Spinnaker White is the name that Plymouth gave to the color of this 1974 Plymouth Scamp hardtop, and some may argue that white paint isn’t really a color, but a tone or other description. One color we don’t know is what the missing vinyl top was, but I’m guessing it was white, black, or a tan color. The seller has this one posted here on craigslist in Sacramento, California, and they’re asking $7,500. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Barney for the tip!
Priced about halfway between Hagerty’s #4 fair-condition value ($5,400) and their #3 good-condition value ($12,400), this Scamp may not be as overpriced as it seems. I know that a few of us gasped at the $7,500 asking price, as “We used to buy those for $1,500 all day long…” It’s not 1990 anymore, sadly. I really wish it were, I wouldn’t mind being 35+ years younger again, car values or not.
Looking like what we would have done with this car as teenagers, it has air shocks in the back, and they’re new. To each his/her own, but right on the money, high, or low, I prefer a pool-table-level vehicle. I’m pretty boring that way. You can see a few dings around this car, and that no doubt holds it back from a #3 good condition value. Plus, it’s missing its former vinyl top. Whether the next owner replaces that is another personal preference. I absolutely would replace it.
No worries on the interior, the seller mentions that they “have new in the box- carpet set, seat covers and trunk liner” that goes with the sale. That’s not an insignificant amount of money, so that’s great. I’d skip the digital dash, which also goes with the sale, but that’s just me. The back seat looks perfect. The Scamp was based on the Plymouth Valiant, and this brochure shows some fun info if you have time to check it out. The Valiant was made for the last part of 1973 for the 1974 model year, until the end of 1976 when the Volare and Aspen took over.
I don’t believe that a four-barrel carburetor was offered in the Valiant line with the 318 engine, but this one is wearing one. All of the literature I saw only listed a two-barrel carb with the 318 V8, the only 318 option. The 360 wasn’t available in the Scamp. It has a new Edlebrock carb, according to the seller’s listing, and this one looks fantastic. Clearly, this engine bay has been painted, including everything on the firewall and almost everywhere else. It’s clean. The TorqueFlite sends power to the jacked-up rear wheels, and it’s said to run extremely well. Would you keep this Scamp looking stealthy, or fix it up cosmetically?
I’d work on the cosmetics, maybe a color change wouldn’t replace the vinyl top, or gauges. I’d love to find a bucket seat/console/steering column set up to swap into it. Oh, and replace the wheels/covers with Magnums! GLWTS!! Good write up, Scotty, and DITTO on the 35+ years younger, LOL!! :-)
Love the engine bay, there was nice work put in there. Outside makes it a sleeper. I would invest to put back the vinyl top. And a few bucks for the outside.
Judging by the condition of the carpet in the driver’s area it has the same annoying leak at the windshield wiper gasket my 72 had. Could be a fun car to get you in trouble for smoking the rear tires at the stop light.
A 318 4 barrel from the factory was a pipe dream in 1974 and a decade or more away but easily achieved afterward — the intake manifold from a 273 four barrel, a 340 or a 360 four barrel is a simple bolt-on proposition.
Mechanically the car could well be considered to be “good” condition, but with the vinyl top and most of the side moldings burned off, the interior shredded (is that an old fashioned clear plastic seat cover on the lower seat cushion, or is it being held together with packing tape?), the numerous dings and dents, and needing paint, this car is no more than “fair” condition at best, IMO.
What is the “survivor” part? The back seat maybe? Decent car, but I would not call this a survivor with so much done to it (and non-stock no less), and needing about everything else. Looks like it’s solid though, and for the right price (not this price), would probably be a good project car. Sorry, just being picky.
You’re right, Chris. I was thinking of the body and paint mostly, and the interior, of course, even though it’s in tough shape other than the rear seat that you mentioned. The list of what it would need to bring it back to “original spec” condition is daunting, unless a person just wanted to keep it as is and drive it.
The air shocks provide a way to level out “saggy” rear springs. I would keep the car white (including a white spray on the top) upgrade the brakes. (Notoriously weak on these cars) Install much wider steel wheels and keeping the wheel covers. And possibly add some sway bars. And drive it.
My grandfather bought a new Valiant back in 74′. A lot of great memories growing up as a kid in that car. Boy, don’t I wish it was 1990 again too. These cars were super cheap wheels back then. A lot of the interior is toast but if he’s bought replacements that’s a big plus. Can’t even imagine why anyone would even consider putting a digital dash in?? I’d deep six that thing so fast it would make your head spin.
A ’74 Scamp was my very first car. Mine was Golden Haze metallic with a black roof. The disc front/drum rear brakes worked well…no fading, no rear axle hopping. Mine was a Slant Six. The 318 was the largest engine available for either the Valiant sedan or the Scamp, and a two barrel carb was all you could get.
My ex’s brother ran the engine out of oil and it locked up. I hung onto the car….because, of course, I was going to replace the engine and get it back on the road. That never happened, and the car just began to deteriorate. I ended up sending it off to the junkyard. I still regret to this day doing that.
If I had room in the barn or the garage, I’d be heading to California to pick this up and drive it back to New Hampshire……..
Bringing what looks to be a rust free car like this from CA to NH will raise the value of the car by at least 2K. These simply do not exist in the Northeast anymore in this condition.
The Good: 318 V8, the 318 can become a 340 or 360 with a bore job, a stroker crank and fresh pistons, the replacement interior bits. The Bad: Body dings, interior. The Ugly: The missing vinyl roof, Federal “Bash Beam” bumpers. The Verdict: slightly overpriced, but a good daily driver that could become a star with some body work and a respray. I’d lose the vinyl roof and just paint the roof in a contrasting color during the repaint.
PRA4SNW, you are right on the money. Had my Scamp been rust free, I would have hung onto it until I had the cash and the wherewithal to repair or replace the engine. But the car had become a really rusty mess. Sadly, I let it go to the scrapper, a decision that I regret to this day……
SaabGirl900: Same story here. I bought a ’73 Barracuda in ’78 and it was already rusty in all 4 quarters by then. In ’81 I sold it to my brother who did some really amateur repairs by riveting on some sheet metal.
A few years later, it went off to the scrap yard – such was the fate of many Mopars of that time.
Nice clean engine bay here. Add some dodge mag rims and leave this way as a sleeper.