The photo galleries linked below follow the 1970 "Poison Dart" restoration project, public shows and displays.
Descriptions of the project are provided by Jimi Day, owner of Imagine Motorsports.
The Poison Dart update from Imagine Motorsports (April - May, 2005) Photos
"...Rather than a traditional ecoating process, we decided to go through the unprecedented process of having the car powdercoated, then we applied another layer of powder and clear coat to the undercarriage and interior in the actual body paint color. This is a first in the custom automotive industry! In addition to sealing the surface and preventing corrosion for longer than any of us will be around, the powdercoat gains us an unbelievable amount of durability and the finish is phenominal. We are the first to attempt this process and photographers were present to document the procedure."
Popular Hot Rodding Magazine photographs The Poison Dart - Milwaukee, WI (June 2005) Photos
The Poison Dart, owned by Richard "The Bird" Wies and built by Imagine Motorsports was photographed by enthusiast magazine Popular Hot Rodding, a Primedia publication. Noted automotive photographer and former NBA star Jim McIlvane came to Milwaukee with the specific task of capturing the Poison Dart for the readers of Popular Hot Rodding.
"This car really makes a statement and you're going to see a lot of people paying more attention to Dodge Darts" said McIlvane. "It's nice to see somebody do something out of the ordinary and do it right and to this level of quality."
The Poison Dart was shot in the gritty industrial Menominee Valley, near Miller Park and was captured in motion across the new 6th Street bridge against a brilliant sunset. Day two found the Dart in the tranquil setting of St. Rita's church in Racine Wisconsin for detail shots of the engine, interior and trunk. The proofs of the photo shoot turned out great, so look for The Poison Dart in an upcoming issue of PHR.
Thanks go out to the many sponsors and build partners that made the project possible. The Poison Dart has received rave reviews at all the shows this year and is proving to be a significant vehicle to the automotive enthusiast market. Be sure to visit www.imaginemotorsports.com for a more detailed look at The Poison Dart. The media page lists the show schedule for Imagine Motorsports and The Poison Dart, so don't miss your chance to see it in person.
The Poison Dart completes HOT ROD Power Tour (June 2005) Photos
Imagine Motorsports and The Poison Dart have just completed the HOT ROD Magazine Power Tour 2005. The Dart made it's debut in Milwaukee, WI on Saturday June 4th and made subsequent stops in Springfield, Il, Indianapolis, IN, Nashville, TN, Birmingham, AL, Tallahassee, FL and finally Kissimmee, FL. The Poison Dart received great reviews and comments even though a small electrical problem kept it from being driven to all the stops.
The tour was a great success and we enjoyed meeting a lot of new friends as well as seeing many folks we met last year. The weather cooperated for the most part, although HOT was the prevailing theme from day-to-day. The skies opened up in Birmingham, dumping almost two inches of rain in about 1.5 hours. We nearly wore out a chamois the last few days drying the cars between showers.
The Dart was chosen to be one of about ten cars for a HOT ROD Magazine event shot that was staged in Nashville. Other cars in the shot included Jay Leno's Toronado and MSD's 55 Chevy. Look for coverage of the event in an upcoming issue of HOT ROD magazine.
The Poison Dart is scheduled to appear in two weeks at the St. Ignace Car Show and Collector Vehicle Festival with our friends from Goodyear. The Dart will be one of the features in their display. Following that, it is scheduled to appear at Chrysler's at Carlisle and then the Car Craft Summer Nationals in St. Paul, MN.
We hope to get a chance to see all of you at one of the upcoming shows. If we haven't already met in person, please take a moment to introduce yourself to us and take a close look at the Dart. We really appreciate all the help and support of our friends and sponsors - we could not do this without you! Visit our website at www.imaginemotorsports.com to see more coverage of the HOT ROD Power Tour and to see our show schedule for the rest of the year.
Goodyear Racing features The Poison Dart - St. Ignace, Michigan (June 2005) Photos
Goodyear Racing featured The Poison Dart owned by Richard "The Bird" Wies and built by Imagine Motorsports at this year's St. Ingace Car Show and Collector Vehicle Display.
This was the 30th Anniversary of the St. Ignace Show and folks turned out in mass to see more than 2500 collector cars on display in the quaint Lake Michigan tourist village. Although officially a one day event, the enthusiasts and spectators started arriving on Thursday to take in the spectacle which consisted of a parade of show cars on both Thursday and Friday nights. The streets were shut down on Saturday morning for the official event. The crowd was estimated at over 65,000 this year.
"We're always looking for a standout car to put in our display" said Adam Bissey, marketing executive for Goodyear Racing. "It helps draw people into the display and connects our name directly to the enthusiast market we are trying to reach." The Poison Dart features Goodyear's top-of-the-line F1 Supercar performance radials.
Goodyear and Imagine Motorsports will team up later in the year as The Poison Dart will once again be featured in the Goodyear Racing display at The Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise on August 20th.
Powertrain
Engine: Chrysler HEMI - bored and stroked to 528 CID, tuned port Holley EFI w/NOS generating 750+ HP
Transmission: Bowler Performance 4L80E four speed automatic
Rearend: Heidt’s fully independent suspension with Ford 9”, 3.50:1 gears, positraction, custom made half shafts and inboard disc brakes
Chassis
Frame: Chrysler unibody with Schwartz frame connectors
Suspension: Reilly Motorsports custom Alter-K-tion w/tubular A arms and polished coil-over shocks
Brakes: Front – SSBC Force 10 Extreme 4 piston calipers w/curved vane Turbo slotted 13” rotors
Rear – inboard mounted 4 piston calipers w/10.5” rotors
Wheels: Kinesis K58 18” anodized Front – 18 x 8 Rear – 18 x 10
Tires: Front - 245/45 - 18 Rear – 295/35 - 18
Style
Body: Pro-touring two-door hardtop, smoothed and flush fit w/carbon fiber accents
Paint: PPG Vibrance collection – custom two-tone
Interior: Heritage Dodge Dart w/leather seats and trim, Flaming River steering wheel, Eclipse audio system, Vintage Air
Design and Build Partners
Imagine Motorsports, Pfaff Digital Renderings & Designs; Schwartz Extreme Performance; Authentic Automotive
Sponsors
Holley, Hooker, Optima Batteries, PPG, Year One, Be Cool, Stainless Steel Brakes, Twist Machine, Hydratech Braking Systems, Glide Engineering, Advanced Plating, Heidt’s Hot Rods, Bowler Performance Transmissions, Reilly Motorsports, Kinesis Motorsport, Flaming River, Prototype Techniques, Fuel Safe, Gorilla Powdercoating, Imperial Blasting, Classic Instruments
Photos and text used by permission and are subject to appropriate copyrights of their owner(s). |
