Something about that ridge down the front fenders, the grille, and the bench front seat. Oh, and that straight-6 motor. I also love the way it sits... a little tall... a little proud... And I'm not saying anything about your lovely little Porsche that you didn't already know...! :-)
Slant 6 love is the QAnon of car fandom. It's a joke that grew out-of-hand and became a cult. And I mean... I made fun of friends with Ford Mavericks. You could get those with V8s. I made fun of friends with AMC Javelins which, in retrospect, wasn't a wretched car. I had a friend with a Pacer - he wasn't entirely rational and it was best to let it be. And I was saddled with a Falcon Futura, one of the least-appealing deathtraps to emerge from Detroit. But do please go on. I would love to see an image of your platonic ideal of Dodge Dart. Remember, this is for posterity.
That straight-6 in the Dart is just a good engine to work on. Simple, straightforward, ubiquitous parts, aftermarket upgrades galore, reliable, and can be worked on with basic hand tools. A good friend of mine in high school had the Dodge Dart Swinger, and we were always monkeying with it... and no matter what we screwed up, the engine forgave us, told us what we did wrong, and let us fix it before blowing up anything expensive. I just have an affection for that motor....
This is true of literally every American V8 made between 1948 and 1990 with the notable exception of the Cadillac 8-6-4. Clearly. So long as we both agree that it doesn't make it objectively good.That straight-6 in the Dart is just a good engine to work on. Simple, straightforward, ubiquitous parts, aftermarket upgrades galore, reliable, and can be worked on with basic hand tools.
I just have an affection for that motor....
The 305 in my El Camino ran like a top. The alternator, distributor, radiator, and a bunch of other do-hickies on the other hand . . . Project cars are money pits. I know this. That said The Tercel sold for less than three grand. If there wasn't an impending economic apocalypse, that's a pretty decent starting point leaving enough financial room to make a mistake or two.