History Restored Bob Riffle’s 1973 Dodge Dart

Iconic race cars are often lost to time, but that’s not the case for Bob Riffle’s 1973 Dodge Dart Sport, which proudly carried the Rod Shop and Nationwise Auto Parts colors. This historic Mopar recently received a full restoration from Buddy Faulk and the team at Faulk’s Classic Car Repair. Thanks to their work, the Dart now looks better than it did when it first hit the track, ensuring that future generations can enjoy an important piece of drag racing history.

Bob Riffle was not only a fierce competitor but also an exceptional engine builder. He won the U.S. Nationals twice, built engines for Pro Stock programs, and served as the head engine builder at Petty Enterprises. The Dart he campaigned in the 1970s was feared across the country, and its record proved why.

The car was originally commissioned by Gil Kirk, who worked with Chrysler on multiple projects. Riffle and Ray Noltemeyer traveled to Detroit to pick up the Dart as a rolling chassis, along with a dual-plug D5 HEMI racing engine. The car was then taken to California, where Ron Butler fabricated the chrome-moly chassis. Butler moved the engine one inch to the right to compensate for the imbalance created by the driver’s weight. To further reduce mass, the body was acid dipped, and the front end was narrowed by an inch.

The D5 HEMI produced more than 600 horsepower, an impressive figure for its era, and it was paired with a Lenco transmission for maximum efficiency. This combination allowed the Dart to run in the 8.50 range at more than 160 mph, serious performance for the period. Riffle drove the car to the Modified Championship at the 1975 SPORTSnationals, thanks to its top-tier chassis and potent HEMI powerplant.

In 1976, Kirk sold the Dart to Red Sullivan, who campaigned it in the United Drag Racers Association (UDRA) with Joe Gouger Sr. behind the wheel. The pair went on to win two UDRA Pro Stock titles. The car was later restored to its 1974 appearance and raced in nostalgia events by Joe Gouger Jr. In 2024, the Dart was purchased by McGrath Keen, who contacted Faulk’s Classic Car Repair for a full frame-off restoration.

Once Buddy Faulk and his team got the car into the shop, they began the meticulous process of returning it to its 1975 configuration. A major priority was preserving as many original components as possible.

“Original mechanical parts, such as the Hurst/Airheart disc brakes and rotors, were refinished and overhauled. The original Henry Magnesium rearend was refinished along with the adjustable Koni coilover shocks and Ford Pinto-style rack-and-pinion steering. The steering wheel, dash, and glass are all original, too. The D5 HEMI and Lenco transmission were both refinished. New Vintage Hawk gauges were installed, including a used vintage Hawk tachometer. A new fuel tank, pumps, lines, and fittings were added, and both carburetors were overhauled. New stainless-steel brake lines, AN fittings, electrical wiring, and sheet metal were used in the restoration. The car remains 85% original, a testament to our commitment to preserving its authentic integrity and Bob Riffle’s legacy,” Faulk explains.

Throughout the restoration, no images were released. The team wanted the Riffle family’s first look at the car to be during the official unveiling. That moment came at the 5th Annual Henry Dana Memorial Car Show in Mooresville, North Carolina, where Bob’s wife, Lucy, and the rest of the family finally saw the finished Dart. The emotional reactions during the unveiling made it clear just how much Bob and this car meant to them.