I'm done with your channel. Those cars aren't stock. Those are F.A.S.T. class. Factory Appearing Stock Tires where motor modifications are allowed. Those cars stock, ran in the 14's. Your title says, "Pure Stock Drag Race" and they aren't stock!
Have you ever taken the time to read the video description box? These are NOT F.A.S.T. class cars. It’s Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Racing. Good grief, I even talked about that AGAIN in the video.... Including the modifications that they allow. Do you even watch the videos, or just go right to complaining like a baby?
@@rickuyeda4818 I knew someone would be the first one to say that these car's are not stock. Did you not listen to the video. They allow miner modifications with in a very strict rule book. So yes they are stock with miner modifications. They are not factory appearing cars. Next time listen to the video
That is impressive . You have been the caretaker of a amazing piece of americana 🇺🇸 for 50 years👍. Hope you have enjoyed it the whole time any for many more years to come !
Hey Steve I had a 1971 it was brown with black interior it had a slant 6couldn't afford anything else back then they also made a 318 that was pretty nice
LOVE the 340 Mopar A-Bodies. They were probably the most inexpensive high performance cars you could buy in those days and they were more than capable of embarrassing many of the more well known and more expensive big block muscle cars. I had a 73 Duster 340-4 speed and that thing was a screamer even with the low compression smog 340. I loved that car and wish I never sold it. I threw out the smog pump and put headers on it but other than that it was totally stock. You could buy a 340 Dart, Duster, or Demon for less than $3,000 brand new and be competitive against any other muscle car on the market at that time. I wish I kept my 69 Roadrunner 383/727 too
My duster did a lot of whooping in the 80's. only nemesis back in '86 was the buick t-type with a chip. Keep in mind we fought within our weight class so to speak. full race motor cars did not normally drive on the street. power adders were uncommon then too.
@@williamrogers1507 Not stock it can't -- in reality, the Plymouth had the superior power-to-weight ratio from the factory. Unibody Dusters were much lighter than Body On Frame Chevelles. Even with the claimed 375 horses, the 396 were always slow in the heavy Chevelle. They were pretty potent in the Novas, though.
Cool Video. The Duster 340 is a an original paint survivor car and the owner can drive a 4 speed really well. Never underestimate a 340 they didn't call it the giant killer back in the day for nothing! Cool stuff. Thanks Cars and Zebras for posting all this stuff from the Pure Stock Drags :)
I had a 68 barracuda fastback with 3 pedals. The four speed manual had a longer duration cam and I had 8.25x 14 Michelin X tires otherwise no one could explain the 13.92 quarter . Maybe a timer malfunction?
The Corvette was always going to struggle with traction with the tyres it had, but still the Duster 340 are just brilliant cars even when the Corvette got moving it couldn't catch it, both great cars though.
I just bought a all original very low mileage 1971 Dodge Demon 340 but its sat unused at all for the last 45 years . Its really clean but will need plenty of attention
A 340Duster is a 340 Duster,but a'66 Vette was available with multiple engine options.At over 100hp advantage and maybe 150 pounds heavier than a Duster,it's advantage Vette.The engine also produced over 1hp/cu in and far better aero at 100mph.As it is 50yrs later,the only true stock comparisons are in the memories of street racers at that time and drag strip hobos.I have seen many runs with these stockers,and only a few would crack into the 13's.Even the 327/ 375hp fueley Vettes at that time were much faster.Still if I had my pick of Chrysler offerings for a good looking ,fun car,it would be a Plum Crazy '70 Duster.Styling and performance for that smallblock,midsized catagory was the best by far over all the other makes.
Notice the Vette couldn't grip in the left lane, I would have loved to see it run in the right lane again. The Duster gripped better due to less power, and of course the ingenious chrysler engineered leaf spring system that acted like a ladder bar set up. I love Corvettes, but I have tremendous respect for all Mopars.
I think a 427 in the Vette would’ve made a big difference, but those 340 Dusters were fast my brother had one. That one lane sucked , the Duster lost in that lane when it was in it. Still a impressive performance.
@Grumpy468 Actually, not! The Cleveland was only good for full blown modifications. It was designed for NASCAR. But for street the Windsor was awsome! And I was running 3.08 rear diff.
My first car I bought and financed was a 71 duster with a slant six 3 on the floor manual transmission, I paid 900.00 bucks for it and my monthly payment was 43.00 dollars, those were the days.
@@anthonynelson9136 it was 2& half years old, it was only about 2,300/ 2,500 new . Manual transmission, no air, no power steering, am radio, no carpet. It was pretty bare bones, but it was a good car for me, I had it for about 5 years, then it was stolen from in front of my house, and I was paid 800dollars for it from the insurance, so I made out on that one, probably about the only time, lol.
I had a 71 duster with a 318, 3spd man on the floor, and bare bones interior. Bench seat vinyl no power options. It was light and quick, and got 23 mpg on the highway. Mopar orange dual exhaust with glass packs. Quiet it was not.
Of course I will take the stingray all day, but the 340 Dusters were awesome as well, and very underrated.....the 340s were no joke! Thanks for posting...love your channel!
Wow. I didn't expect that duster to do so well especially against a big block vette. Quite impressive but I still love that stingray. I think it is one of the best looking autos ever made. Way ahead of it's time for sure.
I like both, but you are right. That Corvette is extremely special. One year only high-performance engine in the Corvette, knock off wheels, side pipes, all original numbers matching car!
And after the race, the Corvette can actually turn and stop. Imagine the pucker factor in the Duster if it had to slow down and then turn at the end of the strip. As the guy on graveyard cars said, an absolutely worn out 70's Camaro would outhandle a brand new mopar.
The car that converted me to MOPAR was a 1970 340 4-gear Duster. I had a 1957 Chevy 150 business coupe. Rarely beaten, yet the Duster spanked me. 2 weeks after losing to the Duster, I owned a 1971 Dodge Demon - virtually the same car. 340/4-gear/3.91 Suregrip. It was a hoss. Still smile about it. That was back in 1974, BTW.
I had a 72 Duster with a 318 in high school. Put a 4:10 rear in it and chopped the exhaust. It would kill Iroc Camaros and 5.0 Mustangs light to light. That thing would launch hard. I broke several motor mounts. But it was just a little 318, and those Dusters didn't weigh very much either.
I had a 71 Duster with a 318 2bbl and a 3spd. Mopar orange, base base model no power nothing. That little car was a badass. Not as fast as my 455 71 cutlass sx or my 72 chevelle with a 350 built to Lt1 specs. I wish it had had a 4bbl then it might have been.
thank you for another great video of one of our cars.i love your sense of humor! here is a little history on our 65 vette. 100% orignal drivetrain m21 trans 4.10 rear gear 11.1 comp l78 396. the car weight in at 3850 with me in it, and i weigh 235-245? the 4.10 gear is not enough for what this motor is capable of, it needs 4.56-4.88 to let it wind up. i was shifting it at 7200 and only crossing the line at 5900-6000, not near enough.. it actually dogged a little in 4th, and you can here it in the video. it actually went a 13.32 in test-tune sat spinning. but trying too get these skinny gold line tires down the track sucked.. one post pointed out that i was missing hub caps in the rear! those are original knock off wheels not hub caps.. and yes, a friend loaned me a set of steel wheels with f70 goodyear tires from his 66 too try. they helped alot. but still not enough..that duster runs hard, and is a purpose built car for just these races. i loved that duster! i would own it in a split second! and will buy one someday just because i love 340s..our 65 was put together as a NCRS judged original car down too the nuts and bolts, it may never see that. but the drag racing bug took over with a few buddys poking at me about my wifes 71 chevelle convert and the 65. so i broke under the presure! and brought both cars too play with..and history was made, because now i have too listen too my wife say how her car damn near whooped the 65!. oh well, time will tell..thanks again for the great time i look forward too playing more....
Thank you for telling us more about your Corvette. It is a beautiful car. Take a LOT of practice to get the launch off the line down just right on that car. Those factory tires are ridiculously skinny and the independent rear suspension wasn't designed for drag racing at all. It still performed well and was very enjoyable to see. Something tells me the market value of the vette has increased rather more than that dusters has. And not that it really matters but the rear leaf spring suspension on all dodge and plymouth performance cars from 68 to 72 was designed to work well for drag racing. I wonder if running stiffer rear leaf springs is allowed in the rules or if anyone checks that kind of thing as I know from personal experience it makes a noticeable difference on those cars as does longer than stock rear shocks, removing the spring clamps from the rear half of the springs and a much larger rubber bumper on the pinion snubber of the rear axle. All of which would take some effort to check on an otherwise stock appearing car.
