I brought out my 1968 Dodge Hemi Dart to Carlisle this year and had to retell the story over and over again, so a member here asked that I put it down on paper, so here is the story as I know it.

The car was purchased by Richard Shipley out of Baltimore, MD from Mr. Norms Grand Spaulding Dodge in Chicago and transported back to Baltimore. Mr. Shipley paid $4600 for it on 6/25/68 according to the sales sheet I have and was signed by Leonard Kraus, Mr. Morms brother and business partner. When the car arrived in Balitmore it was sent over to Jack Arnew for a complete front suspension rebuild, and the engine sent out to be built. It was painted red with a gold stripe at the top and belt line and the roof was painted red with gold "speckaling". Vinyl top moldings were installed to break-up the top and body and Poison Dart was painted on the side along with a pygmy or polynesian man with a blow gun blowing darts onto the lettering. The speed shop that I assume built the engine was lettered on the trunk, Rosedale Speed Shop Baltimore Maryland and other graphics were painted on like Little Richards Auto Exchange, which was his business, and an "atom" looking symbol on the front fenders that I have not been able to find out about yet. Cragar SS wheels were added, then somewhere along the line it got aluminum slots. It was delivered with a 4-speed but got quickly changed to an automatic and ran SS/BA in the NHRA.

Richard only raced it for a couple of seasons then it went to Sam Panuty who advertised it in the National Dragster on September 4, 1970 for sale at $3800 complete race ready with a fresh engine and trans, or less without engine and trans.

It was bought by Joe DeSantis and repainted red and white with Stanton & DeSantis painted on the door and raced in Modified Eliminator. Joe owned it for approximately two seasons then it was sold to Tom Kilbourne who is from Ohio in 1973 and he only had it for a couple of seasons. He built the rear suspension to state-of-the-art specs by adding a track bar to the Dana 60 that was narrowed with short leaf springs, a four link, and wheelie bar mounts for a solid bar. He was planning on racing it in C/MP but was building other cars at the time that were successful so it never got back to the track.

This is where the trail goes cold, we know that it was moved around the country for several years and owners then finally ended-up in Kansas behind a quonset hut stripped to the bone, an old race car put out to pasture.

It was finally rescued by Reed Koepe who runs Reeds Performance in Kearney, NE who put the front suspension back together and got the fiberglass hood and fenders from Jim Kramer. Reed owned it for a short while when I got the opportunity to purchase it on my 42nd birthday 5/2/2010. I have been gathering parts for the last 9 years in anticipation of making it run again, and will eventually paint it back to it's original paint scheme as the Poison Dart!

The engine is currently being built by Bob Riggle of Hemi Under Glass fame. I was helping him out at Mopars at the Strip in 2016 when he sucked a valve on the 69 car a couple months before he rolled it with Jay Leno. As he took off the valve cover and found out he sucked a valve I started telling him I needed a pro to build my Hemi not thinking of him at the time. He stared at me funny as I kept telling my tale, then stared a little harder. That is when I realized that he might like to build my engine and asked him if he would, he said yes! I delivered my engine to him after the 2017 MATS show and will have an engine in the chassis sometime in the spring of 2018 to install for the first time since 1973!

I took it to Carlisle this year trying to find people who knew the car as it was only raced on the east coast for the first couple of years. I had quite a few people tell me they remember the car, some who worked on the car, and a gentleman that provided me the phone number for the son of Richard Shipley and I talked with him today and will be receiving more pictures and information shortly!

More pictures...

Some pics of when Joe DeSantis owned it:

Pics of when Tom Kilbourne owned it:

Car as found in Kansas:

When Reed sold it to me:

Mods, please move this to the Members Projects section, stupid is as stupid does...

Here is what she looks like at Carlisle 2017. I added 71 Dart doors that were on a Super Street race car but I do have original acid dipped doors along with reproduction light Corning glass for the windows and quarter windows. I also put on a deck lid from a 68 Dart GT along with the bumpers and a grille and headlight bezels from a 68 Dart 270 that I had laying around. The correct parts will be going on later.

Just got these pictures from Richard Shipley's son!

Just too cool! Consider yourself blessed to have an original
Hemi Dart! Sold by MR. NORMS no less!! I'm jealous...LOL!

(Jim, I was out at Reed's shop in the past...

Pretty sure I remember seeing this Dart out there...

Here is a pic while the car was at his shop...

Here is my engine mocked-up before putting it in the car to make sure everything fit...

Another pic with the Dart in the background and the Ute which is now gone, things have to be sold to afford to build this monster...

Very cool Jim! Good to see you will be bringing it back to the Poison Dart glory. The pictures his son sent will be good to have to recreate the lettering.

It was nice talking with you about your car last weekend. You have an amazing car! Don't forget to check out the "Mopar Super Stock" group on Facebook. I recieved a bunch of old photos of my SS/D; SS/DA Challenger from members of that group! I was very surprised!

Stan

So good, so envious.

nice b-day present ! [to yourself] my mother's b-day was may 2nd, but waaaaay before your time.

How do you plan on cleaning the intake manifold? Looks like a magnesium piece?

I seem to remember the "atom looking symbol" being on cars that Jack Arnew had worked on. Could be wrong though.

I will call him and ask, nice that he is still around! I have not googled how to clean magnesium yet. It got caught in the rain last year and started turning white, deposited some on the heads too!

Here's a start on the magnesium info.
http://www.roadsters.com/wheels/#Restore

I'd say bottom line is moisture and anything that holds it is the enemy

Just bought a set of carbs this weekend, have the repop linkage kit, so I will mock everything up then tear it down and try and clean it.

I talked with Jack and he doesn't have anything around that has his old symbol on it. He said his wife is a real estate agent and they have moved 14 times since the old days and pretty much lost everything along the way. He has put out feelers though to his long-time customers and hopes to find one. He said that Larry Kopp's Corvette had it on there but the pictures I have found so far are not very good to see it.

Great story!

how is progress?

Engine is still being built by Bob Riggle in Arizona, I need to contact him again as I plan on picking it up at the end of April...

Awesome story!

Very cool!

I have a pair of Cragar SS 15x8.5's with that same off set as needed on a L0/B0

I'm looking forward to seeing it more complete!

Wow, I remember the paint scheme from when Joe had it. Can't wait to see you hard work when it's done!