Which one was quickest in 1972

-
1972

If you wanted brute power, you went with the Plymouth Road Runner/GTX with
the 440/290 HP with the Air-Grabber Fresh Air Package, and 4-Speed with the Dana Rear.

For looks, it was the Barracuda 340/240 HP.

For nimble-quickness, it was the Duster 340/240 HP

Last, was the 'basic' Road Runner with the 400/245 HP
 
Amazing how these threads get off topic.

Each person has their own preference when it come to the cars they like. That's why their is 52 flavours folks! Some like hide away headlights, some don't. Some even like the look of the Coronet although I'll never understand why.

But for me:

The best A-body front end was the 71 / 72 duster 340. We all know the grill I'm talking about.

Best front end of all is the 71 Cuda, although the 72 Cuda is a close second.

And the best rear end of all time is the Demon.

But that's just me of course and I've always been an A-body guy.
 
I'd say the 72 Hemi Charger was up there with the best of em!Of course I'm referring to the Aussie Charger with the Hemi 6.It was rated at 302 hp and ran 14.40.Overall I believe the 4 factory built 440-6 B bodies were probably the quickest in 1972.
 
1972

Duster 340

* 4-Speed, w/3.55 Gears............... 14.50 to 14.95
* Automatic, w/3.55 Gears........... 14.60 to 15.05

That's what the 1972 'Duster 340' cars we tested ran back in late-1971
and early-1972.

And no 1972 'Duster 340' car ever left the factory with 3.91 Gears, at least
we never saw one go thru the Regional Zone Office. 'Special Order' or not.

That's a Fact.

[URL="http://www.motorbase.com/uploads/pictures.ubh/2007/03/29/fs_1972_Plymouth_Duster_340_rvl.jpg"][URL="http://www.motorbase.com/uploads/pictures.ubh/2007/03/29/fs_1972_Plymouth_Duster_340_rvl.jpg"]
[/URL][/URL]
 
69 Cuda 440 said:
1972

Duster 340

* 4-Speed, w/3.55 Gears............... 14.50 to 14.95
* Automatic, w/3.55 Gears........... 14.60 to 15.05

That's what the 1972 'Duster 340' cars we tested ran back in late-1971
and early-1972.

And no 1972 'Duster 340' car ever left the factory with 3.91 Gears, at least
we never saw one go thru the Regional Zone Office. 'Special Order' or not.

That's a Fact.

Click to expand...


I love your posts, I can assume that you were tied in very close to the factory engineers, if you were not one your self.
Keep up the history.
 
I just got to this thread.....and it's very entertaining :D.

I'm with "69 440 cuda" on this one. I'm almost positive that back in the day I read a magazine test with a "73" 440 Charger, auto, 3.55's.....possibly by Ehrenberg or Al K.....that went 14.40's. Can't help but think a similar geared 72' couldn't pull that off also.

With all the mumbo/jumbo press testing of these cars, I have to think.......If you pulled 10 different 340 cars, and 10 different 440 cars off a lot that were similarly geared, and matched them up against each other, the BB cars would take the stripe the majority of the time.

Being a Mopar guy in 72', the cars you didn't want to run were the well geared LT1 Vette, although rare.....And the Pontiac T/A 455. Even with low compression, those cars were stout!
 
Direct from top researcher 'Bingo-Bango'

1972 Production Numbers

Plymouth Road Runner/GTX {440 'U-Code'}
* 4-Speeds............... 219
* Automatic.............. 453
* Total.................... {672}

Dodge Charger Rallye 'Hardtop' {440 'U-Code'}
* 4-Speeds............... 165
* Automatic.............. 785
* Total.................... {950}

Dodge Charger Rallye 'Coupe' {440 'U-Code}
* 4-Speeds............... 11
* Automatic............. 28
* Total....................{39}
 
Good morning, 69 440 C.... The compression / market/ sales pitch & media hyping,was dying in '72. That totally effects, new muscle car advertising. The market,went back under ground that fast. Tweaked a dead stock 72 351c *4v Mach 1. No head work,a mild Crower hydraulic cam & 3:50 gears. It ran a best of 14 flat @ 99
 
