+Michael Chevreaux Torque Flyte tranny was very good, as torsion bar suspension for handling, HD brakes, and racing proven 340 V8 -you could get a 3 - 2 bbl carbs for even more performance.
I had a 73. Though a little heavier than the 70-71 due to safety and insolation add ons, it was a GREAT car. A 225 6 automatic car, it did have power steering, power front disc brakes, single speaker AM radio and factory a/c. COLD a/c! Freeze your knees a/c. The rust monster finally took it out by '02, but the 6 still ran strong. I went through 1 904 trans during its 300,000 mile lifetime, and never touched the rear end. I don't care what they say, they don't build um like they used to!
Adam Trombino Amen Brother I have a 96 Ford F150 with 5.0L Windsor V8 with 203,520 miles on it and it's still going strong. The only thing I replaced on my truck was the starter but other than that mostly was just simple maintenance and cleaned out the transmission fluid just to get rid of the shuttering it was making and it hasn't had a problem ever since. They can call me a Redneck or a HillBilly but my truck will outlast anything you see on the road today and plus my truck looks better than anything you see on the road today as well.
Brings back many memories of my '71 Duster that I received on my birthday in '71. Was dark gray with black strips front and back, 318, black bucket seats with auto in the console, AM/FM radio, "Tuff" steering wheel, and sport tires with wire hub caps (didn't like the sport wheels at the the time but were stolen twice in Louisville, Kentucky) and other goodies except air (added later), for a total price of almost $4,500. Had 2 reasons for compromise, was $1,000 less than a Buick GS and more room than my soon to be wife's '70 Camaro and best friend's '69 Camaro. Good times and now is one of those vehicles you let go and want back. Still have pictures as a reminder.
I had a 71 with the 225 and three on the floor, and 75 with the 360 with a 780 thermoquad and it ran great!. Wish I had them both back. Loved them and the times I had in them.
I had a 1971 340, 4 speed as a 16 year old. My mom made sure I was able to pay for my insurance under her policy before I could drive it. I worked a lot of hours at Pup n Taco after school to be able to afford it but it sure worth it. I loved that car!
Love my little 71’ scamp. Transformed it into a performance car over the past year. 8 3/4 rear end with a 3.23 sure grip and stroked out the 318 to 390. A real sleeper!
The Duster sold so well that Dodge got in on it with their Demon and Dart Sport. Dart Sports are fastback too and look identical to a Duster, but the front end resembles a regular Dart. They made these up through 1976.
I grew up burning my legs on the black vinyl interior of my mom's '74 Gold Duster, plus crawling into the trunk (not hatchback) through the fold down rear seat when we went on long road trips.
This makes me want to start on my '71 Duster so bad!! Its just a slant 6 car but it's straight as an arrow and very minimal rust. Have a 400 from a 72 satellite I'm gonna swap in.
The 71/72 Duster 340 sharks tooth grill is worth over 1000 dollars used. NOS is outrageous. I had two 72s. One with a 340 the other was transplanted with a built solid lifter 440. The 340 was fast, the 440 was scary fast.
im lucky to own a 71 duster 340 factory h code with four speed . it was originally f8 green but has been purple since 1984 . its got a black vinyl roof, blacked out hood with the 340 wedge hood callout decal . manual front discs and manual steering . rallye dash , bucket seats . my 340 has been modified with edelbrock aluminum heads, comp cams thumper roller cam , lunati roller lifters and roller rockers , edelbrock air gap intake with a billet holley 750 and hooker super comp headers . mines got fiberglass bumpers and hood . car weighs 3000 lbs so it moves out pretty good .
beautiful classic.. but in the late 70s they were tossed away like we do with 10 yrold crap today but the world of classic cars besides the 300 and all trucks are gone..
I had a 71 Plymouth Duster 340 bench seat automatic on the column it came with a 391 posi rear axle I could be the SS 396 Nova's Chevelles it was faster in Hell A friend of mine had a 350 Nova SS with the big Port heads a hot cam Lumina intake Holley carb headers and I beat him
But Plymouth had one weapon in their arsenal that Chevrolet didn't. The Valiant Scamp was a two-door pillarless hardtop. Ford's Maverick didn't offer one either.
The death of these cars were that were that the sub frame rusted-out quarter panels with rust out the fenders with rust out I mean, Defenders they overall rust out by the antenna and I mean all the way down the doors with fly open but I love them but a shotty build none the less.
