Here’s another fantastic match-up for you guys! Some of my favorites. I think some people forget about the SS396 in the ‘70 Chevelle, but they shouldn’t! And I think by now we all know the Dart stuffed with a 340 is a total dark horse. Hope you enjoy the video!
Hey, I have a question. Do the cars have to be show quality. I have an unrestored '68 Charger, just a 383/4bbl but it's totally stock. I'd love to race in a Pure Stock event but the car has a lot of patina (car guy for rust and bad paint). Just wondering.
@@1967davethewave - No, they don't have to be show quality. Most of these cars actually aren't, because they get driven/raced regularly. This year there was a barn-find 442 that looked totally ratty, but ran like a mother.
The lil 340 was Chrysler's answer to the Ford and Chevy SB mills, put into the lightest cars they could build. With the 4 speed and 3.91 gear, they could run high 13s in the quarter. Slap on a set of 9 inch slicks, and you'd beat that. Get it tuned by dealers such as Mr. Norm's, and that 340 turned into a absolute screamer. IMO the 70 Chevelle was 1 of the best looking cars GM ever built, and typical of the era, you could option it out as far as your wallet let you. That is my favorite thing about this period of American car history. Order you car EXACTLY how you wanted it. Tough to do that now days.
Wow this video takes me back to my US Army days, stationed at Ft Hood Texas. Had a blue 69 dart 340 with white stripes around the back. It had crane fireball cam, 4:10 gears, hooker headers, aluminum intake with 650 holley carb. It ran 13:50's all day long and beat many big block Chevelle's and Nova's. Many times I wished I had that car back today....
In 1972, my girlfriend's dad bought her a 'cute' car. She was older than me and I didn't get my license until a few months after her... She liked the color purple, and he bought her a 'cute' purple '70 Duster 340 without any real idea of what he had purchased... She putted us around for about 6 months... I finally got my license and she let me drive! WOW!!!!!! 😁 I have been a Mopar guy ever since!! 😉❤
My first car was a Dart Swinger 340 4 speed. I added headers to give it a little more HP and a cool sound. I loved that car, and it was as fast as I wanted to go!
Sold my 340 4 speed Swinger several years ago. Had some 396 Chevelle owners tell me the Dart would edge them out. Those Chevelles were awesome cars also, as were all the cars of that era.
Wow what an awesome video! I owned both a 69 340/ 4spd Dart Swinger and a 70 SS 396/ 4spd! Both were fast, but the Dart surprised a lot of people, very quick.
I love the way you present these match ups. I remember when these cars were new. Couldn't wait to get the magazines and check out the reviews. Thank you for taking me back in time. From Ohio.
I have the F8 green version of the Swinger 340 in my garage with a 4-speed and 3.23 Sure Grip. I've had it 28 years and it ain't goin' nowhere! A friend who used to run big block Chevs back in the day said the cars that gave him the most trouble were Mopar 340s! I love it!
Awesome video, my dad bought a brand new 69 swinger 340 auto, he would beat up all the big blocks. I bought one a few years back, they are super fun cars to have and drive!
Great race. I had a 340 Swinger and it had a radio.... and not much else but it was well prepped. Sent many a big block home stoplight to stoplight. When you have a bigger car and not much tire, a light small block is the way to go. The Chevelle 396 is no slouch though.
I managed to get my studious cousin to race his '70 340 4-spd. Swinger against my '70 350/350 4spd. 3.55 rear Corvette. It may well have been his first race, but the cars were side by side to the end which was over 100 mph.
The stock 351 Windsor had 1.84 intake valves compared to the 340's 2 inch intake size. At the time of the Windsor's introduction it seemed like Ford failed to realize Chevy and Mopar's intentions of increasing the displacement of their small blocks. The stock Windsor heads were great for a sub 300 ci street engine like the 289 but inadequate for larger displacements. By the time of the 351W's introduction they were working on the 351C so I guess thay said "what the hell !"
In 1969 I read all the car magazine reviews on best bang for the buck, and I bought a new 1969 Dodge Dart Swinger 340. I paid just over $2,600 for it. But being in the US Navy E-4 pay at the time, that was all I could afford. I would have much rather had a GTS with bucket seats, console, etc. But I had to settle for plain bench seat, no floor carpeting (just rubberize floor covering), no power steering or brakes, etc. Just an AM radio and what ever was standard (have to check my original window sticker and bill of sale, which I still have). The car did have decent performance, except the original Carter AVS 4-barrel was running too lean. I pulled it and installed a Holley 780 and also a Weiand aluminum intake manifold. I had no problem beating stock 383 Mopars (off all models) on the street. I remember one night I beat a guy in his 383 Road Runner, and after the race he wanted to see under my hood because he could hardly believe I beat him. I told him my 340 was underated at 275 HP, that I actually had a superior horsepower to weight ratio than his RR, and that the AHRA had refactored my engine at 325 HP based on 10.5 compression, 202 intakes, cam specs, carb size, etc.
Mopar's 340 and Buick's 400 were so underrated. Especially the Buick 400 Stage 1... Everyone is into the 455's and 454's and 426 and 440's. But there are a handful of hidden gems in the muscle car arena.
I has a '69 and a '70 Chevelle SS 396. Liked the '69. Not so much the '70. I always liked the 340 engine, particularly in the Darts, Dusters and Cudas with Torqueflites. This race is probably representative to the real world on the street back then. But hardly anyone left their car entirely stock. Fun times back then.
First off I'm a Mopar man all the way and you might say a lucky one at that back in the late 70s early 80s I bought my very first car which was a 68 GTS Dart with a 383 4 speed which I find out was a rare combination most 383 GTS came with a automatic there were limited 4-speed combinations with that being said my next car I bought what's a 69 GTS Dart 340 4 speed which I had build the motor up and it was crazy fast and today I am kicking myself in the ass for selling those cars if I only knew then what I know now
The L78 was discontinued as an option at the end of October that year when the LS5 and LS6 start production. My uncle had a silver 1970 chevelle ss 396, L78 4 speed. I loved that car. He had it for sale for a long time back in the 80s. I was going to buy it and was saving my money for my first job in high school. He sold it about a week before I had the money. I still with I had that car
My first time watching your videos. It won’t be the last! Awesome! I Love the way you cover the cars before showing the race! So cool. I had a 68 Chevelle Malibu with a 327 strokes to 350 when I got out of the Navy in 1985. I got to drive my Buddies 69 Chevelle with a swapped Pontiac 428 while he was rebuilding my 68. What great times! I’m 55 now and own a 2016 Dodge Challenger Hellcat! I’ve gone to the dark side and love it. These past few years have been the late 60’s all over again and it’s only getting better! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🤘🏻🤘🏻. Keep the Videos coming! I’m gonna go watch your old ones right now!
@@CarsAndZebras I just found your channel today. Awesome review. I miss the 60's early 70's. Seeing cars and comments I'm interested in. Young motorheads need to see these muscle car era videos.
The Hellcat is the top banana now, store bought more power than a nascar cookie cutter, toodaloo buckaroo against Ford or GM, welcome to the darkside pilgrim.
@@CarsAndZebras Yeah it has the numbers matching 340 and a four speed. I would hate to hurt the car. But at the same time she deserves to run down the strip full throttle!
@@CarsAndZebras Thats what i keep hearing. My dad told me the only 340s he blew up were in circle track racing in a turn when all the oil was on one side of the engine. He bought oil pans designed for circle track racing and he didnt have that problem anymore.
