Original hemi dart information

[Charlie A]

Originally Posted by Tom Broome

If I may, I'll add a little more about the wheelwell trim on the Landy cars.
I was in the teardown barn at Indy sometime in the later 70's tearing down a SS/AA car that I maintained. We did not win class, but had qualified for the eliminator, earning a teardown. The SS/AA winner and runner up arrived, one of them was Max Hurley. There was a significant commotion around Max's car even before they started getting the engine apart. Very shortly a Chrysler representative shows up at our car with a West Coast tech man in tow. Tech man is told to ask me what the wheelbase is on a SS Dart. He does, and I answer 111 inches. Tech man argues with me about that, says the factory super stockers were 108 like the Barracudas. He knows that because back in 1968 Dick Landy told him so, and all of Landy's Darts were 108. My reply was Max had owned his car all of these years and pretty much every other Dart was 111 inches why did you let Landy decide your specs.
They wanted to throw Max out for too long wheelbase.
It was common knowledge at the time that the rear wheelwell trim on Dick Landy's Darts (and other Landy cars also) were to cover his modified wheelbase.
The line about cut hands, and keeping the cars looking sharp for sponsors was just the smokescreen.

Somebody put a tape measure on one of Landys old Darts ! If true.... That's some pretty good stuff right there! Lol

[SSSwede]

So... moving the rear axle forward 3" will put this tire pretty much flush to the front lower wheel well lip. Add to that another 1" or so (+clearance), for the taller slicks used. This 7,75X15 tire (Jim Schild´s SS Guide) is some 27" (my remark) tall.
And no modification done to the inner lower wheel well?
Go figure...

[Tom Broome]

Originally Posted by SSSwede

So... moving the rear axle forward 3" will put this tire pretty much flush to the front lower wheel well lip. Add to that another 1" or so (+clearance), for the taller slicks used. This 7,75X15 tire (Jim Schild´s SS Guide) is some 27" (my remark) tall.
And no modification done to the inner lower wheel well?
Go figure...

I agree, it seems extreme. I'm only relating the conversation I was involved in. The Tech Dept. keyed off on the longer than expected wheelbase because a few weeks earlier they caught Dave Wren's SS/D Barracuda with some kind of sliding wheelbase system. The system was caught because the wheelbase (when checked) was longer than stock, yet the tires clearly rubbed the front of the (distant) wheel openings.
Allow me to relay another story of the creativity of those times.
In the early 70's I went with another friend to pick up his SS Dart at the paint shop, during the paint process they naturally removed all of the glass and trim, breaking the windshield. Everyone thought that would not be an issue, the door glasses were the important pieces. When they went to install a new windshield the bare glass, without the gasket, overlapped the windshield pillars. The body shop was adamant that they wouldn't have broken the original windshield if it had not been single ply. It was only the outer layer of a laminated windshield, cut and polished to fit the opening.
I filed that info away, and I will swear that I never used that one again. Who would dare not run safety glass in a race car.
I do not know where the modifications to that car were done, or who did it. He brought that SS Dart, and one other, with him when he moved back East from California.

[Terry Witzel]

[Terry Witzel]

[Liteweight]

Tom Broome. Hey welcome here!!!. Always good to get new blood on this thread

I gotta disagree with with the words coming from that tech dude from days gone by. 3" is a helluva lot to move wheelbase for it to go unnoticed by someone. Games were always played by racers specially word games but when push comes to shove, I doubt the wheelbase was changed here. I have many dozens of pics of Landys cars,specially his Darts. Both the Auto and the stick car, & I just spent a lengthy time looking at them trying to see on at least one pic where this was evident. Not one pic shows that. And I know these cars pretty good.
I owned the Landy stick Hemi Dart for awhile back in the 90's. I had Dick over at my place going through stuff on it and his other Darts, & this never came up in the conversations.Spoke with him on several occasions after that with same outcome.
I don't own that car anymore, but I still have the original quarter panels from it hanging in my garage.
The windshield deal did come up tho, and Dick did in fact use the single layer glass in his cars at one time.

The pics below are only a couple I have of the 2 Darts and there is no way the axles are moved.

liteweight

[HEMIDARTDAVE]

"MR ED" is happy to be back to his original 4 speed configuration. Just a few more details to complete.

[marfen]

Mr Ed looking good. Looks like same shifter boot I used. I just cut a small hole for the reverse lockout to go through.

[HEMIDARTDAVE]

Originally Posted by marfen

Mr Ed looking good. Looks like same shifter boot I used. I just cut a small hole for the reverse lockout to go through.

Thanks Dave. I was at a meet the other weekend and got to meet and talk to Gene O'Neil.

[Liteweight]

Originally Posted by HEMIDARTDAVE

"MR ED" is happy to be back to his original 4 speed configuration. Just a few more details to complete.

Excellant to hear Dave.!!!!
Have fun rowin' em. Your going to be busy....lol


liteweight