time??)

I was finally able to get the names of the guys who ran the gas station after many, many calls to various people in Mt Kisco and people who lived in Mt Kisco. It seems that most of the people who used to live in Mt Kisco do not live there anymore.Brothers Eddie and Ernie Smith ran the station - I belive Eddie owned the Dart. I called the listing for Eddie Smith in Mt Kisco - thinking I had found the missing peice of this puzzle - and I got a 90- year old lady - who was very helpful - she remembered Eddie as worked on her car at the station. She said that when he stopped running the station he was working in Richfield - but she was sure that he didn't move as his family had a nice big house on Ward Ave in Mt Kisco. I tracked down the address and phone number - no luck - he doesn,t live there anymore. Good luck finding an Eddie Smith - this is not the same West Virginia Hemi Eddie Smith.

My, guess is that the car was local in the mid 70's when Eddie bought it - he obviously didn't buy it to race - but it was a rare, neat car. Since he didn't race it and they weren't worth a whole lot at this time I doubt that he traveled far to buy it. The Pomona Speed Dart that Paul has mentioned seems the most promising. It was black, not very fast, local to the area - owned by another repair shop, early 70's?????

This information has taken years to put together with hundereds of dead ends - so if I seem a little skeptical at some of the references - I apolagize - I have a ton of work into this car's history - more than any other Dart/Barracuda that I have researched. Just need a new lead/angle to go any farther.

Mark J
1968 Hemi S/S Registry

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Mark, As always your endless hours of research and investigation never fail to impress me.

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

No Doubt .. I can't imagine how frustrating it is, but you gotta have some great stories and huge phone bills.

When's the book coming out ??

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

This is the first time I'm hearing that the car was painted 'Black'...as if it wasn't hard enough to track someone down, the previous owners last name was 'Smith'.

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

The entire collection could be yours if you're interested. :)

M68

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

As Mark has said, he has put an enormus amount of time trying to put the history of my car together. It's like this thing drops off the end of the planet previous to Vignonias ownership. Add in the little controversy of it's colors previous to Vignonias ownership also. Silver & red, compared to black & silver. The 2 scoop theory compared to the beat up original scoop the car was sold to Hennessey with.
Paul Pittman, who painted the car for Lou ,told me he kinda remembers the car being silver & red when he paint stripped it in the early 80's.
All evidence that Mark J. has dug up leads to the black & silver car. I mean how many HemiDarts could there have been in Mt. Kisco in the 70's early 80's???. Did it get painted silver & red after it's black & silver scheme???
Was it even the same car????
If it was this car, what's it's history previous to Eddie Smith's?? ownership???
Who's car was this originally???
Was it an east coast car the whole time, or was it imported from somewhere else in the US. These things as you know traveled across the continent, sometimes weekend after weekend..

All I know FOR CERTAIN, is that this is an original LO car, has never been rebodied, or retagged. It wears all it's original sheetmetal & fiberglass it left Hurst with, sans the trunk lid, & POSSIBLY the hood or hood scoop. It is a early build, first run car. It did have a 3 point bolt in Lakewood rollbar when Vignonias's owned it. It had the inner tubs replaced with sheetmetal tubs, & the springs were moved into the frame rails sometime in the 70's.The forward sections of the wheelwell openings were opened for tire clearance probably at the same time. The hinges were cut out when the aftermarket inner tubs, were installed. Tim Hennessey replaced the aftermarket inner tubs with original ones when he restored it in the 80's.He also replaced the trunk lid because it was pinned instead of using the hinges He also reinstalled the trunk hinges. .
It has NEVER had a stick or a clutch pedal installed in it. The dash was modified for gauges indash with probably?? a column mounted cable drive tach.
I believe it was bracket raced in the mid to late 70's acording to the decal in the quarter window.
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/...acingdecal.jpg
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/...Bought1985.jpg
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/...t1985_0001.jpg
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/...l/Interior.jpg
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/...t1985_0002.jpg
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/...edTrunkLid.jpg
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/...SeatDelete.jpg

I want to say thanx for all the help from Mark J. for all the time he has spent on this thing. It's going on 9 years now I believe.

liteweight

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

I still think this is an avenue that needs to be looked into...anyone from the north-east division know some of the tracks located in this area.

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

I believe there are basically 2 ways of doing this. First way is by process of elimination of KNOWN & accounted for cars. There were only 80 of these built. Mark , could you put together an updated list of cars that you do not have accounted for???
The other is to find where this car raced as a bracket car in the 70's, & then work backward from there.
Comeon guys, I live in mid Canada, I do not know the eastern tracks from that era. I don't know for sure but I'm thinking that there has to be a list of them in a National Dragster.
M68 , I'm not a collector of old print such as what you have, as cool as it is. They would be looked through once for the single reason to see IF there's any usefull information.
I'd be willing to purchase them from you, but I'm thinking the shipping from you to me would be a lil on the tall side. PM me, we'll see if we can put something together tho. Below are a few pictures of it when Tim Hennessey restored it in the mid 80's. You can see why there is no possible way of finding ANY previous paint colors. for those that are interested, check out the sledge hammer work done by Hurst to the PS shock tower. Ya, it's crude
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/...l/IMG_0001.jpg
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/...rpan-11985.jpg
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/...oorpan1985.jpg
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/...l/IMG_0005.jpg

liteweight

Re: Original hemi dart information
 

Liteweight,
Nice shots of the restoration process on the '68 Hemi Dart...I see lots of sand still located on the floor boards, and also see that they didn't blast the black paint off the side of the firewall bulkhead and door jam by the door striker...and that he also taped off the Chrysler door decal stating this vehicle does not conform to public highways...but I do have one question though, so when you do find out the origins of your Hemi Dart, will you repaint it to it's original race paint colors. - HM.