mod@tech

In the context of late-1960s muscle cars, the Dodge Charger and Coronet get a lot of attention from enthusiasts. But there was a “mini Mopar” that, when properly equipped, had plenty of get-up-and-go. Featured on AutoHunter is a 1967 Dodge Dart GT Convertible listed by a dealer in St. Louis, Missouri. The auction will end on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at 12:30 p.m. (PDT).

Rolling on Chrysler’s A-platform, the compact Dart (in this case, from the 1967-76 generation) was known for being versatile and lightweight. Some Darts were relatively pedestrian in form and function, while others were formidable players in the muscle-car segment. The unibody Dart enjoyed a modest power-to-weight advantage over traditional body-on-frame cars.

The light blue exterior of this Dart has fully restored trim and GT badging. Features include fender-mounted turn signal indicators, driver-side mirror, power-retractable top, and Rally wheels with BFGoodrich Radial T/A tires.

The Dodge brand officially got its start in 1914, and some of the company’s marketing materials in the 1960s celebrated the brand’s 50-plus years in business. One advertisement said, “How dare it be so dashing? The Dart is a car meticulously-engineered, from its deep-chromed bumper to its sumptuous interior trim, by the internationally acclaimed Chrysler Corporation. By all means, buy a Dart for its style and verve. By all means forget its dependable fifty-year reputation. You can be sure that Dodge won’t.”

This Dart’s cabin has black vinyl upholstery and newer carpeting. Amenities include bucket seats, console, power steering, and hidden stereo with kick panel-mounted speakers.

Under the hood is a four-barrel-carbureted 340ci V-8 mated to a TorqueFlite 727 three-speed automatic transmission and a 2.94:1 rear end.

The Dart was unique for its all-around versatility, since it could “wear multiple hats” depending on how it was optioned (economy car, family-hauler, weekend drag-racer). This convertible with its restored paint, robust V-8, and rocking stereo is a compelling ride for Mopar fans, and it will probably be less common at shows and cruises than its big brother, the Charger.

The auction for this 1967 Dodge Dart GT Convertible ends on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at 12:30 p.m. (PDT).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

Do you find yourself growing as an enthusiast? Or are you stuck in your old ways and enjoying that? Some of us get hung up on the past, complaining about how no good music is made anymore, while others evolve into having more texture and depth to their Pinterest page. Our Pick of the Day may be for the latter group: This 1968 Plymouth Road Runner hardtop is currently listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Louisville, Ohio.

The 1968 Plymouth Road Runner could be considered the model that ushered in Muscle Car Era 3.0 (with 1.0 being early muscle and 2.0 being the Pontiac GTO). If you take a look at old road tests like this GTO, 427 Galaxie 500/XL, and Coronet R/T, none of the cars were affordable to the kid bagging groceries at the local Pantry Pride. Spurred by the advice of automotive journalist/assassin Brock Yates soon after the introduction of the 1967 GTX, Plymouth bosses ran with a concept that would attract enthusiasts 18-20 years old: The performance car needed to be affordable for buyers and cheap for Plymouth, and it had to be ready for a September 1967 introduction.

Plymouth’s ad agency created a list of names for the new model, but it was product planner Gordon Cherry who came up with the Road Runner idea after seeing his kids watch the popular cartoon. His boss (and leader of the project), Jack Smith, registered the name with the Automobile Manufacturers Association, then consulted with Warner Brothers. As the road runner was a bird in the public domain, Warner Brothers was cornered as it did not have enough wiggle room to shop its cartoon bird to other manufacturers. Smith claimed the rights cost $40-50,000 at the time.

Budget constraints dictated the Road Runner’s components needed to come from the parts bin as much as possible. Thanks to updated heads, the 383 four-barrel was able to increase its horsepower from 325 to 330; a more aggressive camshaft was implemented to up the horses another five. The cherry on top was the bright idea to have a horn that mimicked the cartoon Road Runner. One of the suppliers had a horn that did a fine job sounding like the animated bird, but that cost an expensive $45 per unit; it was a heavy-duty item for a military-spec amphibious vehicle, so Smith asked the supplier to decontent the horn. This resulted in a horn that cost only 40 cents more than the Belvedere’s horn — all that was needed otherwise was a new mounting bracket.

When the Road Runner was introduced, it was only available as a pillared coupe (with pop-out rear-quarter windows). In January, a hardtop was introduced to create even more mass appeal for what was turning out to be a remarkably successful model. In fact, the Road Runner was turning into a disruptor: Plymouth built more than 44,000 units. While it was far from the numbers of the best-sellers in the market (Pontiac GTO and Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396), the Road Runner would lead to several me-too responses for 1969, if not become the #2 seller (and within less than 2,000 units from the Chevy) in the segment.

