Petty Blue H-Code: 1973 Plymouth Duster 340
For most of the 1960s, the muscle car market focus was on mid-size automobiles like the Pontiac GTO. As the decade unfolded and into the 1970s, a shift began toward putting hot engines in compact cars, like the Chevy Nova and Plymouth Duster. The latter would be treated to a 340 cubic inch V8, which was more than ample for the weight of the automobile. This ’73 Duster 340 is a real-deal car but with a replacement motor and new paint. Located in Winchester, Virginia, this Petty Blue Mopar is available here on craigslist for $26,900. Another great tip courtesy of Pat L.!
Born in 1970, the Duster was a fastback version of the Plymouth Valiant. In 1971, it spawned the Dodge Demon but could be had with the 240 hp, 340 V8 that Chrysler employed from 1968 to 1973. Nearly 217,000 total installations took place during those six years. More than 15,000 of them went into the 1973 Duster 340 before being retired. Many Duster 340s were rather sparse cars (like the Road Runner started out), with a bench seat up front and column-shifted transmission.
This beautiful Duster doesn’t fit the description of a survivor but looks like it. For whatever reason the original H-code V8 is gone in favor of a period-correct replacement. The car has 51,000 miles, but we don’t know how many the motor has accumulated (sounds as though it was rebuilt). This car has a TorqueFlite automatic transmission, power steering, power front disc brakes, and what may be an aftermarket radio.
The stunning Petty Blue paint (mixture still kept secret by King Richard?) may or may not be the original color, but the car did have its original finish when the seller acquired it and went to work. There was some minor rust which has been repaired. The interior looks good, though the driver’s door panel may have issues or be missing. Perhaps that’s part of the “odds and ends” the seller refers to as needing finishing up. Hopefully, those are minor issues as it’s quite the looker!
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Comments
I sold a guy a very nice 73 dodge scamp looked as good as this duster had a rebuilt 340 4 speed. When I told him the the price you would have thought he had been shot..he cried but he paid..
Congratulations! Sounds like you really got some cash out of it! Made him weep. That’s a sale. He’ll weep considerably more when he goes to sell it in 5 years!
sweet lookin’ a-body
man that petty blue pops
I love these whether a Duster or a Demon but I hated the Dashboards/Gauge lay outs!
These can be stupid fast.
My brother’s ’70 Duster was set up just like this, except for the chalky, faded Hemi Orange paint job and a black vinyl roof. Throw a set of 3.91 gears in that rear end, an adjustable pinion snubber and some sticky rubber and you could get that thing to hook up hard. Breathe on that engine a little and this will run mid-11s anywhere, anytime.
That car was a moneymaker until nitrous hit the street scene and the bogey almost instantly moved from high 11s to low 10s.
jrhmobile bullseye 🎯 3.91s are magic w this 340/Torq-flite combo. Seen one like this rip on that cars and zebras youtube channel.
I’ve owned multiple 340 Dusters, Dart sport and a 71 demon. My original duster was a 71 340 4spd.
It ended up being my love and I kept it until 2004
She became a race car in 88 and was stripped down to just the body and unibody. In race trim it weighed 2753 lbs with fuel. W2 340 W2 manifold
633 roller cam 22 to 1 pistons, 904 auto reverse valve body 35 spline axles 8 3/4 rear 4.88 gears
She ran a best ever 9.98 no nos, turbo blower
Sorry correct ratio is 12.2 to 1
Wow, 22-1 compression!!! Your getting into diesel territory there.
i’m guessing 12 to 1
as far as i know gasoline compression ignition is still in early test phases
In the above comment I forgot to say I had it that rally red color with the three quarter white vinyl roof and instead of the strike down the side of the car I put a custom white thick stripe around the rear end with the 3:40 symbol it was sharp looking.
The first year for the sister to have 5 x 4.5 lug pattern
Needs white interior then would be perfect.
Chrysler never made a “Petty blue” ; like Fords Grabber blue, it was close but no cigar, and both companies probably , but not definitely came up with the color because of Petty . This would have been Plymouth’s Basin Street Blue, or Super Blue if it was a Dodge . Maybe its just the light, but this Plymouth actually looks its been painted Grabber blue
Basin Street Blue/Super Blue was actually both Chrysler’s corporate color and Plymouth’s divisional color. TB3 was one of Chrysler’s “permanent” colors so that it was always available when they built Dodge trucks for their corporate fleet or for Plymouth dealers that took advantage of their corporate identity program when ordering a pickup.