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Rare Mod Top: 1969 Dodge Dart Swinger

While this 1969 Dodge Dart is already notable for being a nicely preserved/restored example with the desirable Swinger package, it’s made significantly rarer by being one of a very few “Mod Top” cars ever made. The seller claims its unconventional roof makes it one of 50 built and that there’s currently only one other 340-equipped Mod Tops known to exist. Find this green machine here on eBay with a $32,000 Buy-It-Now.

The Mod Top was a marketing gimmick intended to draw female shoppers into the showroom. By and large, this effort failed, and the Mod Top option a short-lived feature that resulted in very few cars being spec’d with the unusual floral roof design. You could choose the pattern on the Plymouth Barracuda and Satellite and the Dodge Dart and Coronet/Super Bee. As you can see here, this one is lifting ever so slightly, and the seller is including a reproduction top in the sale.

The 340 V8 was fully rebuilt with .30 over pistons and an Edelbrock 4-barrel carb. There’s no word on how much power it produces, but new this engine was rated at 275 horsepower, so it was no slouch. It should provide plenty of grunt to make this Dart fun to drive.

The interior is a conundrum to me, as I’ve read that the Mod Top option carried over to the seat upholstery and door panels as well. While I can buy the bench seat being redone, it seems unlikely that the door panels would also get a do-over. Perhaps the original owner didn’t want the interior to match and just spec’d that the roof feature the floral pattern, or maybe this Dart received the Mod Top after it left the showroom. After some sleuthing, however, I did get an answer.

It turns out that cars like this Dart, with the “green/gold/lite-blue floral” Mod Top pattern, did not get the corresponding interior patterns. The “yellow/green/black floral” and “blue/green floral” Mod Top cars did, however. There’s some great info on the Mopar Mod Top Registry website; check it out if you want more info on these interesting marketing ploys. With a rebuilt, numbers-matching engine and no rust to speak of, this rare Mod Top is likely a solid investment you can enjoy on sunny days.

Comments

  1. Avatar CapNemo

    Well, it would be hard to deny the collectability of this one!

    Like 11
    • Avatar Sidney

      Collectible or not, this is homely. I recall laughing at these in the showroom with my friends.

      Like 13
  2. HoA Howard A Member

    I somewhat reluctantly admit, I was a teenager when the Mod Top hit the scene. It wasn’t so much for ladies, but more to embrace the psychedelic era of the late 60’s. I don’t know about the 50 claim, I remember seeing it on Dusters of that time too. I think it was a really neat feature,,,far out, man,,,

    Like 17
    • Avatar Sidney

      Banned?

      Like 1
    • Avatar TAGS

      Howard A…yes, agree! It was the year(s) of Woodstock and bell bottoms. I came from a 100% MOPAR family and I remember seeing a few of these tops as a kid.

      Like 6
    • Avatar Big_Fun Member

      Hmmm. Anyone remember when they were at that car show, and there was that one car, (beautifully restored), and on the radiator support is a binder with a lot of ‘before’ pictures?
      If I had this car, the binder would be in the trunk, along with the before pictures of when the Mod Top was there. Along with a piece of the old Mod Top material. On the roof would be beautiful, correct grained vinyl in white. And people, after seeing the history of this car would thank me….and maybe even call me a hero.

      Like 5
      • Avatar Big_Fun Member

        Yes, call me humble (not), but I’m having fun and cracking myself up on this cold Midwest night. Bright green and a white top and stripes will make it ‘pop’. You can always go back to stock, and the provenance will always be there.
        Might go further and add Cragar S/S wheels in chrome, possible white letter tires to compliment the top. But nothing ‘too wordy ‘ on the sidewalls as too distract from the car. A great cruiser with bite to match the bark.

        Like 3
    • Avatar Mountainwoodie

      HoA-

      .Stole my thunder with your last crack…. lol!

      Its actually a ‘floral top’.kinda late to the psychedelic scene by ’69…….. but I’ll bet Chrysler execs were wearing Nehru jackets and smoking dope with their counterpart over at GM..John Delorean.

