When a seller makes a bold claim about a classic car’s relative rarity, I tend to treat such claims with caution. Sometimes that claim can all hinge on a pretty insignificant feature or option, but that doesn’t appear to be the case with this 1968 Dodge Dart GTS Convertible. The car is an older restoration, but it still presents well. The owner has decided to part with the Dart, so he has listed it for sale here on Craigslist. It is located in Denver, Colorado, and you could park it in your driveway for $44,500. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Gunter K for referring the Dodge to us.
Most of the GTS exterior photos that the owner supplies have a washed-out look to them, and it is only the first one that shows the Code SS1 Yellow paint to good effect. Looking beyond that fact, this is a classic that seems to have a lot to offer its next lucky owner. The seller says that it is an older restoration, but it isn’t clear when the work was performed. The paint still holds a healthy shine, while the Black soft-top appears to be in excellent condition. There are no significant flaws with the panels or paint and no evidence of any rust problems. The owner doesn’t mention any issues in the listing, which is a reassuring sign in any Mopar of this vintage. Historically, it used to be hard to pin-down GTS production figures because they tended to get integrated into a total of 24,100 vehicles that also represented production of the GT variant. However, a number of individuals and groups have investigated this, and the consensus is the Dodge produced 8,020 examples of the 1968 GTS. Of those, a mere 395 were Convertibles like our feature car.
Hiding under the hood of the GTS is a 383ci V8 which is backed by a 3-speed TorqueFlite transmission. With 300hp available under the right foot, a GTS Convertible could blast through the ¼ mile in around 15 seconds. The VIN confirms that this car rolled off the production line with a 383 under the hood, but the owner admits that it has been changed at some point. However, it does wear all of the correct peripherals, including the correct manifolds and carburetor. He also says that it sounds amazing and turns heads wherever it goes. That drivetrain is the source of the “1-in-40” claim that the owner makes. I’ve checked a couple of sources, including the GTS Registry, and Dodge only built 40 examples of the ’68 GTS Convertible equipped with the 383 and the TorqueFlite. It’s a shame that the car isn’t numbers-matching because that will impact its potential value.
This is the only interior photo that the seller supplies, and while it isn’t the greatest, it does show an interior that is in good order. There is no evidence of any problems with the black vinyl upholstery, nor are there any problems with the dash or pad. The carpet doesn’t seem to have any wear or fading, and the console looks spotless. It isn’t clear whether the interior has received any restoration work, but it would make it all the more impressive if it hasn’t. There have been no modifications or aftermarket additions, and it is refreshing to find that the original radio is present. It wasn’t unusual, especially through the 1970s, for these to be replaced with a radio/cassette player.
At $44,500, this 1968 Dodge Dart GTS is not the cheapest classic on the market at present, but the question has to be whether it is worth the asking price. If it were a numbers-matching car, I would have no hesitation in saying that it would easily be worth it, but the lack of the original engine will have some impact on the value. However, it appears that the replacement is of the same specifications, which could be this car’s saving grace. Values have been increasing quite sharply in the past couple of years, and this trend shows no signs of slowing. With only 40 examples of the GTS 383/TorqueFlite Convertible built in that year, I think this is a classic that deserves a closer look.
Joe Mannix, your car is ready!
Converts flex enough already, with a big block? Poor handling and body flex, let me get out my check book. I drove one of these over 50 years ago as a rental one weekend, it was a 225. Just the thing for tooling around Florida. I didn’t require any more power then it already had. At the most, a simple LA engine, but no more then that. These were not meant to drag, they were sunny weather touring cars. Never understood why they even offered high performance variants.
You never do …….
Maturity has its perks.
We know , we know. You’ve been saying the same thing every time a Muscle car gets posted here, and its usually when its a Mopar .
Perhaps you could enlighten us with why you feel differently. I gave examples as to why I feel this way, couldn’t hurt your case to put down a few facts as you see them.
