1970-71 Dart GT Thread

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str12-340

str12-340

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I'm really missing the 1970-71 Dart GT registry that Mr. Budnick, God rest his soul, used to maintain. I'm not wanting to recreate the registry (although I wish someone would), but thought I would give a try starting a thread about these cars. I'll start off in the next post with a few pics of the 1970 GT that I am in the process of putting back together. I'm hoping folks will post pictures and give a little run down on the options on their GTs.

Here are some facts that I think are true of the 1970 GT (please let me know if I get something wrong):
All GTs start as Dart Custom 2 doors (Vin starts with LH23)
All GTs came with /6 or a 318 (had to get a 340 Swinger to get a 340)
All GTs were bucket seat/console cars and could have automatic or manual trans
The option # for a GT on the fender tag is A65
The LH interior was usually 2 tone (green, blue or brown), but black interiors were all black in 2 different grains
Door panels for these cars are unique to Customs and GTs
Glove compartment door had the Dart Custom trim and chromed plastic name plate
The Dart GT badge in 70 was in the same general location as the Dart Swinger and Custom badges on the quarter panel
The trunk script is on the right side and is a cursive Dodge (only 340 Swingers said Dart Swinger on the trunk lid).

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Here's my 1970 GT (in process). It came with a 318/904 & 7 1/4. Front power disc brakes, AC, power steering. It was originally green with a two tone green interior. It's coming out purple with factory pattern black and silver seats and silver door panels. My wife and I are building it as a long distance cruiser (first trip - down the coast on 101 - Olympia to Santa Monica - Rt66 to Chicago, Lincoln Highway to the east coast to hit Carlisle, the Mopar Nats and what ever other Mopar shows we can find along the way.

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Just a short memorial note: Some of you remember Scott Starr (s340man here on FABO) who passed away a couple years ago. I first met Scott on the WA State Ferry that we both used when I struck up a conversation over this Dart GT that he and his wife used as a daily driver. I wish he were around to take one of the first rides in his old car reborn.
 
str12-340

I've only seen 1 other '71 Dart GT, in person, at the 2005(?) Mopar Nats. It was a column shift, bucket seats with no console. It was actually in the hotel parking lot, so I didn't want to get to personal with it.

My '71 Dart GT has the requisite A65 on the fender tag

IMG_6298.JPEG


With a 318, console shifted A904, A/C, PS (Federal), rim blow steering wheel, manual drum (front & rear), 3.23:1 sure-grip 8 3/4 (741) rear end.

It does have the Dart GT badging on the rocker panel:

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Everything I've learned, from Chrysler Historical, is ~1.3% of the ~96,000 Darts produced in 1971 were the GT model. Unfortunately most of CH's records were lost in a fire. The gentlemen I spoke with did not recall the /6 vs. 318 numbers.
 
It was not Budnick. It was Bruce Budbill. That was unfortunate to lose that site. That was a lot of information just gone after all of Bruce's hard work. I tried to get Joey together with Bruce's ex wife to save it, but I don't think she was really interested. A shame, really.
 
Canucklehead said:
With no 4-speed console available after 1969, how did they have manual transmissions with buckets/console?
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I'm not sure of the source of your information, but I don't think that it is correct.
 
I'll try to get some pix but I got one same gold color or was with the black top my uncle painted it white before I got it and took the vinyl top off, but the interior is all original or I think it is. its black and white with white bucket seats. I remember that registry I had my stuff posted with pix he told me mine was one of nine that was paid for before it was built. I lost the original 318 to it but got a 360 in it now.
 
sure wish I had the time to pick up where Bruce left off documenting and registering these cars
 
str12-340 said:
sure wish I had the time to pick up where Bruce left off documenting and registering these cars
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I sure wish you had the information to pick up where he left off. It's all gone, simply because someone didn't act on it.
 
My 1970 Dart GT was brown, 318/904, 7.25 diff, buckets and console. I knew of one 1971 Dart GT, the owner was in one of the clubs I used to belong to. That one was red with a black vinyl top and interior, 318/904, not positive but I believe it had buckets and console too.
With respect to str12-340 and the original post, I agree with all of the features unique to the 1970 GT models, though I can't say with certainty about the 71 models.
All 70 Darts had the Dodge script on the lower right side of the decklid, and in the front center edge of the hood, 71's had Dodge in block letters, don't recall for sure but I think it was on the right side of the decklid and the front left edge of the hood. Again, my recollection could be faulty, but that is what I remember.
 
RustyRatRod said:
I sure wish you had the information to pick up where he left off. It's all gone, simply because someone didn't act on it.
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First, let me say that Bruce was a wonderful guy and an amazing resource. I was lucky enough to talk to him a few times about both of my '71 GT's before he passed.

Let me follow that up by saying that NO information ever posted to the internet is truly "gone". You can view most of Bruce's old 70/71 GT registry page here
The 1970 and 1971 Dart GT Registry Homepage

There is also information posted here on FABO in a bunch of threads, here are a couple...
The 1970-1971 Dart GT Registry

1971 Dart GT, Do They Exist?

Oddball 1970 Dart GT Find....

