I had a 68 dart GTS 340, 4 SPD and with a little work, I was clocking the quarter in 12.26 !! Better than most b body big block cars!! Miss that car !!!!
Absolutely Badass... Mopar A Bodies Forever 🇺🇸.. I daily a 68 Dart Grandma special Slant6 to 318 .. 10 years on the road since swap... Everyday and everywhere... Nothing is more fun than passing people on the freeway doing 90mph plus.. just cruising by . Cheers from Orange County California 🇺🇸
That 340 was perfect for these cars. Not too much, not too little. Great everyday stock reliability and drive-ability. Decent gas mileage if you drove 'em easy, too.
I love the 1972 Dodge dart swinger that we recently just purchased as a summer cruiser last year. Originally it had a 318 under the hood, but the previous owner put a 1971 340 in the car and the engine was just recently overhauled so it is good to go and we love it!
Congratulations.. glad it's with folks who will always enjoy the Car.. Mopar A Bodies Forever.. I daily driver 68 Dart grandma special.. 318 as of 9 years ago.. cruising at freeway speed No worries up to 100mph plus.. cheers from Huntington Beach CA
My stock 340in 68 , I had dynoed by a race shop and had 330 HP, unfortunately Mopar was forced to down rate it and most engines of that product generation due to the pressure to comply with insurance mandates, unlike today where the sky is the limit and the choice is up to the car enthusiast!!
He credited the 4-speed manual for quicker times, but the real reason was the cam. Both were rated at 275 HP, but even Mopar magazine ads at the time admitted the 4-speed came with a cam "too hot for an automatic to handle." I had a '75 Dart with a 318/automatic, and that was a ball to drive. Never got to experience a 340.
To be fair, power losses in traditional hydraulic turbine automatic are going to make it slower, even if we don't get the number of gears in to question. However, a lot depends on a driver. If somebody can change gears like Kowalski in 1971 Vanishing Point, manual will be faster, but for most people automatic may be faster just because it's built to know what it's doing.
Cam profile for Auto vs Manual, differ due to, mechanical Vacuum requirements, from 4 barrel Carb if equipped, Carb Vacuum secondary, Distributor Vacuum Advance or Curve etc.. I know later, Same Requirements differed between the two options, because of Boosted (power brake) Mopar using the least of the (big 3).. GM for example, Wiper motor, Brakes, Headlight Covers etc... As far as Acceleration!, Auto vs Manual... At this era... Super Stock Racing... Check out.. Dick Landy Shifting.... All 4 gear's... Also.. Mopar TF (torque flight) Transmissions shift faster then most at the time, ... The Gear Selector, is easy to manage with positive feedback while manually shifting from 1st, 2nd into 3rd .. Even the Hemi powered Vehicles had them... Cheers from Southern California.. Daily Driver 68 Dodge Dart... Mopar A Bodies Forever 🇺🇸
Let's face it. The last good year for Chrysler was 1973 (1970 really). You could say the same about Ford and GM. Today's cars are faster but nowhere near as fun.
@@scdevonTopic recently came up,, as you are aware.. 1973.. Smog requirement was mandated for all domestic Auto manufactures , to Vehicles planned on being sold in... California 1st I believe, I know NY did also.... Dreaded Smog Pump equipped Car's etc ... Later Truck's... Work friend.. His (since highschool) 66 Impala... Had a Smog Pump!!?.. I was surprised also dude, since it wasn't a forced thing yet.... Why?... I'm not sure... As I read, a few articles regarding Mopar.... Joking version goes as fallows.... 1972 Models roll off the assembly line,, EPA; remember.. next year, all Car's built in CA, will now require Smog Pumps!!... Mopar;.. ahh yeah 👍.. 73 models..... Zero Smog Pumps... EPA; ahh we told you guys specifically!!.. 1973 this year... It's required!... Mopar; ... This?! Year?!... You sure?... Okay stop shouting, will do it next year for sure, even if we Dropped the HP down . 318ci/230hp... Went to 190hp... EPA, yes even if you lowered the HP!... 1974.... Same story.... No Smog Pumps, No Smog Holes in the Exhaust side of Cylinder Head... Just still claiming the drop in HP.. Not until 1975 .. Smog Pumps were latched onto Mopar Engines here in CA.... In my 68 Dart.... My 318 is from 1974 casting, and a Cop motor.. No Smog nothing... Except...PCV / Crankcase breather... Runs better than it's supposed to...
