The late 1960s and early 1970s marked a truly unique era. The growing emphasis on factory performance mirrored the rising influence of the youth market. Young men were captivated by the machines rolling out of Detroit’s Big Three, often dreaming about getting behind the wheel of these high-powered icons. What made the muscle car era especially exciting was its accessibility—these cars were priced within reach of younger buyers and packed enough street performance to double as weekend racers.
Stepping into a dealership, you could order a vehicle that matched your personality, complete with vibrant paint, racing stripes, and performance upgrades. While true muscle cars made only a small fraction of Detroit’s total output, they carried immense value in brand image and bragging rights. More than just machines, they were magnets drawing young enthusiasts into showrooms.
Ontario, Canada, native Ron Dalby shared the same love for Detroit muscle as countless enthusiasts. In his early twenties, Ron fulfilled a lifelong dream by purchasing a brand-new, cream-colored 1970 Dodge Dart Swinger 340 equipped with a 4-speed manual transmission. “This was the car of my dreams,” Ron recalled. “It was seriously fast—most people couldn’t keep up with me.” On the drag strip, the Dart consistently ran mid-13-second quarter miles, earning its reputation as a true street contender.
But as life often writes its own twists, Ron had to part with the car in 1973. His fiancée at the time, soon to be his wife, could not drive a standard, and practicality won out over horsepower. As soon as he handed over the keys, seller’s remorse set in. That sting deepened when Ron learned the new owner had totaled the Dart not long after. The dream ride was gone for good—too damaged to ever reclaim.
Irene had always carried a twinge of guilt over Ron having to part with his beloved Dart simply because she couldn’t drive a manual. Determined to one day make it right, she promised him, “Someday, I’ll find you another one.” That “someday” came in early 2017, when Irene stumbled upon an FJ5 Sublime Green Dodge Dart Swinger 340 listed online—just the kind of car that could make dreams roar back to life.
The listing was on Kijiji, and the car resided all the way in British Columbia on the other side of the country. Irene had planned to surprise Ron with the car for his birthday. But there was a hitch: it was listed in U.S. dollars, and the exchange rate was not kind to Canadians at the time, pushing the price out of reach. Despite the setback, the hunt continued. The couple checked out a few cars in Ontario, hoping to find something closer to home—but nothing came close to the pristine condition of that green Dart out west.
Later in the spring, Irene spotted another Sublime Dart Swinger 340 on eBay. It just so happened to be the same one that was on Kijiji. She watched the listing until it ended. The car did not meet its reserve, so Irene called the seller, and a deal was made. Before any money was exchanged, Ron and Irene flew out to B.C. to check the car out. After hearing horror stories, they wanted to see if the car lived up to the photos. Ron was impressed because the photos of the car were an accurate representation of the vehicle. The deal was made, and the car was purchased on April 30, 2017, and trucked out to Ontario. For Ron, it was the ultimate birthday gift since his birthday fell in April.
The Dart’s journey started on June 5, 1970, as it came off the production line at Chrysler’s Windsor Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada. After leaving the plant, the car traveled across the country to Columbia Dodge in New Westminster, British Columbia. Its story over the following decades is largely unknown, but eventually, Ken Tzakis, a passionate Mopar enthusiast, became its owner and began shaping its future.
Ken took on the Dart as a full-fledged project car. Nearly all the restoration work was done by his own hands, with the exception of the paint job, which he entrusted to a friend who worked in a body shop. He gave the Dart a true rotisserie restoration—completely disassembled, flipped, and rebuilt from the ground up. Remarkably, only one of the quarter panels had to be replaced. Thanks to the relatively mild B.C. climate, the car had avoided the rust that plagued so many of its eastern siblings, retaining most of its original sheet metal.
What truly sets this build apart is the meticulous documentation that came with it: photographs from every stage of the restoration, from its skeletal beginnings on the rotisserie to the glossy final assembly. The car even came with its original door data decal, fender tag, and a binder thick with receipts cataloguing every part and hour poured into bringing the Dart back to life.
This Dart Swinger 340 has undergone an extensive, no-expense-spared restoration from front to back, and every detail reflects that effort. The base/clear coat finish shines with a car-show quality, while the chrome gleams with a flawless polish. Inside, the interior is immaculate, with every stitch and panel highlighting the meticulous care taken during its restoration. Even the undercarriage exceeds factory standards, showcasing craftsmanship that surpasses what came off the production line in Windsor in 1970. No aspect of this Swinger was overlooked in its revival, resulting in a car that not only looks exceptional but also performs as if it just rolled out of the showroom.