I love those 340 Darts, Dusters, and Demons. They were one of the cheapest muscle cars you could buy and were fully capable of embarrassing many of the more expensive big block cars of that era. I had a 73 Duster 340-4 speed. Loved that car
i have a 71 duster 340 . original h code . it was an original 4 speed car but had a 727 torqueflite reverse manual valve body when i bought it . in mybopinion the 340 is the best small block produced back in the late 60s to early 70s . the advertised hp was purposely underrated at 275 hp but in really was around 325 hp.
Great video. As a 15 year old (in 1983) I rode shotgun in a 72 Demon, & we surprised a 69ss Chevelle in a street race. Just like in video, we jumped out front, race was over just before he caught up.
Small blocks of any make have a great advantage with stock tires. Big blocks make a lot more power but it can't be used off the line without burning the tires off.
@@livewire2759 We had a little spin/hop in first gear, a chirp in 2nd, then gone. The 1000lbs difference between the cars played a part as well. In a full quarter mile, he'd have got us.
@@amc401nash6 We'll they did have two Puerto Rican chicks in the back. There's 250....... And I don't believe it, 500 lbs? The Chevelle was a Demon and a half as big!
@@johntempest267 I have a book with the shipping weight of every US built car between 1946 to 1975. A 70 big block Chevelle would be around 3600 lbs and the 72 Demon would be around 3100 lbs.
When I was a kid a guy in town had one of these Chevys. I thought I had to have a SS396 cause that was the fastest car in the world. Needless to say by the time I was in Jr. High I knew better.but I still love the look of them today. The little 340s will bite you if you aren't careful. Looks like a pretty close matchup here.
70' Chevelle SS 396 (402) forest green white stripes and that awesome cowl induction opening up saying "give me more air" is my car. The coolest car ever made.
My buddy’s gf in the 80’s had one but a convertible Light yellow black top 340 Dodge Dart Swinger I tell my son all the cars we had in school Who had a GTO Who had chevelle Who had what He is so envious of what we all had Back in da day
My best friend in high school had the dart. Our sophomore year we pulled the 340, carried it into his parents basement and spent all winter rebuilding it. I can't remember where he got it but he found a manifold and 3 deuces. It was hard to get the carbs turned but we did. It was a 10 second car, when everything was just right and I held my breath. I never could beat him. I had a 69 z28. It was very low miles and I just didn't want to mess up the way it came from the factory. I was happy later, when I sold it. My little brother was his comp. He had a 67 mustang fastback. He bought it when he was 14. Rented a garage and was there every day working on it for 2 years. That 289 was so quick. He had a manual but had never learned how to drive one, so he and I took it to a parking lot and then we were all set to get back and protect them from being able to really act like you have to have a conversation with 55
Damn, I owed a Dart GTS 340 with an 850 dual holly carb and other goodies. Wish I had it today. It was a beast and damn, I had some great times burning rubber.
I’ve got another video coming of a different GTS 340 coming in the future. It makes me want to buy one... but wow, the prices are kind of crazy for those cars.
The jack in the crack commercial finally made sense lol sometimes I watch your videos just to watch what movie reference you come up next but jack in the crack swinger is an instant classic
I believe it was Dick Maxwell who stated that the factory would take random 340's off the line and dyno them to make sure everything was up to snuff. He said that he never saw one put out less than 325 hp.
Don't know to much about the mechanics of engines but I'm sure as hell learn alot about them now that I've found this Channel, since I was a kid I've always Loved these Cars, love the lines, those curves and those Malevolent Sinister Mean as Hell Stances they Possess! Well now I'm gonna learn the Power behind Presence............ 🎸💚
My 69 swinger 340 had a 727 Torqueflight transmission and it had hemi torque converter. Bench seat Automatic on the column. Great car. Red with a black vinyl top, black interior.
The L78 396 was only available in the first part of 70 chevelle production. It was dropped when the ls6 454 was introduced. The l78 and ls6 were not available at the same time. Back in the 80’s, one of My older brothers bought a wrecked factory black/ black 70 L78 4 spd chevelle ss. The engine was gone but we swapped the ss hood (non cowl induction) , dash disc brakes and 12 bolt 3:31 posi rear into my le mans blue 71 el camino. No ss emblems. and i later built a 355 for it. I sold it in the 90’s way too cheap. Wish i still had it.
Need to do 68/69 Lemans with the 350HO. Mine came off the showroom floor with the 360HO rated at 330hp, Muncie M21 and a 4.11 rear gear and ran 14.32 @ 96mph in the quarter. Very under rated car.
I had the 1970 4 door Chevelle, with the 307. Like so many others the soft metal cam was worn almost round on 5 cylinders lol. So I put a slightly better profile cam in. I totaled it about a month or so later on my mothers birthday!
Dodge put bad-ass motors in their small ("A") body Dart long before 1968. Starting in 1965, they dropped a 273 ci motor in the Dart GT, along with a 4-speed. I had the '66 version, in canary yellow, with a 4-speed center console, black half-vinyl roof, and a 3.23(?) Positraction rear end. Unfortunately, when that motor was rebuilt and bored 0.030 over, the 6 cylinder drive train just won't hold up. After burning up the stock clutch, breaking a u-joint, then stripping the puny little 7.25" ring gear in the rear, I swapped in an 8.75"/3.55 ratio Posi from a '68 'Cuda. That thing would chew up and spit out 289 Mustangs and even 307 Chevys! Funny thing is, I don't remember what became of it :-( Ahhh, the 70s - if you remember them, you weren't there!
3:02 The 402 was built in Tonawanda NY (just north of my home town of Buffalo). Its been said that people who worked there have said that they had a machining issue when they were boring those 396 blocks and decided to perform a .030" overbore to save them. Not sure how true this story is but it kinda makes sense being that there really isnt much to gain from punching an engine .030" over.
Love those little darts and are so badass when equipped with big block or even 340 6 pk. Just about bought a 71 last year with built 413 wedge and was a badass lil machine, but unfortunately the deal fell through and didn't work out 😩
@@guynese977 Well, not exactly "last fast". Beginning in 1972 the 340 was indeed detuned slightly to meet new emissions requirements, but it was still a lightweight little rocket! My then new '72 340 Duster 3-speed manual was still potent and quite fast for random street drags. Its weakness was it didn't have a 'positraction' limited slip rear end so I always opted for a rolling start where possible to keep wheel spin down. I was a young USAF grunt in the Vietnam war and had planned to swap out the rear end for a limited-slip and a 4-speed tranny, but my small budget and overseas military deployment got in the way. Didn't matter, the little 340 Duster was still a screamer and so much fun to drive.😁👍
I've had one of these since 1981. numbers matching red and black cowl induction L34 400 turbo. I'm 3rd owner. bought the car for 1400 dollars which was my whole lives savings at 19 yrs old. smoked a lot of cars in my day with that car and daily drove it for years. can go turn key on it rite now and drive it anywhere. and still respectable for a 50 yr old car
Oddly, my oldest brother had a 1969 Dogge Dart Swinger 340 and one of his best friends had a 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS 396. They used to race a 75/80 dragway, where Motorweek did their tests ages ago (long since closed). By 1974 they were both banned. The cars were so evenly matched and ran so well and the drivers could hit their E/T so often, that when they pulled up, most others dropped out...and the cars were stock. Eventually they got banned from the stock class and eventually just said F it.... not sure what happened to the Chevelle, but the Dart is finishing a many years and mor money than I would have spent restoration after we sold to my kids swim coach... Great match up that most folks would never expect to be so good!
I had a 68 Barracuda 340 Fornula S . On the track and stock it would run 14 flat ,locker 8 1/4 with a 727 auto trans . I made some changes . Best run was 9.90 around 140 something .
