198 numbers matching or 340 clone...... opinions?

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dddDuster

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Hi all, I have a 70 Duster, very, very base model with 198 3 on the tree. Last year I considered selling it, Alaskan_TA talked me off the ledge and convinced me not to just toss the slant. I do like driving it, it is fun and kinda unique as y’all know. Right now it seems in good order, I tuned it up and switched it to no ethanol fuel and it seems happy. As far as I can tell it is numbers matching other than it has a replacement radiator in it. I know the engine matches, I have yet to scrap all the gunk off the 3 speed to see, but can’t imagine that it’s not. Looking forward it is going to need work, so here is the question, when that day comes do I crush the value if I switch to the 340? Should I just overhaul the 198? If I keep the 198, it is because it will be a numbers matching car, so, how do I find parts for the 3 speed and the 3 on the tree as the need arises? Just looking for opinions, truth is it is running just fine right now so I’m just kinda bench building here. Part of my indecision is the 198, I find almost no info or thoughts about it other than the rods are nice in a 225 and hey it replaced the 170.
Gimme those thoughts!
Cheers
Tim
 
I still have the same idea.

When has anyone seen one like it that is still original?

I know I have not, but I would love too.

I have had people tell me I should put a 340 4-speed in my original 1970 Valiant four door that still has the original 318 with factory 3-speed.

I laugh at them.
 
In my opinion you will increase the value of that car. Keep the engine and trans, it can always be swapped back in.
I love 340's, I put them in everything. I was cutting grass today and was thinking of a way to build a 340 powered lawnmower.
 
This is really a personal choice, you need to decide what it is you want. Think about the pros and cons of each decision. I am not a "stock" or restoration guy so to me I would probably either sell it to someone who appreciates it for what it is or convert it to a V8. That said, they are only stock once and if you are not a hot rodder or HP junkie and just enjoy the car, then perhaps keeping it stock (rebuilt) is the best decision. Definitely going to be less issues and cheaper to keep it the way it is.

Perhaps another prospective, if you go to a car show and look at the A body line, you will find lots of 340 cars (and BB cars) but not a lot of /6 3 on the tree cars.
 
I say do what you want, I don’t think you’re hurting the value at all by dropping in a fun 340. But you don’t see many in the shows with the slant six so that’s kind of cool too. Just curious, do you have any pictures of the car?
 
You can make that /6 pretty snappy and even more fun to drive, thats always an option. Don't see a lot of people hop up /6's these days, might make a very cool street car if you lower it some, put some good suspension under it with good brakes, wheels and tires.... tell everyone it is the HP 6cyl option.
 
Oh and one more thing, if it were me and I decided to change the drive train, it would be a 5.7 with a stick.
 
Alaskan_TA said:
I still have the same idea.

When has anyone seen one like it that is still original?

I know I have not, but I would love too.

I have had people tell me I should put a 340 4-speed in my original 1970 Valiant four door that still has the original 318 with factory 3-speed.

I laugh at them.
Click to expand...
I do agree. As slow as the slant six engines are, they are becoming more interesting to me because the V8 swaps are so commonplace.
I no longer look at the classics as the only way to go fast. I look to them for their styling and their unique driving feel.
I must be getting soft here...I'm actually in favor of keeping a Slant six car intact!
 
Here are a few pics....
F27CBC41-1240-4E7C-AC7F-B1C2C42BCD47.jpeg
ABFF115F-B974-4683-9D4A-98FF482F8065.jpeg
2B78E4CB-3336-4C76-93FF-F49418A3531C.jpeg
022B3356-7A7B-4C18-ADC9-153AA681F2BE.jpeg
98C0071B-C60D-41F8-9346-140A098F6DCD.jpeg
5A851A9C-B2F8-45D1-BD37-DC7086BFF870.jpeg
 
Kern Dog said:
I do agree. As slow as the slant six engines are, they are becoming more interesting to me because the V8 swaps are so commonplace.
I no longer look at the classics as the only way to go fast. I look to them for their styling and their unique driving feel.
I must be getting soft here...I'm actually in favor of keeping a Slant six car intact!
Click to expand...

funny, I was thinking the same with my wife’s 66 Valiant 170 3-speed the other day, low 35k miles and it purrs...she wants a V8 4-speed (damn I love her!) like mine cause it’s slow and she doesn’t like how it drives with the 3-on the tree....sometimes I feel like hot rodding the 6...but a mild 318 would be fun too!

