Well, isn’t that special? This 1974 Dodge Dart Special Edition was originally a Kansas car and it was owned by a school teacher, according to the current owner. It’s on Craigslist with a very ambitious asking price of $9,000! Hagerty lists a #2 “excellent” condition car as being valued at $8,100. Thanks to Rocco B for finding this Dart!
This may be the nicest 1974 Dart Special Edition left, but is it $9,000 nice? As you’ll see, there are no photos of the interior or engine at all, or any detail photos or one of the trunk or a wheel or anything but four exterior photos. Ads like this one are a total head-scratcher for me, when a seller can’t be bothered to even open the doors and hood and take a photo. If it’s actually their car, and seeing that Craigslist ads will allow at least a dozen FREE photos, there’s no excuse for not providing more photos than this. But, off the soapbox and onto this great looking Dart.
Since there are no interior photos you may not know that the Special Edition was meant to be a “luxurious” car, at least for the Dart line. They had high-backed velour seats. plush carpet, power front disc brakes, and 1974 was the first time that Dodge integrated the lap and shoulder seatbelts. The seller says that the “drivers shoulder harness needs to be re-stitched” but it has the original carpet and the seats are in great shape. For your hard-earned $9,000 you don’t get an operating radio or wipers, but supposedly the factory AC works. You can see that the body of the car is darn near perfect.
Even though this is a two-door hardtop, it may not be the most exciting Dart body style for most people. The 225 slant-six also may not be the most exciting engine option, especially when there was a 318 V8 as an option. 2/3 of buyers opted for the 318 V8 out of just over 12,000 Special Edition Darts sold in 1974. This 225 slant-six would have had about 105 hp and the seller says that the temperature gauge doesn’t work but the alternator and oil pressure gauges work. Supposedly it sat for a couple of years but it runs good now that the seller has put about 40 miles on it. I’m a bit confused at this one. The price is out of this world but the car also looks like it’s out of this world, condition-wise. Of course, it’s impossible to judge the interior or engine without any photos. Are you a “personal luxury” Dodge Dart fan or would you go for the muscle?
You could daily drive this for less of the cost of a used Civic or Corolla. A lot easier to find in the mall parking lot too!
For 9k everything should work on that car! I had one with the six and it was a pig.It couldn’t get out of its own way.Nice looking car though! Mine was emerald green metallic w/ white vinyl roof. Interior was green high-back bucket seats and deep pile carpeting.
Ok. Nice car, but 9000$
I’ve got this same car for $2500. Granny’s swinger. Barnfinds guys I’m going to become a member, this site is so fun.
I like these cars. They worked great and were very reliable with stylish looks. Wish it had an eight cylinder but the slant six was a good engine.
Price wise it is way over priced. I also agree if you are going to ask top dollar you need to at least send some pics to back up your claims.
Sometimes I think these ads are put in this way because they don’t really want to sell it. Imagine the wife hounding the husband to dump the car and now he can tell her “But I tried to sell it and no one called!!!”.
Here’s my friends Dodge Dart beside the Firebird a couple weeks ago at our Sonics cruise, it’s nice & rust free and he bought it 2 years ago for $3800.
Nice ’67 Firechicken
Yes it is and loud it’s a built 400 with headers and straight pipes.
Nice clean car butI think 5000.00 to 6000.00 is a fair price one can get a convertable ror 7000.00 to 8000.00
I think they stopped making Dart convertibles in this body style long before 1974. Although I have seen some “urban chops” where owners have made converts from much later cars.
Price is fantasy land for grandmas car. Even with a V8 and 4 speed this would be a stretch. What are you going to do with it? Daily driver? 9k will buy you many nicer cars, and this one has no coolness factor. In fact it has a negative cool factor. Collectors car, not hardly. I’m mystified by the price.
