Garaged 20 Years: 1974 Dodge Dart Swinger
In the spirit of full disclosure, I have a couple of motorcycles, Yamahas to be exact, that I parked back in 1986 when I had just started a business and it was starting to take off. I saw the aftermath of two motorcycle accidents within a week and I didn’t want to risk anything with business going so great. So, when I read that this 1974 Dodge Dart Swinger has been parked for 20 years, that seems like a short sleep compared to my motorcycles. This slumbering Swinger can be found here on eBay in Green Bay, Wisconsin and there is an unmet opening bid price of $2,500 and a buy-it-now price of $3,750.
Green Bay isn’t home to just the famous gridiron gents, the Green Bay Packers, it’s also home to mucho salt on the roads in the winter. You can see part of what the next owner will have to deal with on this Dodge – rust on the rear quarters. Or, at least the left quarter, we don’t even see a glimpse of the entire right side of the car which is always supremely disappointing.
The interior looks more like an Arizona car with the cracking on the dash and steering hub but maybe it’s from the cold or it sat out in the sun, who knows. The interior will need a lot of work as you can see. The trunk is full of goodies and hopefully it’s solid under all of those wheels and other things. The seller says that this car has been in a garage for 20 years and that it ran when it was parked.
The engine is a 318 cubic-inch V8 which in 1974 would have had 150 hp and 255 ft-lb of torque. A 0-60 time of 10 seconds won’t cause too many heads to turn these days but in 1974 it was pretty healthy. I would like to see underside photos and the passenger side before jumping on this one, but I really like this era of Dart Swinger. Have any of you owned a Dart Swinger?
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Comments
I highly doubt the claimed 89,000 miles. The car was 25 years old when parked & even though rust will happen here in Wisconsin, this car has 25 years on the road. The interior reflects 189,000 miles of use too.
This is a $1,000 car. Could be restored, but that would be a labor of love for a car that is pretty much unloved lol.
Parts car or just make it run & then drive it. Really too bad. Was a nice car at one time.
+1 Stevieg. If this were the “Swinger GTS” with the 340, then it would bring a lot of interest in the form of bid$.
This car…. meh.
It’s a 1974 model. No 340 after 1973. Dart Sport would’ve had the 360 motor.
I think you are being generous with the $1000.00. Did you see the left quarter panel? that is going to be an expensive repair.
that rear1/4 is a day work, lets say 1,5 day for both. but is it worth it, is another case..
Most people can’t do that work themselves and a body shop will charge an arm and a leg to do it.
that you are Right. all too expensive. thats why i had to learn it.
without buying sheetmetal parts, but making them in Hand, i would say one day work, for that 1/4.
1,5 day for both sides.
soo so bad it also isnt..
I agree with most of the comments already made. This is over priced for sure. But I will say, for a young person trying to get into the hobby, this isn’t a bad car (not this exact car due to price) to cheaply get into. My son wanted to get into the hobby and we ended up finding a 1970 Dart and we are working on that together. This particular car is over priced and a “bad” undesirable year which drives the price down and then add the rust factor…..we bought a 74 Dart parts car for $1750 in just about the same shape as this car for the 318, disc brakes, rear and odds and ends. We parted out the rest of the car and made good money, basically made all of our money back, plus over $1000 in our pockets and took all the parts we wanted.
Drop the price and it would be a great entry car for a young person to play with.
This is the roof line on a Mexican 2 door Dart. I am not sure why they did this on the Mexican cars, but you can decide which roof line you like better.
I have a 1975 2 door dart with the roof line, but it has more rust than good metal now. I don’t know what I am going to do with it.
Actually, I think it’s kind of cool; sort of “Charger-ish” looking! And Thanks to you, Miguel, for providing all of these interesting Mexican examples!! I really enjoy seeing the different variations.
that Mexican Roof line look much better, imo..
Unfortunately it gives it more area to rust.
This is the roof on my ’75 Dart.
The Mexican Shelby used sail panels very similar to what you have shown. I don’t know why but it must have been a thing in Mexico
I have a 70 Swinger, 68 270, and 73 Sport 340. This would make a fantastic daily driver.
That Mexican roof is awesome!
I can’t wait to finally be relocated to the southwest. Get closer to Mexico & maybe get a chance to see some of these beauties.
Keep sending these in Miguel! I love ’em!
The rear end is sagging. I had a friend with this generation Dart. The rear shock towers rusted out and the car “collapsed” on him one day.
Something to check out.
Probably just a bunch of stuff stashed in the trunk. The springs on these cars did get saggy after a while. I seriously doubt it’s a shock mounting point or hanger area on the frame.
Or a weak /broken leaf spring. Happened on my 72 Plymouth Scamp. Swapped in a complete 8 3/4 rear with springs out of a 70 Swinger.
Shocks don’t suspend a vehicle, springs do. Shocks absorb shock thus the name. Without good shocks the car bounces, and can bounce out of control. When a shock tower rusts through and the car collapses it’s because the spring support rusted through.
God bless America
Nice Riviera, John!
Thancks Day dream believer. I’ve owned it since 2011. I bought from the nephew of the original owner. It was bought new by the Reese family in Southern California and parked a year later due to the death of the buyer. The nephew brought it to Texas in 1995 after having sat for 30 years in the garage with 27,000 miles. It was in need of a lot of restoration, new headliner, engine rebuild, new carpeting, and for reasons not clear to me he had it painted this Cadillac shade of blue. It was originally Coral Mist code nn which is a type of reddish pink. I paid $7500.00 dollars for it, and have driven it about 1500 miles. My 7 year old grandson will inherit it when I’m gone. I would like to paint it back to the original color, but I’m not a painter and quality jobs are high dollar. It has the 425 numbers matching engine trans and rear end. 465 ft.lbs. torque 340 hp. It has factory a/c, tilt wheel, electric windows and seat. The interior is code 308 black vinyl.
Thanks for your comment.
God bless America
You guys from down south might think it is overpriced and rusty, but most of these up north have been returned to earth by now.
This was a common daily driver car and when I was in high school I’ll bet there were 10 or more variations of this car in the parking lot!! Although most had the slant six the 318 was pretty common too!!! I don’t foresee someone buying this to restore!! However it wold still make a good daily driver!!!
For that price it should at least be running.
Its got A/C
Make an offer and grab it