My first A body-73 duster

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Cuda Hunter

Cuda Hunter

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Well, I have purchased my first a body. The car is a 1973 Duster.
She has her problems but they all seem easy enough right now.
I am sure the can of worms will open up as soon as I get it home.
Currently, I am on a borrowed computer so I don't have all the picture options available right now. I will try to post a pic now but will probably have to wait until my regular computer is fixed for more pictures.
I don't have a decoder book for 72 and up mopars and was wondering if anyone could help me decode this car.
The fender tag is as follows,

v6w v8w en2
fe5 u c73 g33 j52 r11
fe5 d2L3 000 b27 158***
e24 d34 vL29 c3b 245***

Help would be appreciated.

Josh

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Grats on getting your first project!! Gunna have fun with that one.
 
E24 225 1 Barrel 6 Cyllinder
D34 TorqueFlite Automatic Transmission
VL29 V = Plymouth Valiant / Duster
L = Low
29 = 2 Door Sports Hardtop
C3B C = 225 105HP(net) 1-1BBL 6 CYL
3 = 1973
B = Dodge Main, Hamtramck, MI, USA
245*** Sequence Number '245***'
FE5 Paint Code: Bright Red / Rally Red
D2L3 Trim Grade/Style/Color
D = Deluxe
2 = Vinyl Bench
L3 = Parchment
000: Full Door Panel
B27 Date Built: 11 / 27 / 1972
158*** Order Number: 158***
FE5 Roof Color: Bright Red / Rally Red
U Built to Specifications for USA Order
C73 Fold Down Rear Seat Back
G33 Left Hand Outside Mirror - Manual / Chrome
J52 Inside Hood Release
R11 Music Master Radio AM
V6W White Longitude Sports Stripe
V8W Transverse Stripe - White
EN2 End of Codes Assembly Line 2



Great looking Duster. What are your plans for her? Would you mind PMing me the full vin number & sequence number so I can register it with my registry?

www.dusterdartsportregistry.com
 
Right now, my plans are to buff her out and drive her. She ran a few years ago so it shouldn't be too hard to get running again.
There is a rabbits nest on the engine.
Drivers window was broken a few months ago.
Passengers wing window was broken to gain access to the car by the previous owner.
Dash is wasted.
88K original miles.
Was a grandma car for years. She got so old she couldn't drive anymore so she gave it to her neighbor.
Now it's mine.
 
I love a fold down rear seat. I had one with that and a 3spd manual on the floor with a moon roof.
 
Cuda Hunter said:
There is a rabbits nest on the engine.

Dash is wasted.
88K original miles.
Click to expand...

Rabbits? That's a new one. Mice are more familiar to me. I bought a car once that must have been a hotel for several concurrent generations' worth.

Dash doesn't look totally wasted, just the padded covering on the top. That can be removed and reconditioned, or just covered up for the time being while you drive it and make your plans.

Love that fold down rear seat. I wish my old 73 Duster had had that!

- Erik

64 Valiant, 170 3-spd
82 Volvo wagon, 5.0 5-spd :)
 
Rabbits? better than a hissing moma possum!

does it have a sunroof too? if so is there a 2nd fender tag? just curious.
 
I wish they were possoms. They are in season here and I am up in the mountains. That would make for a good time.
No second tag and no sun roof. I wish.

The car is in my garage now. I sprayed the car with a power washer and got all the junk off of it. There wasn't that much as it seems the nest was very new. Definitely a rabbit.
I had to drag the car on flat tires as the previous owner slashed the tires before his son inherited the property. Thank god for winch's.
As soon as I get a few pics I will post them up.
 
I found a build sheet that match's the car!!

This is my first build sheet!
I have had more than 40 cars and
never found a build sheet in one of them. And believe me, I have looked.
Not only did I find a build sheet but I found the assembly line tag that
mounts under the fender tag. It is about 6" long and was never torn
or cut off. However, I believe the previous owner tore it off and put it on top of the battery tray for safe keeping.
This car is very clean inside. Of course it needs a good upholstery clean
but very nice considering the condition it came in.
Looks like the car is original to Rock Springs, Wyoming.

