My latest project: 1970 Dodge Dart 512 C.I. Bracket Racer

Some of you may remember that I used to have a 1972 Dodge Dart which I drag raced.

Well, I got the itch to get back into racing Our new house is only 3 miles from the Speedworld racetrack and I can faintly hear them running the cars from our house. It was just too much for me to bare I haven't been doing much in the way of local fourwheeling, so I thought drag racing would give me something to do on the weekends.

A couple weeks ago I bought a 1970 Dodge Dart off of E-bay. The car was located in New Jersey, a mere 2500 miles from home I decided this was the right car for me mainly because I really needed to get out of the house on my own for a couple weeks and this was just the excuse I needed

The car is going to be stripped and repainted. It will get new quarter panels, at least one rocker, one floorpan, new door hinges, fiberglass hood, bumpers, and most likely trunk lid as well.

The new color will most likely be orange, but it just may end up being red, like my old one. Plans for it include a 650HP, 512 CI, big block Mopar and an automatic transmission. I'm just not sure if it will be from BB or SB or whether or not it will even be a Mopar I plan on ditching the torsion bar front suspension for an aftermarket K member which gives you rack and pinion steering, upgraded brakes, and the choice of coilover shocks or airbag suspension.

The rear end in the car right now is a trussed Mopar 8 3/4", with a three link suspension and coilovers.

 

[RockRanger]

Wow. Nice job Rick.

 

[rookieshooter]

Looks slick with that trick paint job.
Got any plans on taking some on board vids so we all can ride along?
While I'm wishing, one of the tack from launch to finish would be cool also hint hint.
I would even put on my old Bell Helmet, turn up the volume and kick back in my computer seat when it shifts LOL.

 

[Rick]

Yeah, I definitely plan on doing in car video.

 

[Rick]

Glass installer showed up today without a windshield gasket. I specifically asked if they were bringing one when I made the appointment three weeks ago, and again two days ago when they called to confirm the appointment. I ordered a gasket from Dante's and it will be here on Wednesday. I have another appointment to install the windshield a week from today.

I know what's another week after three years.... Thing is I was sooo looking forward to having it behind me with just a front end alignment between me and the first time at the track

At least the rear window was installed and is looking fine!

 

[Diff Whack Daddy]

Why do you need a windshield for a front end alignment? Throw it on the trailer and take it down there.

 

[Rick]

We need to adjust the weight balance with everything in place before the alignment.

 

[Rick]

Ben, thanks for the decals

 

[Rick]

In my best Rosanne Rosanadanna voice... "It's always something".

I can't open my doors from the inside using the stock door handles when the door bar of the roll cage is in place

I just ordered a pair of these:

That's ok, though because up until now I forgot to order rollcage padding. Wouldn't have been able to run the car at the track without it...

 

[Rick]

It's a car!!!

 

[ford99_1979]

Really good, congrats! Must be just itching to get it to the track.

 

[MrQ]

Wow. Just..wow! Great job rick. Looks like all that effort payed off.

 

[Rick]

Going in to scale the car and align the front end tomorrow

My fire retardant jacket is ordered and should be here soon... Shouldn't be much longer before I'm

 

[Rick]

First burnout!!!

Like a kid at Christmas, I couldn't help myself...

Man, it didn't take much at all to turn the tires over

 

[reapereviltwin]

:smoke:

 

[BigRondo]

Rick:

 

[rookieshooter]

One more burnout and that sticker patch on the left tire will be gone.
A little CSI tells me that you hit a high RPM due to the track width at start, which is full width and as the RPMs went up the tire increased in diameter and starting to run more on the center, which is normal.
Then it went a little to the right just where the sticker came off judged by part of it to the left of the burnout.

 

[Rick]

I think you're reading too much into that patch I doubt it got to more than 3000-3500 rpm. I stabbed the throttle just a bit and let off just as quick as I could. Maybe 1/10 of a second I was actually quite surprised it turned the tires over at all.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to play with it a bit in FSTs parking lot. They have a really big asphalt lot. I would really like to practice a water burnout before I take it to the track.

 

[JoshC]

I think you're reading too much into that patch I doubt it got to more than 3000-3500 rpm. I stabbed the throttle just a bit and let off just as quick as I could. Maybe 1/10 of a second I was actually quite surprised it turned the tires over at all.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to play with it a bit in FSTs parking lot. They have a really big asphalt lot. I would really like to practice a water burnout before I take it to the track.

This requires a video.

 

[cybergasm]

this requires a video.

x2

 

[Rick]

Yipee Kiyaa mutha' f*****

Had a great day at FST. We got the front end alignment dialed in, and then I played around in their lot a little bit. The lot is super dusty, so the car wasn't hooking up at all. It was just hazing the tires right over the surface. It still pulled hard, the carb was VERY responsive and best of all, it launches straight