 The Dart is good for high 10s – anywhere, any time. |
GS would have sold more Hemi Darts, but a fire wiped out the showroom and the office. The service end of the operation was untouched. Norm rebuilt, and the GSS packages continued rolling—a ’69 GSS six-pack Super Bee, a ’70 GSS six-pack or Hemi Challenger Part of the GSS package included a beefed up valvetrain and oiling system, gears and traction bars. In 1971, Norm came out with the 340 six-pack Demon. The small block offered buyers significantly lower insurance premiums. In ’72, the GSS package was a Paxton-supercharged 340 Demon.
The ballgame was over in ’72 when the feds started clamping down on emissions violations, and Norm started concentrating on vans and fleet sales. He sold his interest in the business to his brother Lenny, and retired. And that would have been that.
But last year, Norm came out of retirement, and teamed up with Al Kamhi, of Blue Moon Motorsports in Longwood FL -- the same company that is building the new 1969 Baldwin-Motion Phase III Camaros for the Chevy crowd. What they’ve cooked up, is a real neat street version of the ’68 Hemi Dart that still retains the flavor of the original. The car, built to order, starts out with a ’68 Dart that is gutted and rotisserie-restored. The bod (with steel fenders) is sprayed Hurst Gold. Inside, the base car comes with a rear seat, so you can take the kiddies to the local cruise or get them hooked at an early age on 10-second G-forces. The stock gauges are restored, with added dials by Auto Meter. ‘Course, what would a Hurst Hemi Dart be without a Hurst shifter? You’ll find one on the floor sans console, ‘cuz the originals didn’t come with one.
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| Caltracs rear suspension uses split monoleaf setup with adjustable traction bars. | |
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| The 528-inch stroker Hemi dynos 727 hp. Built by Van Gordon Racing Engines, the engine uses an MP Megablock topped with Indy Legend Hemi heads. Compression is 9:1. |
Control Freaks front suspension is a complete bolt-in replacement for the stock setup. The system features upper and lower control arms, coilovers and rack and pinion steering. |