Duster to Demon

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Badart

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This is just an idea. I have never loved the nose of my 74 duster, but I like the tail. I love the front of the demons and have located the front end of a 71 demon, including quarters, grille, bumper and core support. What would it take to convert the front end to a demon. Is the cowl the same? Do the quarters line up? Are the inner fenders an issue lining up? I have seen this on a members car here before, but cant find his posts.

I'm sure that some of you are thinking that I shouldn't change the duster, but it was a s/6 car and the demon is hammered in the rear. I also think it would be cool to confuse some people.
 
From what I understand, the only things that are different are the fenders, hood, grille, bumper, etc. The cowls are the same. Demons are just Dusters with Dart front ends on them, its a bolt-on operation from what I've been told. So you don't even need a Demon donor car, just a Dart front end. I'm not sure about the radiator supports or other front end bracing/supports, I would try and get them if I could. The fenders will line up with the doors. Not sure about the inner fenders, but I believe they're the same for the Dart's and Dusters. The only issue you may run into is the '74 to '71 swap, I know there were some changes, but Im pretty sure I've also seen someone post on here before that you can swap the '70-'72 stuff onto the front of a later car. The doors are slightly different because of the wind-wing, but even the doors from the earlier cars and later cars will swap if you address the wind-wing issue, the body lines are the same.

I know that there are a few threads on this as I've seen them before...
 
Thanks for the help. I am going to go ahead a pick up everything that I think will need. The demon is sitting with no rear and the car is gutted and hit hard in the rear so there is really no loss. I will just have to come up with a hood. I think that I will go with a fiberglass piece anyway. Thanks again.
 
I know it would be alot easier to put a 70-72 duster front end on your 74, that just requires a different hood, grill, bumper and bumper brackets. Dodge dart/demon front fenders are different from plymouth, the wheel opening lips dip in on dodge and the flare out with plymouth. As far as the dodge hood and fenders bolting up to a duster.....i have no clue but I would put money on running into fitting problems.
 
No problem. Hopefully one of the members that has done this conversion will chime in here, but I'm pretty sure all my info is good. I'm sure there's a few little snags in there, but there always are doing conversions of any kind.

Oh, if you want to go for a full Demon conversion, you'll need new tail lights and rear side-markers too. As it is, you're side markers won't match front to back. It might be worth cutting the side marker and tail light recesses out of the Demon even if they're bent up, once they're off the car you may be able to straighten them out.
 
thanson_mopar said:
I know it would be alot easier to put a 70-72 duster front end on your 74, that just requires a different hood, grill, bumper and bumper brackets. Dodge dart/demon front fenders are different from plymouth, the wheel opening lips dip in on dodge and the flare out with plymouth. As far as the dodge hood and fenders bolting up to a duster.....i have no clue but I would put money on running into fitting problems.
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The wheel openings are a little different, but the rest bolts up. The Demon bodywork was not specific to the demon, its just a Dodge Dart front end.

Your basic '71 Demon-

demon340.jpg


And your basic '70 Duster-

3125567152_dbf970d26a_o.jpg


And my '71 Dart

IMG_3608.jpg


You can see that all the bodylines are the same where they meet the door. This is true even of the '73 up cars

'74 Dart
IMG_3629.jpg


'74 Duster

!BRo8-PQ!2k~$(KGrHgoH-DYEjlLl3iGJBJ+Ifil8ww~~_3.JPG


And for a real trip, take a look at the '67-69 Darts too. Same body line at the door.

2617442459_3fb3f5743a_o.jpg
 
72bluNblu said:
The wheel openings are a little different, but the rest bolts up. The Demon bodywork was not specific to the demon, its just a Dodge Dart front end.
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yea I know the dart and demon front end are the same, I was just reffering them to be different from plymouth valiant/duster...purely cosmetic, and I just wanst for sure about bolting them on to a duster or if they door lines matched up. The only real research Ive done on the subject was to convert 73/74 duster to a 70-72 duster front end
 
To avoid the issue of changing the sidemarkers, use 72 Dart/Demon fenders as they share the same sidemarkers as 73-76. The 71 hood and grille will fit right in but be sure to use the 71 fender extensions with the matching chrome trim as the 72 extensions are shaped slightly different than the 70-71's. You will need the hood latch/grille support, the front bumper with brackets. The rad support and inner fenders are the same.