Yes,this one and several others' numbers were refactored by NHRA as result of their class performance against other makes.Not a Mopar guy, but I consider this engine one I would prefer for dependability and power in a small packege.Better than I think,Chevy's great 327.I believe it was refactored to 320hp instead of 290.
@john thonigYes, there was a 327/350 that came out in '65. My best man still had his Chevelle in '71 with many miles on it.Stock it had the same forged parts the 340 had,along with a pretty lumpy cam.He gapped my brother's 440 Magnum Charger with it.
I also have a 72 Duster..... more accurate is my wife has a 72 Duster. It is a one owner. Wifey bought it new when in High School. Parked next to is a 1970 Nova SS. Also one owner. I purchased new when I was in high school.
When I was a young Marine stationed in D.C. in the early/mid 70's I bought a used '65 Roadster with the 396/425 H.P. L78 engine. It was stock other then headers and a Holley 850 Double Pumper carb with mechanical secondaries. Mine also had the off road (side) exhaust. They were damn fast cars but with the OEM tires of '65, traction was non existent off the line (My car had 4.11:1 rear gears)...I bought her with the OEM wheels/tires but changed those out to bigger torque thrusts with much wider 60 series rubber...she handled much better and got off the line better too. Had a lot of fun in that car, wish I would have kept her but after I got out of The Corps I was headed to Engineering College and needed something more economical...she would get 9 mpg IF you kept your foot out of the go pedal, haha.
Back in the 70's I sat in my cousin's Duster with a built 340 as he slapped it through the 4 speed. It was quite invigorating. (Read: Scary as F**K!). I was NOT ready for that. My step-brother had a '67 Corvette 427/425hp. It was an auto trans but he had traction issues with that beast. Good memories...
In 1978 I raced a 1970 Duster 340 that was a regular bracket racer, mildly prepped with headers, 4:10s, etc.. I drove a 1968 SS 396 Chevelle with 3:23 gears and bone-stock 325 hp engine! All I did was flip the air cleaner lid. The rat beat the 340 by a fender, twice.
@@glenparks5175 Really? Then why are 396 Camaros or Novas in a much quicker Stock Eliminator class than any of the 340 cars (A/S or B/S vs D/S to F/S)? Not saying it isn't possible on the street! In fact, I did lose to a couple small block chevs, but NONE of them were even close to stock!
Did the guy in the Duster know you were racing him? I beat three big block Chevelles in time trials at the drag strip one night. Two 402s and a 454. All were street cars like my 70 340 Duster. Boss 302s and 350 Chevys were a waste of time. As I said I'm talking street cars, not bracket racers.
I bought a 425 396 from a guy who managed to roll his one-year-old 65 Vette with only 2800 miles on it. He pulled the motor and transmission from the car fill the cylinders with oil and took off the Holly and taped up the intake and exhaust manifolds and pushed it up against the wall in his garage. In 1974 after the fuel embargo I answered an ad in the newspaper and shelled out 250 bucks for the complete engine, pan to carb with the 4sp. I but it in a 67 SS Chevelle that I bought with a wore out 325 hp 396. With headers and turbo mufflers, it would pull hard all the way up to 7000 RPMs with a clean set of spark plugs in it.
When I was a kid I was crazy about the Plymouth Duster. Mongoose and Snake and so on. When I had gotten older my first car was a 1970 barracuda that I bought used of course, I would have loved a Cuda but it's not like I could go pick one of a tree. When ever I see that 70 body style my mind takes me back to those days. I've always had a soft spot for Mopar although I have a Chevy.
Just to get another perspective on this comparison I have some period experience street racing against both these engines.In '71 I did a lot of street racing out of the drive-ins in those days,just back from 3yrs away in the Army.I ran into a good friend that now had a new 396/375 Nova with bolt ons.This engine is the same as the Vette's 425hpBB.We raced twice and it was even till near the half where I started to pull on him both times.Couple weeks later a purple Challenger started reving on me at a light and followed me to a racer's hangout.He had a '70 340 six-pac,4spd showroom stock and wanted a run.I sandbagged to just beat him. My friend's Nova would have put cars on him. Another friend owned an older,I think '65-66, feuley Vette that I know turned 13 flats at US30.Can't see an L78 Vette being that slow compapatively,as 13.50's in those days was pretty fast for a daily driver.The key to lucrative street racing is hustling,being just quick enough to win without showing your full potential unless you have to.Word gets around in the street scene and you can lose customers by destroying someone in a race with a lot of onlookers.I only took my car to the strip once to get a time slip only fullout.At 12.20's and stock looking car not much out there to beat you,so I never told what I had and never asked what they had,run what you brung,win some or lose some.Hustler's Car Club,Gary,Indiana. Except for Nam,the most exciting time in my life.'60s-early '70s,great time to be alive.
They always underestimate the little Mopar till it comes to racing. That 340 has a lot more than people think . i know i use to own a 71 340 duster , lots of goodies in mine, use to run 11.90 in the qtr. 127mph for a 2900 lbs street legal and no - NOS .i had lots of fun playing with fords & chevys . i miss those wild crazy years back in 1986-1989 . i sold the duster for$ 5000 loaded with all the goodies plus extra motor and spare parts. All due to a close friend passing away we both had dusters we were the bait and hook in racing others for cash on the street. His car was sold so i sold mine , the glimmer was gone in our friendship. R.I.P. Jose
Well once again the little 340 shows how mean they can be. You know the Vette was going to have traction issues with all that power vs those tires. They needed to sneak in a pile of concrete blocks in the back. lol But honestly a Vette has the engine set farther back than most any American car of the time. Then combine that with short wheel base they really should do better than average. On my 69 the damper and pulley sat right even with the front wheels. A good 6 or maybe even 8" behind anything else I've owned. That's why they handle more like a sports car.
@@jeffgriedel8066 Compared to the American vehicles of the time yes they do handle. The transverse spring Independent rear at least allowed adjustment. They sure used it a long time for it to be so much garbage. What production car do you think handled through the 60's and 70's in America?
@@bw3506 i worked in a chevy dealer rebuilding them things , the wheel bearings never held up. i sure did make a lot of money on those working flat rate pay , they came in the door weekly
@@marioncobaretti2280 Yep I had to put wheel bearings on one side of mine at 65,000 miles. The other side held on till I sold it a few years later. I installed poly bushings on those lower strut rods to help keep the wheels lined up better. I kinda always wondered if that was some of the issue with the bearings. Wheel leaning in at the top putting undue pressure on the bearings. Any thoughts on that?
The corn field thing isn't surprising. Back then mopar built cop cars. The cars had to take beatings. Plus cops needed them to catch the hot rodders and yes Mopar ruled, like today yet again. The little 340 is a power house and that purple stripe cam is still being sold and used today. When chrysler announced bringing back the Demon I was hoping.
I had a brand new 1970 Vitamin C orange color 340 Duster. Car had a 4 speed and 3.55 rear limited slip rear gear. I street raced this car every weekend in north Texas. Car was very quick off the line and beat many that under estimated it. It ran against all of the best muscle cars of the day on the street, including Hemi Cudas, 454 Vets, 440 Road Runners, Boss 302 Mustangs, etc.. The ONLY cars that my Duster could not beat were 1967 435hp 427 4 speed Corvettes, 1970 W30 455 442 Olds Cutlass, 1970 Buick 455 GSX. That’s it. All others in stock trim the little Duster could handle. The car ran NHRA G Stock and my best time in the 1/4 mile was 12.88.
One more for the list that my Duster could not beat were the 1970 454 LS6 Chevells. I could get those big block cars out of the hole but they would run me down right at the lights.
I owned a 318 3 on the floor Plymouth Duster. It was orange with black stripes with hood tie downs. Also it had black & white checkered cloth seats. I spanked 3 or 4 ford 302's easley, honestly it wasn't even close. The 318 was totally stock. I wanted the 340 but my parents bought me the car and wouldn't buy the 340 barracuda I had my eye on... lol...I know the 340 was the engine with the reputation but that 318 was rock solid. I ran it hard, but after a couple of years I sold it to a buddy of mine who ran the dog out of the 318 and it held up.
Duster: GIANT SLAYER!!! The 340 is undoubtedly one of the Most powerful small blocks Ever produced! And how a Duster can look so big and yet be relatively light weight is amazing! Now I'm not knocking the Corvette, Fast and Nice Ride! But the fact that the Duster didn't get "Dusted" by it is amazing! I'm sure the 4:30 gears played a big part! Great Video 👍
Odd coincidence - a few days ago I saw a truck pulling a trailer with 2 very nice looking 70 Cudas - not sure where they were going but somewhere around Houston. My older brother had a 71 Cuda with a 383. It was a great car but it sure drank gas - about 9 miles to the gallon in the city - lol.