@@Lightningbug122 8 1/4 " differential with 727 Torqueflight tranny.Not familiar with that size tho.most Mopar muscle cars had the strong Dana diffs. and axles.I know of the 7 1/4" and an 8 3/4" unit,however.
My ex father-in-law still has the 1970 ss ls6 chevelle he bought brand new in high school unmolested all original, with right around 9000 miles! In fact it looks just like the black one in the vid with white stripes n black vinyl roof!
Great video I'm a chevy guy through and through but after your history lesson on the swinger make's want to get down tonight and get me a swinger yeah baby. Awesome car's. 👍👊
My bud had a 340/6 barrel (6-pack) dual point distributor and pistol grip. Also factory cast iron headers? In a black Duster w/black interior. I've not seen another one. Great car...also a bench seat.... he bought it from his father's coworker. An iron worker in Ohio.
Interesting information in regard to the 70 Chevelle SS 454 which factory stated horsepower was 470 horse at 5000 RPM ! I own this engine in my 56 Chevy Sports Sedan and the transmission which is the automatic with the 2500 stall ! Which I call my 11 second grocery getter ! Reminds me of the 64 GTO with a 389 4 speed !
My 70 Dart Swinger 340 busted a 12.98s thru the quarter mile in Fayetteville NC to win the bracket finals. I also buried the speedometer, 150 plus coming down the mountain from Asheville headed home to Knoxville one morning around 1 AM. That was a bad ass car.
In 1978 I got my first car: a 1970 Chevelle SS 396, 350 hp automatic. It cost $700 used. My parents had no idea. Always a thrill to fire up that engine.
New here and great races and match - ups. I can lay claim to knowing how good the 340 is. Yes I have beaten 396, 383,390Ford and AMC AND A 389 tri power. Anyhow my reason for commenting was two fold. First, great channel and I was not sure if you or everyone saw the Hot Rod small block build. The 340 that can beat all comers in the small Block category. Ford's, LS, YOU NAME IT. THE guys that did it were Chevy guys that were tired of hearing about that SB MOPAR. They build them now after winning highest HP AND TORQUE out of any small block.You can Google hot rod 340wins sb build competitions. Not gloating its a great article and contest. Cool stuff.
@john thonig Do you live close to great lakes dragaway, ROUTE 66 or 131?? If you do I have 6 bone stock 340 Dusters and Demons and 3 340 Darts. All absolutely Bone Stock 3 Dusters, 1Demon and all 3 Darts never rebuilt either. The other 2 were rebuilt to bone stock specs I know it was my speed shop that rebuilt them. Anyhow..... come April or may I would love to set you up racing at least 6 of the 340 cars. I will film it and I promise every last inch of the races will go on my new channel( January)about racing, my cars and speed shop
THESE ARE REAL GOOD CARS TO HAVE FUN IN DRAG RACING , MOST OF THEM CAN USE AROUND IN THE STREET FOR CRUSING AND IN THE TRACK , A CAR THAT CAN RUN FOR EXAMPLE 5 SECONDS IN A 1/4 MILE IS FOR RUN AND SPEND A LOT OF MONEY AND CANT USE FOR ANITHING MORE
had the same 396 in my nova the nova was a whole lot faster ! my 70 chevelle was an LS 6 454 and yes there were more 454s than 396 chevelles in 70. im older now and looking at building a swinger I love the car all together its a cool package and swingers are still affordable !
There were NOT more SS454's built than SS396's. It actually wasn't even close. A/C wasn't available on a LS6 Chevelle (it was on the 360hp LS5 however). Plus, the 396 was cheaper. So, cheaper plus A/C equals many more sales.
No wonder I beat so many 396s in street drags with my 340 dart. They get out of the hole quick and street drags often don't allow enough time for the big block to catch the 340.
@@billk9628 Unfortunately I sold the RR and got a 72 Nova.....it was a pile. Musta been made on a Friday or Monday....was pumping oil at 30,000.....of course, I could break a crowbar in a sandbox stark naked and lose one piece.....
The Chevelle base price included a 3 speed manual transmission IF one wanted to upgrade to the 4 speed or automatic, then the prices listed are correct....most dealers were selling these cars for 500 over invoice, which was significantly less than the list price....btw, that 3 speed was a all synchro unit, but was not very strong in comparison to the 4 speeds available....
How many times are you going to comment the same stupid garbage? The video is obviously about a super sport Chevelle. The three speed manual was not available in the super sport package. Quit being such an obnoxious dummy. I hope he blocks you for spamming the comments section.
The 402 was actually a truck engine. In the truck category, it was called the 400. The problem? It had a cast crank and cast pistons with oval port heads. I had the 350hp 396 in a '65 Malibu SS. It was an abandoned engine I rebuilt. I honed the cylinders, installed new cast iron rings, 3 angle valve job and installed a Sig Erson Hi Flo 1 cam. I used a rectangular hi-rise intake on the oval port heads with an 800 Holley double pumper. I street raced that combo until it spun a bearing. My neighbor had a LS-6 that came out of his '70 Chevelle 454. I bought it and swapped it into my Malibu. I ran an M-21 4 speed and a 4:88 12 bolt.
402 was both a truck and car engine, built differently for each application. But it was just a 396 that was .030 over, it wasn't a different engine. The one in the car was not the same one in trucks, different heads/cam/intake, etc.
@@SealofPerfectionexactly right! Thanks for correcting him. I have a 1970 Monte Carlo that has a 402. My neighbor has a 1970 SS Monte Carlo that is beautiful with the original 454 that inspired me. A retired guy had owned my Monte Carlo but he passed away. It’s in decent condition and all complete. It needs a rebuild because it has a bad rod bearing. I didn’t need it but it was a good deal and had everything including fender skirts over the rear wheel wells or whatever they are called. I have 2 66 Chevelles and a 66 El Camino. I need to start restoring them or sell a couple. My first car has a 427. I bought it in 1980 and pulled the 230 six cylinder and had a master mechanic build a 427 for it thst still runs great.
MY first car was a 68 charger and have had a lot of B bodies over the years since then, but am starting to get into the A bodz as I've gotten older as well and love the 340 millls. Recently just about bought a 70, but with built to the nuts 413 wedge and was a lil badass. But very unfortunately, the deal fell through and didn't get it 😪
I owned many Plymouth Dusters, they were light and fast. My brother had the 67 GTX 440 automatic, that year the car was light with a big motor. He raced a bunch of cars, but told me about a 302 Camaro beat him up, but the quarter mile he was done.
@john thonig What did they do the 327 to get them to run that good, I'm a 75 Camaro owner myself , my brother told me the only couple of times he got beat was by Chevys , 302 Z28 Camaro,and that 327 in a Nova .
My dad and I used to race a 1971 chevlle started wit a 454 , I 🤔 ls5 , we upped it to like ls7 , in short blew it up , got a 502 Merlin and we never had another issue, the absolute king of the burnout car
From what I have heard, the L-78 was the largest engine you could get in a 70 Chevelle and the 454 was not available when they started producing them in the late 69s. Chevrolet lifted the mandate that that stated cars could not have any cubic inches larger than 400 around January and the L-78 was replaced with the LS-6 (basically the same engine with a different stroke crankshaft). That is why there are fewer L-78s than LS-6, because only a few months of the total production time of the 70 Chevelle was the L-78 available.
