I could not stand the disco checker door panels. I bought some vinyl from the local fabric store, along with padding, and adhesive. From the hardware store I got the black plastic paint. Vehicle already has black carpet, and black seat. Option tag is for some tan color of interior, but for the time it is going black. Maybe down the road, if I find a perfect set of tan panels, I will convert it back....
Now, on to the show...


Before, passenger side:


In process:


Even the glue is DODGE:


Done, comparison shot:


As installed:


The stock fiber board was questionable around the clip points. I am going to replace the stainless screws with black, to help them blend, but for the time being, it is 150% better then before. The plastic paint worked perfect on the top plastic, and handle bucket. The arm rest is a different story. The paint will not dry on the armrest, even coming of on jeans when I was driving. I may let it cook out in the sun, or try something else. Anyone have a good set of black arm rests they want to get rid of?

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1976 Dart Lite /6 3 Speed

1976 Dodge Dart Lite
Factory Equip:
A-833OD Trans
Front disc / rear drum (NON-Pwer discs)
2 1/4" exhaust from exhaust manifold to muffler
Original hood
Original Trunk lid
Original Paint

Add ons:
New Leaf springs (6 leaf)
Cop car wheels (Not in pic obviously)
Falken ZIEX tires

New Items not installed:
front end kit from Firm Feel
Tubular upper control arms
new bushings

Needs: Steering unit (non-power) looking to go with 20:1 or there about
engine rebuild - runs smooth, but compression down, uses some oil, 285k miles

I am really starting to wonder where these trailer hitches are coming from... mine looks EXACTLY like yours.

Maybe same owner? Who knows?

Awesome car BTW!

~THOR~

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1984 D100 Shorty Custom
Certified Auto Appraiser - RevItUp Classic Appraisals
President - Cherry City Bombers CC
Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

Awesome Dart Lite! (Both of them!) Good idea on the door panels. I'm going to do that with my '64 soon.

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Chuck and the Flying Valiant

What trailer hitch????????

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

This one. The HITCH FROM HELL!!! as it was described.

~THOR~

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1984 D100 Shorty Custom
Certified Auto Appraiser - RevItUp Classic Appraisals
President - Cherry City Bombers CC
Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

Why are the feather dusters and dart lites so rare? Expensive option? Were people really not that concerned with gas milage then?

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'74 Duster 225 Super Six w/904
14" Cragar SS wheels

No it wasn't that expensive of an option. The problems were in acouple of areas. Firstly Mopar was trying to get rid of the A body for the F body... so 1976 they only made about 33000 Dusters (in 1974 they made 100,000 or so of them and had a decent sales year)... the OPEC Oil Crisis was already over, and they were a bit late getting to the punch with the Feather Duster project. A few 'miser' families (like mine), bought them up since they got good mileage and were big enough for the family to sit in... the rest of the Americans who we're better to do just 'scoffed' abut any crisis and kept driving Cordobas and New Yorkers....

Estimation just by the 'numbers' from the factory only places things at about 3000 or so Feather Dusters, and about 1500 or so Dart Lites produced. In those days they aren't as rare as the waning numbers for the Duster 360... but those with small block dusters would cobble the aluminum parts out of the Feather Duster to drop the weight for racing purposes... so not many survive as a 'whole car' anymore...


-D.idiot

I just came accross a 1976 Dodge dart lite. got it from my uncle who sold it to me for $200 before he went in to jail. It's all junked to hell on the inside and hasn't been running for over a year and a half, with a little work i managed to get it running again. now my only problem is finding a new bench seat like i believe it came with, or a few bucket seats and a new back seat. Having a lot of trouble coming accrossed any of these. i also need a new dash board. if anyone knows anywhere online i can come accrossed any of these can you let me know

If you are not trying to stay stock Mopar, You could put in seats from almost anything that will fit the space. I put "94 Camaro seats into the 74 Scamp, had the rear seat professionally re-covered to a near-match for $300. We put 93 Cougar electric seats into a 75 Swinger, they are great comfort, but heavy and about 1 inch too tall. I'm putting 89 Lebaron seats into '76 Louise- a 4-door Dart 1976, and it looks like they will fit very well. Watch your seat height- it comes out good or bad in headroom, because the roofs on our 1974 -1976 Darts/Swinger/Scamp are about 1.6" lower on the 2-door models than the 4-doors. In this Seattle area I pay about $150 for a set of good bucket seats needing only lots of cleaning. The cheap re-upholster on the Scamp back seat was $300. ............. for whatever it's worth. Pat

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"Louise", a 1976 Dart Custom project, (now sadly reverted to being just an "organ donor" to our other project Darts.)