Only have experience with 1 - 340 in a 70 Duster boy was running it with an automatic. He took me by the front end against my 74 Camaro 350 auto. I had him off the line but my car started acting like I'd burnt a spark plug wire last 1/8. Paid him his $50 and went home to figure it out running like crap the hole way. Distributor hadn't gotten tighten down, timing way off. Fixed it, challenged him again at school the next week. Beat him by what he said was most of my car. Wanted to go again, said he lost traction at the line. Ran him again and only beat him by half a car. Two cars and two drivers only. Lost to a 72 340 Duster (I know it was a 340 Duster, not sure of the year) by half a fender, never got to re-race him.
Like any of you guys wouldn't have gone for a ride with Ethel in a cornfield ....don't lie 😄 Heck, I probably would have rode her in a cornfield , too. 🤣
LOL. That is funny. The 65 396 425 hp! Vette is a low 12's second car with competent driver not smoking tires through 3rd gear. The 340 small block duster is a great car and ran true to its times. Sad to see people that cannot drive their own cars...
I wonder why GM didn't keep the 396 option for the Vette,it certainly had the power and was probably a bit lighter than the 427 for a little weight saving up front. But who knows why these manufacturers do what they do? Love these rides though!!!
All BBC size version Comparisons weigh the Same whether the original 396 all way to Stroked 454 to >600 cu inch....GM was being hassled by the Feds & 'vette owners by auto Insurance companies.....Initially
Once I saw those tires on the Vette I knew it was over. 1 of my boss's had a 65 with the 327 fuelie and 4 speed, running repops from Coker tire, just for the look. He used to say "I never use 1st gear, and when it rains, the car stays home." BTW, if you ordered your 340 whatever from Mr. Norm's Grand Spaulding Dodge in 1968-71, he would guarantee 1 horse per cube or better, depending on the tune and your wallet. Real rear wheel hp, not crank.
Thanks for the like, and to Cars and Zebras, That was a very informative video. Even I learned and I'm a retired Shop Owner. But do check the second run, that Vette got sideways!
My grandfather had a yellow 1970 duster 340 with a six pack and it ran hard! He'd tell me stories of him beating turbo trans ams and c4 vettes in the 80s those cars are street warriors
DevilsNachoz Uh, yes. No 340 anything ran 0-60 in 4.6 secs and low to mid 13 secs 1/4 mile like the ‘89 3.8 turbo T/A. Let me repeat: No 340 anything ran 0-60 in 4.6 secs and low to mid 13 sec 1/4 mile. They were quick for what they were and can run with or beat many big blocks but c’mon......
I have a 69 dodge Dart-340-4spd man trans 8 1/4 rear end, but the best thing about her is only 31265 easy miles. Was given to me in 1982 from my Grandfather, meet my wife/married her and raised 4 children and now have 9 grandchildren that all have had a thrill to ride in our beauty. She's burgundy with a black top and the factory GT hood. She will roll most of the time on the street we'll Will not get over 80/85 mph before the other car figured out his DONE! IT LOOKS NEW TO THIS DAY AND YOU CAN EAT OFF ANY PART OF THIS DART! SEEYA!
My daughter wanted my 340 Duster. So we(together)rebuilt the engine, .60 over, larger intake valves,(2.02 or 2.12, I can't remember) cam, shift kit in the 727 tranny, with headers dumping into 3" pipes, L60's on the back. She drove it her senior year in high school '98ish. Said she never got beat. A lot of sad 5.0 Mustang drivers in the area. Funny story: The car had very low restriction mufflers. Said she fired it up one day by the practice field at school. When it lit up, a lot of the jocks hit the ground. One too many stories about school shootings I guess.
Right on, Pernell Roberts (Ben Cartwright to some) had a gig pitching Corvettes 👍 Pretty sure the 1970 Duster we had when I was a kid only had the 318, as my dad's grandmother gave it to him in 1977. Being born in 1970, all these cars were available for purchase when I was in high school for like $600-800. I ended up driving a 69 Buick Riviera and a 1975 Monte Carlo to high school.
Roberts played oldest brother Adam Cartwright... My favorite low $$$$ 318" build: www.hotrod.com/articles/318-small-block-build... Couple years after you were born could buy most muscle cars for $300-600...
That left lane seemed bad. The Corvette spun in the second round. If you toss that out and add the other times, who won? Remember were comparing cars, not drivers. Duster 27.27 combined to the Vette's 27.17. The Legend lives on!
midnight savannah Not enough tire. Equal tires on both cars and the 396 425 Vette easily walks away from the 340 Duster. The second race was a testimonial to this. That being said, the 340 small block platform was one of the best.
I wonder what would happen if Chrysler were to bring the 340 back in a modernized version? I'm talking roller cam and a crazy fuel injection system to feed it. I had a 72 Duster that I was told had a 340 swapped into it. Turned out that it was a 340, but had a 318 2 barrel carb and manifold on it. After snapping the 273 7 3/4" rear end, I swapped a Chevy 355 10 bolt posi in the back. That being said, I spanked many big blocks with that car. Whenever someone would want to know what was under the hood, my friend would say "You don't want to know, you would only feel worse about what happened." The 340 is a quick motor and eats it's opponents out of the hole. I think the Duster driver was either asleep at the wheel the first race or just wanted the Vette to feel like he was trying.
The 340 Duster was, I can attest, a badass platform. My neighbor had a bone stock Duster and I could just edge him out with a 69 Camaro SS with a 350. Both were 4spd cars so there was some mucking around but yeah, it was a good package.
I love 340's. That said, I had a friend with a 67 Camaro SS 350 2 spd powerglide and when he raced my 68 Fastback, Formula S 340/auto/3:23 B Cuda, he sat right at my door with his front end... Another friend had a 1970 Camaro SS 350 4 spd and I could beat him virtually everytime.
I did some research on both cars and looking at quarter mile times from road tests from back in the day the 340 duster seemed to average 14.5 to 14.7 seconds at around 94 or 95 mph where as the 396 vette consistently ran 14.0 to 14.1 sec. at 103 mph on street tires.
john thonig wow the top of the line two seat roadster is barely quicker than the emissions choked base model coupe. 67-68 340 dart or barracuda ran low low 14’s with a 3.91 gear could even get high 13’s.
Yes a 440 cuda or dart might do a sub 14 second quarter mile. 427 vettes consistently ran sub 14 second ets and a 66 427 vette with 4.11 gears ran a 12.8 @ 112 mph. The only other car that would beat that was the 427 cobra.
Although I am a chevy fan I will say some of those hemi roadrunners were hard to beat even for the l-88 corvette. I think the race could go either way.
My uncle got a 65 Vette with a 396 425 in it brand new for a HS graduation gift in 65. Nassau Blue with a white conv top. He was the king of the streets for years with that car. 4.56 gears in that car. he drove it from Maryland to Texas with his wife, infant son, and a german shepard in it when he got drafted and stationed in Texas.
Hi Cars & Zebra, You would almost put the house on the Corvette, but like your intro those 340's are nasty. True doesn't take much to wake a 340 from it's slumber party, but once awake it becomes a Chevy Muncher. Those Lakewood Pipes sound so tough on the Vette, & definitely a gorgeous Vette. Why was the L78 rated at 375 Hp the following year in the Chevelle. I think the L78 was rated at 425Hp in the Impala's the same year as the Vette. Mopar Or No Car Your number 1 Fan in Australia Louis Kats from Melbourne Australia ☺ 👍
Not sure, but for some reason after ‘65 Chevrolet underrated the L78. Maybe they didn’t want to upstage the Corvette, or possibly so people could get insurance cheaper.
One good run from the Vette. At auction it might bring enough to buy 3 Dusters. Wonder how this would have turned out with good tires. At any rate I've seen enough. I want a Dart GT with a 340. Ready to take on any small block ever made.
I think you could probably get 4 Dusters for the price of that Corvette! original numbers matching 1 year only L78, side pipes, knock off wheels, Glen Green... dang, definitely over 100K for that car now!
Well, it's obvious which lane is the lane of choice. Not taking anything away from that 340 though, it still posted the quickest time at 13.4. And both cars posted their fastest time during that 3rd round. Sure would've liked to see the 396 Vette run again in that right lane ( on the driver's right ).