CHEVELLE SS-396 1/4 MILE 14.6 @ 96 MPH = WHY I OBSERVED VEHICLE AT ORANGE COUNTY RACEWAY (OCIR) My friend Barney Murray ran against a SS-396 in his 1970 Duster 340. Barney turned 14.42 G/pure Stock . So I bought a '71 Duster 340, 727 Torqueflite, 3.91 posi: added headers, Edelbrock Torker intake, a Holley 800 cfm spread bore double pump but the car ''wasn't fast enough'' for me. I got a hold of Mr. Norm's Grand Spaulding Dodge and put a Paxton Supercharger on it. We blew out the head gaskets--so took off the heads and had them surfaced and "O-ringed" + Isky triple springs, Teflon oil seals. I was running with the 440-6-packs / 429 Cobra Jets--.dude! the tach hit 7,000 rpm
I don't know if anyone mentioned this before, but the reason that so few L78 396 cars were built compared to the LS6 was that they were only offered for a few months at the beginning of the model year and was cancelled when the 454 was ready for sale.
Ok lets think something You re telling me that You could Buy a car for under 25K with that killing look and that amount of hp, bro what a time to be alive
I noticed you were surprised by the fact that one could still get a powerglide transmission in 1970. My parents had a 1972 Chevy Nova with a 250 inline six and a powerglide transmission...and get this....it was "air cooled". Ever heard of an air cooled automatic transmission? Look it up, it actually existed! The "air cooling" was via two large holes cut out in the bell housing of the transmission. It was done on the production line (it may have been cast that way). I think the PG lasted through the late-70's, possibly going away with the Nova at the end of the '79 model year, but I'm only speculating on that point.
My 1st car was a 1969 Dart gave my friends run for their money. They have Cameros, Firebirds, GTOs, Mustangs with bigger engine. My Dart powered by 383 with 750 double pumper Holley Carb with Dana 3.55 rear, 4 speed stick.
Wake up call... On the Monday morning following the 1969 Daytona 500, GM management held a board meeting and discontinued the 396. Reason: The 1969 SS Chevelle's that entered the 500 experienced oil pressure issues that led to major crank/rod damage or failures, the first car stopping on lap 19. Top finishing SS 396 was a 1967 model, 13 laps down. Serious egg on the face of GM Corp.! GM's 402 replacement engine wasn't about boring the 396 .030 over, it was about GM total revamped of the 396 oiling system to protect the rotating assy.. Also, in 1968 GM and Ford were fighting for 2nd place in the NHRA Factory production class, a battle won by Fords 428 Cobra Jet Mustangs ..while GM continued to struggle finding success with their SS 396.
There was no difference in any of the Mark IV blocks and their oiling systems. A 402 was the same old 396 block with .030 overbore. GM was not in racing in the late 60's, so any support they gave was back channel and unofficial, unlike Ford and Mopar who were all-in. There were only 10 Chevy cars entered out of 51 in the 69 500, none of which were factory sponsored in the least.
@@carsbyjeff my dad had a new ‘66 442, 4bbl, 4 APD 3.55’s. A guy he worked with had a ‘65 Riv and thought it was all that. It wasn’t a fair fight. They went from a dead stop, from a rolling start and from 20mph/go. The Nailheads were very good but it was heavier, didn’t have the gearing or transmission. The 66-67 442’s were very strong.
I've had 3 different 340s . In a small town of 5000 in eastern Canada. There wasn't a chevelle a mustang a Camaro that could deal with them . Now that was the days ( early 70s ) when speed part's weren't exactly on the wall. After blowing the rear end in my duster I remember the Plymouth dealer telling me I couldn't get a different ratio . That's how it was then.
those Dart/Swingers were quick, however, the interior was rather utilitarian, and they were prone to rust. Conversely, they were easy to work on and maintain
Iam a mopar fan and i will be the first to tell you the 340 put many big blocks of all makes and models on the trailer, even the big bad Hemi cars, probley the best motor ever built
Here’s another fantastic match-up for you guys! Some of my favorites. I think some people forget about the SS396 in the ‘70 Chevelle, but they shouldn’t! And I think by now we all know the Dart stuffed with a 340 is a total dark horse. Hope you enjoy the video!
If that Dart had the Manual Trans in it I'm sure it would be a bit quicker the 727 automatic eats 15 to 20 HP to turn that converter
Yes sir the 340 dart has shut a many big blocks down specially if it was a 4 speed I love the mopars and Chevy but for not so much
Hey, I have a question. Do the cars have to be show quality. I have an unrestored '68 Charger, just a 383/4bbl but it's totally stock. I'd love to race in a Pure Stock event but the car has a lot of patina (car guy for rust and bad paint). Just wondering.
Now had they built more of these swingers with the 440 camando then they would have gad a car that was a hand full by any stretch.
@@1967davethewave - No, they don't have to be show quality. Most of these cars actually aren't, because they get driven/raced regularly. This year there was a barn-find 442 that looked totally ratty, but ran like a mother.
The lil 340 was Chrysler's answer to the Ford and Chevy SB mills, put into the lightest cars they could build. With the 4 speed and 3.91 gear, they could run high 13s in the quarter. Slap on a set of 9 inch slicks, and you'd beat that. Get it tuned by dealers such as Mr. Norm's, and that 340 turned into a absolute screamer. IMO the 70 Chevelle was 1 of the best looking cars GM ever built, and typical of the era, you could option it out as far as your wallet let you. That is my favorite thing about this period of American car history. Order you car EXACTLY how you wanted it. Tough to do that now days.
I fondly remember my black on black 1970 dart, 340 with 4 speed manual. Fun, fast, and under-rated.
Wow this video takes me back to my US Army days, stationed at Ft Hood Texas. Had a blue 69 dart 340 with white stripes around the back. It had crane fireball cam, 4:10 gears, hooker headers, aluminum intake with 650 holley carb. It ran 13:50's all day long and beat many big block Chevelle's and Nova's. Many times I wished I had that car back today....
Those little 340s punched way above their expectations, and are great motors
AZ Independent
Punched way above that ‘low weight’...for sure!
In 1972, my girlfriend's dad bought her a 'cute' car. She was older than me and I didn't get my license until a few months after her...
She liked the color purple, and he bought her a 'cute' purple '70 Duster 340 without any real idea of what he had purchased...
She putted us around for about 6 months...
I finally got my license and she let me drive! WOW!!!!!! 😁
I have been a Mopar guy ever since!! 😉❤
Absolutely ! Is that the same exact engine that came in the Duster and Demon?
@@markdemell3717 pretty well
@@markdemell3717 72 was the beginning of smog engines so the compression went down.
My first car was a Dart Swinger 340 4 speed. I added headers to give it a little more HP and a cool sound. I loved that car, and it was as fast as I wanted to go!
Sold my 340 4 speed Swinger several years ago. Had some 396 Chevelle owners tell me the Dart would edge them out. Those Chevelles were awesome cars also, as were all the cars of that era.
Wow what an awesome video! I owned both a 69 340/ 4spd Dart Swinger and a 70 SS 396/ 4spd! Both were fast, but the Dart surprised a lot of people, very quick.
I love the way you present these match ups. I remember when these cars were new. Couldn't wait to get the magazines and check out the reviews. Thank you for taking me back in time. From Ohio.
I have the F8 green version of the Swinger 340 in my garage with a 4-speed and 3.23 Sure Grip. I've had it 28 years and it ain't goin' nowhere!
A friend who used to run big block Chevs back in the day said the cars that gave him the most trouble were Mopar 340s!
I love it!
Todd Boyer
Is it #s match?
I had an F8 a few years ago
It is! Numbers engine, trans and rear.
Todd Boyer
Do you drive it Todd?
Would love to see it somehow
Todd Boyer If your buddy was running BB Chevy, Then he had a lot of Mopar problems!😂👍
That was one close race, with the Chevy only winning at the end! That Dart can more than hold its own.
Awesome video, my dad bought a brand new 69 swinger 340 auto, he would beat up all the big blocks. I bought one a few years back, they are super fun cars to have and drive!
