I swear, I did not go looking for this car. There’s no way I could have predicted finding something like this. Here’s how this all went down: earlier today, I found a 1975 Road Runner for sale on eBay. It’s late at night, and I’m hunting down a cheaper and closer version of that car so that I can come to terms with both a Mopar addiction that should require a straightjacket and the silver brick of an Imperial that is currently shading my tomato garden. eBay was a strikeout, so I jumped over to a for-sale site I rarely, if ever, peruse and almost immediately was rewarded for my efforts with expensive Plymouths and the biggest collection of Chrysler Newports for sale anywhere on the Internet. No luck on the late-B-body hunt, I switched over to Dodges and almost immediately, this pops up: a straight-axle 1974 Dodge Dart wearing a late-1960s front clip.
Well, now. You don’t see that every day, do you? All I could think as I went through the pictures was, “This was someone’s grandfather’s car once.” Turd brown, with a sawdust-colored top and “Honey, I think the baby’s sick, look at this diaper” interior color. You could get a Dart in plenty of colors that didn’t come together after a great big bowl of Shredded Wheat, but nope, here it is in all of it’s glory. The nose swap is strange enough, though I do approve of the look, but the real jaw-dropper is the straight-axle conversion and the high-riding stance of the car. Slot mags? I don’t think any other wheel except maybe Cragars could do justice to the gasser look. Warmed-up 360? Darts are light cars, it should make for some entertaining driving. Hell, it even came with air conditioning! It’s not hooked up, of course, but you could reconnect everything if you really set your mind to it. Think about that…scaring pedestrians and making everyone break their neck as you sit in cool comfort inside your 1970s street freak. And to top it all off, there’s some pure 1970s graphics on the trunk. Priceless.
I don’t know what to think about this one. What say you, readers?
Cars For Sale link: 1974 Dodge Dart Swinger
I saw that 1975 Road Runner that was for sale. Painted bumpers ruined it for me. This Swinger is just weird enough to be cool.
Swap in a blown and injected Hemi and your pants will match the paintwork!
OMG. that is awesome! I admire dudes who build cars becasue #1 they can #2 they don’t give one rip iota what others think.
Drop in a LSX and going crazy! J/K!
Put in a short deck Hemi and 727 w/ manual valve body. Also lose the big rear bumper.
Sorta reminds me of my Dart (see January 2013 feature in Car Craft)
Looney Tune floor mats say it all!
Forget about scaring pedestrians, Let’s go hunt some Priuses!