1970 Dodge Dart Swinger - Beyond High Impact

Sometimes, just enough isn't enough. A 340 under the hood? Too slow. A factory High Impact color? Dullsville.

When that happens, when it's time for more, what should you do? In the case of Joe Pardo's Pro Street '70 Dodge Swinger, you do a lot.

Just about two years ago, Joe found the Swinger in project-ready condition. "It was just a shell, actually," he recalls. "I had the vision of what I wanted to do with it, and six months later, I saw it."

That car had been previously owned by two of Joe's friends, who'd each given up on it for different reasons. Once Joe had it, he began the search for parts and help. "I started calling my key guys like Pete Tritiak, a former Chrysler-sponsored racer, for all my engine-building needs."

That RB engine started with a seasoned 440 block that was bored out .030 inch before Pete Tritiak added a Scat stroker crankshaft, Indy's 440-1 aluminum heads (and an Indy intake topped with a Quickfuel carburetor), MSD ignition, and a Comp Cams solid roller. Backing it is a stout 727 that's bolted up to the 500-inch Wedge's power, as is the narrowed, 4.30-geared rear end.

As for the Swinger's unibody, once it was free of its original paint, primer, and undercoating, Joe back-halved it, added a new frame from Chris Alston Chassisworks, and a set of rear tubs for the mammoth Mickey Thompsons to come. Also going on: Reilly Motorsports AlterKtion front K-member/front suspension system, which not only shaved weight off the car (compared to a stamped-steel production K-member), but also made a sturdy base for the 500-inch RB.

Inside, it's all business--just a stock steering wheel, a pair of '70 Dart buckets, a set of AutoMeter gauges, a Cheeta shifter for the modified 727, a 10-point rollcage, and Legendary's reproduction carpets and seat trim.

Outside, Joe got the Dart's original steel ready for paint, and added a hoodscoop big enough for its own area code, before the Spiess-Hecker two-stage Super Snake Green ("borrowed" from the Viper's colors) went on.

With a deadline to get it ready for 2011's Carlisle Chrysler Nationals, Joe got his '70 done just in time, making its public debut in the Reilly Motorsports booth.

It's an attention-getter wherever Joe takes it. "Everywhere I go with the car, it brings oohs and ahhs," he says. "It's definitely an eye-turner."

Fast Facts

Mopar Power

• Engine: Pete Tritiak at Clifton, NJ's Tritiak Performance built the .030-inch over 440 (now displacing 500 cubic inches) with a Scat steel stroker crankshaft, ported Indy 440-1 heads, a Comp Cams solid-roller camshaft, 12.0:1 CP Pistons on Manley rods, MSD 6AL ignition, Indy intake with a Quickfuel carburetor, with tti headers and Borla mufflers.
• Transmission: Thanks to ProTran, the manual-shift 727 boasts an ATI 8-inch 3,500 stall converter, plus a Cheetah shift kit and shifter.
• Rearend: Yeah, we know it's a narrowed 9-inch rear end with Strange axle shafts, but at least it's a fabb'ed-housing differential with a spool and 4:30 gears.

Sure Grip

• Suspension: (Front) Reilly Motorsports' AlterKtion system, with QA1 tubular coilovers (Rear) Four-link by Chris Alston Chassisworks with QA1s at each corner.
• Brakes: Wilwood four-wheel discs
• Wheels and Tires: Weld "AlumaStar" wheels wear Mickey Thompson's "big and littles" ("Big" = 31-inch-diameter steamrollers)

High Impact

• Body: Original '70 A-Body hardtop still wears its original sheetmetal and glass, along with one huge fiberglass hood scoop.
• Paint: Spiess-Hecker's Super Snake Green base/clearcoat, which Joe sprayed on in his shop's paint booth.
• Interior: Joe resto-modded the Dart's cabin with a 10-point roll bar, a custom dash with a full AutoMeter gauge set, and Legendary carpets, along with stock buckets wearing their OEM vinyl.