Value of a 340

Value of a 340

  • Gotta have a 340

    Votes: 244 57.1%

  • Forget the 340, give me a 360 anytime

    Votes: 88 20.6%

  • Forget both the 340 & 360, big block all the way

    Votes: 54 12.6%

  • Forget all of the above - keeping my slant/273/318

    Votes: 41 9.6%
  • Total voters
    427
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65 Dartman

65 Dartman

1 of None 65 Dart Sedan Delivery
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I just saw where someone had a rebuilt late 67/early 68 340 for sale with some pretty decent parts in it for $4000. I understand 340s are not on every street corner and might be worth that and maybe more to the numbers matching crowd. To the guy looking to upgrade from a slant/273/318, are rebuilt 340s worth that much ? How about complete but not rebuilt or checked and ready to rebuild with commonly available parts? Inquiring minds want to know.

EDIT: I see as of 11:15AM EST on 1/18/10 47 members say they gotta have a 340 compared to a combined total of 43 members for a 360/big block/273/318/slant. If you gotta have a 340, what would you pay to get one, either already rebuilt similar to superdart340's motor he's selling or for a core ready to rebuild?
 
I like the 340's, but lots of people have just as good of luck with a 360. And for $4000 you could have one nice stroker 360. The 340's are going to bring more money hands down because they were a performance only engine and just made for a few short years. But if it were me and i did not have a 340 to build for an upgrade I would find me a good 360 and go to town on a nice engine. That is the hard thing to say on a complete engine, because depending on how its built and who built it , you can spend as much as you want. I am sure you could pick up a 340 needing to be rebuilt for $1000 or less depending on the year and what heads were on it. Hope this helps you and its just my 2 cent worth and it most likely is not worth that. LOL!
Matt
 
Good Question. I have seen a couple in that price range, and have been wondering the same thing. I wish I had an answer. Not to hijack your post, but how about a price on a rebuildable 340.
 
Seems like if you have a core 340 or 360, $4000 would go a good way toward building power. I think you can build basically stock (machine work and a good kit) under $1500 anyday. As far as cores i got one complete on ebay last year for $326 if i remember correctly (which is obviously cheap). There has been a local ad for a $600 short block 340. If you arent set on a 340 a 360 is cheaper to buy, easier to find, and a little cheaper to build (not to mention more cubic inches) I think about a week ago or so there was a 340 on ebay in charlotte for 2k. It had been pulled running i think to go bigger
 
I would say if it is an original 340 car,then by all means have a 340 in it.

If not,a 360 will suffice.
 
340's are rare. The best were the mid years of it's production 71 being the sought after original 340 Muscle Car's. By 1971 the 340's were refined. It replaced the 273 Commando in 1968. The 340 was phased out by 360's. I once had a 1970 340 Dart Swinger it had a 727 & drop out gears. The engine was pretty high compression with a big AVS Carter Four Barrel. Nice Plumb Crazy car with a white wrap around stripe and a very cool dash. The odd thing was it came with a bench seat and a auto on the tree, but it was the real deal. Someone said to me that it was experimental for the production of the 1971 Dodge Dart Sport. If you can find a 340 Six Pack car, it is worth as much as any other highly sought after Mopar. I have a 340 right now that I spent a fortune on, $5000 on just the bare long block.
 
Last year at the southren mopar nats, there was a 1970 340 motor pan and heads off but there,complete with manifolds and intake, $1000 dollars, Also it didn't sell. Then the one i wish i bought {it sold} rebuilt 340 shortblock $1500
 
65 Dartman said:
I just saw where someone had a rebuilt late 67/early 68 340 for sale with some pretty decent parts in it for $4000. I understand 340s are not on every street corner and might be worth that and maybe more to the numbers matching crowd. To the guy looking to upgrade from a slant/273/318, are rebuilt 340s worth that much ? How about complete but not rebuilt or checked and ready to rebuild with commonly available parts? Inquiring minds want to know.
Click to expand...

1. gotta have a 340 yes I have 5
2. forget the 340 give me a 360 yes I have one 360
3. forget both 340 and 360 big block all the way yes, I have a 400, 426 hemi, 440
4. Forget all of the above - keeping my slant/273/318 I have a slant!

I cant vote I love them all! 8)
 
No doubt, 340's are hard to beat & pre-70 blocks are even harder to find -at least around here.

I say 340 if you have the budget because:

1. They didnt even make a 360's in the the 1960's during the muscle erra.
2. The 340 was the performance small block motor of the decade.

That said, if you dont care about correctness and have a 360, knock your socks off, its a great motor too.

As long as its mopar- its all good.

