70-76 Demon,Dart sport,Duster Pictorial History
I have to disagree with that.
318's were not a Feather Duster or Dart Lite option. But the package with
special 6 cyl. could be ordered with an automatic or a 4-speed O.D. "Regular" 6 cyl. were used in the "regular cars". The only related statements in print that I can find at the moment are at the bottom of this article where the author states: "Along with the usual slant six engine".
http://www.valiant.org/duster.html
... this about 1/2 way down the page: "The 1976 Feather Duster was an engineering (if not marketing) success, featuring many lightweight parts including some aluminum body panels. It had a slant-six with gas-miser tuning and a special exhaust that could achieve over 30mpg."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Duster
.... and this near the bottom in the "1976" section: "Another interesting new package was the "Feather Duster", which was available only as a Slant Six"
http://wikicars.org/es/Plymouth_Duster
.....and one more, just past 1/2 way down the page: "A Feather Duster was introduced which replaced many of the body components with aluminum, resulting in nearly 200 pound weight loss for the vehicle. It was outfitted with the six-cylinder engine, special exhaust system, and promoted as a light-weight, fuel efficient vehicle."
http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z10449/Plymouth_Valiant Duster/default.aspx
agreeded....here is an official press release from chrysler upon introducing the dart lite for 76.....
DETROIT -- Dodge is introducing a liteweight contender for the compact car economy crown.
Called the Dart Lite, the 1976 Dart Sport with the fuel economy package weighs in more than 150 pounds lighter than the conventional version of the popular compact.
Dart is available for 1976 in low line versions of the coupe, two-door hardtop and four-door sedan, and a high-line version of the two-door hardtop. A series of merchandising packages are available so that the motorist can tailor his Dart to meet his motoring needs.
"The Dart is one of the most successful compact cars ever introduced in the American automobile marketplace," according to R. D. McLaughlin, vice president of Chrysler's Automotive Sales Division. "It enjoys a strong owner loyalty and is a car that has established a reputation for reliability and value.
"In a price-conscious market, Dart will have an advantage. The car has more than a decade of building a strong reputation for extra value as a new car purchase and good value at resale. These are the reasons why we will continue to market the Dart while introducing the new compact Aspen," he added.
Weight saving in the Dart Lite economy package is accomplished by use of aluminum components. The 225 six cylinder engine, the only powerplant available with the package, is equipped with an aluminum intake manifold.
Bumper reinforcements are aluminum instead of steel and the hood and trunk lid inner panels also are fabricated from aluminum instead of steel.
In addition to the lightweight manifold, the engine block has been modified to lessen the weight. A dual biscuit catalyst is utilized and a new, larger exhaust system is a part of the Lite package.
The Lite is equipped with a 2.94:1 rear axle when the car is ordered with a three or four-speed manual transmission. A three-speed column shift is standard and three-on-the-floor and Overdrive-4 manual transmissions are optional. A 2.76:1 rear axle is standard on Lites ordered with automatic transmissions.
Dodge's Overdrive-4 manual transmission has a 0.73:1 final drive ratio which allows cruising at highway speeds with minimum engine revolutions. When the Overdrive-4 transmission is ordered with the Lite package, the transmission case is made of aluminum.
In addition to the 225 six, the Dart line includes the 318 cubic-inch V-8 and 360 cubic-inch four barrel V-8. The 360 is available only in the performance oriented version of the Dart Sport.
The various merchandising packages available for the four 1976 Dart models allow the buyer to outfit his car in trim levels ranging from the high line Custom package to the premium line Special Edition trim.
Rear axle ratios, vital to economical fuel usage or performance -- whichever is preferred -- are available in a wide selection. A 2.45:1 rear axle is mated with the Federal 318 V-8, while the six has a 2.76 standard rear axle. The standard ratio for the 360 four barrel V-8 is a 2.94:1 rear gear. Also available is a 3.21 rear axle option.
