1970 Chevelle SS396 vs 1969 Dart Swinger 340 - PURE STOCK DRAG RACE + history/specs
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- Опубліковано 3 вер 2019
- 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396 vs 1969 Dodge Dart Swinger 340. Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race (FAST Factory Stock)
Our first car is a 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS396, and the other is a 1969 Dodge Dart Swinger.
What do you think of these two cars?!? I don’t know if there is a more iconic muscle car than the 1970 Chevelle... and of course, that’s what this video features: a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396 L34. So no, it’s not the SS454 LS6 450+ horsepower monster, but it’s still a fantastic car with equally fantastic performance. It’s packing 350 horsepower, which is nothing to laugh about, and a 4-speed. It’s interesting that the Chevelle hasn’t been made for decades, yet, people still readily recognize it. Overall a great car with some interesting history. And it’s opponent... well, what can I say... it’s a 1969 Dodge Dart Swinger 340. You might think to yourself, “well, it’s ONLY a 340,” and that would be a major mistake. The 340 was very underrated, and the car was EXTREMELY lightweight. Not to mention that since it was a Swinger model it was essentially stripped down like the Roadrunner from Plymouth. This car is no joke, and I think is one of the most undervalued muscle cars right now. But prices are only going up, so buy one while you can! It features the tried and try Torqueflight automatic trans. What a great match-up, so thanks to the drivers for still using them! Both cars are featured in the Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race series.
Remember, both cars participate in the Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race series, so please check out their website: www.psmcdr.com
Also make sure you check them out on Facebook!
The rules for PSMCDR are listed below:
For 1955 to 1979 musclecars built in United States and Canadian assembly plants with a minimum warranty of 12 months and 12,000 miles.
Any car running faster than 11.50 will be disqualified and will not have a qualifying time recorded.
Any convertible running faster than 13.50 will be disqualified and will not have a qualifying time recorded.
Casting numbers must be correct for the year and horsepower claimed including intake manifold, heads, and exhaust manifolds. Blocks do not have to be "numbers matching," but they must be the correct displacement. Overbores up to .070" are allowed. Stock cranks only.
All Engines - 1.5 extra points allowed over advertised.
The camshaft must be correct for the year, model, and horsepower claimed for the type of lifter (hydraulic or solid). Roller cams NOT allowed.
The valve train must be factory stock for the year, make, and horsepower claimed.
The ignition system must be stock, including the distributor, cap, coil, and wires. Points may be replaced with any electronic conversion that fits under the stock distributor cap.
The carburetor must be correct for the year, make, and horsepower claimed. Jetting and metering changes are permitted. THE CHOKE ASSEMBLY MUST BE IN PLACE AND FUNCTIONAL!
Cast-iron exhaust manifolds are mandatory and must be correct for the year, model, and horsepower claimed. Internal modifications to the exhaust manifolds are NOT allowed. Under no circumstances will headers be allowed, including those cars that came with headers delivered in the trunk. Pipes must be routed as they were originally for the year, make, model, and engine combination. Mufflers must be stock looking in design, that is, oval in shape. No glasspacks or straight pipes allowed unless installed as original equipment. Maximum muffler inlet and outlet size is 2.5 inches. X & H pipes allowed.
The radiator must be correct for the year, make, model, and horsepower claimed. No lightweight, aluminum radiators allowed.
The camshaft must be correct for the year, model, and horsepower claimed for the type of lifter (hydraulic or solid). Roller cams NOT allowed. Duration at .050" lobe lift must be within 1% of factory specs. Lift at the valve must be within 2% of factory specs. Maximum stall limited to 2200 rpm.
The transmission must be correct for year, make, model and engine of the car. 3-speed manuals may be upgraded to the correct 4-speed if originally available.
The rear axle must be of the same manufacturer as the car. Any gear ratio is allowed.
Reproduction tires or radial tires only.You are allowed to run tires one size over stock.
Factory wheels only.
For business inquiries, please email: carsandzebras@gmail.com
Additional tags: factory stock, factory stock drag race, factory stock racing, pure stock drag race, super car drag race, super car racing, super car, super stock, super stock racing, nhra, nhra stock, nhra super stock, pure stock muscle car drag race, muscle car drag race, modern muscle drag race, stock drag race, top fuel, pro stock, funny car, top dragster, classic car, classic car drag race, fast drag, factory appearing stock tire, muscle car, muscle car drag race, drag race, barn find - Авто та транспорт
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.
