I talk about photos a lot here on Barn Finds. Usually, it’s when a listing doesn’t have an engine photo, any interior photos, or underside photos, or one whole side of a vehicle isn’t shown. That is definitely not the case with this beautiful 1973 Dodge Dart Swinger Special, which can be found listed here on eBay in Katy, Texas. The seller has it listed for an eye-watering $35,000, or you can make an offer.
If I won the lottery I’d buy this car, just to reward the seller for taking so many great photos of it. Although, I would love to have the car even if the photos would have been bad. I normally wouldn’t think of taking vehicle photos at dusk, but man, this thing really pops. I might have put the parking lights on just for an added bit of zing, but please check out the photos in the eBay listing to see why I keep yammering about them.
This beautiful Dart has had one repaint, according to the seller, so it isn’t all original. It really looks like a nice job, and it helps that this is my favorite Dart/Valiant body style, this concave-rear-window notchback sedan or coupe. I’m nutty enough to almost prefer a four-door sedan in this body style. I know. The color-matched steel rims, blackwall tires, and dog dish hubcaps really top off the looks here.
This interior in this Dart doesn’t disappoint either. A bench seat with a floor-shifted three-speed manual isn’t earth-shatteringly unusual, but we usually see bucket seats with a manual transmission. The seats look perfect, both front and rear. This car looks like it’s had a nut-and-bolt restoration to me, but it sounds like it’s original for the most part, other than one repaint. They also included a couple of underside photos showing how solid it is.
The clean engine is Dodge’s 318-cu.in. OHV V8, which would have had 150 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque when new. It runs and drives great, according to the seller. Now, about that asking price… How much would you pay for this Dart?
It’s a nice looking 73 Dart, but it’s a 73 Dart! I was working at a Dodge dealer when these were new. They were good cars, but nothing spectacular. Not the hot rods of a few years earlier. This one at least is a V8, but no Power steering, no power brakes, no A/C, no bucket seats & console, ugly color etc. $35k? I don’t think so. If he is offered $20k he should take it and run!
Manual steering is prefered here. THe PS stinks. This car is wonderful, but 35K? Not on our life.
Exactly!
LMAO, the owner must be smoking something really good to ask that much and there’s nothing special about the car. Three speed on the floor and a 318 doesn’t cut the asking price. More like six or seven thousand if someone wants it bad enough.
These always look like something an older female
school teacher would drive,especially in this color.This
just leaves me cold to look at it.Wouldn’t look near as bad
without the 5 mph bumpers.
The ’67/’68 body style looked SO much better.
I think what the seller meant to say was the car is $5,000. But the 5 MPH bumper attachments add an extra $7,500 per unit. It is a nice car and at least it’s a V8, but I don’t think this is how I want to spend my 35k, or 25k, or…..
No, no, this is the NEW Howard A, no more bloviating. If you believe that, I have some land in Florida you might like too.
Now, to continue bloviating, if this was a female teachers car, I’d have loved to meet her. No, what this was, was “Musclecar 101”. This was the car that was the beginner car, for folks that didn’t want, or could afford a big block anything. This gave pleeeeeeenty of thrills, and paved the way for that big block as yearly salaries increased. This car flew under “dads radar”, oh, well, a Dodge Dart, sounds harmless. It cost about $2,617 bucks, that’s pump jockey wages, and Dodge wasn’t stupid, they knew where their fan base was. The down side was, every new owner, honed their skills on cars like this, and by the 3rd or 4th owner, not much was left. I thought these had a 273, but the author is correct, a 318, 2 barrel, so it wasn’t a wheel stander. Not sure where the dual exhausts came from, I thought that was a 4 barrel thing.
Again, by the 4th owner, these were $300 beaters and cheap cars. Wait until the new buyer, who just pissed away that new kitchen remodeling fund on it, drives it. The fleecing continues,,,,
What? A $35,000 Dodge Dart? Doomed, DOOMED, I tells ya’,,moving on.
They were pretty good runners with the 3 speed and 318
I must have just gotten fleeced; my wife spent $55,000 on our kitchen remodel!
Bought the older female teacher version from an elderly female teacher, 69, 2 door, slant 6, rubber floors, manual brakes, PS, auto, no radio, it was 10 yrs old with 35000 miles. Great cars but 35000 dollars?
The thrill of purchasing this for even HALF of the ask will soon be gone…
Nice car though.
Where are the other Darts? The seller actually want $35,000 for just one?
Someone told the seller about Mopar fans. ” I’m not kidding you Zeke! They’re paying $20k for rusted out, bent in half body shells!” “Well! Dog my cats! I’m a gonna ask Thirty Five large for this here Vee Ate stick shifty thang!”
