History on this Canadian Dart Swinger 340 Special

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Swinger340Canuc

72 Swinger 340 Special
Joined
Sep 26, 2011
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Location
Sherwood Park, Alberta
This is a real shoot in the dark everyone but I thought since I have no history on my car from before I bought it in the late 70's as a teenager maybe someone, most likely someone in western Canada, might recognize it and be able to fill in the some blanks. I purchased it in Edmonton Alberta in 1978 as a "repo" for my first car. It was originally purchased new from Pembina Motors in Manitoba (thanks Cliff Guinand for that history). These are the only pictures I have of it way back then. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks Dan
 

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Ya, that stripe only really works on the Starsky&Hutch Torino. Otherwise, cool car, and I'm glad you've been able to hang on to it all these years. Is the resto in progress?
 
I would like to see the car back as a EV2 car!!!! We can both start our restoration's next month.
 
Not yet, I'm putting together the missing parts this winter. I'd like to build a new garage before I start but I haven't made up my mind on that yet.
 
Hey 340canuc, good string to start here. Hopefully you and j061093409, aka, Joel, can find out info on both your cars - because these cars warrant it. Just so we know, these are the only 2 known Pembina Dodge '72 Swinger 340 Specials of the possible 10 or 15 built for that Winnipeg dealership. That also means there has to be couple others out there. So, if anyone knows anything on these cars, or any other '71 or '72 Canadian Swinger 340 Specials, post it here...
 
I am waiting for the building permit to be approved!! then I get going on the car. I need an original 72 Demon Hood with scoop. I have a lead on the hood but would like to get a complete one if possible. After that I can work on the body, I mean pay someone to to the body!
 
Got my building permit today! found a hood in my state but still need scoop. also looking for 72 base door panels as mine have speaker holes.
 
Staying with the history of these '71 and '72 Swinger 340 Specials, I'd love to know what kind of history mine had. As you can see from this montage of pics, that it had a tuck-n-roll interior, door panels, seats, front and back and the Hemi Orange was covered by a gun metalish grey. I do believe this is how it looked when sold in Edmonton, probably in the late 80's. Then, as you can see, it was painted spray bomb black. I couldn't confirm it, but it possibly was bought off the 'Little Lot' in Edmonton (not sure if it's still around - anyone know?), then made it's way north to Lac La Biche area, where I then found it in Kikino. It had been sitting for years, thus, as you can see, it's in super bad shape - been collecting pieces for a few years. It didn't have the original engine or tranny, but it had a number of factory markings, blue daubs on the torsion bars, hand written codes on the rear-end housing, markings on the inner fenders etc., so, it was probably in pretty good shape when it was sold out of Edmonton. It soon met its demise, ouch...
 

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You've been holding out on me Cliff, you got these great pics of you rescuing the old girl from the northern permafrost. I think the "Little Lot" is long gone but I definitely remember those guys sold a lot of muscle cars back in those days, used to cruse by there often. You probably told me but I didn't remember that yours is Hemi Orange as well. I wrapped my door panels with that diamond tuff as well, fortunately I didn't damage my panels in doing so and they look pretty good when I unwrapped them. Hope someone can give us some history on yours.
 
Interesting story guys. Can Chrysler Historical be of any assistance?

From what I understand, and reading in a number of places was that the Canadian arm of Chrysler was pretty much anonymous and kept there own records.

With that said, I do have a document that a Don Fox out of Edmonton, who owned a couple of these 340 Specials back in the '90's, had contacted a Kevin McCabe out of Ontario back in the early 90's. Who this Kevin is, I don't know but he did know a lot about the Windsor plant (anyone know of him?). He got back to Don, where he stated "there were 586 'swinger special' cars sold in Canada built with a V8 engine. In checking the '71 option and accessory report, there is a reference to 0.5% of these cars being equipped with a 340 V8 – 0.5% translates into 29 cars."

Interesting, but according to the known survivors and the sequential VIN numbers, we can safely say there were 40 Crosstown cars and 25 Crestview cars built for '71. For '72, it looks like there were 50 or so Crosstown cars and only 10 or 15 Pembina cars.
 
From what I understand, and reading in a number of places was that the Canadian arm of Chrysler was pretty much anonymous and kept there own records.

With that said, I do have a document that a Don Fox out of Edmonton, who owned a couple of these 340 Specials back in the '90's, had contacted a Kevin McCabe out of Ontario back in the early 90's. Who this Kevin is, I don't know but he did know a lot about the Windsor plant (anyone know of him?). He got back to Don, where he stated "there were 586 'swinger special' cars sold in Canada built with a V8 engine. In checking the '71 option and accessory report, there is a reference to 0.5% of these cars being equipped with a 340 V8 – 0.5% translates into 29 cars."

Interesting, but according to the known survivors and the sequential VIN numbers, we can safely say there were 40 Crosstown cars and 25 Crestview cars built for '71. For '72, it looks like there were 50 or so Crosstown cars and only 10 or 15 Pembina cars.


Cliff I did a little Googling, could this be the Kevin McCabe that you referenced?

Antique & Classic Auto Appraisal Service (Windsor) - Insurance Approved Reports Kevin McCabe & Jane

Phone: (519) 972-4794

Address:

Windsor ON
Business Involves:

Appraisers
Automobiles - Antique & Classic
 
The power of FABO! I've had this query for information thread up for about a month on a car thats I've owned for 35 years and hasn't left the garage for 28 years. So I get a call yesterday from a very observant fellow that enjoys checking out car forums and seen my Kijiji ad selling a rear seat and seen the same ad on FABO. His inquisitiveness caused him to search around FABO some more when he came across this thread and low and behold he instantly recognized my car as the car one of his customers had talked to him about. He contacted me to let me know that he knew the previous owner that bought it in 1973 and he even had a picture on his phone that he could send me. The instant I seen it there was no doubt that's my car and it looks pretty new in the picture.

They apparently talked about the car he used to own and that it was probably long ago crushed. He's going to try and contact him and maybe we can meet up and get some of the history before I got the car. This is pretty amazing and hopefully this will encourage others that would like to find the missing history on their cars, if I can get this fortunate on a car that's been out of action as long as mine theres hope for pretty much anyone's. I didn't know anything about this car a year and a half ago, now I know a lot. GO FABO!! :cheers::cheers::cheers:
 

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OK. my turn from Wethersfield, CT USA!!!! Car is here from California and some info from previous owners but nothing from Canada.

Looking for the original engine of my 72 swinger special out of Pembia Dodge - LL23H2R333306. The car is FY1 and will be going back that way. If I cannot find original A230 3 speed stick tranny and motor, it will have 1970 internals and a 4 speed.

Someone MUST take responsibility for screwing up these quarters!!!!!

Located NOS quarters, hood scoop and used stock hood with holes from 72 Demon.

Hope to get to body shop soon to start this restoration.
 

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car went to body shop Friday afternoon!!!!

What type of headliner is needed, cloth or cardboard? Mine in tuck and roll!!
 
Canuck, can't remember, but does yours have a cardboard headliner? With the upgrade, not sure if Pembina cars got them - the Crosstown cars were cardboard, so j, wait for Canucks reply. Good on your new baby's in the body shop already.
 
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