1974 Dodge Dart
A CLASSIC MUSCLE CAR FOR UNDER $ 10K
The early 1970s are regarded as the performance peak for factory muscle cars; however, by the mid- Seventies, performance cars were nearly non-existent. Federal emissions guidelines had put a stake in the heart of almost all muscle cars, and their replacements became crude caricatures of a glorious past. Body stripes, phony scoops, and special wheels replaced tire-smoking power. Regulations pushed compression ratios lower, and leaner fuel mixtures resulted in reduced horsepower. Combined with the increased vehicle weight necessary to meet five-mph
Text by Joe Babiasz, photos by Ryan Merrill
bumper crash tests, and what buyers were left with wasn’ t very appealing. However, Chrysler still had a few tricks up its sleeve, and pulled the proverbial rabbit out of their hat. Enter the 1974 Dodge Dart.
The Dart was available in two distinctive body platforms. The 108-inch wheelbase Dart Sport and Sport 360 were essentially Dodge’ s version of the pillared two-door Plymouth Duster. The longer 111-inch wheelbase Dart and Dart Custom were available only as four-door sedans, and were aimed at families. The stylish Dart Swinger and Swinger Special also rode on a
111-inch wheelbase, and were the only true two-door hardtops in the Dart line. Exterior changes from 1973 were kept to a minimum. All models received a redesigned rear bumper able to withstand 1974’ s federally mandated, fivemph rear bumper crash test. Taillights on the Dart, Dart Custom, and Dart Swinger were enlarged and repositioned from the rear bumper to the tail panel just above the bumper. Ten new exterior colors were added for a total of 16.
Inside, little changed. Bench seats were standard, with bucket seats available as an option that required
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