Dodge Dart 1974 images

When the 1973 oil embargo killed the Dodge Dart’s beloved 340 V8, Dodge answered with a new 360 that traded some character for more torque and drivability. A small handful of buyers dressed that new engine up in surf-themed Hang 10 trim instead. Only 47 of those cars were ever built. Here is the story behind Dodge’s quiet 1974 engine swap.

The Dodge Dart is a little heavier than previously with a new rear impact absorbing bumper to match the front one and, as a result, the larger tail lights are moved above the bumper rather than in it. The oil embargo of ’73 makes smaller engines and less powerful vehicles a sign of the times, but the Dart Sport 340 has been replaced by the Dart 360 as the new power option.

⚑ Featured Gear

Start Car Conversations →

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

MCF thanks Gateway Classic Cars for the images provided here.

Click any image for a larger picture

The 1973 oil embargo did more damage to Detroit’s performance lineup than any insurance company ever managed. Gas lines wrapped around city blocks, buyers suddenly wanted small engines instead of big ones, and one by one the classic muscle car options started disappearing from order sheets. Dodge’s compact Dart wasn’t immune, and for 1974 one of its most enthusiast-friendly engine choices quietly vanished, replaced by something that traded a little bit of soul for a little more everyday usability. A small handful of buyers found a workaround, though, wrapping that replacement engine in a package built for the beach instead of the strip. Only 47 people ever got exactly that combination.

The Engine Swap Nobody Asked For

For 1974, Dodge dropped the 340 small-block that had defined the performance Dart for years and replaced it with a new 360-cubic-inch V8. The 360 borrowed cylinder heads from the outgoing 340, paired them with a four-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust, and made 245 horsepower, more torque than the engine it replaced, though at a higher price. It wasn’t a lesser engine so much as a different one, built for a market that was starting to care as much about drivability as outright power.

A Surfboard-Themed Escape From the Ordinary

Buyers who wanted something more distinctive than a standard Dart Sport 360 could order the Hang 10 package, a surf-culture special edition with red and blue Hang 10 stripes, surf graphics down the flanks, and a fold-down Convertriple rear seat arrangement that turned the back of the car into makeshift cargo space. Dodge built roughly 700 Hang 10 Darts across 1974 and early 1975, but only 47 of those cars left the factory paired with the high-performance 360 engine, making that specific combination one of the rarer factory Darts of the era.

A Model on Borrowed Time

The 360 V8 was narrowed down to the Dart Sport 360 model for 1974 before eventually becoming just an option on other trims, and the Dart Sport 360 name itself was dropped as a standalone model by 1976. It marked the slow fade of the compact performance Dart as Detroit reoriented itself around fuel economy for the rest of the decade.

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Republished by Blog Post Promoter