What should be done with this 70 340 Duster

[Oldmanmopar]

As you all have seen in my restore thread I have stripped the blue 70 340 4spd. Duster for parts for my 71. I also cut they cowl off of a solid scamp.

Well I pulled another 70 340 4spd. Duster in today and put it on the lift to see how bad it is rusted. Here is what it needs.
Inner fenders
front floors
trunk floor
Full Quarters
Tail light panel
Trunk extensions
rear rails have a small hole
Fenders
drip rails and rockers
Headliner
The car runs and drives nice . the motor is clean and all original and the AC works. the car was originally a 3 spd. bench seat. now its 4spd. with 72 Duster/Demon bucket seat interior including door panels. The only option the car had was AC, Even the Power steering was added . You can see the idler pulley for AC with manual steering still on car but not being used. The sport mirrors were also added as were the exhaust tips. The rear is a 489 - 391 sure grip. clutch style . It was 323 sure grip and it is with car as is the 3 spd trans and shifter.
Here is the problem . The car has to much rust to be saved without investing in a lot of sheet metal. I was thinking of putting the fire wall and the AC in my 71 I am redoing now. I would only have to buy another new dash cluster bezel for the 71 with AC. AC is the only option my 71 Duster is missing'
Or should I buy a rust free 70 with AC . I would be fixing my Radiator support and my package tray by adding the rest of the rust free body parts to them. I have everything here to make a real nice 70 340. Or should I just part another one and cut it up. If I would fix it. The car would get stripped of all its paint and start with a fresh numbers matching shell.
This was my car 25 years ago . what would some of you do if you had the option of saving it with a correct rebody? or strip it? It will not be sold whole for any price. and I am not dealing with the rust on this body shell.

 

[moparlover]

it's worth saving imo. however, that is a fair amount of sheet metal work, and it will need to be stripped anyways. you could use it for a drivetrain/AC/etc donor to get your 71 going, but dont chop the body up. i would keep the firewall in it unless you really must have it for the other car.

keep it on wheels, put the shell in storage and get it out of your way for your current project. when you get the current project done, you can work this one for resell/family gift/track car/etc. i've seen worse shells.

 

[4404spd]

I would fix it.

 

[Oldmanmopar]

What about transfering all the numberd panels to a rust free shell. such as the Rad. support and the package tray . Wouldn't that be a better job in the end. Rather then puting panels off a rotted shell. I can fix the holes its the swelled seams where the rot is pushing I can not get to that scares me.

What would be better for the future of the car. Spot weld drill the whole car apart? Or just the panels needed to transfer the numbers correctly to a rust free replacement shell. I have others on the shelf for down the road already . This car is up to bat and on the mound right now.

 

[moparlover]

from a cost standpoint -
full floor $450, inner fronts $400, quarters $1000, trunk $300, trunk extensions $220 tail light panel $300 fender patches $225 drip rails $175 rockers varies but inners $300 outers $500 if you need all of them

all brand new metal you are looking at $3870 plus the shipping, maybe AMD would give you a volume discount lol.

then you need a rotisserie $350 welder $500

rear rails you need to weld in metal

the difference being this: if you buy a "rust-free" roller, you never know what is under that paint. buying the metal you know what you have. takes lots more room and lots more time however.

 

[Oldmanmopar]

we do restos on abodies and have the equipment I supervise, well I try.. There is one on a rotisary in the back ground. Hereis what Has been going through my head. There is a rust free orange 70 listed n here in Nevada. It is almost perfect. I would have to put the rad support in and the package tray to giv the body the correct numbers. And then have it completely media blasted to remvove all traces of orange. Alot less labor. But It wouldn't bother me if I would just use it for parts. and sell the stripped roller .

Its just that 340 car are getting hard to find so something is telling me to save this one and make it a original sheetmetal rust free car. I will not buy all those panels. Buying them is one thing . Installing them correctly so not to be seen is another. I have two months to decide. That is when the rotissary will be Empty.

But should I make the trip to Nevada?

 

[d5667]

Nevada-I think your mind is made up!!!!

 

[moparlover]

yeah that NV car is nice, if it's the one i'm thinking about. it was a '70 if i remember correctly, no drivetrain. original orange. nice car i wish my duster was that nice lol. mine is sitting at a shop waiting for floorboard install. (going on 4 months now) then i need quarters. i'm doing the two fenders myself, i got a set off ebay that need so much TLC it isnt funny. the northeast is hard on cars, and finding someone to do the work is damn near impossible if you cant do it yourself.

 

[1968FormulaS340]

All I see is very typical and fixable rust.

 

[Wylde1]

What about transfering all the numberd panels to a rust free shell. such as the Rad. support and the package tray . Wouldn't that be a better job in the end. Rather then puting panels off a rotted shell. I can fix the holes its the swelled seams where the rot is pushing I can not get to that scares me.

What would be better for the future of the car. Spot weld drill the whole car apart? Or just the panels needed to transfer the numbers correctly to a rust free replacement shell. I have others on the shelf for down the road already . This car is up to bat and on the mound right now.

