1968 Dodge Dart GTS 440

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Approximately 650 '68 and '69 Dodge Darts were equipped with a 440-cid V-8 engine through a program where Chrysler sent the engines to Hurst-Campbell, Inc. for installation. This beastly machine epitomized the extreme muscle car era. Check out more images of classic muscle cars. ©2007 Publications International, Ltd.

Every street racer dreams of rolling up in a seemingly ordinary car and leaving flashy muscle cars in the dust. The Dodge Dart GTS 440 turned that fantasy into reality for one daring driver. It’s a story worth verifying.

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The 1968 Dart GTS, powered by a standard 340-cid V-8, proudly joined Dodge’s Scat Pack, a lineup of high-performance vehicles. Rated at 275 bhp, it could hit mid-14-second quarter miles at 99 mph. While the optional 383 V-8 offered 335 bhp, its added weight made it only marginally faster than the lighter 340.

Despite this, some Mopar enthusiasts couldn’t resist installing a 440-cid V-8. Around 650 '68 and '69 Darts were equipped with the big-block Magnum, which was often modified post-installation to exceed its factory 375-bhp rating. A batch of 48 '68 GTS models underwent similar conversions.

Dodge sent 383-spec Darts (without powertrains) and factory-prepared 440 engines to Hurst-Campbell, Inc., a Michigan-based aftermarket firm. Hurst-Campbell performed the conversions, Dodge representatives inspected them, and the cars were sent to Grand Spaulding Auto Sales in Chicago, a Dodge dealer specializing in performance vehicles. These cars received VINs but were excluded from factory warranties.

With added front weight and no power steering (due to space constraints), 440 Darts were best suited for straight-line speed. The setup was so appealing that a thief stole Car and Driver’s brand-new, bright blue 440 Dart test car from a New York parking spot.

In its October 1969 issue, the magazine detailed the theft, noting that the Dart quickly reappeared "on a local street racing strip and dominated. Disguised in light gray primer...it outperformed a pair of locally famous Corvettes."

The thief was eventually caught at New York National Speedway, where the Dart was humbling its competition. Fittingly, it was competing in the dragway's "Hot Car" category.

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The 1968 Dodge Dart GTS 440

Specifications

Wheelbase, inches: 111.0

Weight, lbs: 3,600

Number built: 48

Base price: $4,000

Standard Engine

Type: ohv V-8

Displacement, cid: 440

Fuel system: 1 x 4bbl.

Compression ratio: 10.1:1

Horsepower @ rpm: 375 @ 4600