I hear ya there. I remember renting a car when my truck had total exhaust manifold failure and I wasn't quite 25. That was rough. Figures they fixed the truck for free under the emissions warranty but I probably had a rental car for 36 hrs and I think it was damn near $180.
That would be quite a roadtrip with the Dart. 2260 miles or so, about 32 hrs one way. Probably cheaper to rent a car still!