1963 dodge dart GT, completely new and compact  

This Dart is amazing. It belongs in a museum. Wow!! One of my aunts had a ‘63 Dart 270 coupe, white with a blue interior. I remember my mom, brother and I had gone to visit my grandparents one afternoon in the summer. They lived about 30 minutes from us. When we got ready to come home, my mom’s Bonneville wouldn’t start. Nothing we tried worked. My grandfather wasn’t in good health at the time, and my grandmother didn’t drive. My aunt lived nearby, and said she’d take us home. Because it was summer and her Dodge didn’t have A/C, we got to drive the whole way home with the windows down (something my mom would never let us do in her Bonnie). It was so much fun. I was maybe 8 or 9. I think back on that day often. It was just an unusual experience. My dad was out of town on business, so after my aunt dropped us off, we had no car in the driveway. I remember thinking that it was so odd to not have a car and feeling a little worried. My dad came home the next day and got everything fixed and life got back to normal. Scenario 1: Falcon Sprint (no doubt) Scenario 2: I want to say I’d take the Karmann Ghia, but in reality I’d probably go for the Dart. The KGs are gorgeous, but a friend in college had one, and it rode awful.

What a beauty! Its too nice to drive. Chrysler was the engineering leader back in the day, with unit bodies, alternators, the slant six engines, and the torque flight automatic. They also had industry leading rustproofing. Then in the 1970's, they built a dog of a car like the Aspen/Volare.

Beautiful car! '62 and '63 totally different beasts! Admittedly, '62 is an acquired taste... I think I'm one of the few who like them. The best thing about this generation of Dart/Valiant forward is the simplicity in maintenance and repair! And that 225... well... WYR: 1) I truly love the Spyder, but know from experience I can only wedge myself in the driver's seat... so, let's go with the Dart. 2) Dart, much more handsome, imho...

My dad had a 64 dart. Great fun to drive. That slant 6 was amazing engine.

The Dart was not sold on the Canadian market until 1967. Prior to that, and in Canada only Valiants were sold with back ends identical to the Dart. Although one could also buy Valiants identical to what was sold in USA. The '61 & '62 Lancer was also not sold in Canada. My cars of choice here would be the '63 Corvair and '63 Dart.

What an amazing restoration! It was a lower price point entry vehicle, but looks good. I’ll take the VW Gia!

Great car. This car is selling for about what it cost when new in 1963 adjusted for inflation! What a deal! Great video.

My folks bought a black 270 4-door sedan in the fall of ‘62, it became my car in 1981 when I turned 16. We sold it in ‘88 to a Dart collector, wish I still had it. My dad ordered the car with blue interior, red was standard with black. He also did not order a radio or drivers side mirror, but did order 4 sets of seat belts. In the early 80’s my buddy was driving his parents Ford Falcon Futura convertible, unfortunately it wasn’t a Sprint with the 260 4-speed it was a 170 Fordomatic. Needless to say our 225 Torqueflite Dart was a lot faster.

Fun car!👍 The 1962 Dart looks a lot like our 1962 Plymouth Savoy (also 225 slant six). Reminds me that my 1961 Fairlane was basically a no frills Galaxie. But moving into the 60’s, Dart (Valiant), Chevelle, and Fairlane were all nice mid sized cars competing with each other.

I LIKED THE 63-65 DARTS THEY WERE LIGHT HAD GOOD STEERING AND RESPONSIVE THROTTLE RESPONSE .

Beautiful little car. Dodge - Dodge

1963 Falcon 1963 Dart My dad had a 1964 Dart GT. My uncle his brother had a 1963 Valiant wagon. Both served our families for many years.

I had a 1964 Dodge Dart GT with the Slant 6cyl. 145 hp. Engine. One of the best cars I've ever owned. I got 20 mpg.

The Sprint gets the nod, and The MG. This Dart is a time capsule I never saw one so clean.

Dart and MG for me. I've got a soft spot for the early 60s British cars. Your videos keep getting better and better.