Gee, did you make the same comments about that rusted away gold Camaro ragtop ?
Nah. The Mopar boys are much more maniacal.
Well, if the last car purchase I could ever make forced me to choose between this 35K dart or the $3500 pinto posted earlier, I’d buy the dart.
But if you bought the Pinto you can go to sleep at night without ever worrying about it being stolen.
Who is going to steal this car? I could see if it was a 68 to 71 with the 340 in it that someone would want it. But I see no big demand for this car.
Neither one is worth the asking price. So don’t buy either one.
I wouldn’t want a Dart Swinger for $3500…..$35K….this person has to be insane.
Definition of a heap when brand new ! lol
what cars do you like ? I’m guessing Chevies or imports as you consistently trash Mopars and Fords
Can’t get nobody to put it on their watch list… To let some know… 1971 was THE last year “Muscle car’s” were built. Everything after was a smog choking detuned turd. 15k car right there. Merry Christmas Gramma.
That is why when I talked about the 340’s I said 68 thru 71. I know the 72 340 was detuned to decrease hp.
Ok.. Being a Mopar guy I saw the price expecting 340 or 360 Magnum with a 4 speed,power disc brakes and p/s.. but noooo 318 3 speed manual everything!!! 🤦.. But again if someone is desperate in owning this .. good luck.. I had a 74 Dart 225 auto.. same color and I had a vinyl roof great transportation… $20,000 is a fair price. Its a Mopar people lose there minds! 😂
Actually, being a Mopar guy, you would know, the 318 was a great motor. From the early poly motors to these LA ones, it was Chryslers most popular motor. It was known as the “Rodney Dangerfield” of motors. I think it gave many 302 Fords, or SBCs,,non-modified, of course, a run for the money. Keeping in mind, whoever ordered this car, was lean on budget, but wanted a musclecar. I bet a lot of these were ordered this way.
A lovely car, very “low key”. I like it. But for $35K, there’d better be a LOT of cocaine in the trunk.
I passed the link to the biggest Mopar fan I know. He said it’s an “I tried to sell it, honey…” price.
Top of the line for 73 Dart ?
Hair over 3000lb, 3 by the knee, 3.21⚙️, V8 tq. Pretty cool car. 😎
I’m a A body Mopar guy, but 35K is pricing for a 340 car , something no 73 Swinger ever had. I dont think I’ve seen a later model A body v8 car with no P/S , and the manual transmission is odd on this too. Swingers without vinyl tops look odd to me , but I know in certain areas they weren’t popular because of the sun frying them in hotter states. The cars vin shows it was built in Canada too, which is also not common for these. I’m thinking an odd combo like this had to be a special order or a mistake on a dealer order ; this would be a hard sell to the usual Swinger clientele.
Nice car. $35K nice car? UFF-DA! Bass balls for this guy. I’m gonna have to grow some and ask that price for my ’65 Skylark.
These were good cars, but the best ’73 Dart in the world MIGHT bring half or 1/3rd of what this seller is asking, on a good day.
It’s totally worth $35,000 as long as it comes with $25,000 cash in the trunk.
$35K for a Dodge Dart? This guy is dreaming!!!! This car should be worth about $15K to $18K max. It is a very nice Dart with a decent set up, but not for $35K.
Dreamers like this seller make me laugh. One thing we know for sure, this car isn’t going anywhere fast
What’s next? A low mileage Chevette stingray for $50k?
“Three by the knee” I haven’t heard that in a good long while, thanks for the memories. These Darts were also bought for light weight street racer brutes. It didn’t take much to have a car like this busting doggies and collecting $10 bills all night long. Yup, them army guys in their ‘tangs and ‘vetts got smoked light to light. They just couldn’t hook up and fly like little brown sleepers like these could. When the cops rolled to break it up there you were watching and laughing while the boys in blue drove right past grandma’s little brown car chasing down the ponies. Whatever crazy price this sells for, the new owner will surely treasure it whatever their memories are. Sorry guys if there’s anyone out there that remembers being on the losing end of cars like this, especially at Fort Bliss.
Wrong year and wrong motor to be talking about out running 325 hp Chevelles and 351C mustangs red light to red light. 68-71 Darts with the 340’s were the ones that did that. I know because I had the 68 GTS with the 340. With this car you would be handing out the 10 spots.
I just bought a ’74 Plymouth Scamp, which is the Plymouth version of this car. It has PS, auto, am radio, no a/c, and manual brakes. I put power disc’s on it in spring. It also has the vinyl top and the 225 slant six. One family owned since new. Mostly original, 42k showing on odometer. Original paint, interior, and engine. I paid 13k.