And sadly 1971 was the last year of the "awesome" cars. By 1972 high-compression engines, and racing for the most part, went out the window. De-tuned engines, regular gas, and low-compression took over.
i had a '74 cop 440 in three diff cars, a '71 satellite 2 dr and 2 diff. C barges..i got quite good performance, from 1984 till the yr 2000 when the 440 finally needed a minor rebuild. (it's still awaiting the funds..and a car to put her in, smh. lol) i toasted everyone and got more smiles per gallon than about anyone driving anything..low octane fuel, zero issues, never had to touch the 850 cfm TQ carb that whole time. it was a shade faster than my cousins '71 charger, which had a 383 magnum out of a '69 coronet. 60 cubes, more cfm and cop tuning, i guess? anyways..the show was far from over, till the big 440 was disco'd in '78. now we have the gen3 hemi's..and the beat goes on!
You referring to the 5.7 hemi? Sadly, I heard that too. I just don't want to believe it. In five years I'm sure they will have a v6 that will exceed the power of today's v8's anyway. Sucks.
But it won't be a v8, sadly. Same direction Ford is going. V6 that beats a v8 in power in torque. Not to happy about it. I don't think you are as well, but what can we do? In 50 years we will both be cruising around town in cars that fly and run on hydrogen.
That was the rating for the 340 4 barrel, I had a 71 340 Duster, buckets and auto, went like he'll, also had a 73 Challenger 318. Nice car but the Duster was very quick.
Went to buy one of these when I got back from Vietnam but the build quality was so shocking bad I left that red 340 on the lot. Still glad I did! Total junk!
+silverbird58 Yes im near 68 and remember all the options for MoPars - factory even sold racing upgrades for some to make them 1/4 drag strip kings. I think some 340s could get 3 - 2bbl carbs, real hot rod stuff!
M Hursh The 6 pack ( 3 2bbl carbs) came only on the AAR CUDA and the TA CHALLENGER. Just thought i would let you know. You are right though there WAS a 340 6bbl which was laughably rated at 290 HP!! MY Best friends father bought one ( TA CHALLENGER) and he put the original engine on a dyno and it was pushing 340 HP. No way they were going to admit to that for a few reasons. Insurance, fuel and the 383 Magnum had 335 HP. That little small block screams.
The Duster looks 10 times better than anything you see on the road today.
I agree. I like both the 1970-72 Plymouth Valiant/Duster and the 1970-71 Dodge Dart/Demon.
+Jason Carpp The Auto trans was very heavy duty, and usually faster out of the blocks for most.
+Michael Chevreaux Torque Flyte tranny was very good, as torsion bar suspension for handling, HD brakes, and racing proven 340 V8 -you could get a 3 - 2 bbl carbs for even more performance.
That's what I've been told about the TorqueFlyte transmission.
+Marky Hursh 3 2-barrel carbs only came on the 340 engine in the 1970 Challenger TA.
These things were all over the place in the early 70's. I was a little kid.
I had a 71 Scamp v8. Auto in floor console. Bucket seats. A/C Great car
I had a 73. Though a little heavier than the 70-71 due to safety and insolation add ons, it was a GREAT car. A 225 6 automatic car, it did have power steering, power front disc brakes, single speaker AM radio and factory a/c. COLD a/c! Freeze your knees a/c. The rust monster finally took it out by '02, but the 6 still ran strong. I went through 1 904 trans during its 300,000 mile lifetime, and never touched the rear end. I don't care what they say, they don't build um like they used to!
Adam Trombino Amen Brother I have a 96 Ford F150 with 5.0L Windsor V8 with 203,520 miles on it and it's still going strong. The only thing I replaced on my truck was the starter but other than that mostly was just simple maintenance and cleaned out the transmission fluid just to get rid of the shuttering it was making and it hasn't had a problem ever since. They can call me a Redneck or a HillBilly but my truck will outlast anything you see on the road today and plus my truck looks better than anything you see on the road today as well.
The Slant was indestructible, 400 k was not unusual. I remember Cab drivers scrambling for them in the 70s.
Chrysler never made a "grocery getter" 340. Every 340 was a fire breathing small block monster.
My 96 F150 has vent windows but yeah they should bring back the front vent windows.
The 340 was awesome. Part of that "Rapid Transit" idea they would advertise.
Teresa67 Factoid yup your 225 slant 6 was the grocery getter
They were the Mopar equivalent of the Chevrolet 302
You say that like it’s a problem with fire breathing small block monsters
Brings back many memories of my '71 Duster that I received on my birthday in '71. Was dark gray with black strips front and back, 318, black bucket seats with auto in the console, AM/FM radio, "Tuff" steering wheel, and sport tires with wire hub caps (didn't like the sport wheels at the the time but were stolen twice in Louisville, Kentucky) and other goodies except air (added later), for a total price of almost $4,500. Had 2 reasons for compromise, was $1,000 less than a Buick GS and more room than my soon to be wife's '70 Camaro and best friend's '69 Camaro. Good times and now is one of those vehicles you let go and want back. Still have pictures as a reminder.