This 1968 Plymouth Road Runner hardtop is the mid-year model, so it’s one of 15,334 built. In 1972, the original owner sold it and, within a year, the new owner repainted it the scheme you see here. The original owner bought it back several years later, not knowing that this was his original car. Then he passed away, leading to almost five decades of storage until 2022. “The motor and transmission are original numbers-matching to the car,” says the seller. “The motor was pulled out and overhauled since it hadn’t been started in 49 years. Heads were gone over with bronze guides, and a Mopar Performance purple camshaft was added.” The 727 TorqueFlite connects the power to the 3.55 rear end “The odometer shows about 56,000 miles to the car,” adds the seller.

Yes, I am one of those guys who has always been a purist at heart, but as I’ve grown older, my tastes have evolved and I have more appreciation for the things that used to repel me. Maybe I haven’t warmed up to modern music, but I’ve warmed up to cars like this $68,900 Road Runner. Take it to Autorama and watch the public drool in amazement.

Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com

Sometimes you don’t need a plan for things to happen. As I always do for Car Connections, I had the Random Word Generator produce three words, which I then related to cars in some way. After I did that, I realized there was a theme to all my responses. This week’s words are seal, register, and cottage. Keep reading to find out the theme. How would you associate these words with cars? Tell us in the Comments section below.

Seal: Many seals are gray. Hmmm … seal gray — make that Seal Grey Metallic, a color that Porsche offered on the 996 generation of the 911, which produced the 2004 GT3 you see above. You can learn more about it on ClassicCars.com.

Register: As in cash. Cash here in the United States is green (and white). A recent Pick of the Day, a 1999 Jeep Wrangler Sahara, has Dark Green and Camel Trailcloth seats. Those made me think of the ZJ Grand Cherokee Orvis Edition’s saddle tan and moss green leather interior.

Cottage: Cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is white. White, eh? That makes me think of Ermine White, a Chevrolet color. One Chevy that looks great in white, especially with a red interior, is the C4 Corvette — just look at this Arctic-White-over-Red ’92 convertible on ClassicCars.com.

During my trip to the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals in Chicago, I rented a car and drove with my bud Alan Munro to South Bend, Indiana. It’s an easy two-hour trip to visit the Studebaker National Museum, which is a more interesting attraction than any Notre Dame gridiron game (RIP Lou Holtz).

Even when I was a kid, I knew Studebakers were special. I remember seeing a Hawk in Rehoboth Beach when I was eight, and a babysitter’s friend had a 1964 sedan that earned him this response when he visited a mechanic: “Don’t call it a car — it is an automobile.” I had several occasional Avanti (or Avanti II) sightings throughout my youth and, when I started buying magazines, Raymond Loewy seemed to be mentioned constantly and with reverence.

Studebaker was never a first-tier interest for me, but the company that once was America’s oldest automobile manufacturer always commanded respect. Fast-forward to around 2000 and several die-hards of the Studebaker Drivers Club showed up at the Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race and educated the masses on the performance potential of the 289 and 304.5ci V-8s.

Clearly, it was high time to visit this South Bend homage to automotive history.

The Studebaker National Museum is more than just cars, as the facility shares space with The History Museum. Over there, you’ll find exhibits like Rockne: Life & Legacy, Great Lakes Shipwrecks, and more pertaining to local and regional interests. But let’s not forget that Studebaker built buggies well before cars appeared on the radar. As such, the Studebaker National Museum is as much about American history as it is about automobiles.

Below you can find photos that cover all three floors of the Studebaker National Museum, plus an extra from the Knute Rockne exhibit as Studebaker built a vehicle named after the football great. This museum is mandatory for anyone interested in automotive, industrial, or Indiana history — visit www.studebakermuseum.org for information.

Right now on AutoHunter, you can find this 1977 Ford Bronco restomod, which is powered by a third-generation Ford Coyote 5.0-liter V-8 paired with a 6R80 six-speed automatic transmission and dual-range transfer case. Highlights include hydroboost power steering and brakes, lift kit, and Ford nine-inch rear end. Finished in Area 51 blue over a charcoal gray leather and patterned cloth interior, this updated first-generation Bronco build comes from the selling Las Vegas dealer with a clear title.

If you’re familiar with modern Fords, the Area 51 paint shouldn’t be alien to you because it’s a color that was previously offered on the current generation of the Bronco. The hue is complemented by charcoal gray bumpers and trim. Exterior features include LED headlights, manual locking front hubs, dual mirrors, tinted windows, AMP Research power running boards, roll cage, rear-mounted swing-away spare tire carrier, and single exhaust outlet. The video below shows a full exterior and interior tour of the vehicle.

