1975 Dodge Dart Swinger

Description

For those of you looking for a good, reliable, and entertaining old car that won't break the bank, perhaps this 1975 Dodge Dart Swinger will fit the bill. It's not exotic, but the slant-six is pretty stout, parts are easy to get, and any time you show up in a clean survivor like this, people nod their heads in appreciation. There are most certainly worse places to drop $10 grand.

The gold paint is the perfect portrait of life in the 1970s and we're pretty sure that's factory-applied enamel. Perhaps this was the proverbial little old lady special, driven only to the market and church on Sundays, and the 24,557 miles showing on the odometer certainly bear this out. Whatever the case, this car has obviously led a charmed life and never experienced the ravages of a northern winter or the misery of a fender-bender on the highway. Instead, it probably hibernated most of the time in a warm garage, and the bodywork is just the way the factory did it back in the mid-70s. You'll actually be surprised by how well-assembled this little Swinger is, as legends of build quality suffering in the '70s are probably over-blown, at least in this car's case. The vinyl roof is in excellent shape and the chrome shines up nicely, but remember it's production chrome, not show chrome, but either way it looks pretty darned good. The only thing missing is the dealer's sticker on the deck lid. Don't fret, the owner simply moved it to the center of the rear bumper.

The interior certainly lives up to the low-mileage claims, with clean upholstery that looks as fresh as it did in, say, 1977. Original carpets are protected by heavy-duty floor mats and the door panels show only very, very minor wrinkling at the lower edges, wrinkles that were probably there before the car got home on day one. For a slant-six Dart, the gauges are pretty comprehensive and the AM radio is still in the dash. Really, the bottom line is that this car is a time capsule of preservation and over the years everyone seems to have respected its authenticity. Heck, even that aftermarket plastic center console, with built-in cup holders, is a relic of the period that's absolutely perfect in this car. And for an affordable car, the trunk is nicely finished and includes what might very well be the original spare tire.

Chrysler's slant six displaced a fairly robust 225 cubic inches and is one of their better designs. In the lightweight Dart Swinger, performance is lively enough to be considered fun, yet it's still quite thrifty, making it the ideal hobby car for today's gas prices. The carb was recently rebuilt, but the rest of the engine is bone stock and as the factory built it. It chatters to life with that distinctive Chrysler starter sound and that's factory engine enamel still clinging to the block. The master cylinder and front calipers are new, and not too long ago someone installed a new exhaust system. It was undercoated when it was new, so the underside isn't detailed but there's no doubt that it's in great shape and you can see that everything is pretty much original, right down to the shocks, since they're all covered in the same stuff. Original 14-inch wheels and hubcaps are fitted and those are quite possibly only the second set of tires this car has ever worn.

Survivors are always cool and this neat little Dart Swinger is a shoo-in for preservation awards at the highest levels. It's not impossible to have a quality car and a pedigree at a bargain price. Call today!