My 340 Score of a lifetime!

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C2ndLTpigeon

C2ndLTpigeon

Mopar or no Car!
Joined
May 18, 2019
Messages
1,140
Reaction score
895
Location
Indio California
So yesterday I was browsing the FB marketplace and looking at cars and engines. I came across a post listed as Dodge 340 Motor. It only had one picture so I asked the seller if he could post a pic of the Casting numbers. He told me he would in the morning. Well this morning he replied and it was a 340! I told him I would be on my way and fueled up the truck and drove to San Diego, 2 1/2 hours from me. Once I got their I met the seller. He was and older man and told me that his son wanted to build it back in the day for a 68 dart he had but went to collage and no longer had the car and it was taking up space in his shed. We loaded it up and I handed him $100. Yes that's correct $100. He had it listed for that and I even asked him if the price was correct on the listing, he said yes and the stands included.
It is a 1971 cast year with a set of X heads on it, which I did not know until I saw it in person. I disassembled it and Pistons look to be .030 over and might only need .010 more.

Talk about a deal! I always wanted a 340 but was crushed by the prices they go for. I know the 360 is bigger and I have 2 of them I was going to build for my 73 Valiant and my 75 Dart Sport. Now the Dart sport is going to get a 340!

Here are some pics of the motor. The Air gap intake makes up for the whole thing!

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Very nice! Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
 
You really ought to be ashamed of yourself. "Just kidding."
 
wow...I was parusing CL 3 days ago for "Mazda parts". I check Mopar often but not Dodge as too many trucks come up. I would have jumped on that 340 too! :thumbsup:
 
pishta said:
wow...I was parusing CL 3 days ago for "Mazda parts". I check Mopar often but not Dodge as too many trucks come up. I would have jumped on that 340 too! :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
And I wasn't even searching for 340, I was looking for 413's and once the search reaches the bottom it starts to veer off to related items and that's when I saw it. Its always when your not looking for something that it shows up.
 
Great score. Deals are out there if you are ready to jump when they come along. Some guys would have offered him 75.00 and someone else would have swooped in.
 
C2ndLTpigeon said:
So yesterday I was browsing the FB marketplace and looking at cars and engines. I came across a post listed as Dodge 340 Motor. It only had one picture so I asked the seller if he could post a pic of the Casting numbers. He told me he would in the morning. Well this morning he replied and it was a 340! I told him I would be on my way and fueled up the truck and drove to San Diego, 2 1/2 hours from me. Once I got their I met the seller. He was and older man and told me that his son wanted to build it back in the day for a 68 dart he had but went to collage and no longer had the car and it was taking up space in his shed. We loaded it up and I handed him $100. Yes that's correct $100. He had it listed for that and I even asked him if the price was correct on the listing, he said yes and the stands included.
It is a 1971 cast year with a set of X heads on it, which I did not know until I saw it in person. I disassembled it and Pistons look to be .030 over and might only need .010 more.

Talk about a deal! I always wanted a 340 but was crushed by the prices they go for. I know the 360 is bigger and I have 2 of them I was going to build for my 73 Valiant and my 75 Dart Sport. Now the Dart sport is going to get a 340!

Here are some pics of the motor. The Air gap intake makes up for the whole thing!

View attachment 1715952800 View attachment 1715952799 View attachment 1715952803 View attachment 1715952802 View attachment 1715952805View attachment 1715952807 View attachment 1715952801 View attachment 1715952804 View attachment 1715952806
Click to expand...
Dang, you are going to sleep like a baby tonight. You stole that one.
 
Happy for you... and feel bad for him.lol
Bet he had no idea at all what they're worth.
Cha-ching!
I went to buy a 1970 340 4 spd swinger with factory dual hood scoops for 1200 back in 99/2000. Another got there literally 10 min before me and paid the money and then split for a trailer 'flat tires and registration expired' .I asked if there anything else...well, along with the car was a another 4 spd, a 340 short block with weiand xcellerator. I says to the guy while the buyer was gone...'that trans & 340 are worth another 300 each'.. to which he replied.. "really?" Then I left.
I went home kicking myself I didnt get there earlier. ....3 hrs later I get a call. .. "I'll take 600 for the motor , intake n trans, you still want it?"...'
Yes I do'.. I said.
Guess he went from including those items..to asking more money from the 1st buyer and the 1st buyer said no.

Well...It was the original motor for the swinger ...as it turned out...and a '77 smog 360 with a cam was in its place.

