Frame Up Restored Dart 408 Stroker V8 460 HP

What happens when you take a light weight Chrysler A-body, stuff a 408 stroker in it and restore it to day one status? You get this killer 1973 Dodge Dart Swinger! With an extensive list of top-shelf engine modifications, this expertly restored Dodge compact is a no-compromises car that is dollar for dollar, more fun than anything else you can buy.

Benefitting from a recent frame up restoration, this Dodge Dart still retains all of its original sheetmetal. The cars solid panels were straightened and sanded until everything lined up just right and the doors, trunk and hood closed with factory precision. Defect free, the completely smooth canvas was then covered in original Chrysler code GF3 Light Green Metallic and buffed to a brilliant shine. Instead of re-installing the original black body moldings on the cars panels, the owner opted to paint a much more appealing gloss white Swinger stripe around the decklid. It's an excellent look with the metallic green serving to highlight the cars vintage personality and the white Swinger stripe hinting at hotter mechanicals. Up front, a showroom fresh grille spans the entire width of the car and houses correct headlights and marker lights that function perfectly. Below the grille, a big chrome bumper features a show winning shine and complements a chrome “Dodge” emblem that occupies the driver's side of the hood. On top of that hood, a Duster scoop, complete with chrome “360” emblems, sits on the cars central body line and provides an aggressive look that goes great with new for 1973 front end styling. The profile of the car combines the modern look of late 60s and early 70s design with fender lines that kick up right behind the doors to provide the classic 'coke bottle shape' introduced in the 50s. Swept fender openings feature new stainless trim and combine with angled wrap around bumpers and the swept Swinger stripe to imply a sense of motion even when the car is sitting still. On the sides of the pillarless hardtop, color matched drip rails sit above new glass that is housed in straight stainless trim. Square marker lights at the front and rear of the car line up perfectly with front fender mounted “Swinger” emblems that carry the same shine and swagger as when they rolled off the assembly line. In the middle of the car, chrome door handles sit in front of rear fender mounted “Dart” emblems and match a correct chrome driver's side mirror. At the back of the car, ridged fenders flow into another broad show worthy chrome bumper which houses four great looking silver trimmed tail lights. On the passenger's side of the trunk, a second chrome “Dodge” emblem serves as a finishing touch. This is one slick car that someone spent a lot of time perfecting. Even with mild modifications, it looks completely OEM and is one of the cleanest Darts I've ever seen.

Open the light green hood and check out the cars stout Mopar Performance 360 V8 crate motor that's good for 380hp. But wait, it gets even better; this 360 has been completely disassembled and enlarged to 408 cubic inches for enough fire power to turn this Dart into a missile. On top of the motor, a Holley 750 double pumper grabs air through a chrome air filter with a reusable filter element and sucks fuel from stainless fuel lines that are complete with a Summit fuel pressure gauge. That air-fuel mixture goes through a Mopar M1 single plane intake into Magnum R/T high flow aluminum heads that have been street ported, street polished and rebuilt with Manley stainless valves. The fuel is sparked by an MSD Blaster coil and Chrysler Electronic ignition system, which was new for 1973, and sends fire through Accel racing wires. Sportsman Racing Products pistons, rings and connecting rods combine with an Eagle crank and Clevite bearings to provide an 11.8:1 compression ratio. Exhaust gases then exit through coated TTI long tube headers into a 3 inch exhaust system. The engine bay has been coated in body matching code GF3 Light Green Metallic and carries the same gloss as the exterior body panels. Finned Mopar valve covers are painted black and contrast nicely to the orange engine block. Up front, a factory radiator which easily keeps the small block cool sits in front of fresh belts, fresh hoses and a chrome engine strut rod. Note that there is no power steering, no air conditioning, and no other extraneous hardware that adds complexity and weight; this car was built to go!

Under the car a 904 3-speed automatic features a Coan Racing 3800 stall converter, a full reverse manual valve body and an auxiliary cooler mounted in front of the cars radiator. That tough transmission twists a custom driveshaft that is connected to an 8 ¾ limited slip rear end that houses Moser axles and Richmond Sure Grip 3.91 gears. Holding this awesome driveline into place is a factory torsion bar front suspension and a factory rear suspension with Mopar Super Stock leaf springs and adjustable air shocks. At the corners, manual disc front brakes, with new for 1973 single piston calipers and manual drum rear brakes to do a very good job of stopping the car. And when combined with its manual steering, provide and unmatched classic car feel. The 3 inch exhaust is a true dual system with an H-pipe, Dynomax mufflers and stainless tips that are mounted just below the rear bumper. Cosmetically, everything looks solid and free of rust. The floor pans are freshly undercoated over clean sheet metal and sub frame connectors tie the chassis together. A full set of Weld Pro Star wheels wearing 215/60 front and 235/60 rear BF Goodrich radials give the car a ton of attitude and provide excellent traction as long as you're easy on the right pedal.—

The restored to original Chrysler code D2F6 green vinyl bench interior is in great shape and shows little to no wear. One of my favorite parts of the car is the cool, almost marbled looking seats that match the like new dark green carpet perfectly. Upping the ante in the looks department a little more is new black floor mats that feature the nice 70s Swinger script found on the fenders of the car. Sure, there's a very informative Auto Meter Sport Comp tachometer on the column and a matching trio of Autometer gauges under the dash, but those are the only signs of progress from the driver's seat. The original dash shows no signs of weathering and houses correct gauges that are wrapped in correct wood applique. To the right of the gauges, an old school Sparkomatic deck sends sound to a pair of Panasonic 6x9's in the rear package tray. Clearly, audio perfection was not high on the resto list for this car, but who cares when the money was better spent on more go fast parts? Above the Sparkomatic, you'll find controls for the heater/defroster, and to the left of the Sparkomatic is a factory electric clock. The dark green door panels are in excellent shape and feature only chrome door handles and chrome window cranks for ornamentation. The original steering wheel and original column are color matched to the dash and feature a chrome shifter for the 904 transmission and a correct green horn button. Up top, the black headliner is tight and includes optional shoulder belts that connect to standard lap belts. Out back, the trunk has been restored to original condition and features a new mat, an original style jack and a correct decal with instructions for the jack.

Documentation for this car includes the original owner's manual and 13 trophies from local shows.

Whether you're an A-body fan or just a fan of cool and different cars this 12 second Dart is sure to make you happy. This 1973 Dart is a solid build with a tight motor that is beautifully finished and would certainly cost two or three times our asking price if you wanted to build it yourself. Cars like this just don't stay in our RK Motors Charlotte showroom for very long because they're simply too entertaining to pass up. Don't miss out on all the fun ---- call today!