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Expert
Posts: 1267
Location: San Antonio TX | Another vehicle in Magnolia Texas, and probably from the same seller as the NY'er wagon and 61 Desoto I posted. Definitely worth restoring if you're a fan of the backwards fins, but I'm not too sure $15000 is a reasonable price for this thing. Of course, you don't see too many 61 Polara 2D HTs either, so I could be wrong.
https://houston.craigslist.org/cto/6064042373.html |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 9883
Location: So. Cal | So what are the difference between a '61 Polara and a Dart - other than the obvious taillight and trim differences? Do they share the same wheelbase or are they different? Does the sheetmetal interchange? Glass? etc. |
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Location: Parts Unknown | The Plorarar is a longer wheelbase car, the rear quarter sheetmetal
is completely different, and sadly, Mother Mopar thought it would be
a good idea to deprive the Plorara of the mucho cool rear wheel openings
that the Dart and Plymouth got, giving it boring ordinary openings
instead.
Naturally, trim is different, interior different, and standard drivetrain
equipment different.
So, in review, ... nose clip is different, rear clip is different, trim is
different, interior is different, drivetrains could be optioned up or down
on either line, so not a real comparable there.
The doors are the same !
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 7498
Location: northern germany | Doctor DeSoto - 2017-03-29 11:27 AM
The Plorarar is a longer wheelbase car, the rear quarter sheetmetal
is completely different, and sadly, Mother Mopar thought it would be
a good idea to deprive the Plorara of the mucho cool rear wheel openings
that the Dart and Plymouth got, giving it boring ordinary openings
instead.
Naturally, trim is different, interior different, and standard drivetrain
equipment different.
So, in review, ... nose clip is different, rear clip is different, trim is
different, interior is different, drivetrains could be optioned up or down
on either line, so not a real comparable there.
The doors are the same !
yes, too bad they didn't give the big cars the dart wheel openings and imo the taillights of the darts are much, much nicer looking too.
the front end btw is not different, same frame and sheet metal, also all the glass interchanges. |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 9883
Location: So. Cal | So it sounds like the longer wheelbase is taken up all in the rear seat area? Makes sense, as I believe it was the same in comparing the later Darts vs. Valiants.
Edited by Powerflite 2017-03-29 2:24 PM
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 7210
Location: Victoria, BC, on Vancouver Island, Canada | Doctor DeSoto - 2017-03-29 8:27 AM
So, in review, ... nose clip is different, rear clip is different, trim is
different, interior is different, drivetrains could be optioned up or down
on either line, so not a real comparable there.
The doors are the same !
Nose clips are the same between Dart and Polara in both 1960 and 1961. :-)
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Location: Parts Unknown | You guys are wrong. The Polara and Dart may share nose
sheetmetal, but the Plorara sheetmetal is 4" longer and 2" wider.
Check the parts book !
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Expert
Posts: 1267
Location: San Antonio TX | Whoops. I just realized I butchered 'Polara' in the title. |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 7498
Location: northern germany | Doctor DeSoto - 2017-03-30 2:41 AM
You guys are wrong. The Polara and Dart may share nose
sheetmetal, but the Plorara sheetmetal is 4" longer and 2" wider.
Check the parts book !
who said the contrary? all we said is same front clip, same frame, (note unibody=subframe=front only) inner/outer fenders, bumper, hood, etc. everything ahead of the firewall exchanges, trim is different of course. |
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Member
Posts: 32
| What Doctor Desoto is saying correctly is that the front fenders on a Polara are longer than the front fenders on a Dart since the wheel base is longer on a Polara. Just like the same situation on a 1962 Chrysler Newport or 300 uses a shorter front fender than a New Yorker which has a longer wheel base than the Newport/300. The added length is between the rear of the front wheel opening and the door opening. How could the Polara and Dart use the same glass if the rear seat area really provided more room? And I personally find the rear Dart wheel opening just one of the miserable styling twists on the Dart along with the goofy tail lights on the Dart that apparently were enhanced with a higher added tail light higher up that looked even worse later in production. The Polara, while visually similar in many respects to the Dart up front especially, was night and day in desirability compared to the Dart. The Polara was spectacular and to me, the Dart was patheticly ugly by comparison. But tastes differ.................. I believe that is why the Polara commands such high prices now while the Darts languish at a much lower level. |
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Expert 5K+
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Location: northern germany | saforwardlook - 2017-03-30 3:26 PM
What Doctor Desoto is saying correctly is that the front fenders on a Polara are longer than the front fenders on a Dart since the wheel base is longer on a Polara. Just like the same situation on a 1962 Chrysler Newport or 300 uses a shorter front fender than a New Yorker which has a longer wheel base than the Newport/300.
