Road Runner Nest

Hello, I'm looking for some advice. I'm currently looking at a 71 340 car and I can't get to see it in person, because it's far away and my schedule doesn't allow time off right now. I usually don't do things sight unseen but I don't want to lose it. I'm not sure if a 340 has enough power to pull this weight around. I know the 71 still had the high compression engine and this one is in good shape. The owner tells me that it gives nothing away to a 383 car. It's bone stock and I've always liked the 340's .... especially with the Thermoquad set up.

Anyone who has any experience with this set up or any advice would be appreciated. I'm new to this forum..I thought it would be a good place to find some help. I want to know how they perform, there's not alot out there regarding 0-60 , 1/4 mile in stock form out there. I believe it's got 3.23's .....

Thanks for the help!

Hello and welcome to the Nest! I can't speak on the exact performance of the 340's in these cars, but my buddy loves them in his A-bodies. Of course, nothing compares to a well built 440 between the fender wells, but the 340 has plenty of fun power for these cars. Another bonus is that a 71 340 car is a fairly rare bird. Out of the approx 14,000 RR built, only 1,681 came with the 340. A nice car to have if the price is right. If you want, you can post where the car is for sale at. If you are lucky, there might be a Nest member close enough to go take a look at it for you. Good Luck! Scott.

As you may or may not know the 383 was standard for the Road Runner. The 340 was a downgrade engine option due to the insurance/fuel issues of the day. I'm not knocking the small blocks but if you ever drove a big block car you won't want a small block. At least for the fun factor. It depends on you preferences and what you are going to use it for. If the car is nice there is nothing stopping you from putting a big block in later.

Thanks for the replies. I do have a GTX with a 440 and realize how much torque it has....goes well. I really like this 340 car, just concerned that it may not get out of its own way. Like I said, the owner told me this is a strong running 340 and would run with a 335 hp roadrunner that he also has. My understanding is that the 71' 340 was probably putting out around 325 hp +/- ....that would move that car well. Ultimately it would be great to see the car in person and open it up and see how it runs! Any other experiences / thoughts would be great to hear.

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/engi ... ewall.html
Interesting article, if you haven't seen it before.

Hemmings Muscle Car mag. had a blue 340 '72 on the cover a few years ago, good write up.
Anyway, I think they quoted performance tests from a vintage Motor Trend for a '71 Charger with 340.
I can't put my hands on it right now, but maybe someone's got it handy.
I've owned a '72 E body with 340 since '77. Stock, the low end power was a little soft.
Richening the primaries a little, and recurving the distributor really woke it up, even with 3.23s!

Thanks all....would love to know the times on the 71 Charger with a 340! That would give me a good sense on the performance for that vintage.

A stock 340 B body ain't fast. You won't win many drag races. A Prius will give you a run for the money.

They make great cruisers though, and they go through the curves much better than a big block car.

In peak tune, the most flattering way you could describe the performance of a 340 b-body would be "snappy". It's not going to boil the hides on command, but it will bark them.

Nothing a 4" stroker crank can't fix.

The other reality is most of these cars in a crappy state of tune. If you have you're sh*t together, pretty good chance you can embarrass the typical trailer queen big block.

Case in point, when I purchased my 72 340 car, punching the throttle would result in a BOG and in most cases, a stall. Previous owner was obviously completely clueless with regards to carburetor and ignition tuning.

I re-curved the distributor for about 18 initial and another 16 mechanical, adjusted the thermoquad back to factory specs, and SHA-ZAM! I got the "snappy" performance previously mentioned. Later added a 2800 stall and it really came to life.

I still wouldn't go around looking for trouble at the stop lights though.

Other issues drove me to building a small block stroker, and now I don't shy away from any confrontation.

Based on the responses....I highly doubt a 340 B body would get into the 14's. I was hoping the high compression 340 would at least equal the 71 lower compression 383. I really don't want a 15-16 sec car and this car is too original to modify. Guess I'll keep searching.....thanks everyone. Still hate to let it go...it's a nice solid original!

if you can get the car for a good price, pull the 340 out and place a big block in its place. if its not a numbers matching deal, then its no great loss....jmo

I'm surprised with the no confidence vote for the 340 in a b body!! Any and all other advice would be appreciated...thanks!

If you like the car, buy it!
My memories from the dragstrip in the early 80s are that 383s and 340s are very close, time-wise.
A '71 B body when comparably equipped isn't much heavier than an E body.
A 2.47 first gear(four speed) with a 3.23 rear, isn't great from a dead stop in an E or B body.
I ran a 3.55 most of the time. High 14s shouldn't be a problem for a properly tuned '71 340.
If you're thinking of a long road trip, 340=less weight, less heat, less fuel$$$
And has others have said, better braking, and handling.
You'll love the 340 above 3000 rpms!

What would the value be of a solid number 2 matching number car with auto ? Anyone have a range....can't find much on this model with 340.

Handy website to see what stuff is going for on eBay. Here is a pretty shiney 71RR340Auto NumMatch that sold for $15,100 in late 2009. Figure in about $1000 shipping - so buyer was spending about $16K.

http://collectorcarpricetracker.com/auc ... 344781480/

According to my 2010 Old Cars Price Guide, a No.2 1971 383 RR goes for $17,850. They deduct 20% for the 340. That brings it to about $14,300. The price guide is pretty general and doesn't take into account the intangibles like - numbers matching, one owner, complete resto, etc. A true numbers matching car would bump that $14K up a grand or two in my mind - putting the car in a similar price range of the eBay car.

Something to keep in mind also - in 2009/2010 - the collector car market was pretty soft. If you watched the 2013 Barrett Jackson Scottsdale auction last month, you may have noticed that prices were a little stronger than in years past. Bidders were opening up their wallets a little wider back in January. Could be a sign that collector car prices are on the mend, and these numbers from 2009/2010 may be a little low.

Without seeing the car in person, its hard to put a good number on it. It really comes down to what a person is willing to pay. But at least you can get a general idea from these two references.

Good luck! Scott.