Thanks for sharing! I'd like to find a nice Dart 340 for Demon 340
Cars And Zebras
Tough to find the real good ones, real matching # and real good restoration, VERY hard
Great race. I had a 340 Swinger and it had a radio.... and not much else but it was well prepped. Sent many a big block home stoplight to stoplight. When you have a bigger car and not much tire, a light small block is the way to go. The Chevelle 396 is no slouch though.
I’ve seen so many 340’s absolutely chew up the competition through the years.
It happens. I have plenty more videos of 340s doing the same thing.
I managed to get my studious cousin to race his '70 340 4-spd. Swinger against my '70 350/350 4spd. 3.55 rear Corvette. It may well have been his first race, but the cars were side by side to the end which was over 100 mph.
Yup running stock the mopar smokes the ford, my point exactly.
The stock 351 Windsor had 1.84 intake valves compared to the 340's 2 inch intake size. At the time of the Windsor's introduction it seemed like Ford failed to realize Chevy and Mopar's intentions of increasing the displacement of their small blocks. The stock Windsor heads were great for a sub 300 ci street engine like the 289 but inadequate for larger displacements. By the time of the 351W's introduction they were working on the 351C so I guess thay said "what the hell !"
@@bigboreracing356 Says the guy who probably got blown away by 340's, stupid statement
In 1969 I read all the car magazine reviews on best bang for the buck, and I bought a new 1969 Dodge Dart Swinger 340. I paid just over $2,600 for it. But being in the US Navy E-4 pay at the time, that was all I could afford. I would have much rather had a GTS with bucket seats, console, etc. But I had to settle for plain bench seat, no floor carpeting (just rubberize floor covering), no power steering or brakes, etc. Just an AM radio and what ever was standard (have to check my original window sticker and bill of sale, which I still have). The car did have decent performance, except the original Carter AVS 4-barrel was running too lean. I pulled it and installed a Holley 780 and also a Weiand aluminum intake manifold. I had no problem beating stock 383 Mopars (off all models) on the street. I remember one night I beat a guy in his 383 Road Runner, and after the race he wanted to see under my hood because he could hardly believe I beat him. I told him my 340 was underated at 275 HP, that I actually had a superior horsepower to weight ratio than his RR, and that the AHRA had refactored my engine at 325 HP based on 10.5 compression, 202 intakes, cam specs, carb size, etc.
Mopar's 340 and Buick's 400 were so underrated. Especially the Buick 400 Stage 1... Everyone is into the 455's and 454's and 426 and 440's. But there are a handful of hidden gems in the muscle car arena.
I has a '69 and a '70 Chevelle SS 396. Liked the '69. Not so much the '70. I always liked the 340 engine, particularly in the Darts, Dusters and Cudas with Torqueflites. This race is probably representative to the real world on the street back then. But hardly anyone left their car entirely stock. Fun times back then.
First off I'm a Mopar man all the way and you might say a lucky one at that back in the late 70s early 80s I bought my very first car which was a 68 GTS Dart with a 383 4 speed which I find out was a rare combination most 383 GTS came with a automatic there were limited 4-speed combinations with that being said my next car I bought what's a 69 GTS Dart 340 4 speed which I had build the motor up and it was crazy fast and today I am kicking myself in the ass for selling those cars if I only knew then what I know now
The L78 was discontinued as an option at the end of October that year when the LS5 and LS6 start production. My uncle had a silver 1970 chevelle ss 396, L78 4 speed. I loved that car. He had it for sale for a long time back in the 80s. I was going to buy it and was saving my money for my first job in high school. He sold it about a week before I had the money. I still with I had that car
My first time watching your videos. It won’t be the last! Awesome! I Love the way you cover the cars before showing the race! So cool. I had a 68 Chevelle Malibu with a 327 strokes to 350 when I got out of the Navy in 1985. I got to drive my Buddies 69 Chevelle with a swapped Pontiac 428 while he was rebuilding my 68. What great times! I’m 55 now and own a 2016 Dodge Challenger Hellcat! I’ve gone to the dark side and love it. These past few years have been the late 60’s all over again and it’s only getting better! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🤘🏻🤘🏻. Keep the Videos coming! I’m gonna go watch your old ones right now!
I appreciate that! I’ve got an interesting new one coming next week so stay tuned.
@@CarsAndZebras I just found your channel today. Awesome review. I miss the 60's early 70's. Seeing cars and comments I'm interested in. Young motorheads need to see these muscle car era videos.
The Hellcat is the top banana now, store bought more power than a nascar cookie cutter, toodaloo buckaroo against Ford or GM, welcome to the darkside pilgrim.
Those lightweight Mopars were low maintenance and sneaky quick 👍🚘
Yes, I had one in a Duster.
Mine Dart was a swinger 340 Red, black vinyl top, black interior with a bench seat. Loved it.
Those 340s always amaze me... I would like to take my barracuda to the strip one day. Nice vid
They’re quick and they can take some serious abuse! You should definitely take your car to the strip! Is your Barracuda a 340?
@@CarsAndZebras Yeah it has the numbers matching 340 and a four speed. I would hate to hurt the car. But at the same time she deserves to run down the strip full throttle!
It definitely does! It’s pretty tough to blow up a 340, they are very overbuilt for their horsepower/torque.
@@CarsAndZebras Thats what i keep hearing. My dad told me the only 340s he blew up were in circle track racing in a turn when all the oil was on one side of the engine. He bought oil pans designed for circle track racing and he didnt have that problem anymore.
Do these have Fuel injection
I love those 340 Darts, Dusters, and Demons. They were one of the cheapest muscle cars you could buy and were fully capable of embarrassing many of the more expensive big block cars of that era. I had a 73 Duster 340-4 speed. Loved that car
They're great cars! The 340 is a monster
The 1969 M code Dart GTS is the best Dart of 1969
Mine was a 74 360 4spd, had a lot of fun back in the day!
i have a 71 duster 340 . original h code . it was an original 4 speed car but had a 727 torqueflite reverse manual valve body when i bought it . in mybopinion the 340 is the best small block produced back in the late 60s to early 70s . the advertised hp was purposely underrated at 275 hp but in really was around 325 hp.
@@CarsAndZebras the 340 is definitely a giant killer
Great video. As a 15 year old (in 1983) I rode shotgun in a 72 Demon, & we surprised a 69ss Chevelle in a street race.
Just like in video, we jumped out front, race was over just before he caught up.
Small blocks of any make have a great advantage with stock tires. Big blocks make a lot more power but it can't be used off the line without burning the tires off.
@@livewire2759
We had a little spin/hop in first gear, a chirp in 2nd, then gone.
The 1000lbs difference between the cars played a part as well.
In a full quarter mile, he'd have got us.
You did mean 500 lbs weight difference right?
@@amc401nash6
We'll they did have two Puerto Rican chicks in the back. There's 250.......
And I don't believe it,
500 lbs? The Chevelle was a Demon and a half as big!
@@johntempest267 I have a book with the shipping weight of every US built car between 1946 to 1975. A 70 big block Chevelle would be around 3600 lbs and the 72 Demon would be around 3100 lbs.
Your commentary is both hilarious and nostalgic Lee entertaining thank you
When I was a kid a guy in town had one of these Chevys. I thought I had to have a SS396 cause that was the fastest car in the world. Needless to say by the time I was in Jr. High I knew better.but I still love the look of them today. The little 340s will bite you if you aren't careful. Looks like a pretty close matchup here.
I graduated high school in 1970 and rode around in almost all these cars.
Lucky
Nice
l Graduated in '74 but there were still plenty of muscle cars around. Great memories!
