The noise level in the Dart could not be higher. Now add enough rust to dissolve the Titanic. Imagine taking the Dart, fresh off a 1963 new-car lot, carrying it aboard a Gemini rocket.and then allowing it to free-fall through a fiery reentry back to earth. Over the decades that fabric gradually melded with Big Macs, duct tape and animal droppings to create a one-of-a-kind organic/fabric matrix. (Adjectives we rejected: "putrid," "vile," "criminal," "Jerry Springer-like" and "of or related to a baboon's ischial area.") The seats were nauga.once. It is difficult to articulate just how ugly the Dart is. The last time we checked the turning radius, it was just a few inches shorter than the loop around Boston on Route 128. (Riverboat and luxury-liner captains would be right at home behind the wheel.)Įven if the Dart does start to initiate a turn, you still have to be patient. Above 5 mph, there is so much slop in the steering that there's about a 30-second lag time between a turn of the wheel and a change of course. Because the Dart incorporates the Nautilus options package (no power steering), turning the wheel at a dead stop requires the biceps of Dolph Lundgren. Point it in a general direction, pray there are no pedestrians in sight and hope for the best. The car handles, quite frankly "handling" isn't a word that one would really use around a car like the Dart. In the interest of brevity, however, here are a few highlights: Why, then, is the Dart such a lousy car? We could go on for pages. Look at Tommy and you'll see precisely what such thinking gets you: '65 AMC Ambassadors, Fiat Spiders and an angry spouse. If you're starting to think the 1963 Dodge Dart doesn't sound like such a bad car to own, let us stop that line of thinking in its tracks. You'll note how well the Dodge Dart has held on to resale value-losing only one dollar in more than four decades. (Note: Some of you have asked if the Dart came equipped with an eight-track player, to which we must point out that when the Dart was new, eight tracks were but a glimmer in the eye of inventor Bill Lear.) This particular model comes equipped with two radios, enabling driver and passenger to listen to different stations.if either radio worked. Otherwise, it would have stopped running in 1964. Presumably, this means that there is oil in the car. (Service technician's note: Many wires are missing their insulation, eliminating the sometimes difficult step of stripping wires during repair.) One can actually see each and every wire that's underneath the dashboard. In the Dart, all the wires are hanging down, in clear view of both driver and passenger. We particularly liked the heater controls, which are clear and easy to reach.once you open the glove compartment door.ĭodge has given some thought to maintenance and repairs-particularly the under-dash repairs, which can be so very difficult in other cars. The steering wheel doesn't block anything, and there are no pesky air bags in the middle of the steering column. (This was particularly innovative thinking for 1963, given that it would be 20 years before the word "ergonomics" would even be coined.) All the dials that have not fallen off or been eaten by raccoons are in full view. Must be interesting in the rain.)Įrgonomics are great. (This is with the top down-since we couldn't get it up. (The only other shifting system like this of which we are aware is the space shuttle.) The Dart has an interesting transmission system, using buttons mounted on the dash. This is more than can be said for some newer cars. The Dart starts immediately-every single time. In the interest of fairness, here's our list of what we like about the 1963 Dodge Dart: The Dart does have a few interesting features, some of which might still be considered innovative 36 years after it was built. That Tommy is still driving the Dart is more a testament to Tom's impressive lack of taste than it is a statement about the Dart's staying power. Let us be perfectly clear about what we think of Tommy's 1963 Dodge Dart:ĭespite anything Tommy might tell you to the contrary, the car is pure, unmitigated junk. There are some things we like.and some things we don't like. Now, most of the time, we have mixed feelings about the cars we drive. Convertible, black with large areas of rustĪs you might imagine, we test drive a lot of cars.
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