My first build in years, a 73 Duster

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NodakDuster

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2014
Messages
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Location
Bismarck, ND
Hello everyone, I am from North Dakota as you can see in my handle lol. It has been several years since I have worked on muscle cars from this era. I used to run Fords but always had a liking for Mopars. My mother had a 73 Duster when I was young and I had wanted the car real bad. However, my dad sold it before I was of age to drive. Long story short I was in the oilfield working this summer when I saw an advertisement for a 73 Duster with a 318. It looked very neglected but it had a solid body.
Here are the pictures from the add.
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I worked out a deal with the previous owner and a buddy of mine came with and helped me load it up. Homeward bound we went.
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It was pretty dirty from the years of tree sap and dirt on it.
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A little cleaning and it looked much better.
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I decided to start in the front and work rearward with the project. Since it had been banged up some, I ordered new fenders from AMD, sourced a NOS bumper trim piece, and a set of fiberglass bumpers. I also found a hood and hinges in good condition locally.

We started to strip the front end down to clean up the frame, engine bay, rebuild the suspension and convert it to 73 disk brakes.
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Due to some front end damage I had an acquaintance of mine who runs a frame shop look it over. He advised me to continue with the build and install the new body panels. Once finished with that it will go to him for the frame repair. He said by going this route he can make sure when finished everything including panel alignment will be correct.

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Here is the drivers side cleaned up, painted, and the upper A arm partially installed.
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We rebuilt the entire front end, including torsion bars, ball joints, and all bushings. It is amazing how worn out the parts were. No wonder people complain of Dusters handling poorly if they don't rebuild them, bushings and all.

Here is the drivers side rebuilt, and the new brakes installed. Only thing left is to install is the dust cap.
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I bought a new set of steel wheels from wheel vintique, a good set of hub caps and a set of M&H radial drag front runners for it. (The brown in the picture is not rust coming through the new paint lol. It was some crappy undercoating I bought and later removed.)
A test fit of the rim and cap.
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With the tire installed!
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Next comes the floor pan and sub frame connector install this weekend. This will be followed up by my installation of a set of SS springs, offset hangers, and a Dana 60 (all of which I have). With some careful planning and wheel well lip trimming I hope to run a set of 10 in M&H DOT radial slicks in the rear.

This will be a street/strip car when completed. There will be no rotisserie style restoration for this car. It is a solid platform, minus the very bottom of the drivers rear quarter and the floor pans from the heater box being removed. Due to sitting outside uncovered it pooled water through the heater box openings and rusted in the front portions. My plan is to totally rebuild the suspension front and back. So far I have completed the front end rebuild as you have seen. I am going to hire the remaining body work out as I have never been good at painting. I plan to have it painted in Mopar anvil gray with a flat black hood with dual snorkel scoop, and Dixco hood tach. It will also have a flat black custom black stripe down the side. I hope to send it out for paint in a couple months.

I am going to convert the car over to a 4 speed. I have sourced most of the parts for this aspect. I have a 400 I am going to stroke to a 500 using the 440 Source stroker kit. I also have a set of Schumacher headers, engine mounts, and a set of 440 six pack carbs. I am not sure of the cam and heads yet. I am doing some reading on the subject and will likely ask more questions here once I get a handle on it. The engine build will take place this spring through summer. If all goes well I may be able to drive it next fall. Thanks for checking it out.
 
Thanks, LOL! I miss having an old car to drive so i am pushing myself on this one. I have an SRT8 Challenger, but it is not the same as the old school cars. When Done I have a C Body 65 Monoco That sat on blocks for 40 years that is 100% solid I am going to restore. That will be my show car, as it is kind of rare with a 383 4brl and factory 4 speed with Hurst shifter.
 
The latest update is the passenger floor pan was installed yesterday. Over the last couple days we finished fitting and welding in the pan.
Here it is fitted in place and ready for welding.
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Getting a little Smokey!

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Here is the finished product! One down one to go.

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In addition to welding in the floor pan we fitted and welded in the subframe connectors I bought off of FABO a couple weeks ago. I also fitted my sport mirrors and installed my dual snorkel scoop and cut the hole for it in the hood. Starting to look like a car slowly again. On to the next pan!
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If you need any parts let me know. I live in Minot and I have 7 parts cars and shelves full of a body stuff.
 
Holy Crap! Talk about jumping right in! WHOA!

Welcome aboard and good luck with the project. Certainly looks like your having fun!
 
