Well, I tried to pick nice sensible cars all this week. The trouble is, that’s just not in my nature. I love weird cars and old cars and unpopular cars, and I just can’t bear to look at another ad for something entirely practical. So I’ve found two very cool older cars that both run and drive well, so in theory you could actually use them as transportation. Is that cheating? I don’t care.
Yesterday’s hatchbacks generated more comments, and more votes, than I’ve seen in a long time. I guess you liked them. The Honda Fit in particular seemed to have a lot of fans in the comments, and that did translate to a win in the votes, but it was closer than you might think. I think the Chevy Sonic being half the age and having a bunch more options gained it some followers.
I really like that little Sonic, and I think it would be the more entertaining to drive of this pair, but I think the Fit would be the better car to own. Honda is still Honda, after all, and nobody knows more about building good small cars. I confess I’ve never driven a Fit with a manual, nor a second-generation one like this, but I can’t believe it’s anything but pleasant – if not quite as much fun as that turbocharged Sonic.
Yesterday’s cars demonstrate just how good modern cars are, and that’s also reflected in the fact that the average car on American roads is now damn near thirteen years old. I guess that makes me above average, because the average age of the cars in my household is over thirty. I clearly like my vehicles older, and I’m not afraid to put them to work, either. Yeah, things can and do break, but they’re also a lot easier to fix. The daily-driven old-car life isn’t for everyone, I realize, but if you think it might be for you, take a look at this pair.
1972 Chevrolet G20 Beauville – $4,500
Engine/drivetrain: 350 cubic inch overhead valve V8, three-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Dripping Springs, TX
Odometer reading: 52,000 miles (probably rolled over)
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Full-size vans have never been at the cutting edge of any automaker’s designs; after all, how many different ways can you style a box on wheels? But General Motors has been especially stubborn when it comes to designing new vans. Since 1971, there have only been two body styles of full-size Chevy van: the G series like this one, which lasted all the way until 1996, and the Express, which is still in production. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, I guess.
Of course, even though the basic body style stayed the same for years, there were dozens of configurations available. What we have here is a 3/4 ton van, in the medium 125-inch wheelbase, equipped with a 350 V8 and a Turbo-Hydramatic 350 transmission. It’s the Sportvan passenger-type van with windows, in the high-end Beauville trim, and it has such fancy options as power steering and air conditioning. It runs and drives great, according to the seller, and it recently had the fuel pump and water pump replaced.
Although it was a pretty fancy van when it was new, it shows some age now. The vinyl upholstery is rough, and the headliner is completely absent. The seller calls it a “great starting point,” and I think that’s probably the best assessment. By the way, it also has what looks like a propane heater installed in the back, which is a good start towards a camper conversion.
It’s not too rusty outside; the only trouble areas the seller mentions are the drip rails around the roof. The paint is worn and faded, but it’s not unattractive, and the mustard-yellow color is perfect for the era. You could leave the exterior pretty much as it is and still turn heads.
1975 Dodge Dart Swinger – $4,900
Engine/drivetrain: 225 cubic inch overhead valve inline 6, three-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Kent, WA
Odometer reading: ad says 100,000 miles, probably not correct
Operational status: Runs and drives well
If a van isn’t quite your style, but you still want something 70s, may I suggest a nice Dart? This two-door hardtop, equipped with the “Swinger” package, is about as 70s as it gets, with its brown paint, vinyl top, and Rallye wheels. These cars were absolutely everywhere even when I was in high school in the late 1980s; I had several friends with Darts and Valiants. But they’re getting thin on the ground these days, so seeing a decent one for a fair price like this is a treat.
Darts were available with some wild powerplants during the muscle car era, but the vast majority of them, even then, left the factory with the “Leaning Tower Of Power,” Chrysler’s famous Slant Six. This is the 225 cubic inch variant, backed by a Torqueflite three-speed automatic. It’s a combination known for reliability and durability, and the seller (a small dealership that appears to specialize in classics) says it fires right up and runs well.
