Classic Wheels Spotlight: 1963 Dodge Dart Wagon

The 1963 Dodge Dart, an attempt to compete with the Ford Falcon and the Chevy Corvair, was considered a compact car of the day. Available in three trim levels, the station wagon was the least commonly bought by consumers in 1963.

The Dart’s trim levels: the 170, 270 and the GT series that had a 2-door and convertible model, all sold more units than the station wagon. The 170 was the entry-level ‘plain Jane’ variant; while the 270 had more body trim, an upgraded engine, and a 225-cubic-inch ‘Slant 6’ versus the 170 cubic inches in the 170 series.

The 225-cubic-inch engine option cost an additional $47. You had your choice of a 3-speed manual transmission or a 904 torque-flite 3-speed automatic, which cost an additional $172. As was common during the era, the radio and the heater were extras. Between the 170 and 270 models, there were 13,000 station wagons built in 1963.

Mike Bradley says he always liked old cars and about a year ago he found his 1963 Dart Wagon on eBay. “I was living dangerously,” he says, explaining at the time he was looking for something out of the ordinary. Initially, he was looking at a Ranchero, when the Dart caught his eye at Country Classic Cars in Staunton, Illinois.

According to Mike, he took a ride to check out the Dart and was happy with the condition and the price. He drove it home that day. Documentation for the last 15 years came with the car. For the last 10 years, it was registered in St. Louis, Missouri, and before that Southern California.

The black paint with red vinyl top panels is not the factory color. The Paint code listed on the build tag says that it was an ivory (off-white) color. For the most part, the all-metal body is original, and only minor cosmetics have been made.

The interior has been redone in red and black vinyl, including a new headliner. The factory radio is still there, but it has an aftermarket sound system installed. Paperwork says that the custom pinstriping was done 10 years ago by Van Gogh, at Bauers Studios, in Belleview, Illinois. Since he doesn’t have any paperwork on the paint, Mike thinks it is more than 15 years old.

The drive train is as it was in 1963. The Holley carburetor, model 1920, has been rebuilt, and Mike found that a Ford Holley carb, model 1904, from the 1950’s had interchangeable float bowls. The Ford carb had a clear glass bowl cover that fit his carb, so he used it. He fabricated an air cleaner from a saucepan lid that he found at a thrift store, another unique detail. The ignition system was upgraded to an electronic unit by Pertronix. Another unique thing about this car is that the tailgate has a power window.

Mike has done some updating, mostly for dependability and safety. The brakes were converted to front disc brakes and a dual master cylinder. The front suspension has also been rebuilt. The wheels are from a 1991 Lincoln LSC, shod in modern Falken radials. Even though the tires that came with the car looked brand new, they turned out to be 23 years old and had to go.

Recently, Mike took his wagon on a 1000-mile trip to visit some friends in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He said that it handled like a modern car, even getting 19 mpg. The only maintenance that he needs to do is just normal things like oil changes. He drives the car everywhere and he has put roughly 5,000 miles in the last year.

Going to local cars shows and having conversations with people interested in the wagon are the things he likes most. The car gets a lot of positive attention. A lot of people admit they didn’t know dart was made as a wagon. One person even asked if it was a hearse. If you happen to see this “survivor” at a car show, stop and check it out, Mike would be happy to tell you all about it.

If you have a car you would like to see featured in Classic Wheels, contact Rudy Host, Jr. at Classic.Wheels.Rudy@gmail.com .