So you want our opinion on doing something that's highly illegal and could land you in the pokey for a while??? And now it's on the inter-web for all to see. Unless your laws have changed, re-bodying a car is a major felony. Not to mention if a future owner finds out about it and hunts you down. Of course if laws have changed, do what your conscience will allow.



Wylde1.

 

[66340SEDAN]

So does this mean you would also be swapping the VIN # or the original dash housing with the VIN tag attached?? Isn't that a felony and highly illegal in PA state as in most? IMO that is BS.

Why not sell it to someone who will fix it? You say you will not sell the car whole for anything, well, if you are so worried that original 340 cars are disappearing, why wouldn't you just sell it?

What about transfering all the numberd panels to a rust free shell. such as the Rad. support and the package tray . Wouldn't that be a better job in the end. Rather then puting panels off a rotted shell. I can fix the holes its the swelled seams where the rot is pushing I can not get to that scares me.

What would be better for the future of the car. Spot weld drill the whole car apart? Or just the panels needed to transfer the numbers correctly to a rust free replacement shell. I have others on the shelf for down the road already . This car is up to bat and on the mound right now.

 

[66340SEDAN]

Plus, you say "I'm not dealing with the rust on this body shell" BUT you have a rotisserie, a welder, and a shop that "restores" a-body cars........I think you should save it.

 

[Dartnut]

This is quite the dilemma......
I for certain would not rebody it, that's illegal and immoral as well.
You could pass it on to someone whole as is that will invest the money in it to restore it properly and then use that money to buy the a/c switchover parts for the other car.
I understand the thought process when it comes to using a rust free shell and transferring the 340 parts to it. It would make for a better car and be cheaper in the long run, yes, i agree with you. But switching numbers is a fraudulent act and therefore a crime.
I vote buy the good body, strip the 340 car mechanically, transfer the parts, and sell the 340 car shell with the numbers and vin still with it as a builder. The new car would then be a clone with all of the correct pieces, and with the original numbers for that body.
That's what i would do, and as a matter of fact have done in the past.
All cars will be sold eventually, even after you pass away and it's not your problem anymore.
JMHO.
Tom.

 

[LH23H2R]

Looks like it's got an interesting combination-of-options there :

- 4 Speed
- A/C
- Factory Tach
- Disc Brakes (sans booster)

Not often does one encounter a 4 speed with A/C combo , even in the southwest U.S. !

 

[khaley71]

I would fix it my 67 Dart was alot worse than your Duster. My Dart was missing the trunk pan and left rear frame rail.

 

[Bulldozer]

people are cuttin out VIN #s and pulling dash frames and glueing them onto rust free bodies to save these cars every single day. when this is done "right" , not a single soul can ever tell the difference or ever know. any time you buy a "restored" car, you take a chance that this has been done. but do you really know? and if so , what are you going to do about it? and how could you prove it? any way , im on the fence about this. the good thing about it is that some of these cars that are born with "rare" VIN#s are being saved opposed to going to the crusher or getting parted out. on the other side of the coin, this is not the original body the car was born with and the car that is getting the new numbers may be stolen. but if one did not tell a soul, chances are good no one would ever know. back to the question, i would fix this car and drive the piss out of it. if you are concerned about making money off this car , part it out or sell it off.

 

[SleeperScamp]

Fewer than 100 340 4 speed A/C cars built.. Sell it to someone who will restore it..

 

[66340SEDAN]

Fewer than 100 340 4 speed A/C cars built.. Sell it to someone who will restore it..

His was originally a 3-speed car with a bench, wonder how many came like that? I bet way less than 100, it is a cool car that deserves to be saved.

 

[Oldmanmopar]

If it is done correctly even if someone knew they couldn't tell. This car is not worth the parts and labor it would take to fix this body.

Ok What if I get another rust free car and spot weld drill every panel out of the car . and reweld all the parts on this car . Making sure to not disterb the Factory numbers. As a matter of fact I will hang the rad support and the package tray from wires so they don't move when I am doing this.

Or What if I replace the package tray in the rust free car because someone cut it for big speakers . And the rad sopport do do the engine falling on it. Now what? I broke the law because I welded used parts in my car.


SO NOW WHAT?????????

Where is the line drawn to separate a Restore from a Reconstruction. How much of the body are you allowed to replace before it meets the reconstruction needed title. Where does it say what percentage of a shell can be replaced with panels after market and used panels Before its illegal. I believe you can do what ever it takes as long as all the numbers on the car are original and not restammped in. All numbers must match.

I clipped alot of mopars in my day at a Mopar body shop . We would cut them in half and weld them together. We never cared about numbers . Some of you guys are probably driving those cars and don't even know it. I still have pictures of a 340 swinger we installed a 71 demon front clip. I still remember a 70 RR with a Belvedere rear clip. He got the chrome tailights and all. we even welded _Pep Boys exhaust hangers on. Broke the tabs off the RR emblems and used double faced tape. The Dealer also got an open rear I took the RR rear home with me.

I don't need to be told whats legal and not legal. I have done many . You cant just throw a dash and a data in and thats it. You need to have a whole car to redo. And you need to use every usable piece . not just the numbers. Thats the difference.