THEY MADE GREAT RACE CARS.....THAT GRILL DESIGN REALLY AIDED IN KEEPING THE ENGINE COOL

I did particularly enjoy this episode. These cars (roughly speaking 63 - 66 Dodge Darts) and their close cousins, Plymouth Valliant's were commonplace in my youth. In the early 70' they were hand me downs that college students like myself had as daily drivers. I drove them, I worked on them, I took them apart and made two into one. The were not hot rods, but with the 225 slant six performance was adequate and they were rock solid reliable. The engines and transmissions could easily go 200k plus miles. As you said, they were rust prone and would rust out long before they wore out. So many good memories...

Saw a lot of these on the Lions drag strip. Absolutely beautiful example

Remember these cars when they first came out in 63 when I was in the 1st grade. The 60's was getting in the sweet spot of car and truck design. That's a nicely restored Dart those make great entry level collector cars especially the economy sedans and wagons. Like the Turbine car inspired front, 63 looks better than 62 including the dash and rear. There is a GT hardtop the same year and color here in Austin still going, see it at one of the car shows, First pick the Corvair, second, the 63 Dart and Karmann Ghia.

Someone spent some good money on this. Nicest interior and condition I’ve seen. I see a lot of add ons but tasteful. Beautiful! Look at the 61 Dart, ‘62 and this side by side. 3 different sizes. Largest, medium, small.

Great camera work J. This is a sweet car. I would rather have the 1963 Dodge GT in the 1st and the 1963 MG in the 2nd.

Dart started big with a very pleasing 1960 design. For 61, the design dept boys musta been smokin' that whacky tabaccy when they produced that hulk, but you know how those artists are.😁 After the 62 downsize, Dodge reached this nice compact size in 63...just a little larger than the Tempests & Buick Specials that year, I think. The 62 dash looks better, but agree with you on the exterior styling for 63 is a little bit better with that Turbine Car similarity and the copper paint looks great. Glad someone came up with the carpeting on the lower part of the doors, save a lot of elbow grease trying to get rid of shoe scuff marks down there. WYR: 63 Dart for both - love those slant sixes!

Jay , My first car was a 66 Valiant with 273 4 door and my second car was a 65 Dodge Dart 225 leaning tower of power . I had a chance in the early 90's to buy a 63 Valiant conv. slant 6 ,white with black and white interior 3 speed manual trans in the floor for $1600.00. I've kicked myself everyday for not buying it .It was as in good of shape if not better than this Dart.

Spot on l have always called them overriders and you are the first person I have heard in ages call them overriders good work

I LIKED THE 880 WITH THE 426 MAX WEDGE....THAT MONSTER WOULD MOVE .

When I was little, dad bought a 1963 Dart 270 4dr new. With the 225 slant 6, he pulled a boat through the PA mountains. I’ve got several photos of it. As we grew he traded up to a 65 Dodge Coronet wagon. A friend had a 63 Valiant convertible. He also pulled a boat with it.

8:40 That car is really _beautifully_ kept. So perfect!

Having a 65 Dart 270 of my own, I'd pick the 63 Dart GT for touring in the weekends any day over the other picks

A wonderfull car,a geat design, and very dependable.

The 1962 Dart is built on the downsized Plymouth/Dodge "full-sized" platform along with the Dodge Polara, the 1963 used the Valiant platform replacing the Lancer.

The nameplate may be the same between 62 and 63, but the two cars are competing in different markets. 62 was a full sized car. 63 was a compact. The 63 through 76 Darts shared a platform with Valiant. Valiant was on a shorter wheelbase than Dart. In Canada we did not see the compact Dart until 1965. 63-65 Valiant models in the Dominion had the body of the Dart with the front clip of the Valiant. 65 Valiant looked distressingly small in comparison.

What a sweetheart of a car, Jay! Thank you for featuring it. I'll take the Falcon Sprint.

62 Sprint 63 Dart GT The 62 dart is one of those Exner designs that to me just doesn't look right. It's like the front looks good and the back looks good but they don't look good together. The 63 is much more stylish and clean than the 62. In fact they're so different you would think that Exner didn't design both of them. OMG what a beautiful car. Just beautiful and I love the color. The 65 Dart GT with a 273 is one of my bucket list cars.

