What is this car? The seller states that it’s a 1964 Dodge Dart GT convertible, and I agree. It’s also claimed to be a Golden Anniversary edition because 1964 marked Dodge’s 50th year. Well, I’m not sure about that one. This car is also claimed to have traveled 529,673 miles! Really? There’s a lot to consider here, so let’s delve in. Aspidude found the listing for this tired-looking drop-top; it’s located in Mountain Club, California, and is listed here on Facebook Marketplace for $4,500.
As usual, research generates conflicting positions. In a nutshell, and according to For A Bodies Only, a Golden Anniversary Dart should have words to some effect denoting the milestone etched into the steering wheel center, along with gold-hued trim and a two-tone paint job – things this ’64 Dart does not possess. Does it really matter? Probably not, but as stated, the 411 I could find on the topic was vague and contradictory. What I could determine, however, is that there were almost 51K Dart GTs assembled in ’64, but I couldn’t find a breakdown for the coupe vs. the convertible. This particular example is a bit rough in its presentation. The finish is faded; some rust in the passenger-side quarter panel is evident, but the top and chrome bits still present well, and all of the trim is still attached. This is definitely an original specimen – just a tired original specimen.
Powering this compact is a 145 gross HP 225 CI “slant-six” engine, which makes only forward momentum via a TorqueFlite three-speed automatic transmission. I emphasize “forward” because this car has no reverse. The seller claims, “The engine runs, and the car drives forward and shifts smoothly through the forward gears.” Now, a slant-six is a durable engine, one of the all-time champions in that department, but over 500,000 miles of durability? The odometer shows 29,697 miles of experience, but the seller clearly states the recording as being 529,673 – and there’s no error with the comma placement. I’d put this item on hold and make an inquiry.
The interior’s condition reflects that of the exterior; it’s faded and baked, probably from too much time in the California sun. The driver’s seat bottom rest has moved on to shreds, and the other seating positions have their problems too. The environment is not in terrible shape, mind you, but it could stand some reupholstering and general sprucing up. It would probably be a good idea to inspect the underside of the floor pans.
The big story here should be the mileage reading, assuming that it’s true. But then again, do you want to lead with that item in a sale listing? Probably not. As for the confusion around the Golden Anniversary business, it seems doubtful that it’s a value enhancer or detractor. The big news for Dart in ’64 was the first-year availability of a 273 CI V8 engine – that would definitely make a difference from an attraction perspective, but that’s obviously not the case here. So, $4,500 for a tired six-cylinder Dart GT convertible- what do you think, priced right or not quite?
Looks interesting, IF, the underside is solid.
While not an in demand model, this would make a great project car.
Repair the rot, fresh paint, interior, and top.
Drop in a 340 ?
This could be fun runner with all in under 20 K
If you know cars – there’s a lot to tell from just the pictures….car is pretty much all orginal – the seats speaks volumns – that’s the factory worn out covers on it…and the top – not bad at all – maybe kept in a garage or carport most of it’s life…pretty sure none were back glass until 1967….that lower brown spot…it’s just starting to show a little discolor due to water – like my 1964 Valiant – the trunk is also a tell tell…..it’s a buy at that price.
Mileage really doesn’t matter at this cars asking price. The car will speak for itself, factor in the need to replace the transmission, be happy if you can resolve the issues once you get it home.
I’d buff the paint, make sure it’s safe and reliable, then drive it. By doing so you will have an economical classic car, which is what everyone says they want.
Steve R
It appears to have an oil bath air filter that has probably saved thousands of slant sixes over the years. My 66 Dodge slant six D200 took the last half quart of the oil changes into the filter. The carbuerator took a wipe around the base flange and the inside of the throat before putting it back on. Finger tight on the bottom connector and make sure of no wiggle. Done. Every thing stayed clean.
Actually the stock filter A/C…….no oil in them but the trucks still had them.
If you did regular maintenance and fixed what needed fixed to keep it roadworthy, I could see the milage claim being accurate. And if that’s the case, this old girl has held up well. I would have to think it’s at least had an engine/transmission overhaul at least once though.
there is nothing strang or unusual about 500,000 slant six. most likely hasn’t meet it’s half life yet. providing it had regular oil change. the tourqfilte loosening reverse it’s probably cam with the car and still going. unless you ever owned a A body with the 225 . you have the thought of other cars having to have new or rebuilt motor. not the slant six they just keep putting along like a old Briggs and Stratton. this card would be a steal at this price. and to bad it’s so far away from Dallas
Sounds like someone pushed the
reverse button before the car was
fully stopped thus popping the reverse band, A good transmission guy I knew told me
that on pushbutton trannies like
this one, you absolutely CANNOT
and SHOULD NOT hit the reverse
button until the car has come to a
COMPLETE STOP! The car’s forward motion and hitting the button will cause the reverse band to break. I’m well versed on this matter as I owned a ’62 Rambler Classic sedan that had the same problem. $273.00 in
1982 money cured the problem.
