CLINT BRUNNER explains he is still dialling-in his setup on the Dart and has yet to make an optimum pass with the car – “it is certainly nowhere near ‘Set to Kill’ as of yet”. That said, his best ET to date is an impressive 9.17 @146 shifting at just @ 6,700 rpm.
“I’ve never had a car that could wheel-stand as much as this”.
In 2017 CLINT BRUNNER of Sioux Falls, South Dakota had just purchased an original, numbers matching ’68 Hurst LO23 Hemi Dart S/S.
The original owner of the Dart was Dick Smith from Farmington Michigan who was a contract racer for Town and Country Dodge in MI (scroll down for a picture of Dick putting the hurt on the famous Harrell/Gibb ZL1 Camaro). Clint bought the car from Jim Keyes who had owned it after buying it from Dick in 1973. Clint was determined to enjoy the car, have fun with it, take it regularly to the track to run in it just for exhibition and fun – so he pulled original engine to keep safe…
Only three years earlier Clint had a HEMI engine built by Tim Banning at For Hemis Only to put in his ‘67 GTX and he was so impressed by Tim’s work he enlisted him again to this time build factory looking HEMI – albeit with some extra punch for his Dart and using the Keith Black Street HEMI® platform for laying down some serious power.
- Keith Black Street HEMI® engine block
- 604 cu.in. naturally aspirated
- 14.5 :1 compression
- Stage V Engineering Millenium Heads
- Heads CNC ported by For Hemis Only using proprietary programs
- Stage V Engineering Valvetrain
- Roller cam
- 950 hp @ 7000rpm
- A & A Transmissions built 727 Torqueflite transmission
- 5000 stall converter
- 10.5:1 compression
- 4.10 Dana 60, and a 32″ rear tire
Today Clint is a highly regarded Dermatologist and skin cancer specialist in SD and has been a car guy all his life. His Dad was the original owner of a 1970 Dodge Charger (..ahem.. what a cool car for your Dad to have when growing up!). Later when Clint started high-school he pulled his Dad’s Charger out of storage and got to work with adding headers, a grown-up camshaft, and of course as we all know the list goes on.
Clint explains he is still dialling-in his setup on the Dart and has yet to make an optimum pass with the car – “it is certainly nowhere near ‘Set to Kill’ as of yet”. That said, his best ET to date is an impressive 9.17 @146 shifting at just @ 6,700 rpm.
“I’ve never had a car that could wheel-stand as much as this”.
Mopars are very close to Clint’s heart and his Dart is certainly a rare piece of history. Clint’s three sons have all inherited their horsepower addiction from him – with two of them drag competing against each other with a ’67 Mustang Fastback and ‘68 Dodge Charger.
Clint and his family mostly race at Thunder Valley Dragway in Marion, South Dakota and often race twice a month in summer so they’re pretty active. Clint, when your car is fully dialled-in we’re expecting to see you in the 8.80-8.90 range shifting at ~7,000 rpm.
Please keep us up to date on this car it is an absolute work of art!