Re: D/Dart in Stock
 

D-Dart (D/Stock) Info from 1966.
D/S Class/Factor 10.60 - 11.29
D/S NHRA record...12.98 (February 1966)

D-Dart ran in C/Stock in 1967 (Classes bumped up one, by NHRA)
D-Dart ran in F/Stock in 1968
D-Dart ran in G/Stock in 1969 thru 1971

HP rating never re-factored. NHRA did not have any records of listed
competitors in registry for 66' 273/275hp Darts. For G/Stock or
SuperStock/J.

Successful D-Dart racers, Ted Spehar "Spehars Automotive" 66' - 67'
and Bob Banning "Little Ramchargers" w/Dave Reitz driving, 66' - 67'.
Both hit 12.90's in early-mid 67'.

Time to re-factor.

Re: D/Dart in Stock
 

Paul
Do you have any info on Spehar's old car. I currently own it. It's kind of hard finding info on the car. It was raced in 1970 by Jon Rasbach at Lapeer Dragway in HS/A. In 1971 Al Adam bought it and raced it in various classes. I bought it from Al back in late 2001. Any help would be appreciated.

I have some old time slips that I got from Ralph Costa and the best ET in the bunch was 12.92 and the best MPH was 105. Both were achieved at Detroit Dragway and I think the year was 1966. Not 1967. It also raced at Milan, National Trail Raceway and maybe Motor City Dragway. Lots of hand written notes on the slips including total timing, plug gaps, shift points, trap RPM's. Pretty neat stuff.

Again....any info would be appreciated.
Alan Hvizdos
Chrysler Tech Center --- Retiree

Re: D/Dart in Stock
 

Before anyone mounts a campaign to obtain a more favorable NHRA horsepower factor, it would be expeditious to get it re-instated as a Stocker, unless you're only interested in running it in Super Stock.

It's not in the Stock Class section of the Classification guide, now, and regardless of what NHRA allowed it to run 40 years ago, if it's not in the Guide, now, (as a Stocker) it can't run Stock Eliminator.

Seeing as how it has a history of running Stock, and was created for that purpose by Ma MoPar, I would think it shouldn't be too hard to get NHRA to put it into the guide as a legal Stocker.

But, somebody needs to work on getting that done, I think, before a new HP factor is sought after.

Re: D/Dart in Stock
 

Bill,
I think the only information that the NHRA has listed on the 66' D-Dart is that it was listed from the factory as a Super Stock Package.
It was listed in the car description from Dodge as equipped with
a Super Stock 66 Engine.
S.C. 364 (Special Order Engine)
That's what the NHRA is going by?
But, in 1966 the only Super Stock class in the NHRA was S/S or S/SA.
Of course the car is listed as a D-Dart. And designated for the D/Stock
class by the NHRA. As built, the car met the legal requirements.
Weight 2946 and horsepower 275.
Whether 50 cars were actually built is still debateable. Back then, it appears that as long as a VIN #'s list with 50 cars produced was sent to the NHRA, the car could be approved for the class designated. Nobody did any in depth investigation. Some paper-shuffling probably occurred
on the D-Dart production, accidentally-on-pupose.
The D-Dart, (Super Stock Package) is really a misnomer. Now, if the
current 273/235 was (re-rated to 210 HP), maybe and quite possibly the
273/275 D-Dart could at least have a (250 HP re-factor). At least, thats
a start in the right direction. But, who wants to run that car. Are they
any 1966 Darts left in America. Probably easier to find a DeLorean;)
PC

accidentally-on-purpose.

Re: D/Dart in Stock
 

Paul, not to change gears on you during this thread, but could you post up some 65-66 Valiant 273/235 hp 4sp car production #'s?(if you've got access to them). Especially interested in convertible cars w/that option pkg....Much thanks. WJ (Orange, Ma. paratrooper:D)

Re: D/Dart in Stock
 

W J,
That question just might get me to start jumping out of airplanes;)
Never saw a 273/235 Commando in a 65/66 Valiant convertible. Though I would imagine some were produced.
An old high-school friend of mine had a 65' Dart GT (white w/black convertible top (with the plastic rear window, that would yellow due to
sun exposure) with a 273/235 Commando. An automatic on the column.
Not sure of the interior color. But, it came with a non-posi rear. I do remember the one-wheel spins.
The car still sits in a garage in Jefferson Valley, NY.
The 8 3/4" Sure-Grip was not available until 1966.
OLDRIDE.com may have info on the convertible Valiants.:confused:
Paul (Pull the Rip-Cord)

Re: D/Dart in Stock
 

Thank you sir. This old high school classmate's ordered ride was a Valiant '66 dark green convert/blk top & int., 4 sp., 3.91 sure grip, (not sure if it was a 8&3/4" or not),273/235 (small Commmando emblems on front fenders), had the rectangular, rather large box chrome (maybe even stainless) exhaust tip, I remember he ordered it w/Formula S handling pkg---came w/wide 14" rims and Goodyear Blue Streak tires. It was a very quick little street car and he also won quite a # of trophies at--you guessed it-- the Orange, Ma. air strip track, and also at Lebanon Valley and Ct. Dragway.....He traded the thing in shortly after getting married....:eek: I never saw another Commando 273/235, 4 sp. convert, but there were at least 2, two-dr. Sedan Valiant 235 hp Commando cars running at tracks in New England, Lebanon, NY, and Connecticut Dragway. Very competetive, and pretty rare little cars...... Keep going, Paul...:) WJ

Re: D/Dart in Stock
 

Paul,

I owned a '65 black Valiant convertible with white interior and a white top with the 273/235 and 4speed and in 1991 I bought a '66 gold convertible with white interior 273/235 4 speed Valiant. The owner said that only 12 hipo convert's were built in 1966....don't know where he got his stat's.

JimR

Re: D/Dart in Stock
 

W J (No jumpimg out of the plane just yet).
1965 Production #'s
Valiant (Convertibles)..........2769
w/273/235HP Commando....235 (8.5%)
No information on the 4-speed/automatic breakdown

1966 Production #'s
Valiant (convertibles)............2507
w273/235HP Commando......188 (7.5%)
No information on the 4-speed/automatic breakdown

In 1965, the rear-end was only available with a 7 1/4" Hotchkiss drive,
non-posi unit. (2.76, 2.93, 3.23, 3.55 or 3.91 gear ratio's)
9" Brakes....Slant-6
10' Brakes...V-8

Note, Sometime late in the 1965 production year, some cars were
made available with the 8 3/4" Sure-Grip Posi unit.

Hopefully that was somewhat helpful.
Paul

Re: D/Dart in Stock
 

Paul, thanks for the great help obtaining those Valiant convert Commando production #'s....so much for only 12 being produced in 1966, ha.....:)WJ