My wife was very careful to bring
the car to a complete stop before
choosing reverse gear. Also, you might wanna check the shift linkage too, as loose linkage will
mimic this issue. As for the 529K
mile claim, it’s rare, but it could be
plausible. There have been reports of slant 6 engines that did
indeed continue running at 500K
miles but they most certainly would’ve needed a complete and
total rebuild at that point. The farthest I’ve ever heard a slant 6 go was 354K miles. And as can tell you first hand that the blow by
and the smoke put out by that engine was horrendous. My friend and his wife went through at least 3 to 4 quarts of used 30
weight oil a week before they found a place where they could
get reclaimed 50 weight oil instead. $4,500 is a reasonable
price for this car but so would like
to see some verification of the car’s mileage in writing before I’d
sign the check. Steve R is correct
when he says that this would be
an economical car to own and drive. Just fix the tranny, throw something over the driver’s seat,
keep a close eye on the engine and drive line, and drive and enjoy
it for the bargain that it is.
In most automatic transmissions, reverse requires more pressure to activate. So, either it does have the issue Ken is talking about. Or the transmission is getting ready to fail. OR the filter, which is a screen IIRC is plugged. Either way, a drop of the transmission pan is in order. Also, a note to Jim O Donnell, the name of the town is PINE Mountain Club California. (Which is stated in the Facebook advertisement) Which is down south not far from Bakersfield. “Mountain Club” is part of Kirkwood Ski Resort in the Sierras south of Lake Tahoe. I was interested to go look at this car because Mountain Club is just an hour for me. But, not going to drive several hours to go to Southern California.
Cool car if not rusty underneath. If I bought it, I would have to find a cheap Aspen/Volare to give up its brakes, steering knuckles and rear differential to update this car. A breathed on 318 or 340 would need to live under the power barn eventually.
I knew a guy with a 225 slanty with over 250K miles, but she was at her end of life. 500K+? Sure, with at least one rebuild, maybe 2. The trans will for sure not last half that long. Despite the reputation, I have seen many a TF bite it around 100K, and not just in big blocks, 318s! This would be a fun car with 3 on the tree as many of them had. Would be fun to show the younger guys at the shows.
probably need tune up including valves adjusted. these are not hydraulic. they are solid so as they ware you hear a motor about to quit . me and my brother used to buy these A body cars for almost nothing because people thought they were about to blow. but just need a major tune
That body’s probably fine. The engineers put in place large pry-off plastic access covers so that rear quarter inner panel could be sprayed with paint on the assembly line, which did not happen. You can easily pry them off and spray inside them after making the small sheet metal repair. These are well built cars, I’ve put 100s of thousands of miles on them.
Isn’t this the same car that the late, great Tom Magliozzi of Tappet Brothers fame drove? That should be reason enough to preserve and defend this iconic automotive specimen.
Tom’s car was a black 1963 Dart.
If so, they are pretty much the same- and it was one of his all- time favorites, if I remember correctly. Those brothers ‘carried’ N.P.R. to a significant extent. The brothers were both gifted mechanics and top- notch comedic in their interspersed commentary on social and familial sentiment,- I miss those guys!
had 2 of these (wagons, start of my friends/neighbors gift of the “Wagonman” moniker they bestowed on me). the ’64 was 1st.
Fella here specialized in sales, maintenance, rest0 of “all things slanty” (late in life he went for Toy/Hondas). On a 180 mi, 3 hr trip N to Burlington, VT I saw whaat appeared to B pristine ’66 waggy from PA 4Sale @ a garage. As the body was falling off the ’64 (I had pop-riveted the fallen chicken coop tin roof over the body rust) my 20 y/o mind said I had to have it. “Al” said he would looik @ it if I brought it in.
Driving it back I heard a “bang!”, looked in rearview & saw a starter/hunka block attached skidding down I91 behind me. The sale folk were found to have ‘stuffed saw dust’ into it to quiet banging sounds and lack of sale potential. No matter, the 64 motor went in the 66 for a 2 yr round the-perimeter-states (well, 35 of them) of-the-country trip between under grad & graduate schools.
