Now that 'Cuda and Challenger prices are through the roof, here are true-blue Mopar fans to go for their performance fix? How about this slick 1969 Dodge Dart? With all the styling cues that make its bigger brothers so striking, lus potent performance with a thundering 340 inch small block, his is a car to be respected on the street.The B5 Blue finish is a perfect Mopar hue that's back in fashion today, nd the ultra-straight flanks on the Dart wear it incredibly well. The two-stage urethane has an almost impossible shine, nd it looks sleek and slippery with a great glow in the sunlight. These guys spent a lot of money getting this car into shape, nd you'll note that the door gaps are excellent and the twin ornaments on the hood plus the bumblebee stripe give it a definite Mopar performance look. Even the grille is quite nice, he chrome has been shined up, nd a white vinyl top accentuates the Dart's forward-canted shape. A lot of these were mere grocery-getters, ut when you dress it up properly the way this one has been, t definitely has presence. Even the stance suggests speed and performance, nd the whole car looks a lot more expensive than it is.The interior is where the Dart's economy-car roots are most evident, ut that only meant that you could afford the hardware that mattered when you walked into the showroom in 1969. Nobody did big performance on a budget like Chrysler Corporation. The original bench seats have been reupholstered in two tone blue vinyl, hich looks awesome with the bright blue paint. There are also correct door panels, elatively recent carpets, nd a wide instrument panel with a full array of gauges. The steering wheel is factory original and includes a "Beep-beep" Road Runner horn button and a tachometer has been strapped to the side of the steering column where it won't block your view. The original Music Master AM radio with Mopar's favorite thumbwheel controls still lives in the middle of the dash and the back seat looks almost new. The Dart also offers a surprisingly roomy trunk, ith the one in this car featuring a new mat that fits well and gives it a clean, ell-tended look.The Dart's real claim to fame, owever, s under the hood. No need for a big block when you have a lightweight shell, ut the date-code correct 340 has been bored .060 oversize and fitted with a Mopar Performance "purple" camshaft. With a big Holley 760 4-barrel carburetor, t thumps out more than 450 horsepower. It means the light weight handling remains but there's a bunch of low-end torque and a vicious snarl from the dual exhaust, nd enough power to push this car into the mid-12s in the quarter-mile. The engine is dressed in proper Hemi Orange and wears a cool Mopar Performance dress-up kit, oo, o it certainly looks the part. It's backed by a TorqueFlite automatic built for combat and a 3.55 Sure-Grip gearset out back, s well as a set of long-tube headers and a fresh Flowmaster exhaust system. Traditional aluminum Centerlines wear 225/60/14 front and 245/60/14 rear BFGoodrich T/A radials.A very cool compact with big money spent in all the right places, acked by more than $40,000 in built costs. Forget the big names, he Dart will show them how it's done. Call today!