Mopar Muscle: 1973 Plymouth Duster 340
As the hot muscle car market of the 1960s began to take heat from insurance companies, some manufacturers started beefing up their compacts. Smaller, lighter cars like the Plymouth Duster were treated to more power to hang on to the core performance audience. This 1973 Duster 340 has the small-block V8 with that displacement, in its last of six years of being installed in Chrysler products. With less than 42,000 miles, we’re told this Mopar is all original and can be had for half of what it might take you to restore one. Located in Wichita, Kansas, this hottie is available here on craigslist for $35,900. Kudos to Sam A for the tip!
Plymouth injected some excitement into its Valiant compact by creating a fastback version of the car called the Duster. From the windshield back, the body was all-new though it shared its front clip with the Valiant. Sales were quite brisk, and the Duster would remain in the line-up through Valiant’s finale in 1976. The Duster 340 was the performance model in the mold of the Road Runner (stark in terms of standard equipment), using a V8 that produced 275 hp.
The 340 was installed in nearly 217,000 Chrysler products from 1968 to 1973, and the last year turned in its second-best sales numbers. Of those cars, more than 15,000 were the Duster 340 (plus 11,000 more in Dodge’s derivative, the Dart Sport). We’re told the seller’s Duster was built late in calendar 1972, with a TorqueFlite automatic transmission to handle the shifting of the gears.
We’re told this Plymouth is a “time capsule” with its original sheet metal and no rust. But the gold paint doesn’t exactly match. Both rear quarter panels look to be a shade off from the doors and front fenders. On the plus side, the mileage appears to be low, and the overall appearance of the vehicle suggests it’s been treated better than most of its contemporaries were. As far as pricing goes, this Duster 340 is above that of some of the others we’ve seen here on Barn Finds. Too high or about, right?
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Comments
Nice find Sam A..
Nice car, rare options, I hope it finds a good home!
Have one just like it that I’m restoring. White on white.
If only my wifes lawsuit was settled. I’d buy that car in a heartbeat. I’ve always wanted a 340 Mopar. GLWTS
73 340’s hp was 250. HP was reduced in 72 . 68- 71 were 275. (Ha Ha) I had five Dusters. Now I got a house.
More like 240 hp. And they also had a 360 that year.
50 years on, and it seems like there is still confusion regarding the ‘drop’ in horsepower on American cars from ’71 to ’72.
Though engines were changing somewhat (mostly compression ratios) to accommodate unleaded fuel during the period, the MAIN reason for the HP reductions was due to HOW HP was determined.
Until 72, GROSS HP ratings were determined by testing engines with no air cleaner, production exhaust, or accessories, or even a water pump. In 72 the industry adopted SAE NET testing standards which required that engines be tested WITH those accessories. Parasitic drag caused the HP ratings to fall, more than the engines themselves in many cases.
A good example is the ’71 and ’72 corvette LT1s. In 71, the LT1s GROSS HP was published as 330; in 72, the NET HP was listed as 255. The compression was reduced for ’71, so for ’71-2, the engine was identical, however, on paper, ’72 was down 75 HP.
Rated 240Hp!
Surprised to see a 340 with air.
Bought one in ’98 from a junk yard for $700- 4spd. It needed brake lines. Ran like a champ. Sold it a year later for $1200-
Very very nice. Power brakes + a/c, floor shift i don’t see power steering but maybe the pump is hidden from view. Its nice. But 35 aint going for me. I hope it winds up in a good home though
If you expand the engine pic you can see the p/s pulley.
This is nice. Car guys have no idea how many of these passed through junkyards in the 80s, including the one I ran. I cringe now, fold down rear seats, sunroofs, am fms, stick shifts….GAWD! if we only knew. There were so many a few wanted anything less than mint once they fell through the cracks. Consoles and 340s along with 727s, as long as they worked. Good to see a few made it.
Sweet ride ! 340, auto with A/C is one prime ride that would be comfortable to live with & no doubt be a blast to hotrod around in sign me up!
