Archive for June, 2006
Plymouth Duster
The Plymouth Duster was a revamp of the Valiant, bigger than a Barracuda but smaller than the Road Runner and GTX a nice idea. Of course they weren’t the first with this concept when you think about the Chevy Nova. 1970 was the official year for the introduction of the Duster with a hot 340 c.i. engine. You could if you wanted to but for the life of me I don’t know why you would want to, get a slant six or the 318 c.i. engine.
A sporty approach with the slanted fast back style along with a very important factor, it was cheap, made the Duster a very popular model. I liked the design of the 70’s Duster and the decals they used.
The basic design of the Duster did not change much through its life however Plymouth did offer different models. One was the Twister, a model made for looks than for performance, a basic 318 c.i. was the most engine you could buy but the scoops, seats and the paint and trim were unique to the car. You can’t forget the tornado decal for the something special. If performance was what you were looking for the Duster 340 was the order you wanted to place. The HiPo 340 along with a beefed up suspension and braking made this a mighty car great competition for the other muscle cars cruising the streets.
I had several friends that owned Plymouth Dusters in the good old days. Most of these cars were modified versions of the regular Plymouth Duster. The Twister and the Duster 340 were not that popular back then, the guys just wanted a fast, cool looking car that was a bit of a sleeper on the street. They were very sharp cars, with the wide tires on the back and smaller one up front and the natural looking rake. If I wasn’t so drawn to the Rod Runner I might have gone for the Duster myself.
Then the Duster went the way of all the Great Muscle cars of the time with lower powerful engines and the 5 mile per hour crash bumpers. Plymouth made more minor design changes both inside and out in the next few years. With the engine changed to a 360 c.i. but a lower power level Plymouth decided to go back to an economy car both in cost and operating economy. The real Duster and all its versions lasted through 1976 when it was molded into other named cars and disappeared into history.
Plymouth Road Runner
Well, as I have slightly hinted before the Road Runner is my favorite muscle car. No real surprise there. Earlier than 1968 there was your GTX. Now you can talk about the Satellite and Belvedere however in my humble opinion they were weak muscle cars. Great cars yes and the forerunner of everything to follow. In direct competition with the popular Pontiacs and Chevys of the times and even the modified 55,56,57 Chevys the Mopars were not in the same league, yet. These earlier versions had the damn near impossible to kill 318, 383 some 440 models even the Hemi. This ground work and all that was learned in the racing circuits just made Plymouth and Dodge the strong contenders in the street world. My friend’s uncle had a 1967 Belvedere GTX 440 if my memory serves me and a 4 speed. It was a very hot car to be sure with the deep dark blue paint and the neat and clean hardtop design. Looking back probably this was the seed that would grow and turn me into a Mopar man and keep me loyal to the brand even to present times.
1968 came in with a newer design for the Satellite design and the introduction of the Road Runner. Cheap and basic muscle. No frills for this super car, this year saw a body style change also a smooth rounder shape than the sharp edges of the earlier cars.
Ahhh but the engines is where the muscle came from. The standard in 68 was the 383 c.i. powerhouse. The Y shaped engine block with the HD components from the 440 made the 383 a very strong and durable engine giving out 335 hp and a whopping 425 foot pounds of torque. Lots and lots of low end power for off the line performance. The only other engine option in 1968 was the 426 c.i. HEMI. Low 13s out of the box and a horn that went Beep-Beep I mean what else could anybody ask for?
1969 saw some minor body changes along with a convertible and a functional air scoop, but the addition of the 440 and the 440 6-pack was the real story. High powered muscle that was hard to beat anywhere. It was this simple design and high power that made this car so appealing for me. In the 1970 model there was a major change in the front and rear end style of the Roadrunner and GTX model cars. This change and the new Air Grabber retractable hood scoop made a new and unique alteration to the original. I had a friend that owned a yellow 70 GTX 440 6-pack with the Air Grabber hood and I can still remember the other muscle car driver facial expressions as he popped up the scoop from inside the car at a red light and then took off. What a terrific feeling that was.
1971 was the beginning of the end for the Roadrunner as with many of the muscle cars. The emissions and the gas mileage regulations were more important and this cut back on the reason for the vehicles. The engines loose power and this would be the last year for the performance HEMI. From 1972 through 1974 there would be little in the way of body changes, which was ok for me since I really didn’t care for this body style anyway. After 1974 the Roadrunner would go to the Fury (ug) body style then on to the Volare (more ug) style with even less power and I think it was a shame that they continued to use the Roadrunner name on these cars. I mean really a 318 c.i., 2 barrel carb in a car called Roadrunner, what were they thinking?
1980 would be the last year for the Roadrunner name, however in my opinion the car really died back in the early 70s. Now that Plymouth has been discontinued I guess I will be a Dodge person form now on. That’s ok though, has anyone seen the new Charger and Challenger?
