74 Dodge Dart Swinger. What’s it worth?

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Tad

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Hey guys I recently came across a 1974 Dodge Dart Swinger with a 318 2bbl, front disc brakes, and a torque flight automatic transmission. I’m curious how much to offer for this car. Below are a few pictures of it. It is 100% original and about 99% complete. Small bit of passenger quarter panel damage.
 
37 cents a pound

I mean, it's not a desirable model, its not in good shape, it needs just about everything
Now, chop it up and sell it piecemeal, there may still be several 100 dollars in it
 
37 cents a pound

I mean, it's not a desirable model, its not in good shape, it needs just about everything
Now, chop it up and sell it piecemeal, there may still be several 100 dollars in it
Thank you diymirage. He says he has $1800 in it. I know that has nothing to do with what I will pay for it but he seemed pretty set on getting close to what he has in it.
 
$500 and not a penny more.

That's not a "small bit of damage" to the passenger quarter. That's a full on quarter panel replacement. Also, look at the hole in the top of that same quarter next to the vinyl top trim. It's toast, rusted out from the vinyl top. So is the dutchman panel, and so is the trunk floor. I'd be worried about the roof skin too, and those aren't reproduced so if it's rusty you'd need a donor car to fix it.

It does have the desirable spool-mount V8 K frame and big bolt pattern brakes, but the value of those is about what the car is worth IMO.
 
I'd say get it as cheap as you can. Yep the quarter is mashed but I'd bet the rust is about nill. $1800 out there... no way. Back here in Ohio and running, yea all day long. But It looks like the interior is a mess and boy that's some money. I'd say $400 and hope you can get it running. Then drive it... maybe. It does have a lot of good parts or shell for sure. But $1800? No way
 
Lol, I get the point. The car would need to be free to be worth anything.
 
Lol, I get the point. The car would need to be free to be worth anything.
Tad is pretty well correct. Worth the value of parts less aggrication selling them! Totals close to zero. Sorry, If owner has $1800 in it, he is an idiot. Make no difference if he paid $1,000,000 for it. Right quarter is smashed bad, vinyl roof ( OK so Ca,) but how bad is it!???? 73 model, not desirable. Runs??????
Please look and find a better project.
 
If you can start it up and drive it away 2 grand, if not, it goes down from there. I am on the east coast, these cars are getting few and far between in running drivable condition. I don't agree with "its worth $0" .
 
Tad is pretty well correct. Worth the value of parts less aggrication selling them! Totals close to zero. Sorry, If owner has $1800 in it, he is an idiot. Make no difference if he paid $1,000,000 for it. Right quarter is smashed bad, vinyl roof ( OK so Ca,) but how bad is it!???? 73 model, not desirable. Runs??????
Please look and find a better project.
I appreciate everyone’s responses. It’s that initial excitement of actually finding a car that might be fun to have but not breaking the bank getting it and then realizing it’s not worth what you paid.
 
If you can start it up and drive it away 2 grand, if not, it goes down from there. I am on the east coast, these cars are getting few and far between in running drivable condition. I don't agree with "its worth $0" .
I see guys buying projects to restore back East that have such frame rust issues and just slant or 318 cars, I do not see WHY they do not take the gamble and buy something solid from the West and pay the $1000 shipping. You guys show pics of the underside and everywhere else, I just shake my head. I also occasionally see cars listed for sale back there that have survived with out such issue and of course, they cost more and are well worth the extra$. Just my opinion.
Yes good projects priced for what they are really worth are getting few and farther between, I will go look at a 67 dart slant roller next Mon, post car, minimum rust, pretty straight, just needs some patch panels in the always places... come with good running 360...
and the slant he pulled out. Price? $1250 w/ title.. 4 hrs away, NO not in my backyard.
I bet it will look like a car worth maybe $1500-1800 to me.

Remember be careful of what panels you have to buy to fix your car. Is the top crease/bodyline smashed where that crease can not be pulled and straightened? Few repop quarter panels skins go up above that crease or edge whatever you want to call it.
 
