ClassicCar

Darts are good cars. I've owned close to twenty of them, everything from a factory '69 440 GTS to a '67 225 auto. They are about as easy to work on as anything you'll find. Keep in mind you are NOT buying a '90s or a 2000> car, so there are no airbags and all of that crap on these cars (airbags are very dangerous in and of themselves, but that's a discussion for another day!)



You don't say what part of the country you are in, but I'll assume since your son wants that or a Beetle, there are a few around your area that are in decent shape. Where you will need to look is the framerails, where the front and rear subframes meet the chassis underneath. If it's corroded or soft, walk away from it! Lots of repro body parts are available for the Dart, so rusty or damaged sheetmetal (especially floors and quarters) isn't a huge concern - any reputable body shop can take care of that.



Look and see if anyone has tried to "improve" the electrical system. If someonw has obviously jacked around under the hood or dash with the wiring, it can be a real PITA. Harnesses for SOME Darts are available through places like Year One, but they are not cheap.



The drivetrain in these, especially the 225 Slant Six or a 318 V-8, is nearly indestructable. Mechanicals are easy to fix and get parts for. So are the brakes, unless you find a '67 - '69 four-piston caliper disc brake car, as these are expensive to fix. Single-piston caliper brake cars are simplicity itself!



Interiors are being reproduced through Legendary and others, so interiors are not a huge issue.



Good forums to check out Darts include www.mopowerstyle.com www.moparts.com and they have links to others, too.



What's the matter with an air-cooled Beetle? I've owned several of those, too.

Those slant sixes are about bullet proof. I had one many years ago. Ran great ,ran forever. They were great cars either in the Dart or Valiant form.

The Mopar shoulder straps were NOT on an inertia reel until 1974. The early shoulder belts did not allow movement at all. Probably 99% of those early shoulder belts were either removed or left hanging on their little hook. The later inertia belts work fine.



Buy the kid a Dart, or it's collective "A"-body-relatives '64-'69 Barracuda, or Valiant, Duster, Demon, Dart Sport, Gold Duster, or the pretty rare Dart Lite/Feather Duster (special aluminum components, 225 w/4-spd O/D, and it gets 40 mpg - really!)