Daily Driver: 1965 Dodge Dart GT Convertible – SOLD!

October 26, 2022 Update – We noticed the seller updated the title of their Craigslist Ad with “Sale Pending,” so we’re now able to call this one “SOLD!” While this one got away, please reach out either by email or call us directly if you’d like to be informed when we come across something similar.

Among classic 1960s-era Dodge convertibles, the Turbine Car-inspired third-generation Dodge Dart remains one of the few affordable Mopar convertibles from the period, especially if you can find a V8-powered GT model such as this restored Gold over Parchment 1965 example originally listed in October 2022 on Craigslist in Redlands, California (Inland Empire). The seller reports they have over thirty thousand invested with a fresh 318 cubic inch V8 and a modern two-stage paint job in the car’s original gold hue.  With everything new or rebuilt save for the original interior, the seller states their 1965 Dodge Dart GT convertible for sale can be a daily driver capable of causing 80 miles per hour all day long.

Once offered for $23,900, Classic.com, the analytics and search engine for the collector car market, confirms the ask is well above the one-year rolling average of this guide’s summary for third-generation Dodge Darts of all body styles produced between 1963 and 1966.  By clicking on the green dots in the graph below, you can navigate to each comparable car sold as a way to help you evaluate the price of the Dart GT convertible featured here:

As a second data point, the  Collector Car Market Review Online Tool reveals the seller’s ask falls between this guide’s #2 Very Good” estimate of $16,400 and its #1 “Excellent” appraisal of $25,100.

Redesigned for 1963, Dodge decided at the last minute to drop the Lancer name in favor of Dart for the division’s newly designed “senior compact”, a marketing term referring to the nearly five-inch lengthened wheelbase of 111 inches.  This longer wheelbase used the same A-body suspension of the Valiant and defunct Lancer and would underpin all nearly Darts from 1963 to 1976 except station wagon and Demon variants. The longer wheelbase provided more rear-seat legroom, and Dodge offered three trim levels: the low-spec 170, the high-spec 270, and the premium GT featured here, which was available only as a 2-door hardtop or convertible. The Dart was an instant market success, with 1963 sales up sharply compared to those of the 1962 Lancer.

In 1965, the 2-barrel 273 remained available, and other new options for 1965 included upgraded suspension components and larger 14-inch wheels and tires. Factory-installed air conditioning became available after the start of the 1965 model year, as well as disc brakes, which required the new larger wheels to clear the calipers. Front seat belts became standard.

The My Mopar YouTube Channel features this 1965 Dealer Filmstrip highlighting all of the changes available on the 1965 Dodge Dart GT:

This 1965 Dodge Dart GT convertible for sale looks like a nicely restored example with plenty of upgrades that allows continuing use as a daily driver for years to come. The only oddity we noted in the pictures that the seller did not mention in their description is what appears to be a disconnected speedometer/odometer cable.

Here’s the seller’s description:

Show or go: What would you do with this restored 1965 Dodge Dart GT convertible for sale?  Please comment below and let us know!