Talk About Your 1969 Dart 'Swinger 340'

[69 Cuda 440]

I bought my first 1969 Dart Swinger 340 in Mahopac, New York.

In a Used Car Lot in 1974.

Bright Red (Code R4), with a black-viny top, wheel covers and 65,000
miles on it.

* Bumble Bee Stripe, AM Radio, Tinted Glass, and Drivers Side Remote Mirror

Chrome exhaust tips, and a rubber floor mat covering. Drum brakes and
manual steering. Automatic on the column, and 3.23 Gears with an
Open Rear. It sounds like it was a standard dealer delivered car for the
lot.

I paid $950 for the car. Original purchase price $2886. The car was an
original Florida car, and ended up in Putnam County, New York.

The amazing thing, the car was 100% Original, with nothing done to it,
other than the basic required replacement items. The car was 'clean',
and ran suprisingly well with 65,000 miles on it. Good enough to eat up
a few other newer street 340 cars.

 

[3rdLM23P9]

Love that picture, and have a growing fondness for those hubcaps. Always been a rallye wheel/Cragar S/S/Ansen Sprint guy on my '69 Swingers, but would love to find a good set of those hubcaps!

 

[69 Cuda 440]

Mine had the original hub caps, which are long gone.

I wanted to take the car to my local drag strip (Dover Drag Strip, Wingdale, NY)
and run it in F/SA in 1974 (Pure Stock).

But I was nervous about the 65,000 Miles on the engine, and didn't want to hurt the car, as it ran great as is.

I eventually put in a set of 3.91 Gears with a Sure-Grip Posi Unit, and replaced the steel wheels/hub caps with a set of 14" x 5.5" Rally Wheels off a wrecked 340 Duster.

Only other addition, a set of Goodyear Polyglass GT G70 x 14's tires, and Gabriel
Strider Shocks (Adjustable).

A proper tune-up, and I eventually hit the track, and ran a suprising few 14.30's
while easing up thru the traps, as I didn't want to push it.

What a Great Little Car.

 

[ocdart]

Look out, now you've got me started!
Bought my '69 340 Swinger used in November '69 with just a few thousand miles on it. It was the car that first infected me with the Mopar disease. R4 "Charger Red", black interior, white butt stripe, 727 and 3.23-geared "open" rear.
The guy I bought it from was going into the Navy and his parents wouldn't keep up the payments for him. He'd already put Cragar S/S wheels on it (still with the original whitewall tires), a wooden Grant steering wheel, and an underdash 8-track player with speakers in the front door panels and package tray. Other than that it was as it rolled off the factory assembly line. Paid $2500 for it.
Cruised it on Friday and Saturday nights on Whittier Blvd. and raced it in G/Pure Stock at OCIR here in Orange County running a best of 14.28 at 98+ mph before starting to play with it. And I'm catching Hell from my wife for paying 36.9 cents/gallon for the good Chevron White Pump Supreme gas - 2 cents/gallon more than standard "ethyl".
Started "playing" by putting on a set of "out the back door" headers I paid $50 for. Changed the cam which made a new engine block necessary when my buddy and I stupidly broke the block by putting a wrench on top of a cam lobe beneath the lifter galley to stop the rotation of the engine while we were trying to break the dampener bolt loose on the crank - remember, I said "stupidly". At the time I was in the National Guard with Keith Black's son, Ken, so I called him up in a panic to see what he could do for me with a new 340 block. He told me they had some in stock so come down and pick out the one I wanted. We got to their shop in South Gate and he walks me over to where they got a stack of high-nickle content 340 T/A blocks with the thick oil pan webbing. So, new motor gets built with stock forged crank, rods and pistons, new nasty cam, stock heads with 273 adjustable rockers, Offy Dual-Port 360 intake, Holley 750DP, and dual-point factory distributor (remember, this is 1970). A year lated the 727 was built into a reverse-pattern manual shift and the rear was upgraded to a 4.89-geared Sure Grip, and the carb was changed for a Holley 850DP. Still driving this beast on the street as my daily driver. I could outrun most anything but a gas station, but it sure was a blast to drive!
Sure wish I hadn't ultimately gotten really stupid in the early '80s and decided to turn it into a purpose-built race car. Would love to still have that car today.

 

[69 Cuda 440]

OC Dart,

I forgot about the Bumble Bee Stripe, which was black on my Dart Swinger 340.

And the bench seat, which was really handy at the 'Oudoor Drive In Theatre'

I kept mine for 3-years, and sold it to one of my friends for $850 in 1977. Still in
Stock Condition and with 80,000+ miles on the car.

