73 Dart

[Patrick2005]

I was wondering if anyone knows of a 73 Dodge Dart ever being cast?

[caine440]

I have never seen one.

I did some looking to try and build a Dick Landy Dart but came up empty.

I was thinking a Promo could pop up on ebay and be used to kit bash.

[rickcaps55]

Hi I am a big Dart fan to.The 73/74 Darts are very close.If your looking to bild the fastback thats the one,s I did I got the body from MCW it,s very close to total stock and got the chrome from Modelhaus and used the AMT 76 Plymouth Duster kit for a doner to finish it.It,s not perfect but dam close good luck.Rick.

[diymirage]

not very edumacated on the darts so here is what i have to toss in the mix

there are 71 dusters readily available aswell as the elusive 75 duster "street" machine

iether one of those may be massaged into a 73 dart?

on the bright side, the 75 duster allready comes with a dodge grille

[rickcaps55]

Hi thats true but the big thing is the taillights.The MCW body has the right opnning and the chrome bezel and red lenze is a modelhouse item so is the right hood.But again it,s not perfect but real close.

[ChrisPflug]

If he's looking for the Dart Sport- the "Duster" kit is just that (Dart Sport)- it started life as an MPC promo and annual kit for the 75-76 models, was released later as "Smokey the Convoy Chaser" and in the 80s as a "Duster street machine" - both of these versions were again reissued fairly recently with the "'75 Duster hardtop" being the newest and most available

Being a '75-'76 the grille is different than the '73-'74, the rear panel in the kit features the bright trim common on later cars and the big rubber bumper guards of the earlier models would have to be fabricated. The basic body and interior would be correct although I don't believe the included "Padded" steering wheel was available in '73. "Stock" engine is the mediocre small looking small block as found in MPC Dusters through the 70s with an optional Hemi- no stock wheels in the later releases either

Not aware of anyone doing a Swinger hardtop- I suppose a blend of the '75-'76 front fenders and a combination of one of the rear engine Hemi wheelstander kits ("Hemi Hunter", "LA Dart") and a Revell '69 would work with some bodywork skills.

Edited December 17, 2011 by ChrisPflug

[caine440]

Good info.

I had not heard of the MCW body.

[Patrick2005]

They guy that was wondering was looking for the "Swinger" style, not the sport

[exnyman]

Bandit Resins make a Plymouth Scamp, which would already have the correct Swinger body style and rear bumper close to what you'd need, but the front fenders, hood and bumper grille would need to be changed out. Many probably don't realize it but, the 69 Barracuda and the 73-up Darts shared a hood. so if you had a 69 Barracuda hood in the parts box, that would work

[rickcaps55]

Ok if your looking for the Dart swinger hard top the big difference is in the back end.I am 59 and I had a 74 swinger in the mid 70,s I wanted to do one in a model.The front is the same with the 73/74 can,t tell them apart.But the back looks like the 65 GTO it has the taillights rap around the corrner.In fact I got 2 of the Bandit resin trans kits and thats a good place to start.You will have to use the front clip from the 76 Duster and the 73/74 grill and bumper from modelhaus.You can use the rear bumber and taillights from the AMT 65 GTO with a little work.The 73 Dart had the same bumper and the scamp but it had one hole for the taillight and the Dart had two holes in the bumper for two squar lights.Again good luck.

[caine440]

Like Jim said, for a swinger this might be the best starting point.

http://www.banditresins.com/1971_plymouth_scamp.html

[Patrick2005]

The guy I work with is huge into Mopars and wants a 73 Swinger style Dart and I told him I'd at least check it out, I'm sure whatever way there is, it's gonna be some work.

[Craig Irwin]

Looks like the Dodge Dart Sport front grafted onto a resin Plymouth Swinger is your only way.

[spkgibson]

Take the 75 Dart Sport, And the 70 LA Dart kit , cut both front clips off, Just before the doorlines, Fill in the funnycar wheel wells on the 70 body, and grab the stock trunk from missing link resins, That will give you a great start on the 73 body, Then find the closest grill to the 73-74 Dart style, And modify it, The taillights are different in the 73 bumper also, The 72 and 73 had split taillights set inside the bumper, The scamp used the 70 Dart Swinger bumper from 71-73, I have a 73 Scamp in the works, But I still have alot of work to do on it. That's how I made mine, But I used a 73 Duster clip in place ,Here is a link to the photos http://s271.photobucket.com/albums/jj132/spkgibson/scamp/

[ChrisPflug]

Have been meaning to look into "reshaping" a PE '69 Dart grille to the '75-'76 MPC shell- parking lights and center "bar" and mesh look like they might work in scale- use the "peak" of the '75-'76 to reshape but just make "flatter" in the parking light area

[caine440]

Very cool Steve!