Classic Cars and Trucks / Photos Specs Model History, Production Numbers

1970 Plymouth Duster / Photos, Specs, Model History, Engines

The 1970 Plymouth Duster is a great looking classic car which was produced from only 1970 through 1976. The all new model was derived from the Plymouth Valiant but was offered in two models. One was the standard Duster and the other the performance Duster 340 which could do 0-60 in six seconds.

The Plymouth Duster Design

Chrysler Corporation invested a lot of money into the Duster design. Milt Antonick and Neil Walling were credited with the 1970 Duster design. The front of the new Plymouth Duster was essentially taken from the Add to that the Coke bottle styling with a semi fastback rear end. Basically everything from the cowl to the very rear end of the car was entirely new. A sleek muscle car design. The f Plymouth Duster was a big hit in late 1969 when it debuted for the 1970 model year,

Performance Cars of the 1960’s to Early 1970’s

The last half of the 1960’s into 1970 was the era of ever increasing horsepower. That’s what many new car buyers were looking for. It was also a time when buyers could obtain these performance vehicles at reasonable prices. As an example, when the Plymouth Duster 340 came out in 1970 the new car price was about $2,550. The Road Runner was priced at about $2,900 and Ford’s Mustang at about $3,250.

When Plymouth introduced the Duster, in particular the Duster 340, it was the same time automakers were beginning to feel the effects of the new federal emission controls along with extremely high insurance rates to cover muscle cars.

The first act that negatively effected American muscle cars came with the Clean Air Act of 1970. The thinking was who doesn’t really want to breathe clean air, so it seemed to many a positive move by the government. Whether people agreed with the federal government stepping in with heavy regulations. These new restrictions on vehicle emissions began to negatively affect American muscle cars.

In addition to the new emission standards, insurance companies now stepped in. They lobbied congress heavily and this resulted in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) adopting new regulations requiring all vehicles from the 1973 model year forward to have front and rear bumpers capable of withstanding a 5 mph collision without damaging any key components in the vehicle. The new regulation itself was considered to be a good move, but what it did to automobile design some would say was quite negative. Some might even say it made cars ugly.

1970 Plymouth Duster Specifications

The 1970 Duster was available in two models. The standard Duster and the muscle car Duster 340. Several engines were available to choose from. The standard Duster offered a 198 cubic inch and a 225 cubic inch versions of Chrysler’s Slant Six and the muscle car version the 318 cubic inch and 340 cubic inch V8’s.

Transmissions available were a three speed manual and a three speed TorqueFlite automatic.

Brakes are four wheel hydraulic drums.

Dimensions include a 108.0 inch wheelbase, 188.4 inch outside length, 71.6 inch width, 52.6 inch height. Curb weight 2,900 lbs.

Base new car price for the 1970 Plymouth Duster was about $2,200.

Total 1970 Plymouth Duster production came in at 217,190 vehicles. Total production of the Duster 340 was 24,800 vehicles. The 1971 second year production numbers were a bit lower with 186,500 total Duster’s built and 12,800 of them having the 340 V-8 engine. Total Plymouth Duster’s produced during the models total production run came in at 1.3 million. This made the Duster a success for the Chrysler Corporation.

1962 Chevy C 10 / Photos, Specs, Styling, Model History

Featured is a nicely styled 1962 Chevy C-10 Half Ton. This was the model year where the Apache nameplate stopped being used on the Chevy C 10’s.

The 1960 model year introduced a new body style of Chevrolet light pick-up trucks that featured many firsts.

The big changes began with the 1960 model year. The 1960-1966 Chevrolet trucks represented a time in the evolution of the pickup truck, blending required utility with increased emphasis on design, riding comfort, and performance.

Starting with the 1960 model year Chevrolet restyled their light truck line and buyers liked the new styling. The 1960 model year represented a real milestone for Chevrolet light duty pickups.

The 1960 Redesign of Chevrolet Light Trucks

Chevy debuted the C/K series of trucks in 1960. This marked the release of a significant redesign for their flagship truck line, and kicked off one of the most popular designs in the American light truck market. The new 1960 C 10’s had straight body lines with an egg crate grille and small overhangs over the windshield and rear window, self adjusting brakes and a full cab width dashboard.

The 1960-1966 Chevrolet trucks marked the first generation of the C/K series, a significant evolution in Chevrolet’s approach to pickup design and functionality. This era introduced several key innovations.

The new Chevy trucks included the C10 and K10 models. The main difference between the two was that the C10’s had two-wheel drive and the K10’s came standard with four-wheel drive. The four wheel drive versions were great for off road driving and the two wheel drive C 10 was better on gas mileage.

There were a total of three generations of the Chevy C/K 10 Series. The first generation ran from 1960 through 1966. The second generation ran from 1967 through 1972. The third generation from 1973 through 1987.

The engine options ranged from inline-six engines known for their reliability and fuel economy to more powerful V-8 engines.

The Chevy C/K series offered improvements in safety features and riding comfort. Also, the series included better seating, heating, and ventilation systems, Chevrolet overall goal was to make light trucks more appealing for daily driving and personal use.

1962 Chevy C 10 Specifications

Standard engine is a 235 cubic inch inline six delivering 135 HP. This was the last year for this Stovebolt six. Also available was a 261 cubic inch six with 150 HP and a 283 cubic inch V-8 with 185 HP.