 

[bmaudlin]

got my favorite of all time 69 Swinger 340 from a used car lot in 1972 for 1500.00 dollars. Gold, with a brown interior. 4 speed, power steering and the base model hub caps. Had a lot of fun with that car! Sold it in 1974 to a 16 year at my church just before I moved to North Carolina. When I moved back in 1978 he called me and offered it back to me for 750.00 dollars in a little rougher shape. I passed......something I've regretted for years! Am still looking for it! Ben. (Picture is of a picture so the quality is pretty poor! In the background is grandma's 66 LeMans with an OHC engine and a power glide!).

 

[Oldmanmopar]

I had several 69's. This one a 340 4spd. I owned this car in the early 80's as the pic shows . This car always comes up in conversation because of a story attached with an 80's Corvette . It was my transportation for work when I painted at Mack trucks. There is a story with this car I think you would all find amuzing. If some one reminds me when I have time I will share it. I also have pics of my other Swinger's I don't have loaded that I will post.

 

[Idaho]

If some one reminds me...

:happy1:

 

[69 Cuda 440]

1969 Dart Swinger 340

Approximate production numbers; 16,637

Cost; $2836
Car Weight; #3197 lbs.
NHRA Class 1969; F/S or F/SA (10.00 - 10.49 Wt/Hp)
Note; The NHRA re-factored the 340/275 HP to 310 HP

* 340 Engine
* Rallye Suspension
* D70 x 14" Tires
* Firm-Ride Shocks
* Power Bulge Hood
* Bright-Chrome dual exhaust tips
* Bumble Bee Stripe
* Full Carpeting with the 4-speed only
* Rubber-mat flooring with the automatic (Full carpeting optional)
* All-Vinyl Bench seats

 

[rda340]

Can anyone tell me where i might find actual production numbers on these cars ? particularly the 4-speed swingers ? i was wondering of the (3), gts , gt , swinger , 1969 , auto or 4-speed which is the rarest ? thanks !

 

[duster360]

I had several 69's. This one a 340 4spd. I owned this car in the early 80's as the pic shows . This car always comes up in conversation because of a story attached with an 80's Corvette . It was my transportation for work when I painted at Mack trucks. There is a story with this car I think you would all find amuzing. If some one reminds me when I have time I will share it. I also have pics of my other Swinger's I don't have loaded that I will post.

Steve, you can't just leave us hangin like that. Lol. I gotta know the story.

 

[67 Power Wagon]

Granted.............I don't own a Dart, or a "Swinger" but, I can say this for ALL the "A" bodies made, the 1968-69 Dodge Dart, ANY package of either year is my FAVORITE "A" body.....But not having one, I got to ask one really dumb question.....

Whats the difference from a Swinger, to a Dart? I really can't see one! IS there a spotting difference?

I do know however the years of 68 and 69 they were really close looking but the hood to me is either the dual scoop one, OR the power bulged one. I like the looks of both hoods, either car with or without a spoiler...... BUT has to have the deck stripe to off set the color of the car, preferably Hemi-Orange, with a black deck stripe.

 

[rrvolare]

If anybody interested ... there is a set of mag wheel covers on ebay for 1000 dollars

 

[GTS Registry]

Can anyone tell me where i might find actual production numbers on these cars ? particularly the 4-speed swingers ? i was wondering of the (3), gts , gt , swinger , 1969 , auto or 4-speed which is the rarest ? thanks !

Swinger 340:

auto: 8834
4 speed: 7803

no convertibles

GTS 340:

auto: 2623 hardtops/214 convertibles
4 speed: 1022 hardtops/58 convertibles

GTS 383:

auto: 488 hardtops/39 convertibles
4 speed: 784 hardtops/34 convertibles

GTS 440:

auto only: 640 hardtops

GT: no performance engine available- "GT" was a trim upgrade only. Either a 170/225/273/318
A total of 19,077 built with the rarest being a 318 2 bbl. 3 speed manual convertible-ONE built

 

[Doug Swinger340]

Mine is a numbers matching 340 4-speed 3:55 sure grip car. I bought the car with my dad in early 1992 and restored it to excellent driver quality. In 1995 I sold the car and went to college. It was my first car, I learned to power shift in it, my wife and I had our first date in it. I always wanted it back, long story short. Last year I found my very car on ebay. in California, and I live in Il!!! my car not much changed at all, I got it back now I am refreshing it with my two young sons, and my dad! all is good every night I can look in the garage and see my first car, Here is a pic of it currently. My avatar is the day I got it back! Oh yea it is a factory r6 stripe delete car.