No mystery at all here. This is a flipper special, not that there’s anything wrong with that. Personally I agree that this car is overpriced but a question to ask is how much is the originality worth? Well, if it’s an excellent condition originality then it’s worth substantially more than an original that needs recon. If the paint, metal, seat, headliner, etc are in GREAT shape, then it’s worth it to someone in the market for such a car. Even if you got a barely running beater for free, just a proper paint job alone would cost you more than the asking price for this car. I’m talking full detrim and glass pulled. So, continue with a free beater here for just a minute – you will not want to put on a nice paint job on a car and then leave interior alone, so that’s more money. Then move on to the engine, suspension, electricals, etc. all of a sudden that free beater is now a $15-$20k resto project that is still worth $10k on the very best day to handful of people in the nation looking for a fully restored Dodge Dart with auto/slant 6. That’s how I justify the price. If the car is all that perfect, then negotiating the price will get you me thing money will never buy – a perfect original.
Tirefriar,
I think the price is so high because it’s already on it’s second flipper (the dealer this seller got it from). Everybody in the chain is trying to make some money but, it may be beyond it’s market value now.
Lean towards the mic, WRONG!
Pull the 6, drop in a well built 360 or 340, add a full dual exhaust with headers, some nice mags, the original scoops. Then paint hemi orange or lime green paint, buckets and maybe an 8-3/4 with 3.55’s ! Perfect.
A friend had one in line.e green it was fast, with a 340, and was seen a mile away ! 😊
How much do you want for that $3000 car
No doubt that it’s in primo shape but the asking price is much steeper than Mt. Everest.
9k no way.
Wow, that’s a lot of beige!
It’s a heck of a great example condition-wise, but I think it would need a much more interesting spec level to get anyone to pay nine grand. I’m thinking around half that would be a good deal for both seller and buyer, assuming it looks as good in person as it does in the limited photos.
In Australia this same car was marketed as the VF Chrysler 770. It had a different hood, grille and bumper treatment for local sales. I was wondering whether my American Barn Finder friends preferred the American front end or the Australian one from the attached photo.
I think this variation would be popular here because it’s different. You’ll always have the purists that would stick to the front end their familiar with but, I like them both. If one showed up, and I was, in the market, I’d buy it.
That’s a cool odd ball ! I’m moving to Canada, I’ll be on the lookout for a Canadian Beaumont, a Pontiac version of the Chevelle, I’ve already got a 454 to build for it ! !
Aussie face- much smarter.
If my American friends like the VF, then they’ll probably like what followed. Chrysler Australia were a minnow in the Australian industry, but produced some awesome cars. For me, the ultimate was the Charger E49 which I’ve attached a picture of. It was powered by a 265ci Hemi in-line 6 cylinder engine which was graced with 3 x dual throat side-draught Weber carbs. In this form it produced 302 bhp and put its power through a 4 speed manual transmission. It could cover the standing 1/4 mile in 14.1 seconds back in 1972. Not too shabby!
Greetings All,
Adam T45, like the Aussie front end better, especially with the top of the fender signal lights.
The round mirrors and the hood ornament have to go.
Owned everything else in the background but that truck, a Hudson?
That’s one eclectic car show.
Probably just the picture angle, but my OCD kicked into high gear looking at those mis-matching tail lights.
$5,800 a few weeks ago in Kansas.
http://www.autoquid.com/car-detail/dart/1974-Dodge-Dart-1974-Dodge-Dart-Special-Edition_371819701979.html
I’m not a big mopar fan, but I like these, I remember owning a ’74 swinger v8 back in the day, It was ugly, but I really enjoyed how it drove…I especially liked the crank sunroof…anything with a sunroof in the 70’s was ultra COOL!
For Nine grands, if I’m looking at a used car, I want “matching” tyres.
if they want $$9000 for this , shouldn’t ALL mechanicals work PROPERLY ? also a RED carpet for presentation , pics of open doors to see interior & a Valet !!!!!
Here’s my 1971 Dart rare “3 on the tree” slant 6 I literally just pulled out of a barn a few weeks ago. Other than the quarters having typical rot, the car has a very solid body. The different replaced front cap has me baffled and the flipper I bought it from had no idea why it was done. Might sell it if there’s any interest.
I believe it might be a Plymouth Scamp.They only made them 71 thru 72?