Dart Sportsman heads - GM castings?

beertestr

beertestr

Club Member
I have a coworker that has a set of iron SBC heads he bought several years ago. They are supposed to be Dart Sportsman III 200cc heads. I took a look at them, and they are new in the box, with new springs, 2.02/1.6 valves (I measured to be sure). But they appear to be GM castings. The # is 3973487, which come up a casting used on the 1971-1972 LT1's.

The heads are brand new, got lightly oxidized from sitting with the bags partly opened, but some scotch brite is all they need, that and probably should be torn down and cleaned as there was grit in the bags.

So, I gotta know. In older days, did Dart buy old GM tools and just make new castings? If they are just GM castings, they are a pretty good iron head from what I know, and what I have been reading.
 
IIRC some of the Dart and other heads had replacement casting numbers for certain class;s in superstock etc. I would call dart and ask them but I never rememeber hearing a word about those heads.
 
I called Dart, and they said they never used GM castings, or bought GM tools to remake head castings. So, I think all they are is a set of brand new, pretty good OEM GM heads with 2.02 valves and hardened seats. Everything I have read is that they are outperform the old camel hump heads, and perform almost, but not as well as the new Vortec castings.

From what the inter-web is saying, I believe these used to be the GMPP catalog heads before the Vortec's came out, but I have to find an older catalog from the 90's to confirm that, as the 09 catalog does not have them. I think these heads were advertised as maybe Sportsman class heads, for a class where an OEM head casting was required, and over the last 16 years (bought them in 92 or 93) he's confused them with the Dart Sportsman brand..

I ended up snagging them, as the price was right. They'll hold down a shelf in my basement until I get tired of looking at them, or less likely, some guy restoring an LT1 Corvette HAS to have them for a stupid amount of money... :)

Thanks guys.
 
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