Here I am , That is me In 1984. 38 years ago I have been redoing these cars for a long time . This was a body I used to fix a totalled Sassy Grass green 340 car. This car was only 13 years old then. I saw this car at carlisle the owner didn't have a clue. . Its what the shops did in those days . So you might own one

Check out the rust on the 72 and that was only 12 yrs old in that picture.

 

[Johnny Dart]

I clipped alot of mopars in my day at a Mopar body shop . We would cut them in half and weld them together.

Here I am , That is me In 1984. 38 years ago I have been redoing these cars for a long time . This was a body I used to fix a totalled Sassy Grass green 340 car. This car was only 13 years old then. I saw this car at carlisle the owner didn't have a clue. . Its what the shops did in those days . So you might own one

Check out the rust on the 72 and that was only 12 yrs old in that picture.

You've made it very clear to us your experience with these cars.
So why not use that experience to save this sought after Duster ?
Or sell it to someone who will ?

 

[inkjunkie]

It is your car, do with it what you want. Just because you can does not mean you should....

 

[Bulldozer]

i have owned a number of cars that have been "reconstructed" if you will. one of my 70 superbees was two cars. the back half was burnt orange and the front half was B5 blue. imagine my suprise when i pulled the carpet up and saw the two halves welded together straight across the floor pan. or how about the 1970 440 6 pack charger that was three different cars with the original stampings off the 6 pack car welded in place in the good metal. there is no way on earth you could ever tell unless you were there for the cutting. this is going on all over the country as we speak, and there is nothing "illegal" about it. in the laws eyes, there are no boundries that dictate how much of a car you can replace before it is illegal. this is no different than a repopped fender tag. now if you are stealing cars and replacing numbers with good numbers, that ,of course ,is illegal. but it will still be up to the authorities to catch you doing it. and just for the record, i have never done this , nor would i , but i have known people that were so passionate about saving that 6 pack 70 charger, that they were willing to undertake the cost of rebuilding this car and it was never kept a secret or sold off for profit.

 

[Dartnut]

If it is done correctly even if someone knew they couldn't tell. This car is not worth the parts and labor it would take to fix this body.

Ok What if I get another rust free car and spot weld drill every panel out of the car . and reweld all the parts on this car . Making sure to not disterb the Factory numbers. As a matter of fact I will hang the rad support and the package tray from wires so they don't move when I am doing this.

Or What if I replace the package tray in the rust free car because someone cut it for big speakers . And the rad sopport do do the engine falling on it. Now what? I broke the law because I welded used parts in my car.


SO NOW WHAT?????????

Where is the line drawn to separate a Restore from a Reconstruction. How much of the body are you allowed to replace before it meets the reconstruction needed title. Where does it say what percentage of a shell can be replaced with panels after market and used panels Before its illegal. I believe you can do what ever it takes as long as all the numbers on the car are original and not restammped in. All numbers must match.

I clipped alot of mopars in my day at a Mopar body shop . We would cut them in half and weld them together. We never cared about numbers . Some of you guys are probably driving those cars and don't even know it. I still have pictures of a 340 swinger we installed a 71 demon front clip. I still remember a 70 RR with a Belvedere rear clip. He got the chrome tailights and all. we even welded _Pep Boys exhaust hangers on. Broke the tabs off the RR emblems and used double faced tape. The Dealer also got an open rear I took the RR rear home with me.

I don't need to be told whats legal and not legal. I have done many . You cant just throw a dash and a data in and thats it. You need to have a whole car to redo. And you need to use every usable piece . not just the numbers. Thats the difference.

Here I am , That is me In 1984. 38 years ago I have been redoing these cars for a long time . This was a body I used to fix a totalled Sassy Grass green 340 car. This car was only 13 years old then. I saw this car at carlisle the owner didn't have a clue. . Its what the shops did in those days . So you might own one

Check out the rust on the 72 and that was only 12 yrs old in that picture.

Good point.
Do what you want, you seem to have a handle on it and what it takes.
One man's meat is another man's poison.

 

[va58]

I really don't have a dog in this fight, but feel the need to respond to this thread. I have been doing this for as long as you have and during this time I was restoring mostly B-body cars. I was working in the Chicagoland area during a light resto on a 69 b-boby and after dis-assembly of the car discovered that it had been re-bodied. I will agree that if done correctly that very few if any people would be able to tell, but IMO, that doesn't make it right. The owner of this b-body went crazy when he found out the this car was born a 318 charger instead of a red RT car. I may be old school in my thinking on this as the cars we love are getting harder to find in restoreable
condition, but doing a rebody is wrong and illegal. It is also just my opinion that if this is something that you do or want to do I sure wouldn't be telling the "mopar" world that you have or may. I have passed on a few cars over the years because of this mindset. sell the car to someone that will restore it....

 

[crackedback]

VIN swapping is nothing more than saving a set of numbers, not a car.

At that point it's about money.

Replacing panels is one thing. Moving the VIN tag from one car to the other is all together different.

Don't get caught doing it and if people in the community find out you're a VIN swapper, best of luck selling anything for decent money. Once you get branded, it's tough to get rid of.