RustyRatRod said:
I remember in Mopar Muscle several years ago there was an article about a 72 Road Runner somebody found. Car was too far gone. No drive train. But it had a fender tag that coded to a six pack and 3/8 fuel line. Even GAYlen got in on it and said it could have been the real deal. Nothing more ever came of it that I remember. Interesting to see stuff like that, but until somebody comes up with solid proof.......
Click to expand...
yes that car was on ebay years ago for 1,500,000 I do not if it sold but then car prices were out of site!!:glasses7:
 
Ok, I'm seeing all these 14 second E.T. times from the baddest mopar muscle cars in 1972. So what if I propose a question to you all: Can a 100 % bone stock LA 318 in a 3300 pound car break into the 14's with just the addition of a 4 bbl. ????? I'm talking stock long block as it left the factory (including heads and cam), stock exhaust manifolds, stock converter and tranny, with 3.55 gears. If so, would this be a discredit to a 3.55 geared 340 duster with an automatic that is claimed to run high 14's to even a low 15 ???? I'm curious to what the responses will be. Obviously, with the 340 having much better heads, hotter cam, and a much bigger bore, there is no way this could be anything but a complete discredit to the 340, right??? I mean, to race them and have there only be a tenth difference?? or worse, the 318 run a 14.89 and the 340 run a 15.02?? Just asking.... what are your thoughts..... there is a reason for this question and what I am doing with my car....
 
Tbone416 said:
yes that car was on ebay years ago for 1,500,000 I do not if it sold but then car prices were out of site!!:glasses7:
Click to expand...

So you remember it too? I knew I wasn't imagining things. I just couldn't remember for sure which magazine it was in.
 
A body numbers sound about right, My brother bought a 72 340/auto duster ran 14.4 all day long @ the track with stock wheels and through the pipes. He also beat alot of cars on the street with that car!
 
dogpro said:
A body numbers sound about right, My brother bought a 72 340/auto duster ran 14.4 all day long @ the track with stock wheels and through the pipes. He also beat alot of cars on the street with that car!
Click to expand...
Well, according to the numbers shown here, with his automatic, it at best would have run a 14.60 and perhaps 15 flat. I have respect for members here, but why do factory testing show these types of times (15.05) and people keep posting numbers lower than what has been "factory tested"? just asking, 14.40's all day long means the possibility of 14.30's, or even 14.20's could have been easily attained. And factory wheels? How much wheel spin? Instantly wheel spin is loss of E.T. And by the way, most of these '72 340 dusters had 3.23 gears, did your brother have 3.23's? If so, 3.55's would lower that E.T. even more...... just saying.
 
318willrun said:
Well, according to the numbers shown here, with his automatic, it at best would have run a 14.60 and perhaps 15 flat. I have respect for members here, but why do factory testing show these types of times (15.05) and people keep posting numbers lower than what has been "factory tested"? just asking, 14.40's all day long means the possibility of 14.30's, or even 14.20's could have been easily attained. And factory wheels? How much wheel spin? Instantly wheel spin is loss of E.T. And by the way, most of these '72 340 dusters had 3.23 gears, did your brother have 3.23's? If so, 3.55's would lower that E.T. even more...... just saying.
Click to expand...

People will exaggerate the following;

* How much they make.
* How much they weigh.
* How much they can bench press.
* How much they get laid.

* And finally, how fast their car was.

We're all human.........:cheers:
 
You forgot the size of the fish that got away :)
 
69 Cuda 440 said:
People will exaggerate the following;

* How much they make.
* How much they weigh.
* How much they can bench press.
* How much they get laid.

* And finally, how fast their car was.

We're all human.........:cheers:
Click to expand...
Except for the ones I experienced and seen... those, my good friend, are not exaggerated. And when my "never disassembled" LA 318 with the only addition of a 4bbl runs into the 14's in a B-body with 3.55's, I will too be a liar, I suppose. I've done 15's in 2bbl form and 2.94's with bad traction. I have the 4bbl on now, and I'm pretty sure I know where abouts it is, I have the 3.55's (not in), and according to you, I'll be competing or eating stock 340 4bbl dusters with a stock 318 4bbl. I've done the cam, headers, high stall thing lots of times. Now I'm doing a different project, and seeing if a 100 % stock 318 with a 4bbl will run into the 14's with 3.55 gears (like a 340 duster), thus proven that if a duster with the 340 is in the high 14's, something is wrong, because I know the hotter cam, heads, bigger bore and better exhaust manifolds is worth a lot more than a tenth....
 
