Introduced in 1960 as a full-size car, the Dodge Dart became a midsize in 1962, and then it was downsized even more to a compact in 1963. It retained this segment position until 1976 and spawned quite a few cool iterations during the golden muscle car era.
The final fourth-gen Dart is arguably the most celebrated version of the nameplate. And that's mostly because it was offered with Mopar's most potent engines at the time, including a limited-series Hemi Dart in 1968.
The intermediate version from 1962 is also remembered for its high-performance, 413-cubic-inch (6.8-liter) Wedge V8. The third-gen Dart, on the other hand, is often forgotten.
The nameplate's first foray into the compact market, the 1963-to-1966 Dart, was sold in a variety of body styles, including a station wagon and a convertible. But unlike its siblings from other model years, it was far from impressive in the performance department. That's because it was fitted with a selection of Slant-six engines and a not-so-impressive 273-cubic-inch (4.5-liter) V8.
Introduced in 1964, the V8 generated only 180 horsepower. The figure reached 235 horses in 1965 thanks to a four-barrel carburetor, but it was still slower than the norm. Despite all of this, I think that the third-gen Dart is a cool-looking car, especially in two-door form.
YouTube's "Sean Roberts" seems to have the same opinion because he recently saved a 1966 example from the junkyard. On top of being a V8 car, it's also finished in a lovely shade of bright green. But like any junkyard find, it was rather dirty when he picked it up. Yup, it's time for yet another first wash video.
This Dart hasn't been cleaned up in at least 25 years, so it's not exactly a looker at first glance. But once all that dirt is cleaned off with a power washer, the Lime Green paint comes back to life. Yes, it will never shine like new, but a buff job would probably do wonders.
It's not clear whether this car will be restored or not, but it has a running engine now, and it will probably get a few more upgrades to become road-worthy again. I'd drop a bigger V8 under that hood and keep it as an unrestored classic, but it's not my choice to make. Until we get an update on this Dart, see it getting a much-deserved cleaning in the video below.
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. Full profile
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