'68 Hemi Dart For Sale

[Fleet 500]

No, I'm not selling nor do I own one.

I came across this for sale:
1968 Dodge Hemi Dart, original bill of sale, Florida title, street legal.
Asking price "lowered to $275,000."

1968 Dodge Dart Hurst Super Stock Hemi LO23 For Sale (http://www.oldride.com/classic_cars/904552.html)

I wonder if it will sell? Looks like it is in very good condition. The body/paint/engine compartment anyway does.

[Bleeding Heart]

One question... Why is it so expensive????:confused:

[willysjeep]

There surely is to many zero's in that price :eek::confused:

[Pando]

Although American muscle among its finest, I wouldn't even pay 1/20th of the asking price. But hey, he said he'd accept an offer as well.

[orshow]

The guy says in the description that the car is gonna go up to $400,000 soon... hahahahahahahahaa

[Rasmus]

Please. If it's a rare bird with all numbers matching I don't see why not. Only 80 were supposedly made:

YouTube - 1968 Dodge Dart Hemi-an original LO 23 factory lightweight (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwTz5vSLQJg)

In 07 an all numbers matching '71 Hemi Cuda vert was sold for $2.2m at auction. Granted the 11 cars of that model year are probably the most valuable American musclecars but still.

[willysjeep]

Please. If it's a rare bird with all numbers matching I don't see why not. Only 80 were supposedly made:

YouTube - 1968 Dodge Dart Hemi-an original LO 23 factory lightweight (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwTz5vSLQJg)

In 07 an all numbers matching '71 Hemi Cuda vert was sold for $2.2m at auction. Granted the 11 cars of that model year are probably the most valuable American musclecars but still.

See, thats where we in Africa come short on info. We do not know the value of all the collectables in the USA . And the other way round we sell valuable cars for next to nothing and still think we made a huge profit.

...............can some one give me some inhouse training :eek::confused::rolleyes::D:D

[clutch-monkey]

never saw the appeal in these overpriced boats. would never be able to have fun in them. they're cool cars but the price (demand?) is ridiculous.

[Fleet 500]

never saw the appeal in these overpriced boats. would never be able to have fun in them. they're cool cars but the price (demand?) is ridiculous.
"Boats?" They are only 195" long. And they weigh less than 3,500 lbs.

The owner in that video Rasmus posted sure looked like he has fun with his. :D

[clutch-monkey]

do you honestly think it is worth that much? it's not like it's particularly good looking even.

[whiteballz]

3,500lbs is still alot of weight. But i guess with 600Hp it can work for what its designed for.

[clutch-monkey]

well the vid says 3,150 which is pretty damn good. not $275k good though ;)

[whiteballz]

what times would it pull down the strip fleet?

[wwgkd]

My favorite muscle car ever. amd I only need another $274,995 to afford it.

[Rasmus]

The Dart ran in the 10.40s during the remainder of the '69 season, but with the addition of larger tires and lower 5.12:1 gears, it dipped into the 9s at an AHRA race in Kansas City in late 1969

All I could find.

@wwgkd; I somehow had the feeling you'd chime in. It's the hood scoop innit?

[wwgkd]

I think it's more the huge hemi in a relatively small car, which forced the creation of a new class of NHRA drag racing. But a scoop big enough to swallow small dogs on a factory car is pretty sweet. It's really not that great of a car over all, but it's fast in a straight line, even for today and it was made in the 60s.

[Fleet 500]

what times would it pull down the strip fleet?
10.40s as sold.

[Fleet 500]

do you honestly think it is worth that much? it's not like it's particularly good looking even.
They were built for speed, not beauty!
As for if it is worth that much... if it sells for the asking price, I guess it is. ;)

[Fleet 500]

3,500lbs is still alot of weight. But i guess with 600Hp it can work for what its designed for.
It is a lot less than the 4,000+ lbs of the new Dodge Challenger.

[henk4]

10.40s as sold.
sounds more like the Ring lap time (in minutes;))

[2ndclasscitizen]

As for if it is worth that much... if it sells for the asking price, I guess it is. ;)

And here people, is the truth. Something is only worth as much as someone is prepared to pay for it, and there's clearly people in the States more than prepared to drop that much coin on these things.

