1970 was a very fine vintage indeed for Plymouth. ‘Cuda, GTX, Sport Fury, Road Runner, and Duster 340. All with dirty, nasty smog-inducing engines in their last year of unfettered high-compression badness. The ‘Cuda alone offered five performance choices, from the mere 275 hp 383 to the so-called 425 hp Hemi. The big Sport Fury with the six-pack 440 was stealthy way to fly. And the Duster 340 offered unparalleled bang for the buck.
Peruse the engine and transmission spec sheets after the jump, and start checking off the wish list on your terror mobile. One detail: its not about resale value; if you order the hemi ‘Cuda, you got to live with it, forever. Call me crazy, but that six-pack Sport Fury is really talking to me.
Am I the only person that prefers the 1967-69 Barracudas?
I do too. You don’t hear much about them, either. I liked the non-fastback coupe the best. By the time of this article, the MoPars seemed to be made of paper compared to GM.
I think I liked the regular Hardtop Coupe the best too, probably because it looks like a Front Engined Plymouth reimagining of the 1965 Corvair Coupes. It’s graceful and “international” in a way none of the other Pony Cars were.
I always preferred the 1967-69 Barracudas to the 1970-74 versions, too. The 1967-69 models were just the right size, and the styling was very clean but distinctive. My favorite was the fastback. The 1970 models were just too big (Chrysler wanted to make sure that the 440 and the Hemi fit easily under the hood).
Plus, Chrysler quality really started sliding in 1969, with the debut of the all-new full-size cars, and the new 1970 pony cars only seemed to accelerate this process.
Sport Fury GT – Bigger And Badder.
Duster 340, when I was in grade school a Duster 340 was the “cool” car in the high school parking lot. It was what the “rich” kids could afford and have a little leftover to jack up the back end.
After reading the Road Runner brochure I had to look up what a NIKE launcher was.
I’m with Dan and Paul here.
Give me the Sport Fury with the 440-6 in Black on Black.
Call me crazy, but that six-pack Sport Fury is really talking to me.
The 6-pack Sport Fury would be high on my list too. The only C-body to ever get a 6-pack, and one of my favorite bodystyles from the fuselage era. Unfortunately, actual production numbers of 6-pack Furies are very, very low.
I don’t see it on the charts you showed, but don’t forget that 1970 was also the only year for the AAR ‘Cuda with the 340 6-pack and wicked strobe-stripe decals. Comparable power-to-weight ratio as a Hemi ‘Cuda, but much more liveable on the street, and it actually corners! While I’m normally a fan of the big blocks, that would be tempting.
You might have a 225 six in the Duster. True stealth in action, especially if that loud ‘340’ badge was removed and you put quiet mufflers on it. The other awesome car here is the Sport Fury GT. It would sneak under the eyes of the highway patrol and would still be a “Q” ship with the 440 Six Pack. The other three are cop bait.
That Fury GT looks sinister in that ad! I’d go with that one.
As the proud? owner of both a 68 and 71 GTX I can assure you they were loud, fast, and unreliable as any Italian you care to mention. If they didn’t have a tune up every 3 months it was worse. The 68 had drum brakes that were about as effective as sticking your hand out the window to slow down. They would actually fade almost totally out when braking hard coming off the freeway at 70 MPH. The disks weren’t much better on the 71. The 68 had fuel delivery problems. No amount of insulators under the carb or electric racing fuel pumps, or, pulling the fuel tank and checking he filter, etc. helped. After 70,000 miles of this I traded it in on the 71. BAD mistake. Took delivery of the 71, drove across the street to have dinner. Got back in the car to go home. It wouldn’t start. Finally went home in a demo. Electrical problems. Never could figure that one out either. The dealer finally gave up trying to fix it. My wife hated it, after a while, so did I. I bought these cars because the sales manager of the dealer was a family friend and we got them on a cost plus basis. Then the gas crisis hit and wifey wanted a small car. Guess what she picked, YES, a VEGA ! I have the feeling that some where in the universe the car gods are LTAO! I know forty years later I am. Later
and unreliable as any Italian you care to mention.
I must be an automotive masochist but this, almost more than that ‘Cuda’s imposing side profile has me hooked…
I’ll take a Hemi ‘Cuda please Paul – in some appropriately leery early 70s shade, and hang the repair bills
Another vote for the Sport Fury GT. Make mine black.
Geez, where were all you guys clamoring for the 6-pack Fury back in 1970?! In reality, there was so little demand that they only offered the 6-pack in the Fury for one year.
I have TWO good excuses myself: 1) I wasn’t born yet, and 2) my dad was driving a ’67 Sport Fury convertible in 1970, and I could hardly fault him for that.
Born in 1977. That’s my excuse.
I’m 6’4″ tall and 300 lbs. Large cars fit me.
Though I’ve always been a C body fan, dosen’t really matter what’s under the hood.
Born in ’76. But after reading the cc on the duster I think I want one of those.
My Dad used to say that Mopars pretty much started falling apart in the showroom in the 50’s and 60’s.
Really… I heard the same thing about Fords. 😉
Hey, that is what he said about Fords, too. 🙂
My parents, I believe, were mostly GM folks back in the day.
Born 1961. Still too little to buy one in 1970, but I already knew what I liked. I wanted my dad to trade in his ’69 Camaro Z/28 RS on a new Fury (didn’t have to be a GT) or New Yorker. I know, they now have meds for my condition, but I won’t take them!
I like the idea of a ’70 340 4 speed Duster but after the experiences my father had with his ’70 318 3 speed, I’ll take the Satellite Adam-12 package, please.
I helped stuff a 383 in a ’64 Valiant Signet. I helped build & crew a bracket raced ’72 Duster with 340 & Torqueflite. Helped to build another ’72 Duster with a 340 and 4 speed (for the street). I owned a 75 Dart Sport with a 360.
Now which car do you think I’d go for? 😉