Vehicle Description
West Coast Classics are proud to present an exceptionally straight
and great daily driving survivor which has been recently
comprehensively unibody up restored example of this very rare and
original Mopar - a mostly all original and stock southern
California with coveted 'Black License' plates 1961 Dodge Dart
Phoenix 2 Door Hardtop with the car's 318 2BBL V8 engine matched to
it's original and optional 'Torqueflite' push button automatic
transmission and with factory power steering, power brakes amp; air
conditioning!1961 was the second year for the Dart and The Phoenix
trim level was the highest option, the top-of-the-line! Restoration
on this beauty was recently completed and it looks fantastic. The
PPG Base Clear Red paint shines at any angle with much depth and
gloss. The car is very straight, and shows exceptionally well. We
would call it a higher end driver quality vehicle. The
undercarriage is very clean, straight and a testament to the car's
obviously always garaged status with original southern California
dry state storage since new. It has a super clean appearance for
when you pop the hood at local cruise nights! All Chrome, Bumpers,
Trim, Door Handles, Stainless, etc has been redone and looks like
new.It rides, drives, and handles like a much newer vehicle;
straight down the road with no shimmies, shakes, or vibrations.
Extremely tight and surprisingly easy to drive for what it is. A
person of any size or age could drive this vehicle comfortably and
don't let the 318 V8 fool you, she will throw you back in the seat,
yet cruise at 65 MPH economically with ease. All of the lights,
turn signals, brakes, gauges, etc are functioning properly. Engine
fires right up with no smoking, ticking, noises, etc and the car
has a fantastic sound with the Dual Exhaust. The car is turnkey and
ready to drive anywhere. Doors fit nice and have that distinct
sound when they close. The Interior has been upgraded top to bottom
with new seat foam and covers, Headliner, Carpet, and all show very
well. Fresh Service including all fluids, new Battery.The last year
for Virgil Exner's "Forward Look' at Chrysler, the design mimicked
'Rocket Ship amp; Jet Planes of the fabulous fifties and she looks
like a futuristic concept car or certainly something George Barris
would have built!Below is a detailed breakdown:Standard equipment
on the Phoenix included:Deluxe interior with Cloth amp; Vinyl bench
seats with foam front cushionElectric windshield wipersExterior
bright trim around side windows amp; body sides amp; back
windowFull carpetingPhoenix included additional exterior brightwork
amp; deluxe interior trimTowerback front seat designUltra rare
mid-year dealer extra tail light318 2BBL V8 230HP'Torqueflite'
automatic transmission ($211)Airtemp Air Conditioning ($445)Heater
amp; Defroster ($74)Power Steering ($77)Power Brakes ($43)Music
Master AM Radio ($58)Tinted Glass($30)In 1960, Chrysler Corporation
granted Dodge and Plymouth a divorce. No longer would the two makes
have to share showroom space, although poor Plymouth would still
have to share space at DeSoto and Chrysler dealers. But Dodge would
have display space all of its own. Since Plymouth had appealed to a
less affluent buyer than Dodge, the cheapest of which sold for $350
more than a Plymouth, the departure of Plymouth also represented
the loss of some floor traffic. The answer was the Dart, a
Plymouth-sized and priced Dodge, just $18 more than a Plymouth
Savoy.But not just one Plymouth-sized Dodge; there were three
models, the Dodge Dart Seneca, the Dodge Dart Pioneer, and the
top-of-the-line Dodge Dart Phoenix, all on the 118-inch Plymouth
wheelbase. (Dart station wagons shared the big Dodges 122-inch
chassis.) Darts came as sixes and V-8s and sold from $2,278 to
$2,988, the latter for the top-of-the-line Phoenix convertible.
They could also be ordered with 361 or 383 cubic inches, or even
the 330 brake horsepower cross ram induction 383. Understandably,
few were. The Dart, like the full-size Dodge, shared all of
Chrysler Corporations advances for 1960, with the unit-body
construction chief among them. There were two choices of automatic
transmissions, the Powerflite with two speeds or the Torqueflite
with three, and power steering, power brakes, power seats, and air
conditioning were also available options.The Dart returned for 1961
with the same array of models, but the bodies were re-styled with
sculptured fins. The grilles were now concave, with the quad
headlights inset at the outer edges. The 12-volt alternator,
pioneered on the 1960 compact Valiant, was extended to all Chrysler
products. The Dart convertible, only ever available in the Phoenix
series, was now sold with V-8 only.This particular 'Phoenix' 2 door
Hardtop has been owned since new by obviously only very careful and
mature owners and obviously has always been garaged from the
elements and is seemingly rust and accident free, hence a true
survivor car! The car boasts its original 318/230HP V8 engine and
its original and the optional legendary Heavy Duty (A727-B)
'Torqueflite' push button transmission. The car also boasts its
original AM Music Master radio and heater and defroster, power
brakes, power steering amp; AC.This great driving 1961 Dodge Dart
'Phoenix' 2 Door Hardtop is a rare survivor from this era and would
make a wonderful daily driver for any Dodge or MOPAR enthusiast.
The 318 V8 engine runs strong and sounds absolutely magnificent and
this particular car drives really well - must be driven to be
appreciated - does not miss a beat and purrs like a kitten - a
truly remarkable daily driver that will give any modern day car a
run for it's money!With very few remaining '61 Dodge Phoenix's
remaining anyway, this is an extremely unusual opportunity to own a
great daily driving example of this rare and very desirable sixties
MOPAR with power steering, power brakes amp; factory air
conditioning in very fine daily driving condition ready and for any
classic American car or Mopar enthusiast to enjoy or collect today!