 

[GEO]

Bought mine in 1981 as a daily driver , for $800

Original 340 was missing and it had a 1971 340 in it.

Was originally green when new and was painted orange when I got it , but with a still green 340 hood.

Auto on column , some mopar non stock crappy hi-back buckets ,power drum brakes ,power steering, 8 3/4 with 3.23 gears and 88,000 on the body

Pulled engine a year later , 6 bent push rods, broken piston pin retainer, pin had came out far enough to scratch a cylinder wall.

Used 1qt every 150 miles and smoked real bad.

Found 1969 340 block , ordered a complete lower end from Speed-o-Motive, balanced , 340 forged crank, rebuilt 340 rods, .030 Arias 11-1 forged pistons,.

Try finding a 340 kit now shipped to my door truck freight it was a little over $500.

Installed correct bench seat

In 1985 I cut the frame and narrowed the rear out of a 8 3/4 b-body , 11inch drums and all , new sure grip and 4.30 zoom gears.

Back in 1985 it wasn't called mini tubbed it was just a narrowed rear end.


Installed B&M starshifter with the bench seat

1989 I had it painted B5 blue (which was uncommon back then , unlike now) and a vinyl top installed, bill was a little over $4000 back in 1989. Fiberglass front fenders and hood

Ran that setup for about 10 years then started doing some upgrades , 74 dart front disc brakes , magnum force upper control arms.

This year I built a new more power full 340 engine, edelbrock fully ported heads a bigger cam ,gear drive etc.

Has less than 100 miles on the new engine as I am recovering from rotator cuff surgery.

1989 Paint is still holding up well and the car resides in a heated and airconditioned garage , deserves to be pampered after all these years.

I have built numerous cars and engines over the years for myself and friends but this is the one car I kept

My photo gallery has then and now pictures in it

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/vbpicgallery.php?do=view&g=7812

 

[Idaho]

Mine is a numbers matching 340 4-speed 3:55 sure grip car. I bought the car with my dad in early 1992 and restored it to excellent driver quality. In 1995 I sold the car and went to college. It was my first car, I learned to power shift in it, my wife and I had our first date in it. I always wanted it back, long story short. Last year I found my very car on ebay. in California, and I live in Il!!! my car not much changed at all, I got it back now I am refreshing it with my two young sons, and my dad! all is good every night I can look in the garage and see my first car, Here is a pic of it currently. My avatar is the day I got it back! Oh yea it is a factory r6 stripe delete car.

Very nice. Could you comment on the hood stripes? Maybe another pic?

 

[rda340]

Thanks gts registry , I was given a book for fathers day, written Mike Mueller, "the complete book of classic dodge and plymouth muscle 60 thru 74 " he lists the same total number of cars built,16,637, however, he has the 4-speeds at 8834 and the autos at 7803 ! Just want to be clear on this fact ! Also do you know if there is a Swinger 340 registry thanks !

 

[6pakattack]

So if a person wanted to decode a GTS, where would one go ?

 

[Doug Swinger340]

Idaho...the stripes on the hood are very close to what you would see on a 69 roadrunner or gtx. Just an idea I had and I really like them. They will go back on with the repaint!

 

[Idaho]

I like the idea. I had run across this pic on the net and wondered about whether there was a factory hood stripe option but that seems unlikely. This stripe looks to be asymmetrical, wider on the driver side, and lapping onto the grille. Rather unusual.

 

[GTS Registry]

Thanks gts registry , I was given a book for fathers day, written Mike Mueller, "the complete book of classic dodge and plymouth muscle 60 thru 74 " he lists the same total number of cars built,16,637, however, he has the 4-speeds at 8834 and the autos at 7803 ! Just want to be clear on this fact ! Also do you know if there is a Swinger 340 registry thanks !

There used to be a 340 Swinger Registry, but it vanished a number of years ago. None now that I know of. I have a tiny 340 Swinger list that I have incorporated on to the 1969 GTS Registry page. And I do mean ~tiny~! If you want, send me your info and I can add that to the 340 Swinger list.

 

[sleepyhead416]

Mine didn't start out so nice !!

 

[Austinsguns]

I like the idea. I had run across this pic on the net and wondered about whether there was a factory hood stripe option but that seems unlikely. This stripe looks to be asymmetrical, wider on the driver side, and lapping onto the grille. Rather unusual.

I think you are seeing shading/shadows from body lines rather than stripes.

 

[GTS Registry]

I think you are seeing shading/shadows from body lines rather than stripes.

Also, bear in mind that all of those brochure shots are hand drawn/painted. They are not photographs. Hence, they might not be accurate images.