PhillH
Well-Known Member
Anybody have opinions what made them deserve the Scamp / Swinger badges verses the Valiant / Darts? Any more than badges?
What made the Scamp / Swingers special
- Thread starter PhillH
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PhillH
Well-Known Member
I forgot which forum I was in, this may not be right for the question, feel free to move it.
ScampMike
Despicable Damn Yankee
interesting quandary.. probably 70's culture in some way..
The Scamp/Swingers were a sub model that was easy to order and popular with the public. They had the appeal that the more plain models didn't have. Same with the Road runners and Super Bees. Much more fun than a Satellite or Coronet. Although from a collectible/production standpoint, fewer stripper models were made with the trim and powertrains of the hot models.
PhillH
Well-Known Member
Thats interesting, I guess I'm lucky that I want a daily driver, and can't afford a collector. I didn't think volume wise that the Scamp sold alot compared to the Valiant, likely the guy walking in for a 2 door could be talked into checking the Scamp / Swinger box. What extras did you get with it?
The Swinger/Scamp options were mostly cosmetic but the 340 cars had quite a list of upgrades. Here's a descriptive list for the 340 cars: Standard equipment included front disc brakes (only on the Swinger), heavy duty "Rallye" suspension, a 3.23:1 rear axle ratio, fiberglass-belted bias-ply tires mounted to 14" × 5½" steel wheels, and a bumble bee stripe. Optional equipment included an upgrade over the standard bench seat with all-vinyl bucket seats, with which a center console could be ordered. A performance hood upgrade with scoops was painted flat black with hood tie-down pins. Mechanical options included power-assisted brakes and steering. Rallye wheels and wire wheel covers were also optional as was a 6000 rpm tachometer and a vinyl roof covering in black or white.
Ahh Grasshopper, but you do have a collectible!!!!.....
PhillH
Well-Known Member
Could you get the 340 in a base car Plymouth and Dodge?
Sounds like you could get just about anything you were willing to pay for. My Scamp came with (all factory ) 318 auto, ten inch drums, bench seat, AC, radio, PS PB, 8 3/4 rear no sure grip, vinyl top, standard guages, small wheels with full cover hubcaps. Pretty interesting order, I wish I could see how that happened, did someone order that or did the dealer throw a few goodies at it for a premium?
Sounds like you could get just about anything you were willing to pay for. My Scamp came with (all factory ) 318 auto, ten inch drums, bench seat, AC, radio, PS PB, 8 3/4 rear no sure grip, vinyl top, standard guages, small wheels with full cover hubcaps. Pretty interesting order, I wish I could see how that happened, did someone order that or did the dealer throw a few goodies at it for a premium?
X2 Yes you do.
You probably need the Build Sheet that is often left in the cars when it was assembled. You can decode it and find out if it was a ordered car and those option numbers. Are you lucky enough to have the Build Sheet? It might still be under the springs on the back seat bottom. They were stuffed in different places in the interiors.
PhillH
Well-Known Member
I was talking with my Uncle and he was saying that back then the Gold was kind of a premium color back then and I should keep it. I do really like the color but had never thought of it before as one I would choose, classic though I think.
PhillH
Well-Known Member
I found the build sheet under the front seat. LUCKY! But alass it was destroyed crumbling and unreadable from age and spills. Bummer.
Well, that sucks! Take a sharp photo of the fender tag on the drivers inner fender. That too can be decoded too.
Princess Valiant
A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
wow, some of the posts in this thread are quite hilarious.
1969
The Swinger began in 1969 It was created to be the dart base model. Swingers were (LL23) and came with a slant six or 318 and intended to be extremely base model.
The swinger 340 (LM23) was the base model car with a 340. They all had bench seats and the extremely base interior. They were intended to follow the theme of the roadrunner/superbeer and be a cheap muscle car. Like the roadrunner and superbee, many had no exterior chrome and everything about it was base model, except the standard performance engine and suspension. Buyers seeking extras like bucket seats and deluxe interior with performance were directed to the much more expensive GTS model which was standard with many more features.
1970
After the introduction of the swinger in 69 as a base model and base performance model, sales sky rocketed past the much more expensive GTS.
So in 1970 the GTS disappeared and the option list grew for the swinger. Again the swinger was available in the swinger (LL23) and swinger 340 (LM23). The swinger 340 was now available with bucket seats and extra cost options seen in the previous year on GTS which was no longer.
There was also a dart custom and dart GT package in 70. Either one of these models had either a slant six or 318. The GT package was a package in 70 and not its own model. There were no 340 GT cars made in 70 as well as there were no 340 GT cars in any year previous to 70.
On the Plymouth side, 70 was a banner year for Plymouth. After losing the barracuda nameplate after 69 to a new E-body project, the Plymouth A-body line was left with no performance model. The barracuda had been Plymouth's performance car and the valiant was the economy car. So to fill in the place of the now missing barracuda, Plymouth rushed a new car to the market named the Duster. The Duster was available in Duster base (VL29) or Duster 340 (VS29) The Duster 340 came standard with the rally dash which has a striking resemblance to the 69 and back barracuda dash which is exactly the car it was intended to replace. The valiant remained the economy car in 70.
1971
After a record setting sales year for the new duster, Dodge wanted a car to cousin the duster. The demon was born. The demon was available in demon base (LL29) and Demon 340 (LM29)
The demon went on to become the performance model for dodge A-body and starting in 71 the 340 or any performance options were no longer available in swinger models. The demon 340 also had the rally dash as standard which was no longer available in swinger.
