Restored Numbers Matching Petty Blue Demon 340 3 Speed

Glance through our sold inventory, and you'll undoubtedly find that every single Dodge Demon we've offered has sold almost immediately and for price guide-busting numbers. The reason is simple: these are simply awesome cars to drive. You don't need a big block in a lightweight car to be a serious threat on the street. With a numbers-matching 340 backed by a 3-speed manual transmission (how's that for unusual?), a Petty Blue paint job that puts some restored Hemis to shame, and loaded with options, this Demon is perhaps the nicest we've ever featured. Will it last? Unlikely.

Here's the fender tag decode, and it shows some of the car's more unusual features:
LM29:
Dodge Dart,Demon
Medium
2 Door Sports Hardtop
N2B:
1972
Dodge Main, Hamtramck, MI, USA
124546: Sequence number

E55: 340 cubic inch 4-barrel V8 275 horsepower
D13: 3-Speed Manual Transmission Floor Shift
TB3: Blue Streak Exterior Color
F6X9: Trim - Luxury, Vinyl Bucket Seats, Black
TX9: Black Diamond (Dodge) Int. Door Frames
813: Build Date: August 13
142854: Order number
V1X: Full Vinyl Top, Black
U: USA Specifications
A88: Interior Decor Group
C56: Bucket Seats
C21: Center Front Seat Cushion
M43: Grille Trim Moldings
N23: Electronic Ignition System
N41: Dual Exhaust
N42: Chrome Exhaust Tips
R11: Radio Solid State AM (2 Watts)
V6X: Longitudinal Stripes, Black
V8X: Transverse Stripes, Black
EN1: End of Sales Codes

I don't think we've ever seen a Demon as straight as this one—heck, I don't think they were this straight from the factory! Someone went way out to the crazy end of the cost-to-benefit ratio on this restoration and it shows. There's not a wave or wrinkle in the sheetmetal, and as far as we can tell, it's 100% factory original stuff. Then there's the paint, which many folks call Petty Blue, in reference to Richard Petty's long history with Chrysler, but which Dodge marketers in 1972 simply called Blue Streak. Whatever you want to call it, it's simply stunning in person, with a depth and gloss that you usually don't find on non-metallic finishes. You can credit the two-stage urethane for that shine, and it was expertly color-sanded and buffed before any of the accurate reproduction decals were installed. This car also carries a correct hood scoop, which does indeed feed the engine compartment, if not the engine itself, as well as the impossible-to-find segmented tail lights for which the Demon was well-known. There's also a fresh black vinyl top that was installed without any wrinkles and uses the correct material, fresh Demon emblems on the flanks, and proper hood pins up front. Both bumpers appear to have been rechromed, since no 1972 era plating ever looked that good.

Power comes from the original, numbers-matching 340 cubic inch V8, which is the same potent powerplant found in, say, the AAR 'Cudas just a few years earlier. Making a very robust 275 horsepower, performance in the lightweight Demon is entertaining to say the least. Fully rebuilt and showing just 72,970 original miles, it has been detailed for show and runs with a snarling, ripping exhaust note that sounds, well, demonic. All the usual details are correctly done, like the turquoise engine paint (close, but not quite matching the body), an orange air cleaner with reproduction decals, and a brand new reproduction red cap battery. There are also a few upgrades worth noting, most importantly those long-tube headers that bolster low-end torque. It fires up with that distinctive Chrysler starter sound, and settles into a rumbling idle that should be more than enough to scare of potential predators. Run it up through the gears, and you're treated to the most melodious small block this side of NASCAR.

The 3-speed manual transmission was actually the standard gearbox, but very few buyers opted to keep it, making this Demon somewhat unusual among its peers. Out back, there's an 8.75-inch rear hanging off the original leaf springs and augmented by a pair of air shocks. With the chassis in largely original condition, it's easy to see that this car was never rusty, as it still sports its original floors and trunk pan. The dual exhaust system is newer, and features glasspack-style mufflers that deserve much of the credit for the awesome engine note. And, of course, no cool Mopar of this vintage is complete without a set of Rallye wheels and white-letter radials.

The bucket seat interior is also all-new, including seat covers, carpets, door panels, and headliner, leaving you with a perfect snapshot to the showroom in 1972. The Demon was intended to be economical performance, the interior stays true its roots, covering the basics but precious little else. The high-back buckets are handsome and well detailed, and the rear bench has metal inserts on the backrests as original. The carpet is the correct weave and nap, and is now protected by a set of embroidered Demon floor mats. Performance enthusiasts always seem to prefer the no-console industrial look, and it's kind of cool to see the three-speed shifter between the seats. The original AM radio remains in place, the gauges appear to be original, and the wood appliques throughout the interior are in excellent condition. The trunk offers a brand new mat, as well as a complete spare and jack assembly.

Using our previous sales as a barometer, this car likely won't last long on the showroom floor. In a world where even common muscle cars are commanding massive prices, the Demon continues to deliver on its promise of big performance in a reasonably-priced package. And that's totally ignoring that this was arguably the fastest Mopar you could buy in 1972.

Someone spent a ton of cash on the restoration work, making it an unusual and welcome sight at any cruise night or even the Mopar Nationals. A very neat car for not a lot of cash.