63SplitWindow
Well-Known Member
While I love the fastback Duster look of my Dart Sport, Im not crazy about the front end. Will any earlier year fronts ends fit? Like 71 or 72 Dart or Demon?
Dart Sport
- Thread starter 63SplitWindow
- Start date
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missing linc
Loose nut behind the wheel
What year? After 73 or 74 models the bumpers are mounted differently, still can be done, but more involved. Sheet metal should be a fairly straightforward process, I believe there are a couple of members who have done this. Searching through build threads might be a good place to start.
63SplitWindow
Well-Known Member
ooops......my bad.....I have a 73......thought I had that
63SplitWindow
Well-Known Member
Thanks Link
missing linc
Loose nut behind the wheel
I think 73 is the easier one to change.
I think @72bluNblu did a Demon conversion like you are thinking. Hopefully he will chime in.
Princess Valiant
A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
Dang, yet another dart sport getting cloned to an earlier model. Real nice dart sports are getting mega hard to find. They have been overlooked and tossed or cloned so much that they are few and far to find.
A dart sport at a car show these days will stand out in the crowd.
Dart sports are badass but if you do swap then it's a bolt on affair other than welding on tabs for lower valance but only if a 70 to 72 dodge front end is used.
A dart sport at a car show these days will stand out in the crowd.
Dart sports are badass but if you do swap then it's a bolt on affair other than welding on tabs for lower valance but only if a 70 to 72 dodge front end is used.
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63SplitWindow
Well-Known Member
Not sure if I will go that route but if I find the correct parts that would be cool.
I like the Dart ad in your post.....shows a sunroof.....same as mine. Kind of an odd duck I have here....original 340 car with auto on the floor but manual steering and brakes.....with a sunroof! Go figure
Get the front fenders hood and front grill off a 67 thru 69 and go retro
Pretty much any A-body except the Barracuda can swap with any other A-body, except the Barracuda. There is a front bumper mounting deal with some of the '74's and then anything '75/76 because of the shock mount front bumpers used on those cars, but with a '73 you don't have to worry about any of that.
You need everything that unbolts from the doors forward- fenders, fender extensions, hood, hood support/latch panel, grille, lower valance, bumper and bumper brackets. If you get all that, it just bolts on. Now, because you have a Dart Sport you have another option. You can keep your fenders if you're willing to modify them. You'll need to drill some new holes to mount the earlier hood latch panel, grille and headlight surrounds. The bigger issue is the front valance, because your '73 doesn't have one. And the indented area on the fender for the '73 bumper is different than for the '70-'72 Dart fenders. It would be easier to just get '70-'72 fenders. Lots easier to get '72 fenders, because then your marker lights will still match.
But yeah, my car started life as a '74 Duster and now looks like a '71 Demon. I switched the tail panel as well, but I had to do some work to get rid of the rear shock bumper because mine was a '74.
Wouldn't be the first time. None of these are mine, and they're all different cars.
You need everything that unbolts from the doors forward- fenders, fender extensions, hood, hood support/latch panel, grille, lower valance, bumper and bumper brackets. If you get all that, it just bolts on. Now, because you have a Dart Sport you have another option. You can keep your fenders if you're willing to modify them. You'll need to drill some new holes to mount the earlier hood latch panel, grille and headlight surrounds. The bigger issue is the front valance, because your '73 doesn't have one. And the indented area on the fender for the '73 bumper is different than for the '70-'72 Dart fenders. It would be easier to just get '70-'72 fenders. Lots easier to get '72 fenders, because then your marker lights will still match.
But yeah, my car started life as a '74 Duster and now looks like a '71 Demon. I switched the tail panel as well, but I had to do some work to get rid of the rear shock bumper because mine was a '74.
Wouldn't be the first time. None of these are mine, and they're all different cars.
OldmanRick
Well-Known Member
I agree with rainy that the nice beak cars are getting hard to find. Fall of 1973 i begged my 70' Duster friends mom to buy a leftover 73' Red Dart sport 340 the dealer had for cheap. She ended up getting a just in 74' Malibu 400. Man i wish i could have gotten that car, but i was only 15 at the time.
Oh, and we raced that 400 Chebby and went 17.20s lol...
Oh, and we raced that 400 Chebby and went 17.20s lol...
Just like a 63 split Corvette. So many people chopped the center rail out to make it look like a newer model.
63SplitWindow
Well-Known Member
good point.
63SplitWindow
Well-Known Member
Nice job Blu.......I like that look alot.
OldmanRick
Well-Known Member
I'm still a fan of the 70' 340 black grill, but that is the nicest frt conversion i have seen.
Princess Valiant
A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
I have a 74 dart sport and I intend on keeping it all 74 and all dart sport because they are scarce sight these days. The guy who owned it before me was going to demon clone it but never got around to it so I know it's a common swap, but just because the crowd..... lol
One of my inspirations for wanting a dart sport is one of our members @Dartnut made it look that cool.
