1968 Dart Is a Stunning Sleeper with Modern Moving Parts

Fuel-injected 408 CI stroker, full suspension upgrade and a satin paint job make this Dart a fast cruiser.

The folks at Hot Rod recently detailed the 1968 Dodge Dart shown here, owned by Dean Wallace and built by Geoff Gates of Alloy Motors. At first glance, this might look like a mild classic Mopar with a menacing paint scheme, but under the skin, this A-Body Dart is anything but classic. With a modernized 360 LA engine, a custom-built transmission and an elaborate suspension system, this car looks great, rides great and performs great in any go-fast venue, making it the ultimate cruiser that is just at home on the track.

The Beginning

Alloy Motors got a bunch of attention a few years back when he built a gorgeous gloss black 1967 Dodge Dart to serve as an advertisement for his custom capabilities. Dean Wallace saw Gates’ A-Body and decided that he wanted something like that, but with less shiny paint and greater performance capabilities, so he turned to Alloy Motors for the build.

Gates and Wallace hunted for a car that was as straight as possible and they found a 1968 Dart in Nevada. It was a clean $3,500 roller, but since they had plans for the drivetrain, their only concern was straight sheet metal and this car met their needs. The shop fixed some minor dents, sanded it and painted it in the unique satin blue paint, which was created by mixing black, white and light blue from Vintage Flatz Hot Rod paint.

After the 1968 Dart was coated in dark satin blue, satin black stripes were added to the rear end and across the front of the hood, complete with the Dart font logos from the 2013 models. The exterior was finished off with some gloss black-painted trim and bumpers, along with Chrysler “cop car style” wheels, wrapped in Mickey Thompson rubber out back for the best possible traction.

The interior was so clean when the car was purchased that it remains in near-stock form, with only some cleaning up and the addition of a touchscreen that runs the fuel injection system.

Drive Train

While this 1968 Dart looks great inside and out, the heart of this build is under the hood. This classic Mopar compact is fitted with a 360-cubic inch LA V8, but it has been equipped with headers, a modern ignition system and a modern fuel injection system, adding power and making it smoother for cruising. This engine was dyno tested before being installed and it made 445 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque.

Next, the team needed something to handle that power and Wallace demanded a manual transmission, so they turned to American Powertrain and its Chrysler A-Body Pro-Fit 5-Speed kit with a single-disc clutch. Out back, a Moser-equipped Chrysler 8.75-inch differential sends the power to the wheels with an Auburn Sure Grip and a set of 3.73 gears.

Ride Quality and Handling

Finally, with the 1968 Dodge Dart looking great inside and out, along with packing solid power, Alloy added a full Hotchkis Total Vehicle Suspension System. This system includes tubular control arms with polyurethane bushings, Fox adjustable struts and a 1.5-inch sway bar up front with Hotchkis leaf springs 1-inch Hotchkis rear sway bar and Fox shocks out back. The car currently sites two inches lower-than-stock out back and 1.5-inches up front, with the factory torsion bar system still being functional.

Also, this Dart features a Wilwood forged Superlite brake system with billet hubs, 13-inch rotors, and forged four-piston calipers under the classic-styled steel wheels.

Click here for tons more detail and pictures on this wicked 1968 Dodge Dart.

Photos: Alloy Motors

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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