Introduced for the 1970 model year, the Duster is joined at the hip with the Valiant. Produced for 1971, the fastback coupe in the featured clip is rocking the LA-series 340 that Plymouth replaced with the 360 in 1974.
Finished in Rallye Green over a houndstooth interior that features a four-speed manual transmission, this particular example of the breed is fairly light. Including the driver, it tips the scales at 3,418 pounds (1,550 kilos).
Pictured on Goodyear Polyglas F70-14 tires and with black decals, the Duster is packing 275 horsepower at 5,000 revolutions per minute and 340 pound-feet (461 Nm) at 3,200 revolutions per minute. Not bad for that period, but do remember that muscle cars were then living their last days.
From steep insurance payments to emission controls and the often-blamed oil crisis of 1973, the writing was on the wall. High-performance powerplants were mostly gone by 1972, and the introduction of catalytic converters in 1975 sealed the deal. It seems crazy, but the most powerful version of the Chevy Camaro from the 1975 model year cranked out just 155 ponies.
Turning out attention back to this pure stock drag race that was filmed in September 2021, the car on the other lane is a 1970 Buick GSX Stage 1 with the Turbo 400 automatic and 3.42 gears. Fitted with BFGoodrich Radial T/A rubber boots, the yellow-painted blast from the past is a heavyweight at 4,180 pounds (make that 1,896 kilograms) including the driver.
Be that as it may, the 455-ci V8 is gifted with a slightly higher compression ratio and lots of torque. Buick rated this lump at 360 horsepower at 4,600 revolutions per minute and 510 pound-feet (691 Nm) at 2,800 rpm.
Only 280 units were produced with the Stage 1 package and torque-converter automatic, and they’re obviously collectible nowadays. The question is, can the Duster 340 one-up the GSX Stage 1 over the 1/4-mile? Well, it can’t.
The best E/Ts posted by these marvelous cars are 14.17 seconds at 104.54 mph (168.24 kph) and 13.94 seconds at 98.70 mph (158.84 kph).
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News