Dodge Dart GTS, for sale in Solon, Ohio, for $59,990.

1967 Dodge Dart GTS

Dodge's Dart improved in two major ways for 1967: It got a ton better looking and the engine bay got a lot wider. Straight lines replaced Virgil Exener cues, the interiors were upgraded, and with the GT package the Dart became a real looker. The wider engine bay is a plus, too, because it allowed Dodge to one-up the competition by stuffing a 383 big block under the hood of its smallest and lightest car. Like most muscle cars, Darts rotted away, got pieced out, raced to death or left to die. The lucky few, like this one, survived thanks to constant care and fortunate climates. Shipped new to and living in the southern California desert, blessed with owners who knew its rarity, and given the care it deserved this 100% rust free, original drivetrain example could well be the best left in the country.

We have the original build sheet, the original Certicard, owner history, photo history and a bunch of other paperwork. The car's original trim tag shows the options as follows:

CAR: Dodge Dart 2 Door Hardtop

ENGINE: 383cid 4-bbl HP V8

TRANSMISSION: 3-Speed Automatic

TIRES: 6.75x14 redline tires

BUILD DATE: March 14, 1967

AXLE: 3.23 Rear Axle Ratio, Sure Grip

INTERIOR: Premium Trim Grade, Black Vinyl Bucket Seats

PAINT: Bright Red, Black Upper Door Frame Color.

D9: Front Disk Brakes

E1: Cleaner Air Package

H1: Power Brakes

R1: AM Radio

T7: Tachometer

X1: Tinted Glass (all)

Y6: Black Vinyl Top

h7: Fender Mounted Turn Signal Indicators

j4: Molding Narrow Body Sill

The build sheet also calls out the GT and GTS 383 packages, the totally cool cast mag-type hubcaps, power brakes, three-speed wipers, pedal dress-up, remote driver side mirror, factory undercoating, super rare headrests and its unobtainably-rare (due to a recall) woodgrain steering wheel. How many Darts have you seen that look better???

The restoration was thorough, giving this deserving Dart its better-than-new appearance and running condition. That's all-original sheetmetal from hood to trunklid, all original or NOS trim, and the completely restored original interior. Start outside: The car was stripped to bare metal, and is a ZERO rust car that had nothing more than door dings and scratches. The worst part of the entire shell? A minor crease in the lower passenger quarter panel. We live in the Midwest and have a hard time wrapping our heads around sheetmetal that clean! All of the trim that isn't NOS was sent to King of Trim in California, one of the top trim shops in the world. Perfect bumpers were found ahead of restoration time, sent out for rechroming and are flawless inside and out. Some seriously hard-to-find NOS parts went on, including the full set of wheel well moldings, all four mag wheel hub caps, both fender turn signals, tailights, front marker lights, reverse light lenses, remote drivers mirror and more. The only change (and it's really an upgrade) is the swap to a 1968 style windshield gasket and trim set. PP1 Bright Red was, without question, the best hue in the Dodge literature for 1967, and this Dart wears it perfectly. We pride ourselves on our cleaning and buffing jobs, but as you see it this car got only a quick wipe down with detail spray. . it's that nice! Only 1000 or so miles have been put on the car in the past 10+ years since the restoration, and it really shows.

Under the hood is the original 383 engine installed at the factory. It was completely disassembled, the heads were rebuilt with all new valves and hardened valve seats, the intake and exhaust ports were gasket matched and the bottom end was balanced with new pistons, reconditioned rods and crank. The original valve covers, oil pan, intake, water pump housing and more went back to their places. The carburetor on top is a replacement Edelbrock unit for driveability, but the original is in a box and comes with the car. New hoses and wiring runs everywhere. A newer style master cylinder is in place, but the original comes with the car. A new cam and a new exhaust system add rumble while the original radiator was recored with a high efficiency 3-row core. . the car IS from the desert, after all!

Underneath, the original floor pans, frame rails and everything else is original. The front end was rebuilt with a full PST front end and suspension, the K-member was powder coated, the brakes were rebuilt with fresh rotors, flex hoses, pads and shoes, springs and the rebuilt original calipers. The drive shaft was balanced with new U-joints, the rear end was rebuilt, a new fuel tank went in and the car was aligned and set to go.

Inside, there's a completely new upholstery kit including new seat buns, all seat covers, the headliner, and the carpet, all of the dash plastic and armrest bases were re-chromed, new sill plates, a mint original dash and the super rare woodgrain wheel are in place. The wheel is the only part of the car that wasn't touched: The owner was afraid to send it out for restoration for fear he wouldn't see it again! The chrome spokes are near perfect, but you can see there's a small crack at the 2 o'clock position. The seats are comfortable, the ride is smooth, and there's a ton of torque from the 383. This is a great cruiser, and a great car to be seen in!

The 383 GTS option didn't appear until spring of 1967, and wasn't heavily advertised. As such, there were only 457 TOTAL 383 GTS Darts built in 1967, including all hardtops and convertibles, manual and automatic transmissions. Of the 228 automatics built, this car is the only one like it known to exist! It's the closest you'll get to a blue chip Dart, and is one of the finest examples you'll ever see!