      Like 3
      • Avatar Dave

        You forget that people were going to the Moon, with or without rockets…

        Like 7
    • Avatar triumph1954

      Howard A. You are right! I saw it on a Road Runner in my home town. Must be Jeff Lavery is not very old. LOL.

      Like 0
  3. Avatar Mark

    Great car…and it’s GREEN! There was a Barracuda around here that was yellow with the yellow/green/black mod top.
    Raises the cool factor IMO.

    Like 11
    • Avatar Dan B

      Had one here in that same color combo.

      Like 0
    • Avatar r s

      It was called ‘Go Green’, at least for one of the Mopar divisions. Knew someone with a 69 Road Runner that same color, no vinyl top.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Stinger

        “Go Green” or Green-Go as it’s correct name, (Sassy-Grass for Plymouth) was not available in 1969. This is Bright Green – F6 paint code.

        Like 1
  4. Avatar UK Paul

    Wow. Love it!

    Like 5
  5. Avatar Jeff

    I would rather drive a Pimpmobile Eldorado than be caught dead in a Mod Top Mopar.

    Like 11
    • Avatar r s

      Your wish is my command!
      Look in your driveway…

      Like 0
  6. Avatar local_sheriff

    Mercury Cougars were also available with patterned vinyl roofs,however not nearly as bold!
    I won’t deny this Dart’s rarity but apart from the roof it sports probably the best engine for the Dart’s body and that green looks great on it.It’s probably more interesting for the inner circle of Mopar fanatics than mainstream car guys, IMO the 67 droptop featured yesterday seems a much better buy

    Like 5
  7. Avatar LAB3

    Mod top? My thinking tells me that Mother of Shower Curtain is a better description.

    Like 10
  8. Avatar Gaspumpchas

    That 340 was a drop dead screamer. 273 for small cubes was pretty good if you hopped it up. Had a high school buddy who had a 64 valiant 4 dr with a warmed up 273. AHRA national record holder. Rare but fugly and the top is peeling back like a rattlesnake skin. Very cool dart though, Good luck to the new owner. Too bad its not a 4 speed, IMHO

    Cheers
    GPC

    Like 4
  9. Avatar Dovi65

    What a groovy ride!! I’d have no issue driving this little Swinger. The full-sized Plymouth models could be optioned with a ‘mod-top’
    I believe they were ‘turtle tops’

    Like 6
  10. Avatar jw454

    Around ’72~’73 a co-worker had a 68~’69 Barracuda notch back with the mod top. She fit the “Flower Child” lifestyle so the car fit her pretty well. There was also a B5 blue ’69 Dodge Charger with a mod top in my area a few years ago. It garnered a lot of attention at the local shows.
    I guess, if I found a car I liked with a factory mod top I wouldn’t have a problem with it. You have to remember what was going on in the U.S. when the car was new to understand it.

    Like 10
  11. Avatar Fordguy1972 Member

    Even though it wasn’t offered on this particular Mod pattern, it would be a kinda cool to do the interior in the same pattern.

    You’d have to do a lot of LSD to drive it that way though…………..

    Like 5
  12. Avatar Beatnik Bedouin

    Like Sidney and his buddies, I thought the Mod Top option was a bit of a joke – a car that a bunch of ‘old squares’ were trying to offer as a cool ride. Hopefully, someone will appreciate the example posted above. The 340 is probably my favourite Mopar engine from the era and I’ve had experience with all kinds of Chrysler engines.

    I wonder of Gaspumpchas remembers the Dodge D/Dart? Now there was a li’l 273 that screamed – it was offered to slot straight into NHRA D/Stock.

    Like 3
  13. Avatar cunnanm

    The late Steven J. of Rapid Transit Collector fame had a 1970 Hemicuda Mod Top stolen and it has never been found. I believe it was a green car. I believe it was a one of one car and I hope it is somewhere and not destroyed and stripped for parts. It is/was a true collector car of the era. It could never be replaced if some dirt bag has destroyed it. It doesn’t matter if it was ugly. It is a piece of Mopar history!

    Like 4
  14. Avatar RoughDiamond

    Nothing wrong with the mod top and lots to appreciate with that 340 under the hood.

