1969 Dodge Dart Swinger 340 Sold at Mecum today for $40,000

[hemifiedbird]

I admit I have never been any closer to a Mecum or BJ auction than my TV! but I know a few guys that have and I hear there comments.
I see these auctions as a place for the $ people to go to find a certain make and model, done they can immediately use. They may or may not know what they are looking at.
I have known guys that paid huge $ for a high end car, they know what they are looking at, and all say they will take it home and change/fix what they think needs attention.
$40,000? Is a guy paying for all the work or is he capable of doing "good" work". If so, he is a hobbyest and best not figure a $ value on his time maybe?? Great of he can.
How many collector cars can a guy see at one time and place, than at one of these many auctions!? Time and cost effective!
These auctions have done a great service for the guy that wants a done ready car and can afford to pay...maybe many will get screwed but its their $$$ and they can afford such or they would not be there!. For the rest of us, hobby guys, all it has done is to make stupid people that have POS stripped out old rusted out rollers sitting in grand dads pasture..... idiots!!!!!!!!
How many people can give $40,000 for such with questionable work, not even a damn fender tag, take it home and be able to offer it for sale, and not lose his ***???? IF he wanted to sell it!!!!!

I am going through Mecum site and looking at the prices, granted I’m not there but I see a lot of cars I would bring home if I had the money to do so. There’s a lot of cars that for the money they are selling at, There is no way you would build many of the cars selling for the price they are getting. Not only this particular Dart .

 

[RustyRatRod]

^^^^^ There are some reasons why some of us plebs can not pay for 100 hours of body work at $100/hr.!!!!

.....and today, $100 an hour is about $100 an hour too cheap!

 

[barbee6043]

.....and today, $100 an hour is about $100 an hour too cheap!

Is is hard work!!
Sorta funny story. Way back in the 80s I had a AAR Cuda, and I was doing the body/paint and "learning" ("self learning"). I had a buddy that had a country 1 man body/paint shop next town over. His name was "critter" or that is what he was called. The car was rust free and pretty straight except for a door dinged body line on a door. I had worked that line so many times trying to get it just right. NOooooooo! One more time.. again and again.
It was a Sat. and Critter and a couple of buds were riding around the country side drinking their favorite beverages. Springtime in Mo. They stop and pile out. Critter says, "give me that damn filler and spreader!" 20 minute later it was spread, rough sanded, smooth sanded and perfect!!!!!!
It makes a big different in having skjlls!!!!
At $100/hr. his pay would have been $33.33 and mine would have been $500!!!!

 

[pauly]

Even with a Borgeson box it is still in the wrong location for a 69. The mounts aren't even close to correct, looked homemade to me...

Those brackets look like ones I am using on my motor. They originated off a mid to late 80’s Dodge truck LA motor.

 

[junkyardhero]

Someone bought because it was pretty. Has no knowledge of vehicles. And maybe he got on TV. A piece of **** is valueless because when he goes to sell it he'll get nothing with a boogered up, probably rusted up junk. For 40lk I would expect an extremely nice a body. You can buy a lot of nice R/T's, RRs etc. with that kind of money.

nah, it'll get driven like twice and then years later sold to a "friend" who also likes old cars but knows nothing about them but they'll cut them a deal... it's appreciated so much since the bought it but you're a bro, only 50K man. and it'll get a fluff and fold at shop because it hasn't been run in 4 or 5 years, and then the same exact thing will happen again.

 

[Yunick13]

Based upon how much work was necessary to get that coin, there was a lot of hesistency to spend that much. $30-$35k seems to be a more comfortable quotation to go by when determining the current state of the market.

 

[barbee6043]

nah, it'll get driven like twice and then years later sold to a "friend" who also likes old cars but knows nothing about them but they'll cut them a deal... it's appreciated so much since the bought it but you're a bro, only 50K man. and it'll get a fluff and fold at shop because it hasn't been run in 4 or 5 years, and then the same exact thing will happen again.

It all sort of reminds me when the "first" classic car market fell apart. Yes back in 91 into 92. I well remember the "players" telling me about Aug. of '91 it had crashed, but the "investors" were not aware yet. They were correct. It had crashed.
And each month, I asaw Mopar Action tell every how such and such Hemi Cuda just brought RECORD price. It all was the rich $ speculators dumping his Hemi Cuda on a $$$ money guy that was not aware of what was happening. And don't tell me EBerg and co. did not know!!!!!

 

[TF360]

Another one sold at Mecum for 42,0000

 

[barbee6043]

I am glad desirable models Done right can bring the bucks at Mecom, etc. but the downfall is the sorry projects that people tend to think are worth stupid $$.

But it has always been, the value of these old desirable models, done right, it is all about who you are and where you are. Been that was since I started back in the 80s.
But it tends to be that way with most everything, not just classic cars!!!!! Some things can just be more extreme than others.

 

[hemifiedbird]

Well, as much as we can throw this around, At the end of the day there was 2 people who thought it was worth 40 grand or else one and a crooked auctioneer

 

[jimjimjimmy]

Wasn't that Grover fellow a member here a while back and was called out for being a crook ? Maybe it was a different person .

 

[CRUZE 418]

There was a gold Dart last nite that went for $43,000.

 

[ESP47]

Even with a Borgeson box it is still in the wrong location for a 69. The mounts aren't even close to correct, looked homemade to me...

Looks like a standard Borgeson kit for a 70+ car. I'm guessing they bought the wrong kit early on and didn't realize it. Weren't able to get a refund and just made use of it.

 

[HemiSSDart]

There was a gold Dart last nite that went for $43,000.

That was a MUCH nicer car, except it had an issue with the passenger side hood hinge.

 

[CRUZE 418]

Was there ever a blue 340 in '69? I worked a a Dodge dealership back then and do not remember seeing one, they were always Turquoise.

 

[HemiSSDart]

Was there ever a blue 340 in '69? I worked a a Dodge dealership back then and do not remember seeing one, they were always Turquoise.

According to some there was a blue on Darts only, but so far nobody has come up with a TSB or formula for the paint! The one TSB that does exist says turquoise, that was September 9, 1968...

 

[HemiSSDart]

The 69 GTS convertible sold for $102,300 with the juice! OOOOHHHH MMMYYYYYY!

 

[HemiSSDart]

With the wrong color engine too and the dreaded 70-up master cylinder...

 

[LO23M8B]

-So what would a nice rust free 67-69 Dart body/roller be worth?

 

[CRUZE 418]

Here is a picture of my '69 340 Dart engine from way back when, Turquoise. I had a new 340 Demon back in '71, seems like it was blue.

 

[junkyardhero]

-So what would a nice rust free 67-69 Dart body/roller be worth?

i mean there's a whole bunch of variables, but i'd say something in the neighborhood of 2~3K maybe a little more depending on how much of a roller it is, project status and what all is there.

naturally if it's any kind of a numbers car, that price goes up considerably.

 

[LO23M8B]

My 68 was red and I think my 71's were orange. My brothers 69 Dart was turquoise. I've got a 70 under the bench sure as hell don't remember the color. I forgot I got a 71 out there also I'll have to double check. Just getting too damn old.

 

[HemiSSDart]

I wouldn't take less than $10K for this junk...

 

[LO23M8B]

You must be including the 500 inch Hemi.

 

[LO23M8B]

What else are you hiding in there.