21715866-EDD1-40E6-B17B-0ADAC7E807EE.jpeg
 
In my opinion, it's your car build it the way YOU want it. Yes, there are a lot of 340 & big block cars out there. The gen 3 hemi is getting popular but on that note, let your wallet be your guide. I'm not real big on concours cars, yes they are nice but I like to see how well I can make 40 plus year old parts perform. I went middle age crazy & decided to buy a roller 71 Demon race car & build it from there. I put a 408 stroker in it & raced it for the past 7 or so years as a bracket car. I recently decided to build a 416 aluminum headed stroker. My ambitions is to put the car in the low 9 second area soon.
 
Thanks for all the responses so far, got to admit, Alaskan and RRR did not surprise me! No one has commented on parts or pieces for the trans or linkage, what say you? It seems like all is OK right now, but just read a bit in the man trans section, it isn’t always that way! As a side note Dutra seems to pretend the 198 doesn’t even exist in his new book!
 
dddDuster said:
Hi all, I have a 70 Duster, very, very base model with 198 3 on the tree. Last year I considered selling it, Alaskan_TA talked me off the ledge and convinced me not to just toss the slant. I do like driving it, it is fun and kinda unique as y’all know. Right now it seems in good order, I tuned it up and switched it to no ethanol fuel and it seems happy. As far as I can tell it is numbers matching other than it has a replacement radiator in it. I know the engine matches, I have yet to scrap all the gunk off the 3 speed to see, but can’t imagine that it’s not. Looking forward it is going to need work, so here is the question, when that day comes do I crush the value if I switch to the 340? Should I just overhaul the 198? If I keep the 198, it is because it will be a numbers matching car, so, how do I find parts for the 3 speed and the 3 on the tree as the need arises? Just looking for opinions, truth is it is running just fine right now so I’m just kinda bench building here. Part of my indecision is the 198, I find almost no info or thoughts about it other than the rods are nice in a 225 and hey it replaced the 170.
Gimme those thoughts!
Cheers
Tim
Click to expand...
Keep it slant! Have fun with the 3 on the tree. You can engine swap it down the road if you have the urge.
 
I’d leave it the way it is. I have a 29,000mi 64 Fury 2dr ht with the 225 slant. Everybody says it needs a big block but I like it the way it is
 
I learned to drive in a 70 Duster with a 3 on the tree. I'd love to have one. My vote is keep it as is. By the way, great looking duster.
 
Whenever I do an engine swap one thing always leads to the next and then I've spent $5000. Imagine what you could do to that slant for $5000. I have both V8's and 2 different slants. I love my slant with the 3 on the tree the best of all of them. Something about rowing those gears on the column is what makes it enjoyable.
Just my $0.02
 
It depends on what you want. Like cruising around in a stocker? Sixes are cool for sure. Want to go fast? Fill the six with oil then back off all the rockers to close the valves. Build a 340 or 360.

This is the thing- Sixes are rare in the bigger cars - B,E bodies, etc. How many guys are looking for them, stock? Not many. If it was a one owner grandma garage kept beautiful 198, lots of folks would still swap in a 340.
 
We had one just like that with a 3 on the floor. Same color, but had the full wheel covers. Black vinyl interior, bench seat? Hot as F in Texas summer with no A/C. Kids slid around the back seat in corners and no seat belts. I think we had a white stripe, or a smaller white beltline stripe.
 
keep it original, look for a roller and drop a 5.9 in it with 3.91s. its even better to have two mopars than just one. i use my 64 dart 225 4 speed daily driving, when i need to blow off some steam or feel hungry for rice i take the 67 barracuda V8 and go hunting. Bad *** duster though!
 
The 170 has a shorter block height than the 198 and 225 which use the same block.
I'd put 225 innards in it and build it up a bit. Still the original numbers matching block and nobody else needs to know any different.
Hint, I'll take the old 198 rods from you
 
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