Out Of My Archives---1974 360 Duster Road Test

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yellowdartdave

yellowdartdave

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Just found this article in Car Craft mag from August 1974. Enjoy it.

Picture001-1.jpg


Picture002-1.jpg


Chrysler build quality at it's finest...............
Notice the regular mirror on the driver door and the chrome sport mirror on the passenger door.
 
Theres no way in hell it did a 14.6 @ 95 mph as per spec sheet.
Well i dont think so.
It does say 3.55's though for the rear end.
 
Thanks for posting that Yellowdart. Not much ink exists on the later 340/360 A bodies. I don't have the issue but I recall seeing a road test with a 74 Dart Sport 360 in a circa 1974 Popular Hot Rodding. Car and Driver, April 1976 has a road test of a 76 Dart Sport 360 as well.
 
nemesis said:
Theres no way in hell it did a 14.6 @ 95 mph as per spec sheet.
Well i dont think so.
It does say 3.55's though for the rear end.
Click to expand...

Per my "performance calculator" :-D, it would only take 230 hp to get 95 mph in a 3400 car (figuring w/ a driver). Now, my '74 Duster 360 weighted more like 3600 with me in it, and I don't weight 400# either. But that would only bump the required hp up to 240 to get 95 mph in the quarter.
 
Thats a great article. I have a copy of it as well. 14.60? you bet! I bought all original 1974 360 Duster in 1984, that was loaded a/c, buckets, p/s, console, etc. This car with 98k showing & a 3:21 single track rear, ran 14.90's all day. I paid $500.00 for it on a wendsday, took it to the track on Saturday & won $350.00. I sold it 2 months later to a kid in the neighborhood. I sold it for $1100.00. Man, where are those deals now. LOL
 
My first Mopar at 19 yrs old was a brand new 1974 Duster360/auto/3.21 gears. It ran very well and could run heads up to my buddies 1973 455-4spd Trans AM.
 
DionR said:
Per my "performance calculator" :-D, it would only take 230 hp to get 95 mph in a 3400 car (figuring w/ a driver). Now, my '74 Duster 360 weighted more like 3600 with me in it, and I don't weight 400# either. But that would only bump the required hp up to 240 to get 95 mph in the quarter.
Click to expand...

I done a 14.5 at 93 mph with my 318 that was dynoed at
200 rear wheel hp. Shes dead standard
aside with a junk cam,carb an headers. Stock heads truck
compression an all.
3.23 rear.

It weighs 1580 kg with me in it.
So go figure.:read2:
 
nemesis said:
Theres no way in hell it did a 14.6 @ 95 mph as per spec sheet.
Well i dont think so.
It does say 3.55's though for the rear end.
Click to expand...
I didn't think that sounded right either. But I guess it's right. 10.9 MPG? Crap! No wonder my car does so crappy on gas mileage.
 
it seemed like the duster fell off the end of the world after '74..hard to find anything like models , etc that are past 7 and 72..

You keeping up with the second gen cameo/firebird doesn't surprised me because they are heaving compared to the Duster..that came home to me when I was comparing the two for purchase...the Duster is a sweet and underestimated build...

Grassy
 
Great scan! Thanks for posting!!! Could I please post those scans on my registry site if you don't mind?
 
Would you be able to post they two scans full size on a web so I
could down load and print ?

Perhaps on bronzT5 site ?

Thanks
ian.
 
69bronzet5'

Do what ever you want to do with it. Just acknowledge car craft.

Glad everybody likes it

If anybody wants my original pics, pm me with your email and I will send them to you.
 
I'd L-O-V-E to follow this entire series and see what parts they used (LD340 aluminum intake?) and how the car actually ended up doing.


I stumbled upon a website (http://www.carpictures.com/road-test-digest.html) that shows three other magazine "road tests" with a Duster 360:



............Car.......................................Magazine.....................Monthly Issue..............Page Number

PLYMOUTH DUSTER 360......................MOTOR TREND......................07/1974..........................92

PLYMOUTH DUSTER 360......................MOTOR TREND......................01/1975..........................48

PLYMOUTH DUSTER 360.......................ROAD TEST.........................05/1975..........................63
 
Thanks, I really enjoyed that. Its true....its very hard to find 73+ literature for Dusters.

1974 Duster 360/727/8.25 ~VS29L4G152359~
 
Daniel,

Not sure if it is only me but when I go to the store to see how much..I end up in a ferrari site..can you buy these tests ?

Ian.
 
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