After reviewing the footage, the left lane was a problem this year, but this track usually has issues, including crazy head winds. When the cars race at the Midwest FAST drags at the Martin speedway they usually run a couple tenths quicker.
You took the words right outta my mouth...Chrysler Ad Exec’s musta been smooookin’ ! But Chrysler products, branding and the whole vibe back then was a bit on the eccentric side.
In 1969, my brother-in-law bought a brand new Dodge Dart GTS 340 automatic. It was gold with white vinyl top and white interior. A real head turner. The only car that beat him was a 429 Ranchero. The Ranchero beat him off the line because he had wide tires compared to the factory tires of the Dart. That said, once the cars got going, the Dart front bumper was at the Ranchero rear bumper and the Ranchero didn't pull away. My brother-in-law said that was the reason the Ranchero got better traction off the line. We would cruise around looking for the next victim while listening to "Creedance Clearwater Revival" on his 8 track player.😎
Thanks for the vintage commercials. Hot model reminds me of Denise Richards. Notice how the script was written to appeal to base instincts. Not that it was needed. Or, maybe it was to entice young buyers who wouldn't consider a Duster sexy. Then you have Pernell Roberts selling the Vette to the older more sophisticated buyer who could afford it and as the story goes may need an ego boost. Two totally different marketing strategies. Makes me want a CTS-V. Play some Zeppelin while I sign the papers. Please.
Duster 340's were very underrated cars, and I love them, but showroom stock to showroom stock they would get beat by a decent running 396/425 Vette. Not by a lot though. These are both good running cars, and both improved their times from where they started at. For the guy who thinks these are F.A.S.T cars, you need to watch some F.A.S.T. races. Duster 340's in that class run 11's, 427 Vettes run 10's. And NO, PURE STOCK DOES NOT MEAN SHOWROOM STOCK! Read the rules, some mods are allowed. Most cars attending these events are significantly quicker than at least the daily driven versions typically were back in the day. They are interesting to watch, but you can't draw broad sweeping conclusions about the performance of similar cars from watching one race between cars that have differing degrees of preparation, engine and chassis tuning and driver abilities.
ERROR ALERT: the owner of the Corvette let me know that it weighed-in (with driver) at just over 3800 lbs the day of the race.
I'm done with your channel. Those cars aren't stock. Those are F.A.S.T. class. Factory Appearing Stock Tires where motor modifications are allowed. Those cars stock, ran in the 14's. Your title says, "Pure Stock Drag Race" and they aren't stock!
Have you ever taken the time to read the video description box? These are NOT F.A.S.T. class cars. It’s Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Racing. Good grief, I even talked about that AGAIN in the video.... Including the modifications that they allow. Do you even watch the videos, or just go right to complaining like a baby?
And come on Rick, we both know you’re going to watch every video I post. You’re not fooling anybody. 🤣
@@rickuyeda4818 I knew someone would be the first one to say that these car's are not stock. Did you not listen to the video. They allow miner modifications with in a very strict rule book. So yes they are stock with miner modifications. They are not factory appearing cars. Next time listen to the video
Were there any cars their running 383 MOPARs? I have heard that some of them were Nasty.
Bought a 340 auto in September 1970. Still own it.
That is impressive . You have been the caretaker of a amazing piece of americana 🇺🇸 for 50 years👍. Hope you have enjoyed it the whole time any for many more years to come !
@@papimiami1938 Thanks. I'm trying to.
Steven Caskey....lucky man
Hey Steve I had a 1971 it was brown with black interior it had a slant 6couldn't afford anything else back then they also made a 318 that was pretty nice
My dad opted for the 318 in 1970 because premium gas was 35 cents and regular was 25, what a cheapskate. hehehe
Multiple Duster owner here, always nice to see the Duster win ;) so close though
From a GM person. The car I miss the most is a 70 340 4spd. Cuda. After that 71 340 auto. Duster. That motor is unreal.
I wnent to highschool
@@tiki_trash Me Too
LOVE the 340 Mopar A-Bodies. They were probably the most inexpensive high performance cars you could buy in those days and they were more than capable of embarrassing many of the more well known and more expensive big block muscle cars. I had a 73 Duster 340-4 speed and that thing was a screamer even with the low compression smog 340. I loved that car and wish I never sold it. I threw out the smog pump and put headers on it but other than that it was totally stock. You could buy a 340 Dart, Duster, or Demon for less than $3,000 brand new and be competitive against any other muscle car on the market at that time. I wish I kept my 69 Roadrunner 383/727 too
340 back in the early 80,s was known as a big block chevy eater on the streets !
My dad's 68 Chevelle l78 ss 396 can wop that 340's ass... no cap
@@williamrogers1507 Talks cheap, took many a big block ford or chev with my dart 340
@john thonig OK, I believe you
My duster did a lot of whooping in the 80's. only nemesis back in '86 was the buick t-type with a chip. Keep in mind we fought within our weight class so to speak. full race motor cars did not normally drive on the street. power adders were uncommon then too.
@@williamrogers1507 Not stock it can't -- in reality, the Plymouth had the superior power-to-weight ratio from the factory. Unibody Dusters were much lighter than Body On Frame Chevelles. Even with the claimed 375 horses, the 396 were always slow in the heavy Chevelle. They were pretty potent in the Novas, though.
Cool Video. The Duster 340 is a an original paint survivor car and the owner can drive a 4 speed really well. Never underestimate a 340 they didn't call it the giant killer back in the day for nothing! Cool stuff. Thanks Cars and Zebras for posting all this stuff from the Pure Stock Drags :)
No problem, thanks for watching! 👍
I had a 68 barracuda fastback with 3 pedals. The four speed manual had a longer duration cam and I had 8.25x 14 Michelin X tires otherwise no one could explain the 13.92 quarter . Maybe a timer malfunction?
That paint looks new.
The Corvette was always going to struggle with traction with the tyres it had, but still the Duster 340 are just brilliant cars even when the Corvette got moving it couldn't catch it, both great cars though.
Put a small loaded UHAUL behind both of them and you have yourself a real gear banging race.
One of my best friends in high school had that Duster 340, it was a monster! Im suprised the Duster didn’t win all three.Nice video!
I just bought a all original very low mileage 1971 Dodge Demon 340 but its sat unused at all for the last 45 years . Its really clean but will need plenty of attention
These videos have really improved. My non car friends were always confused by the way the times work, reaction time, gearing, etc thank you
Wow..in high school my buddy had a 66 vette...
And he said he got spanked twice by a 340 duster...
So did this vette...
Dusters are definitely a force to be reckoned with! Both are cool cars, though
That really says something about HP to weight ratio and hp per cubic inch!
A 340Duster is a 340 Duster,but a'66 Vette was available with multiple engine options.At over 100hp advantage and maybe 150 pounds heavier than a Duster,it's advantage Vette.The engine also produced over 1hp/cu in and far better aero at 100mph.As it is 50yrs later,the only true stock comparisons are in the memories of street racers at that time and drag strip hobos.I have seen many runs with these stockers,and only a few would crack into the 13's.Even the 327/ 375hp fueley Vettes at that time were much faster.Still if I had my pick of Chrysler offerings for a good looking ,fun car,it would be a Plum Crazy '70 Duster.Styling and performance for that smallblock,midsized catagory was the best by far over all the other makes.
Notice the Vette couldn't grip in the left lane, I would have loved to see it run in the right lane again. The Duster gripped better due to less power, and of course the ingenious chrysler engineered leaf spring system that acted like a ladder bar set up. I love Corvettes, but I have tremendous respect for all Mopars.
I think a 427 in the Vette would’ve made a big difference, but those 340 Dusters were fast my brother had one. That one lane sucked , the Duster lost in that lane when it was in it. Still a impressive performance.
Hi, i never lost a street race with any of my 340s high revin fun.
My 69 Mach 1 with 351 Windsor smoked the Dusters every time!
@Grumpy468 Actually, not! The Cleveland was only good for full blown modifications. It was designed for NASCAR. But for street the Windsor was awsome! And I was running 3.08 rear diff.
They don't know what they're talkin about Dave 340 were definitely badass until they lost their 10 1/2 to 1 compression + 2.02 intake valve
@Grumpy468 Right! I saw over 162 mph.
@@johnbelcastro7239 😂😂😂😂😂 200hp truck motor good one
Very cool video. Being old has advantages, I am fortunate enough to have seen both new. Thanks for sharing. From Ohio
Been there, did that. Love the 60's
My first car I bought and financed was a 71 duster with a slant six 3 on the floor manual transmission, I paid 900.00 bucks for it and my monthly payment was 43.00 dollars, those were the days.
