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Only 40,000 Miles? 1970 Dodge Dart Swinger 340

It’s easy to see why people fell in love with the 1970 Dodge Dart Swinger 340. It offered buyers styling that was crisp and clean but still managed to look rugged and muscular. The V8 under the hood also endowed the car with performance that was good enough to satisfy most enthusiasts. This Swinger offers all of that in a package that is original and rust-free. The owner has decided to part with the Dart, so he has listed it for sale here on eBay. It is located in Kingsville, Missouri, and the bidding has reached $15,500 in what is a No Reserve auction.

This Swinger 340 is finished in Black, but the owner says that he believes that it has undergone a color change in the past. He believes that it rolled off the line finished in blue, but he doesn’t seem sure of the shade. That is something that would be worth investigating because returning it to its original color should positively impact this Dart’s value. The existing paint holds an impressive shine, and taking to the streets in it as-is would not be something to be ashamed of. The panels appear to be very straight, with no apparent dings or dents. Rust will always be a concern in any car from this era, but it isn’t in this Dart. The owner claims that it is rust-free, and the comprehensive set of photos that he supplies seem to support this claim. The floors look clean, while the trouble-prone frame rails are perfect. The trim and chrome are in excellent condition, as is the glass.

The Swinger 340 probably represented one of the best bargains of 1970. The 6-cylinder Dart Swinger would have cost its owner $2,470 and would have delivered 125hp and a 19.9-second ¼-mile ET. However, slinging the dealer $2,800 would see the buyer drive away in a Swinger 340. For the extra $330, they found themselves behind the wheel of a vehicle with 275hp and the ability to cover that same ¼-mile in 15.2 seconds. Those extra dollars didn’t just deliver power because the Swinger 340 also received front disc brakes, upgraded suspension, and a 3.23 rear end as part of the deal. That’s a bit of a no-brainer in my book. This Swinger is a numbers-matching car, with a 3-speed TorqueFlite transmission bolted to the back of the 340. The owner has replaced all of the 340’s upper gaskets and many of the seals in the engine and transmission. He says that the brakes feel soft, but he believes that they could be brought back to a decent standard if the system was bled. He admits that there is a slight oil drip from the engine, but it is only minor, and it doesn’t provide noticeable oil consumption. He says that the Dart runs and drives well, and it seems that once the brake issue is addressed, this classic will be ready to terrorize the tarmac once again.

The Swinger’s interior is presentable, but it could do with a refresh. Most of the upholstery is in reasonable condition, although there is a hole in the rear-seat cover. The front cover is slightly stretched, but it isn’t bad for its age. The door trims are wrinkled, but I believe these could be pulled back into shape pretty easily. The glove compartment door needs a lock, the floors could handle a new carpet set, and some of the trim on the dash could benefit from being restored. None of these needs are urgent, none of them will cost a fortune, and all of them could be tackled in the buyer’s workshop at their leisure. One positive to consider here is that the interior is unmolested. Nobody has hacked into the dash to fit an aftermarket stereo or gauges. This was a common practice, so this interior is like a breath of fresh air.

During the 1970 model year, Dodge produced an incredible 210,104 examples of the Dart. Of these, 13,785 were the Swinger 340. Enthusiasts embraced the car then, and they continue to do so today. Values have been creeping up steadily in recent years, and a spotless car that is original and unmolested can command a price of $40,000 or more. This one is numbers-matching and rust-free, and returning it to its original color would not be difficult. I would expect the bidding on this car to head towards $25,000 pretty quickly. It might not get that far, and since this is a No Reserve auction, it will be a “winner takes all” proposition. That means that there is the chance that someone could score themselves a desirable classic at an affordable price. That makes this an auction that is well worth watching.

