Randy Gunter's 1974 Dart Sport
My Dart Sport started out as a street machine and by the time I got through, it is much more than that. The 360 in the car ran pretty decent but I wanted a little more than it had to offer. I talked with Mike Miller at Miller Performance about a new motor and when all was said and done, the car now has a 408 stroker that will run with the best of them. During the rebuild of the car, Mike installed a 727 trans, ladder bars, subframe connectors.... everything the car needed to harness the extra power. In 2005 while the car was still in the working stages I had been selected to run in the inaugural Lone Star Shootout's Mopar Muscle Magazine Shootout. Things just weren't going to happen fast enough and I had to miss that event, but once the second event came around, I was ready. Once again I submitted my car and was accepted.
During the shootout, the cars are judged in a show competition first and then run against each other on the track. While the car isn't what could be considered a show car, the on track performance more than made up for it. I ran a best of an 11.41 during the shootout and had the field covered, which ultimately gave me the win.
So far, I have really enjoyed the car, I just wish it got better mileage!
Randy Gunter