These cars were made because there was a demand for them . It wouldn’t have been profitable to make a car that wasn’t going to sell, that’s why we have saw the demise of convertibles , station wagons, mini vans and now even cars as sales of SUV’s have soared.
The companies didn’t just stick huge motors in these cars without changes. Depending on the application they would put beefier suspension and in some cases wider rims .Convertibles have heavier frames and braces to make up for the lack of a steel roof. I remember buying front springs for my 350 powered Chevelle. A car with AC had heavier springs than one without , so even small changes made for different handling packages.
No car really handled that well in the time of this Dart ; a new Caddy would plow through a hard turn just as bad as a smaller car ; the tires were really primitive compared to today . My wife’s cousin was killed in the early 1960s when her boyfriends VW bug went around a corner on a damp road and skidded into a tree – not a big block performance car , and he wasn’t speeding. A car today would easily make the same turn in poor weather (and do today) , but the technology just wasn’t there in 1968 .But when you think how cars were 10 years earlier in 1958 you can see there were improvements. The common denominator between then and now is that you have to know your limits ,as well as the cars limits . There will always be a temptation for people to drive fast in a performance car or an economy car , and cars today are considerably more powerful ,but then and now drivers need to be educated . Whoever owned this Dart over the years obviously knew the limits.
Very nice car. It would make a good top down cruiser, hopefully the next owner enjoys It.
Steve R
Big block A-body,very collectible Mopar! We always enjoy the original cars found and shared here on BF!
Cassette player in the 70s? More like a roller dial am/fm 8 track with adjustable shafts, and the old hack saw and file to widen up the opening, destroyed many a dashboard
Nope. My new 1971 Beetle had a Sony TC-20 cassette installed by me the day I got the car. Everything of mine since then was also cassette until CDs appeared.
Majority of my friends had 8 tracks in those big Luxo 70s barges, more intelligent people had cassette, I actually have a 73 Grand Prix all restored, and when I bought it, she had a CD player in the dash, I had it removed and put the am/fm 8 track back in it, of course I have hidden stereo equipment in it, it the 8 track plays, it’s hysterical, I even use the old matchbook trick under the tapes
John, what trick is that. Never heard of that. I agree, cassettes were far better, but I had several 8 tracks in cars, because at the time, they were easier to get.
I ordered one like this…pewter gray with dark green interior and top…’not recommended’ combo in the catalog but everybody loved it. dog dish hubcaps, stripe delete, quick-ratio manual steering, limited slip. a perfect car to tow a mog on a single-axle unbraked trailer. didn’t handle as well as my ’67 442 convertible but very nice. traded it on my niece’s alfa quattroruote zagato spider in ’69 to that lake forest exotic car dealer–knauz, I think. obviously mine was the only one built like that. where is it today? someone noticed it had a black driver’s side sun visor; thinking quickly I said it was an anti-glare device…
Toly, Wouldn’t it be great if we could find your Dart Convertible. With Today’s technology, Aluminum everything except the Short Block would lighten up the car and help it handle so much better. It would be a great Summer Top Down Car. Stan Hardcastle
I’d like it just the way it was!
The baby version of the 66-67 B-body cars. Nice, crisp, angular lines. Part of the Rapid Transit System. I will stick with my 66 Coronet, but these were sweet little cars.
Wow ! What a dream car ! Drop Top, Big Block, Beauty,….it’s got it all ! It has to be fun to drive ! Awesome !
I put radials on it after driving from Oklahoma to California to visit relatives…semperit ‘dogbone’ radials. when I’d put pirellis on my ’67 442 convertible, the recommended tire pressures were so low it barely got around the first turn I made in town. I went up to 32psi and it handles quite well
The trick with the matchbook was needed when a 8 track tape cartridge was worn, if you put the tape in, and it played track 3 and 4 not song 3 +4 it 2 different tracks, used to stick a book of matches under the edge of the tape that stuck out of the player, as a wedge to align the tape,