My dad bought a 340 Dart new in '69 and had it paid off in a year. It was our family car for 10 years.
How old was it when you bought it?
@@anthonynelson9136 it was 2& half years old, it was only about 2,300/ 2,500 new . Manual transmission, no air, no power steering, am radio, no carpet. It was pretty bare bones, but it was a good car for me, I had it for about 5 years, then it was stolen from in front of my house, and I was paid 800dollars for it from the insurance, so I made out on that one, probably about the only time, lol.
Slant 6 is the best gas engine ever built.
I had a 71 duster with a 318, 3spd man on the floor, and bare bones interior. Bench seat vinyl no power options. It was light and quick, and got 23 mpg on the highway. Mopar orange dual exhaust with glass packs. Quiet it was not.
Of course I will take the stingray all day, but the 340 Dusters were awesome as well, and very underrated.....the 340s were no joke! Thanks for posting...love your channel!
Thanks for watching!
I’d take a slant 6 Duster over that Corvette
@@CarFacts81 mopar or no car
@@CarFacts81 Haha sure you would. Ever driven a slant 6 anything?
@@CarFacts81 lol
Wow. I didn't expect that duster to do so well especially against a big block vette. Quite impressive but I still love that stingray. I think it is one of the best looking autos ever made. Way ahead of it's time for sure.
I like both, but you are right. That Corvette is extremely special. One year only high-performance engine in the Corvette, knock off wheels, side pipes, all original numbers matching car!
That's right it was two words then they dropped it in 68 and came right back in 69 as stingray.
Oops my mistake. You're right sting ray was two words. In 1969 it became stingray. Thanks for the correction.
And after the race, the Corvette can actually turn and stop. Imagine the pucker factor in the Duster if it had to slow down and then turn at the end of the strip. As the guy on graveyard cars said, an absolutely worn out 70's Camaro would outhandle a brand new mopar.
Indeed on a road course the vette would reign supreme.
The car that converted me to MOPAR was a 1970 340 4-gear Duster. I had a 1957 Chevy 150 business coupe. Rarely beaten, yet the Duster spanked me. 2 weeks after losing to the Duster, I owned a 1971 Dodge Demon - virtually the same car. 340/4-gear/3.91 Suregrip. It was a hoss. Still smile about it. That was back in 1974, BTW.
I had a 72 Duster with a 318 in high school. Put a 4:10 rear in it and chopped the exhaust. It would kill Iroc Camaros and 5.0 Mustangs light to light. That thing would launch hard. I broke several motor mounts. But it was just a little 318, and those Dusters didn't weigh very much either.
I had a 71 Duster with a 318 2bbl and a 3spd. Mopar orange, base base model no power nothing. That little car was a badass. Not as fast as my 455 71 cutlass sx or my 72 chevelle with a 350 built to Lt1 specs. I wish it had had a 4bbl then it might have been.
@@maximumcoverage559112:05 l
I had a '70 340 Duster with an automatic. It was plenty fast. I do miss that car. Vitamin C with a black vinyl roof.
Sparky McSparkface Me too ... automatic with 3.91s that ran high 13s @ 102 so this car seems legit pure-stock.
I have a 70 duster 340 in sassy grass green. Even being an automatic its plenty fast.
@@michaelball760 i have a 73 duster 340 and with an automatic 3 speed reverse manual valve body column shift and it is very fast and a blast to drive
I'm a Mopar guy but I love the all corvettes from 1957 to 1972
Dad had a 69 340 dart, buddy had a 65 396 corvette with straight side pipes, his Dart would spank the vette, as he couldn’t get out of the hole
Kind of the same issue here. That Corvette just couldn’t get any traction
That happened a lot back then. Until we discovered 50's!
Then radial tires came out. All the power in the world is useless if ya can't get it to hook up.
@silverbird58 Yep Mc Crearys and Caldwell Racing recaps. Socal all day back then.
My dad had a '69 Dart GTS he called the big block killer. Only slight mods, but would torch them
Thanks for posting these types of races, couldn't get any better.
Thanks for showing 340's and 396's are two engines that can punch above their weight classes.
thank you for another great video of one of our cars.i love your sense of humor! here is a little history on our 65 vette. 100% orignal drivetrain m21 trans 4.10 rear gear 11.1 comp l78 396. the car weight in at 3850 with me in it, and i weigh 235-245? the 4.10 gear is not enough for what this motor is capable of, it needs 4.56-4.88 to let it wind up. i was shifting it at 7200 and only crossing the line at 5900-6000, not near enough.. it actually dogged a little in 4th, and you can here it in the video. it actually went a 13.32 in test-tune sat spinning. but trying too get these skinny gold line tires down the track sucked.. one post pointed out that i was missing hub caps in the rear! those are original knock off wheels not hub caps.. and yes, a friend loaned me a set of steel wheels with f70 goodyear tires from his 66 too try. they helped alot. but still not enough..that duster runs hard, and is a purpose built car for just these races. i loved that duster! i would own it in a split second! and will buy one someday just because i love 340s..our 65 was put together as a NCRS judged original car down too the nuts and bolts, it may never see that. but the drag racing bug took over with a few buddys poking at me about my wifes 71 chevelle convert and the 65. so i broke under the presure! and brought both cars too play with..and history was made, because now i have too listen too my wife say how her car damn near whooped the 65!. oh well, time will tell..thanks again for the great time i look forward too playing more....
Thanks for watching! You should bring it out to the FAST drags in the spring. They run a factory stock class.
Your car is beautiful , i would try 3:91 gears or maybe 3:73 then maybe you could cross the line at max rpm in 3rd gear?
Thank you for telling us more about your Corvette. It is a beautiful car. Take a LOT of practice to get the launch off the line down just right on that car. Those factory tires are ridiculously skinny and the independent rear suspension wasn't designed for drag racing at all. It still performed well and was very enjoyable to see. Something tells me the market value of the vette has increased rather more than that dusters has. And not that it really matters but the rear leaf spring suspension on all dodge and plymouth performance cars from 68 to 72 was designed to work well for drag racing. I wonder if running stiffer rear leaf springs is allowed in the rules or if anyone checks that kind of thing as I know from personal experience it makes a noticeable difference on those cars as does longer than stock rear shocks, removing the spring clamps from the rear half of the springs and a much larger rubber bumper on the pinion snubber of the rear axle. All of which would take some effort to check on an otherwise stock appearing car.
Thanks for updating us!. In real world the Vette would and should pull on the Duster. And I love me my Mopars!
Both cars needed 4.56 gears...
The 340 was a giant killer. I had a 72 Duster 340 that ran great.
For sure. And probably one of the most durable engines built!
Yes,this one and several others' numbers were refactored by NHRA as result of their class performance against other makes.Not a Mopar guy, but I consider this engine one I would prefer for dependability and power in a small packege.Better than I think,Chevy's great 327.I believe it was refactored to 320hp instead of 290.
@john thonigYes, there was a 327/350 that came out in '65. My best man still had his Chevelle in '71 with many miles on it.Stock it had the same forged parts the 340 had,along with a pretty lumpy cam.He gapped my brother's 440 Magnum Charger with it.
I also have a 72 Duster..... more accurate is my wife has a 72 Duster. It is a one owner. Wifey bought it new when in High School. Parked next to is a 1970 Nova SS. Also one owner. I purchased new when I was in high school.
john thonig less torque but in half the car
Owned a70 340 with TF auto an 3.91 gears and hijacker rear air shocks. Always blue off SS chavelles. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for watching! It seems those 340s pair best with the 3.91 gears, from what I've seen.
The little Hemi
When I was a young Marine stationed in D.C. in the early/mid 70's I bought a used '65 Roadster with the 396/425 H.P. L78 engine. It was stock other then headers and a Holley 850 Double Pumper carb with mechanical secondaries. Mine also had the off road (side) exhaust. They were damn fast cars but with the OEM tires of '65, traction was non existent off the line (My car had 4.11:1 rear gears)...I bought her with the OEM wheels/tires but changed those out to bigger torque thrusts with much wider 60 series rubber...she handled much better and got off the line better too. Had a lot of fun in that car, wish I would have kept her but after I got out of The Corps I was headed to Engineering College and needed something more economical...she would get 9 mpg IF you kept your foot out of the go pedal, haha.
Great car, great story.
They were both great cars. I love them both.
👍
This is gonna upset the chevy people!
In your dreams pal..
