Traction is part of the package. Sorry, but especially on the street, a rear-drive car is gonna have an advantage over a FWD almost every time due to the traction issue. To say it would smoke 383 & 340 cars??? Well, you just dont have the facts to back that up. When my Satellite had the orig. 150k mile 2-bbl 383 with the basic stuff (mild hyd. cam; intake; carb; headers), it ran 13.80's. 383 Road Runners & 340 Darts are pretty much shoe-in's for a 13 second time slip. No offense, but your sons car is a full half second off that pace. The clocks don't lie, and right now its a mid 14 second car. Lack of traction isn't something specific to your car, and it isn't because you're making so much HP it cant hook up. It's the nature of FWD cars. I don't mean to flame, but I just really don't like the "It would beat this car IF" stuff.... The guy in the other lane probably has an IF too.
The facts are that very few 383's and 340 cars were capable of running in the 13's from the factory. I know the 340 Duster with a 4 spd and 3.91 rear was suppose to just touch the 13's because it was advertised as part of the RTS. But in reality most 340 Dusters would not run sub 14's from the factory.
Here are some times I found on a website from magazine tests.
1968 Plymouth Barracuda 340-S (CL)
340ci/275hp, 3spd auto, 3.23, 0-60 - 7.0, 1/4 mile - 14.97 @ 95.4mph
1968 Plymouth Barracuda 340-S (MT)
340ci/275hp, 4spd, 3.23, 0-60 - 8.1, 1/4 mile - 15.2 @ 92mph
1968 Plymouth Road Runner (MT)
383ci/335hp, 4spd, 3.23, 0-60 - 6.8, 1/4 mile - 15.0 @ 93mph
1968 Plymouth Road Runner (HR)
383ci/335hp, 4spd, 3.55, 0-60 - 6.2, 1/4 mile - 14.74 @ 98mph
1968 Plymouht Road Runner (CD)
426ci/425hp, 3spd auto, 3.55, 0-60 - n/a, 1/4 mile - 13.54 @ 105.10mph
It looks like my statement was correct. The little turbo car would eat most stock 383 and 340 cars.
The 383 was the most disappointing motor in Chryslers high performance line up. I have driven some healthy 340's over the years but the 383 required some work to become a respectable performer. I think the cam was what held it back.
Contrary to many statements from Chrysler guys I know. There is a night and day difference between the 383 and 440 in stock form.
I've seen impressive running 383's but they were not stock.
My Cuda 440 with a mild hyd cam intake carb and headers ran low 12's
