I found my 1973 Dodge Dart Swinger and bought it back 18 years later!

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Mclovinmoto

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Location
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It's been a great week for me! First of all my name is Ryan and I live in Oregon. My very first car when I got my license was a 1973 Dodge Dart Swinger. 225 slant 6 and auto trans. I bought it for $700 bucks. It had been donated to my high school to sell. My dad and I then traded a 1966 Chevy C10 long bed to have rust repaired behind both rear fenders, the roof under the vinyl top and a new vinyl top put on. After that was done we located a set of Cragar SS mags with BF Goodrich Radial TA's and put those on it. My parents had the seats reupholstered for my 16th birthday. I foolishly traded the car straight across at a local Dodge dealership for a 1989 Pontiac Firebird with a v6 and a 5 speed.

Fast forward roughly 18 years. I'm searching facebook marketplace and under the heading "todays picks" is a white Dart with black vinyl top. I open the ad and it had crager mags and custom seat upholstery. It's MY car! I make an appointment to see it the next day and manage to buy it back! I pick it up this Saturday after leaving a deposit. I can not wait to get it home.

The picture is my two sons and I when we went to look at it on Monday. It is pretty much a time capsule. Identical to when I sold it. Nothing has been changed.

1973 Dodge Dart Swinger.jpg
 
Hello from Minnesota. That's freaking sweet! Glad you got your old car back, consider yourself lucky. :thumbsup:
 
Look forwardto seeing this return to the road. It's nice to see you involved your kids too, they are the future of the hobby.
 
Yes they are. My oldest loves riding in and working on cars with me. The youngest isn't there as much just yet but he still thought it was pretty neat.
 
Awesome story glad your getting your car back. I’m down here in Springfield about 40 miles away. Welcome to a great site.
 
Welcome from
:canada:

What a great story! You're very fortunate to find your first car after 18 years, and for it to still be in such nice condition is doubly sweet! Congratulations
 
Dart is home and tucked away in the barn before it starts to rain next week. Drove it into town on the weather checked tires. Ran good for not being on the road much the last 18 years. I’ve got everything to do a tune up on it.
 
Awesome story! That's so cool you got it back. I wish I could find my 72 barracuda and buy it back. (Sold in 2009)
We are similar in age and I got my dart when I was 15 probably close to the same time you got your dart. Fortunately I never sold it.

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Awesome story! That's so cool you got it back. I wish I could find my 72 barracuda and buy it back. (Sold in 2009)
We are similar in age and I got my dart when I was 15 probably close to the same time you got your dart. Fortunately I never sold it.

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That’s rad! Nice clean Dart! Ya, I was dumb and sold it and shouldn’t have. I also had a 1966 Plymouth Belvedere II with the wide block 318. It was a 2 door. Another car I’d like to have back.
 
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This is almost identical to my second car, bought when I was 16, one I'd love to have again, unfortunately it was t-boned and totaled by a drunk driver.:(
 
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