1975 Dodge Dart Custom 225 Slant 6

Summary:

4 doors of comfort and speed

Faults:

Transmission slips and leaks profusely.

Head gasket cracked after over-heating.

Tires were dry rotted.

The carpet was replaced with yellow house carpet by the previous owner... Ugh.

General Comments:

I love this car. It has some issues (it sat in a field with two goats for almost six years) but it is still fun to drive. The slant 6 is ultra smooth and I love the looks I get just for driving to work.

I need to rebuild the transmission because the gentleman who owned it before me took horrible care of it.

My only complaint is that the car is butterscotch yellow. I've never been a fan of yellow. But I had to have the car when I saw it in the field. It has one of those "it's so ugly it's cute" effects on me. I paid $300 for it and drove it home after replacing the ignition module. She's been my faithful ride to work ever since.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd August, 2003

3rd Aug 2004, 15:36

The writer lf the above comment needs to get familiar with something called Dexron III ATF, and the transmission dipstick on his car.

The latter probably shows he has run out of the former.

12th Aug 2004, 10:48

One of the comments above includes a wonderful story about the grandma-thing... I also own a Dodge Dart. I bought it this year (2004) and had only ran 43000 (...).. I soon realized that the counter isn't going further than 99.999.. Too bad, I was still going to buy it..

6th Jul 2005, 16:27

Where is the picture?

1975 Dodge Dart Swinger 225 Slant Six

Summary:

Owning this car advertises your sense of humor

Faults:

Approximately 200 miles after obtaining the car, the rear end seized. As far as I know this was the original rear end. Apparently the case had cracked and emptied of oil.

It helps if you have a trusty mechanic for cheap labor, although parts will require some ingenuity to obtain. Note that while parts abound, mechanics can be unscrupulous and attempt to charge extra for feigned *difficulty* in obtaining replacement parts.

New rear end obtained and installed, car currently runs fine.

The interior is shabby and needs attention.

The vehicle has the standard NE USA, Mopar rust points: behind the wheel wells, along the roof. The frame has apparently rusted as well. Buyers and collectors should inspect the rust situation closely.

Besides being a Dart enthusiast, I was also told that the 70s Mopars are good cars to learn mechanics on. I am lazy and will likely never learn, although more serious pupils might find such advice helpful.

General Comments:

The car handles like a bloated grandmother on a parquet dance-floor. Not terrifically agile, but somehow fun to be around nonetheless.

The cabin is very roomy and I like tucking myself into the corner while driving. It also makes me want to smoke.

The bench seat is a nice feature. Very nice for those occasions when one finds themselves riding with a girl they are sweet on.

Auto engineers of today should take note of the design choices of the 70s - everything is knobs and switches. So much better than the push buttons and MFDs of today.

I really really love having the high beam switch as a 'kick' button, located the clutch would be.

Paid $600. With repairs, the car has cost about $1,800.00. You can find Swingers and Darts on eBay and http://www.autotraderclassics.com/

$1,800 is about the low end of what you might pay for such specimens.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 22nd January, 2003

1975 Dodge Dart Swinger 318 V8

Summary:

This car does everything better than you would expect!

Faults:

I have had two Dart's, this one had problems with the electronic ignition components, something you would expect as this was about when Detroit was just getting going on these types of ignition systems. Also had the misfortune of having a corner transmission shop "service" my automatic transmission, and they put the wrong filter on it, causing a complete loss of fluid and a burnt-up transmission.

General Comments:

This is one of my all-time favorite cars! I liked the six-cylinder engine on my 1970 Dart better than the 318 v-8 on this one, and the six seemed to have as much power.

However, I really love the body style of my 1975 coupe, and the look of the dash on the inside! When I had to have a car recently, I was looking to see if I saw a car like my old one to buy!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 21st January, 2003

25th Jan 2005, 16:57

Although I do agree, that through modern engineering, a 2004 is a "safer" car if involved in an accident. The feeling of sitting around with the boys shooting the breeze, and actually being able to sit on the hood or trunk of your car without fear of collapsing it is somehow reassuring.

16th Jan 2006, 02:48

My recollection is that the 70's Mopar shop manuals advised against "servicing" a Torqueflight transmission, changing the fluid or opening it up for ANY reason unless it actually malfunctioned. The risk of some stray dirt getting inside was greater than any possible benefit of "preventive maintenance".

16th Jan 2006, 09:37

I think there is some truth in that. On the one hand, these Torqueflites were so rugged and dependable, that they really didn't need routine maintenance. Not like some of the rubber-band gear boxes now that need constant fluid changes and babying. It is a little ridiculous when you hear about transmission fluid changes every 15,000 miles. The owners manuals on these old Mopars did say that things like transmission fluid and differential fluid never needed to be changed for the life of the car. However, never is a mighty long time, and that probably was written for the original owner. There does come a point, say when they get to 100,000 miles, that the transmission fluid and filter should be changed, and the bands adjusted. If you buy something like a '75 Swinger, the chances are good that it has over 100,000 miles and it's probably a good idea to make sure all of that maintenance is caught up on.