$2,450 V8 AC Dart: 1974 Dodge Dart Custom
Other than the giant mandated bumpers front and rear, I really like the formal look of this 1974 Dodge Dart Custom sedan. It has almost a classic 1950s look where a person could wear a hat while driving or riding in this car. And, I mean a real hat, not a baseball cap, that’s not a hat! (how’s that for discussion fodder?!) This formal-looking sedan can be found here on Craigslist with an asking price of $2,450. It’s located in Westhampton Beach, New York, out on Long Island. It sure looks and sounds like it could be driven home. Thanks to Fordguy 1972 for sending in this tip!
I love the square, formal roofline and general squareness of this era Dodge Dart and Plymouth Valiant. It maybe could have been described as a square car for square owners but, of course, that wouldn’t always be the case. The fourth-generation Dart was made for a decade, starting in 1967, and they changed quite a bit in that time but they were still unmistakable. I think that this type of car is perfect for someone jumping into the old car hobby for the first time. It’s cheap, it appears to be in good condition with just enough work to do to keep things interesting, and it has a 318 V8, something that most people would probably rather have over a slant-six. Not all, I said most owners. Some would prefer a 225 slant-six, myself included.
This car looks like a steal for just over two-grand, doesn’t it? I don’t really see a flaw in it so far other than a small ding in the RF fender. But, that’s the curse of online car-buying. A show of hands for those of you who have checked out the photos in an online sales listing and thought, dang, this thing is NICE! And, then you buy it sight-unseen and it shows up and your face turns into a cartoon where your jaw literally drops to the floor like an anvil when you see the rust. Thankfully, this owner appears to be honest and they both mention the rust and show photos of it. Kudos to them for that. I don’t know if a person would need an official patch panel to fix that and it would be a great way to learn welding and bodywork on a fairly simple, straight, flat panel repair.
The interior looks fantastic and I bet the seats are as rugged as the day this car rolled off of the assembly line. The back seat looks new and other than some faded carpets I don’t see much on the interior that jumps out at me, problem-wise. Anyone else? I usually prefer a manual transmission, even a three-on-the-tree in a car like this, but there’s something about just dropping it in D and going about your business. You can see that this car has AC, too.
It seems like this is the part of the story where we say that this is a 225 slant-six, but in this case, this car has a 318 cubic-inch V8 which should have had about 150 hp. It’ll feel like a bit less with the AC on but that’ll be nice to have since this is more of a cruiser than a streetlight racer anyway. With 62,000 miles this car is barely broken in. Have any of you owned this era Dodge Dart four-door sedan?
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Comments
If it’s solid underneath you can’t really go wrong here. This would make a great cheap classic to drive as is even as a daily if your commute is short. Being an A-body that already has a V8 it would be rather cheap and easy to go the sleeper hotrod route with it as well. Not to mention the color combo is as boognish approved as it gets. I doubt this stays for sale long. If I had the extra scratch I know I’d be on it.
My grandparents had this same car and color. But theirs might have been a ’73. They definitely had the 319 and AC.
We had a red coupe with a white vinyl top from new for about 10 years. Slant six and no AC.
It would be fun to have one of these nice but cheap a-bodies in any variation as a hobby car someday.
I’ve posted this picture before of my younger brother and me clearing out the Swinger after a Philly snowstorm, but it is fun to share it around for new readers.
We had a base 72 Dart sedan and a 75 Dart Swinger. Both had the 225 and no air conditioning. The 72 was barely adequate. The 75, with power steering and power brakes, was terrible. This one, with the 318, is a much better idea. Beautiful car, amd easy to work on. Too bad it has the beige, not parchment interior. Wish it also had the buckets with fixed armrest which was more comfortable.
I married a New York girl in 1978. She owned a 73 Dart with the 225 in it at the time. We drove it to Long Island which was my first visit to the place. It seems like every other car on Long Island was a Dart. She already had a 69 Dart which we towed back to Arizona with the 73. Every time I went back the number of Darts deminished but those darn things ran forever. They would be so rusted out they were literally held together with duct tape but on the went.
Love the locking gas cap. My dad had to do the same thing to his Dart back during the oil embargo of the mid 70’s.
I remember the “locking gas cap era” too, robh693. When gas got pricey and the gas lines got long, the low-lifes were out in force with their syphon hoses and gas cans. The really desperate and determined ones sometimes punctured the gas tank. Locking gas caps were pretty scarce for awhile, too. You almost had to sleep in your car with a 12 gauge until you were able to find one. Don’t miss those days except for the fact I don’t have a use for rock salt anymore.
Paid $65 for one on eBay for my 63 Valiant.
They used to be so common too.
No better car available anywhere, for the same or less money. None.
Chrysler sixes were slanted so the bore could be cut and honed on the same machinery as the eights. The 318, like the 225, was underpowered, relative to its construction, so equally durable. Only 62,000? I’d just check the hoses, belts and fluids, then drive it home – Phoenix, Arizona.
Chrysler sixes were slanted to save manufacturing costs; the bore could be dressed out with the same machinery as the eights. The 318, just as the 225, was underpowered, relative to the construction, so equally durable. Only 62,000? I’d check hoses, belts and fluids, then dare drive it home – Phoenix, Arizona. The rust stops here.
I had the two door Plymouth version of that car, a 1974 Scamp, with the 318 V8. It was a good car and fun to drive. I just kept one of those $5 ballast resistors in the glovebox at all times, as it would consume one about every six months. Other than that, fairly trouble free car.
Brings back memories-I learned to drive on the family ’72 Dodge Dart sedan
with 318 and Torqueflite. Poverty hubcaps, but had a medium green vinyl
roof over pale yellow with a green interior. Great,forgiving car for driving
lessons.
I had a 74 Dart Swinger 4 door as my first car. Was a pretty cool car to drive. Back seat was big enough to be comfortable to go parking with.
This is my daily driver. Even though they are the same year, there is one big difference between the American and Mexican cars.
What was the big difference? I’m trying to figure it out. Like a mystery.
What is the difference between the models?
No vinyl roof?
The Mexican model has a Dodge front end and a Plymouth rear end.
That happened with many cars in Mexico.
Here is the rear.
Notice the script on the trunk that says Automatico in cursive.
That is odd because cursive is not taught in Mexican schools, so I would bet most people here can’t read that.
Also this is a very rare car because it has a 318 with and Automatic and under dash air.
The overwhelming majority of the Darts sold in Mexico were 6 cylinder with 3 on the tree. It is even harder to find a 6 cylinder with an automatic, which by the way do not have this script on the trunk. It only had it if it was a V8
That emblem on the front fender behind the wheel says 318 with a V and a checkered flag background.
On another note, these cars were used by the Mexican Highway Patrol when they were new.
This seems like a great deal for a classic.
My parents had the 1975 4 dr 318 and AC. They sold it when my mom was pregnant with my sister. My dad bought a 1977 Malibu Classic Wagon 350 4bbl with AC, PS/PB/PW truck release, crome factory roof rack, and the rumble seat in the trunk. It was missing power door locks and an FM radio.
I have a 1974 Dart 318 SE 4 door sedan that my Granddad bought new. Drivetrain perfect, runs very strong. Just had ac overhauled. Been a great car but now needs rear drums and the ones that it came with are 11in.This car was built in Windsor Canada so now I don’t know how or where to get these drums. Shoulda been 10in. So parts can be an issue, electrical gremlins pop up alot. But, we’ll get er done!