POLL: Pretty vs Functional

Looks like its all one color to me. Maybe a little rust in the lower quarter panels, but I've seen worse. I'd get the mechanicals sorted out and drive the hell out of it.

If you do bodywork and paint first, there's no going back. You're doing a full restoration. If you've got the time and money for that, awesome, thats how you should do it. Strip it down, do the bodywork, paint, etc, and when it comes back assemble it with all rebuilt/new mechanics. But you're going to need at least $10k (probably more like $15k) and a few years to make that happen, unless you win a spot on Overhaulin.

If you don't, and you want to drive this car sometime in the next ten years, do the mechanicals first. I would definitely take a look and figure out the extent of the rust before I did anything, but if it's limited to the lower quarter and drop panels I'd go right back to getting it running and driving. You can do lower quarter patches and drop panels, hit those spots with some primer and keep on driving. Not pretty, but you actually get to enjoy your car.

As far as the car needing a total restoration, I'd disagree entirely unless it's hiding more rust. My Challenger has had a hole in the driver's floorboard during the entire 40k miles I've put on it. And rust bubbles in the lower fenders and quarters. It was a Utah car and I'd wager it has at least as much, if not more, rust than that Duster. Still runs fine, it's still a blast to drive, and I still get offers on it a couple times a month.