[Fleet 500]

And here people, is the truth. Something is only worth as much as someone is prepared to pay for it, and there's clearly people in the States more than prepared to drop that much coin on these things.
It seems that those Hemi Darts are worth less than other Mopars like '70-'71 Hemi Cuda and Challengers and some '69 Charger Daytons and '70 Plymouth Superbirds.

Myself, I would rather own a '68 (or '69) Dart GTS 340 than a Hemi Dart. With the former, I can enjoy power steering, radio, heater, A/C and other nice options. :)

[Fleet 500]

sounds more like the Ring lap time (in minutes;))
If someone ever raced a Hemi Dart on a track (not a drag strip) I would be very surprised. After all, why do that? Unless someone has done it just for fun.

[blingbling]

classic cars are never "worth it"

[Ferrer]

classic cars are never "worth it"
Many classic cars are more than "worth it".

[blingbling]

Many classic cars are more than "worth it".well this clearly is a case where it isn't

the ones that have their prices jacked up only on the basis of RARITY are usually reserved for toy collecting of the wealthy

[wwgkd]

well this clearly is a case where it isn't

the ones that have their prices jacked up only on the basis of RARITY are usually reserved for toy collecting of the wealthy

There are rarer cars worth a heck of a lot less than this. It did a lot of note for drag racing and in drag racing. It was basically a factory drag special, which as mentioned earlier forced rule changes and the creation of new classes. I can understand if you don't like muscle cars, or don't get them, because at one point I didn't either, but don't dismiss the car just because it's not an old ferrari or something. At what it did it was just as dominant and important as any european car ever made.

[Ferrer]

well this clearly is a case where it isn't

the ones that have their prices jacked up only on the basis of RARITY are usually reserved for toy collecting of the wealthy
Well maybe it is, maybe it isn't. I wouldn't buy it, but I respect it if someone does.

And then you find a Ghibli for 35 grand, which is an absolute bargain.

[nota]

YouTube - 1968 Dodge Dart Hemi-an original LO 23 factory lightweight (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwTz5vSLQJg)

Anyone else notice the huge and continual amounts of steering correction this fully restored car requires, even when travelling at very modest speed on a dead-smooth roadway? I'm not talking about the corners. Look at the head-on footage .. the driver is constantly sawing away on the tiller just to keep this thing heading straight, even when ON the straights!

This sort of wheel input reminds me of watching machinists operate a lathe

[Pando]

Anyone else notice the huge and continual amounts of steering correction this fully restored car requires, even when travelling at very modest speed on a dead-smooth roadway? I'm not talking about the corners. Look at the head-on footage .. the driver is constantly sawing away on the tiller just to keep this thing heading straight, even when ON the straights!

This sort of wheel input reminds me of watching machinists operate a lathe
lol, yes I see it now, I wonder why they even bothered to stick in a steering wheel!

I reckon henk's estimation of the Nurburgring time is still way too low!

[johnnynumfiv]

Anyone else notice the huge and continual amounts of steering correction this fully restored car requires, even when travelling at very modest speed on a dead-smooth roadway? I'm not talking about the corners. Look at the head-on footage .. the driver is constantly sawing away on the tiller just to keep this thing heading straight, even when ON the straights!

This sort of wheel input reminds me of watching machinists operate a lathe

From my experience, the older manual steering boxes take more turns from lock to lock, so the correction you see him doing is actually quite minuscule. Also, the roads suck here.:p

[Cyco]

You can see how poor the road surface is :p

That, even in a recirculating bearing steering system, is a huge amount of input. Atleast in my experience.

[nota]

From my experience, the older manual steering boxes take more turns from lock to lock, so the correction you see him doing is actually quite minuscule. Also, the roads suck here.:p
Well I've owned six Oz-built Chrysler Valiants from the 1960s which belong to this particular US body generation. Lets see .. three sedans, a wagon, and the two hardtop 2-doors that visually are pretty much identical to this Dart.