Oh, by the way, I've had 340 dusters, but you wouldn't care for my numbers.... I guess I would fall into the exaggerated category. Funny, I had a 72 duster 340, 3.55's and I only added a MP cam, and headers. I kept the TQ, cast intake, stock converter, and stock block. No traction what so ever at test and tune. My 60 ft. times were 2.2 - 2.3. I still yanked 13.50's at 104 mph. Just traction would have dropped my 60 ft. times dramatically. I bet I would have come close to 12's at 105-106 with 7 inch slicks....
 
318 Will Run,

Now, you're being a little truculent.

So what you're saying, is that back in late-1971 and early-1972 the 'best Tech drivers' around in
the Northeast {Jimmy Boyd, Ronnie Gray and Steve Pasamondo} that drove the Mopars, were 'falafel'.

And all those tests we ran at New York National Speedway, Westhampton County Drag Strip,
Maple Grove Dragway and Dover Drag Strip were 'inaccurate'.

And all those 'pre-test' Dyno tune-ups at Rockville Center Dodge {Mopar Performance Headquarters}
and Tappan Motors {Chrysler-Plymouth} were done wrong.

Geez, I guess we wasted our time.
 
1972 Plymouth Road Runner/GTX 'V-Code' {440 Six-Barrel}

Only 1 documented.

#RM23V2G - 105346

N75 N85 N96 R36 26 EN
M25 M31 N23 N41 N42
G35 H41 J45 J52 L31 M21
V1X U B41 B51 C16 C56
FE5 D6X9 TX9 807 C99013
E87 D34 RM23 V2G

* Rallye Red
* Automatic
* 440 Six-Barrel {U-Code}
* Air-Grabber 'Fresh-Air Package'
* Power Sun Roof

Build Date; August 7, 1971
 
69 Cuda 440 said:
1972 Plymouth Road Runner/GTX 'V-Code' {440 Six-Barrel}

Only 1 documented.

#RM23V2G - 105346

N75 N85 N96 R36 26 EN
M25 M31 N23 N41 N42
G35 H41 J45 J52 L31 M21
V1X U B41 B51 C16 C56
FE5 D6X9 TX9 807 C99013
E87 D34 RM23 V2G

* Rallye Red
* Automatic
* 440 Six-Barrel {U-Code}
* Air-Grabber 'Fresh-Air Package'
* Power Sun Roof

Build Date; August 7, 1971
Click to expand...

LARRY72RR4406.jpg
 
69 Cuda 440 said:
318 Will Run,

Now, you're being a little truculent.

So what you're saying, is that back in late-1971 and early-1972 the 'best Tech drivers' around in
the Northeast {Jimmy Boyd, Ronnie Gray and Steve Pasamondo} that drove the Mopars, were 'falafel'.

And all those tests we ran at New York National Speedway, Westhampton County Drag Strip,
Maple Grove Dragway and Dover Drag Strip were 'inaccurate'.

And all those 'pre-test' Dyno tune-ups at Rockville Center Dodge {Mopar Performance Headquarters}
and Tappan Motors {Chrysler-Plymouth} were done wrong.

Geez, I guess we wasted our time.
Click to expand...
I let the E.T. slips do the talking, nobody can argue with them.... and the E.T. slips I've ran are worth more than a hundred professionals stating different. By the way, I would like to see your answer to my question: "will my stock LA 318 with the addition of a 4bbl hit 14's with 3.55 gears? (yes, the same approx. E.T's the professionals got with a 340 with 3.55's)
 
318-Will-Run

OK,

* You say you have a #3300 lb. car.
* All 'stock' 318 {Long Block}
* Stock Exhaust Manifolds
* Automatic {A-904}
* Stock Converter
* 3.55 Gears
* Only Addition {4-Barrel Intake Manifold and Carburetor}

Does that sound about right..........

And you're running 15.00's.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top