For Sale: 1973 Plymouth Scamp in Ft Worth, Texas

In 1973, the government and insurance companies were just about driving the last nail into the muscle car's coffin, but Mopar was still clenching on to the classic formula that had made them so successful and popular with fans all over the world: big engine in small car equals amazing performance. This particular 1973 Plymouth Valiant Scamp, however, isn't some smog-strangled stocker, but rather a turn-key hotrod that has plenty of rumble to back up its big bark. Looking as clean as it is mean, this little bruiser features 383 big-block power under the hood, a built-up transmission that spins a 4.30 geared rear end, and a heavy-duty suspension that keeps this lightweight A-Body planted on big racing tires out back.

B5 Blue is exactly right for a car like this, not too flashy but bright enough to get noticed at the cruise-in. It ideally captures the spirit of the times and stands out today for those of us who like a bit of nostalgia with our old cars. And while the Scamp was technically an economy car, this one has had a bunch of time spent getting it into shape, both externally and under the hood. For a '73 Plymouth, this one must have been pretty clean to begin with, which is a rare thing all on its own. It was repainted just three years ago and the finish has a deep shine that shows well, and it wasn't over-restored to perfection but rather cleaned up and sprayed to give it a no-worries, strong driver-quality look that's quite appealing. The doors fit well, the quarters are smooth, and the tough-as-nails blacked-out hood wrap (that extends to the cowl panel) comes complete with hood rings and a giant, dual-snorkel shaker scoop in the center. Tucked in side-pipes at the flanks are muscle car must-haves when you've got all that violent displacement under the hood, and the kicked-up, aggressively raked stance on this Scamp is like a natural warning sign to any pesky challengers that might want to get cute at a red light. There's not a ton of chrome and the bumpers were painted light gray, but again, as a low-dollar machine with good pop under the hood and a great street presence, this one has a lot going for it.

The stock, minimalist theme continues inside with a black bucket seat interior, complete with nice matching carpets and tidy pleated door panels. The interior was obviously restored (likely back when the car was painted 3 years ago) and shows only minor signs of use, and even as a value-priced entry that's focused primarily on horsepower, this Scamp feels very comfortable inside. The cabin comes complete with a full array of crisp, informative gauges from the factory, augmented with an aftermarket panel that includes dials to track the temperature, oil pressure, boost, air/fuel ratio, and the RPMs via a large Equus tachometer. A black dash pad up top looks very clean, there's a custom blue headliner above with a 'Scamp' insignia, and the Hurst shifter that splits the front buckets is race-ready and features a manual valve body. That looks like the original 3-spoke steering wheel at the helm, and it's largely in good shape aside from a crack here or there, and if you're looking to move a lot of passengers think again, as the rear seat was deleted to lose weight. Thankfully, they didn't just forget about the area behind the front seats and instead finished it off neatly with black carpets and vinyl door panels, and that area now can be used to haul gear since the trunk is full with a large relocated fuel cell and battery.

The original 318 V8 wasn't enough displacement for the restorers of this Scamp, so it was professionally swapped for a battle-ready 383 V8. Fed through a dual-line Holley 4-barrel 750CFM carburetor, it provides a solid hit of torque at any speed. The big motor was augmented with an MP camshaft and MP performance intake, aluminum heads, and a set of Hooker Competition Series headers at the flanks, so yeah, it's got enough pop to suit just about any appetite. Supporting equipment includes a big radiator with an auxiliary fan, an MSD ignition and modern alternator, front disc brakes, and a killer dual exhaust system that exits in the middle of the car and look like a set of side pipes at the profile. Dress-up parts like the big Shaker-style air cleaner, finned valve covers, and HEMI orange enamel on the block itself make it look suitably sporty and the beautifully painted engine bay shows that the car was comprehensively disassembled during this restoration. An A-727 Torqueflight automatic transmission with a reverse shift manual valve body handles the car's power with ease, and it spins a heavy-duty 8 � rear end packed with 4.30 gears. Chrome wheels offer a classic performance look and wear the classic skinny-and-fat set-up with Cragar S/S wheels wrapped in 165/80/15 Kumhos up front, along with Rocket wheels wrapped in fat 295/65/15 Mickey Thompson meats out back.

This dialed-in Scamp is the perfect "power-to-weight ratio" classic with V8 muscle in a compact package. Call today!