If you were a Dodge fan in 1970 but liked the styling of the new Plymouth Duster, you were out of luck. You’d have to wait another year for Dodge to get their version of it called the Demon. That name caused a bit of controversy (apparently people got offended back then, too), so Dodge rebranded the car as the Dart Sport for 1973. With the 340 engine like the seller’s car, Demon was probably a better name. Anyway, this sharp looking hot rod compact can be found in Thomaston, Maine (by the ocean) and is available here on Craigslist for $15,500. Thank you, Pat L., for finding this beauty for us!
The Demon/Dart Sport was to Dodge as the Duster was to Plymouth. First seen for 1971, the Demon was a fastback that shared the Dart front clip, while the rest of the car was patterned after the Duster. About the only difference was how the taillights were treated. Just like with the Duster, the Demon could also be had with a 340 engine and body graphics that basically said, “I’m a muscle car.” When the name was changed in 1973, the graphics were toned down, but not the motor as it still kicked out 240 hp, now stated in SAE net terms.
This 1973 Dart Sport 340 looks pretty sharp from front to back and top to bottom, although the engine compartment is a bit tired in appearance. It’s a numbers-matching car which is getting harder to come by as these machines were driven hard back in the day. It has just shy of 85,000 miles on the odometer, but hardly looks it from the photos provided. While there were about 45,000 Dart Sport built for 1973, some 11,000 of them were Dart Sport 340s, indicating that the buying public still had a thirst for power, even though the insurance companies didn’t.
I struggle a bit with the color, although it looks really great with all the black accents. The seller tells us it’s Pale Green, which was a Dodge color for 1973. But the shade on the car doesn’t quite match the paint chip for Pale Green, and the color in the floor of the trunk doesn’t match either one. But, with the back seat out, it looks like the outside. I’m probably nitpicking because this looks too nice not to be a repaint. The matching wheels work well, but the seller says a set of baby moons have been added recently.
We’re told the car runs and drives great with the Torque-Flite automatic doing the job of changing gears. 1973 was the last best year to buy one of these cars, as the bumpers started getting bigger in 1974 and the 340 would be gone, replaced by the less iconic 360 cubic inch V-8. It truly was a great era while it lasted!
The interior looks nice, although a set of bucket seats would be cooler than the bench. But the bench seat was better for “watching the submarine races” and the upholstery all looks good, especially with the woodgrain-type finish on the dashboard and door panels. We saw no evidence of rust on the outside and see none on the inside, either.
The resale value of Duster 340’s seems to be in the low five figures in the kind of condition this car is in, so the less popular Dart Sport 340 is probably in the same ballpark. But I wish Dodge had left the name alone. Dart Sport isn’t a terribly exciting moniker. The seller says that trades would be considered, but don’t bring anything that’s all rusted out.
I don’t know. I agree it looks more vibrant than the factory color did…
http://paintref.com/cgi-bin/colorcodedisplay.cgi?type=sample&paint=16145&ditzler=2515&syear=1973&smanuf=Chrysler&smake=&smodel=Dodge&sname=Pale%20Green&rows=50
But that could be lighting? You’d have to see it in person.
That interior looks in better condition than most, but that color green… I dunno man?
Otherwise good car that looks like it’s in solid shape for the price- thumbs up!
Swap the wheels for a set of black cop-car steelies and cruise
Like the body colored steel wheels.Nice build owner.
The painted steelies wheels are cool.
All it needs are Factory Mopar
Dog Dish Hub Caps! 🌕
Had the same car with the Slant 6 and the 3-on-the-floor. Same pea green color, too. Only thing that stopped it was the rear springs coming up through the trunk floor.
Wow, I didn’t know the Forest Service had a pursuit vehicle!! That’s what that color reminds me of.
Nice machine with the 340 and chiller hood scoop, interior is great……but that shade of color, it’s just odd.
Yeah, the Dart Sport name basically is lame compared to Demon, they could have come up with something better but my understanding is the insurance companies got really greedy, a four speed transmission, a fast back roofline, anything could throw up a flag so to speak and got charged,,,not that that is the reason for the dart sport name which in itself could draw attention for your friendly insurance vulcher.
Awesome car! Really nice wheels. I wish they had kept the Demon name on it too, but then it may not have become so legendary, and what it they had applied to a mid-70s big-bumper atrocity? That would be a shame. I’m glad they didn’t.
I would drive that car all day long .GREAT COLOR & Matching steel wheels painted . Add it all up equals ……..AWESOME
I actually LOVE that color – “State Hospital For The Criminally Insane Cinder Block Hallway Wall Green”! But I’m not kidding, I like it! Refreshingly different.
Real cool car. Unfortunately the name change isnt the only bad change as tjose square tail lights pale in comparison to those 3 horizontal bars from the 1970 version.
The cars you are referring to are model years 1971/72 for the rectangular tail light treatment.. Don’t forget Dodge has brought back recently the DEMON name for some of the Dodge Challenger High Performance models
I agree. I Like this car, but I absolutely Hate those taillights. I also hated the change in 1973 Duster / Dart Sport taillights, hood, grille, and bumper.
I think it is a beautiful car.
I love those Mopars.
It is funny to me that anyone would be discerning a difference between a Dodge or a Plymouth since this generation of both seem so intertwined.
Great color.
That kind of light/ mint green was offered on International Scouts (my FAVORITES) for one year only in 1979, and I have had a love it /leave it relationship ever since.
Nice car but honestly I hate the color!! To each his own but I would have to do a color change matching numbers or not!!
Its definitely been repainted ; you can see over spray on the weatherstrip and hood . It could be a trick of the light or camera flash, but the under hood pictures and the last picture in the garage are closer to the true color of the car. I have a 73 Duster 340 the same color , Plymouth called it ” Mist Green ” It was a one year only color ,so theres not too many around. It should have Rallye wheels on it and the air cleaner isn’t correct , but it looks to be in nice shape and not abused like so many muscle cars did
You can tell about the amateur repaint job looking inside the trunk: Over spray on the fuel filler gasket and the little rubber plug that is about 1 3/4 inch diameter in trunk floor.