Muscle Built to Run: 1970 Challenger T/A 340 Six Pack

Is that Sam Posey flying down a back road? No, it's Donald Osborne in a Challenger T/A! But we can understand your confusion. Dodge may not have had the rights to use the "Trans Am" name, but they certainly managed to inject the spirit of the racing series in this homologation car.

ABOUT THE CHANNEL:

Founded in 2014 in Newport, Rhode Island with a mission of "Preserving, Celebrating & Sharing Automotive History," the Audrain Automobile Museum connects and engages our local and international communities to educate, enlighten and entertain with a calendar of exhibitions, programs, and car events, including the Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week.

The Audrain Museum Network continues this mission by producing quality digital programs to share unique conversations, information, history from all corners of the automotive world.

Have a peek at some related videos from our network:
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
Leno and Osborne Hit the Streets in a Pavement-Pounding Mopar!

America's SECRET WEAPON — The AMC AMX 390

Dodge SRT Demon: The Car That Was NEVER Necessary

And the fan favorite Mansions & Motorcars with Jay Leno and Donald Osborne
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

Follow Us On Social Media For Additional Content.
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

Looking For An In-Depth Dive into the Automotive World?

Coming to see the most recent exhibit at the Museum? Visiting the “City by the Sea”? Make it your journey, our car.

or

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
Contact Us:
Audrain Automobile Museum:
Phone: [phone]

Audrain Park Place:
Phone: [phone]

Audrain Motorsport:
Phone: [phone]

Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week:
Phone: [phone]

[loetzcollector]

As a Teenage Mopar nut I begged my dad to buy one of these local in 1985. The price was $5, 500. I told him one day they're going to be worth a fortune! He laughed and laughed.

[benjaminandrew]

Challenger T/A and AAR Cuda have always been my top two Mopar dream cars. If I ever won the lottery I'd get one. Love them.

[loetzcollector]

In my high school years in the mid-80s I owned both a 1973 Barracuda (my 1st car) and a 1970 Dodge Challenger
He is being very generous in describing the build quality of these machines. Every time I see one advertised as: "Restored to factory original.", I feel a cold shudder run down my spine.. and I'm a fan!

[moparedtn]

The pistol grip needs new bushings is all, Don. Hurst still sells all the parts for those and they're quite
reasonable and will take care of the buzz.
Oh - and the T/A Challenger is the single best looking car of the era, hands down. AAR is a close second.
- Ed on the Ridge

[dannyg]

Brings back great memories. I followed Trans Am racing as a boy back then and my dad drove a Cuda 340!

[DanielHatt-oo]

Great video, I bought a low mileage TA in 75, they have a higher speed steering box. Mine had very accurate steering and great handling especially after I added BFG TA’s. A 50 year old might have a little wear in the steering box, ball joints or tie rod ends and the body may have lot some of its stiffness.
They were rated at 290 hp just like the Boss 302 and Z 28.
The TA engine has a six pack, unique large port manifold, feeding special lager port heads, bolted to a rare high nickel block and large rectangular port headers. The ports required pushing the valve pushrods together and cast steel offset rocker arms to align with the valves. That with a proper fiber glass bonnet scoop, huge air cleaner, and low restriction exhaust so I believe they made much more than 290 hp. These engines were unique to TA’s and AAR Cudas and this is why they cost more than the hemi package. All the drag racers hunted the engine blocks for years.

You can see a lot of the differences just buy removing a valve cover.
It is incredible to see a TA still running after all these years. 
Thank you sir.
Dan

[johndavey]

Hi Donald. And of course "Vanishing Point " with Kowalski (Barry Newman ) being chased across America by the police gave these cars worldfame in 1971. I fell in love with that car ! And it's worth mentioning that Jensen put this engine in their lnterceptor Thanks Donald

[troynov]

Love mopar 340s, my favorite V8 of all time.

[markfoster]

Donald, no script and you tell the story of the car, the time period and the “feeling” enjoyed when driving these time capsules so well! Wonderful! 😉

[architypeone]

Nick Panaritas, of Nick's Garage, dyno tested a stock 340 six pack and he got 326 HP and 357 pound feet of torque. So it was making about 36 more HP, or a little over 12%, more than the factory rated it. The 340 was called "The Giant Killer" because it would give the big block engines of that era a run for their money. It was about 100lbs lighter than a 383, (and made almost as much HP), and about 150 lbs lighter than a 440, and about 240lbs less than a 426 Hemi. The Challengers and Cudas with the small blocks handled better in the turns.
My first car I bought in 1977 when I was 18 yrs old, was a '71 Barracuda with a 318 and a 3 speed on the floor. I always wanted to put a 340 and a 4 speed with a pistol grip in it, but I was in college and just didn't have the cash. I regret selling it to this day.

[markcoomber]

Great story about the Trans Am series and the details of this particular Challenger T/A. I always learn something from Donald.

[daytona]

I had a 70 Challenger 340 4 speed, was not a T/A but still it held its own. Yeah, wish I still had it.

[isgawd]

I admit I always preferred the shorter wheelbase 'Cuda over the Challenger. The stance and proportions of the Plymouth was just spot-on to my eye.

[realshady]

My favorite car of all time that i wish I could afford now is an 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302. As an kid growing up watching all these fantastic cars, , I'll never tire watching any of those cars from that time being driven and enjoyed.

[Nightmaretyrant]

I still think its the best looking muscle car, who ever was at Dodges design and graphics studio at the time just hit it out of the park.

[audieconrad]

The 340 6-pk offered a gr8 power-to-weight and [manageable] package.
Great vid. Better satisfied smile here on Mr. Osgood.
Love it.

[jimbennett]

Major "If only I had...." Back in 1972 I worked at a bank in SW FL. I bought one of these (green, white interior, 4-spd) from our repo department $300. It needed some work and clean up - easy peasy. Kept it a year or so and sold it for $900. Wow - what a great ROI. And now - worth a few dollars more than $900. 😞

[igordewit]

Donald in a musclecar, ..with a bow tie.😁Who would ever thought that??Every episode reason for a big smile.Keep up the good work ... 0ldskool superK🎯🎯L!!

[floydthompson]

Thank you for the Trans Am footage, I want to watch a whole race now! I watched an Iroc race recently, it was not as exciting as the Trans Am clip in this video. My GF was a NASH RAMBLER AMC man. So my first muscle car crush was the Javelin AMX, I saw them brand new in the dealership my GF went to for regular maintenance. One time, they gave him a brand new Pacer as a loaner while working on his. People looked at the Pacer like it was a UFO! But by my Jr. High years, the sexy CHALLENGER with snorkel scoops was my crush! I'd love to see Dodge, who absorbed AMC, do a retro AMX with a HEMI. The Cuda was more popular in high school, but for me, the CHALLENGER was the one!! I later had a 67 Barracuda for a while. Loved this video!!!

[glascom]

You are a breath of fresh air! Really learn alot about cars, and other STUFF!!