8)
 
Back in the day, 340's were the sh&# especially compared to the 327 chevy and the 302 Ford. This day and age, 360's are every bit as good as a 340 and are cheaper to build factoring in the cost of the core and the bonus 20 cubic inches. I've had a few stout 340's in the past and frankly, i've never been impressed with them. They are good and all, but they aren't all they are cracked up to be IMHO.
They are great for resto and hype, and don't get me wrong, i love and respect the 340 cars, but they have their niche/place in the mopar community.
And the stories of old go on.......
 
Got to love the 340,or is it a 360 ?

30 D pics 013.jpg
 
they are expensive because of the low number of them that still exist,i bought a bare standardbore block with a crank for about 1000 $ wish sucks bigtime but i already had a complete 340 with a broken block and a hurt crank and didnt want to need to start all over again with a 360 and i realy needed the forged crank also,then i changed the whole plan to go supercharged so i feel just alitle stupid now....
 
There is a guy close by to me that has 13 340s in his basement. He started collecting them in the 70s. I don't know anymore than that because he doesn't want to be bothered.
 
340 all the way.....own (3) of them they never stop pulling.....top end monsters
 
Been running a 340 since 68 love it. I run one in both my street car/truck. You can build a stout 340 for $4000.A stroker kit runs around $1500/1700. Thats about all you need in a street ride. And nobody can tell if its a 318 or what. I vote 340.Just my thoughts.
 
65 Dartman said:
I just saw where someone had a rebuilt late 67/early 68 340 for sale with some pretty decent parts in it for $4000. I understand 340s are not on every street corner and might be worth that and maybe more to the numbers matching crowd. To the guy looking to upgrade from a slant/273/318, are rebuilt 340s worth that much ? How about complete but not rebuilt or checked and ready to rebuild with commonly available parts? Inquiring minds want to know.
Click to expand...

If you are willing to take a ride up to NJ, I will give you a good deal on this 340...

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=81197
 
I love the 340's I have 4 of them now and had over a dozen sitting in the garage at one time. The 360 is a good engine but I just don't care for the external balance, they're a lot better once you stroke it and internally balance it.
 
340...as for having a nice stroker 360 for $4000.00,i like to see that done with all top quality parts and make real power with it...
 
stroked 340 said:
340...as for having a nice stroker 360 for $4000.00,i like to see that done with all top quality parts and make real power with it...
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I was thinking the same thing, but didn't want to say anything.

If your going to build a stroker, you might as well use a 340 block. The price difference isn't that great between the bare blocks and you get more cubes.
 
I found my 10/69 date coded '70 340 in an Craigslist advertiser's backyard for $400. It was sitting on the ground surrounded by tumbleweeds. From intake to oil pan. The deals can be found if you are patient. I wanted a 340 because that is what I had 20 years ago. Parts are readily available. But I would have no problem with building a 360 and will probably be the case with my next project. Here it is after $4K spent on building it.

DSCN1934.jpg
 
IMO, right about now....(unless you can score a decently priced 340) they are only worth their prices if you need your factory 340 car to have a real 340 block.....otherwise, why NOT go 360 or stroker/360 block. 340's are cool, and I've got one in my 'vert, but....nowadays there are soooo many other great choices in heads, stroker cranks etc...

Come on...even a hopped up 318 with 302 casting heads and the right cam/headers and a little port work should be relatively cheap and VERY impressive alternative to a 340. I wouldn't mind having an extra 340 block laying in my garage though....if the price were right, and it wasn't .080 over or "repaired"....lol..
 
i have the 68 340 late 67 date code for sale for 4000.00 i believe i'm the one he is refering to thanks for all the support i need to sell to get paint on my dart anyone interested
 
superdart340 said:
i have the 68 340 late 67 date code for sale for 4000.00 i believe i'm the one he is refering to thanks for all the support i need to sell to get paint on my dart anyone interested
Click to expand...

Yes I yours is the one I saw and looks like a quality rebuild. From other's comments concerning their 340s, yours is quite reasonable especially with all the work done and the parts used in the rebuild. Looks like from the poll looks like nearly half of all responders stated gotta have a 340. Lots of interesting comments and pros and cons.
 
340 for real power, short stroke, perfect rod ratio. It was built to be bad ***. Besides if your replacing a 318, do you really want to worry about adding cost for an externally balanced vibration dampner, Flywheel, or flexplate. Also unless your doing a stroker crank, you are dealing with a cast crank on a 360 and 72 and later 340's. Steel crank on the good old 340's '68-'71. That means durability to me. There are the pros. Big blocks shouldn't even be considered in a a-body, unless it's a 68 ss/a car. I have blowed the doors off so many big block cars in my years of racing, it makes the Big block guys cry. Especially today with all the choices in stroker kits giving you 408-440 cubic inches. It's unreal. I was doing it 10-20 years ago with 323 cubic inches and a set of W-2's. It's just funnier doing it with S.B. power...
 
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