1972 Plymouth Scamp

Description

There are two ways to build a fast car: make it powerful or make it light. Or better yet, combine the two and build a fast, agile street performer like this cool little 1972 Plymouth Scamp. With a thumping 440 under the hood and an aggressive paint job, this is an extremely fun car that's also very reasonably priced.

Seriously, who doesn't dig a bright Sub-Lime Mopar? It's a favorite Mopar high-performance muscle car color, and it looks great on almost any car from the muscle car era. This one is the result of a project that transformed your mom's grocery-getter into a snarling, pavement-twisting, and seriously fast compact. The bodywork is well done, and was clearly a solid, original car that needed little sheet metal fabrication. Body gaps are at least as good as the factory delivered, and cool additions really make this one stand out. You can't miss that big hood scoop (not a bolt-on!), and the Go-Wing on the rear deck looks right at home on the Scamp's body. An aggressive blackout hood treatment completes the look, which is probably the opposite of subtle.

Speaking of the driving experience, inside you'll find a nicely presented black bucket seat interior. The dash is nicely preserved with all the original gauges, as well as a set of auxiliary gauges hanging underneath and a tach up top. A B&M Quarter Stick shifter for the TorqueFlite underneath features a cue ball knob and allows easy shifting on the fly. The original Music Master AM radio is gone, replaced by a JVC AM/FM/cassette stereo that looks like it belongs there. Open the deck lid and you'll find a well-fitted trunk mat and plenty of space for your gear.

While most Scamps limped along with a wheezing slant-six, this one has had new life breathed into it thanks to a 440 cubic inch V8 pulled from a pickup. Dressed up like it was born in there, the corporate turquoise paint on the engine block looks very vintage, and the chrome on the air cleaner and valve covers adds some flash. It was rebuilt to stock specs with a few upgrades like a Mopar Performance "Purple" camshaft, Edelbrock intake, and 750 CFM carburetor on top. A new dual exhaust system with Flowmaster mufflers means it sounds as nasty as it looks but it doesn't mind traffic with a big radiator and a pair of electric fans. The engine is backed by a TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic and feeds a robust rear end that doesn't seem to mind the torque and the suspension is pretty stock so it rides and handles like a real car. Four-wheel disc brakes deliver reliable stops, undoubtedly assisted by modern BFGoodrich T/A radials on cool painted steelies with hubcaps and trim rings.

When was the last time you saw a Plymouth Scamp of any sort, let alone one built to this level? This car's awesome power-to-weight ratio makes it a blast on the road, so f you've been looking for your next summer cruiser, this one deserves to be at the top of your list. Call today!