Wtb: 1971 dart gt

Some of the older threads contain information that isn't fully accurate though, some things were updated as the registry was expanded but the website had very few updates (at least in the time I was aware of it). I have two '71 GT's, both are A65 cars and were verified by Bruce. My EL5 GT was #65 in the registry, my GK6 GT was #69 and was the last car I know of that was added to the registry.

For '71 there were ~1255 GT's built, that is a projection based on the percentage of production though, not a hard and fast number so it could be a few higher or lower. In '71 the A65 GT package was just the bucket seats that had special trim, the '71 one year only GT emblem on the rocker panel.

A lot of '71's seem to have had consoles, but it was not part of the package.

All of the GT's I've seen (including all the ones in the registry) also had 10" HD drums and the woodgrain dash trim. Neither is listed in the brochure.

A bunch of posts by Bruce, and his archived website, say the cars were all 225's, which isn't accurate. Bruce knew that as well, both of my GT's are 318 cars and there were a few others in the registry.

None had 4 speeds that I'm aware of. They could have been 3 speed manuals with a column shift (some of these are in the registry), or an auto on the column, or an auto with a console on the floor (both of my cars).

They were made at multiple plants, my EL5 car is from Windsor, the GK6 car is from the LA plant.

Bruce used a spreadsheet that contained all the information on the cars in his registry, which included owner information and other stuff. There were pictures of the spreadsheet posted on his website, which may be accessible from the archive site I posted above. I do have an unlocked, fully functional spreadsheet containing the registry that Bruce sent me before he passed, although it contains information I told him that I wouldn't share publicly as part of his sending it to me.

There is some info in the factory brochures available at The 1970 Hamtramck Registry Home Page

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72bluNblu said:
First, let me say that Bruce was a wonderful guy and an amazing resource. I was lucky enough to talk to him a few times about both of my '71 GT's before he passed.

Let me follow that up by staying that NO information ever posted to the internet is truly "gone". You can view most of Bruce's old 70/71 GT registry page here
The 1970 and 1971 Dart GT Registry Homepage

There is also information posted here on FABO in a bunch of threads, here are a couple...
The 1970-1971 Dart GT Registry

1971 Dart GT, Do They Exist?

Oddball 1970 Dart GT Find....

Wtb: 1971 dart gt

Some of the older threads contain information that isn't fully accurate though, some things were updated as the registry was expanded but the website had very few updates (at least in the time I was aware of it). I have two '71 GT's, both are A65 cars and were verified by Bruce. My EL5 GT was #65 in the registry, my GK6 GT was #69 and was the last car I know of that was added to the registry.

For '71 there were ~1255 GT's built, that is a projection based on the percentage of production though, not a hard and fast number so it could be a few higher or lower. In '71 the A65 GT package was just the bucket seats that had special trim, the '71 one year only GT emblem on the rocker panel.

A lot of '71's seem to have had consoles, but it was not part of the package.

All of the GT's I've seen (including all the ones in the registry) also had 10" HD drums and the woodgrain dash trim. Neither is listed in the brochure.

A bunch of posts by Bruce, and his archived website, say the cars were all 225's, which isn't accurate. Bruce knew that as well, both of my GT's are 318 cars and there were a few others in the registry.

None had 4 speeds that I'm aware of. They could have been 3 speed manuals with a column shift (some of these are in the registry), or an auto on the column, or an auto with a console on the floor (both of my cars).

They were made at multiple plants, my EL5 car is from Windsor, the GK6 car is from the LA plant.

Bruce used a spreadsheet that contained all the information on the cars in his registry, which included owner information and other stuff. There were pictures of the spreadsheet posted on his website, which may be accessible from the archive site I posted above. I do have an unlocked, fully functional spreadsheet containing the registry that Bruce sent me before he passed, although it contains information I told him that I wouldn't share publicly as part of his sending it to me.

There is some info in the factory brochures available at The 1970 Hamtramck Registry Home Page

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Oh wow. I had no idea. Thanks for this. Now, @Joeychgo is there any way to integrate all that into this site? Legally?
 
DartGTDan said:
Thanks 72bluNblu

I often wondered where Bruce's registry ended up.

My car is #38

2003 GT's found
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Well, that’s just an internet “archive” site. So if there’s any information that you want from Bruce’s old registry I would still suggest you download it because it’s still not impervious to going away again.
 
@str12-340

Here’s the ‘71 only GT rocker emblem
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And the emblem by itself, it’s a 2 piece design that screws in from the bottom

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You can see the placement better here, my EL5 GT had the emblems intact when I bought it but I removed them shortly after because I was storing the car outside in my driveway at the time. My GK6 GT didn't have the emblems on it when I bought it, but you can see the shadows from where they were and it has the A65 fender tag

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My understanding is that the '71 also had the candy cane trim and rocker blackout as part of that emblem package, but I'm not 100% on that.
 
I noticed in post#19 that it looks like this is a 2 piece item - it that true or just the way it is cast?
 
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