340 V8 Tribute? 1972 Plymouth Scamp

The first Plymouth Scamp was that Chrysler division’s version of the Dodge Dart Swinger. It was produced from 1971 to 1976 and shouldn’t be confused with the Scamp compact pickup from the next decade. Unlike the Swinger, the Scamp was not intended to be a muscle car, so a Scamp 340 like this one is a clone/tribute. Located in Wheeling, Illinois, the seller has a 1972 Scamp that was restored more than 25 years ago (perhaps that’s when the 340 joined the mix). Needing a bit of work, this Mopar is available here on eBay for $19,500 OBO.

It could be that the Scamp was a tit-for-tat car. Plymouth introduced the Duster in 1970, a fastback variant of the Valiant. Dodge wanted a me-too, so the Demon debuted in 1971. Maybe they made a deal, and Plymouth got their version of the Swinger that year and called it the Scamp. Except for the front clip, the cars were pretty similar. But the Scamp was only offered with the venerable 225 cubic inch Slant-Six or the 318 V8. As the seller of this Scamp provides no fender tag or VIN details, so we don’t know how this car left the factory.

The seller refers to this car as having a 340 “Hemi”, but that’s not accurate. It has a 3-speed automatic transmission that comes with a Hurst shifter. The Plymouth is a driver that starts, runs, and stops (we assume) as it should, being quick in the process if necessary. We’re told the car has been “gone through” and is ready to go, but what does that mean? The odometer reading is 24,000 miles, but is that really 124,000 on the overall vehicle?

Since the machine was restored around the turn of the century, the passage of time means that it “needs very little work.” An indication of what that includes would have been helpful. The seller is thinning the herd in order to have a smaller collection and is willing to let the car go for half of what he/has it insured and appraised for. Why be so generous? BTW, a nod goes to “Curvette” for this tip!