Along with a 're-badge'...

Never heard of it, but from what I've been able to gather, the practice ended in the 50's...

Which leaves the burden of proof...


Get me something from someone inside Windsor who saw indiscriminate 'parts swapping' as the norm moving into the 60's...

A little stronger case than the web, or an opinion...

This is all well known and documented. That is how the page 63 MCG (embellished to make it interesting) car you mentioned was built. You can believe it was some "parts shortage" or whatever you want, but that was standard for the Canadian market. It sounds like you don't believe this was done. 1960 to 1962 Canadian Valiants were substantially the same as American models, with minor trim and mechanical equipment differences. 1963-64 Canadian Valiants had U.S. Valiant front sheetmetal on the U.S. Dart body. 1965 Canadian Valiants were available in the full range of sizes and models offered across the American Valiant and Dart models, but all Canadian-market cars used Dart instrument clusters and were badged "Valiant". For 1966, the Valiant Barracuda was the only offering in Canada on the U.S. Valiant's 106 in (269.2 cm) wheelbase, with no Valiant station wagons in Canada for 1966.

"Plodge" vehicles include:

DeSoto Diplomat: Dodge Dart body, DeSoto-like side trim
Dodge Kingsway: Dodge body, Plymouth fenders and trim
Dodge Mayfair: Dodge front clip, Plymouth body
Dodge Regent: Dodge front clip, Plymouth body
Dodge Crusader: Dodge Front Clip (grille minus six "teeth") Plymouth body
Dodge Viscount: Dodge front clip, Plymouth body
Dodge Monaco 1965-1966: Used 1965-1966 Plymouth Fury dashboard
Valiant 1960-1966: parts mix varied by model year
Dodge Dart 1960-1961: Plymouth instrument panel
Once the Canada–United States Automotive Products Agreement (the "Auto Pact") took practical effect in 1967, virtually all differences ceased to exist between U.S. and Canadian Chrysler products. However, until the early 2000s the model distribution within and among marques was sometimes different in Canada than in the U.S. The Dodge and Plymouth Neon was sold in Canada as the Chrysler Neon; the Dodge Dynasty and Intrepid were likewise both badged and sold as Chrysler models in Canada. In 2003 this practice was stopped and the U.S. and Canadian marque and model ranges are fully aligned.

Exactly! Nothing strange here, built for the Canadian market.. true to its Canadian roots.
I've tried to explain, but since I can't produce a person from the Winsor plant, this is my opinion. Good enough

A 1970 GTX ordered with a four speed got a Dana 60- Heavy-duty 4spd REQUIRED A MANDATORY AXLE PACKAGE.
Automatic cars could get you your open 3:23's

Prime example.

http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/2012/02/25/yak-car-pic-of-the-day-214/

Thought this may help from the RTS 1970 brochure, no 3:23, 3:55, or 3:91 ratios (8 3/4 ratios) with manual transmission and 440 engine

I was 20 in 1970 and a extreme car nut. I heard of a lot of parts swapping late at nite at the dealerships, mostly from the Ford camp. That rear could have disappeared that way, just think of the warranty problems with the 8-3/4. Every and I mean every Dodge-Plymouth 4-speed 440-Hemi had the Dana rear that I looked at. You have to understand the mindset of us young kids then, very knowledgeable on high performance items from any of the big three. Something like that would not have happened to the guy who bought it, or his buddy's would let him know it was wrong. On the mismatched cars out of country, I almost went to Mexico to buy a 2002 2-door Durango Ramcharger, to replace my 1990, why it was not offered in the states I don't know.

Ended in the mid 60's.

Look in a Canadian 64 Dodge B-Body. It will have the same dash as a Plymouth.

My 65 Polara wagon is another example. It has a Fury dash.

Kevin

Right! You are the guy I'm talking about, regular car type that was into the new performance cars at the dealer. Now what you said about shady dealers, that could happen. But I agree with you that Hemi and 440 HP 4spd cars got Dana 60's!

Yes, your Canadian built car is and was built that way for the Canadian market. As already posted, this ended in 1967.

I would vote for the Dana getting plundered some time in the cars life.

The fender tag might not list the axle package but it will list the transmission.

If it really is a D21 GTX it will have a Dana. If the car had drum brakes in the front it would have to have a 3.54 Dana

At the opposite end of this situation......I had a close friend who bought a 70 383 automatic Super Bee around late 77, low mileage, cast off "gas guzzler". I watched him and the next two owners beat it to a pulp, finally wrecked around 80. I personally removed a nice 3.54 Dana 60 from it. How did it get there? No one ever had a clue.????
Jess

My guess would be a junkyard 'upgrade' in the first 7 years of its life. Typical back in the day mod to get a deeper set of gears. Not a factory install. Seven years is a long time, guys modified their cars right away with over the counter parts. J.C.Penny stores had a performance parts department back in the day, anybody remember A/FX slicks in the store?

I agree, it was "removed". In the 70s I personally removed three Danas from GTXs, one being a 69 b-5 blue convertible GTX (bought for $125) used engine trans and rear in another car. Scraped all three. Chevy guys wanted those Danas bad for their race cars, even used the four speeds. At the time the 70 was like a ugly sister anyway so no big loss. No such thing as numbers matching-restoring mindset then, didn't have a clue what we had, and all dirt cheap.

My very first Mopar 40 yrs ago in 1976 which hooked me on Mopar was a 1968 GTX 440 4 speed convertible with a 4.10 dana original

I agree it was more than likely swapped for the 8 3/4", possibly for better gas mileage or a problem with the Dana.

My dad is a prime example of this, back in '73 he bought a '71 Charger R/T 440-6 4-speed car that was without it's original engine or transmission. After replacing the 440 and getting the car back up and running, he realized the Dana suregrip was slipping. So... He went to a local junkyard and bought a 8 3/4" with a 3.91 suregrip from under a '70 Challenger and put it into the Charger.

Somewhere there's a '73 318 Charger running around (probably scrapped) with a Dana under it, because after removing the Dana from his '71 a local guy came by looking for a deeper set of gears for his '73. Needless to say, Dad sold him the 4.10 Dana for practically nothing...

If you wanted a 4 speed behind a 440 HP engine, an axle package was mandatory. That put a Dana out back. Somebody swapped that rear end, 3:23 wasn't an available ratio to choose as an option with that engine/trans and model. (440/4speed in a 70 RT)

A local guy just bought a 440-6 4 speed 69.5 Roadrunner from the original owner.

The car has an 8 3/4 rear with 3.23:1 gears.

Story is that the original owner was working out of town in the early 70s and quickly grew tired of the 4.10:1 Dana on the highway so he installed the 8.75 with more highway friendly 3.23 gears.

Fortunately he kept the Dana in the barn for 40 some years.

I suspect this was a rather common occupancy back in the day.