Dear Tom and Ray:

My wife thinks I'm crazy because I'm an "old Dodge Dart nut." I presently own two of them. One is a 1971 Dart slant six with 156,000 miles. The other is a "mint" 1973 Dart slant six with 45,000 miles, used only in good weather. My first question is why do these cars last forever? My second question has to do with my baby--the 1973 Dart. I have trouble with cold starts. When I get it going it stalls a lot until it really warms up. It also hesitates and sputters coming off red lights and stop signs. It will even stall out when you try to gun it. I've replaced the plugs, wires, rotor, cap, gas filter, oil filter, and air filter. What do you suggest I do next? Gary

Tom: It stalls, hesitates, and sputters? So what's the problem, Gary?

Ray: Spoken like a true Dart afficionado. Gary, I would suggest a new carburetor. The accelerator pump in your old one probably stopped working just after Nixon resigned.

Tom: You might try replacing the choke, first. But when that doesn't fix it, you'll know you need a carburetor.

Ray: And to answer your other question, these cars don't last forever. It just SEEMS like forever...especially to long suffering partners of Dart owners like your wife....and my poor sister-in-law.

It's NEVER cheaper in the long run to buy a new car. Want proof? Order Tom and Ray's pamphlet How to Buy a Used Car: Things That Detroit and Tokyo Don't Want You to Know. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1995 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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