I graduated in 2004 and ride in these cars. I own a 67 Dart, and a 70 Chevelle. And a few other old ones
70' Chevelle SS 396 (402) forest green white stripes and that awesome cowl induction opening up saying "give me more air" is my car.
The coolest car ever made.
My buddy’s gf in the 80’s had one but a convertible
Light yellow black top
340 Dodge Dart Swinger
I tell my son all the cars we had in school
Who had a GTO
Who had chevelle
Who had what
He is so envious of what we all had
Back in da day
And kids these days will get to brag about their..... Chevrolet cobalt??? 😆
My dad's '69 DART GTS was destroying all of the big block cars back in the day. That 340 was pushing way over its weight class.
My best friend in high school had the dart. Our sophomore year we pulled the 340, carried it into his parents basement and spent all winter rebuilding it. I can't remember where he got it but he found a manifold and 3 deuces. It was hard to get the carbs turned but we did. It was a 10 second car, when everything was just right and I held my breath. I never could beat him. I had a 69 z28. It was very low miles and I just didn't want to mess up the way it came from the factory. I was happy later, when I sold it. My little brother was his comp. He had a 67 mustang fastback. He bought it when he was 14. Rented a garage and was there every day working on it for 2 years. That 289 was so quick. He had a manual but had never learned how to drive one, so he and I took it to a parking lot and then we were all set to get back and protect them from being able to really act like you have to have a conversation with 55
Damn, I owed a Dart GTS 340 with an 850 dual holly carb and other goodies. Wish I had it today. It was a beast and damn, I had some great times burning rubber.
I’ve got another video coming of a different GTS 340 coming in the future. It makes me want to buy one... but wow, the prices are kind of crazy for those cars.
@@CarsAndZebras I'll be looking forward to it. Sometimes I wish I still had it and wonder what my $1000 investment would be worth now 😀
The jack in the crack commercial finally made sense lol sometimes I watch your videos just to watch what movie reference you come up next but jack in the crack swinger is an instant classic
I believe it was Dick Maxwell who stated that the factory would take random 340's off the line and dyno them to make sure everything was up to snuff. He said that he never saw one put out less than 325 hp.
Don't know to much about the mechanics of engines but I'm sure as hell learn alot about them now that I've found this Channel, since
I was a kid I've always Loved these
Cars, love the lines, those curves and those Malevolent Sinister Mean as Hell Stances they Possess! Well now I'm gonna learn
the Power behind Presence............
🎸💚
My 69 swinger 340 had a 727 Torqueflight transmission and it had hemi torque converter. Bench seat Automatic on the column. Great car. Red with a black vinyl top, black interior.
The L78 396 was only available in the first part of 70 chevelle production. It was dropped when the ls6 454 was introduced. The l78 and ls6 were not available at the same time. Back in the 80’s, one of My older brothers bought a wrecked factory black/ black 70 L78 4 spd chevelle ss. The engine was gone but we swapped the ss hood (non cowl induction) , dash disc brakes and 12 bolt 3:31 posi rear into my le mans blue 71 el camino. No ss emblems. and i later built a 355 for it. I sold it in the 90’s way too cheap. Wish i still had it.
Need to do 68/69 Lemans with the 350HO. Mine came off the showroom floor with the 360HO rated at 330hp, Muncie M21 and a 4.11 rear gear and ran 14.32 @ 96mph in the quarter. Very under rated car.
Yeah, overshadowed by the GTO. Love those Pontiacs.
That chevelle was on a poster on my bedroom wall, I love it!!!
I had the 1970 4 door Chevelle, with the 307. Like so many others the soft metal cam was worn almost round on 5 cylinders lol. So I put a slightly better profile cam in. I totaled it about a month or so later on my mothers birthday!
Feels good to own a baby Roadrunner.
My dad has always called the dart a baby roadrunner. Guess he's not the only one lol
Pretty stupid comment actually.
A valiant would be a baby rr
A dart would be a baby coronet
But 340 darts would eat most b-body for lunch
LOVED my '67 GTS 383... yes, '67.......no rom for p/s parallel parking became my forte....factory headers to squeeze it in... what a beast.
Sitting in my garage right now is a 69 1/2 six pack superbee a12 car in hemi orange
You said Hemi!
You LUCKY DAWG !! My DREAM car !! I had an Orange '70. Most reliable car I ever owned, and I drove it like it stole it every day.
Is it restored?
Fantastic car!!
Dodge put bad-ass motors in their small ("A") body Dart long before 1968. Starting in 1965, they dropped a 273 ci motor in the Dart GT, along with a 4-speed. I had the '66 version, in canary yellow, with a 4-speed center console, black half-vinyl roof, and a 3.23(?) Positraction rear end. Unfortunately, when that motor was rebuilt and bored 0.030 over, the 6 cylinder drive train just won't hold up. After burning up the stock clutch, breaking a u-joint, then stripping the puny little 7.25" ring gear in the rear, I swapped in an 8.75"/3.55 ratio Posi from a '68 'Cuda. That thing would chew up and spit out 289 Mustangs and even 307 Chevys! Funny thing is, I don't remember what became of it :-( Ahhh, the 70s - if you remember them, you weren't there!
3:02 The 402 was built in Tonawanda NY (just north of my home town of Buffalo). Its been said that people who worked there have said that they had a machining issue when they were boring those 396 blocks and decided to perform a .030" overbore to save them. Not sure how true this story is but it kinda makes sense being that there really isnt much to gain from punching an engine .030" over.
Love those little darts and are so badass when equipped with big block or even 340 6 pk. Just about bought a 71 last year with built 413 wedge and was a badass lil machine, but unfortunately the deal fell through and didn't work out
😩
Those 340s are fast! My dad talks all the time about owning a 73 roadrunner with a 340.
They were a great buy back then!
the last fast 340s were in 71 kid.
@@guynese977 nope last was 73 then they went 360.
@@MBailey1977 im talkin about performance...71 was the last yr. for10.5 compression. yor old mans was likr 8.0
@@guynese977 Well, not exactly "last fast". Beginning in 1972 the 340 was indeed detuned slightly to meet new emissions requirements, but it was still a lightweight little rocket! My then new '72 340 Duster 3-speed manual was still potent and quite fast for random street drags.
Its weakness was it didn't have a 'positraction' limited slip rear end so I always opted for a rolling start where possible to keep wheel spin down. I was a young USAF grunt in the Vietnam war and had planned to swap out the rear end for a limited-slip and a 4-speed tranny, but my small budget and overseas military deployment got in the way. Didn't matter, the little 340 Duster was still a screamer and so much fun to drive.😁👍
I've had one of these since 1981. numbers matching red and black cowl induction L34 400 turbo. I'm 3rd owner. bought the car for 1400 dollars which was my whole lives savings at 19 yrs old. smoked a lot of cars in my day with that car and daily drove it for years. can go turn key on it rite now and drive it anywhere. and still respectable for a 50 yr old car
Oddly, my oldest brother had a 1969 Dogge Dart Swinger 340 and one of his best friends had a 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS 396. They used to race a 75/80 dragway, where Motorweek did their tests ages ago (long since closed). By 1974 they were both banned. The cars were so evenly matched and ran so well and the drivers could hit their E/T so often, that when they pulled up, most others dropped out...and the cars were stock. Eventually they got banned from the stock class and eventually just said F it.... not sure what happened to the Chevelle, but the Dart is finishing a many years and mor money than I would have spent restoration after we sold to my kids swim coach... Great match up that most folks would never expect to be so good!
The 70 Chevelle SS was thee, muscle car. Beautiful, fast and looked great in any color...except that pale yellow of course.