@@dukeman7595 see here's one now lol
@john thonig damn right, for sure
@john thonig i see ur upset lol
Already has wonder how many nights of sleep was lost 😂😂😂😂😂
Poor Man's car to kick the Rich Man's butt. Ever since Roadkill did the Duster episode, I've been in love with them. This coming from a former GM fan.
Back in the 70's I sat in my cousin's Duster with a built 340 as he slapped it through the 4 speed. It was quite invigorating. (Read: Scary as F**K!). I was NOT ready for that.
My step-brother had a '67 Corvette 427/425hp. It was an auto trans but he had traction issues with that beast. Good memories...
In 1978 I raced a 1970 Duster 340 that was a regular bracket racer, mildly prepped with headers, 4:10s, etc.. I drove a 1968 SS 396 Chevelle with 3:23 gears and bone-stock 325 hp engine! All I did was flip the air cleaner lid. The rat beat the 340 by a fender, twice.
@john thonig Nice. Though I still drive a BB Chevelle to this day, my heart will always lean towards the SBCs. I hope you still have the vette?!
@john thonig L84 vette for $3k. What year?
Find that hard to believe, I smoked my friend ass all day long in his 396 Camaro, with my 71 340, he never beat me once
@@glenparks5175 Really? Then why are 396 Camaros or Novas in a much quicker Stock Eliminator class than any of the 340 cars (A/S or B/S vs D/S to F/S)? Not saying it isn't possible on the street! In fact, I did lose to a couple small block chevs, but NONE of them were even close to stock!
Did the guy in the Duster know you were racing him? I beat three big block Chevelles in time trials at the drag strip one night. Two 402s and a 454. All were street cars like my 70 340 Duster. Boss 302s and 350 Chevys were a waste of time. As I said I'm talking street cars, not bracket racers.
I bought a 425 396 from a guy who managed to roll his one-year-old 65 Vette with only 2800 miles on it. He pulled the motor and transmission from the car fill the cylinders with oil and took off the Holly and taped up the intake and exhaust manifolds and pushed it up against the wall in his garage. In 1974 after the fuel embargo I answered an ad in the newspaper and shelled out 250 bucks for the complete engine, pan to carb with the 4sp. I but it in a 67 SS Chevelle that I bought with a wore out 325 hp 396. With headers and turbo mufflers, it would pull hard all the way up to 7000 RPMs with a clean set of spark plugs in it.
Uncle Tony's Revenge.
Haha, i’m still waiting for him to poke his head around here
Nah...that car is too nice for him
When I was a kid I was crazy about the Plymouth Duster. Mongoose and Snake and so on. When I had gotten older my first car was a 1970 barracuda that I bought used of course, I would have loved a Cuda but it's not like I could go pick one of a tree. When ever I see that 70 body style my mind takes me back to those days. I've always had a soft spot for Mopar although I have a Chevy.
Just to get another perspective on this comparison I have some period experience street racing against both these engines.In '71 I did a lot of street racing out of the drive-ins in those days,just back from 3yrs away in the Army.I ran into a good friend that now had a new 396/375 Nova with bolt ons.This engine is the same as the Vette's 425hpBB.We raced twice and it was even till near the half where I started to pull on him both times.Couple weeks later a purple Challenger started reving on me at a light and followed me to a racer's hangout.He had a '70 340 six-pac,4spd showroom stock and wanted a run.I sandbagged to just beat him. My friend's Nova would have put cars on him. Another friend owned an older,I think '65-66, feuley Vette that I know turned 13 flats at US30.Can't see an L78 Vette being that slow compapatively,as 13.50's in those days was pretty fast for a daily driver.The key to lucrative street racing is hustling,being just quick enough to win without showing your full potential unless you have to.Word gets around in the street scene and you can lose customers by destroying someone in a race with a lot of onlookers.I only took my car to the strip once to get a time slip only fullout.At 12.20's and stock looking car not much out there to beat you,so I never told what I had and never asked what they had,run what you brung,win some or lose some.Hustler's Car Club,Gary,Indiana. Except for Nam,the most exciting time in my life.'60s-early '70s,great time to be alive.
So what were you driving??
They always underestimate the little Mopar till it comes to racing. That 340 has a lot more than people think . i know i use to own a 71 340 duster , lots of goodies in mine, use to run 11.90 in the qtr. 127mph for a 2900 lbs street legal and no - NOS .i had lots of fun playing with fords & chevys . i miss those wild crazy years back in 1986-1989 . i sold the duster for$ 5000 loaded with all the goodies plus extra motor and spare parts. All due to a close friend passing away we both had dusters we were the bait and hook in racing others for cash on the street. His car was sold so i sold mine , the glimmer was gone in our friendship. R.I.P. Jose
11.90s maybe 117 not 127 no way
Well once again the little 340 shows how mean they can be. You know the Vette was going to have traction issues with all that power vs those tires. They needed to sneak in a pile of concrete blocks in the back. lol
But honestly a Vette has the engine set farther back than most any American car of the time. Then combine that with short wheel base they really should do better than average. On my 69 the damper and pulley sat right even with the front wheels. A good 6 or maybe even 8" behind anything else I've owned. That's why they handle more like a sports car.
A corvette of that vintage can handle?. Not from what i have seen. Same basic rear suspension as a 32 ford. Garbage.
@@jeffgriedel8066 Compared to the American vehicles of the time yes they do handle. The transverse spring Independent rear at least allowed adjustment. They sure used it a long time for it to be so much garbage. What production car do you think handled through the 60's and 70's in America?
@@bw3506 i worked in a chevy dealer rebuilding them things , the wheel bearings never held up. i sure did make a lot of money on those working flat rate pay , they came in the door weekly
@@marioncobaretti2280 Yep I had to put wheel bearings on one side of mine at 65,000 miles. The other side held on till I sold it a few years later. I installed poly bushings on those lower strut rods to help keep the wheels lined up better. I kinda always wondered if that was some of the issue with the bearings. Wheel leaning in at the top putting undue pressure on the bearings. Any thoughts on that?
@@jeffgriedel8066 Well you havent seen any if you think its the same as a 32 ford.
The corn field thing isn't surprising. Back then mopar built cop cars. The cars had to take beatings. Plus cops needed them to catch the hot rodders and yes Mopar ruled, like today yet again. The little 340 is a power house and that purple stripe cam is still being sold and used today. When chrysler announced bringing back the Demon I was hoping.
Thanks for taking the time and effort to make these videos!
Love those Mopars!
My dad was wholesaling cars during my high school years.
I had a 69 Dodge Dart 340 four barrel for a week.
3 speed auto. It flew.
I had a brand new 1970 Vitamin C orange color 340 Duster. Car had a 4 speed and 3.55 rear limited slip rear gear. I street raced this car every weekend in north Texas. Car was very quick off the line and beat many that under estimated it. It ran against all of the best muscle cars of the day on the street, including Hemi Cudas, 454 Vets, 440 Road Runners, Boss 302 Mustangs, etc.. The ONLY cars that my Duster could not beat were 1967 435hp 427 4 speed Corvettes, 1970 W30 455 442 Olds Cutlass, 1970 Buick 455 GSX. That’s it. All others in stock trim the little Duster could handle. The car ran NHRA G Stock and my best time in the 1/4 mile was 12.88.
One more for the list that my Duster could not beat were the 1970 454 LS6 Chevells. I could get those big block cars out of the hole but they would run me down right at the lights.
You are so awesome man. I love you so much. I love Mopars.
Thanks for watching!
I owned a 318 3 on the floor Plymouth Duster. It was orange with black stripes with hood tie downs. Also it had black & white checkered cloth seats. I spanked 3 or 4 ford 302's easley, honestly it wasn't even close. The 318 was totally stock. I wanted the 340 but my parents bought me the car and wouldn't buy the 340 barracuda I had my eye on... lol...I know the 340 was the engine with the reputation but that 318 was rock solid. I ran it hard, but after a couple of years I sold it to a buddy of mine who ran the dog out of the 318 and it held up.
Duster: GIANT SLAYER!!! The 340 is undoubtedly one of the Most powerful small blocks Ever produced! And how a Duster can look so big and yet be relatively light weight is amazing! Now I'm not knocking the Corvette, Fast and Nice Ride! But the fact that the Duster didn't get "Dusted" by it is amazing! I'm sure the 4:30 gears played a big part! Great Video 👍
I just bought an all original 66 Charger. 383with a few goodies under the hood. She is scary fast!
This one hurt alotta feelings. You know it. Imagine that 340 with W2 heads , a bit bigger cam and higher compression.
Everyone wants a Hemi or 440, my ultimate Mopar is a 70 Cuda with a 340 and a pistol grip!
