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1965 Dodge Dart Gets First Wash in 30 Years, Reveals Cool Patina

Seeing old cars come out of storage after a long time is one of the most satisfying car-related things out there. But seeing the same vehicle get its first cleaning is just as entertaining. Because it slowly reveals what's hiding under decades of dust and grime.
1965 Dodge Dart yard find 8 photos
Photo: Sleeperdude/YouTube
1965 Dodge Dart yard find1965 Dodge Dart yard find1965 Dodge Dart yard find1965 Dodge Dart yard find1965 Dodge Dart yard find1965 Dodge Dart yard find1965 Dodge Dart yard find
Sometimes it's a nicely preserved shell that doesn't need much to become a road-worthy classic. But often enough we end up with a rusty carcass that may never get a second chance. This 1965 Dodge Dart is one of those cars.

This old Mopar spent about 30 years off the road. It was rescued (for just $500) from someone's front yard, but it's unclear whether it was kept in a barn or out in the open. The rusty upper body suggests that it didn't have a roof over its "head."

But it was still in one piece and the buyer managed to get it running again. It wasn't an easy task, but it's very satisfying to see a car that's been sitting for three decades struggling to breathe. Even if it's not powered by a V8 engine from the muscle car era.

With its slant-six up and running again, the Dodge got a much-deserved cleaning, its first since it was parked back in the early 1990s. The process reveals worn-out paint on the side panels and loads of surface rust on the hood, roof, and trunk. Not the best combo for a valuable classic, but a cool patina for a cheap yard find.

Will this car get a second chance at life? Well, the plan is to fix the brakes and make it safe to drive, but it's unlikely to see it get restored. It would simply be too costly relative to the value of a 1965 Dodge Dart. But for a car that was purchased for only $500, it's a solid rat rod project. Assuming someone is willing to drop a V8 under the hood.

Part of the third-generation Dart produced from 1963 to 1966, this Mopar comes with a 225-cubic-inch (3.7-liter) slant-six under the hood. The mill was rated at 145 horsepower when new, 44 horses more than the base 170-cubic-inch (2.8-liter) six-cylinder.

While the Dart nameplate spawned quite a few high-performance models in the late 1960s and during the golden muscle car era, the third-gen wasn't that lucky. Dodge offered only a 273-cubic-inch (4.5-liter) V8 with up to 235 horsepower as the range-topping mill. Not exactly a 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) RB or a 413-cubic-inch (6.8-liter) Wedge V8...

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About the author: Ciprian Florea
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Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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