I liked the 65 Dart Styling, Grill and Tail Lights, in the 4 Door Model, Second would be the Convertible.

My first car I paid $1 from my grandmother. I would give anything to have it back. White, Red interior, 3 on the tree, slant s6

Lights are single and dual. Beside all that this was a much better effort very good job well done thank you

For WYR, it's either the Ford or the Dodge for the first scenario, the Dodge for the second. Beautiful car. I wouldn't mind driving one of these. It has a Slant Six...good engines if you take care of them.

I was not a fan of the Dart styling at all, until this year. This is a stunning auto IMO !🤩 I really like all the first WYR's, it would be hard to pass any of them up, leaning strongly toward the Spyder though, and definitely the K Ghia in the second! 😎 Video

My first car was a 1966 Dart 4 door hardtop. It had the 225 slant six with the 904 automatic transmission. The 1966 had almost identical body pressings as the 1963. In 1967, Dodge completely changed the body style. Being a hardtop, the doors were full frame. The push button transmission selector was dropped in 1964 and onward. The paint Chrysler used then was lacquer. The orginal paint was never that shiny. That car on display obviously has clear coat. At that time, all Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth engines were painted orange. Power from the slant six was very limited and very few performance parts were available. The long runner intake manifold noticeably helped engine power but, the painfully long stroke limited engine speed to 5,000 rpm. The camshaft was an economy grind and exhaust pipe used small diameter pipe of 1.25 inches. Cylinder head valves and ports were quite stuffy so, any kind of engine modifications held back. Topped off with the single barrel carburetor, showed at a glance that the whole induction system was doomed. The biggest optional engine available in 1966 for the Dart was the 273 cubic inch V8. On the headlight question, the 2-light set I considered the default standard that entry level cars used. The 4-light set usually was used on more upscale models. Both types were called "Sealed Beam" and threw a better light pattern than any of the headlights since then, although obviously modern headlights are brighter. The 4-light set consisted of one low beam/high beam, which was placed at the widest spacing on the front end of the car. The other headlight in the 4-light set was high beam only. Your mystery song sounded like the Beach Boys 1964 hit "I get around".

WYR: 1- Falcon Sprint (260, 4-spd.!) 2- Dart Those little Falcons were nice with the V8.

Like the way you're including the car commercials that go with the car you're reviewing. Gives a great perspective of the vibe that was going on at that time.

I like the Color of this Vehicle 😊

My vote if for the Italian show cars. Totally Jetsons!! 🚀😊. Plus the Chevy Corvair turbo which looks the nicest. 🏆

Ghia for the win!

That Dart is a nice car! It seems to have 70 Challenger wheels, and that radiator sure isn't stock, but someone had a pretty nice ride. WYR= duh, Corvair and Karmann-Ghia. You should have brought a magnet; there is a very remote possibility of that 225 engine having an aluminum block. (I think it was 61 and 62 only).

The name aside, the '63 Dart was a replacement of the Lancer, not the earlier Dart. Also, really only the 880 was a full sized car. The rest of the '63 Dodge lineup would more appropriately be considered mid sized.

ok, its stuck in my mind "I get a around" by the Beach Boys. Please say I am right, I can't get this out of my head...LOL!

Great vid!!!

What a stunning car and colour, the Dodge rally wheels are the best looking wheels they don’t belong to this car I think but that’s OK . Ford 1965 , 1967 , and 68 , 69 GT wheels are to die for , let’s not forget Pontiac honeycomb wheels !!!

I would rather have the 63 Falcon. Actually, did have one in my high school days. Mine was Oxford Blue, with a white top. It had a 170 CID inline 6 with a 3 on the tree transmission. I bought that car in 1969 and kept it through 1972. I should have never let it go. i had planed to keep it my entire life and restore it to brand new condition. However, Uncle Sam was trying to draft me for the Viet Nam war. So, I joined the Air Force Reserve and had to report for active duty at the same time my parents were preparing to move to a different state and it would have been an added expense and a logistics problem for my dad to take it with him. So I told him he could sell it. As for the second group of cars I am not into imports, so I would take the Dart. And your question regarding the headlights, we always called them single and dual. I believe the boxes for the replacement lamps were labeled that way, too.

