miller

1960 Dodge Dart Phoenix four door Hardtop

Owner: Gerry Schram.

E-mail Gerry at: gjwt@djam.com

My dad was a car salesman from 1945-90 in our small Minnesota town. Naturally I was interested in cars but to a fault. He was kind of hip into D-500s & later Chargers etc. My car started use as a Dodge factory reps car as an oddly equipped automobile. It has 383 R am Induction, Torquelite but in a 4 dr hdtp w/o sure grip differential or power steering. There were few other options on this Dart. I do remember the tires as

a Goodyear replacement having a blue dot. The highway patrol in Minnesota ran tests on this car because they were interested in the ram option. Radar runs were 143 mph. I believe the blue dot tires were for higher speeds than factory equipment. The Minnesota Highway Patrol drove mostly Plymouths & Dodges from 59 on.

It was bought in July or August 1960 by Schram Bros Dodge because the dealer in the town the rep lived in usually had 1st chance. I worked in the clean up & body shop as a 13 year old with a window over the car lot. Dad had driven this car home so I had heard the car roar through the big ram tubes accelerating
under full throttle. I was hooked from then on. Well, every time a prospect was looking at the D-500 I popped into the back seat for a thrilling ride. Finally my cousin Larry bought the D-500 but trade it for a 61
Dodge pickup. Another man purchased it but traded it for a 62 Lancer. Lastly a customer traded his 53 Plymouth for the 60 Dodge only to trade for a 65 Coronet 6. What an early life.

I bought the car in Aug 1965 with 40,000 miles for $540 from my dad. The car was built satin(white) but I painted it vermillion in 66. The car was very nice but for lack of garage space I let it deteriorate when I purchased a new 69 Super Bee. Eventually a wife & 2 boys put this car on the back burner slowly rusting away. Now, what to do with this car. First, after being only a few hundred dollars away on a sale to dispose of the D-500 my son decided he liked that better than my shiny Super Bee. I chose to start restoring the 60 repainting it vermillion (red) again. It still is not finished needing wide whites, headliner, & carpet but drives like million bucks. Oh yes, the interesting Ram Induction still is able to roar loud & clear.

Now why Ram Induction in a 4 dr?   A lady in our town bo ught a D-500 for her husband in a Polara 4 dr hdtp. The reps 61 Dart also was a 4 dr hdtp in white but better equipped. Some of the road test cars in Hot Rod, Motor Trend, & Motor Life were 4 drs. One test used a 4 dr sedan in which they were switching gears
to see maximum performance. Interestingly there was very little difference. I the NHRA s/a was won by a Seneca 4 dr. You think of big engines in 2 drs but this era seemed to differ.

Dodge Dart Pheonix 4 door hardtop                       $2796.00
              Ram Induction                                               312.60
              Torqueflite                                                     210.70
               Heater                                                             74.40
               Wheel covers                                                  18.55
               Mirror - left outside                                         6.45
               800x14 whiteside wall tires                            41.75
               Undercoating & hood fiberglass                    12.85
               Antifreeze                                                        5.75
               Destination charge                                         88.00

$3571.00

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