Odd coincidence - a few days ago I saw a truck pulling a trailer with 2 very nice looking 70 Cudas - not sure where they were going but somewhere around Houston. My older brother had a 71 Cuda with a 383. It was a great car but it sure drank gas - about 9 miles to the gallon in the city - lol.
Only have experience with 1 - 340 in a 70 Duster boy was running it with an automatic. He took me by the front end against my 74 Camaro 350 auto. I had him off the line but my car started acting like I'd burnt a spark plug wire last 1/8. Paid him his $50 and went home to figure it out running like crap the hole way. Distributor hadn't gotten tighten down, timing way off. Fixed it, challenged him again at school the next week. Beat him by what he said was most of my car. Wanted to go again, said he lost traction at the line. Ran him again and only beat him by half a car. Two cars and two drivers only. Lost to a 72 340 Duster (I know it was a 340 Duster, not sure of the year) by half a fender, never got to re-race him.
Like any of you guys wouldn't have gone for a ride with Ethel in a cornfield ....don't lie 😄
Heck, I probably would have rode her in a cornfield , too.
🤣
I see what you did there...
@@CarsAndZebras 😁
I wonder how old she'd be now? I bet it would be great to Duster off.
@@camberwellcarrot420
I'd figure she's still a swinger or a demon
@@marioncobaretti2280 now that is some funky shit lol
LOL. That is funny. The 65 396 425 hp! Vette is a low 12's second car with competent driver not smoking tires through 3rd gear. The 340 small block duster is a great car and ran true to its times. Sad to see people that cannot drive their own cars...
Last guy with a Duster that fast scored 4 touchdowns in one game. Back when Polk High was worth a damn.
Is that Napoleon Dynamite reference?
@@derrinpickett9948 al bundy , married with children.
@@youcanbesmartaskhow3857 now I can sleep tonight
@@derrinpickett9948 love napoleon though. If coach said Uncle rico was in they woulda made state.
Bundy could score....but that Duster was a Buster.
I wonder why GM didn't keep the 396 option for the Vette,it certainly had the power and was probably a bit lighter than the 427 for a little weight saving up front. But who knows why these manufacturers do what they do? Love these rides though!!!
Mfrs were making larger engines so in came the 427 Weight was the same
You an use a 454 truck block and build a 427
All BBC size version Comparisons weigh the Same whether the original 396 all way to Stroked 454 to >600 cu inch....GM was being hassled by the Feds & 'vette owners by auto Insurance companies.....Initially
Once I saw those tires on the Vette I knew it was over. 1 of my boss's had a 65 with the 327 fuelie and 4 speed, running repops from Coker tire, just for the look. He used to say "I never use 1st gear, and when it rains, the car stays home." BTW, if you ordered your 340 whatever from Mr. Norm's Grand Spaulding Dodge in 1968-71, he would guarantee 1 horse per cube or better, depending on the tune and your wallet. Real rear wheel hp, not crank.
The 340s respond unbelievably well to minor tuning/mods!
@john thonig 😂😂😂😂 the 340 was underated at 275 more like 400
Cokers are way too much $$ for what they are giving ya.
Most guys that buy them wonder why they dont drive like a radial haha
Thanks for the like, and to Cars and Zebras, That was a very informative video. Even I learned and I'm a retired Shop Owner. But do check the second run, that Vette got sideways!
As in the movie "My Cousin Vinnie" the " Duster" could never be confused with a Corvette! Eveah.
Pontiac Tempest.
Shane Neve According to Mona Lisa Vito, like theTempest, the Duster could nevah eveah be confused .....or compared to the Corvette.....lol
Little 340 MOPAR whooped the big block Chevturd. No surprise. Seen it happen many times over the years.
My grandfather had a yellow 1970 duster 340 with a six pack and it ran hard! He'd tell me stories of him beating turbo trans ams and c4 vettes in the 80s those cars are street warriors
Thanks for sharing!
Datiel Rose Early 80s turbo TAs were boat anchors. The '89 3.8 turbo TA would smoke the 340.
DevilsNachoz Uh, yes. No 340 anything ran 0-60 in 4.6 secs and low to mid 13 secs 1/4 mile like the ‘89 3.8 turbo T/A. Let me repeat: No 340 anything ran 0-60 in 4.6 secs and low to mid 13 sec 1/4 mile. They were quick for what they were and can run with or beat many big blocks but c’mon......
DevilsNachoz Ok to you. That’s the reality so deal with it😳😆
@DevilsNachoz yes
I have a 69 dodge Dart-340-4spd man trans 8 1/4 rear end, but the best thing about her is only 31265 easy miles. Was given to me in 1982 from my Grandfather, meet my wife/married her and raised 4 children and now have 9 grandchildren that all have had a thrill to ride in our beauty. She's burgundy with a black top and the factory GT hood. She will roll most of the time on the street we'll Will not get over 80/85 mph before the other car figured out his DONE! IT LOOKS NEW TO THIS DAY AND YOU CAN EAT OFF ANY PART OF THIS DART!
SEEYA!
Stock Plymouth tearing up a Corvette. I love it.
Nevermind the fact the Vette beat him the first round and both races after displayed traction issues. Tearing up? I don't think so.
Not sure what video youre referring to
Lol, it's hard for these Chevy guys to believe their eyes
THESE DAMN 340 DUSTERS ARE GIANT KILLERS ... I WOULD NEVER BET AGAINST ONE ... AND I'M A CHEVY GUY ...
Rilley Reid.......My man, LMAO you know whats up! another great vid thanks....the vette was special for sure.
Original numbers matching one year only engined Corvette… Definitely special!
That shit had me rollin🤣🤣🤣
My daughter wanted my 340 Duster. So we(together)rebuilt the engine, .60 over, larger intake valves,(2.02 or 2.12, I can't remember) cam, shift kit in the 727 tranny, with headers dumping into 3" pipes, L60's on the back. She drove it her senior year in high school '98ish. Said she never got beat. A lot of sad 5.0 Mustang drivers in the area. Funny story: The car had very low restriction mufflers. Said she fired it up one day by the practice field at school. When it lit up, a lot of the jocks hit the ground. One too many stories about school shootings I guess.
Those 340 dusters are definitely big block killers
No doubt about that! Definitely little monsters
@@CarsAndZebras I know I have one
I had one. Very special engine and, it seemed to like the Duster more than the "Cuda. (had one of those too)
Right on, Pernell Roberts (Ben Cartwright to some) had a gig pitching Corvettes 👍
Pretty sure the 1970 Duster we had when I was a kid only had the 318, as my dad's grandmother gave it to him in 1977. Being born in 1970, all these cars were available for purchase when I was in high school for like $600-800. I ended up driving a 69 Buick Riviera and a 1975 Monte Carlo to high school.
Roberts played oldest brother Adam Cartwright...
My favorite low $$$$ 318" build: www.hotrod.com/articles/318-small-block-build...
Couple years after you were born could buy most muscle cars for $300-600...
@@BuzzLOLOL my dad sold his 66 Chevelle SS in 77 for $500 and kicked himself for almost 40yrs.
Yes, thanks for the Cartwright correction.
@@philobeddoe8342 - In '72 I sold my '65 GTO convertible tripower 4 speed for $400... insurance companies were closing in on us...
@@philobeddoe8342 You couldnt give away a big block during that era everyone was putting 2 bbls small blocks in due to the oil/gas crunch.
The 340 engine pound for pound was the fastest engine I ever saw back in the day.
Small block Chevy faster...
@@BuzzLOLOL😂😂😂 426 hemi ...nuff said
The L79 had the same reputation
Sorry but I watched a Boss 351 Mustang spank a 70 340 Duster and a 64 Chevelle 327 .
The 70 Z28 Camaro with a 350 LT1 was rated at 360 HP.The Dusters advantage was its weight.
I had 70 GTO that won many races but I got pansed by one of these 340 dusters.
That left lane seemed bad. The Corvette spun in the second round. If you toss that out and add the other times, who won? Remember were comparing cars, not drivers. Duster 27.27 combined to the Vette's 27.17. The Legend lives on!
Haha.... quite the interpretation of the results
midnight savannah Not enough tire. Equal tires on both cars and the 396 425 Vette easily walks away from the 340 Duster. The second race was a testimonial to this. That being said, the 340 small block platform was one of the best.
