You’re standing at a red light in 1968. To your left, a guy in a GTO is revving his engine, looking all kinds of confident. You’re sitting in a 1968 Dodge Dart GT. It’s compact. It’s got those clean, almost understated lines. He thinks you’re driving a grocery getter. Then the light turns green. You drop the hammer, the rear tires scream, and suddenly that "Goat" is staring at your trunk. That’s the magic of the Dart. It wasn't the loudest car in the room, but it was usually the one that actually showed up to play.
People talk about the Charger or the Challenger until they're blue in the face. Honestly, those cars are great, but they’re heavy. They're boats. The 1968 Dodge Dart GT was part of the fourth generation, built on the A-body platform, and it was basically the Goldilocks of Mopar. Not too big, not too small. Just right for stuffing a V8 into a frame that weighed significantly less than the B-body behemoths.
The 1968 Dodge Dart GT: More Than Just a Trim Package
The 1968 model year was a pivot point for Dodge. The Dart got a bit of a facelift, mostly around the park lights and the side markers, which were now round to comply with new federal safety regulations. But the GT was where things got interesting. It sat right in the middle of the hierarchy, flanked by the base models and the fire-breathing GTS.
You've gotta realize that "GT" stood for Grand Touring, and Dodge actually meant it. While the GTS was the pure muscle machine, the GT was designed for someone who wanted the performance but didn't want to sacrifice every single creature comfort. It came with bucket seats. It had that beautiful center console. It felt nice inside. It wasn't just a metal box with a bench seat and a radio delete.
The GT wasn't just about looks, though. Under the hood, you could get a variety of engines, but most people remember the 273 cubic-inch V8 or the move toward the 318. If you were lucky, you found one with the 340, though that was more of a GTS staple. The 273 was a "high-winding" little motor. It didn't have the brute force of a 440, sure. But in a car this light? It felt snappy. It felt alive.
Styling That Didn't Try Too Hard
Look at the rear window of a '68 Dart. It’s concave. Why? Because Chrysler’s designers were trying to be aerodynamic without looking like they were trying to be aerodynamic. It gives the car this unique profile that distinguishes it from the slab-sided competitors of the era like the Chevy Nova.
The 1968 Dodge Dart GT featured specific trim that really set it apart. You had the GT emblems on the rear pillars. The chrome was tasteful, not gaudy. You could get a vinyl top, which most people did because, well, it was the sixties and everyone loved vinyl tops. But the real charm was the "Coke bottle" styling. The fenders had a subtle swell to them. It looked like it was leaning forward even when it was parked in a suburban driveway.
What Most People Get Wrong About the 1968 Models
There’s a huge misconception that the GT was just a "weak" version of the GTS. That’s just wrong. The GT was the volume seller for people who actually lived with their cars. If you look at the production numbers, the GT was a hit because it offered a balance.
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Actually, the 1968 Dodge Dart GT was one of the first times Dodge really leaned into the "Scat Pack" marketing, even if it was the GTS that got the "Bumblebee" stripes most often. The GT shared that DNA. It used the same torsion bar front suspension that made Mopars handle significantly better than the leaf-spring setups found on many Fords of the time. While a Mustang might feel a bit floaty over bumps, a well-tuned Dart GT felt planted. It felt mechanical. You felt the road through the steering wheel, for better or worse.
The Engineering Quirk: Torsion Bars
Let’s talk about those torsion bars for a second. Most manufacturers used coil springs. Chrysler stuck with torsion bars. Basically, instead of a spring compressing up and down, a metal bar twists to provide the springing action. It allowed for a lower center of gravity and much more precise tuning.
If you talk to a guy like Steve Magnante—who is basically the walking encyclopedia of Mopar—he’ll tell you that the A-body's handling was its secret weapon. You could take a corner in a 1968 Dodge Dart GT without feeling like the car was going to roll over and play dead. It was a driver's car disguised as a commuter's car.
The Heart of the Beast: Engine Options and Reality
In 1968, the 273 V8 was being phased toward the 318 as the standard V8 option. The 318 is often called the "Poly" or the "LA" engine. It’s legendary for its reliability. You can’t kill a 318. You could run one with no oil and a handful of sand in the intake and it would probably still get you to work.
But the 1968 Dodge Dart GT wasn't just about the 318. Some came with the 225 Slant Six. Now, don't laugh. The Slant Six is arguably one of the greatest engines ever made. It was tilted at a 30-degree angle to allow for a lower hood line. It produced incredible torque for its size. Does it make the GT a muscle car? Maybe not. But it makes it a "long-hauler."
- 225 Slant Six: The "Leaning Tower of Power." 145 hp.
- 273 V8: Small, light, and surprisingly quick. 190 hp.
