The new kid on the block at Dodge for 1970 was the Challenger. It was a pony car that could be had from mild to wild and proved quite popular. But that wasn’t the only hot car that Dodge sold with those approximate external dimensions. There was also the Dart whose two-door notchback hardtop compact was now called the Swinger – and it could be had with a 340 engine. Like the seller’s sharp-looking car which is finished in what appears to be Bright Yellow. It’s located in Waretown, New Jersey (along the Jersey shore) and available here on eBay where bidding is at $12,100 and rising. With no reserve, this car will find a new home.
As a compact, the Dart appeared in Dodge sales literature from 1963-76. It hit its stride in its fourth generation, 1967-76. In 1970, the car’s styling was refreshed so it would look more like Dodge’s full-size vehicles. Production of the near 200,000 total Darts for 1970 was consolidated in either Los Angeles, California or Windsor, Ontario. The Swinger name applied to all Dart two-door hardtops except the high-line custom series. To avoid internal competition with the Challenger, the Dart convertible was gone with the 275 hp, 340 cubic inch four-barrel V-8 as the biggest engine you could get in a Dart. The 1970 Swinger 340 came with functional hood scoops and 340 emblems, plus front disc brakes, heavy-duty suspension and a 3.23:1 rear axle ratio. The seller’s Swinger came with optional all-vinyl bucket seats, a center console and Rallye wheels. Dodge built just under 14,000 Swinger 340s that year.
The seller’s beautiful muscle car is said to be a numbers-matching machine that runs and drives great. The mileage is 65,000 with no indication whether the 340 engine or Torque-Flite automatic transmission have ever been apart. The seller doesn’t tell us much about the car, but we have to assume than a 50 year-old car in this condition has been repainted and it looks great. No signs of rust anywhere and everything appears straight and clean. The chrome and glass also appear to be up to exacting standards.
Interior-wise, everything look sharp there, too. I like the Looney Tunes theme with the floor mats and dashboard. It appears some aftermarket speakers were added behind the rear seat, and yet here is no sign of a radio in or under the dash. The carpeting in the back may be a little faded or it could just be the light. There also appears to be no power assist with brakes or steering, which means something like five turns lock-to-lock. As nice as the rest of the car is, the trunk is a bit of a letdown.
Resale value of these cars seems to be fluid. I found several online in similar condition as this one going for between $25-35,000. So it’s likely the bidding war will continue on this sharp looking Dart 340 until the auction closes. But there can’t be that many of these around that weren’t trashed back in the ‘70s. Doubtful that many people saw these cars as collectible 50 years ago.
Nice! This was the car the paperboy or gas station attendant( remember them?) could afford. It was also the car that Aunt Mary’s inherited Dodge Dart turned into. 340’s were a dime a dozen, the biggest outlay of cash was a 4 speed,( Aunt Mary’s automatic could still be used) but could be done in a weekend with a few friends, and VOILA! Instant stoplight drag racer. No wonder there’s not many left, of the oh, say, 4 million made. Those coil over shock helper springs were a cheap way to get lift, but a poor way and without some sort of traction bars, this will hop like a criminal released from prison. Great find, tho. When a fast, fun car wasn’t just for the rich.
Yep, when I was a paperboy, I had a ’66 Valiant with a ’68 340, A833 4-speed, and 8.75″ rear end with 4.30 gears. With 6 cylinder torsion bars up front and re-arched rear springs with an extra leaf added, it hooked up well with 60-series street tires. I had less than $2,000 in it, including the engine rebuild (mostly stock, with the exception of the Direct Connection “purple shaft” cam, Crane lifters, high volume oil pump, and double roller timing chain) and the usual bolt-ons–headers, Edelbrock LD340, Holley 700 double-pumper, Direct Connection electronic ignition. It weighed exactly 3,000 pounds. I never lost a street race in that car.
I’m curious , what was your gas mileage like with a 700cfm double pumper?
Mileage? Who cared about mileage when gas was 30 cents per gallon? Honestly, I never checked it, but once I got the carb jetting sorted out, it was probably better than it had been with the original Carter AVS carb. The 4.30 rear gears, of course, were not conducive to good fuel economy–but very conducive to good fun!
Remember these cars well, quite a few were thrashed down the 1/4 mile and as I remember ran quite well.this one looks really clean and unmolested. How did that happen anyway? Somebody will be getting a sweet ride.
No mention is made of the hole in the right fender well, or the crudely fashioned radio blank out plate. The original shifter has been replaced with one that I personally don’t care for, and the added “340” on the deck lid looks/is out of place. Aside from these things, it appears to be a nice, solid car. GLWTA!! :-)
That brake pedal looks awful small…I am guessing the tranny has been switched from a 4 speed to an automatic, which would be a shame…nice find, betcha this car scoots….
Is that a clutch pedal hidden under the dash?
I’ll never understand why hot rodders put these stupid looking shifters in their cars. Usually they also install the STUPID looking silver rimmed red needle gauge package also. Thankfully this car doesn’t have that option.
Most hot rodders have no interest in the appearance of shifters, or any other component added to improve performance. That’s a B&M StarShifter, and it’s a great shifter. I had one in my 340-powered ’65 Barracuda for about 35 years. It has the traditional fully automatic mode, and of course it can also be manually shifted through the forward gears. However, it also has a “bang-shift” mode, which allows fast, positive shifts, a necessity for any high-performance driving. It is a monumental improvement over any factory shifter.
Its definitely been repainted , but looks really solid . Hard to believe these are 50 years old now !
And no one has said that those were/are for fenderwell headers? Ok, I said it.
These Darts were great, went like a bat out of hell. My high school buddy and I used to shut them down back in the day with his.
No need for traction bars with Mopars, use a pinion snubber…
Works great they used to sell them in the performance catalogue found it: https://www.mopar.com/content/dam/mopar/pdf/performance-catalogs/Steering_Suspension_and_Brakes.pdf
Page 135 in .PDF
Also found this: https://moparconnectionmagazine.com/proform-parts-all-new-8-75-pinion-snubbers/
All the good racers used these…
Nice car. If longtime Jersey Shore car I would recommend to check real careful for rust. I don’t remember chrome valve covers being standard issue but I could be wrong. I ‘m pretty sure the rear seat pleating is not correct. Probably redone years ago. Also noticed engine bay repainted as well. Ditch the goofy “340” decal on trunk lid and have some fun. Automatic takes away a little bit, but none of us are getting younger. GLWTA.
I hope you guys are kidding, this car is a mess if you are looking at a solid 340 car. If? It’s a 340 motor w/the 8 3/4 rear it will be a fun ride, but as an example,No. Items I question for the bidding price as set forth, Air cleaner is a 69′, Wiper & blower motors painted, along with the brake lines,I believe it should have a booster for the disc brakes, window squirters and lines are missing, Dash plates are a mess(non matching panels), cut outs in the inner fenders are for I believe for RB or BB headers, not a small block, I question the Bucket seats instead of a Bench seat (Demans and Dusters, yes), wipers are incorrect , several items down below are also wrong and it appears to be some rust on right quarter(being where the car is from, I’m sure there is a lot more covered up with it’s cheap paint job). It appears this is a car the was pieced together. If it is a 340 motor(68′-71′) running, as is $7,000 – $8,000, for a daily driver. 318, $4,000
I had a 69 dart three speed on the column with a 318 and it’s another one of those cars I wish I never got rid of!! This is nice but the floor shifters got to go in my opinion!!!