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.

 

[Rick]

I blame Burt Reynolds for my addiction to cars, trucks and CB radio (which eventually turned into Ham Radio)... I could be a rich man were it not for Burt

 

[offroader_69_me]

Gonna be a hell of a fun street car

 

[Maniak]

Tucson 2.5 hrs.

Vegas 5 hrs.


Speedworld... 5 min

When are you coming down? I'll make the drive to the Tucson drag strip for that...

~Mark

 

[toypaseo]

Shoulda got personalized plates...

 

[Rick]

When are you coming down? I'll make the drive to the Tucson drag strip for that...

~Mark

Not until fall at the soonest. Still haven't bought an enclosed trailer either.

BTW, I'm definitely not driving it

 

[Rick]

Now that the car is registered I was able to purchase insurance for it. That is such a relief... Up until now anything that happened to the car, anywhere would have been a write off... I would have had to fix it and pay for all damages myself.

I now have collectors insurance on the car, and it's insured everywhere, except on the racetrack. For a $40,000 agreed value, I'm paying $510 a year.

 

[rizzjc]

Wow. They won't insure an unregistered car? That sounds like a good rate, and value, but too bad they won't cover it at the track. Understandable, I guess. What if it's stolen from the track? I guess it's just a cash value policy? You say what you want to insure it for, and they give you a rate?

 

[Rick]

They will cover the car in the pits, just not for damage incurred during a race. Yes, this is an agreed value policy

 

[BKennedy]

They will cover the car in the pits, just not for damage incurred during a race. Yes, this is an agreed value policy

AAA has agreed value policy that they call "stated value". You just tell them what you think its worth and they insure it for that amount. I did that for the horse trailer and the Explorer.

Slap the plates on and take a picture. Better yet, cruise it down to Phoenix and drive it around town. I would love to see people's faces when they see the shut off switch sticking out of the rear bumper. Real drag cars are not too often seen on the street.

 

[Rick]

I don't even know if the cooling system will handle street driving. No matter, the cruise won't be very long with an 8 gallon fuel cell and the need for 106 octane

 

[toypaseo]

106 octane should empty the wallet nicely...

 

[BKennedy]

Rick, you guys have some pretty cool vehicles.
Except for that square, goofy foreign thing Char drives.......

 

[Rick]

106 octane should empty the wallet nicely...

On the track it only took $40 a week

 

[Rick]

Rick, you guys have some pretty cool vehicles.
Except for that square, goofy foreign thing Char drives.......

I know, what can I say? She likes Sponge Bob Square Pants too... Guess that means Char's a square

 

[BKennedy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi6tQthPDWc

 

[Rick]

Very good news for Phoenix area racers!

The word is that Firebird Raceway will re-open in October under new management and a new name.

Firebird, err... Wild Horse Pass Raceway... is just over an hour from the house. Not too bad at all.

 

[BKennedy]

Excellent!!

 

[Cobraguy]

Rick, I thought the problem was with the Tribes...not the management. Bob Bondurant was able to work it out with them and the track was not. Are they going to move the track off the reservation or have they secured a long term lease? It truly is an amazing facility...one of the best in the world. They can host so many types of racing...including boats.

 

[Rick]

Charlie Allen and the Firebird name is out. The tribe renamed the track and it will be managed by a new team.

 

[Cobraguy]

I heard it's actually going to be a Tribal enterprise now. Management will report to the Tribe.