Nice :)

I had a 63 Dart 2 door bucket seats 225 slant 6 and 3 on the tree.

Oh Denis here again , have to mention , got a glimpse of maybe close to a Christine Car that we could see in the back with you of this video. Well, maybe would be nice for you to show that red Christine look-alike lol

But Jay Love the 63 too,my Birth Year

WYR#1- '63 Corvair. They're just so un-American yet American at the same time. for WYR#2, I must go for the MG. My next door neighbor had one when I was a kid and I have fond memories of driving it. It was more like a go cart than it was a car; so it turned a quick errand to the local grocery into an adventure!

Dart, Dart. 👍😄

A better comparison would be the 1962 Lancer, which was the '62 Dodge compact. The '62 Dart was Dodge's "full size" car, one of the famous plucked chicken models of that year. I learned to drive on a '63 Valiant Signet, which was the Plymouth equivalent of this model. Great, reliable car, with decent performance when equipped with the 225 CID. Worst power steering in MoPar history, however. I scared my dad to death trying to stay between the lines! Andy

I really like this channel. I'm always looking for the next episode, but you're still out there in Fugly land! Dodge didn't get their stuff together on the dart until 1967-1976. Just my opinion! It is good to see one in such nice shape, I hope it finds a good home. 😂

WYR 1: Dart but - a close call with the Corvair (had a 64 convertible) WYR 2: Ghia, hands down. You do realize that unit body construction is now pretty much the norm for cars most SUV's CUV's even some pickups? This is very nice vehicle.

I wonder if they tried to mimic the front end of the Chrysler turbine car with the large headlights and wide grill cause these dodges always reminded me of those

Weren't the Dodge Darts in the full-size family through 1962? Our 1960 Dart sure was. For compact cars, Dodge's version of the compact Plymouth Valiant was the Lancer. The new for 1963 Dart replaced the Lancer. From then on, Dart was a compact car. As in America, bigger was better, the Dart was replaced by the Dodge Aspen. The Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volare were built for Chrysler by American Motors. With AMC's downhill slide, they had surplus capacity and Chrysler helped them out. When they re-introduced the Dodge Dart in the new millenium, it was a FIAT disguised in Dodge clothing. It had the poor reliability of a FIAT. lol

Hi Jay!: That Dart is a pretty interesting looking car! Virgil did a pretty good job of upgrading the styling from that "bug-eyed" 1962 version! This would be such a FUN car to own and drive! The later mopar steel wheels look GOOD on this car! I bet the performance is not TOO bad with that slant-6. Would like to drive that sucker and see what it was all about! WYR#1: Gotta go Falcon sprint here! V-8 option just too hard to pass up! #2: Going MGB here! Yes I know they aren't all that powerful, They are kind of small. Being British they are rust-prone and hard to work on. . .How do I know? I owned at least TWO of them! A 1977 Convertible and a 1971 MGB GT both of which I drove to work many times! Those little suckers are FUN to drive! The convertible is super-fun with the top down! Don't know how you would fit in one Jay, but you should try it at least once! Kind of wish I still had one of mine!

One of only a few Exner cars I like, and only sort of like here. Good cars though and I knew someone who daily drove one in the late 90's! WYR goes to the Falcon Sprint but the Corvair Spyder comes very close. Both are very quick cars, which the Dart GT isn't. Why did they even call it a GT? The Sprint embodies much of what became the Mustang in concept. WYR2 goes to the Karman Ghia with the MG a close second. Both are beautifully styled.