I see guys buying projects to restore back East that have such frame rust issues and just slant or 318 cars, I do not see WHY they do not take the gamble and buy something solid from the West and pay the $1000 shipping. You guys show pics of the underside and everywhere else, I just shake my head. I also occasionally see cars listed for sale back there that have survived with out such issue and of course, they cost more and are well worth the extra$. Just my opinion.
Yes good projects priced for what they are really worth are getting few and farther between, I will go look at a 67 dart slant roller next Mon, post car, minimum rust, pretty straight, just needs some patch panels in the always places... come with good running 360...
and the slant he pulled out. Price? $1250 w/ title.. 4 hrs away, NO not in my backyard.
I bet it will look like a car worth maybe $1500-1800 to me.

Remember be careful of what panels you have to buy to fix your car. Is the top crease/bodyline smashed where that crease can not be pulled and straightened? Few repop quarter panels skins go up above that crease or edge whatever you want to call it.

I was a little leery with that quarter also for the same concerns. Yes that line is creased, but can be fixed by the right welder,sheet metal guy. It may take a donor car. If you look at it that way, maybe this car is the donor car :)

I pulled my 70 Swinger out of a field in '93. It wasn't very rusty at all, been repainted once, and had been fully undercoated. It has been in a garage ever since, if it had sat in that field until today? who knows. There was alot of good finds in the Northeast, but they are drying up. Alot of the A bodies were crushed in the 90's. I used to see them at U pull yards alot back then, not so much any more. What I dont agree with is rusting hulk B bodies that are high priced. These people are paying alot for a title and VIN plate.
 
I see guys buying projects to restore back East that have such frame rust issues and just slant or 318 cars, I do not see WHY they do not take the gamble and buy something solid from the West and pay the $1000 shipping. You guys show pics of the underside and everywhere else, I just shake my head. I also occasionally see cars listed for sale back there that have survived with out such issue and of course, they cost more and are well worth the extra$. Just my opinion.
Yes good projects priced for what they are really worth are getting few and farther between, I will go look at a 67 dart slant roller next Mon, post car, minimum rust, pretty straight, just needs some patch panels in the always places... come with good running 360...
and the slant he pulled out. Price? $1250 w/ title.. 4 hrs away, NO not in my backyard.
I bet it will look like a car worth maybe $1500-1800 to me.

Remember be careful of what panels you have to buy to fix your car. Is the top crease/bodyline smashed where that crease can not be pulled and straightened? Few repop quarter panels skins go up above that crease or edge whatever you want to call it.
Thank you Barbee6043. I really appreciate your input. The car I was looking at, which is obviously way overpriced, was not for me to restore it and make something nice out of. it was basically an option for a first car for my boy. Seems like a solid tank that would protect him well as a first car.
 
Thank you Barbee6043. I really appreciate your input. The car I was looking at, which is obviously way overpriced, was not for me to restore it and make something nice out of. it was basically an option for a first car for my boy. Seems like a solid tank that would protect him well as a first car.

If you want to "protect him well" you're better off buying a 10 or 15 year old used car. Pretty much anything you get would be far safer than anything from the 70's. The engineering has come so far in crash protection it's not even funny. Even a small car, like a Civic, Corolla, Subaru etc, would be MUCH safer.

No A-body is a "solid tank". Nothing from the era is. Take a look at this '68 Charger, and then take a look at the damage to the van it hit. The van has minor damage, the driver only had minor injuries and refused an ambulance. Windshield isn't even cracked. The Charger is completely annihilated. The whole car is wrapped into a "U"- and everyone in it died.
fatal crash gresham 2_1528239328238.jpg_44572386_ver1.0_640_360.jpg


Rest of the info on that crash
2 dead in crash on Dodge Park Blvd in Gresham

Every crash is different and obviously not all the info is available on that one. But the bottom line is, safety and protection aren't good reasons to buy one of these cars. Yes, I use mine as a daily driver. But, I've also been driving a decently long time and am aware of the safety risks I'm taking by driving a classic. I know my Duster will fold up like a tin can in an accident, just like that Charger did. There are absolutely some "pro's" to buying an A-body and letting your kid help out to get it sorted as a driver, but safety is absolutely not one of them. Honestly, I don't think one of these cars is a good choice for a new, inexperienced driver. That's just my opinion.

I'm not saying it can't be done, or that it's not nice to see another generation learn to appreciate these cars (because that's awesome), but there are definitely some risks involved that shouldn't be overlooked.
 
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