Original hemi dart information

[flintstonecharger]

Hello,was joe Pateli's car ever connected with Hamden Dodge Hemi Dart?? Bob Ramstrom, Worcester Mass. also had Hemi Dart he bought new from Mr. Norms once sponsored by Natick Dodge.Brignolo bought his car at same time when Ramstrom bought his,was told they went together to pick up both cars,what a shopping experience that must have been!I think Ed Miller may still have Ramstrom's car with 71 updated nose and tail end,,Brignolo still has his car! Pretty sure Gene O'Neill's car now owned by canadien collector Dave Mcdade,not 100% sure but very possible.I would side with the Vignogna crew on IDing Darryl's Dart regardless of the floor repair issue,there are lots of metal magicians out there that can stitch/hammerweld and finish of repairs undetectable,I am sure Tim Hennessy remembers what repairs were needed during restoration,check with him?

[jimi]

Originally Posted by quickford1

Bill Flynn out West Haven ,CT. had a red and silver Dart. The name of it was the Yankee Peddler. Bill has pass away but this could be the car.
Rich

the car in question here was one of castaldos darts period! the cars was in mine and my fathers keep for a few years you get to know a car when it is around that long.. this car had the entire floor for the trans tunnel cut out with a removeable piece,the body was pounded,raced hard and put away wet! it does not mean the floor was not replaced to perfection, tim hennesey restored this car and it was and still is one of the nicest restorations around. all this guy that owns the car now needs to do is connect the dots and get ahold of hennesey and ask the big question did he replace the entire floor pan with a stock one from another car or did he rebody it. when this car was restored it was the mid 80's there was dodge darts laying everywhere for under 1000.00 in near perfect shape, it would have been easy to obtain parts to do the job correctly with original sheetmetal.

[Paul Ceasrine]

Jimi,

Paul here. Tell your Pop, My father Vincent and I said I. Hope all is well.
I remember "Earthquake" in the barn off Route 6, behind Keane's Pub.
Absolutely the most beautiful paint job (black) on a car (Plymouth) I ever saw. (1969 or 1970). Perfect lettering too, the way the tail of the letter Q
intersected with the letter U. I remember it in SS/EA, than C/Gas with
the front I-beam (from Marin's JunkYard).
How' that for confirmation. I was only 12 at the time, but I always listened
when your Pop spoke.
OK. The first Castaldo Dart, a 4-speed was reddish-brown with a silver
center section. Raced in 68', but was wrecked at E-Town (in late 68').
I woudn't think Charlie trashed the good parts (Dana rear, S/S springs,
4-speed trans, and engine, which was built by Joe Jill of Speedwin).
Also, something from the body of the car must have been salvageable.
Lets just say, it didn't end up in the trash bin at Saw Mill Auto Wreckers in Elmsford.
Car #2. Brown, with a gold-center section. Was an automatic (SS/BA)
that Charlie ran in 69' (the car was at the Indy Nationals and ran 10.75)
and ran at Dover (69' thru 71'). Sometime in 70' or early 71' the car campaigned in Pro/Stock, and a manual-trans was added. whether it was the original 4-speed from the first Dart, a Liberty-trans or Lenco,
thta I do not know. But if the 4-speed was put in, then the floor board most likely was cut-up. If the car was restored to perfection, than I imagine all sub-floor panels were replaced. The Hennesy restored car is
a perfect gem. Hard to imagine, the last time I saw Charlie Castaldo's
second car was at Adam's Diner (in Wingdale, down the street from Dover) in 1970, with a For Sale sign on the passenger side rear window
$5500.

Paul

P.S. Ask your Pop about the time he went with my father and me out to
New York National (1969). My father bent the pushrods in our Cuda
during the first round. Your father straightened them out ( I think with
a hammer). My Pop went back out in the second round a won. The good old days when 4-cars ran at a time.

[Chuck Comella]

Originally Posted by jimi

the car in question here was one of castaldos darts period! the cars was in mine and my fathers keep for a few years you get to know a car when it is around that long.. this car had the entire floor for the trans tunnel cut out with a removeable piece,the body was pounded,raced hard and put away wet! it does not mean the floor was not replaced to perfection, tim hennesey restored this car and it was and still is one of the nicest restorations around. all this guy that owns the car now needs to do is connect the dots and get ahold of hennesey and ask the big question did he replace the entire floor pan with a stock one from another car or did he rebody it. when this car was restored it was the mid 80's there was dodge darts laying everywhere for under 1000.00 in near perfect shape, it would have been easy to obtain parts to do the job correctly with original sheetmetal.

Lou offered to sell me the car sometime in the mid 80s for around 3500. Tim who lived about 20 miles from me came and looked at mine to get ideas on restoration. If anybody could replace the floor without u be able to see it Tim could do it . Say hello to Lou, George , and the rest of the guys for me Chuck