Throughout the restoration, Ken felt compelled to infuse his own subtle enhancements into the Sublime Dart. He opted for gleaming chrome mirrors, including a remote-controlled left-side mirror, installed a classic Tuff steering wheel, and incorporated a vibrant pedal dress-up kit. These thoughtful additions provided just the right amount of personality while remaining faithful to the car’s muscle car heritage.
However, there was an unexpected development: Ken had also fully restored another 1970 Dart Swinger 340, this one painted in the unmistakable FC7 Plum Crazy purple. Faced with two almost identical cars in his garage, Ken had to make a tough decision. Ultimately, it was the Sublime Green Swinger that went up for sale, ready to begin the next chapter in its remarkable story.
The green Dart was then sold to Detroit 60, a dealership in Vancouver, B.C., that only specialized in classic cars. The car remained in their inventory until it was sold in 2016 to Bill Horvath. Bill bought the car for his wife so they could go to car shows and cruise nights in his and her vehicles. Bill purchased the car, and, being pleased with himself, headed home to show his wife his gift to her.
Once he got it home, well, let’s just say she was not a fan. She wanted a “Chevy Camaro.” I guess at this point, selling the car was cheaper than a divorce. To keep the peace, the car was put up for sale, and that is when the Dalbys finally purchased the car.
Under the hood, this Dart Swinger 340 roars with a high-compression LA 340-cubic-inch V8, topped with a Carter Thermo-Quad 4-barrel carburetor—good for a potent 275 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and a 10:1 compression ratio. Instead of going with a manual like his original Dart, Ron opted for an automatic this time around, pairing the powerplant with Chrysler’s heavy-duty A-727 Torqueflite transmission. That fed into an 8¾-inch rear end equipped with Sure Grip and 3.55 gears—built for solid traction and quick takeoffs.
Standard power steering and front disc brakes made the car a joy to drive, while the 14-inch Rallye wheels anchored the Dart’s street-ready stance. True to the 340 Swinger package, this one also wears the aggressive V21 Performance hood treatment with functional scoops. Underneath, the Rallye heavy-duty suspension means business: HD torsion bars with sway bar up front, extra-heavy-duty rear leaf springs out back, and firm-ride shocks all around.
Then there’s the appearance. The striking FJ5 Sublime green paint, paired with a matte black hood and the signature bumblebee stripe, ensures this vehicle turns heads everywhere it goes. The chrome exhaust tips and roof drip rail moldings provide an extra touch of shine, while the optional lighting package adds practical features such as a headlight-on alert, ashtray and trunk lights, courtesy lighting, and glove box illumination.
Inside, it’s just as sharp. Upgraded bucket seats, a deluxe center console, and a black interior give it a clean, sporty feel. Hood tie-down pins add period-correct muscle flair. The Rallye dash features a 150-mph speedometer framed in woodgrain, while a Music Master AM radio handles the soundtrack—if you’re not already letting the engine do the singing.
The Dart styling was refreshed for 1970 with front and rear changes designed to bring the car closer to the design themes found in Dodge’s full-size vehicles through grille and contour changes. In the rear, the Dart’s new rectangular taillights were set into a wedge-shaped rear bumper design, continuing the angled trailing edge of the new deck lid and quarter panels. The 1970 Dart had the Swinger emblems on the front top quarter panels and the 340-engine displacement callout numbers on the hood scoops.
Exactly 191,986 Dodge Dart, Dart Custom, Dart Swinger, and Dart Swinger 340 passenger cars were built during the 1970 model year. In rounded-off totals, this included only 3,900 units built in the United States. The additional cars, some 188,100 in all, were manufactured in Canada for the U.S. market. Six-cylinder engines were installed in 69.7 percent of these cars; the rest were V-8s. The total amount produced for the Dart Swinger 340 was 13,785 units in total.
Ron and Irene are having fun with the Dart Swinger 340. They enjoy going to car shows and cruise nights. When Ron talks about his Dart, he has “the cat that ate the canary look,” as memories come flooding back of his youth. I must say that Ron is one lucky guy because Irene lived up to her promise. She found the Dart and even got it on his birthday.
