The car received the requisite chrome exhaust tips and the warp-around rear stripe that denoted it was part of the Dodge Scat Pack.
The 340 was a well-balanced weight package with solid power. Thanks to the E70x14 tires, it also had good handling ability, something that few of its big-inch compatriots could lay claim to.
The factory sold almost 13,400 of them (in comparison, Plymouth sold over 24,000 340 Dusters that year). With a Dodge trademark scat stripe wrapping the rear, twin hood scoops, and a nice option list, no one doubted the car’s stoplight purpose, but we don’t
see 340” Swingers much today. Many, of course, were thrashed hard by youthful owners, but true 340 examples are few and far between in the Mopar collector’s market.
The 340, of course, was Chrysler’s 1968 answer to the high-winding small blocks coming out of GM and Ford (at that time, the 327 and 289 respectively). Based on the LA series engines, it came with heavy-duty internals, premium gas 10.5:1 compression, and a lumpy cam. In 1970, it was rated at 275 horses at 5000 rpm, though the special 340 Six Packs in the Challenger T/A and Cuda AAR package was rated at 290 horsepower. Road tests on the 340 cars were usually had only positive things to say about the engine’s response, as well as the improved handling since the weight balance was better than most of its Scat Pack big-block brethren.
 The Swinger logo featured a 70s-ish flower icon. There were lots of Swingers built that year, but less than 15,000 of them came with a 340 under the hood, let alone High Impact paint like the Plum Crazy sheen on this example. |
Mopar fan Darren Josten has had his share of those aforementioned big-inch musclecars, as well as a couple of Swingers. However, the Carterville, Illinois resident knew this car was special, as it had been in the Herrin, Illinois area since day one. With only two prior owners, he jumped on it when he had a chance to pick it up from second owner Bill Carnagie 15 years ago.
