eBay Find of the Day: The 'Nunrunner' V10-powered eight-door Dodge Dart Limowagon [w/VIDEO]
1962 Dodge Dart limo 'Nunrunner' - Click above for high-res image gallery
And now for something completely different. We can't recall ever seeing another vehicle quite like this 1962 Dodge Dart, which was converted into a limo wagon that was supposedly intended for the Vatican and later sold to a Catholic Church in Kentucky – and that's probably for the best.
As scary as the beast may be to look at, the team from Wicked Rides Inc. reports that it's actually a trouble-free driver thanks to the modern V10 engine yanked from a Dodge Ram and T56 six-speed manual transmission from a Viper it was blessed with when converted into The Nunrunner – reliable enough, in fact, to have taken part in the last Hot Rod Power Tour with nary a breakdown.
Underneath the rusty outer shell sits a chassis that's been fortified with the K-frame and suspension bits from a 2004 Corvette Z06, though we doubt it handles anything like the pilfered sportscar from which those bits came. To fully take in all that the Nunrunner has to offer, we suggest you amble through our photo gallery below and click past the break for a couple of drag racing videos where the eight-door contraption lines up against a Shelby Cobra (real or knockoff, we're not sure) for a trip down the 'ole 1320.
Interested in making this unique vehicle your own? Click here for the actual eBay auction. Current bid: $1,075 (reserve not yet met). Thanks for the tip, Richard!
Gallery: 1962 Dodge Dart limo 'Nunrunner'
[Source: eBay]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Chris O 7:15PM (7/09/2009)
I'm not sure why, but for some reason I was expecting something faster than 18 seconds! It doesn't really accelerate, so much as accumulate speed.
I wonder how long that driveshaft is....
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fixitfixitstop 7:43PM (7/09/2009)
I'm not surprised. If you've ever driven a rusted-out 60's Mopar in NEW JERSEY (like I have), you start hearing the sheet metal flaking away once you get to around 100MPH, and it's a little frightening.
artandcolour 7:30PM (7/09/2009)
hmmmmm. i wish ol' Exner himself had been given the brief to design a V10 limo based on his last production design, rather than some good 'old boys with a blow torch and a case of Bud.
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Pete 1:04AM (7/10/2009)
You're right! Since it's a one of one, that makes it somewhat of a collectable. Now with all the mods, I think it's not even worth the 1,500$ bid!
All the money that went into buying the Vette frame and the V10 engine could have gone to the repair of the body and a new 318 engine, and it would have been a amazing one of a kind showcar.
Instead, it's a freak show!!
Pete 1:05AM (7/10/2009)
Since it's a one of one, that makes it somewhat of a collectable. Now with all the mods, I think it's not even worth the 1,500$ bid!
All the money that went into buying the Vette frame and the V10 engine could have gone to the repair of the body and a new 318 engine, and it would have been a amazing one of a kind showcar.
Instead, it's a freak show!!
Justin 7:24PM (7/09/2009)
Pimp
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inv4zn 7:28PM (7/09/2009)
This would be perfect for Jon & Kate and their eight children...
Oh, wait
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Protzenegger 7:41PM (7/09/2009)
The Toronado airport limo still ownz this.
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Aloysius Vampa 7:56PM (7/09/2009)
Awesome.
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Patrick 8:29PM (7/09/2009)
Seems like a lot of hassle to go to just because it was too long for the crusher...
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pierrerabbit 7:17AM (7/10/2009)
Surprised to see this story, I just saw this exact car last Friday in Somerville NJ during the weekly "Cruise Nite" in town. The car looks bigger in person!
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Derek 9:29PM (7/09/2009)
That is truly frightening...
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Ken Stamper 9:36PM (7/09/2009)
You know, for $1075 it might be worth it just to get a hold of that V10/6-spd combo
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That One Person 12:18AM (7/10/2009)
Would be interesting to put that engine/tranny combo into an old Mopar.
Azrael4h 9:43PM (7/09/2009)
There's a same-year Dart near me for sale. If I had the room, I'd love to add it to the fleet. Sadly, I think the neighbors would torch my house. :P
A V10/6 speed swap sounds about right, as does the C5 suspension bits underneath it. For fuel economy, you know.
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SmokingClutch 7:34AM (7/10/2009)
Judging by the manifolds and the rest of the engine image, I think it's actually the old Dodge Ram V10, not the Viper's. While they share basic dimensions, the Ram V10 is substantially different, made of iron, not aluminum, and has "only" 300 hp. This would explain the slow 1/4 mile and why the car isn't selling for more, as a Viper engine is worth more than the current bid.
Example images:
Ram V10 (not to be confused with the Ram SRT-10 engine, which is a Viper engine):
http://www.carr.org/~gripper/images/v10.jpg
Viper V10:
http://srt10ram.com/images/motor.jpg
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SmokingClutch 7:38AM (7/10/2009)
In fact, if someone at Autoblog had actually *read* the eBay ad, it says there that it's a Ram V10, and the dashboard contains a Ram cluster.
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Jake 8:55AM (7/10/2009)
From the blog above:
"reports that it's actually a trouble-free driver thanks to the modern V10 engine yanked from a Dodge Ram and T56 six-speed manual transmission from a Viper "
TigerMil 9:19AM (7/10/2009)
worth the money for the V10 drivetrain alone!!
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Ryan Brutt 4:43PM (7/10/2009)
I drove with this wagon on the ENTIRE Hot Rod Power Tour and it was incredible.
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