I felt like we owned a luxury car. The upscale Custom model had lots of chrome on the bumpers, window frames, and door posts, the optional light group (a little light even shines on the ignition to make it easier to insert the key in the dark), automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes, an AM radio, and best of all, even air conditioning! We really appreciated the air with the hot summers in this area. Also, I believe that it was one of the first cars on the market to come with an electronic ignition system. No old-fashioned distributor points and condenser.
So what happened to that car? It is still our family car to this day! With 251,000 miles on it (that's farther than from here to the moon!), I drive it to work daily and we still take it whenever we go on vacations. You know, one can drive for hours in that car and not get any more tired that you would sitting in your own living room chair. And it loves to run; that original 318 goes great.
It gets serviced by the book. I have always changed the oil every three months. For anything beyond that, I take it to a local shop where the owner has worked on it for many years. I have saved all repair receipts of any kind in a binder starting from when I bought the car in 1974. I've added a CB radio, third brake light, digital clock, and an FM radio converter to the Dart.
The automatic transmission has been overhauled and lots of things have been replaced at least once when needed over the years, including the alternator, fuel pump, muffler, shocks, brake master cylinder, heater core, motor mounts, radiator, starter, timing chain, u-joints, water pump, etc. The carburetor has been rebuilt a couple of times and the brakes have been relined several times. However, the engine itself has never needed any work.
The car spends its nights in the garage. The arid California climate is very kind to car bodies so that it is completely free of rust. When it does rain, the car is virtually leak-free. The original paint still shines although there are a few spots where primer shows through (see photo). I wax and polish it twice a year: at Memorial Day and Labor Day. The original vinyl roof and dashboard still look pretty good. The interior upholstery, headliner, and carpeting have all been replaced over the years.
The car has been a part of our family for so long that I can hardly imagine life without it. For instance, we brought a newborn baby home from the hospital in that car in 1976, and 22 years later we drove to her college graduation in the same car. In fact, I am sure that we saved enough money by not making payments on new cars over the years that we were able to pay for both our children's educations.
My wife has been after me to get a new car for a long time. Why? Because ours is "old." I suppose that I'll give in eventually. However, in a world where Murphy's Law prevails, our Dodge Dart goes on day after day, year after year, reliably doing just what it was designed to do and transporting us in comfort, safety, and style.
Editor's Note: In March 2001, Keith sold the Dodge Dart to Linda and Bob.