On the Plymouth side The scamp (VH23) was created as a corporate exchange for the creation of the demon. However on the Plymouth side the duster remained as the performance car so the scamp was an economy 2 door. (notice there is no such thing as a 4 door scamp)
The scamp was marketed to women wanting a 2 door car with convenience features and at an economy price. There is no such thing as a factory 340 scamp as buyers in the Plymouth dealer wanting performance were directed to the duster 340. The scamp was only made with a number of slant six engine options or the 318.
1972 and on followed a similar pattern as 1971 with the 340 being replaced with the 360 in 1974.
1969
The Swinger began in 1969 It was created to be the dart base model. Swingers were (LL23) and came with a slant six or 318 and intended to be extremely base model.
The swinger 340 (LM23) was the base model car with a 340. They all had bench seats and the extremely base interior. They were intended to follow the theme of the roadrunner/superbeer and be a cheap muscle car. Like the roadrunner and superbee, many had no exterior chrome and everything about it was base model, except the standard performance engine and suspension. Buyers seeking extras like bucket seats and deluxe interior with performance were directed to the much more expensive GTS model which was standard with many more features.
1970
After the introduction of the swinger in 69 as a base model and base performance model, sales sky rocketed past the much more expensive GTS.
So in 1970 the GTS disappeared and the option list grew for the swinger. Again the swinger was available in the swinger (LL23) and swinger 340 (LM23). The swinger 340 was now available with bucket seats and extra cost options seen in the previous year on GTS which was no longer.
There was also a dart custom and dart GT package in 70. Either one of these models had either a slant six or 318. The GT package was a package in 70 and not its own model. There were no 340 GT cars made in 70 as well as there were no 340 GT cars in any year previous to 70.
On the Plymouth side, 70 was a banner year for Plymouth. After losing the barracuda nameplate after 69 to a new E-body project, the Plymouth A-body line was left with no performance model. The barracuda had been Plymouth's performance car and the valiant was the economy car. So to fill in the place of the now missing barracuda, Plymouth rushed a new car to the market named the Duster. The Duster was available in Duster base (VL29) or Duster 340 (VS29) The Duster 340 came standard with the rally dash which has a striking resemblance to the 69 and back barracuda dash which is exactly the car it was intended to replace. The valiant remained the economy car in 70.
1971
After a record setting sales year for the new duster, Dodge wanted a car to cousin the duster. The demon was born. The demon was available in demon base (LL29) and Demon 340 (LM29)
The demon went on to become the performance model for dodge A-body and starting in 71 the 340 or any performance options were no longer available in swinger models. The demon 340 also had the rally dash as standard which was no longer available in swinger.
On the Plymouth side The scamp (VH23) was created as a corporate exchange for the creation of the demon. However on the Plymouth side the duster remained as the performance car so the scamp was an economy 2 door. (notice there is no such thing as a 4 door scamp)
The scamp was marketed to women wanting a 2 door car with convenience features and at an economy price. There is no such thing as a factory 340 scamp as buyers in the Plymouth dealer wanting performance were directed to the duster 340. The scamp was only made with a number of slant six engine options or the 318.
1972 and on followed a similar pattern as 1971 with the 340 being replaced with the 360 in 1974.
There you have it. Thanks Rani. I knew you had a handle on these models.
Princess Valiant
A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
also forgot to mention the Demon (LL29) and Demon 340 (LM29) were replaced in 73 with the dart sport (LL29) and Dart sport 340 (LM29) after the southern Baptist interest protested the demon nameplate for obvious reasons. "dart sport" seemed to be a less controversial name but it is in essence the same car.
in 73 the 340s had less compression in them,not as hp as in the early years due to the government new standards and the gas crunch.
67redcudavert
Well-Known Member
I bought a new 69 swinger in Sept. of 69. It was a 318/auto car with no power options and drum brakes. It did have a deluxe interior, AM radio, full wheel covers and 700-13 whitewall tires.
It got rear ended and totaled in Aug. 74. About the same time that happened I heard about a 69 swinger 340 4 sp car that had minor front end damage so I bought it and combined pieces from both cars and had a nice car until Christmas eve of 74 when a drunk driver in a 74 Electra rear ended and totaled the 340 4 sp.car.
The 340 car had manual drum brakes, base interior, 3:23 open 8 3/4, but did have PS.
It got rear ended and totaled in Aug. 74. About the same time that happened I heard about a 69 swinger 340 4 sp car that had minor front end damage so I bought it and combined pieces from both cars and had a nice car until Christmas eve of 74 when a drunk driver in a 74 Electra rear ended and totaled the 340 4 sp.car.
The 340 car had manual drum brakes, base interior, 3:23 open 8 3/4, but did have PS.
Old thread but I have a new question!!! Could the 71 Scamp be ordered with the bumblebee tailstripe? I'm seeing mixed answers about the M88 option that in my books all comes out as a trunk(lid)decor package, whereas a car I'm looking at has the tail stripe and the owner claims that's what the M88 is on the data tag. If there is a tail stripe code, might anyone know it off hand?? Thanks
M88 is a deck molding. I don't believe it's a stripe.
66340SEDAN
FABO Member #3649
Hot babes made them special 
66340SEDAN
FABO Member #3649
I think it was the best of both worlds....don’t like the Duster or Dart?? Combine the 2...and you have one awesome car!!! I would love to get a Scamp one day, I love the grille of the 73
Plus the Plymouth Scamp didn’t have the “beak” nose like the Dodge counter part
Plus the Plymouth Scamp didn’t have the “beak” nose like the Dodge counter part
Wow!!! You got that right! Her emblems are a tad high but her looks make up for it!!!
MileHighDart
Well-Known Member
Also during the Scamp years there were no two door valiants. Just the Scamp
Well at least for the 71, 72, 73 years
Well at least for the 71, 72, 73 years
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