Bill Sefton’s ’68 Dart Hits the Mark
Article originally published in the December 2007 Mopar Action magazine.
Bill Sefton’s ’68 Dart hits the mark as the perfect blend of originality and cutting-edge updates.
There are A body fans and then there are A body fans that don’t flinch at dropping 20 grand for a custom independent rear suspension for a 68 Dart. That’s what you call a super fan, and that describes Bill Sefton. His collection of 85 cars includes 65 Mopars, 40 of them A-bodies in all varieties, shapes, sizes, and colors, including some that Chrysler never built. Of Sefton’s 40 A-bodies, three are the Mopar action reference restoration Mr. Norms GSS cars featured in our April 2007 issue. Two others are original 1968 superstar cars, one Dart and one Barracuda.
What A-body collection would be complete without the two Hemi under glass Barracuda?
A Primo 68 340S convertible serves as daily transportation, and there’s a new Mr. Norms GSS Dart on the way. With a collection like that, Sefton could start his Mopar magazine and put us out of business. Just add words and photos. So, yeah. 20 grand for IRS in the street Dart, no problem.
Truth be told, Sefton actually started out as a vet fan and still owns a few, even named his desert home, the red vet ranch. We won’t hold that against him. He says the vet scene turned into a snooze. Some of the vet purists frowned on his idea of a restoration, which is to rebuild the car better than the factory-made it in the first place. “Why restore the mistakes,” he asked. Just ask our copy-editing department.
Today, it’s Mopars or no car for Bill, except for the 20 or so that isn’t. Sefton says he’s become smitten by the 68 Dart, more accurately he’s become smitten by what tens of thousands of dollars can do to a 68 Dart. We were afraid to ask how many tens of thousands.
The Dart is one of a handful of cars Sefton had built by Time Machines in Hudson, Florida, and this is one of the milder ones. Remember, these are the guys who built the Viper that looks for all the world, like a 71 Cuda. See the Mopar action October 2004 for a peek at this brevity.
Sefton has owned plenty of old cars and plenty of new ones. While he’s not the first to blend new tech into old iron, he’s not afraid to spend the dough to do it right or better than right. This Dart he felt was so on target that he named it the bullseye. Sefton had to run out and rotate the tires on his collection, and that usually takes about a week. So, we talked to Mike Staveski at Time Machines to get more details.
Staveski started with an original solid Dart, which had minimal rust, even though it had come out of the Northeast. Sefton wanted a solid all-around performance clothed in a fairly conservative look; something that would easily recall the Hemi Dart SS Racer, but not a replica by any means. The initial plan called for the new 392 Hemi crepe motor, but it was not available in time. Staveski went with a trusty 5.7 using the hottest of the three comp cams bump sticks available for this motor.
Next came the injection system. What you see now is the car’s second system. The first one from an unnamed vendor turned out to be a disaster, so when this Dart debuted at Mopars at the mansion last year, it was not under its own power. Then again, Hef might have been under his own power either. With the SEMA show a week away, however, Staveski had to think fast. He shipped the car to Bob [Bream] in Phoenix, and within a few days, Bream had installed his Imagine Injection system. It looked like for a classic Weber carb set up using fast electronics, and the car was ready to rock. Staveski added the imagine valve covers too. He was so impressed with the work and the car’s performance that he’s now got a dozen or so projects in the process of getting reamed.
The imagine injection system with its velocity stacks takes in fresh air through the custom all-steel hood scoop. It seems more inspired by the 65 Mopar SS hood scoop, then the 68 Dart SS hood, but it’s not a replica of either one. Stainless works headers empty into a fully ceramic coated custom exhaust system with flow master mufflers. You can’t help but notice that the pipes go under the rear axle make those axles. The independent rear suspension was custom designed and made by Time Machines using a Viper center section and unique cantilevered horizontal shocks.
Want this set up for your car? Staveski figures others will, but probably not for the 20,000 price tag. He’s developed a less expensive version. The Dart’s front suspicion is by Alterktion and frame connectors add in strength need to handle the Hemi’s 450 ponies. The power goes through a passion for speed overdrive trainee.
In keeping with the 60s and the [inaudible] theme, Sefton’s Dart rolls on 18-inch Halibrand wheels with sinner spinners to mimic the knock off look seen on 60 sports racers such as the Cobra. You can probably tell by now that Seftons didn’t build the Dart as a quarter-mile rocket. Heck, he could’ve installed a Ray Barton built imagined injected Hemi for that. Oh wait, that’s going into his next Time Machines creation. That’s all we can say about that for now.
Instead, Sefton wanted the Dart to be an all-rounder capable of long-distance speed, comfort, and reliability. While awesome for a drag cart, tech editor Ehrenberg has misgivings about the tubularK member being a true street piece. The spaced cantilevered Hemi joint tie rods especially make him very nervous. The Alterktion website states; this product is intended for off-road use only. In terms of [style 00:07:30], there’s nothing radical outside or in. Just a bunch of well thought out classical customizing tricks along with a few surprises. The body wasn’t cut, and the interior, those stuffed with creature comforts including classic auto air AC and a mucho grande stereo retains the Dart’s no-frills feel.
Sefton drove the Dart from Arizona to Mopars at the Strip in Vegas and says the car was rock solid and comfortable while into triple-digit speeds. Even a windstorm which blew around other cars in the caravan failed to push the Dart off course. The extra weight of all the mods no doubt help there, but good suspension, tires, and steering are the major reasons.
Time Machines added plenty of interesting custom touches without tampering with the Dart’s clean design. Many of the trim and interior parts came from Layson’s Restorations in year one helping to keep the Dart original looking where it counted, but original in function, it is not. Here Sefton dropped the bucks for lots of custom touches. Time Machines fab gauges and panel for example, and the carpeted trunk houses the three amps for the 12 speaker audio system, all using Sony components. The doors opened by remote control and while some Dart builders add power windows, have you ever seen one with power rear windows? Sefton says that this might be a world first and who are we to argue? Somebody called Guinness.
Outside, the Dart’s body has been shaved clean. The gas filler was relocated to the trunk, and with remote controlled doors, there’s no need to door handles. The coolest exterior touch might be the airbrushing by JMZ Air Studios in Hudson, Florida, run by air brushers to the stars, Jame Kunzinger. He applied the bullseye theme to the tech and speedo centers, as well as the rear panels and the side markers. Look closely — the marker lights are painted in.
About Bill Sefton
William (Bill) Sefton is an avid car collector and successful entrepreneur. For the majority of his life, he was founder and president of his company located in Naperville, Illinois until he retired. Now he spends his time between Chicago, Illinois, Florida, Arizona, and Michigan.