It’s a little scruffy inside, but not terrible. The front seat needs reupholstering, and someone cut holes for speakers in the door panels. I don’t know what happened to the speakers, but I like to think they were Sparkomatics ordered from the Crutchfield catalog and were blown out sometime in 1986 by blasting Night Ranger. If you were planning to restore the whole car, you’d probably want to find replacement door panels, but it’s probably easier to just stick some speakers back in there.
It has some rust in the rear quarters, and the clear coat is failing, but I don’t see any rust peeping out from under the vinyl top, where so many cars this age rust out. The white-letter BF Goodrich tires are a nice touch, and the seller says they’re in good condition.
Yes, you’re absolutely right – life would be a great deal easier with a nice silver Camry than with either of these. They won’t be nearly as economical, safe, or comfortable. But if, like me, you just can’t bring yourself to do that, either one of these should be a reasonably reliable way to get around. Or, if you already have a boring everyday car, they’d make wonderful weekend toys without the daunting prospect of a full-on project car. Which one grabs your attention?
(Image credits: sellers)
Voted for the Dart. Why? One of the few old cars you can drive daily and get near modern-day reliability. I own a 1949 plymouth with the older straight 6. NEVER have had an issue with it. It just starts and goes. Even gets decent fuel economy.
I love the song, but I’m not sure I’d be able to get a woman into that van.
The liftover is pretty high, but you can always roll one up a ramp if you have to.
wow
Seems overpriced, but out of the two, it’s an easy choice of car over van. A 2-door hardtop is an easy win for me even if it’s against something more desirable than an old van.
Dart. Easier to work on and the van’s extra capacity is limited by its’ age to being either a camper or food truck.
On a car its’ age the speaker holes are indeed a period-correct mod – the mid ’70s was the start of the Golden Age of Aftermarket Car Stereo – so I’m on team “pop in some new speakers”. Throw a striped blanket over the front seats, put a spare ballast resistor in the glovebox and you’re set to go.
Both are good. The van is theoretically not easy to do work on the engine due to its layout. Same with the BOF Ford Econoline of that era.
But nonetheless, the 350 is excellent in terms of durability (although it has its falls and bad years…).
The Dodge w/ the 225 will run forever if treated right
Sparkomatic speakers would have been sources from the local K-mart, not Crutchfield.
I’ll give that Swinger a good home. We had one almost identical to that in ’73. I can remember crawling all over that car as a little kid while the car was moving. I can recall my little brother lying on that shelf near the rear window asleep in the sunshine while the car was moving.
The van is cool but probably needs a lot more work than I would want to invest. Nostalgia wins today. Before our Dart, we had a powder blue Valiant that my dad actually had shipped over from Hawaii when we moved to California.
Are the pics of the van taken from the 1970’s, too?
Those are some vintage looking pics.
Both are awesome. I really want the van, but I would realistically go with the Dart. The van has some rust that worries me, and I imagine it is a pain in the ass to do any engine work.
I’m conflicted about having a car called the Swinger, though. Maybe it had different implications in the ’70s, but I’m not sure I want a car that is named after wife swapping. It would be easy enough to remove the Swinger badge and just call it a Dart, though.
Restomod it by replacing the badges with “Dart Ethical Non-Monogamist” and it’s ready for the 21st century.
In my youth, I spent a couple summers as a maintenance man/driver for a summer camp tooling around in their ancient G series fleet. Taking kids on hikes! Running things to the dump! Picking commissary refills up from Cash and Carry!
The older, shittier one was green. That one was my favorite. I loved that van.
Van all day long.
Dart. I’ve somehow never owned one despite having an affinity for them. A bit wary of what might lurk under the vinyl top, but I’ve stripped one off before.
I voted van, in honor of the glorious air brushed nascar mural chevy van in the neighborhood I’m working in
The Dart can swing my way today. What a fun old cruiser to throw on some period correct slant-six hop-up parts along with a split manifold and dual exhaust. Six in a row make ’em go!
I suspect the slanty doesn’t have to be slow. I just need to keep up with modern traffic, not set record quarter mile times. Guessing carb and timing are the immediate issues, followed by exhaust (’70s cats were terrible). Maybe an MSD box and coil for stronger spark.
