The 340 is the biggest POS V8 Chrysler ever made.

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It’s all about the sheet metal on a Mopar, not the engine.
 
Well, some say the unibody construction allowed for strong, light bodies. Paired with the Mopar drivetrains, made for an excellent power to weight ratio....:) this was across all bodies of Mopars, not just A bodies.
 
TrailBeast said:
That's what some dumbass schooled me on at the last car show I went to. :D

He says they were the most gutless unreliable POS ever made.

I didn't contest his opinion, because what would be the point?
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My reply would be, you are absolutely right, that is why I bought one. Wait too see his facial expression.
TrailBeast said:
That's what some dumbass schooled me on at the last car show I went to. :D

He says they were the most gutless unreliable POS ever made.

I didn't contest his opinion, because what would be the point?
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Who cares what one man's opinion is and what facts did he base it on? I have people all the time looking at my stock Duster and almost all tell me how fast these cars were back in the day. One guy told me he had a transplanted 427 in his 67 Chevelle and there was a 340 Duster he could never beat. Be proud for what you have. A 454 Ls6 is great, the 455 Stage 1 maybe better, the new Hellcat better yet, the Hellcat Demon even better...etc etc
 
Yeah there's always a "Johnny one better" OP could a asked, "yeah, where's your car" or "oh yeah what do you have?" Gotta have fun with these idiots....:)

My take on Corvettes, I like them the years they had big blocks in them, The last years I like are like 72 or whenever the last year for chrome bumpers. The 50's/early 60's solid axle cars are neat. Did I ever pursue owning one? No. not that crazy about them, but I will acknowledge the cool ones. I like the 64,65 Chevelles and the 66-67 Chevy Novas. Like the clean body lines on them. I cant say I dislike Chevy really, just never chose to build and drive them. there was a time when ya never seen 65 Chevelles around, now they are popping up from time to time. Used to always see them in the 70's.....but Im rambling here...
 
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I can remember back to the 80's when I raced my all steel '71 Cuda 340, 727 s/strip car which was nothing much over stock, just well set up, with almost complete stock suspension apart from a snubber, it ran 12.4's@108, the 440 A/E body guys didn't like racing me when it was Heads Up for money.....cos 95% of the time they lost!!...
 
Cuda68Scott said:
Maybe he was confusing it with the Buick 340 engine! Had a high school friend that had one in a Buick Wildcat, probably about a 67 model. Recall beating up on him a lot with my 318.
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Be careful about knocking on Buick, after all they made one of the fastest muscle you could buy in 1970, some say the fastest. As for the 340 who cares what people think I've had people roll there eyes at me when I tell them im building a 64 cuda, and I could give a F$%k less what they think. ROCK ON 340
 
My own experience - I had a 67 Mustang GT fastback, 390 4 speed. Got it new in high school. My brother had a 69 340 Dart, automatic and 110,00 miles. I never could beat him in a street race. He sold it with 150,000 miles on it, the new owner took it to the strip and ran a 13.1. Impressive for the time.
 
'73red-duster said:
I was around when they came out. We called them “giant killers” for a reason.
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Me too.
There were many a 396 Chevelle, big-block Ford, and big-block Mopar that couldn't touch my '69 340 Swinger in the stoplight-to-stoplight drags on Whittier Blvd (SoCal) back then.
A buddy of mine called them "Jr. Varsity HEMIs".
 
LT1 smell T1. I had a 69 340 4 speed 3:55 suregrip swinger with a street hemi grind cam and IT WAS A CORVETTE KILLER.
I also HAVE a 95 Z28 second gen LT1 that IS NOT STOCK. my swinger would have blown its doors off.

I also have a way to deal with car show and race track lugnuts. I tell them they need to pull up their car and pull out their wallet. most times they don't even have a car and I tell them when they get one to come by with their wallet so I can show them how FULL OF **** they are and take their money so they remember.:icon_fU::mad::icon_fU::mad::D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:soapbox::p
 
Alot of chevy heads think they are the bomb! Yeah right. They have never felt the wrath of a real mopar!! I guess it's typical of a chevy head.:)
 
I had a 65 Valiant with a 340 that was a heap. It had super stock springs, fence post for frame connectors, 4.30s, sportsman pros, hooker Fenderwell, low gear 904, and basically a stock 340. It ran 12.20s when I bought it and I got it to go low 12.0s. I paid $2000 for it.
 
