Weekend Edition – Two Dodge Sedans, Same Seller, Separated by a Decade

Jim Brennan

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Continuing on with the Hooniverse Weekend this Sunday, I thought I would comb through the eBay section to see if there was anything interesting, and I found separate listings for two somewhat desirable Dodge Sedans. They are both relatively low mileage vehicles, sparsely optioned, and in fantastic condition. So are they Hooniversalustworthy?

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This is a 1963 Dodge 440 Sedan, which is really nothing spectacular, collectible, or even historic. It is one of the several thousand Sedans produced by the Dodge Boys after the disastrous 1962 selling season. Styling was enhanced and a bit more mainstream, but there was no mistaking it for a Ford or General Motors product. What is desirable about this particular car is the fact that it is an unmolested, one owner vehicle.

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According to the listing:

1963 Dodge 440 Sedan. One owner car with 52,000 original miles. This car belongs to my grandfather and I am listing it for him. It has been well cared for since new and garage kept. It was purchased new at H.E. Wagner Dodge on July 25, 1963. Contact me with any questions and thanks for looking.

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High bid on this fresh looking 1963 Dodge is $5,755, and it looks like it cleared the reserve. Take a look at the listing and tell me what you think: [sc:ebay itemid=”141008178464″ linktext=”1963 Dodge 440 Original One Owner” ]

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The next Dodge is this 1973 Dodge Dart Sedan, with a couple of options the car built a decade earlier would be without. Of course there is the period Vinyl Roof, a single remote mirror, and instead of a small V-8, the Dart has the Slant Six.

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According to the listing:

1973 Dodge Dart Sedan. One owner car with 16,992 original miles. This car belongs to my grandfather and I am listing it for him. It has been well cared for since new and garage kept. It was purchased new at H.E. Wagner Dodge on October 17, 1973. Contact me with any questions and thanks for looking.

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Current high bid on this almost new 1973 Dodge Dart is $2,651, with an unmet reserve. Feast your eyes on the listing, and tell me what you think the reserve is, and whether it will sell or not. [sc:ebay itemid=”141008181877″ linktext=”1973 Dodge Dart Original One Owner” ]

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Jim Brennan

Jim Brennan

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13 responses to “Weekend Edition – Two Dodge Sedans, Same Seller, Separated by a Decade”

  1. Kris_01 Avatar
    Kris_01

    Wow, that's a toughie for me, but the Dart wins out just by virtue of color choice.

    Reply
  2. rovingardener Avatar
    rovingardener

    I like the 440 if only because my grandfather had one bought new. Difficult to keep clean but nice.

    Reply
  3. Sjalabais Avatar
    Sjalabais

    Incredible cars – it is amazing how 40 and 50 year old one owner cars with negligible mileage show up really rather regularly. If this was a real life alternative, I'd take both. But I get enthusiastic way too fast, too.

    Reply
  4. BlackIce_GTS Avatar
    BlackIce_GTS

    I'd take the white car, just for the zanyness. Even though it would take me a while to get over the disappointment that '440' doesn't mean it has a 440.
    There are people who buy what are essentially rental/fleet/government vehicles with a lot of options added. Outwardly evidenced by vinyl roofs and hubcaps/non-base wheels. So they're obviously not average genericmobiles… but they are. Maybe this has a different set of mental associations for you, it makes me think of someone who is not an enthusiast of cars in general, but is very enthusiastic about the specific car that they own. They will tell you about it at length, and how well serviced it is, and how it's what the police use, and how good a deal they got on it. This is a mind-numbingly practical person. He (probably) is retired (almost certainly) from doing nothing interesting (or, he will make it seem uninteresting).
    That's what the Dart makes me think of.

    Reply
  5. Van_Sarockin Avatar
    Van_Sarockin

    440 looks better and is more interesting, but pricier and weirder. Dart is almost reasonably priced, and only early Malaise, and has more Armor All. Tough call.

    Reply
  6. dukeisduke Avatar
    dukeisduke

    It still amazes me how Chrysler blew it with the '62 downsizing. Sometimes I wonder if someone at GM spread a false rumor about their own downsizing, spurring Chrysler's efforts.

    Reply
  7. dukeisduke Avatar
    dukeisduke

    It's the '63 for me. I can't believe the '73 doesn't have a/c. Fail.

    Reply
    1. RegalRegalia Avatar
      RegalRegalia

      can't believe huh.

      Reply
  8. topdeadcentre Avatar
    topdeadcentre

    Depending on the era and the region, a/c used to be considered an expensive luxury. Hardy New Englanders disdained the cost of the option, the cost of the extra gasoline, and the repair bills for something that was sure to fail two months after the car was out of warranty. "Are ya hot? Roll down the window and quit complainin'!"
    The '73 Dart reminds me strongly of high school ('81 to '84)… there were at least twenty Darts in the student parking lot every day. Affordable to buy out of the want ads or easy to inherit from your grandma, dependable, comfy, unexciting, cheap and simple to repair, and they usually started up without trouble on winter mornings, an important feature in the Boston area.
    I know you can't really buy your way back into your past, but Darts of this era will always remind me of good times and I've have fun driving one. Of course, I'd probably choose a GT convertible instead of a plain sedan…

    Reply
  9. CJinSD Avatar
    CJinSD

    Wow! A 17K mile Dart could be your only car for the rest of your life, but that doesn't mean it would be much fun to drive once the novelty wears off. '73 saw the introduction of electronic ignition, but the result still wasn't as strong as the earlier 225s. I had a '71 Scamp in the '80s, and this car has many of its features. I don't think there is much point in going back though. I still like it and would buy it if I had massive resources and storage. The '63 is nice too. It looks like it has a 318 polyspheric V8 and a push button torqueflite, so it might be more fun to drive and look at than the Dart. The man listing the car obviously isn't a car guy, but at least he'll take questions.

    Reply
  10. HTWHLS Avatar
    HTWHLS

    I'd give him 10K and take both. With some care and attention you can drive these to the Cars-n-Coffee, et al, and not sweat over them like the panic guys gently rolling their unobtanium off their trailers. Parts are cheap and plentiful and most of these cars can be done with a toolkit you can purchase at the point-of-sale at any new "Parts" store.
    If you got crazy, there are plenty of ways to get more power, more options and more performance from any aspect of these cars..or just drive and know you have something just a little different that will get you plenty of stares, nods and thumbs-up without breaking the bank.

    Reply
  11. PushrodRWD Avatar
    PushrodRWD

    The 225 slant 6 is one of the best engines ever made. If you take care of that '73 you could drive it every day for decades to come. Put in an aftermarket A/C, a limited slip and upgraded brakes and you would have a safe and reliable daily driver. The 440 would be more of a quirky semi-collectible cruiser. That dash and steering wheel are awesome. It also looks like it has a push button auto, which is also very cool.

    Reply
  12. Otto Nobedder Avatar
    Otto Nobedder

    Slant Six wins for me if only for the ease-of-maintenance/cost-of-parts.
    Wait-is that a 40-year-old re-cap tire on the rear?

    Reply