To make the stodgy Dart more sporty-looking, Dodge cooked up the Swinger in 1969. It was a 2-door hardtop that preceded the Demon fastback by two years and could be had with the potent 340 small block V8. This 1970 Dart Swinger 340 looks to be in good condition, although the seller suggests the paint is a bit faded. Located in Mineral Wells, Texas, this Dodge is available here on craigslist for $16,500. Thanks for the heads-up on this one, Pat L.!

The Swinger came about when the 2-door sedan was dropped after 1968 (the Darts had been redesigned for 1967 and would carry the same basic form through 1976). You could get one in a variety of trim levels, such as the Custom, GT, GTS, or Swinger 340. Styling was tweaked in 1970 so the car would more closely resemble the design themes found in Dodge’s full-size vehicles. All Darts built that year for the North American markets would be assembled in two places: Windsor, Ontario, and Los Angeles, California.

One of the most popular performance engines in the ’60s and ’70s was the Chrysler 340 cubic inch V8 which was all-new for 1968. It was based on the standard LA-series lightweight block and was designed from the outset as a performance motor. With high compression (10.5 until ’71), big valves (2.02 intake, 1.60 exhaust until ’72), bumpy cams, large 4-barrel carburetors, and other items, these engines were built to perform and stay in one piece at 6,500 rpm. For 1970, the 340 would produce 275 hp and 13,785 of them went into the Dodge Swinger.

We’re told that the seller’s car is in good condition and the odometer reading is only 10,000, but that may be just a placeholder in craigslist. The 340 V8 is paired with a TorqueFlite automatic transmission, and the seller says it’s ready to be driven to a new home, yet all the photos provided are from inside a garage rather than outdoors. It has medium blue paint and a dark blue vinyl top that look good indoors and the interior with bucket seats and console presents well though the dash pad looks to have a crack in it.

For those wanting to get into the 1960s muscle car scene, the Dart is one of the less expensive ways to do it. Online price guides seem to land at around $20,000 for a nice one, which is a lot less than you’d pay for a souped-up Chevelle SS 454 of the same model year. And it would be more manageable to drive to and from local car events.