I had a 71 with the 225 and three on the floor, and 75 with the 360 with a 780 thermoquad and it ran great!. Wish I had them both back. Loved them and the times I had in them.
I had a 1971 340, 4 speed as a 16 year old. My mom made sure I was able to pay for my insurance under her policy before I could drive it. I worked a lot of hours at Pup n Taco after school to be able to afford it but it sure worth it. I loved that car!
Great Video. Thanks for Sharing 😊
I raced a 71 Duster 340 in Super Stock! It hauled ass! National Record Holder too! 11.50's @ 122mph in the quarter mile!
Love my little 71’ scamp.
Transformed it into a performance car over the past year. 8 3/4 rear end with a 3.23 sure grip and stroked out the 318 to 390. A real sleeper!
The console looked pretty good.
hood pins and record mode on the radio! 2 options i wish my f150 had.
All my family drove as a child ., I wish I had my grand moms 71 duster .. It was badass . I love that tuff steering wheel.
I'd love to have a Duster 340. The 340 engine had really good heads, so you could add an extra 50 hp by changing the cam, carb/intake and exhaust.
Love this tube channel it’s my new favorite thanks
Dang, i love these vids!!! Thank you for posting!
I had the 1972 duster. It was the best, it had the 318. I wish I still had it. They don't make them like that anymore.
The Duster sold so well that Dodge got in on it with their Demon and Dart Sport. Dart Sports are fastback too and look identical to a Duster, but the front end resembles a regular Dart. They made these up through 1976.
Slant Six good point
I had a 73 …I never considered those things fastbacks 😂😂😂
I grew up burning my legs on the black vinyl interior of my mom's '74 Gold Duster, plus crawling into the trunk (not hatchback) through the fold down rear seat when we went on long road trips.
This makes me want to start on my '71 Duster so bad!! Its just a slant 6 car but it's straight as an arrow and very minimal rust. Have a 400 from a 72 satellite I'm gonna swap in.
very nice and importand documental.
The 71/72 Duster 340 sharks tooth grill is worth over 1000 dollars used. NOS is outrageous. I had two 72s. One with a 340 the other was transplanted with a built solid lifter 440. The 340 was fast, the 440 was scary fast.
I remember buying a sharks tooth grill used for $30.00 at a local bone yard. 1982
I had a 70 340 4 speed
Love this car
im lucky to own a 71 duster 340 factory h code with four speed . it was originally f8 green but has been purple since 1984 . its got a black vinyl roof, blacked out hood with the 340 wedge hood callout decal . manual front discs and manual steering . rallye dash , bucket seats .
my 340 has been modified with edelbrock aluminum heads, comp cams thumper roller cam , lunati roller lifters and roller rockers , edelbrock air gap intake with a billet holley 750 and hooker super comp headers . mines got fiberglass bumpers and hood . car weighs 3000 lbs so it moves out pretty good .
I love the pic shown as the announcer says, "it's all right there at your finger tips".
I love old things
Worst thing they ever did was get rid of the window vents on all cars. Bring back the front window vents.
That is something I really, really, agree with, ever since I got my first car that didn't have them.
@David H. It was done to save money. It's cheaper the have a single piece of glass. It was sold to the public as increased visibility.
With the cassette player, you can listen to both country music AND western music.
Like my little "340" grocery getter.....kept it for 40 yrs already.
Cool cars .
Love the hot "real women" of that time! Very few tough feminists then!
1971. The year of the Thermoquad.
Interesting how the Valiant front end bolts up seamlessly to the Dart Swinger body in the Scamp!
Who actually came up with the ‘71 “Coming Through” musical score? In my judgment it is the greatest jingle in history.
I bought a 73 Plymouth Duster with a Slant6 for $600 needs work. I had to jump on it. It sat up for years.
Keep the Slant
A recording microphone?? That's... Unique
Those old A-body cars were tanks, so much better than the F-body Volaré/Aspen that replaced them
Love the car
"unibody is built to rust...er...last and last!"
Something that l like on Chrysler and Dodge 2 door car is the roomie back seat even in todays Challenger
The Cars Hearbeat City!
my fav
i wishd id had 5 dusters from 1969-1972
beautiful classic.. but in the late 70s they were tossed away like we do with 10 yrold crap today but the world of classic cars besides the 300 and all trucks are gone..
You're correct. I got my 70 duster in 1981 for $75.
I had a 71 Plymouth Duster 340 bench seat automatic on the column it came with a 391 posi rear axle I could be the SS 396 Nova's Chevelles it was faster in Hell A friend of mine had a 350 Nova SS with the big Port heads a hot cam Lumina intake Holley carb headers and I beat him
i wishd id had some day duster and barracuda
I miss all the round eyed cars
I WANT!!!!
