respecting your elders

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bballfan1

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An elderly gentlemen stopped the other day to ask about looking at my duster. Of course I was more than happy to show him my car. He then tells me the story of how he ordered from the factory a 1970 plum crazy 340 car. Says when the car arrived, it was a six pack car from the factory. Told me the dealership tried to replace it with a 4-barrel and he said no, leave the six pack. Said the factory made 10-11 and sent them randomly to people who ordered cars......also looked at the rear decal on my car, and said his said 340 six pack! I stood silently and did not say a word. When I show him my hurst shifter, I asked what color the ball was on his car and he said it came with a T handle. Again the man was about 80 and insisted this is how it came from the factory!
 
I don't know if the old man is right or wrong, but i bought a 1970 duster in 1972, it was a six pack, have no ideal if from factory or been added, l i drove to Indianapolis from Tennessee to buy the car, six pack was not on written on car, also had a 4 speed in the floor, but was not a Hurst shifter, but i added one, the car had about 20000 miles when i bought it, I know the challengers came from factory with six pack carbs and darts had wedges from factory, but on rear quarter panel where everyone is putting 318,340,360,440 and so on, i never saw any of that on any dusters in the 70s, saw the wedge on hood, and six pack on front fenders of b bodies, but had duster symbols on side and plymouth on trunk lid or on hood which were small chrome.
 
An elderly gentlemen stopped the other day to ask about looking at my duster. Of course I was more than happy to show him my car. He then tells me the story of how he ordered from the factory a 1970 plum crazy 340 car. Says when the car arrived, it was a six pack car from the factory. Told me the dealership tried to replace it with a 4-barrel and he said no, leave the six pack. Said the factory made 10-11 and sent them randomly to people who ordered cars......also looked at the rear decal on my car, and said his said 340 six pack! I stood silently and did not say a word. When I show him my hurst shifter, I asked what color the ball was on his car and he said it came with a T handle. Again the man was about 80 and insisted this is how it came from the factory!

As loosie goosie as the factories were, anything is impossible. there have been examples of "1 of not should have been".
 
The only small blocks with sixpacks from the factory were the AARs & T/As.
 
They probably out of 4 barrels that day so they just threw a six pack engine in it to get it out the door of the factory, probably on a Friday and there was drinking to do
 
"Yeah but..." LOL! I do think thet the post about the T/A's and AAR's is correct, if an A bodu had a 6 pack, it was a add on, not saying Mr.Norms or another performance dealer wouldnt install a 6 pack right? . Also old fellers ya have to take at face value, memories get foggy after 50 years.
 
I wonder what kind of aircleaner it had on it. I put a six-pack on a 69 dart GTS that I had but ran without air cleaner. If i remember (30 years ago) correctly there was only maybe at best 2" space between air horn and bottom of hood.
 
I saw a 70 Dart with a slant 6 that had a six pack of course that was after a 24 pack I think
 
Their were/are many oddities in the Mopar stables. Cars documented that were supposed to be never built. Different drive lines etc. I have seen odd stuff but never a 6 pac A body from the factory. Maybe he got a Mr. Norms car. Kim
 
I had a 72 340 swinger years ago. Even though it was a H code car I was still pretty skeptical. Today it sits under a tarp in a garage from when I sold it in 1980. A new owner will get it when the old man dies. Kim
 
It was polite of you to tolerate the old man's story. Correcting him would have done no good, as he would have probably been offended while still thinking that he was right.
I have a hard time keeping a straight face and a shut mouth when dealing with these people. Guys with no classic car at all, calling every 340 or 440 a six pack, bragging about their POSI axle, etc.
 
Their were/are many oddities in the Mopar stables. Cars documented that were supposed to be never built. Different drive lines etc. I have seen odd stuff but never a 6 pac A body from the factory. Maybe he got a Mr. Norms car. Kim

You got that right . In1968 I bought a new 68 form S 383 fastback from Tink Wilkersons chry/ply. in Tulsa. The sheet on the window stated it had a 383 roadrunner engine , 330h.p. , only one other person I heard of had the same thing . I don't remember, but some where I read that it was rated 5 h.p. less than the roadrunner because of the drivers side exhaust manifold . It was like a friends new 66 chevy 2 that had a 327 in it and came off the showroom floor w/ a round black and white roadrunner decal on the front fender, both were about uncontrollable on the tires of that period .
Who put the decal on the chevy 2 is a mystery , or even where they got it ..
I do believe that the factory might have been short or out of the regular 383`s when that particular car was built , ???? I know it was a runnin SOB .
 
It was polite of you to tolerate the old man's story. Correcting him would have done no good, as he would have probably been offended while still thinking that he was right.
I have a hard time keeping a straight face and a shut mouth when dealing with these people. Guys with no classic car at all, calling every 340 or 440 a six pack, bragging about their POSI axle, etc.

Agreed. It is best to just listen and let them have a moment. Have heard the "back in the day I/buddy of mine had one just like this but had a HEMI..." too many times to count now. I just nod and say "cool".
 
It was polite of you to tolerate the old man's story. Correcting him would have done no good, as he would have probably been offended while still thinking that he was right.
I have a hard time keeping a straight face and a shut mouth when dealing with these people. Guys with no classic car at all, calling every 340 or 440 a six pack, bragging about their POSI axle, etc.
Yup I agree, even when I know I'm right and someone's wrong I just listen and laugh in my head. Sometimes when the person actually hears what they are saying maybe later they can understand they were incorrect.
 
Back in the early 90's I had a friend that had a surviving 71 RR, # eng trans the dash vin said R and the door sticker said V with all the correct other numbers for it otherwise !! He eventually sold it to a flipper that sold it a $$$ guy for some big $$$$. I bet it was built on Mon or Fri!!!!!???? lol
 
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I disagree with any posts that assume "anything is possible" or "Friday built"

The manufacturers would have a lot of liability with any "Johnny cash" special they let out the door.

The way it works is your owner's manual is a contract. They write the owners manual for liability reasons because there are warnings and instructions.

Equipment that is not in the owner's manual must by federal law (as early as the 1940s) be documented. A manufacture must issue the dealer a TSB outlining the exception or change explaining what, why, where, and how to service whatever was not included in the owner's manual. ( good example is the rally dashes put in 68 valiants by the factory)

The federal law gives manufacturers small windows to make changes without being responsible to recall and fit previously made cars with the new equipment. Calendar year is one and the other is mid year. (Mid year to manufacturing time table which is usually march or April). However, changes or add ons in these time frames must be documented.

This is why half year cars are only half year cars if specified by the factory. ( example is the 69 1/2 six pack roadrunners)
When they built these cars, the paperwork was done and it wasn't a random thing. Dealer service places recieved TSBs and dealers recieved addendum literature and training on how to identify, sell, and service the new or added equipment. The cars themselves were clearly marked to differentiate them.

Theories of "transitions" or randomly "thrown in" features is pure bullshit because big brother would not let manufacturers be so loose and it would be a huge liability in a federal court room to be so random. Liability from the consumer, the service technician and even from the assembly line worker.

Every year a new owners manual, service manual, and TSBs come with training and paperwork for that year and what will be available to be in compliance with federal law enforced through the NHTSA.

No documentation then it's bullshit, the stinky kind too...... and illegal.

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Love the post and the Certainly the Title. I Live my life by this!

Respect them and make your own determination on reality! No harm done!
 
old timer stories are like fish stories,not lies but should begin or end with iirc. by the way god was a fisherman and he loves fish stories(he may also be a hot rodder with a 68 ss/aa car, one can only hope) by the way i qualify as an elder, i think. i'm 68.
 
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