The Cheap Thrills Dart was ratty before ratty was cool! I can’t believe it was 25 years ago that I built this 1968 Dodge Dart as a low-buck project in Hot Rod magazine. Starting with a Dart out of a junkyard, I bought and sold cars and parts to ultimately end up with a hopped-up 440 big-block and an 8-3/4 rearend. The car ran 12.69 in the quarter mile for a total cash investment of $1886.92—but what people remember about it was the butchered techniques I used along the way, including the now-famous hose-clamp transmission mount. It was an everyman’s car that brought backyard hacking into the mainstream spotlight and that showed how hot rodding could be fun instead of expensive and snooty.

I sold the car long ago and it got wrecked by one of the new owners, but you can remember Cheap Thrills forever with this new DF t-shirt with art by @stc_doodles! The large art is on the back, and the front breast features the logo with those unforgettable crossed hose clamps. Celebrate 25 years of ratty DF cars with this soft, 100-percent cotton shirt that’s made in the USA!