The Duster is Plymouth's version of the Chevy Nova.
But Plymouth had one weapon in their arsenal that Chevrolet didn't. The Valiant Scamp was a two-door pillarless hardtop. Ford's Maverick didn't offer one either.
Fact checker at 6:16 mark. Duster rotted after 9 years. Holes in floors and quarter panels.
I never knew you could get disc brakes without power.
The death of these cars were that were that the sub frame rusted-out quarter panels with rust out the fenders with rust out I mean, Defenders they overall rust out by the antenna and I mean all the way down the doors with fly open but I love them but a shotty build none the less.
And sadly 1971 was the last year of the "awesome" cars. By 1972 high-compression engines, and racing for the most part, went out the window. De-tuned engines, regular gas, and low-compression took over.
i had a '74 cop 440 in three diff cars, a '71 satellite 2 dr and 2 diff. C barges..i got quite good performance, from 1984 till the yr 2000 when the 440 finally needed a minor rebuild. (it's still awaiting the funds..and a car to put her in, smh. lol) i toasted everyone and got more smiles per gallon than about anyone driving anything..low octane fuel, zero issues, never had to touch the 850 cfm TQ carb that whole time. it was a shade faster than my cousins '71 charger, which had a 383 magnum out of a '69 coronet. 60 cubes, more cfm and cop tuning, i guess? anyways..the show was far from over, till the big 440 was disco'd in '78. now we have the gen3 hemi's..and the beat goes on!
Tom Johnson From what i heard they are going to stop making the hemi pretty soon.
You referring to the 5.7 hemi? Sadly, I heard that too. I just don't want to believe it. In five years I'm sure they will have a v6 that will exceed the power of today's v8's anyway. Sucks.
joe roth I assumed all hemi engines, well atleast the name will no longer be used. I'm sure they will have something to take its place.
But it won't be a v8, sadly. Same direction Ford is going. V6 that beats a v8 in power in torque. Not to happy about it. I don't think you are as well, but what can we do? In 50 years we will both be cruising around town in cars that fly and run on hydrogen.
Plymouth duster is a good muscle car?
340 Duster.
Had a 318 scamp
I'm not a Mopar historian, but was that 340 horsepower number lowballed? Seems low for 71.
That was the rating for the 340 4 barrel, I had a 71 340 Duster, buckets and auto, went like he'll, also had a 73 Challenger 318. Nice car but the Duster was very quick.
Thumbs up for a like.
I bet in all of history, there have NEVER been "5 adults" inside a Plymouth Duster. Not 5 teenagers, or 10 for that matter, 5 adults.
Maybe two small children, that's about it. No way three fully grown adults are fitting back there.
Tu ne connais pas les autos actuelles? ¿no conoces los carros actuales?
John L ha, we weren't as fat back then.
People weren't as fat back then.
Went to buy one of these when I got back from Vietnam but the build quality was so shocking bad I left that red 340 on the lot. Still glad I did! Total junk!
Idiot
I never knew they had that microphone thingy.... o_0 WTF?
Mopar did not brace their cars as well as ford and gm...
The body dipped in the rust preventative solution didn't work. The rust was terrible on these cars.
The DUSTER IS a Valiant . So is the SCAMP. ALL of them have a "V" in their VIN Numbers. That "V" stands for VALIANT .
Plymouth gave their sub-models of Valiant different names. Dodge attached names to the Dart nameplate -- Dart Sport, Dart Swinger, Dart SE, etc.
Dont forget the demon
I'm surprised the 340 did not come with a 4 speed.
it was an option.
Back then almost everything was an option if you ordered it.
+silverbird58 Yes im near 68 and remember all the options for MoPars - factory even sold racing upgrades for some to make them 1/4 drag strip kings. I think some 340s could get 3 - 2bbl carbs, real hot rod stuff!
Kenneth Southard air It did gave a four speed as an option. Lots of options in those days.
M Hursh
The 6 pack ( 3 2bbl carbs) came only on the AAR CUDA and the TA CHALLENGER. Just thought i would let you know.
You are right though there WAS a 340 6bbl which was laughably rated at 290 HP!!
MY Best friends father bought one ( TA CHALLENGER) and he put the original engine on a dyno and it was pushing 340 HP.
No way they were going to admit to that for a few reasons. Insurance, fuel and the 383 Magnum had 335 HP.
That little small block screams.
Chrysler _seriously_ failed by not making a wagon out of this platform, just as Ford screwed up by not making a Maverick wagon. What stupidity.
Almost 60 minutes. 😂