In the late 1960s, U.S. automakers saw another market developing for muscle cars – the compact. Because they were lighter in weight, you could make quite a stir using smaller engines that insurance companies might look on more favorably. One such car was the Plymouth Duster 340 that used a small block that was rated at 275 hp initially. Located in Battle Ground, Washington, the seller’s 1973 Duster 340 presents well and is numbers-matching. Replace the oil pan gasket and hit the streets. This mighty Mopar is available here on craigslist for $20,500. Thanks for another cool tip, “Curvette”.
Chrysler introduced the 340 cubic inch V8 in 1968, and nearly 217,000 installations were tallied over the next six years. Popular engine bays included the ‘Cuda 340 and Duster 340 at Plymouth and the Challenger 340 and Demon 340 at Dodge. 1973 would be the last year for the 340, replaced in 1974 by the 360, which doesn’t seem to be as desirable to some collectors. In the year the seller’s car was built, 15,730 other Duster 340s also left the assembly line.
We don’t know the ownership history of this Duster, and the seller doesn’t check the odometer to indicate the car’s mileage. While the 340 and 4-speed manual transmission are original, no mention is made of any rebuilds. The oil pan has a leak that goes away once the car is warmed up, so keep a flattened-out cardboard box handy as a diaper until you get it repaired.
The seller says this vehicle is not a perfect show car, but it looks good enough to have been repainted (just a guess as the seller doesn’t say). The paint shines up, and the black bucket seat interior appears to be nice enough. The aftermarket wheels speak to the era and seem good, though a set of Rallye wheels would be better for purists. Presumably, the car will run fine on unleaded fuel as all the gas stations were selling it by 1973.
What a cool looking car!!! 340,,4 speed, Hurst T handle, twice pipes out the back,,,nice! ’73 was a tough time, seemed everything hit the fan at once. Someone held on to the muscle car era here, but time was running out. I think Chrysler somehow milked it to the bitter end. Well, here’s your chance to see what a bunch of hooey that all was. “Set you back” acceleration aside, the V8 made these a nice cruiser and high teens for mileage, what was wrong with that? Nice car!
Straight up, Howard.
Right on Howard 😎 👍 🏁
Complete with the Little Tree air fresheners and the high school graduation tassel hanging from the rearview mirror. Boy does that bring back memories from the 80s. : ) GLWTS.
Flattened cardboard boxes get soggy in a hurry. I go to the dollar store and buy a foil oven liner, if I am solving a dripping problem.
By 1973, the 340 was nothing like earlier models. Gone was the steel crank, big valves, hot cam, high compression pistons and aluminum intake. The government neutered a once great engine.