Had them all, my fav was 72 Duster w/69 340 727 3.91 gear ,took on a ls7 70 Chevelle
chevy lost by 50 ft at end of race.
 
jimmer said:
For one the lt1 is a solid lifter cam.
For two it has ten more cubic inches .
If you want to compare truly make them the same !
Then you want to campare a 396 big block.
It's not apples to apples !
I tespect your knowledge, and experience , as with many others on here.
I just disagree with your comparison.
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So what man? You're livin in a delusional fantasy world if you think back in the day you could say "hold on, is that a solid lifter small block Chevy?" at a traffic light. It was run what you brung son. Apples to apples or Hemi to 350. You caint pick and choose in the heat of battle.
 
yellow rose said:
I was never afraid of most corvettes. Most couldn't drive and were suckers and posers.

I could give two craps for any 350 Chevy, no matter what lifters it had. The 327 was the better package.
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Then you've never seen a "good" LT-1 Camaro. They were out there.
 
Dartswinger70 said:
When comparing LT 1 Camaros and Vettes to 340 A bodies, lets not forget that the A bodies werent in the same class as Corvette or Camaro, and were alot more affordable. A 340 dart is comparable to an SS Nova 350, The Camaro to the E bodies, and the Corvette is a sports car, Mopar didnt have anything comparable untill the viper. What Im saying is, the 340 was the best bang for the buck, or some may call it "cheap horsepower" the guys with the LT 1's spent more $$$ Im thinking...
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But street racing back then didn't give a **** about class. You just lined um up and did it.
 
RustyRatRod said:
But street racing back then didn't give a **** about class. You just lined um up and did it.
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Frak yea baby! Sign me up for the line up!
Let’s go! Old school rules, run what ya brung!
AJ/FormS said:
stock 340 A's had a window from about 30 to 85/90. When they hit 4th gear those 3.55s almost killed them.
I ALMOST got schooled by a 68-440 Chrysler New-something (Newport?). This high school friend of mine (brother to the girl I was going out with),his Dad had this great hulking beast of brown poo with a 440 auto, and he was going on and on and on and on about how fast it was. Wanted to race me for months. Finally I caved in; 30 to 85 I said; I knew my car's limits. You guessed it, I blew that barge for two gears. Then, on the way to 85, I watched that great whaling ship start catching up.I took him by a good bit, but I seen the handwriting on the wall. My Swinger went 98 in the qtr, and I'm 100% positive, had we raced to 98, that freighter woulda schooled me that day.
Not long afterwards,I put in some 4.10s .
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One day on the road home.......
Two guys in a big block Olds Cutlass drop top pull up and the passenger is talkin smack. I look at the driver, state the obvious his buddy has a big mouth and wants to embarrass you by you loosing to me.
AND IT WAS ON!
Light after light after light the spankings continued until the long stretches. When your set up for it, you can kill’em.
Cuda68Scott said:
Maybe he was confusing it with the Buick 340 engine! Had a high school friend that had one in a Buick Wildcat, probably about a 67 model. Recall beating up on him a lot with my 318.
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The small block Buick is a joke and the big block is so costly it is retarded but they will run well. The V6 turbo car is the mean machine.
 
604B1duster said:
Omg, What is the world coming to ? When I guy named “Mopar Tim” makes a statement like that it makes me want to puke, lol
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If I were not rebelling against my father, who knows I might be on the dark side. IMO the engineering on the Chevy is better, lighter and smaller package. But I have only built only a couple Chevy engines that were a serious effort. The Both ran real nice. One over 1200 HP. Big effort on that one. But sure a long way from stock. I sure do like the short timing chain, and the chain/water pump setup. So simple it is brilliant. IMO. But I do love my Mopars.


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The part of the Chevys I like is the interchangeability. Also as Tim mentions, they are small and compact. You don't have to spend a thousand damn dollars on headers, or 300 for a decent oil pan. You actually HAVE aftermarket support.......so much so that it really turns my stomach when I compare to what Mopar has.

From 1955 to 1987 the bare block was virtually unchanged except for bore and stroke. That's a LOT of years and a LOT of parts to scour for.
 
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Now they tell me, after all this work, my 340 is a pos! Damn, and I haven't even fired it up yet to break in the cam.
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TrailBeast said:
That's what some dumbass schooled me on at the last car show I went to. :D

He says they were the most gutless unreliable POS ever made.

I didn't contest his opinion, because what would be the point?
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makes me wonder what he is driving. i might be more in tune with chevy engines but i am learning all about my new toy a 69 cuda what will have a n.o.m. 440 with a 727 auto in it but i know lots of people that love the 340 and the t/a 340 engine . i know it can and will kick a stock 350 chevy to the side when it wants. don't listen to people that are this negative or upset his blew up from abuse etc. stock or built , have fun with what ever it is installed in and enjoy the thumbs up and waves.
 
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