Below this faded exterior lies a very solid 1967 Dodge Dart just waiting for someone to breathe new life into it. With rust issues that are minimal, it has the potential to be a very rewarding project car. Located in Lodi, New Jersey, you will find the Dart listed for sale here on eBay. The owner has set the listing to open at $4,000, but there have been no bids to this point.
The Dart has spent a number of years parked outside on a concrete pad, and the time spent unprotected from the UV rays has certainly taken a toll on the original Light Blue Poly paint. There is also plenty of surface corrosion to contend with, but actual rot seems to be quite minimal. The area that you can see in the lower front fender, along with an area in the front floor on the passenger side, appears to be the worst of it. The rest of the floors look solid, while the trunk is also very clean. There are a couple of small spots in the lower quarter panels, but these should be able to be addressed with patches rather than panel replacement. Vulnerable areas such as around the rear window look to be clean, which augers well for the restoration of the Dart.
Any time that there is enough UV exposure to bake the paint on a car, then you can be pretty sure that it will have taken a toll on interior trim as well. This Dart is no exception, with all of the vinyl and plastic having been cooked. The seats will need new foam as well as covers, while the dash pad is beyond repair. You can see the hole in the floor that I referred to earlier, and its rather neat shape is the result of the battery being placed there to “protect it from the cold.” The interior of the Dart is a real stripper, with no luxury or optional equipment fitted. Even the blanking plate is still fitted to the dash where the original owner chose to not include a radio. There’s some work to be done here, but the next owner will be starting with a blank canvas.
While the Dart might essentially be a “stripper” car, it does pack a little bit of punch under the hood. What the next owner will be getting is a 273ci V8, producing 180hp. This power is sent to the rear wheels via a 3-speed TorqueFlite transmission. Performance would be respectable, but not overwhelming, and it would be a pleasant combination to live with on a day-to-day basis. The good news here is that the engine and transmission are in good health, and the Dart is said to run and drive really well. The brakes will need some attention though, as there is a fluid leak somewhere in the system. The owner says that the car has just shy of 60,000 genuine miles on the odometer, and it appears that he holds documentation to verify this.
As a project car, this Dart is a vehicle that appears to hold a lot of promise. It is essentially solid, and mechanically it also appears to be pretty good. It is a true blank canvas, and someone is going to wind up with a pretty nice car once the restoration work has been completed.
Love those hubcaps and the V8. I like this car but I wouldn’t want to buy it at the middleman price and then have to do the work. Maybe like he says a drag racer will buy it.
I prefer the darts in a hardtop. Never did care for the post dart. At least it has two doors.
It would cost to much to build it into a “drag car”. Competitive low-10 second turn key cars can be bought for just over $10,000, even less if you want a grudge night bomber.
Steve R
A $500 car at best. In Western NY, this is the vehicle we would buy in the 1980s as our winter driver after the good car was properly garaged. You essentially have a rusting hulk of metal awaiting total restoration…a passion project as it wouldn’t make sense economically.
I agree these kids or unfortunately maybe guys are age just screwing things up greed plain and simple
Two doors too few. The door that it does have is nearly as long as the front fender. These were known as a Chrysler Valiant in South Africa but came with the slant six motor and were bullet proof. I have never seen a two door of this model. I drove for Aussies Taxis in Durban and apart from general servicing I never heard of one breaking down while on shift.
Now this is the first time I’ve read someone complaining about a vintage car offering TOO FEW doors!
When you mention Chrysler Valiant it reminds me of the Australian built Chrysler Valiants of this generation. Apart from the regular 2/4 door versions they were also offered in wagon,panel and UTE variants, and the /-6 would later be tossed out in favour of the Australian-developed 245 Hemi 6! As I’ve never been to Oceania I’ve only seen such a Valiant IRL once…
Quite a contrast between this one and the Hellcat powered GMG built racer. This one’s just begging for 707 angry horsepower,….uh huh.
This would make an excellent sleeper. Find a set of MoPar dog dishes, drop in a crate motor (a built 340, anyone?), paint it “blah” tan or black, make sure the tires aren’t too wide, and it would make a refreshing change from all the GT & GTS Dart coupes/convertibles that get all the publicity. Reproduction parts are starting to become available for these; just not sure about for a base model 2dr. post like this.
While the 273 is a fine little motor, I never really understood the whole concept, why not just go to 318? Kind of like the 198 CI slant six for a few years, versus the 225. As if it costs any less the make them. Just a marketing ploy to charge more for the more obvious choice. I remember reading that in high end IC chips, they are often the same internals, but low end ones have some of the features turned off. Why not have a great product for everyone at a fair price and sell a lot of them? This car seems a bit odd with the V8, was it original? A SS would seem more at home in a low end car, and in 1967, probably a 170 to boot.
I had a tan 68 Belvedere 4 door , base model ,dog dish caps , no radio ,trim molding or carpeting , but it had a factory 318 in it. I dont know if these were ordered this way or just put on the lot for cheap sales, but they did make V8 base cars
Don’t believe there was a LA 318 in 67👺
Yes, the LA 318 was used in B and C bodies starting in ’67. Canadian 318’s were still the “wide block” motors in ’67.
This car would be really cool if it has the 273 -4 barrel motor.
273 Commando, I think it was called. 4 barrel carb, solid lifters, rated at 270 or 275 horses. In the Barracuda of the time, it was competition for Ford’s solid lifters 289. That was 1965-1966 model years. Both the B-fish and Mustang got new bodies for 1967 as the Camaro and Firebird emerged from the drawing boards.
Nice basis for a build. I like the color. My dad had a 66 Dodge Polara light blue.
This ol girl has a lot more rust than minimal. Being a northeast car, you need to look at the underbelly. Way overpriced. There are a couple ways I was thinking- warm up the 273- friend had a 4 dr valiant with a 273 and it was a national NHRA record holder. Or- 340 4 speed– another friend had an identical dart that he put a 340- 4 speed in and it was a terror- sleeper! Lots of potential – I’d say paint it ,no P word- to me this is a $500 car. What say you??? Good luck to the new owner!
Cheers
GPC
I’d worry about crossing railroad tracks with this one! It might break in half like my sister’s 92 Firebird did.
Was there a circus lion living inside of this thing? I can’t recall seeing an interior being relegated to that rough shape based on UV rays alone. Wow.
Its exceedingly hard to find 2 door post Darts with V8s.
Especially unmolested ones.
Having said that, the rust here is the major problem.
Price is silly. Might be worth one thousand dollars, but thats pushing it.
Agree that for what it is, it’s over-priced. Probably find more rust when you get into it, too. If you could get it cheap enough, it would be a nice daily driver with the small V8. Not seeing any comments from the patina purists. Are they fading away like the patina fad?
There is a lot more rust. Look are the areas around the hood hinges, especially the passenger side.
Steve R
This wasn’t a muscle car that someone had the foresight to preserve!!!! These cars were driven!! It is super cool with the V-8!!! There use to be a lot of these on the road and all of the ones I’d ever seen had the slant six!! This was someone’s daily driver and was used all winter I’m sure!! I’m also wondering if that 60K is actually 160K!!! The price is way to high to take a chance that the rust isn’t totally through the whole car!!
I like the full wheelcovers and the V8 but the ask is beyond ambitious. Cars that look like this were relegated to the backs of the tote the note lots in the 70’s and 80’s. I literally laughed out loud when I read about circus lions living inside. That is a miserable looking front bench–more akin to some 1940s-1950s car that’s been sitting in the woods with not a shred of foam or vinyl left. The build quality of a B post compact is about as solid as you could get from a Dart that year but I’m sure those doors no longer shut like a tank.