From 1963 to 1976, the Dodge Dart and Plymouth Valiant ran parallel with one another at Chrysler. What one had to offer, the other was likely to muster up, too. Both were A-body compacts and sold well, though the Plymouth variant saw larger production numbers than the Dart. This 1973 Dart is a rather ordinary car for its day – a 4-door sedan, two-tone paint, a small-block engine, and a TorqueFlite automatic. The former may be one of the reasons the seller is having trouble selling this vehicle (though the rust is a likely culprit, too). Located in Merrill, Wisconsin, this Mopar people mover is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $2,200. Another tip brought to us by……..drum roll……”Lothar… of the Hill People”.
As an example of how the Valiant was more popular than the Dart, Plymouth sold 380,600 copies in 1973. This is while Dodge only managed to peddle 135,000 units, just over one-third as many. It must have been in the marketing as the Dart was only a few dollars more than the Valiant. The lion’s share of them may have been built with the venerable 225 cubic inch Slant-Six engine, but the original owner opted for the more potent 318 V8, also a solid Chrysler powerplant.
Since the car runs well enough for the mileage (98,000), we assume either the door count or unibody rust is the problem. Both rear quarter panels have been gnawed on by the rust bug, as has both front fenders. Who knows what else you might find way below? If this were a Dart Swinger 340 with 2-doors, it would probably already have sold because those are hot little cars selling in the high $20,000s when fixed up. The interior of the seller’s car looks quite nice, so the view from the steering wheel isn’t bad.
We’re told this Dodge is on the market (again) because the seller needs a different vehicle for the work detail – perhaps a pickup or van is in his/her future. The asking price is OBO so chances are you could scoop it up for a few dollars less. And if you have something to trade with a manual transmission, that will certainly perk the seller’s interest.
The BF writers seem to have a problem with sedans. The number of doors isn’t the problem with this car. The overwhelming amount of rust is the problem
Yeah, I’m fine with this car’s factory-installed holes, it’s the ones that have grown in the 50 years since that give me pause.
I love 4 door cars because I have 6 kids.
You don’t restore a car like this you just mechanically maintain it and drive it until she’s done and the more rust that’s showing means that $80k Mercedes is more likely to let you in when you signal u lane change because their afraid you don’t have insurance.
What do you do with these things? A 4 door version of a vanilla car. But, it has a V8! But it has major rust issues! You can’t sink cash into it, but it’s not quite ready for the boneyard. I guess the problem is that $2200, is yesterdays $450.
Right on Big C. I used to buy $500 cars and drive them until they dropped. Inflation = $2000 in today’s money.
This would make a nice parts car for another A-body project. Everything bolted to the K-frame is desirable, as well as the tranny, A/C system, and other bits and bobs. For $2200 it is too expensive as a parts car, and would not be able to be run in any state with an inspection program (too much rust). GLWTS
Good interior, too if you have a 4 door Dart (or late Valiant) with a solid body and trashed interior.
A friend of mine who was into old Renaults suddenly bought one just like this back in 1991. He was quite amazed at the reliability – just gas and oil changes. He loved it and had it until he suddenly passed.
It’s also interesting to me how things have changed – in 1984 I met a girl whose dad drove a -72 with the 225 slant six. I found it really quirky that a middle aged engineer was driving such an old car. Today I don’t think it’s quirky at all with people driving something from 2012. (Now we do have a young engineer at the office who drives a 1976 Jaguar XJS V12 as his daily driver – now that’s something that impresses me!)
It doesn’t have to be a concourse restoration, just put new steel in the floors, patch the rear rear quarters,
change the fluids, tires, and whatever
else that needs it, and drive it! With
used cars heading north of $30K here
in Florida, it just makes sense. You have a nearly bulletproof drivetrain along with a car that you can ACTUALLY repair yourself and save a
pile of cash doing it! Too many doors? Not at my house! At least I
won’t get charged 3X the going rate
for car insurance like some folks do
who own 2-door vehicles or standard
cab pickups. A lot of plusses here.
At least for me anyhow.
It feels like I’m in the right group here. I love the 4 doors and bench seats. Makes a car…what’s the word…useful. When I win the lottery I will buy up all the classic 2 door cars and add 2 more. No inspections here in Wisconsin, for good and ill.
I know you focused on “A” Body Darts, but you also need to know that the Dart name started to be used in 1960. This was more of an intermediate-size vehicle as the Lancer was introduced in 1961 as a companion vehicle to the Plymouth Valiant. The Lancer nameplate was dropped in 1963 in favor of using Dart nameplates. I remember a Dodge Dealer, Nortwest Dodge in northwest Detroit, MI, advertising 1963 Dodge Darts for 1776 dollars.
Lovely car. There’s no such thing as “too many doors”. Although the body isn’t perfect, if it runs and drives safely and there are no holes in the frame and bodywork I’d be willing to pay $2000 for the car.
Good write-up, Russ! Thanks for adding the drum roll.
I don’t care how many doors a vehicle like this has. Now, if they redo the Camaro and make it a 4-door piece of electric silliness, that’d be different (like the Ford Mach E or as I call it MOCK E).
I like the bench seats here too. I could put my gal right next to me… of course I’d need that gal first.
As long as the frame is solid, the rust doesn’t bug me much either. It’d make a nice candidate for some amateur body work OR enjoy it as is, knowing it doesn’t matter who runs into you in the parking lot.
Lastly, rust makes cars lighter and therefore faster.
PS- SOLD!
Bought by someone who thinks it DOES have a frame and therefore not concerned by all that rust?
I had a 1974 Dart Swinger and the rust is typical between yours and mine.