1963 FALCON SPRINT WITH A 289

You can't really compare a 62 and 63 Dart. The 62 was Dodge's shrunken 'full size' offering that was essentially reinveted as an B body intermediate in 65 when Dodge returned to sanity. The 63 was an A body and stretched Valiant. (The 880 of course was a Chrysler Newport with a Polara front end originally introduced in 62 as a rushed salve for Dodge dealers howling in pain when the 62's failed to sell. Traditionally large, but never had the hottest engines) Agree with you, there's some turbine car similarity here, yet that one was Engel. WYR: 1) much as I love the 63 Falson V8 - the Spyder! 2) The Dart - even though, let's face it, the MG is really far better from both an investment and driving standpoint.

62 Dash, but that is where that ends.... 63 Corvair Spyder 63 Dart GT

my brother had a 64 it was a silver anniversary edition two door hard top

Surfing USA by the Beach Boys.

I will take the Dart in scenario 1 and the MG in 2. Is the song "fun, fun ,fun" by the beach boys?

When they had power steering you could drive those Darts and Valiants with one finger. Very light- and not much tire contacting the ground- no effort.

The 63 looks better by a long shot.

I mentioned in a previous video how American styling had influenced European. This car looks very much like it may have inspired the British Ford Cortina Mk1 right down to the bonnet (hood) bulge with the nameplate placed at the front of it. Having said that, the Dodge Dart looks quite European so maybe there was a bit of cross pollination going on.

Were the manuals on the column or were any floor shift?

Comparing the '63 Dart to the '62, no contest I like the '63 better. I think a fairer comparison would be the '63 Dart versus the '62 Lancer. The '62 Dart is just a trim level variant of the downsized '62 Polara, and so is a mid-size car. The Dart, and the Lancer before it, are compacts. I think the '62 Polara/Dart is one of the ugliest cars ever made. I'm a fan of Virgil Exner's full-size designs, but they don't scale down well to the mid-size Mopars of '62-'65. Oddly, the '63 Dart is an Exner design, but is handsome. WYR #1: I'd have to say the Corvair (although I prefer the second generation Corvairs). WYR #2: I gotta go with the MG. NTT: Stumped. That Dart is in much better shape than some of the cars from Classic Auto Mall that you have reviewed. A good deal of them need work (possibly just cosmetic work).

Love the look of the car. But lack of a manual transmission v8 loses all my interest but I love the look.

Falcon ,Dart

Thank God mopar got rid of that 1962 styling

I get around --Beach Boys ?

I'll take the Dart in the first round, but the MG in the second. Much smaller, lighter and sportier. Both are stupid easy to service and repair.

Still don't like toodaloo..also radiator cap and radiator are after market parts . Not factory. Also the wheels are 70s vintage. 14 inch was not correct in my estimation. I believe 13 in was correct.

Stringo Noise at 11:30. lol.

Beach Boys Everybody’s Gone Surfing?

WYR 1: All of them. WYR 2: All of them. Was that a '58 Plymouth convertible in the background?

Should have compared the '63 Dart to the '62 Lancer. You would find that they were similar under the outer sheet metal. You were comparing apples ("A" bodies) to bananas ("B" bodies)!

Didn't Chrysler fire Exner, the stylist? I'll take the Corvair Spyder!😎

Are those wheels right for that car? I associate those with the early '70's rather than the early '60's. They do look nice, regardless.

C’mon people…the ‘63 Dart more than makes up for Exner’s ‘62 plucked chicken. I’m going with the Dodge Boys twice in WYR. Falcon and Corvair are dated designs, and the MG is too dang small for most ‘Mericans.

Have to say Jay,62 a whole lot Cooler

Not the original headlights, not sealed beams as mandated from 1940 to about 1986.

Sprint v8 manual transmission

WITH A LITTLE WORK AND BIGGER VALVES THAT 225 COULD MAKE 180 HP

falcon--dart

That styling rides a thin line between goofy and ugly. Why do I like it

Just like it was decades ago, unfortunately I as a babyboomer would change engines and transmissions,cut holes in the fenders for headers, in other words make a hot rod!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

63monza

62 = yoogly

‘62 vs. ‘63 - the ‘62 is ugly as hell, while the ‘63 is an attractive little car …

Any but the Chevy (unsafe at any speed, though handsome car) and the MG.

Then you blew it calling the front seats chairs