- 318 V8: The workhorse. 230 hp.
If you find a GT today with a 340 swapped in, you’ve found the sweet spot. The 340 was a giant killer. It had high-flow heads and a forged crank. In a '68 Dart, a 340 could embarrass big-block cars because it didn't have all that weight hanging over the front wheels. It balanced the car perfectly.
The Infamous 1968 Hemi Dart Connection
We can’t talk about the 1968 Dodge Dart GT without mentioning its crazy cousin: the LO23 Hemi Dart. Now, these weren't GTs. They were factory-built drag racers sent to Hurst Performance for a "diet." They chopped the fenders, put in fiberglass parts, and dropped a 426 Hemi into a hole that was never meant to hold it.
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Why does this matter for the GT? Because it gave the Dart "street cred." Every teenager in 1968 who bought a Dart GT with a Slant Six felt like they were part of that Hemi heritage. It’s the "halo effect." The GT benefited from the fact that the Dart was suddenly the fastest thing on the drag strip. It turned a "boring" compact into something cool.
Living With a '68 Dart GT Today
Buying one of these now is a different ballgame. Back in the nineties, you could pick up a clean 1968 Dodge Dart GT for five grand. Those days are gone. Collectibility has skyrocketed because people realized that Chargers are too expensive and Darts are more fun to drive on twisty roads anyway.
The first thing you’ll notice when you get inside one is the visibility. The pillars are thin. There’s glass everywhere. It’s not like a modern Camaro where you feel like you’re looking out of a pillbox. You can actually see the corners of the car. It makes it incredibly easy to drive in traffic, even without power steering (which many of these didn't have).
What to Look For (The Gritty Details)
If you're hunting for one, check the rear wheel wells. They love to rust. Look at the floor pans, especially on the driver's side where the carpet might have held moisture for forty years.
Another thing: the wiring. Mopar wiring from the late sixties was... let's say "adventurous." The bulkhead connector on the firewall is a notorious failure point. If your lights are flickering or the car won't start, start there. It’s a simple fix, but it’s one of those things that separates the experts from the amateurs.
Also, look at the VIN. The fourth character tells you the engine. An "L" is a 318. A "D" or "E" is a Slant Six. A "P" is a 340 (usually for the GTS). If someone is selling you a "Numbers Matching" GT with a 440, they're lying. The 440 didn't come in the GT from the factory. Someone put it there with a big hammer and some custom motor mounts.
The Cultural Impact: Why We Still Care
The 1968 Dodge Dart GT represents a time when American car companies weren't afraid to be weird. They made a compact car, gave it luxury bucket seats, offered it with a variety of V8s, and priced it so a working-class kid could afford the payments.
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It wasn't pretentious. It didn't have the "look at me" baggage of a Corvette. It was a sleeper. Even today, at a local cars and coffee, the Dart GT gets respect from the old-timers who remember getting beat by one in 1970 and from the younger crowd who appreciates the clean, sharp-edged aesthetic.
Actionable Steps for the Prospective Owner
If you’re serious about getting into a 1968 Dodge Dart GT, don't just jump at the first one you see on Facebook Marketplace. These cars are simple, but parts for GT-specific trim (like those rear pillar emblems or the specific grill) can be surprisingly hard to find and expensive.
1. Join the Forums: Sites like ForAbodiesOnly are goldmines. The guys there have been taking these cars apart since the seventies. They know every bolt.
2. Decide on Your Goal: Do you want a cruiser or a bruiser? A Slant Six GT is a fantastic, reliable cruiser that gets decent gas mileage. If you want a muscle car experience, look for one that’s already had a 340 or 360 swap. Doing the engine swap yourself is fun, but it’s always cheaper to buy someone else's completed project.
3. Inspect the K-Frame: The K-frame is the subframe that holds the engine and suspension. In '68, they were sturdy, but they can crack near the steering box mount if the car has been driven hard. It's a safety issue, so get under there with a flashlight.
4. Check the Glass: The rear concave glass is iconic, but if it’s cracked, you’re going to spend a fortune replacing it. It’s not like a flat piece of glass you can just have cut at a local shop.
5. Upgrade the Brakes: Most '68 Darts came with four-wheel drum brakes. Honestly? They suck. If you’re going to drive it in modern traffic, the very first thing you should do is a front disc brake conversion. It’s a bolt-on affair using parts from later model Darts (1973-1976), and it will literally save your life when a modern SUV cuts you off.
The 1968 Dodge Dart GT isn't just a car; it's a mechanical artifact of an era where "compact" didn't mean "cheap." It was a sophisticated, well-balanced machine that offered a different kind of American performance. It’s the car for the person who knows that sometimes, the most interesting thing in the room is the one that isn't shouting for attention.