Ride Like a Pro Jerry Palladino 🤢
I had a 68 Barracuda 340 Fornula S . On the track and stock it would run 14 flat ,locker 8 1/4 with a 727 auto trans . I made some changes . Best run was 9.90 around 140 something .
What was everything done to get 9.9
Some changes LOL
Finally,reality.That's a ballpark time for these stock 340's.I did see a few in the 13.60 range with the usual mods back then.
What is locker 81/4 supposed to mean?
@@Lightningbug122 8 1/4 " differential with 727 Torqueflight tranny.Not familiar with that size tho.most Mopar muscle cars had the strong Dana diffs. and axles.I know of the 7 1/4" and an 8 3/4" unit,however.
My ex father-in-law still has the 1970 ss ls6 chevelle he bought brand new in high school unmolested all original, with right around 9000 miles! In fact it looks just like the black one in the vid with white stripes n black vinyl roof!
Great video I'm a chevy guy through and through but after your history lesson on the swinger make's want to get down tonight and get me a swinger yeah baby. Awesome car's. 👍👊
My bud had a 340/6 barrel (6-pack) dual point distributor and pistol grip. Also factory cast iron headers? In a black Duster w/black interior. I've not seen another one. Great car...also a bench seat.... he bought it from his father's coworker. An iron worker in Ohio.
Interesting information
in regard to the 70 Chevelle
SS 454 which factory stated
horsepower was 470 horse
at 5000 RPM ! I own this
engine in my 56 Chevy Sports
Sedan and the transmission
which is the automatic with
the 2500 stall ! Which I call
my 11 second grocery getter !
Reminds me of the 64 GTO
with a 389 4 speed !
But modern day dyno testing has proven that few cars from back then exceeded 400hp. Dynos don't lie
WCTA Chicago underground sound
The LS6 you say did not come out
with 470 horse factory rated
horse power !
The 454 LS6 in the Chevelle was factory rated at 450 horsepower. The Corvette LS7 at 460 horsepower.
My 70 Dart Swinger 340 busted a 12.98s thru the quarter mile in Fayetteville NC to win the bracket finals. I also buried the speedometer, 150 plus coming down the mountain from Asheville headed home to Knoxville one morning around 1 AM. That was a bad ass car.
I had a '68 Dodge Dart 340 in HS 78/79. Bumble Bee Yellow with the black stripe in the back. What a great car.
In 1978 I got my first car: a 1970 Chevelle SS 396, 350 hp automatic. It cost $700 used. My parents had no idea. Always a thrill to fire up that engine.
340 also had 18 degree cylinder heads from the factory, they were little monsters.
& 18° Cylinder Heads are the Normal in Big power Circle Track Racing & that 340 had them in Iron Form back in the day !!!
Good, honest cars here. Good driving too, really consistent times and representative of what you might find at a street light, circa 1970.
Thanks
New here and great races and match - ups.
I can lay claim to knowing how good the 340 is.
Yes I have beaten 396, 383,390Ford and AMC AND A 389 tri power.
Anyhow my reason for commenting was two fold.
First, great channel and I was not sure if you or everyone saw the Hot Rod small block build.
The 340 that can beat all comers in the small Block category. Ford's, LS, YOU NAME IT. THE guys that did it were Chevy guys that were tired of hearing about that SB MOPAR. They build them now after winning highest HP AND TORQUE out of any small block.You can Google hot rod 340wins sb build competitions. Not gloating its a great article and contest. Cool stuff.
@john thonig
Do you live close to great lakes dragaway, ROUTE 66 or 131??
If you do I have 6 bone stock 340 Dusters and Demons and 3 340 Darts. All absolutely Bone Stock
3 Dusters, 1Demon and all 3 Darts never rebuilt either.
The other 2 were rebuilt to bone stock specs
I know it was my speed shop that rebuilt them. Anyhow..... come April or may I would love to set you up racing at least 6 of the 340 cars. I will film it and I promise every last inch of the races will go on my new channel( January)about racing, my cars and speed shop
@@soxfunny98 hes a shit talker he wined to me about that 327 boat ⚓
THESE ARE REAL GOOD CARS TO HAVE FUN IN DRAG RACING , MOST OF THEM CAN USE AROUND IN THE STREET FOR CRUSING AND IN THE TRACK , A CAR THAT CAN RUN FOR EXAMPLE 5 SECONDS IN A 1/4 MILE IS FOR RUN AND SPEND A LOT OF MONEY AND CANT USE FOR ANITHING MORE
Half of there races ive watched it basically comes down too who is the better driver
And the far lane almost always has a better get-go.
@@wymple09 Exactly right.
Concur. I question how many drivers really know how to race w/ a 4 speed today.
had the same 396 in my nova the nova was a whole lot faster ! my 70 chevelle was an LS 6 454 and yes there were more 454s than 396 chevelles in 70. im older now and looking at building a swinger I love the car all together its a cool package and swingers are still affordable !
There were NOT more SS454's built than SS396's. It actually wasn't even close. A/C wasn't available on a LS6 Chevelle (it was on the 360hp LS5 however). Plus, the 396 was cheaper. So, cheaper plus A/C equals many more sales.
Lies the 454 ss only a few were made ......the 396ss were more common
No wonder I beat so many 396s in street drags with my 340 dart. They get out of the hole quick and street drags often don't allow enough time for the big block to catch the 340.
🐂💩😂🤣😂🤣
In '70 I was torn between two cars.....the Chevelle and the Roadrunner. I went with the 440 RR.....should have robbed a bank and bought them both!
You have real parenting issues! :-)
@@billk9628 Unfortunately I sold the RR and got a 72 Nova.....it was a pile. Musta been made on a Friday or Monday....was pumping oil at 30,000.....of course, I could break a crowbar in a sandbox stark naked and lose one piece.....
Love that Coronet R/T at the beginning and end. Liked and subscribed.
The Chevelle base price included a 3 speed manual transmission IF one wanted to upgrade to the 4 speed or automatic, then the prices listed are correct....most dealers were selling these cars for 500 over invoice, which was significantly less than the list price....btw, that 3 speed was a all synchro unit, but was not very strong in comparison to the 4 speeds available....
How many times are you going to comment the same stupid garbage? The video is obviously about a super sport Chevelle. The three speed manual was not available in the super sport package. Quit being such an obnoxious dummy. I hope he blocks you for spamming the comments section.
The 402 was actually a truck engine. In the truck category, it was called the 400. The problem? It had a cast crank and cast pistons with oval port heads. I had the 350hp 396 in a '65 Malibu SS. It was an abandoned engine I rebuilt. I honed the cylinders, installed new cast iron rings, 3 angle valve job and installed a Sig Erson Hi Flo 1 cam. I used a rectangular hi-rise intake on the oval port heads with an 800 Holley double pumper. I street raced that combo until it spun a bearing. My neighbor had a LS-6 that came out of his '70 Chevelle 454. I bought it and swapped it into my Malibu. I ran an M-21 4 speed and a 4:88 12 bolt.
402 was both a truck and car engine, built differently for each application. But it was just a 396 that was .030 over, it wasn't a different engine. The one in the car was not the same one in trucks, different heads/cam/intake, etc.
@@SealofPerfectionexactly right! Thanks for correcting him. I have a 1970 Monte Carlo that has a 402. My neighbor has a 1970 SS Monte Carlo that is beautiful with the original 454 that inspired me. A retired guy had owned my Monte Carlo but he passed away. It’s in decent condition and all complete. It needs a rebuild because it has a bad rod bearing. I didn’t need it but it was a good deal and had everything including fender skirts over the rear wheel wells or whatever they are called. I have 2 66 Chevelles and a 66 El Camino. I need to start restoring them or sell a couple. My first car has a 427. I bought it in 1980 and pulled the 230 six cylinder and had a master mechanic build a 427 for it thst still runs great.