Thanks guys! I might take you up on your offer about parts later Robzilla.
Brakes are on right Zac, lol.
Rumblefish, yea, kind of tackling it all at once. My work is seasonal so I collected parts all fall and early winter. Time to get them on before work starts again! I fitted the drivers floor pan Saturday night. Tonight we are going to weld it in and then we can start to reassemble the front end. By the end of the week I hope to start to clean up and test fit my Dana. I can't wait to see it up and rolling. Then off to the frame shop!
 
looks like your off to a flying start! GOOD PROJECT AND SHOP TOO!!!! who hit s the caps!!??????? someone scold me please!!!
 
Over the end of last week and the weekend we removed the drivers side floor pan to prep for installation.
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Here we are welding again.
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A solid floor! Now just to cut my hole for the 4 speed and weld the hump in. Also have to drill the holes for our bucket seats.
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Here we are starting to hang our fenders.
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Now it looks like a car! We did not fit the new panels, as the frame shop instructed us not to as they would do that when they straighten the frame.
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I tested some color on my doors as I couldn't decide between Mopar anvil gray and 72 Winchester gray. I am going to go with the Winchester. This week I am going to bring my Dana in and start cleaning it up for a test fit with the SS springs.
 
Newest update! We removed the rear suspension yesterday and are starting the clean up process.

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Ordering my new gears and rebuild kit today for the Dana we are installing. Can't wait to see it on the SS springs. I also have an advancement in the engine department as I ended up purchasing a 383 stroked to a 426.
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This should be a good engine to install for the season and give me more time to build the 400 block. It worked out great since both are B blocks and when I swap latter down the road I won't have to do any additional modifications.

I also settled on a stripe patern and color for the car. I am going to go with 72 Winchester gray. Here it is mocked up on a model I painted.

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Had one of these many years ago - 73 Dart Sport - it even had the factory crank back moon roof !!!! Sold it to my Dad because he need something good on gas at the time ... then he gave to my brother ...... and like everything else my brother has had - he ran the car into a concrete barrier wall on the highway ...... needless to say, it was a total loss .... I never saw the car again. It wasn't until recently - when I started my 68 Dart GT restoration and joined this site that I found out how RARE a factory moon roof car was !!!! It makes me sick every time I think of what happened to that 73 Dart Sport !!
Good luck with your build man !!!!

Mike
 
Thanks guys! 68dartgtman that would have been cool to have a moonroof. Maybe you will run across one again.

Last week we got the underside of the car cleaned up and painted. We also got the offset spring hangers and springs installed on Friday. Now we are cleaning up the Dana housing I have. They have crap welded all over it for various ways of mounting it in cars. It had multiple spring perches and shock mounts welded to it. I did luck out and the one set of perches matches right up to my springs. It must have been used in an a body before. Once the housing is cleaned up we will start the rebuild of it.
 
Nice job! Ever been to the Mopars in the Park show here in Farmington MN?
 
Thanks! No I never have. When is it? I have wanted to go to an all Mopar show but there is nothing around me lol. Heck there are not many who even have a Mopar, though I will say there are a surprising number of Dusters in Bismarck.
 
this is an amazing project and build! i love the colors youve chosen! i too plan having all steel wheels and hubcaps for my car the final stages are becoming complete
 
this is an amazing project and build! i love the colors youve chosen! i too plan having all steel wheels and hubcaps for my car the final stages are becoming complete
Thanks! I have always loved the look of steel wheels and caps. I can't wait to get it to the point of paint. I picked up my 4 speed tonight so my drivetrain is now complete. I also got my clutch and 6 pack intake. My friend who owns the shop next to me is rebuilding the carbs right now.
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We are working on the Dana right now but I am held up on waiting for my ring and pinion.

I bought a 70 Chrysler 300 Hurst and will be leaving on Thursday to go get it, so progress will slow for a few days while I am gone. I hope to have the rear end installed in two weeks.
 
Well as always life gets in the way and I did not have much progress for a good part of the spring and summer due to work. I finally got back after it and got my Dana installed with SS springs and brought the duster to the frame shop.
Here she is rolled out of the shop to go to the frame shop.
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All loaded up.
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While she was at the shop I have been working on my Hurst
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Today the shop called and back we went to get the Duster. They did a great job and lined up the body panels well and set the torsion bars up for me.
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I also brought it by the body shop today and scheduled her to be dropped off in November. So now it is time to fit my roll cage, 383, and 4 speed to get everything fitting right before the final body work.
 
Great job your doing on the Duster.I love the big C-body 300,nice riding cars.Looking forward to seeing the finished product of your hard work.Good luck.:cheers:
 
Real nice work. The 73 is my favorite Duster. I really like the Hurst too.
 
Thanks guys! I am sure enjoying the build. It's getting closer to being finished. We have to weld in the 4 speed hump and the roll cage in the next few weeks. We held off due to we needed the frame straightend. Now we are at the point we can move forward without any major roadblocks.
 
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