My perfect nerd swap would be an Australian hemi-head slant six. Huzza!
A sort of both vote today, based on condition inspection.
But money and space being plentiful I would gladly take either, having done over 10k of highway miles in that Dart run of various models. Beyond reliable for the most part.
The Chevy is basically a truck is a blank canvas to me. If it had the six engine would probably vote for it. Been looking for one for several years now, but the pickings are getting thin here. It deserves a decent GM crate engine if not rusted too badly.
Some of my earliest automotive memories are of my grandmother’s ’76 Dart sedan, gold with brown vinyl top and brown vinyl interior. With the Slant Six and Torqueflite combo it was virtually indentical to this ’75 and served her well in her real estate business until it was replaced by a K-Car in the mid-’80s. The smell of that interior combined with cigarette smoke will stay with me forever.
The van, with a little work, would make the quintessential band van. Soooo many 90s bands used these.
Yeah, so true! Made me think of the van from School of Rock too, although that was an 87 Dodge Ram B250
I’m channeling my inner Al Bundy and going with the Dart.
Ugh, neither.
I voted van because, DOG.
I like the Dart and would probably keep it around as a driver. It’d be nicer to get a performance version with a manual, but this one has the general look, and the 6 cylinder won’t be too bad on gas. The van is alright but not really nice enough for a passenger vehicle and a cargo version would be more versatile.
I’m guessing you could wake up that Slant 6, and likely improve economy with a few changes. I think my state exempts cars over 25 yrs old from emissions, so you could install a better carb and play with the timing immediately.
I’m not advocating polluting, but we all know this era car was compromised from birth. It would likely run cleaner and more efficiently with a handful of changes.
The Dart is everything I want in a commuter car given that my commute is less than two miles. It’d be fun to cruise around in on the weekend, easy to fix, and it’d be nice to have something with some interest.
The van is…well, it is practical.
The Dart gets my vote since it seems to be in way better overall condition for just a little more money. And unlike that van, it doesn’t appear to be missing things like the headliner.
That faded Dart – That’s not clear-coat.
No US car had clear-coat from the factory until the 1977 Lincoln Versailles.
That’s just straight up faded and oxidized paint.
But I’d much rather have that than the Chevy.
I’m thinking a nice Serape Blanket seat cover would be good….
Ugh. Hard no on both of these. Would I rather drive something that would be widely regarded as a kidnapper van? Or something in turd hues with the word “swinger” on it?
Rear AC in that van is exceedingly rare to see. Not sure what the Panhead Chopper comment means, and it has way too many windows for a shaggin wagon, but it does seem like a good start for a family truckster. The Dart is sort of cleaner at first glance, but the year and actually the car in general is just not that great for me. by 75 the already weak motor was positively anemic. Cats, retarded ignition and even lower compression nearly made them flat head six territory on power.
In the end I would definitely get more use out a 3/4 ton Van that I could convert to workster and family truckster at will. question is would it make sense to leave the old tried and true 350/350 combo and just add a sniper FI and a gear vendor OD? or Find a 2000 to 2006 6.0 and 4L80E to swap in.
Last I looked Gear Vendor O/D units were stupid expensive. You could probably swap in a modern driveline for less.
They are a bit pricy and you have to change the driveshaft out as well unless it happens to get you far enough back to eliminate the Carrier bering in this case. The only real issue with going to a modern OD, is the electronics side of things, Metric fittings on a 1970’s era vehicle and of course getting one. though a 91 and up v8 housing 4L80E is likely a grand less, I bet in the end all the little stuff required to make it work here is going to make it about the same….and of course I would probably look for a used one. That being said , if I was unable to find one for a decent price. that would sway my decision on looking for a complete drivetrain swap. that is just a pain in a van usually though.
I had a 75 Dodge D100 with the slant six and a three on the tree, it struggled to reach 70 mph.
indeed, that was pretty much the truck my grandpa bought up until they no long offered the manual on the tree. The Lean Burner slant sixes were massively worse, but if you could get them to start they would happily chug along at 45 all day long. 55 was getting after it and 60-70 was sketchy and often unobtanium on any semblance of a hill.