Well, to cut to the chase, this big-block-powered ’69 Dodge Dart GTS wasn’t born with its current powerplant. It is, however, according to its VIN, a genuine GTS variant – one of my favorites from Mopar’s performance years. And for that reason, among others, I’d like to review this Saint Johns, Arizona discovery. This Dart does have some interesting features, and it can be found here on eBay, where it’s available for a current, no-reserve bid of $7,800 with eighteen bids tendered as of this writing.

Dodge’s A-body Dart competed with Chevrolet’s Nova, Ford’s Falcon, Plymouth’s Valiant, and AMC’s Rambler in ’69, a crowded but popular marketing segment. Total Dart production reached 196K units that year, not too shabby, and spread across several trim levels, including Custom, Swinger, GT, and GTS. The total GTS body count, both hardtop and convertible, was 6,700 copies – rather uncommon!

The seller tells us, “The Dart has a very nice body, and I do not see any rust on it. The paint is faded/weathered esp. on the roof, deck lid, and hood. It is lifting in some areas. To be a really nice car, it will not need body work, just paint prep and a new top coat.” Also noted is this car’s mini-tubs and a statement of, “Hot Rod/ Project car…This Dart is a cool project for someone who wants to have a Hot Rod to play with, build a race car, and have some fun with, etc. Lots of work has been done to this Dart. This one has already been started, and you can finish to your tastes or use as a driver…“All in all, the exterior presentation is pretty fair; it definitely possesses a hot rod vibe, but it’s not too over the top.

As stated earlier, the VIN identifies this car as a 340 CI V8, powered GTS Dart, but that engine has been replaced with what may be a 383 CI V8 of unknown provenance. The seller claims, “It appears the car was originally a 340 (am not a Mopar guy), but now has a big block Mopar wedge. Pretty sure it is a 383.” I find that statement to be peculiar, as in did the seller buy this car just to flip, or did he purchase it without really knowing what he was getting? BTW, a 330 gross HP 383 CI powerplant was on the ’69 Dart order sheet, but this car’s VIN is precise in decoding this car as originally harboring a 275 gross HP, 340 CI motor in its engine compartment. Whatever the case, the seller suggests that the engine needs some tuning, specifically stating, “The Dart starts, charges, has good oil pressure, but needs some tuning to run properly.” A TorqueFlite three-speed automatic transmission backs up the mystery motor while front disc brakes bring it to a standstill.

The red vinyl upholstered bench seat interior is a surprise; I was expecting worse. I assumed something hot rod ratty would be in place, but that’s not the case. The seller adds, “The interior is not perfect, but very clean. Carpet is good, decent headliner. The door panels and seats have been recovered, match nicely, and are in very good condition. The Dart does not have a radio or a heater.” One interesting observation (at least I think so) is the design of the front seat back. Instead of being split into independent right/left sides, for rear seat entry, the entire backrest flips forward as one integrated piece – I don’t believe that I ever noticed that before with any other marque or model.

Back to that listing opening about having a hot rod to play with and something that would provide some fun, I would agree. At this point, I’d prefer to have a stock GTS with its fabulous 340 CI “LA” series engine, but if you’re looking for a potent project with a lot of potential, here you go! Any interest anyone?