1970 Dodge Dart

ESTIMATE: $52,000 to $65,000

Principal Use: Driven Show Car

Conditional Grade: Better Than New

Overall Originality: Highly Modified

By definition, a Muscle Car is a lightweight body matched with a big motor. The 1970 Dodge Dart, weighing 2,840 pounds, mated to a 500 cubic inch, 850 horsepower engine is the ultimate expression of that ideal. The 500 Cubic Inch wedge was built by Pete Tritak of Tritak Performance of War Wagon and Car Craft Hemi Cuda drag racing fame. The rest of the car was built by professional builder and body man, Joe Pardo. Joe creates some of the slickest Pro-Street and Pro-Touring beasts we’ve had the pleasure to drive. The workmanship and parts-matching talents rival any found on the national show circuit. Stunning, tasteful, and goes like hell, his 30+ years of building and racing experience show in both the design and execution of this beautiful beast.

EXTERIOR

Any good custom car design is emotionally evocative, yet still looks as if the factory produced it. Often times, you would have a hard time knowing what is factory and what is custom, unless the original and the custom were parked side by side. This 1970 Dart high impact green, but pulls a modern Dodge color from the last generation Viper. The body is keeps the factory lines while accommodating a tubbed rear section. The car was soda blasted, taken down to bare metal, painted and polished throughout. The floor-pans have the same show car sheen as the roof. All the stainless trim has been polished to new condition; all the weather stripping is new. All the glass in the entire car is also new. The headlights are new and the headlight bezels have re-chromed.

Modern bonding agents, like those used in ultra-light and ultra-strong modern supercars were employed to keep this Dart tight and light. The stance is low with just a slight forward rake, giving it the look of going fast while standing dead still. The paint and body work is on par with any you'd find on a Good Guy's or World of Wheel's award winning car.

INTERIOR

The interior looks and smells new. Just as with the rest of the car, the builder was thorough throughout the interior. All new soft trim and cushions were fitted to the front seats. The back wheel tubs are paint is the same factory semi flat black as the rest of the interior metals. The 10 point roll-cage is tastefully integrated into the cabin. The steering wheel and door panels are stock. The stock dash-pad houses a custom crafted gauge bezel fitted with white faced Autometer gauges. The center console serves as the throne for the gated Cheetah SCS “Touch Command” Shifter. The overall effect is one that ultra-clean, perhaps the way Mopar would have delivered it as a factory drag package in 1970.

ENGINE BAY

Normally cartoonish and cramped, the giant wedge is a diamond, gleaming in a Viper green jewelry box of this Dart- a testament to the quality of workmanship and artistic eye of the builder. The legendary Pete Tritak of Tritak Performance made magic with this 440 stroker. Stroked and poked to 500 cubic inches, the monstrous Mopar mill is made for the severe duty of 8 second runs, making as much as 850 horsepower. The goodies in this full roller include Manley connecting rods, JE Pistons, Comp solid roller cam and roller lifters. The 1090 CFM 2 circuit quick fuel carb mixes the 93 octane with a “Big Gulp” of air from the Super Stock hood. The port-matched Indy intake drives the concoction down the Indy 44-1 CNC raised heads. Spent gasses are passed through TTI headers and a full length, custom fabricated 3” exhaust.

CHASSIS

Power with control would make this stroker powered monster just another smoking noise maker. This job was left to two of the top names in custom car suspension, Reilly Motors Sports and Chris Alston's Chassis Work. The Pete Tritak 500 seems to float above the RMS AlterKtion coil-over front end, adding both artistry and performance to the car. The Chris Alston FAB9 rear center section keeps the 4.30:1 cogs contained, sending the twist through the 35 spline axle shafts all the way out to a pair Weld wheels and Mickey Thompson Drag Radials wider than a Montana Sky. An Alston four link suspension set-up keep the tires to the ground and the Dart tracking missile fast toward its target.

BUILD HIGHLIGHTS

* Tritak Performance built 440 Wedge Stroked to 500 Cubic Inches

* Fully Rollerized 727 Torqueflite w/Aluminum Drum

* 8" ATI Torque Converter

* RMS Coil Over Front Suspension

* Chris Alston FAB9 Rear End, 4.30:1

* Chris Alston Four Link Rear Suspension

* Four Wheel Disc Brakes by Wilwood

* Weld Wheels

* Mickey Thompson Drag Radials