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Restored 1968 Hemi Dart Is the Rarest Drag Racer of the Week

For some, drag racing is the most extreme endeavor a car can be part of. Each high-adrenaline, high-speed, high-power race lasts for an incredibly short period of time, but the satisfaction of seeing cars go head-to-head is there for much longer.
1968 Hemi Dart, restored to its former glory 16 photos
Photo: Mecum
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Over time, sanctioned drag racing has given birth not only to thrills, but also to cars so rare that it’s a miracle to stumble upon one. Like the 1968 Hemi Dart we have here.

Hemi Darts were specially prepared versions of the Dodge Dart. Prepped at the request of Chrysler by Hurst Industries specifically for drag racing, these cars, together with their Hemi Barracuda siblings, dominated the NHRA series back in the day.

In all, just 80 Hemi Darts were ever made, so seeing one on an auction website, especially in this condition, is reason enough to at least talk about it.

The car in the gallery above saw action under the guidance of racer Terry Pringle, and has recently been restored by a Texas garage called Mulder's Rods and Customs. The entire process aimed to make the car look exactly as it did back when it raced down the strips, and by the looks of it, the garage nailed it.

Riding on massive tires, the Dart features the cross-ram-design intake Race Hemi engine, 426ci in size (7.0-liters), complete with “date-code correct Holley 4-barrel carburetors on the cross-ram intake manifold, Hooker headers, A727 TorqueFlite automatic with Hurst race-design floor shift and the correct 8.75-design differential.“

The car keeps to the original design and boasts a series of modifications meant to keep the weight down, including the extensive use of fiberglass, thin doors, and backseat delete (at the front, there are Dodge A100 van seats).

As said, the car is scheduled to go under the hammer during the Mecum Indiana State Fairgrounds auction in Indianapolis still scheduled to take place in May.
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Editor's note: The Indianapolis auction has been postponed to June on account of the coronavirus pandemic.

About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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