They were both the 170/2.8 i6, the rig was packed w/all my belongings (seats flipped dwn, big oversized roof rack stuffed full) & spent a wk & 5 days in Neveda desert waiting for rear wheel bearing to come in on greyhound buss. Lots more stories of the adventure but “parked when ran” in WVa with 300K on speedo. Lot more on the motor of course. Guessing a match for this 500K claim. Oil change every 5K mi. The trick f0r any of these ‘million mi motors’ (ford 300/4.9, MB OM617, honda K24, etc).
My 1988 Mercury Grand Marquis with the ubiquitous 5.0 has surpassed 424,000 un-rebuilt miles, and it still gets me where I need to go. Having lived in the greater Albany, New York area and driven every winter, it has some surface rust in a few places, but no rot-through, and its frame is still clean and solid. It’s original paint is very dull at this point, and rhere are a few chips here and there. Its vinyl roof is still solid except for one little crack. The insulation under the hood fell apart into pieces, finally. The engine is tired but still runs smoothly. The transmission slips a little on an incline when the car is cold. The dashpad is still solid with no cracks, and the interior still looks good (that velour wears like iron). I use high-mileage oil, and it uses a quart between changes. I had to replace the entire distributor/ignition assembly, because that completely wore out, and you should see the condition of the keys! And I have given up on the cruise-control and rhe electronic door-locks. It can’t get out of its own way going up a hill, but it still runs and drives. I’ve been asked numerous times what I would sell it for, even in its present condition, but I have no idea what value it might have. I am elderly and comfortable with it. So I entirely believe that mileage claim on this Dart. I can’t count the tie rod ends and other things I’ve worn out and replaced.
Does the Candy Stripe Dodge ring a bell in anyone’s mind ??
The little old lady from Pasedena… and out in her rickity old garage was a brand new shinya red Candy Striped Dodge. 1964-5
Is this one of the few survivors? The red stripe seems original ? Maybe it’s just the iconic Jamaican Red Stripe beer…?
I could be wrong. I usually am.
It was a “brand-new shiny-red super-stock Dodge”, not “candy stripe”
You’re right! I’m wrong again..
But this is appears to be a candy stripe Dodge. I had a Revell model with the Candy Stripe Racing Team decals. Supposedly, a real NASCAR Grand National stock car team of that era.
Too many Red Stripe brewskis…?
looks kind of solid for a convert. priced fair but needs a lot of money.
There is that cab driver who put a million miles on an early sixties Plymouth. I’ve known of on golden anniversary Dart. Belonged to a friend of my dad. Red in color and may have been a coupe. Long time ago when I was eight or nine. At least this is a convertible.
As others have said, it doesn’t matter if the car has that many miles on it or not. If the engine is running, then it’s easily rebuildable to factory specs, and the tranny problem is a matter of having it rebuilt as well. With the asking price, and the rest of the car in good shape for its age, making the necessary drive train repairs and some new seat covers to make it a nice daily driver would be well worth it. If it was a lot closer, I’d be in on the bids.
It’s a good deal, but it’s on the wrong coast.
The little engine that could. And could And could And could etc…
At 4,500.00 for an old soldier like this , what about the mileage , give it new life , wouldn’t it be a good investment as a project car ?? Like the Six Million Dollar Man , We Can Rebuild It , We Have The Parts . Right ? I love this page .
The mileage claim is not at all unreasonable, back in the late 80’s and early 90’s we had propane powered 225’s in our taxis and the routinely went into 7 figures
Golden Anniversary Edition, right. EVERY 1964 Dodge car had that Golden Anniversary 1914-1964 logo on the steering wheel hub to commemorate Dodge’s 50th.
This one doesn’t. Look at the attached image.
JO
That’s correct . My 1st car was a 64 Dart.
The seller here makes some questionable representations, so I’d want to personally inspect this car before I considered purchasing it. Doing so would be especially important given the asking price of $4,500, which seems more than a bit high.
My 1st car was a 64 Dart. It does say on the horn button 50th anniversary
there is nothing strang or unusual about 500,000 slant six. most likely hasn’t meet it’s half life yet. providing it had regular oil change. the tourqfilte loosening reverse it’s probably came with the car and still going. unless you ever owned a A body with the 225 . you have the thought of other cars having to have new or rebuilt motor. not the slant six they just keep putting along like a old Briggs and Stratton. this card would be a steal at this price. and to bad it’s so far away from Dallas
probably need tune up including valves adjusted. these are not hydraulic. they are solid so as they ware you hear a motor about to quit . me and my brother used to buy these A body cars for almost nothing because people thought they were about to blow. but just need a major tune