As part of the extensive series of modifications, the wheels and tires were upgraded to 15-inch black steel wheels with 33-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires.

The cabin is outfitted with charcoal gray leather leather bucket (front) and bench (rear) seating with gray and white patterned cloth inserts. Interior features include power windows with manual-style cranks, tilt steering column with billet control knobs, hydroboost power steering, gray and white patterned floor mats, aftermarket climate control, and Bluetooth-compatible Pioneer AM/FM/CD radio concealed in an Icon center console. The glove box contains a Centech Wiring fuse panel and US Shift Quick 6 stand-alone transmission controller.

A Dakota Digital combination gauge houses a 120-mph speedometer, 8,000-rpm tachometer, and battery, fuel, temperature, and oil pressure gauges. The digital odometer shows 820 miles, but this rig is mileage-exempt, according to its title.

Under the hood, the original 302 was replaced with a third-generation Ford Coyote 5.0-liter V-8. The original transmission was replaced with a 6R80 six-speed automatic. Power reaches the rear or all four wheels through a dual-range transfer case with a twin-stick setup, which offers independent control of both axles and a low-range setting for just the rear end.

Additional upgrades include Rhino Linings underbody coating, steering stabilizer, Dana 44 front axle, nine-inch Ford rear end, lift kit, and Bilstein shocks. Hydroboost power four-wheel disc brakes keep this Bronco from running wild.

If you’re wild about this Coyote-powered 1977 Ford Bronco restomod, bid on it now before the auction ends on Thursday, March 12, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. (PDT).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

Ever wanted to get your hands on a police-spec muscle car? Your time has come. The Pick of the Day is a 1994 Chevrolet Camaro B4C SSP coupe listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“Original owner; this vehicle is in showroom condition,” the listing says.

While largely unassuming from the exterior, there is something special going on behind the scenes with this fourth-generation Camaro. Or should we say, “Cop-maro.”

The B4C Special Service Package (SSP) consisted of high-performance equipment that was usually reserved for police pursuit vehicles. Among the features were a 275-horsepower, 5.7-liter LT1 V-8, a heavy-duty suspension (with larger sway bars), four-wheel disc brakes, high-output alternator, and heavy-duty cooling systems for both the engine and the transmission. The car was built for stealthiness and speed.

Finished in Medium Quasar Blue Metallic, the simple exterior features fog lamps, quad headlights, black-finished side mirrors, and an integrated rear spoiler with a built-in third brake lamp. The manufacturer information sticker in the door jamb says that the car was built by General Motors of Canada in April 1994.

The cockpit (which looks immaculate in the photos) is upholstered in two-tone charcoal and gray cloth, and features include bucket seats, power windows, power-adjustable driver seat, air conditioning, cruise control, Delco stereo, power hatchback release, floor mats, and electric rear window defogger.

SSP-equipped Camaros could be optioned either with a 4L60E four-speed automatic or a T-56 six-speed manual transmission. This car will appeal to driving enthusiasts thanks to its six-speed manual. Oh yeah, and it has only 10,000 miles on the odometer. The pictures corroborate the reading; even the engine bay and underbody look immaculate.

When it came to hot pursuits, the SSP Camaro was a strong performer. While not “advertising” such a fact, the car had essentially the same performance credentials as a Z28. One of the ads for the Z28, by the way, said, “Yes, we are talking about rocket science here.”

Chevrolet knew it had a modern muscle car on its hands, and the police-spec SSP (especially in Quasar Blue instead of red) was the perfect sleeper for civic duty.

“Truly a rare find,” the listing concludes.

The asking price is $35,000; it will include the window sticker, owner’s manual, and original set of wheels and tires.

Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com

The SEMA Show is where the aftermarket world shows off its biggest ideas, new parts, wild one-off builds, and the kind of craftsmanship that is meant to stop foot traffic in its tracks. In this video, our spotlight lands on a 1963 International ice cream truck customized by Mister Cartoon, a Los Angeles artist whose lettering and fine-line tattoo aesthetic helped shape modern street and lowrider visuals, and Rockford Fosgate, a car audio brand known for building high-output sound systems. This build combines art, culture, and audio into one attention-grabbing centerpiece, and the story behind how it ended up on the SEMA floor is an example of why the popular show exists.

This video is sponsored by HowToo. Stop digging through forums and YouTube. Orion puts diagnosis, repair instructions, and guided videos in one place, plus exact-fit parts from your favorite brands at distributor-level pricing. It’s 100% free. Try it today at https://howtoo.com.