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I don't have keys for the car. Currently trying to get my door lock keyed so
I can open the trunk.
Does anyone have any idea how to open the rear seat area so that I can get into the trunk?
 
On the last picture, there are two of those brackets with the rubber piece.
I can rock the board back and forth but it sounds like maybe it is screwed from the back side.
There is a piano bracket on the bottom of the upright that connects it to the flat bottom piece.

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It really shouldn't need much work, to have a beater anyway.
The carb is spotless. Took the float bowl off and there wasn't a spec of dust in there.
Plenty of oil, needs changed. fluids in everything. Just got a key for the doors and ignition. Just have to put the ignition back together so I can try the key.
Hopefully, I can just put a battery in and start her up, after a tune up of course.
The gas tank smells like varnish so I will have to take it down and clean it.
Then I will blow out the fuel line with cooler clean.

I figured out how to get into the trunk in another thread.
 
Cuda Hunter said:
Plenty of oil, needs changed. fluids in everything. Just got a key for the doors and ignition. Just have to put the ignition back together so I can try the key.
Hopefully, I can just put a battery in and start her up, after a tune up of course.
Click to expand...
Josh, it's been sitting awhile? I'm assuming you've thought of all this, but just in case, I'll offer my two cents:

You could ease the ring scuffing quite a bit by spraying penetrating lubricant down each spark plug hole before turning it over. Plus, if you have all the plugs out when you first crank it, there's no compression to wear all the dry main and rod bearings. Unlike a V8, there's no way to prelube with the oil pump without turning the camshaft, so spinning the engine until the oil light extinguishes is the best you can do, then reinstall plugs. If you were really dedicated, you could loosen the rocker shaft to remove spring tension on the cam lobes, and pour a bit of oil onto each lifter while you're at it, but if you're using words like "beater" then I assume this is overkill. ;)

Always fun to see how smoothly they run even after being neglected.

- Erik

64 Valiant, 170 3-spd
82 Volvo wagon, 5.0 5-spd :)
 
Nice car..love the rabbits :)

can you convert a non fold down rear seat to a fold down ?

thanks
ian.
 
I usually use oil in the spark plug holes. What type of penetrating fluid do you prefer to use?
Havn't ever started a /6 before. Should be different anyway.

Grassy, as this is my first a body, I am unsure. However, after looking at the parts, seems like it would be possible.
 
if its not rude, may i ask how much you paid for your car?? i paid 400 for my 75 and it was ratty.
 
Before I would try to start it..I would pull the plugs and port a bit of oil down each hole and turn it over a bit..this will tell ya if the engine is seized and if not, will give the engine a chance to build up some oil pressure before a load is put on it..

Ian.
 
Cuda Hunter said:
I usually use oil in the spark plug holes. What type of penetrating fluid do you prefer to use?
Havn't ever started a /6 before.
Click to expand...
Oil should be good. Anything's better than dry.

As far as penetrating oil, there are lots... and contrary to popular opinion, WD40 is NOT one of 'em. (It's a superb Water Displacer, hence the WD in the title. It'll dry out the inside of a distributor cap, and it'll soften adhesive if you peel off a label and want to remove the residue. But i don't use it for much else.)

Tri-flow works pretty well, AeroKroil works even better, and my favorite is PBlaster. Just one guy's opinion, no rigorous scientific testing.

The only reason I'd choose a penetrant instead of oil is that I can spray it farther. Remember that the 30 degree angle of the slant six means the piston top is not level... kinda like the 45 degree angle on each bank of a V8, come to think of it. So I always try to aim for the high part of the piston ring and let gravity do the rest.

Oh, and of course anything that you even remotely suspect of being seized, that's where a good penetrant works miracles. Time is the biggest ally. Spray something every day for a week, let the molecules creep, then twist... it's amazing what patience can do. :)

- Erik

64 Valiant, 170 3-spd
82 Volvo wagon, 5.0 5-spd :)
 
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