340 T/A Demon??

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73cuda

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Ok guys I can't find anything online about this topic...curious if any of you know anything on this one.

I've got a 1970 T/A block - casting 11.69
I also have an early production 1971 340 Demon project car.

What I found interesting was (2) things:

When digging on the T/A motor - it turns out the VIN checked out as a late production 1970 Hamtramck car but NOT an AAR Cuda or T/A Chally....per Barry Washington it's a "leftover 340 TA" that Mopar grabbed for a regular 340 Hamtramck car -- Cuda, Duster?

At any rate, when digging the #'s on my 340 Demon, the motor vin matches the car but due to the driver's side headers I can't get see the motor casting..here's what's interesting, the date casting on that motor is 11.69, too

While this is probably just a normal 340 block (not a TA) it seems it's possible.

Does anyone know, have, heard of this oddity?
A #'s matching late 1970 / early 1971 340 A body or Ebody car getting a T/A block from the factory?

There were only around 5,000~ T/A motors built for the AAR/TA cars so my guess is this is a VERY rare deal. Most owners back in the day would have had no idea I'm sure as the rest of the engine would have been standard 340-4.

Any input - let me know...there's very little out there on this topic.
Thanks!
 
Back in the day things were not as automated on the line as we know of today such as parts being ready when needed. They probably had some guy pushing carts around with rear ends on one and trannys on another and engines on another and so on. Now things are a lot more likely to be at an arms reach and available when needed due to this automation, but back in the day there of course was an assembly line that was moving along and i would say at several times one of the racks became empty that had the needed part for that particular unit BUT the line had to keep moving and as there was another rack that had a motor on it that would work and progress could continue with installing that motor, that's what took place. The super made it very clear that production was the key to his bonus and you damn sure better not be the one that caused him to not get it either. It might be that some cars that called for a 7.25 rear got an 8.75 because the rack was empty that held the smaller one but would get em out of a bind. Just a thought.
Small Block
 
Thanks small block! I have heard many stories of this type of thing happening in general back then.

I really want to know if anyone knows of an actual instance where a 340 TA ended up in a 340 car. It's got to be rare! Probably a perfect Galen question :)
 
I had a 68 belvedere 6 cyl 3 0n the tree car......it had torque boxes from the factory unless granny had them installed by checking the proper code when she ordered it to handla all that awesome torque from the slanty LoL
 
73cuda said:
There were only around 5,000~ T/A motors built for the AAR/TA cars so my guess is this is a VERY rare deal. Most owners back in the day would have had no idea I'm sure as the rest of the engine would have been standard 340-4.

Any input - let me know...there's very little out there on this topic.
Thanks!
Click to expand...

I have not heard of a T/A block installed in any Mopar but the T/A or AAR E-Bodies from the factory. A block stamped 340-6 is not a T/A motor as some think. I am not sure if this is what you have ???
 
No it's definitely a T/A block I have...Not "-6"...it has the correct stamping with "ta" at the end of the part # on the block.

I haven't confirmed my car has this block - but I was told the TA motor I have is not a AAR/TA VIN per Barry Washington over at Hamtramck-Historical.
He basically said the vin on the motor is too late 1970 production to be one.
And said these leftovers made it into regular 340 cars...Just want to know if anyone has one or heard of one. I can't imagine there were many "leftover" blocks as some were probably warranty blocks for the TA cars.

Appears to be a real one off thing.
 
If the casting # is 3577130TA its a left over TA block.

Remember that this would be the block alone. The engine would still have been built to 71 specs.

Being that it is your #s matching block you probably wouldn't want to get rid of it to someone building a TA/AAR.

If everything you say checks out it would only be a novelty. It wouldn't bring extra value.

Now if it is a TA block and you wanted to sell it, sure you could get a bit for it but then your car would take a hit in value because of the loss of its original engine.
 
It should also have SP stamped on it somewhere.SP was stamped on all T/A engines.My brother needs a T/A block for his T/A..
And also if you ever have the oil pan off it should have provisions to drill it out for 4 bolt mains.
Jim
 
Sorry for the confusion on this one....

I have a 1971 Demon 340 with it's # matching 340 motor in the car.
The casting on that is 11.69....I don't know what part casting this motor is, yet as I can't see it with the motor in & headers on.

Then I have a seperate stand alone 340 T/A Block on an engine stand....that date casting is also 11.69 - it's a real T/A Block with the front pad having the "SP" on there as well & was out of a non-AAR/TA car per the vin #...I will consider selling that block. It has a crank/oil pan/windage tray, too..I'll try to get a pic or two up here of that motor.

My question was really just around if anyone knew of any 340 cars that came from factory with the leftover T/A blocks?

340ta.JPG
 
Here's my extra T/A Block info...

VIN: 0B315272
Casting: 3577130TA 340 7
Date Cast: 11.24.69

Front Stamping Info:
F - Series - (model year) 1970
W - Engine assembled at the Windsor, Ontario engine plant
340 340 CID
s - Special (T/A block)
P - Premium fuel required
3176 - Engine final assembly date from the 10,000 day calendar - April
8,
1970
0138 - 138th engine assembled at the plant above, on the day above.
 
Barry had trouble with my T/A motor. He said that it was too early for a T/A by a couple months. It had a VIN, and the build matched the casting date, but the VIN was in between the pilot cars, and the first VIN he had on record. Since this motor lived its life less than a half mile from White Bear Lake Dodge...the biggest performance dealership in the midwest with the sole exception of Grand Spaulding...most people who were there (WBL Dodge) think it was the motor from one of a pair of early T/A race cars that were sold through WBL Dodge; the one was wrecked that same year. The motor was bought by the original owner of my car in '72. This is the same White Bear Lake Dodge that raced the Charger funny car.
Who knows. I would speculate that any left over T/A motors would be sold as such through some performance parts outlet like Direct Connection.
It's tough to piece together old history like that.
 
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