I wonder what would happen if Chrysler were to bring the 340 back in a modernized version? I'm talking roller cam and a crazy fuel injection system to feed it. I had a 72 Duster that I was told had a 340 swapped into it. Turned out that it was a 340, but had a 318 2 barrel carb and manifold on it. After snapping the 273 7 3/4" rear end, I swapped a Chevy 355 10 bolt posi in the back. That being said, I spanked many big blocks with that car. Whenever someone would want to know what was under the hood, my friend would say "You don't want to know, you would only feel worse about what happened." The 340 is a quick motor and eats it's opponents out of the hole. I think the Duster driver was either asleep at the wheel the first race or just wanted the Vette to feel like he was trying.
Hey that's Adam Cartwright no it isn't that's Trapper John well anyway I like that vette😂😎
Pernell Roberts
MOPAR 340, the giant killer.
The 340 Duster was, I can attest, a badass platform. My neighbor had a bone stock Duster and I could just edge him out with a 69 Camaro SS with a 350. Both were 4spd cars so there was some mucking around but yeah, it was a good package.
Dan Hillman I had a 72 Nova SS 4 speed with extra goodies... headers new carb and intake. My buddy’s stock Duster would always run away from me.
I love 340's. That said, I had a friend with a 67 Camaro SS 350 2 spd powerglide and when he raced my 68 Fastback, Formula S 340/auto/3:23 B Cuda, he sat right at my door with his front end... Another friend had a 1970 Camaro SS 350 4 spd and I could beat him virtually everytime.
I’d take a 340 duster over any vette, but the 396 Chevy was a great motor.
I did some research on both cars and looking at quarter mile times from road tests from back in the day the 340 duster seemed to average 14.5 to 14.7 seconds at around 94 or 95 mph where as the 396 vette consistently ran 14.0 to 14.1 sec. at 103 mph on street tires.
john thonig wow the top of the line two seat roadster is barely quicker than the emissions choked base model coupe. 67-68 340 dart or barracuda ran low low 14’s with a 3.91 gear could even get high 13’s.
Yes a 440 cuda or dart might do a sub 14 second quarter mile. 427 vettes consistently ran sub 14 second ets and a 66 427 vette with 4.11 gears ran a 12.8 @ 112 mph. The only other car that would beat that was the 427 cobra.
Larry Gilkerson 1969.5 440 six pack roadrunner and superbee’s ran mid 12’s and the 1968 HEMI dart and barracuda ran mid to low 10’s.
Those cars running in the 10s weren't factory stock. Had to be modified. Even an l88 corvette would only do 10s if you ran open exhaust and slicks.
Although I am a chevy fan I will say some of those hemi roadrunners were hard to beat even for the l-88 corvette. I think the race could go either way.
My uncle got a 65 Vette with a 396 425 in it brand new for a HS graduation gift in 65. Nassau Blue with a white conv top. He was the king of the streets for years with that car. 4.56 gears in that car. he drove it from Maryland to Texas with his wife, infant son, and a german shepard in it when he got drafted and stationed in Texas.
I think the guy that owns the Vette drove like a mad man the first race. Watch and listen the next 2 races.
on the last 2 races the duster driver woke up and showed what a 340 stick can do to a big block chev
@@marioncobaretti2280 Or the vette got no traction they dont fishtail for no reason
Holy crow! The Duster is a beast!
Hi Cars & Zebra,
You would almost put the house on the Corvette, but like your intro those 340's are nasty.
True doesn't take much to wake a 340 from it's slumber party, but once awake it becomes a Chevy Muncher.
Those Lakewood Pipes sound so tough on the Vette, & definitely a gorgeous Vette.
Why was the L78 rated at 375 Hp the following year in the Chevelle.
I think the L78 was rated at 425Hp in the Impala's the same year as the Vette.
Mopar Or No Car
Your number 1 Fan in Australia
Louis Kats from Melbourne Australia ☺ 👍
Not sure, but for some reason after ‘65 Chevrolet underrated the L78. Maybe they didn’t want to upstage the Corvette, or possibly so people could get insurance cheaper.
Thanks for watching!
Those sidepipes are so necked down in side its not even funny
Major power killers.
Great video! Keep up the strong work!
Dude this is great
Thanks for watching! I’ll keep making them
340 duster spanked that BBC vette really, really bad. love it.
That really says something about HP to weight and hp per cubic inch!
Had a Hurst Cuda. From 69.340 4spd. Could hold the go pedal to the floor out of gear ,never blew..Very solid motors.
One good run from the Vette. At auction it might bring enough to buy 3 Dusters. Wonder how this would have turned out with good tires. At any rate I've seen enough. I want a Dart GT with a 340. Ready to take on any small block ever made.
I think you could probably get 4 Dusters for the price of that Corvette! original numbers matching 1 year only L78, side pipes, knock off wheels, Glen Green... dang, definitely over 100K for that car now!
The 69' Dart would do the same thing to that vette and a nice stock one goes for $40k.
That kicked ass! Thanks for sharing,
Thanks for watching! Lots more to come! 👍
Well, it's obvious which lane is the lane of choice. Not taking anything away from that 340 though, it still posted the quickest time at 13.4. And both cars posted their fastest time during that 3rd round. Sure would've liked to see the 396 Vette run again in that right lane ( on the driver's right ).
After reviewing the footage, the left lane was a problem this year, but this track usually has issues, including crazy head winds. When the cars race at the Midwest FAST drags at the Martin speedway they usually run a couple tenths quicker.
@@CarsAndZebras Wow. A couple tenths quicker across the board is quite a difference.
You took the words right outta my mouth...Chrysler Ad Exec’s musta been smooookin’ !
But Chrysler products, branding and the whole vibe back then was a bit on the eccentric side.
13:30
Maybe the ad agency for Mopar used to watch zipties and bias plies ?
I had a late 1960's Dart, and yes it went places off road, though I got stuck a couple of times because of the low ground clearance.
The days when a $14,000 brand-new performance car was considered exotic and expensive, per Chevy's ad. And a big block Corvette was CHEAPER.
@john thonig What we'd all give for a time machine and a briefcase or several full of cash.... : )
In 1969, my brother-in-law bought a brand new Dodge Dart GTS 340 automatic. It was gold with white vinyl top and white interior. A real head turner.
The only car that beat him was a 429 Ranchero. The Ranchero beat him off the line because he had wide tires compared to the factory tires of the Dart.
That said, once the cars got going, the Dart front bumper was at the Ranchero rear bumper and the Ranchero didn't pull away. My brother-in-law said that was the reason the Ranchero got better traction off the line.
We would cruise around looking for the next victim while listening to "Creedance Clearwater Revival" on his 8 track player.😎
FYI -/Never too much of the doobies...
🤣👍
YAY! The Valiant wins! The 340 was a GREAT engine.
Here, boss...lets mount these Schwinn bicycle tires on this pretty green car!
🚲
@highbrass308 See my last post. BTW, look up the famous "50 Fastest Muscle Cars". Two small blocks appear on this list. One Ford, one Chevy.
I've out run many a nova an Camaro with a 318 duster,,, easy
highbrass308 Not an excuse. FACT. How would a Hemi run with skinny ass bias plys?
albert lynn They were six poppers 😆
Excellent. Great cars. Thanks
Thanks for the vintage commercials. Hot model reminds me of Denise Richards. Notice how the script was written to appeal to base instincts. Not that it was needed. Or, maybe it was to entice young buyers who wouldn't consider a Duster sexy. Then you have Pernell Roberts selling the Vette to the older more sophisticated buyer who could afford it and as the story goes may need an ego boost. Two totally different marketing strategies. Makes me want a CTS-V. Play some Zeppelin while I sign the papers. Please.
Very true interpretation!
Yeah .small enough for "tight little spaces" indeed. LOL
@@kasmanien think they were pushing it with the censors, makes me wonder if there's a story behind how they managed that wording.
Wow. This Duster is a full second slower than the one I just watched beating a ZL1 Camaro. I knew that one was a ringer.
340. 'nuff said."
👍
Duster 340's were very underrated cars, and I love them, but showroom stock to showroom stock they would get beat by a decent running 396/425 Vette. Not by a lot though. These are both good running cars, and both improved their times from where they started at. For the guy who thinks these are F.A.S.T cars, you need to watch some F.A.S.T. races. Duster 340's in that class run 11's, 427 Vettes run 10's. And NO, PURE STOCK DOES NOT MEAN SHOWROOM STOCK! Read the rules, some mods are allowed. Most cars attending these events are significantly quicker than at least the daily driven versions typically were back in the day. They are interesting to watch, but you can't draw broad sweeping conclusions about the performance of similar cars from watching one race between cars that have differing degrees of preparation, engine and chassis tuning and driver abilities.
396 425? Ok i think its 427 425