The idler arm was severely worn when I bought the car, causing the right front wheel to wobble a bit at high speed. It cost $35 to fix.
The oil pressure light didn't work. I installed a $15 oil pressure to fix that.
The muffler, "fell off" soon after I bought the car. I replaced it with a $20 glass pack.
The trunk lock had broken and the previous owner pried the trunk open so now it doesn't close right and it has to be opened with a screwdriver.
The car handles well considering the fact that it has no anti-sway bar.
Except for two flat tires this car has NEVER let me down. It will start even on the coldest mornings (not very easily, though).
With the optional lower gearing the car accelerates surprisingly quick.
The lower gearing actually limits top speed (it sound like it is going to blow up at around 80mph) and the noise it makes at 65 may make long trips unbearable for some people (personally, I like the noise).
The front seat is very comfortable while the back seat is rather uncomfortable.
There is very little weight on the rear end making this car VERY dangerous in the snow. I find very hard to get moving in the snow and even when it is moving it does not want to go straight. It is also very hard to stop in the snow without power brakes!
This car could probably make it to hell and back if you wanted it to. (It looks like it has already been there!.
Sounds like loads of fun: Opening your trunk with a screwdriver, hard starting on cold days, uncontrollable in snow, so noisy at 65mph that it makes your ear drums bleed.
Oops! sorry, I forgot, you LIKE the noise. Yeah, right!
I973 Dodge Dart Custom. Well, I have ownend several older vehicles of similar ilk. It's obvious to me that when this car was built, the primary goal was reliability and quality. This is a simple machine. Slant 6, I have heard is one of the most reliable EVER! Comfy ride, smooth feel, easy to drive. Easy to fix too! I will be purchasing this car tomorrow and v grateful to have found this great car. It has a plane jane look. But if I get rid of the dorky green vinyl roof covering, and paint that black, i'le be well on my way towards a stylin family car. At 139k miles i'me feelin pretty good. This car should go to 200,easy, maybee 300 with a little love. At $1500 who could complain. Alan.
You are correct. The slant six was the backbone of Chrysler powering all their small and even some mid size cars. With average care they are good for over 200,000 miles. Your only worries will be body corrosion and electrical problems from corroded ground connections.
This kind of reliability can put one out of business.
The 73 I bought a year ago has all matching numbers, 318 and 3sp auto. Its stock and complete all the way to the wiper blades. The interior is beat, but workable and I need to find someone who understands the special shape of the rear window for tinting. All things considered, its gone from 36 months of curbside storage to daily driver with little more than an oil change and a good bath. The body is 90% straight, fairly solid and easily repaired and painted. I have upgraded to an Edelbrock 850 carb and intake, new shocks and stripped the roof. Wiring is holding up and needs to do so for the foreseeable future. The suspension is so trashed and yet so forgiving it stuns me. New radiator and hoses keep it pumping along. Drive ability is fair, its square, steel and heavy, not the plastic baskets of today. I never planned to build a Dart Swinger, but its growing on me. I like the way the kids give it a second look, even with the old (42) guy driving it. My wife loves the new Rockford Fosgate sound system and if I can find the headers I want, she'll probably never leave it at home again. She has all, but turned her back on the new Chevy truck I bought her, and takes the Dart for any excuse now. In my home town, Nova and Malibu was the name of the game, but I'm proud to own my Dart, and will run it, win or lose against any roller I meet. The solid Detroit sleds have a place in anyones line up, and have earned the right to turn heads and turn back the clock any time you fire one up!
Roll On!
Scott, Morgan Hill Ca.
I own a 1970 Dodge Dart Custom, 318 Ci, with 3-speed automatic transmission. It was build in Switzerland for the European market. The guy before me had a lot of parts replaced to make it reliable. One of the best enhancements he made was the electronic ignition an the hi-jackers on the back.
Overall I love the car. It's drives perfectly and I specially like the design. I mean the rear window that curves to the inside, brilliant! And the front-end, really aggressive.
I feel just like Al Bundy, with my hand in my pants!!!
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