I just bought a ’74 Plymouth Scamp, which is the Plymouth version of this car. It has PS, auto, am radio, no a/c, and manual brakes. I put power disc’s on it in spring. It also has the vinyl top and the 225 slant six. One family owned since new. Mostly original, 42k showing on odometer. Original paint, interior, and engine. I paid 13k.
The dual exhaust, the vented police car hubcaps, and that big tachometer mounted on the steering column make me wonder what the story is on this non-high performance car. It’s a nice car but it has none of the right options to make it worth even near the asking price.
I bought one identical but yellow and automatic (ok so not identical) in 1989 for $250.00. It was also DOGED OUT. Fun car while or when it ran. Love the body style. Grandfather had a yellow 73 4 door with the 318. Kept it forever
While it’s a good looking Dart, it is not $35K good looking even in this more money than sense times we’re in right now
35k? Ummmm….. NO. A perfect 340/4-speed car sure. But a stripper 318 3-speed, even in fantastic shape, no way. I see the appeal, but not the value.
I bought a ’74 Swinger a few years ago /6 automatic for $1600. Had a dented fender and some rust in the usual locations for these cars. Ran really well hen and still does today. The guy included a 318 and another tranny as well as an extra set of wheels in the deal. I couldn’t turn it down. I’ve since bought a ’74 Dart 4door SE with 318 automatic.Seller wanted to sell car for parts for $900 but when my son and I went to look at it and buy it we decided it was too good to be parted out. We offered them $700 and left with the car; tuned it up and put new tires on it and was good to go. Thede old Darts are tough, dependable cars.
To many weird things together to make this worth the asking price.
Nice car. Over priced and under presented. These cars in this condition in my part of the country are selling for $10K to $12K tops.
In the early 80s i rented a room from a beautician she had this same model in green, 225 slanty, auto as well as a 260z car both not running i got em both running and she let me drive the dart. Id give the guy 35k if he could transport me back to that time period w her she was something!
What did you do to tick her off?
She should’ve let you drive the Z.
I usually dont reply often…..but for this price it is sad to see a bunjee cord holding down the battery…..and look at the fine tape job on the windshield washer fluid tank. I will say this…….there is an butt for every seat.
Yep, I had a ’73 Dart Swinger…only 2 years old when I bought it. That back panel under the vinyl on the roof was already starting to bubble from the rust. Oh, and it had the 318 with a 2 barrel and auto trans. If ya wanted it to start whether summer or winter, ya had to pop the hood, take off the air cleaner, stick a match book cover in the “flapper”, pump the gas pedal unmercrifully and it might start before the battery gave out. Kept it 2 more years and you guessed it…traded for a new ’78 Corolla that started every time and got a heckuva lot more than the 13 MPG the Dart ever got, lol.
Sure you did….2 years old ? Where do you live , in a swamp ? Cars didnt rust that fast even in New England ,well, except those 70s Corollas did like all imports of the time , but of course you dont mention that. Who would just crank the car all the time because your choke didnt work right , and then do it for two years and then buy another car ? If you a carb issue ,why didnt you get it replaced at the dealer or just buy a new one ? They must have been all of 75 bucks back then and could be swapped out in less than a half hour – who would just site there and crank a car until the battery dies ? I’m calling BS on this story
That is why we called those foreign cars rust buckets back then.
For $35,000.00 you could have purchased “TEN” of these in 1973/74. This is a Swinger Special the LOW LINE Model of this year. The car is missing the coolant recovery bottle that was a factory piece in 1973. This car has a dual exhaust system that was not factory supplied. Interesting to note, no mention of the mileage on this ride. Pass on this one. Water pump bypass hose has been replaced as it should be painted blue like engine as shipped out of Mound Road Engine Plant. master cylinder cover painted black this is not factory original as well, not to mention the windshield wiper motor painted black as well no no, no!!!!
I have a 1973 dodge Dart Swinger, I think this is a good price I would not sale my dart for this price. It would take more
GREAT car! great $20k car!
I can get you a Mexican Super bee all original in great condition for less than that.
I would like to see that car.
This is a 1976 Super Bee
360 4 speed all original 1 family owned car.
They were asking half what the Dart is asking now.
This car is not for sale anymore.
Any 2 door A body in rust free condition is $10,000 right now. A V8 and manual add value as does the clean condition. Something has to be said and value has to be added for the condition. I think it is a $20,000-$25,000 car
Wrong year and wrong motor to be worth 25 big.
Auction update: as of 1-19-23, this car has been relisted twice and currently has a buy-it-now price of $26,500.