Kim writes: Here's my little black Dart. With the exception of a new headliner and carpet, the Mopar is an original survivor.
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I talked with a gentleman who worked on a Dodge assembly line in 1962. He checked out my Dart and said, “yes, every once in a while we would do something like that” referring to the location of the outside rear view mirror and the chrome side strip.
The Dart was previously owned by an elderly lady who passed away. She was the person that purchased the car new. Interestingly, the car was delivered from the factory painted white. The woman wanted the Dart black, so the dealer that sold her the Dart new had the Mopar repainted black.
The original owner’s son never liked the Dodge. As part of her estate he wanted nothing to do with the Dart, so he took it to a dealer and told them to sell it and he'd use the resulting money toward a purchase.
Thus I saw the Dart on a dealer’s car lot as I drove by one day. I was looking for a Lancer to buy and in the late twilight the Dart sort of looked like a Lancer. The Dart was toward the back of the car lot. Upon closer inspection I realized the car was not a Lancer, but what?
I lifted the hood and saw the slant six and realized the Dart was meant for me. I previously owned a 1964 Dart with a \6 and was quite familiar with that engine. The 1962’s “leaning tower of power” sends its torque through a three speed manual transmission, shifted by a lever on the steering column.
The Dart now sees regular use as a driver, just like it did in 1962.
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