Standard transmission is a three speed manual. A four speed manual was also offered.

Brakes are four wheel hydraulic drums.

Chevrolet light trucks offered independent front suspension. For the 1960-1962 model year both Chevy and GMC light duty pickups used both an X frame and torsion bar suspension.

This improved ride comfort and handling as compared to the Six and a solid axle design. The K10 models have a slightly different suspension and sits higher than the C10 because of the drivetrain configuration.

The short bed C-10 half ton has a 115.0 inch wheelbase. The long bed version has a 127.0 inch wheelbase as did the three quarter ton.

1969 Dodge Dart Swinger 340 / Photos, Specifications, Model History

New for 1969 was the Dodge Dart Swinger 340. The Dodge Dart was Chrysler Corporation’s answer to the GM Chevrolet Nova SS. The new two door Dodge Dart Swinger 340 with it’s new engine debuted as a lower priced sleek muscle car. The Dodge Dart was produced from the 1960 model year through 1976. The 1969 Dart was built during the fourth generation of the model.

This 1969 Dodge model packed plenty of power as opposed to the earlier Dodge Dart automobiles that were marketed as economy cars built with a slant six engine. The 1969 Dodge Dart Swinger 340 changed all of that.

The Dodge Dart Swinger 340

Taking a cue from corporate cousin Plymouth and the popularity of its low-budget/high-performance Road Runner, the 1969 Dodge Dart Swinger 340 kept the amenities to a minimum and focused on the performance of the 340 V8 engine, which was rated at 275 horsepower.

The Dart Swinger 340 was a big success. The model was a great relatively cheap reliable muscle car. The year 1969 was at the peak of the late 1960’s muscle car era. The Dodge Dart Swinger 340 was a no frills automobile but had the ability to compete effectively with much higher priced models. The 1969 Dodge Dart Swinger 340 packed plenty of muscle for not a lot of money.

The Dart 340 was perfect for most people as a daily driver and fared extremely well against Ford and GM small-block V8s. In some cases fared better.

1969 Dodge Dart Swinger 340 Styling

The Alexander Brothers of Detroit was hired by Dodge to create a Dodge Dart Swinger 340 Concept Car for the 1969 Chicago Auto Show. The Dodge Dart Swinger 340 Concept automobile had a different shape than the production model. Also, the concept example had large, rectangular headlights. The driving lights were placed next to each other in the middle of the custom chrome grille. There was a non functional custom hood scoop. The concept car has hood pins which are also on the production models. This concept Swinger 340 was unveiled in Chicago several months after the production model started production.

The concept car rear was sculpted with an integrated spoiler which continued to slant downwards at the rear end of the rear quarter panels. The rear end was indented as were the tail lights. The concept car was adorned with chrome wheels, bucket seats and a four speed Hurst shifter..Most concept cars are eventually torn down later but it’s said that the 69 Swinger 340 survived and is still around today.

All if the above is in reference to the concept car made for the Chicago Auto Show. The differences between the concept build and the actual production model featured here were many. The production Swinger 340 had less chrome and trim and plain wheels, circular headlights and a grille with horizontal bars. Seats were vinyl bench and a tail stripe was standard. As mentioned the body shape of the production model was also quite different.

The 1969 Dart Swinger 340 was a plain car but also a fast car. While the Swinger had no engine options there was an option for a column shift TorqueFlight transmission.

The first 1969 Dart Swingers were done on the same A-body-shell as the 1968 Dodge Darts were.

The Dart Swinger 340 models lasted into the early 1970’s. Like with all high performance cars of the early 1970’s, power was lost with the new federal emission controls. The U.S production of the Swinger 340 came to an end after the 1970 model year. Canadian production of the model lasted another two years.

1969 Dodge Dart Swinger 340 Specifications

The Dodge Dart Swinger came out in 1969 with the 340 cubic inch small block V-8 with it’s four barrel carburetor and 275 HP. Chrysler Corporation stated the engine had 340 pound feet of torque. The 340 small block V-8 was one of the more popular engines of the 1960’s and 70’s.

In comparison, the 1969 Dodge Dart GTS model came standard with a 340 V-8 but with options for a 383 and 440. The GTS with it’s larger engine was priced about $390 higher. While the Swinger had a successful debut, some opted for the Dart GTX because of the big block engine options.

Standard transmission is a four speed manual with the TorqueFlite three speed automatic as an option.

Brakes were rear hydraulic drums with power front discs.

The torsion-bar/leaf suspension with the Dodge Dart Swinger offered better cornering than most Ford and General Motors models.

The 1969 Dodge Dart Swinger 340 has a 111.0 inch wheelbase, 195.4 inch outside overall length, 69.6 inch width, 52.8 inch height. Curb weight is 2,900 lbs.

Total 1969 Dodge Dart production came in at 197,700 vehicles. 1969 Dodge Dart Swinger production was 20,000 vehicles.

Related Auto Museum Online articles..

1969 Dodge Charger Fastback

1967 Plymouth Belvedere GTX

Reference material includes.. Mopar Muscle : The Complete Story by Robert Genat..The Complete Book of Dodge and Plymouth Muscle Cars by Mike Mueller.e

Current asking prices for the 1969 Dodge Dart Swinger 340 can range from $25,000 to $70,000 plus. The high end price would be examples in excellent condition, restored and with matching numbers.