73 340’s hp was 250. HP was reduced in 72 . 68- 71 were 275. (Ha Ha) I had five Dusters. Now I got a house.
A very good example, needs nothing, could be driven from day 1 as is, or could be warmed up. I like the bucket seats, console and floor shifter for the Torque-Flite A/T, most of these came through with bench seats and a column shifter, befitting their low price. If you decide to warm it up, it could be bored and stroked out to 360 cubic inches, with new cylinder heads, intake and exhaust to undo the anti-smog measures that choked all of these engines out so badly in the early to mid seventies. The crowning touch would be fuel injection, ether TBI or a full port injection setup (if your budget can stand it) to restore drivability and reduce emissions.
Wow, I do declare, if this doesn’t wow you,,um, oh, I know, maybe back off the meds,,( dumb comment), and I, by no means, am anti-woman, my daughter won’t allow it, but as an observant guy, THIS car was aimed squarely at women( P/S, auto, console, white interior, stripes, scoops, and more) that wanted to burn rubber too,,in a civilized, womanly manner and looked sharp. No hemis, or monster 440 Niagara Falls intake. As good as any of the male counterparts cars, who thought they ruled the roost. The 70s were a vastly changing time. No longer were women relegated to the kitchen, and made a huge difference in our society, and I thank them. I know I say these Mopars were tin cans, and they were, but boy howdy, I’d bet the farm( if I still had it, that is) there was a woman on board in the design room. The buyer may have had some brothers influence here,(n as in my ex-wifes case) but spec’d out a really sharp car. How can anyone even remotely compare this to that new Kia I rented,,,MOMMA MIA!
And when I say, younguns can eat their hearts out, I mean it. I, and several others here, literally saw these cars roll off the truck at the dealer, for paperboy,, or girl wages, and were wowed ever since. Many folks ignored, wait, more like couldn’t wait for the 500 mile break in, and burned rubber off the lot. They were designed to do so. Great find.
The different shade of gold is usually caused by the manufacturer using a slightly different shade of primer on the rear VS front clip.
But how about that color flop on those new Camaro’s at the quarter and door? Could be the same going on here?
The Duster is the last remaining Plymouth Plymouth from the muscle car era that is still reasonably priced. Or should I say it “was”. Nearly $40,000 for a Duster is horrible. I would have a hard time with paying that for a rare Demon, but that’s just me. Paying 10 to 15 times what a car cost new doesn’t sit well with me, although I have accepted the fact that the period for me to buy a cheap muscle car passed me by before the turn of the century 🥺
To me muscle ended in 1972. They might look like previous muscle but they are not the same. The muscle look without the muscle under the hood.
Where’s the bumper guards?
Sorry,
The 360 had a smaller bore but a longer stroke. You can’t bore and stroke a 340 out to a 360, and I don’t know why you would want to.
Otherwise I like this car, and the asking price is less than it would cost you to restore or even purchase a restored 1970 or 71 with the 340.
The A/C and console shifter are kind of unusual.
But the 70 or 71 had more HP. And would be worth the asking price if it was in as good a shape as this car. 340’s were one of the best small blocks ever built.
The different shades of gold are a turnoff. Driver’s side door and fender may have been replaced at one time or another.
50 years on, and it seems like there is still confusion regarding the ‘drop’ in horsepower on American cars from ’71 to ’72.
Though engines were changing somewhat (mostly compression ratios) to accommodate unleaded fuel during the period, the MAIN reason for the HP reductions was due to HOW HP was determined.
Until 72, GROSS HP ratings were determined by testing engines with no air cleaner, production exhaust, or accessories, or even a water pump. In 72 the industry adopted SAE NET testing standards which required that engines be tested WITH those accessories. Parasitic drag caused the HP ratings to fall, more than the engines themselves in many cases.
A good example is the ’71 and ’72 corvette LT1s. In 71, the LT1s GROSS HP was published as 330; in 72, the NET HP was listed as 255. The compression was reduced for ’71, so for ’71-2, the engine was identical, however, on paper, ’72 was down 75 HP.