With 360 power and a few tweaks,...
With 360 power and a few tweaks, Vince has gone 14.7 at 98 mph in the LA Dart. Vince prides himself on having such a detail-accurate engine bay, down to the appropriate heat shield for the master cylinder.
The curiosity surrounding the car was remarkable. Vince began taking home trophy after trophy at car shows and events he was attending, all while using it as a daily driver and keeping it in great shape. "I love the fact that people come up to me and tell me they have never even seen one of these," he says. "People even think I had the sunroof custom-installed!" One of the more comical moments came when Vince won the award for Best Custom Interior at a car show. "I thanked Chrysler for its design."
To date, Vince's Hang 10 has over 250,000 miles on it. What's more incredible is that it is only his second car, and he's cared for it with such regularity that it doesn't look it one bit. Sure, there are a few battle scars over the years, but that's what happens with a work in progress. Vince jokes around that the restoration has taken him 29 years and will keep going. His garage is filled with restoration parts and every item you could imagine to keep the Dart on the road in excellent mechanical order.
The future of this Hang 10 only involves preservation. Vince tells us that he has plans to restore the interior and possibly put the car on the rotisserie to have it repainted. That's going to be a tough thing to accomplish since they no longer make the Hang 10 decals, but he's found a few ways around that in the past. In the time being, Vince continues to drive the car nearly every day and attends as many shows as he can when he's not on call as an A/C service technician. One thing is clear about this ultra-rare A-Body: It's a unique piece of Mopar history and it's a cool example of a special package available back in the groovy '70s.
The nose decal is standard,...
The nose decal is standard, but Vince added the twin-scoop hood.
Vince Dmuchowski, Sarasota, Florida
Mopar Power
- Engine: With over 250,000 miles, the LA has certainly been rebuilt. Racing Head Service put together a dependable combination to get Vince back on the road and stay there for another quarter-million miles. Speed Pro pistons, Chrysler H-beam rods, and a balanced Chrysler crankshaft make up the rotating assembly. The rebuild increased displacement to 366 cubic inches. The rest of the internals are mostly new stock-style parts, including the cam and cast iron heads. Vince has dedicated many hours to ensuring that his Thermoquad carburetor is in tip-top shape at all times. It's through his close scrutiny of all the mechanical parts that his Dart has been on the road for so long.
- Transmission: USA Transmission in Bradenton, Florida, rebuilt the 727 automatic with a B&M 2,800-stall converter and shift kit, and Vince added a large Police cooler later on. It's shifted with a Pistol Grip handle.
- Rearend: An 8 1/4-inch rearend with 3.21 gears and Sure-Grip differential.
Sure-Grip
- Suspension: Over the years Vince has added thicker front and rear sway bars, new leaf springs, and gas shocks. He says that the biggest improvements came from the polyurethane bushings and Firm Feel power steering box. He has also found that by using extended length Chrysler Imperial shocks in the rear, wheel hop is eliminated.
- Brakes: Stock power 10.98-inch discs in front and cast iron drums in the rear.
- Wheels and Tires: Stock 15x7 Chrysler Rallye Wheels with 225/60R15 Bridgestone Potenza radials.
High Impact
- Paint/Body: In 1986, the now defunct Burke's Body Shop in Sarasota, Florida, resprayed the Hang 10 in Eggshell White. Vince added Direct Connection front and rear spoilers and a twin-scoop fiberglass hood. He even modified a set of front and rear aluminum Dart Lite bumper supports to fit his standard Duster. This saved around 80 pounds.
- Interior: International Auto Upholstery in Sarasota recovered the seats, and Vince has maintained the dash and interior panels.
When's the last time you saw...
When's the last time you saw a Direct Connection Performance Timer?
Without the subwoofer in the...
Without the subwoofer in the way, the fold-down rear seat allows expanded rear cargo capacity for a surfboard.