''I'm going to fix it up someday'' The resurrection of a '74 Dart Sport......
One of my inspirations for wanting a dart sport is one of our members @Dartnut made it look that cool.
''I'm going to fix it up someday'' The resurrection of a '74 Dart Sport......
missing linc
Loose nut behind the wheel
My 75 Dart Sport will stay all 75, I like the look of the front end, I also really love the look of the 1970 Darts, but I would never change mine, I'd just buy another 70 Dart. Just my .02.
They made over 70k more Dart Sports than Demons...
1971 Demon: 79,959
1972 Demon: 48,580
Total: 128,539
1973 Dart Sport: 79,428
1974 Dart Sport: 67,469
1975 Dart Sport: 38,235
1976 Dart Sport: 13,642
Total: 198,774
As for the 73+ Dusters, there shouldn't be any heartburn over converting one of those...
1973 Dusters: 264,974
1974 Dusters: 281,378 (highest production year for ALL Dusters '70-76)
1975 Dusters: 120,131
1976 Dusters: 34,681
Total: 701,164
Sources-
dart production numbers.
Interesting A-Body Production Numbers
Probably because they actually finished it!
I considered this swap with my Duster for awhile, partly because you can keep the front fenders if you have a Duster already. But even re-using the front fenders I had a hard time finding a single source for all the parts other than buying an entire 4 door Valiant and parting it out, which I didn't want to do. Meanwhile I found a several '70-72 Darts locally that were either in the wrecking yard already or being parted out by someone else to supply parts for the Demon swap.
1971 Demon: 79,959
1972 Demon: 48,580
Total: 128,539
1973 Dart Sport: 79,428
1974 Dart Sport: 67,469
1975 Dart Sport: 38,235
1976 Dart Sport: 13,642
Total: 198,774
As for the 73+ Dusters, there shouldn't be any heartburn over converting one of those...
1973 Dusters: 264,974
1974 Dusters: 281,378 (highest production year for ALL Dusters '70-76)
1975 Dusters: 120,131
1976 Dusters: 34,681
Total: 701,164
Sources-
dart production numbers.
Interesting A-Body Production Numbers
View attachment 1715887783
I'm still a fan of the 70' 340 black grill, but that is the nicest frt conversion i have seen.
Probably because they actually finished it!
I considered this swap with my Duster for awhile, partly because you can keep the front fenders if you have a Duster already. But even re-using the front fenders I had a hard time finding a single source for all the parts other than buying an entire 4 door Valiant and parting it out, which I didn't want to do. Meanwhile I found a several '70-72 Darts locally that were either in the wrecking yard already or being parted out by someone else to supply parts for the Demon swap.
Rat Bastid
Dunamis Metron
They made over 70k more Dart Sports than Demons...
1971 Demon: 79,959
1972 Demon: 48,580
Total: 128,539
1973 Dart Sport: 79,428
1974 Dart Sport: 67,469
1975 Dart Sport: 38,235
1976 Dart Sport: 13,642
Total: 198,774
As for the 73+ Dusters, there shouldn't be any heartburn over converting one of those...
1973 Dusters: 264,974
1974 Dusters: 281,378 (highest production year for ALL Dusters '70-76)
1975 Dusters: 120,131
1976 Dusters: 34,681
Total: 701,164
Sources-
dart production numbers.
Interesting A-Body Production Numbers
Probably because they actually finished it!
I considered this swap with my Duster for awhile, partly because you can keep the front fenders if you have a Duster already. But even re-using the front fenders I had a hard time finding a single source for all the parts other than buying an entire 4 door Valiant and parting it out, which I didn't want to do. Meanwhile I found a several '70-72 Darts locally that were either in the wrecking yard already or being parted out by someone else to supply parts for the Demon swap.
Do you have a break down of 340 cars of those years? And stick cars??
I’m no expert on production stuff by any means, I don’t have a break down that someone else hasn’t already published. The first link I posted as my source breaks down 340 cars for some of the years.
I seem to recall there being some 4-speed numbers around somewhere but my searches aren’t finding them at the moment.
340six
King Of Bling
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340six
King Of Bling
I put the black rubber bumpperetts as my wife wanted them back on but pulled them since the pics were taken. Kinda got used to the nose.
Note) my 1st car was a 1970 Duster
63SplitWindow
Well-Known Member
Nice car....is that the original color?
340six
King Of Bling
No car was gold black top and interior. Sold new in New Orleans. Late build date 340. The Paint was for another project and got used on the Dart since the 1970 Challenger vert was put on back burner
Dartnut
Don't hate me because i'm beautiful
@Princess Valiant
Thank you for the accolades, Rani.
I still enjoy driving the car and it is dead nuts reliable.
Well worth the work that went into it.
Now I'm looking for more power, a Blueprint crate 408 should do it with some TTI headers.....
That would be over 10 grand Canadian, I think I'll have to wait!
Seriously, send me some pictures of your car through e-mail.
I just can't stop loving the Dart Sports.
Holy cow, it's my 12,000th post!
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