Photos from the Cohort by Hyperpack.
Related CC reading:
CC And Vintage Review: 1969 Dodge Dart 2-Door Hardtop – Swinger Or Solid Citizen?
Curbside Classic: 1969 Dodge Dart GT – A Genuine GT For My Father
Cohort Pic(k) Of The Day: 1970 Dodge Dart Swinger, With 225 Slant 6
– Posted on March 2, 2024
I drove 225 Slant 6 one summer in as a college student: my summer job. . it was with Pacific Gas and Electric near Bakersfield Calif. I drove the **** out of the little car, cross creeks. dirt roads and even kill the motor once with creek water. Forced to stop; I eat my lunch and the engine dried out and started. then sadly had to back track as I hit a uncrossable Irrigation Canal. My cross country short cut was a bust. I had too again Cross the creek, this time with out a problem.
Very strong Motor in 1970, the little chrysler was a mid 1960 model, scheduled for auction with over a 100,000 miles.
This looks so much like the 71 Scamp I had in my college days, though that 1970 color is a little lighter. I would absolutely own one of these again, although at the prices they fetch now that isn’t likely.
I think these 70-72 versions may have been my favorites of the whole run.
My Dad had a ’60 Dodge with the “Slanting Tower of Power.” These were impressive engines, I wonder how good these engines could have been with EFI and modern electronic controls?
My Dad had the same setup…. a ’60 Dodge with the /6. That engine belongs in the “ICE Hall of Fame” if such a thing existed.
The few cars I got to drive with this engine (a few Darts and a Scamp) were all plenty powerful enough from what I recall. Even the ’77 Dodge Aspen with the 225 that we rented on a trip to Minnesota was ok power-wise, even in its smogged-out state by the late seventies.
A modern version would probably be awesome, Jose!
Although it likely won’t be a ‘slant-six’, Chrysler’s new inline six called a “Hurricane” is supposed to be a beast…
https://www.motortrend.com/news/stellantis-hurricane-inline-6-engine-jeep-ram-dodge-chrysler/
A lot better, I would think. Most inline 6 engines were fed from a single carburetor, which means the 6 intake runners are of wildly different lengths. That’s not particularly good for extracting either the maximum performance nor low emissions from an I-6.
Multiport fuel injection does a massively good job of eliminating those problems. The Aussies (always big fans of the I-6) have made incredibly good power from modern inline-6 engines, notably over 1000hp from highly modified versions of the Ford Barra I-6.
I always found it fascinating that while the original intent of the slant-six was nothing more than to lower the height of the engine so the Chrysler stylists could use a lower hood, what it really did was offer additional room for the slant-six’s longer, smoother intake manifold runners.
This was one of the main engineering benefits since the typical upright six-cylinder engine (used in Fords and GM products) forced the use of one of those ‘log’ intake manifolds that did, indeed, starve the 1st and last cylinders and shortened engine life (the Ford even had the intake manifold cast into the cylinder head!).
In effect, the Mopar’s longer, straighter intake runners made for a better running and longer-lived engine.
Ford Australia developed a similar separated cylinder head/manifold with longer seperate runners for the 250 using a 2bbl carb, not unlike the slant six setup. Space is a bit more tight but adequate even with Ford’s patented intrusive intrusive spring towers
A nice survivor .
-Nate
PA plates again! This car did not spend a lot a winters out in the elements. Seems to well preserved.
Yep, I live in PA so for now without traveling most of my content will be from PA.
I can glean from the owner this is an inherited car from his Dad or Grandfather. It’s awful to see it begin to languish outside for a few seasons. I hope it finds some indoor off season storage sometime soon.
THe odd one or two of those have xome here as used imports but I havent seen a 6 only V8 versions, original? dont know.
Calling this Slant Six Dart a Swinger in 1970 would be like claiming The Partridge Family is a hard rock band.
This car is more “Carpenters” than it is Led Zepplin.
Nothing wrong with that either.
I had the good fortune to own four circa 1970 ‘VG model-series’ Chrysler Valiant 6cyls, including two sedans, a wagon, and our version of the featured Swinger coupe (which hereabouts was labelled the Hardtop). All but the wagon were of the sporty Pacer variant, which in essence was Chrysler’s downunder interpretation of a ‘budget sports’ Roadrunner.
The 1970 VG model was the introductory year for our Australian-unique Hemi Six which replaced those beloved Slants. Btw the 173 cid Slant was never offered here – all previous 6cyl Valiants in AU from 1962 debut to 1969 ‘VF’ used the 225 Slant. This included a 2-Barrel 160 hp version in our 1967 ‘VE’’ model from 1967, and the higher 9.4 compression VF Pacer slant (about 175 hp) from 1969 VF.
Hopefully of interest to Valiant fans abroad is this vintage test of the new VG Pacer Hemi 245 sedan from the July 1970 edition of Modern Motor magazine. For reference, both the mentioned earlier ‘69 VF Pacer (225 Slant) and ‘70 VG Pacer (245 Hemi) used a 3-speed floor shift and 3.23 final drive.