So just how good was the A-Body back in its day?

i lived through the muscle car era, and in '68 and '69 the stock classes at the strip almost always came down to 2 Darts.
that all changed when the 454 and 440 six packs came out but the 340's were still usually quicker on the street.
i had 'cudas and challengers but never ever beat a Dart or Duster.
it was hard to find a town in Ontario where a '340 wasn't about the the quickest car around.