WHEN TODD STONG RETURNED HOME FROM Vietnam in December 1968, he found himself ready, willing, and financially able to snatch up a new, hot ride to call his own. “I had saved my money in the military and decided to jump back in the car market. I quickly bought myself a ’68 Mustang GTA from a friend whose wife unexpectedly got pregnant, ”Todd says. However, that pony car didn’t last long in the new owner’s stable, as he soon found out the Mustang didn’t work very well in the snowy winter weather that was typical at his home in Trooper, Pennsylvania.
Six months later, Todd was back in the hunt for a keeper ride. By now, the young car aficionado had plenty of time to research the cars that were popular and reliable, but he also wanted to know what was fast out on the streets.“My best friend’s older brother was a mechanic at a Chrysler dealership. He told me a 340-powered Dodge Dart with 3.91 gears stuffed out back was the ticket. So, I ordered a new Dart Swinger and