Consisting of three Hemi Pacers with IIRC the ahem 'quick ratio' four turns lock-to-lock, and the other (either non sporty Hemi & Slant-six models) having the regular five. And let me tell you that all but one of them steered and tracked exactly like a normal car. In other words the required wheel-work consisted of basically 'set & forget' even at high speeds. Either one inch or one & a half inches of play at the rim, max.

The sole exception being a Slant-six hardtop which was a totally rooted high-milage ex-'cut & shut' mobile wreckage that also literally had a full 1/4 turn of freeplay in the steering box & front-end, that I bought from a dealer for all of $32. In steering dynamics this Dart appears desperately similar to that car. So if this Dodge represents US-style motoring excitement then, err .. please .. count me out!

Btw our Hemi-powered Mopars were good enough to be endorsed by a 'certain motoring identity'
:p YouTube - Hemi Chrysler (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTte0425DI0&feature=channel_page)

[johnnynumfiv]

That ad is awesome. I love the huge hemi drawing in the beginning.

I guess I've driven some worn out old junk then. :p With the '60 wagon my uncle has I can replicate what the guy is doing in the video and not even steer much. :p Could this also be related to the tires that are on the car?

[nota]

That ad is awesome. I love the huge hemi drawing in the beginning.
:cool:

If net-bored then maybe you might also like these ones :)

YouTube - Hey Charger TV ads (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZdp9Eavi5g&feature=channel)
YouTube - Valiant E49 Charger Six Pack (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZLMLVXjSOw&NR=1)
YouTube - RT E49 auction bennets adelaide (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDUFoJryieU&feature=related)

I guess I've driven some worn out old junk then. :p With the '60 wagon my uncle has I can replicate what the guy is doing in the video and not even steer much. :p Could this also be related to the tires that are on the car?
Possibly.. but I can't imagine that wonky tyres would affect it sooo badly, as you describe .. are we talking radials, or cacky crossplies?

Honestly I don't remember Valiants being altogether too bad in the steering dept. Not millimetre perfect R&P but still modestly precise, unlike early Falcons with their 'keep twirling' Six Turns lock-to-lock which meant that any attempt at rapid maneuvering made you feel like the proverbial caged mouse inside the exercise wheel, frantically trying to 'keep up'

I'd be looking more at the traditional Mopar front-end bugaboos. You know all the regular stuff like tired ball joints (esp lower) and tie-rod ends, pitman & idler arm, radius rod rubbers, A-arm bushes, steering box adjustment. There's not much else to a torsion bar front-end! :p Decent shockies (Koni or Monroe GT130) really helps Valiants ime. I'm not sure if American A-bodies came with a front stabiliser bar?

I love the look (http://johnwilliambarnes.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!BE3AFDE98176603D!1130.entry) of those early 'Exner' A-bodies although the wagon is definitely 'out there' with all the odd angles. We never saw the Q in Oz or the wagon, only sedans in R & S-series which were a real cult car here. I once owned a green '63 S-series manual just like this (http://www.geocities.com/pmorthen/visitors/french/visit10.html)

http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/gallery/pdf/Chrysler_Valiant_S_Series.pdf

The 6cyl Valiants here were all 225cid (until 1970-debut Hemi) and ran on 14" wheels instead of 13". Btw I see the steering box on your L/H/D A-bodies is mounted directly on the K-member, as it should. But in R/H/D ours were bolted onto the (pressed metal) chassis rail inner which is not the most ideal setup. Because when the shockies get tired on our rough roads this of course leads to continual bottoming-out. And this (over)load ends up at the steering box and typically causes the welded seam to split on the side of the rail where the box mounts onto, causing alarming metal flex and twist (including the now only semi-attached steering box!) and even worse steering vagueness to what you mention. If left ignored it really can get to diabolical levels.

[johnnynumfiv]

In that video it looks like it has Goodyear Eagle Frontrunners( Goodyear Race Tires || Eagle® Dragway Special® (http://www.racegoodyear.com/tires/dragspecial.html) ), which are supposed to be race only, so that might explain a little.

That's interesting that they mounted the boxes on the side rail. Why wouldn't they just develop another k member?