    A one of one ’70 Hemi Cuda mod top was stolen out of a NY garage and has never been seen again.

    https://www.streetmusclemag.com/news/one-of-one-1971-hemi-cuda-mod-top-stolen-50000-reward-offered/

    Like 3
    • Avatar Neal

      Bummer!

      Like 0
  15. Avatar Angel Cadillac Diva Member

    My 1972 Imperial LeBaron was white with a burgundy interior and a burgundy Paisley vinyl top. It was much more subtle than this flowery top on the Swinger.

    Like 3
  16. Avatar David Rhoces

    32 gs for a psychedelic top …. I think not

    Like 1
  17. Avatar Woody

    Sure enough Mopar history here,seen a few around Pennsylvania and at car shows,it would be “cool” to own a car like this,even the crazy paint colors that Chrysler Motors had were something to remember from the days! This is an awesome example of the “Rapid Transit System”!

    Like 5
  18. Avatar Phil l.

    Saw one of these this past year here in Rochester. It’s owned by a couple into mopars. The husband also owns a rare DeSoto.

    Like 2
  19. Avatar Guardstang

    The real horror is if you got a Mod Top Plymouth B-body you had that pattern on the door panels and had to look at it every time you drove it.

    Like 1
  20. Avatar Stinger

    The coolest one I’ve personally ever seen was a mod top 70 Barracuda in the yellow… Think a dart is hard to find in a Mod Top, try and find and E-bodied Barracuda, only ever saw one. Then of course there is the Mod Top Daytona :

    Like 8
    • Avatar Neil

      How to make an ugly car uglier? Add this top !

      Like 2
  21. Avatar PRA4SNW

    This one is different enough and rare enough for Mark Worman to be interested in doing. The new owner, if rich enough, should consider it.

    I don’t recall him ever doing a Dart on the show.

    Like 2
    • Avatar Guardstang

      He’s really just interested in B & E bodies.

      Like 0
      • Avatar PRA4SNW

        True, but he might do one of these if it is rare enough and someone fronts the money for the restore.

        I wish he would do a car like this – Dart, Duster, Demon, 66 – 67 Charger, early Barracuda. He probably won’t, though.

        Like 1
  22. Avatar Woody

    Graveyard Cars has new episodes with A-bodies being brought back from the dead! ‘69 Barracuda and Duster project.

    Like 2
    • Avatar PRA4SNW

      Cool! I have the episodes recorded. I need to catch up.
      Thanks Woody.

      Like 1
  23. Avatar Woody

    Mark Worman is the coolest dude,would love a job working with Graveyard Cars! I was a junior in high school,1983 driving a ‘69 Barracuda Fastback and soon after bought a ‘69 M-code Fastback and ‘73 Dart Sport 340,sold my small collection to get married and raise a daughter and a son,and life goes on!

    Like 2
    • Avatar PRA4SNW

      Do you have any idea what happened to the interior guy? I thought he did a great job, explained everything clearly, and stayed away from the shenanigans.

      Like 0
  24. Avatar Woody

    Not sure but he probably made enough to start his own business!

    Like 1
    • Avatar PRA4SNW

      LOL – true.

      Like 1
  25. Avatar Ed

    I owned a ’69 Swinger GT with this color scheme, 340 – 4speed. It had Creager SS wheels instead of the dog dish rims. If I can find a picture I’ll post it. Not much would beat this car from stop light to stop light.

    Like 1
  26. Avatar Ray T

    I was a car salesman in 1969. One of my young customers returned from Viet Nam and ordered a 340 Swinger all white. 7 weeks later the car was unloaded with this crazy roof, with no warning at all. My heart sunk, I did not know what to do. I called the customer and told him about the mix up? It seems Chrysler Corp. on their own decided to add this weird roof. Well he was sick of waiting for his HOT ROD so he took it. It turned out to be the fastest car in our small town in Rhode Island. Wish I had never sold it ! ! !

    Like 1
    • Avatar Stinger

      Very cool story, can’t say I have seen a white Mod top Dart. What color was the top/interior? Yellow, Green, Blue ?

      Like 0

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