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Not A Demon! 1973 Dodge Dart Sport

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In 1973, Dodge bowed to public pressure and renamed the Demon the Dart Sport. The Demon had been the sister model Dodge to the popular Plymouth Duster, but some religious groups objected to the name and logo. So in essence, you’re looking at a slightly different version of the Duster. This particular car is making Manhattan, Kansas its current home and can be found for sale here on eBay at no reserve. As I write this, bidding is only just over $1,000, which doesn’t seem a lot from what I can see.

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Unfortunately, what I can see isn’t that much. The seller isn’t working very hard to sell this car, with external pictures only and a slim 38 word description. What they do have to say is pretty good, including that the car has a solid body with very little rust. They also tell us there are “minor dents and scratches,” some of which we can see in this shot at the very rear, on the right hand side just in front of the rear wheel, and on the right side of the rear bumper.

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The Florida plate is a little confusing on a Kansas car, but at least someone considered it a collectable. I’m hoping the gold paint is original, but there’s no way to tell from these pictures. The listing does state that the interior is black, but again, we know nothing else. Can you sense my frustration?

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Under the hood (according to the auction listing) we know there is the venerable 225 cubic inch “Slant Six” coupled to an automatic transmission. The ad also states that there’s a new starter and a new battery, and that there is a new brake master cylinder and power booster conversion kit included. They’ve kindly included pictures of the brake components. I have a feeling that a solid car like this will end up being turned into a resto-mod or clone of a higher performance version. I think it would be neat to drive as is, but we’d like to know what you would do if this showed up in your driveway?

Comments

  1. Avatar nessy

    Ah, that dull color, those basic hubcaps, the blackwall tires, that slant 6, those taillights, that front end, those dents, the missing moldings…………..Not even for free.

    Like 0
  2. Avatar sunbeamdon

    Come on Nessy – even a S(crapper) would pay for this one

    Like 0
  3. Avatar edh

    All that with at least a 360 and I would be totally in at $1000.

    As it is $500 delivered to me and my son can have it.

    Like 0
  4. Avatar Robert

    WAS or IS this CAR Al Bundys.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Howard A Member

      HA! Pretty darn close. One of my favorite shows. Al drove a ’72 Duster with a half vinyl top. Same color though. He supposedly drove that car 1 million miles.

      Like 1
      • Avatar Roselandpete

        Wasn’t the Duster a Plymouth? I thought Al drove a Dodge.

        Like 0
      • Avatar Howard A Member

        Hi Roselandpete, I thought that too and in several episodes, it was called a Dodge Dart, but on a site called “Bundyology” ( I’d post the link, but then my comment doesn’t register) it shows it is clearly a ’72 Duster.

        Like 0
  5. Avatar Chebby

    Ugly car, ugly color. Nearly a clone of my ’75 Duster from high school. No thanks.

    Like 0
  6. Avatar OA5599

    Drop at least a 340 in this. Leave the vanilla exterior as is. It would make the perfect sleeper.

    Like 0
  7. Avatar Howard A Member

    This was probably one of the most lackluster cars you could get. ( I never knew about the “Demon to Dart Sport” thing. Sounds like an ultra conservative Mid-West thing) I’d think even a VW would be more fun than this. But for what it was intended, it was one of the best cars out there. Just basic, dependable wheels. Most of these were “mom’s car”, while dad drove the Chrysler wagon. They did the job well, and when finally something did go ( usually rust) they became $100 beaters, and we, as kids, finished them off. Great to see these cars surface. Collectible? Maybe, but if you need a good car to go from A to B, with a little ’70’s class, here you go. It worked for Al Bundy.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Ed P

    Hi Howard, a VW might be more fun, but the Duster/Demon/Sport cars had a lot more room for seating and the trunk. This is not a tire smoker, but it will get you there and back. The body has some dents that should be easy to fix. This would be an easy project for someone without tons of money.

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  9. Avatar Jack

    I had one like this with a 6 cyl in bright light blue, smoked like crazy, purred like kitten, thought it was going to roll over when you turned a corner. It was fun but defiantly not a chick picker upper lol

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  10. Avatar Roselandpete

    Just don’t tell the Catholic De Paul University that demons have a bad connotation sine its basketball team is called the Blue Demons.

    Like 0
  11. Avatar Alexander Member

    I borrowed a car just like this a couple of summers ago but with a 4 on the floor mated to the slant 6. I smoked the tires, but by mistake because the clutch pedal was as high and stiff as the PTO of a lawn tractor. After 2 weeks, I gave it back to my friend after getting LED lights for the dash gauges and lubricating the clutch pawl. Basic, boring, and slow!

    Like 0
  12. Avatar George

    I never knew the story behind the Demon/Sport connection. I suppose that’s why the Studebaker Satanic never sold well.

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  13. Avatar Rando

    I like original, but this one is begging for a V8 and associated hotrodding. Or something.

    People objected to “Demon” but not the “Swinger”? Go figure…. I mean the Dart Boom Chicka Wow Wow, er Swinger…..? C’mon….

    Like 0
  14. Avatar Ed P

    The Demon was offensive to the same people that played records backwards and claimed there was a satanic message on the record.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Howard A Member

      HA! That’s hilarious, Ed. :)

      Like 0
    • Avatar Otis

      Or like the guys who went ape over the whole “Paul is dead” scheme? Lol I remember well.

      Like 0
  15. Avatar Tom Member

    I remember this as a cool car,….what happened? I also remember the Big Mac as being an “almost too big to eat” monster. Guess that what happens at age 10, 40 years later. ugly is flattering to this car. Demon. the Love Bug. Dart, they should have opted for the Swinger Love Dart!

    Like 0
  16. Avatar Steve yorks

    Wow, don’t you all love to hate my recent purchase, which sports a 413 with a 727 transmission. Needs rally wheels and a trick color change, pretty cheap hotrod!

    Like 1
  17. Avatar Otis

    A 383 or a 426 with a four speed and some mags with nice sticky drag radials. BAM, Mopar performance. The slant six was overly reliable and was bullet proof, but too darn slow. But if money is tight a 318 would do the trick too. Not as fast as a 383 or 426 but still more than reasonably fast. I used to have a ’70 Superbee with a 383 and an automatic and that damn thing went every which way but straight when you gave it just a tad too much gas. It would’ve been better with the 426 but I’m afraid I would’ve gotten more tickets with it. I had gotten 13 tickets with that car as it was. I remember the Demon though too. It could be an economy car or a sports car depending on what engine you chose. Those were the days I tell ya!

    Like 0
  18. Avatar Robert

    Does Al Bundy know that your trying to sell his CAR.

    Like 0
  19. Avatar Rose

    I like it – but I’m partial. I have a similar one in my driveway. Mine has a 318 automatic and is Tahitian Gold metallic paint – darker than this/ more green/brown, cream color bucket seats. Yeah, it’s similar to Al Bundy’s (for me that’s a plus) – but I really thought he had a Duster – because I had one of them, too. lol

    Like 0

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