MY first car was a 68 charger and have had a lot of B bodies over the years since then, but am starting to get into the A bodz as I've gotten older as well and love the 340 millls. Recently just about bought a 70, but with built to the nuts 413 wedge and was a lil badass. But very unfortunately, the deal fell through and didn't get it 😪
I owned many Plymouth Dusters, they were light and fast. My brother had the 67 GTX 440 automatic, that year the car was light with a big motor. He raced a bunch of cars, but told me about a 302 Camaro beat him up, but the quarter mile he was done.
@john thonig What did they do the 327 to get them to run that good, I'm a 75 Camaro owner myself , my brother told me the only couple of times he got beat was by Chevys , 302 Z28 Camaro,and that 327 in a Nova .
My dad and I used to race a 1971 chevlle started wit a 454 , I 🤔 ls5 , we upped it to like ls7 , in short blew it up , got a 502 Merlin and we never had another issue, the absolute king of the burnout car
Those Swingers are what every old lady bought in the early 70s for grocery shopping......most had the slant 6...
From what I have heard, the L-78 was the largest engine you could get in a 70 Chevelle and the 454 was not available when they started producing them in the late 69s. Chevrolet lifted the mandate that that stated cars could not have any cubic inches larger than 400 around January and the L-78 was replaced with the LS-6 (basically the same engine with a different stroke crankshaft). That is why there are fewer L-78s than LS-6, because only a few months of the total production time of the 70 Chevelle was the L-78 available.
CHEVELLE SS-396 1/4 MILE 14.6 @ 96 MPH = WHY I OBSERVED VEHICLE AT ORANGE COUNTY RACEWAY (OCIR) My friend Barney Murray ran against a SS-396 in his 1970 Duster 340. Barney turned 14.42 G/pure Stock . So I bought a '71 Duster 340, 727 Torqueflite, 3.91 posi: added headers, Edelbrock Torker intake, a Holley 800 cfm spread bore double pump but the car ''wasn't fast enough'' for me. I got a hold of Mr. Norm's Grand Spaulding Dodge and put a Paxton Supercharger on it. We blew out the head gaskets--so took off the heads and had them surfaced and "O-ringed" + Isky triple springs, Teflon oil seals. I was running with the 440-6-packs / 429 Cobra Jets--.dude! the tach hit 7,000 rpm
Pretty cool! 😎
Here's a case where being lighter paid off. Close, but good race. Thumb up.
So cool to see these gorgeous factory muscle cars being driven hard.
I don't know if anyone mentioned this before, but the reason that so few L78 396 cars were built compared to the LS6 was that they were only offered for a few months at the beginning of the model year and was cancelled when the 454 was ready for sale.
I had both of these cars back in the 70's loads of fun with both of them
Ok lets think something You re telling me that You could Buy a car for under 25K with that killing look and that amount of hp, bro what a time to be alive
I'm a Ford man but that era Chevelle was the most beautiful car Chevy ever built...
67 Chevelle was the best looking
I Think he was admiring the Swingers tailights
That light blue metallic is a righteous color. Anyone know what Chevy called it?
I had a 73 Nova was out one night a 340 dart pulled up and beat me by a mile and a half love that 340 Mopar one of the best engines ever made .
Enjoy your videos keep up the good work
Any Boss 351 vs 71 SCJ Mustang or SCJ Torino’s?
Like to see the Boss 351 VS 340 Dart or Boss 351 VS Z28 Camaro.
71 Torino Cobra 351 VS Boss 351.
I noticed you were surprised by the fact that one could still get a powerglide transmission in 1970.
My parents had a 1972 Chevy Nova with a 250 inline six and a powerglide transmission...and get this....it was "air cooled". Ever heard of an air cooled automatic transmission? Look it up, it actually existed! The "air cooling" was via two large holes cut out in the bell housing of the transmission. It was done on the production line (it may have been cast that way).
I think the PG lasted through the late-70's, possibly going away with the Nova at the end of the '79 model year, but I'm only speculating on that point.
My 1st car was a 1969 Dart gave my friends run for their money. They have Cameros, Firebirds, GTOs, Mustangs with bigger engine. My Dart powered by 383 with 750 double pumper Holley Carb with Dana 3.55 rear, 4 speed stick.
Great street car times! Either wins a lot of light 2 light races. Well done!
@Cars and Zebras what movie is that " once you go taco you never go backo "?
I had a 1968 GTS 340 with 3:91 gears that ran 13;04 right out of the show room.
It seems that the 3.91 gears were the best set for the 340
Amazing!! That sounds like 440/302 Z/28 territory.
340 was no match against Z-28, factory stock.I speak from experience.
Nope!
I really dig your channel. Thank you
Wake up call... On the Monday morning following the 1969 Daytona 500, GM management held a board meeting and discontinued the 396. Reason: The 1969 SS Chevelle's that entered the 500 experienced oil pressure issues that led to major crank/rod damage or failures, the first car stopping on lap 19. Top finishing SS 396 was a 1967 model, 13 laps down. Serious egg on the face of GM Corp.!
GM's 402 replacement engine wasn't about boring the 396 .030 over, it was about GM total revamped of the 396 oiling system to protect the rotating assy..
Also, in 1968 GM and Ford were fighting for 2nd place in the NHRA Factory production class, a battle won by Fords 428 Cobra Jet Mustangs ..while GM continued to struggle finding success with their SS 396.
There was no difference in any of the Mark IV blocks and their oiling systems. A 402 was the same old 396 block with .030 overbore.
GM was not in racing in the late 60's, so any support they gave was back channel and unofficial, unlike Ford and Mopar who were all-in.
There were only 10 Chevy cars entered out of 51 in the 69 500, none of which were factory sponsored in the least.
GOT BEAT ON THE STREET BY A 340 SWINGER, 4 SPEED. I WAS SHOCKED!! WENT OUT AND BOUGHT A YEAR OLD 69 GTO RAM AIR IV. TOOK CARE OF THAT PROBLEM!
What were you driving before the GTO?
THE CAR i GOT BEAT IN WAS A STOCK ;65 BUICK GRAN SPORT, 4 SPEED. GREAT CAR.
@@carsbyjeff my dad had a new ‘66 442, 4bbl, 4 APD 3.55’s. A guy he worked with had a ‘65 Riv and thought it was all that. It wasn’t a fair fight. They went from a dead stop, from a rolling start and from 20mph/go. The Nailheads were very good but it was heavier, didn’t have the gearing or transmission. The 66-67 442’s were very strong.
Was that an extra 115 cubes
I've had 3 different 340s . In a small town of 5000 in eastern Canada. There wasn't a chevelle a mustang a Camaro that could deal with them . Now that was the days ( early 70s ) when speed part's weren't exactly on the wall. After blowing the rear end in my duster I remember the Plymouth dealer telling me I couldn't get a different ratio . That's how it was then.
Thought cowl induction was for engine to get more air. Question: Isnt it supposed to close when turn car off & be flat or stick up???
Im a mopar guy and i have to agree, although the 66 thru 69 chevelles were nice too
those Dart/Swingers were quick, however, the interior was rather utilitarian, and they were prone to rust. Conversely, they were easy to work on and maintain
Read a few car magazines huh?
Darts rule lame ass
What is the name of that paint colour on the Chevelle? Tourquoise?
Iam a mopar fan and i will be the first to tell you the 340 put many big blocks of all makes and models on the trailer, even the big bad Hemi cars, probley the best motor ever built