Joe
 
Thanks for throwing some knowledge my way. I think I am going to go ahead and do it. I will go ahead and pick up the quarters too and see how everything fits. I'm not scared to cut and grind a little metal. I just want something a little different.
 
.....and I have a very rare '71 Demon that went into the rough. It currently needs front fenders, hood, and rad support.
 
72bluNblu said:
From what I understand, the only things that are different are the fenders, hood, grille, bumper, etc. The cowls are the same. Demons are just Dusters with Dart front ends on them, its a bolt-on operation from what I've been told. So you don't even need a Demon donor car, just a Dart front end. I'm not sure about the radiator supports or other front end bracing/supports, I would try and get them if I could. The fenders will line up with the doors. Not sure about the inner fenders, but I believe they're the same for the Dart's and Dusters. The only issue you may run into is the '74 to '71 swap, I know there were some changes, but Im pretty sure I've also seen someone post on here before that you can swap the '70-'72 stuff onto the front of a later car. The doors are slightly different because of the wind-wing, but even the doors from the earlier cars and later cars will swap if you address the wind-wing issue, the body lines are the same.

I know that there are a few threads on this as I've seen them before...
Click to expand...

and nice challenger by the way, looks like a really clean car. whats in it for a power plant?
 
I figured someone would disagree. My buddy tells me that the demon has been sitting in a field for many years slowly rotting away. It's not like I am cutting up a good car or anything. If I decide not to use them I will give you his number.
 
Wow, there's some good looking sheet metal left on that duster! Hope it is in as good shape as it appears in the pics...straight fenders, nice extensions with trim, plus it has a nice looking grille. Good find!
 
74ProStreet said:
I figured someone would disagree. My buddy tells me that the demon has been sitting in a field for many years slowly rotting away. It's not like I am cutting up a good car or anything. If I decide not to use them I will give you his number.
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If you are refering to me, I am not in disagreement. I'm merely stating a fact. The back end of my car and the front end of that car would restore a complete '71 Demon. That car is pretty solid as well. If you do decide to use the front clip I'll be glad to take the unit body.
 
Thanson, that farm has allot of cool old iron sitting there. I have known about this place for awhile now. There is a 68 Road Runner, 69 B-cuda, 71 El Camino SS 454, a 65 GTO as well as many others.
 
C_stripes said:
Thanson, that farm has allot of cool old iron sitting there. I have known about this place for awhile now. There is a 68 Road Runner, 69 B-cuda, 71 El Camino SS 454, a 65 GTO as well as many others.
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Ive came across a few farms like that when i was searching around in high school but places like that are getting fewer and fewer. i once talked to a farmer who said he had an old road runner he bought brand new when he got back from vietnam. In a little rickety old shed there was a mind condition 70 road runner, vitamin c orange, pistol grip 4 speed, air grabber, 383 hp with 3.55 gears......he still has it, and still wont sell it to me.......the kicker is that its got 22,000 origional miles. he parked it in '77 and hadnt touched it since.......I would love to get ahold of that car.
 
thanson_mopar said:
and nice challenger by the way, looks like a really clean car. whats in it for a power plant?
Click to expand...

Thanks! But its a 20 footer for sure. Needs a new drivers pan, part of the trunk, and has rust bubbles showing through the paint in the lower sections. Had to patch a soft spot in the front frame rail. Somebody put a really glossy paint job over a bunch o' Bondo :-|. Its a 318/904 at the moment, soon to be a 340/4-speed. Then on to bodywork.

Now back on topic-

74ProStreet said:
Here is the donor sent to pasture with the old farm equipment.
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I'd take the '71 set up and cut the sidemarker and tail light openings out of that Demon and convert the Duster completely over. The left side isn't damaged, the right tail light section can be straightened. Worse comes to worse you'll need a sidemarker section for the right rear still, that one looks toast. But I see them on eBay from time to time, they can be found!

Then it'd be a clone to a '71 Demon. I'm biased to the earlier side-markers though, think they look better than the "stick on" look of the later ones.
 
I like that Pinto back there with the sunroof! Thats pretty awesome!

Yea, I plan at some point welding on a Demon rear end for the tail lights too. Mines all dinged up anyway.
 
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