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MY FUTURE OLDER CAR?

81 messages,  Last post on Apr 03, 2009 at 1:54 PM

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Messages Page 6 of 9

#42 of 81 Re: My once and Future Q ship [Mr_Shiftright] by texases

Jan 13, 2009 (4:18 pm)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jan 13, 2009 4:15 pm)
A friend at the gas station tried to sell me his Dart with a 340...said it only had 20,000 miles. Course, he said he got those 1/4 mile at a time....that's why he had to hold the floor shifter in 2nd manually, otherwise it would pop out.

#43 of 81 Re: My once and Future Q ship [lokki] by andre1969

Jan 14, 2009 (11:46 am)

Replying to: lokki (Jan 13, 2009 3:56 pm)
My logic was that the Barracuda was built on the Valiant chasis, so all the 'cuda parts should bolt right on.
 
Well, they made Hemi Darts too, so it sounds like it would be a feasible thing to do, as long as you swapped everything you needed, and did the appropriate beefing up.
 
A 2-door Valiant would probably be sturdier, too, as it had a B-pillar and framed doors, whereas the Hemi Dart/Barracuda were hardtops.
 
But yeah, a 340 would probably be a much better bet overall. In the Dart GTS, the 340 was good for 0-60 in about 6 seconds, with an automatic tranny and middle-of-the-road 3.23:1 gearing. And that was just the 4-bbl 340, not the six pack.

#44 of 81 Re: My once and Future Q ship [andre1969] by lemko

Jan 14, 2009 (11:59 am)

Replying to: andre1969 (Jan 14, 2009 11:46 am)
I heard the Hemi is a lousy engine for a daily driver. It doesn't idle well, like slow speeds, or stop and go driving. It likes to be driven flat out.

#45 of 81 Re: My once and Future Q ship [andre1969] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jan 14, 2009 (12:02 pm)

Replying to: andre1969 (Jan 14, 2009 11:46 am)
6 seconds? Did you get that from a GTS club website or maybe some "published times" from an old mag?
 
A 440 in that car wouldn't even run that. Show me the time slips is my skeptical response.
 
I'm thinking 7.5 to 8 is more real world.

#46 of 81 Re: My once and Future Q ship [Mr_Shiftright] by andre1969

Jan 14, 2009 (12:16 pm)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jan 14, 2009 12:02 pm)
That 0-60 time has been in my mind for years now, so I don't know where it came from. I remember some test where they compared a 340 Dart, a 440 Dart, and a Hemi Dart. I want to say the times were around 6 for the 340, 5.8 for the 440, and 5 for the Hemi.
 
I know those buff rags tend to get a bit optimistic with their 0-60 times. Case in point, the infamous 3.9 second 1965 Catalina 2+2.
 
However, stuffy old Consumer Reports once tested a 1969 Charger with a 440-4bbl. automatic tranny, and 3.23:1 gears. Even they got 0-60 in 7 seconds flat...and CR's times tended to be a lot more conservative than the buff rags.
 
I remember an old test somewhere of either a Barracuda or a Dart GT with the hot 273-4bbl V-8, and with the automatic it came in around 7.5-8 seconds.
 
I think even a 1974 or so 360-4bbl in a Duster/Dart Sport was still good for 0-60 in around 6-6.5 seconds. And the 360 wasn't the performer that the 340 had been. Peak hp, when you're comparing net ratings, was similar, but the 340 had a broader power range.

#47 of 81 Re: My once and Future Q ship [Mr_Shiftright] by texases

Jan 14, 2009 (12:20 pm)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jan 14, 2009 12:02 pm)
I found a summary of road tests showing a '70 Duster 340 at 5.9 seconds - no idea what was done to it, though. Next closest 340 was a '68 Barracuda at 7.1 seconds. The table had the '74 360 Duster at 8.2s.

#48 of 81 Re: My once and Future Q ship [lemko] by berri

Jan 14, 2009 (12:28 pm)

Replying to: lemko (Jan 14, 2009 11:59 am)
Somewhat true of older performance hemis. The big block Wedge is a better daily driver.

#49 of 81 Re: My once and Future Q ship [texases] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jan 14, 2009 (1:27 pm)

Replying to: texases (Jan 14, 2009 12:20 pm)
Cant' believe those numbers. I know when these old cars are run today, or put on dynos, well, they don't correspond to those numbers from way back when. Not even close.
 
Magazines of that time were notorious in faking numbers or....more excusable, very sloppy in how they did the tests.
 
The old big blocks make a lot of noise but they can't get much power to the ground, like a modern car.
 
I'm sure you could get 6 seconds out of a GTS with a balls to the wall modified 440.

#50 of 81 Re: My once and Future Q ship [Mr_Shiftright] by texases

Jan 14, 2009 (2:16 pm)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jan 14, 2009 1:27 pm)
Oh, I know they're not what you'd call 'objective' - other thing was makers giving the mags specially-prepped versions. I seem to remember CandD catching one red-handed (Pontiac?).

#51 of 81 Re: My once and Future Q ship [texases] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jan 14, 2009 (2:19 pm)

Replying to: texases (Jan 14, 2009 2:16 pm)
That was one famous one, but really some of these guys were using wristwatches while driving to gauge 0-60 speeds. I mean, c'mon.
 
And sure, you can install very low rear ends, use racing slicks, aviation gas, radically advanced timing, ice up the fuel supply, take out the spare and back seat and all that stuff and get at least another second or two out of it I'd guess.
 

Messages Page 6 of 9

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