@@AtZero138 - Exactly right. I miss how defiant car companies used to be. Even so, cam specs and compression ratios took a nose dive in 1972. Compression ratios, cam specs and carburetion fell off of a cliff in 1973. By '75, things were pretty lame even taking the "net" HP ratings into account starting in 1972.
Last May I bought a new base model 4 cylinder turbo Camaro with a 6 speed stick for well under 30K. Performance wise it is probably quicker than the 4 speed Swinger, gets twice the mileage and has creature comforts that weren't available on a '69 Dart. If I remember, the cheapest V8 Camaro was in the mid to upper 30's. I guess for today's times and prices, my Camaro is probably the closest thing to a cheap American performance car.
@@turbo8454A lot to be said for today's technology giving us V6 & turbo 4's with horsepower surpassing many V8s of the past while delivering 30+ mpg on the interstates. However to step up to an available V8 on a new car the difference can be $10k or more, not just a few hundred like in the 60's & 70's.
No Frills!!! Hahaha. Haven’t heard that expression used in over 30 years. We use to say it all the time as kids !!! I HATE the way people talk in 2022. If I hear the word “Awesome” or the expression “That’s a Game Changer” 1 more time ! - I’m gonna chainsaw them into 66 pieces and then run them thru a commercial grade garbage disposal. Get the point people? You sound DUMB in 2022! Let’s get back to Groovy Times! The cars of today suck also!!!!! This 1969 Dart 🎯 in mint condition today in 2022 is worth $50,000 dollars. That’s more than a new Challenger costs. See the difference people... The 1960’s was just the best decade in the history of the human race. 2022 is terribly embarrassing !!!! 💯
My 69 Dart was a 340 GTS auto with 3.91 rear. Never drove it like this, but it did have plenty of snort. Fact is my 70 440 Sixpack 3.91 rear auto SuperBee would beat it in the 1/4 by many buses. So, the legend that these 340's gave the big inch intermediates a run for the money just ain't true. Well, maybe a 396, 383, 400, 389 or 390. But not the 500 footpound payment shredders. It was a very good boulevard and country road car. Not a good highway road monster like my 64 413 NewYorker though. Highly recommend the 413 64 C bodies. Sitting in my driveway is a clean little 75 318 Dart 4dr Custom, auto, ps, pb, air. Plenty good 0 to 60, about 9 seconds, I think. I do miss the 6 second to sixty 340. But it wouldn't keep up with the 64 413 C body. If you are intrigued with the old A bodies, spend $5k for a clean mid 70s 4dr 318 with a/c. You won't be disappointed.
Performance results back then were done with zero traction,even fullsize New Yorkers spun from a 20 mph roll and boiled them off the line at 1/4 throttle... Those cars were a lot quicker than the times they posted...Today they use drag strips that are prepped and even a new minivans tire is wider and has more traction than a slick from that era! The 6-7 second 0-60 is closer to the smog 1973 340 as those were not even the same performance level as the pre 1971 340's..the pre 71 340's are easy 13 second 1/4 mile cars and low 5 second or better 0-60 stock,but better tires needed! Headers and slicks of that era aka traction of a new minivan tire you could run in the mid 12's in the 1/4..
Plymouth Valiant... Same Mopar A Body platform etc.. although shorter wheelbase on the Valiant.. on the two door model.. not sure about the Sedan.. as seen in the Movie.. Great Movie also....
that 4-speed 340 swinger put the charger 500 hemi to shame on the street, all the old timers confirmed how 340 swingers would waste 440 r/ts & gtxs light to light all day
I love it when it's intimated the there are substantial improvements in any 1960 to 1970 generation car. Well, I suppose being able to round a corner without crossing state lines is a (side) step in the right direction. I love the 69 Impala Lounger though. Ralph Nader should have taken a crack at that POS.
Also, what most don't know is that with the tourqe flight you have to start in drive and keep foot to the floor! It shifts at 5 grand if you drag race! He went wrong by letting off the fast pedal before tourqe curve was extended 😊! Amateur!