In 1977 I bought a '70 Duster 340 for $600. It needed painted and only had a primer finish. I ended up having it painted black with "Black Betty" written on the rear quarter panels. Got the idea from the hit song Black Betty that year. Hey I was 18 years old at that time. Sure wish I still had it.
A 7 year old car in primer!! 😂
Oh O Black Betty
I had a 1970 Dart 340 and a 72 Duster 340. The group Ram Jam is from my neck of the woods Oxford Ohio.
I fondly remember my black on black 1970 dart, 340 with 4 speed manual. Fun, fast, and under-rated.
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.
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!
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.
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....
That was one close race, with the Chevy only winning at the end! That Dart can more than hold its own.
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’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
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
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
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.
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.
Those lightweight Mopars were low maintenance and sneaky quick 👍🚘
Yes, I had one in a Duster.
My Dad, Clifton York, owned a 69 Dart with the 340/4spd combo thru the 70s, while his buddy, David "Goody" Goodman owned a 70 Chevelle SS with the 396/M-21 combo during the same time period. The funny thing was while they won several races when they raced other cars, when they would try to race each other, something would break down on Dad's Dart or Goody's Chevelle so they never really got to race each other with those cars.
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.
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.
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!😂👍
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.
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
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
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
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
Mine Dart was a swinger 340 Red, black vinyl top, black interior with a bench seat. Loved it.
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.
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??? 😆
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.
Your commentary is both hilarious and nostalgic Lee entertaining thank you
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!
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
That chevelle was on a poster on my bedroom wall, I love it!!!
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 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
The most appetizing thing about this whole video is that commercial I want a pastrami and Swiss now
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.
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.
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.
🐂💩😂🤣😂🤣
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.
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.
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 😀
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.....
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!!
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.
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.
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
Those Swingers are what every old lady bought in the early 70s for grocery shopping......most had the slant 6...
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 !!!
In High School, Huntington Park, Calif class of 71, I had a 55 Chevy 2 Door Handy Man Station Wagon, 327, 11 to 1 comp, Duntov 20/20 solid lifter cam, camel back heads, single quad tunnel ram, 780 Holly, M20 4spd, 4:11 12 bolt posi and a tilt front end, it ran REAL low 14's, the guy in high school who gave me the best run for my money, by far, had a stone stock 1967 Dodge Dart GTS, 340, 4 spd, W/Hurst spaghetti linkage (that's what it was called, way before the pistol grip, lol), not sure what the rear end ratio was, Blue w/white bumble bee stripe, very impressive car, I still think about it, your video was great, brought back a lot of good memories, that 340 really gets it
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............
🎸💚
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
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.😁👍
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!
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!
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
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.
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
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 really dig your channel. Thank you
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.
Love that Coronet R/T at the beginning and end. Liked and subscribed.
Enjoy your videos keep up the good work
I had both of these cars back in the 70's loads of fun with both of them
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!
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
Im a mopar guy and i have to agree, although the 66 thru 69 chevelles were nice too
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!
340 was the Giant killer.
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 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 .
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
😩
My dad bought a 340 Swinger new in '69. It was our family car for 10 years. It was blue with a white stripe.
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
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.
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.
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?
@@johncronin7481 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.
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! 😎
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 ⚓
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
1970 Chevelle my second car
I also remember a 375 hp 396 bored to a 402.
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
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.
Very cool !! Thanks for posting 💕💞💓💞
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 .
Here's a case where being lighter paid off. Close, but good race. Thumb up.
Great street car times! Either wins a lot of light 2 light races. Well done!
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
Owned 69 swinger hurt a lot of feelings with that car what a ride
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.
I raced back in the early seventies. And I mean when cars were pretty much stock. My 69 roadrunner run 14.74. And a stock 340 Duster ran right beside me. He would get me out of the hole, but I would barely get back around him. He ran 14.96. I'm just saying,a 383 roadrunner, 396 Chevelle and the little 340 were not much difference. And I'm not talking about 375 ,396s.some of the small blocks could really surprise you.
Nothing like Ol` Skool American Muscle!!!✊🏿👊🏿
I just bought a beautiful 66 Charger and she is scary fast plus the beautiful interior.
My first 70 Duster 340 4sp ran 13:23 @ 112 with headers what a beast 3.91 gears
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.
awesome!
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.
The '58 Edsel was a beautiful car!
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 😪