that is a 122 vs 126 wb difference not 118 vs 122 wb. i know for a fact that 118 and and 122 wb 60/61 subframes are the same (have both of them in front of me) so it would surprise me if the the polara front fenders are any longer.
as for dart ugly and polara beautiful... tastes differ but someone here once said that the (imo over the top, cartoonish) polara taillights look like ingrown toenails and thats a pretty good description yet i would never call a 61 polara ugly.
you just gotta love late 50s jet age design to appreciate the sleek "fast" dart wheel openings and the more aggressive, cleaner looking dart taillights.
Edited by 1960fury 2017-03-30 4:36 PM
(1961_Dodge_Seneca_rear.jpg)
(61 polara.jpg)
Attachments ---------------- 1961_Dodge_Seneca_rear.jpg (236KB - 77 downloads) 61 polara.jpg (129KB - 85 downloads)
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 9883
Location: So. Cal | Wow, I never realized that the rear fins were that much bigger on the Dart than they were on the Polara. But those 2 pictures show a stark contrast between the two. |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 7498
Location: northern germany | i don't think they are bigger just a different angle and the curve is not as big and sharper creating a very cool wing look while the polaras fin curve goes down to the bumper, this is also the biggest design fault of the polaras as the side trim almost touches the tall rear wheel opening, cutting off the rear quarter, also the lower curve is too close to the bumper creating a very busy looking, cluttered rear end.
due to its clean design with its low wheel cutouts and sharper fin curve the shorter dart looks almost longer and sleeker than a polara and, looking from behind, the polara taillights look like pop eyes gaping from behind a corner
Edited by 1960fury 2017-03-30 6:06 PM
(1961 Dodge Dart.jpg)
(polara1.jpg)
Attachments ---------------- 1961 Dodge Dart.jpg (157KB - 79 downloads) polara1.jpg (25KB - 75 downloads)
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 449
Location: Ohio | In response to the post stating that the front fender is different between the Polara (longer) and Dart models
Double checked the 1961 master parts catalog and it lists the SAME part number for front fenders on Both Polara and Dart models
Front fender Part Numbers: 1904026 and 1904027
These same part numbers are also listed in the 1961 collision manual with factory price of $52.50 each !
Edited by Space Trukin Wagon 2017-03-30 9:59 PM
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Location: Parts Unknown | What does it list for the Plorarar ?
For years I held a pretty dim view of the 61 Dodge. The Polara had
the ingrown tail lights and the Darts looked as if the design made it to
production and someone realized they had forgotten to put tail lights
on the back ! The added "upper" Dart tail lights are super "tacked-on"
looking !!! They look like something an owner in 1971 bought at NAPA
and bolted on himself !
But you get around them and they look a lot better in person, and
after a spell, I found myself liking them BECAUSE they are so bizarre !
While I am terminally devoted to 57-57 Forward Look design, I could
see myself owning a "ugly" old 61 Dodge !
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Expert
Posts: 2007
Location: Branson, MO | I've never cared for any of the FL '61s as to me they are inferior in style and design to the prior years except for the Imperial and, of course, the Valiant and Lancer. Too many things that just don't seem right. For instance the DeSoto grille and tail lights vs. the '60 models, the Chrysler tail lights vs. the '60 models which were the best ever, the canted headlights on both the DeSoto and Chrysler never did it for me, the tacked on Plymouth tail lights and that lettuce grate odd shaped grille that Lexus copied, and the reverse fins on the Dodges never tripped my trigger.
Sorry guys - but just my opinion and I'm sure some will disagree. But that's what makes the world go around. And to be fair, I'm not super crazy about the style of my '59 DeSoto in comparison to some of the other FL DeSotos but it's a great car and very enjoyable - if only it was a '60 Fireflite 2HT. Mmmmmm - maybe someday........................
Edited by Viper Guy 2017-03-30 11:34 PM
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Expert
Posts: 1480
Location: Pacific Northwest | I like it much better without all the unnecessary lights.
(1961's.jpg)
Attachments ---------------- 1961's.jpg (211KB - 77 downloads)
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