We don’t hear the words rust-free when they’re associated with a 1976 Dodge Colt GT too often and those are just about my two favorite words in the entire old car hobby. This one can be found here on craigslist in the Castle Rock, Colorado area. The seller is asking $2,250.
The left-front fender has about the only glitch on the body of this car that I can see. The seller says that it has no rust and that has to mean rust-through, of course, not surface rust. The bumpers don’t do the design any favors but a person can search for some Mitsubishi Colt Galant (on which the Dodge Colt is based) bumpers on Yahoo! Japan auctions or elsewhere. Those smaller bumpers do make quite a visual difference.
I’m surprised at how solid and straight this car looks. I can’t imagine anyone restoring this car back to original spec, says the guy who normally dreams about restoring cars like this back to original spec. It has a great look to it now, maybe a restomod is in order, says the guy who normally isn’t a restomod fan.
The interior looks fairly rough. The back seat also has a cover on it, a much better-looking blanket cover, but fabrics are usually the last of anyone’s worries when restoring a vehicle unless it’s some wacky 1950s metallic-thread multi-colored/multi-fabric interior. Nubby black vinyl seats, maybe aren’t quite as hard to match. They do say that the brakes are good and the glass is all good and the clutch and tires are good.
The sad part is that the engine isn’t good, as in it needs a head gasket at the very least. The radiator is also not good. This is Mitsubishi’s 4G52 engine, a 2.0L inline-four which would have had around 90 hp. Thankfully, the air cleaner assembly is in the back seat, not that the next owner will keep this current carburetor setup anyway, I’m assuming that at the very least a Weber carb will be installed. This car does look solid, straight (other than the LF fender wheel lip) and rust-free and it would be a good start for a restoration or, gulp, restomod.
Restore or restomod, this car does not run and needs everything. So as not to insult the owner, offer $500.
Those “modern” seat covers shown above available today in stores illustrate not only the poor choice of “colors” available TODAY in EVERYTHING, but also the poor quality & fitting – compared to 15-20 years ago when i could get very nice blue, maroon, tan, etc. velour seat covers from walmart!!(Autobuckets Seatsentry Concours Velour MADE IN ITALY!!!- google that – nothing today!) that fit perfectly over standard bucket seats on a 2nd gen camaro or firebird. They also made low back bucket seat ones for a 1st gen f-body.
You can still find some higher quality seat covers online if you dig deep enough, but they wont be < $15 for a pair like the good walmart ones were.
No mention of the missing driver’s door panel, assorted trim bits, etc. I had a yellow ’75 auto, and this one tugs at my heartstrings MIGHTILY, but it’s not driveable/too far away/too expensive.
It’s certainly not worth it as is, but for many years, drag racers have been using Colts for Pro Street. I’m sure that’s what will happen to it.
A Dodge Colt ???? Calling Al Bundy!
Al’s car was a Dart.
“Rust-free” is nice, but “Dodge Colt” aren’t my two favorite words.
I had this exact same car. I bought it from a guy who ran a rural paper route in it. It had 250,000 miles on it when I got it , He had put 50 plus sets of brake pads a dozen rotors and one set of spark plugs. I drove it till the starter went out at 325,000 miles and I just pushed it to start. I could even preload it up against the concrete parking stops and put it In reverse let off the ebrake and it would start in revers in about 3 feet. I gave it to a young kid and say it for 4 or 5 years around town. I would buy this in a heartbeat and build a vintage race repro. They won a lot of races with the little hemi.
OLD SKROOL 3 4 0 HI WINDER. LENCO. A LITTLE 2 X3 TUBING. MR MIG. ROD SHOP CLONE. That busted Mr. GRUMPY JENKINS AZZZZZZ
I have a rust free 72 Colt wagon that also needs an engine. 36k original miles, not a spot of rust anywhere. The interior is near mint, and not a piece of trim damaged or missing. Thinking of doing a 4G63 swap, myself.