I still have the 340, the car went to Pennsylvania after I wouldn't trade or sell it.
He put a magnum 380 crate motor in it eventually.
 
MOPAROFFICIAL said:
Happy for you... and feel bad for him.lol
Bet he had no idea at all what they're worth.
Cha-ching!
I went to buy a 1970 340 4 spd swinger with factory dual hood scoops for 1200 back in 99/2000. Another got there literally 10 min before me and paid the money and then split for a trailer 'flat tires and registration expired' .I asked if there anything else...well, along with the car was a another 4 spd, a 340 short block with weiand xcellerator. I says to the guy while the buyer was gone...'that trans & 340 are worth another 300 each'.. to which he replied.. "really?" Then I left.
I went home kicking myself I didnt get there earlier. ....3 hrs later I get a call. .. "I'll take 600 for the motor , intake n trans, you still want it?"...'
Yes I do'.. I said.
Guess he went from including those items..to asking more money from the 1st buyer and the 1st buyer said no.

Well...It was the original motor for the swinger ...as it turned out...and a '77 smog 360 with a cam was in its place.

I still have the 340, the car went to Pennsylvania after I wouldn't trade or sell it.
He put a magnum 380 crate motor in it eventually.
Click to expand...
Nice story, hang onto it.

I felt bad too but I asked him twice, he was aware 340s were the better motor, just didn't know what they go for. I mean I asked him twice if the price was correct.
Screenshot_20220707-222256_Chrome.jpg
 
I love it when one of us old guys make a score like this! Karma points redeemed!
 
I'd list those valve covers and breathers on a vintage-racer's forum, someone might be willing to part with huge money for them.
 
jos51700 said:
I'd list those valve covers and breathers on a vintage-racer's forum, someone might be willing to part with huge money for them.
Click to expand...

They look like circle track parts to me...got me wondering what kind of a cam is in that engine
 
Sweet! And it even has the optional painted water pump impeller. Those are super rare! :thumbsup:
 
And the stand? And One! My 340 score wasn't really a score but a miss. I was browsing pick p part in Stanton and I come across a straight 69 Dart. Rusty but it looked like it was al there. Interior thrashed, windows locked down. hood closed.....I pop the hood and a greasy LA is still in there with a 2bbl intake and 273 looking manifolds. Ooh, a 273? I crawl under with with a flashlight and I see 340-3 on the casting. HOLY **** a 340! Now Im scrambling....its 4:45 and the yard closes at 5. This is before I had a cell phone on me so I contemplated coming back tomorrow AM and hiring the help to pull it for me but I was driving a Caddy at the time and had no way to get it home. F! Well, I posted its location here the next day on where it was and I think a guy from Central CA came down and got it the next day. Oof, that one was tough to let go.
 
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Great score!
Be sure to forward good karma to strangers you pass in your life.

C2ndLTpigeon said:
So yesterday I was browsing the FB marketplace and looking at cars and engines. I came across a post listed as Dodge 340 Motor. It only had one picture so I asked the seller if he could post a pic of the Casting numbers. He told me he would in the morning. Well this morning he replied and it was a 340! I told him I would be on my way and fueled up the truck and drove to San Diego, 2 1/2 hours from me. Once I got their I met the seller. He was and older man and told me that his son wanted to build it back in the day for a 68 dart he had but went to collage and no longer had the car and it was taking up space in his shed. We loaded it up and I handed him $100. Yes that's correct $100. He had it listed for that and I even asked him if the price was correct on the listing, he said yes and the stands included.
It is a 1971 cast year with a set of X heads on it, which I did not know until I saw it in person. I disassembled it and Pistons look to be .030 over and might only need .010 more.

Talk about a deal! I always wanted a 340 but was crushed by the prices they go for. I know the 360 is bigger and I have 2 of them I was going to build for my 73 Valiant and my 75 Dart Sport. Now the Dart sport is going to get a 340!

Here are some pics of the motor. The Air gap intake makes up for the whole thing!

View attachment 1715952800 View attachment 1715952799 View attachment 1715952803 View attachment 1715952802 View attachment 1715952805View attachment 1715952807 View attachment 1715952801 View attachment 1715952804 View attachment 1715952806
Click to expand...
 
Great score. Make sure to get the heads magnifluxed. X heads like to crack from the intake valve seat to the spark plug hole, especially when abused.
 
Going to take my block, and heads to Indio motor machine on Monday and have them maged. Can't wait to build this motor for my dart.
 
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