9 replies to this topic

[Bob Riebe]

I was 8 years old when these came out and my Father hit every auto dealer when new cars came out, BUT, sadly, if I saw one of these on the road I would have no idea what it was.

Gettin old.

 

https://www.curbside...how-overlooked/

 

Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish the full-size Dodge from the Dart.  Matador and Polara are 4″ longer in wheelbase and overall length than the Darts.  The “senior” Dodges have a distinctive die-cast grille with chromium “gull wings”, bigger fins which end well ahead of the taillights, and other detail differences.

 

 

1960 Polara 2 dr.

 

[Greg Locock]

That Polara is nice. Completely bonkers, but nice.

[gruntguru]

Agree. Not a fan of finned tanks but that is stylish.

I wonder what those fins added to the production cost?

How was it even done? I fancy I can see a seam along the top of the "tube" leading to the tail light - so two pressings for the fin?.

[Magoo]

In 1960, Dodge also introduced the Dart, which featured this same styling as above but on a somewhat smaller Plymouth chassis and running gear.

 

As a Dodge selling at a Plymouth price, it was a great success for the Dodge division, but a disaster for Plymouth as it cannibalized the division's sales, and did not much at all for total Chrysler Corp. volume and revenue. Furniture moving, essentially. 

 

In this period the Chrysler brands---Chrysler, DeSoto, Dodge, Plymouth---were constantly cannibalizing each other in this manner. The company simply had too many brands and not enough product differentiation, and as the divisions shifted their models and price points up and down they ran over each other. The DeSoto Firesweep, a facelifted and rebadged Dodge, was another perfect example. DeSoto sales jumped up, Dodge sales plummeted down. 

 

In 1963, the Dart name was shifted to the division's compact platform, so now the Dodge Dart and Plymouth Valiant could bump heads. 

 

 

[Magoo]

Agree. Not a fan of finned tanks but that is stylish.

I wonder what those fins added to the production cost?

How was it even done? I fancy I can see a seam along the top of the "tube" leading to the tail light - so two pressings for the fin?.

 

Yes, inner and outer quarter-panel pressings, with the seam hidden by bright metal trim where they could. 

 

GM did the same, often with an upper and lower panel as with the 1959 Chevrolet. 

 

There were some crazy pressings in this period. Check out 1959 Cadillac bumpers sometime. 

[Greg Locock]

As late as 1979 we were still lead filling some seams on the body.

[Lee Nicolle]

Agree. Not a fan of finned tanks but that is stylish.

I wonder what those fins added to the production cost?

How was it even done? I fancy I can see a seam along the top of the "tube" leading to the tail light - so two pressings for the fin?.

Hence the moulding generally on top of the fins to hide the seam.

I am not a fan either but being around them now for mny years have became accustomed

[Magoo]

As late as 1979 we were still lead filling some seams on the body.

 

Oh, for sure. In the Motor City, considerable $$$ could be saved by hiding the roof seams with a vinyl top and then charging customers extra for it. 

[Greg Locock]

When did the OEMs stop lead filling? I was at LR and Lotus in the 80s so we weren't doing it! Seems like it was being phased out in that timeframe, initially replaced by a non lead solder .

Edited by Greg Locock, 10 April 2024 - 01:20.

[Magoo]

When did the OEMs stop lead filling? I was at LR and Lotus in the 80s so we weren't doing it! Seems like it was being phased out in that timeframe, initially replaced by a non lead solder .

 

Good question. Maybe by 1990? Plastic, silicon bronze, and lead-free solder displaced lead filler at some point, and full door-ring construction eliminated the need for much of it. 

Edited by Magoo, 11 April 2024 - 13:01.