Comments

  1. Avatar Curt Lemay

    The brakes need bleeding? Then why not do that? Laziness, or something else? BTW, 125HP means the standard 198CI six, which was standard (don’t ask me why, it is not like it saved any gas over the 225) but the next in line was the 145HP 225CI. You completely forgot the next in line 318 with 230HP. Now I know, the 275 HP 340 was obviously much more than that, but that does not take away from the wonder that was the 318. Standard gas and insurance rates, more reliable, better MPG and yet, a lot more power than the sixes. I had both 225 and 318s in this body style, both were great, but the 318s provided just a little more fun with out too much temptation to get into mischief.

    Like 16
    • Avatar Bill Hall

      On the brake issue, I see something missing a BOOSTER. This might have come with manual disks? I got no idea when Chrysler put boosters on cars like the Swinger?

      Like 1
    • Avatar tje

      I thought only cars with power brakes got the wide brake pedal, but there’s no brake booster showing.

      Like 0
  2. Avatar Arthell64

    It would have been wise for the seller to include a pic of the fender tag which has what options and color the car came with.

    Like 7
    • Avatar Curt Lemay

      Not if you are trying to hide something.

      Like 8
      • Avatar Mr.BZ

        Ratchet up the negativity, CL!

        Like 7
      • Avatar Curt Lemay

        BZ, when it comes to buying a car, a little skepticism in the past has served me well. In the car buying world, the seller is guilty until proved innocent, at least that is my experience.

        Like 14
      • Avatar bone

        True !

        Like 2
  3. Avatar DrillNFill

    I actually saw this car’s eBay ad earlier today goofing off at work. Car looks good (obvious repaint but that’s ok) but just too many fishy things about it for me to be comfortable dropping $15 large on it. The owner says he’s only driven it once (!!!) and that he doesn’t know how many miles are on it because the odometer is broke and “someone tried to fix it but it ended up getting stuck”. That plus the soft brakes issue, mismatched tires and the draggin booty, I dunno.

    It is a nice car though if everything is on the up and up. 🙂

    Like 7
    • Avatar its1969ok

      Grille surround paint job is not correct either.

      Like 1
  4. Avatar MoPhil

    That must be the widest bumblebee stripe ever applied to a car. 😳

    Like 4
    • Avatar Gary

      I think the stripe got stung and has grew in width🤔😏

      Like 2
  5. Avatar DavidC

    I’ve owned several versions but I did have 1970 340/4 speed Swinger (sublime green). I loved that car!

    Like 5
  6. Avatar ACZ

    Not a bad appearing car. Now, if it only had three pedals instead of two…..

    Like 3
  7. Avatar Bmac777

    The rear sag is most likely the result of a broken leaf on each side.
    It all holds together and functions so you don’t discover it until you take off the bottom plate and they swing down as 2 pieces.

    Like 1
  8. Avatar DON CULLEY

    I’ve always been a fan of A body Mopars , but the 70’s A bodies look odd in black . I know it was one of the 18 or so colors available that year, but the only black Darts I ever saw were base 4 doors with U.S military stencils on the door. I just seemed like it wasn’t a popular color for them. This one has the grille painted flat black too instead of argent ,which make its more odd looking IMHO .

    Like 1
  9. Avatar DavidC

    My 70 Swinger had manual (no booster) front disc. I had a 71 Demon 340 and it had a booster.

    Like 0
  10. Avatar John Newell

    The stripe is not factory. It’s too wide and the Swinger script is absent. That probably happened after the colour change.

    The rear end sag could easily be a ton of junk stored in the trunk.

    The owner clearly has no interest in the car or other things would have been dealt with too.

    The 340s were famous for dropping valves into the cylinder when the keepers gave up.

    The engine bay was too narrow to go any bigger than the 340 even though we’ve all seen 383s and 440s stuffed into them.

    But no matter how much power there was at the front end, the rear wheel wells were too narrow to get a decent size tire in there without tubbing the car.

    Like 0
  11. Avatar Joe Mac

    Went for $16,100…not a bad deal.

    Like 2

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