Gold Crusader
Well-Known Member
Good point. I could take my brother but he doesn’t know anything about cars lol
Buying My First Muscle Car 1973 Duster 340 Interior Pic
- Thread starter Gold Crusader
- Start date
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Muscle is muscle!
Welcome from Florida! Sounds like you got the bug bad. Best advice I can give you is to think with your head not your heart. That being said, like others have mentioned there is a lot more available for these cars now than there used to be. Everything from repair body parts to interior parts. For example they make a pretty nice plastic dash cover that glues on that doesn't look half bad. Good luck!
Try to control yourself. This kid's got enough on his plate. LOL
j par
Well-hung Member
Remember you're talking from the Rust Belt. Cars there and trucks are a lot harder to find with good bodies. Not so much here there's a few of them on Craigslist. Not V8 mind you but very clean and Rust free for less. That car is obviously a bit of a hodgepodge. Incorrect decal, incorrect seat, cracked dashboard, no exhaust? and no carpet. my mind says what else? It's something you definitely have to go look at and be prepared to turn down. I think it had better very well be a verifiable 340. Which of course at 340 doesn't do anything for my heart but I'm well aware it does add value. I would think in Texas they wouldn't have that big of a rust problem especially in the middle of Texas...
Go to this site and start downloading factory service manual, wiring diag , parts list, etc, also look for "fender tag" info. Forgot to mention the fender tag can be decoded and it will have a lot of info about the car
MyMopar - Mopar Forums & Information - MyMopar Tools/Reference
Fyi, the fender tag should be on the drivers side front fender near the battery. The VIN should be on the dash in an area like modern cars.
Some of the numbers on the VIN should be on the fender tag.
Have fun
MyMopar - Mopar Forums & Information - MyMopar Tools/Reference
Fyi, the fender tag should be on the drivers side front fender near the battery. The VIN should be on the dash in an area like modern cars.
Some of the numbers on the VIN should be on the fender tag.
Have fun
By the way don't forget the OBO part. Bring the full amount but offer 1000 less. Seller might take it or counter, for every 100 seller comes down you can offer up till you meet in the middle.
Gold Crusader
Well-Known Member
Thank you very much! So, is there a best way to look all this stuff up on my phone? Do I use carfax for the title?
Car is probably too old for car fax.
Look for what a lagit Texas title from the 70s looks like. (Call / google dmv and ask for tips) seller needs to sign title, get a bill of sale from seller. Be sure seller is legal owner. If you can get a photo of sellers drivers license. Especially if the seller is selling for a friend. And remember the person or persons on the title are the only ones who can sell the car. Make sure Vin on title is the same as on car.
Can't think of anything else right now
Look for what a lagit Texas title from the 70s looks like. (Call / google dmv and ask for tips) seller needs to sign title, get a bill of sale from seller. Be sure seller is legal owner. If you can get a photo of sellers drivers license. Especially if the seller is selling for a friend. And remember the person or persons on the title are the only ones who can sell the car. Make sure Vin on title is the same as on car.
Can't think of anything else right now
j par
Well-hung Member
lately I do everything on the hood of the car also are tell them to put their drivers license on the hood and I put my on the hood the title on the hood and the cash I'll take a picture of it and while they're making the bill of sale step back take a picture of them to... also if there's two names like a husband and a wife both of them have to sign it...
unless the title is husband OR wife but to be on the safe side both should sign. also if there are two names and one is deceased get a copy of death cert to cover your butt.
Disclaimer.... I'm not a legal expert by any means and don't want to scare you, I'm originally from CA and have "Cover Thy Butt" firmly ingrained into me. And if this is the first time you have bought a car from a privet party call the DMV or AAA or the like and get some state specific advice. You can also call the local PD non emergency number and ask if they will run the vin and license plate to see if there is anything wrong with the car legally.
So excited for you.
Have fun.
j par
Well-hung Member
Here in Oregon any names that are on the front need to be signed on the back... Or provide a death certificate...
I was only pointing out that some times property, in this case the title, is held jountly ( Bob AND Mary) and sometimes it is not jointly (Bob OR Mary) ultimately it is what the laws of the state require.
Gold Crusader
Well-Known Member
I just got the VIN number from the owner. The title looks good and is under his name. However, I decoded it and it looks like the original car had a 318 in it.
G = 318 150HP(net) or 170HP(net) 1-2BBL 8 CYL
VL29G3B604679
I'm hoping the previous owner dropped a 340 into it but I'm starting to get my hopes up :/
G = 318 150HP(net) or 170HP(net) 1-2BBL 8 CYL
VL29G3B604679
I'm hoping the previous owner dropped a 340 into it but I'm starting to get my hopes up :/
Riddler
Project EH-Body
Well with that info that means it's not the original engine and trans unless it's a 318. In that case I'd drop my offer down to 2500-3000 based on the fact it's not a 340.
Riddler
Gold Crusader
Well-Known Member
Would a running 318 not be worth the $5,000?
Riddler
Project EH-Body
Well a 318 is a very common motor. A 340 is a better motor and I'm sure others will argue with me. But an original 340 H code 73 car is worth more than the 318 car. Also the 73-76 Duster is all the same and not as desirable as the flat nose 70-72 cars.
If it's got some rust issues in the floor, needs interior work, no exhaust and who knows what else, start low, like 2500-3500 low and work from there. I don't think it's worth 5k but other might have a different opinion.
Riddler
Gold Crusader
Well-Known Member
See, I'm not sure if it's even worth the $3,000 to me. I've always wanted a mopar car with a large engine with lots of room to make very powerful. I understand a 318 can be powerful but the less cubic inches means lower potential is what I understand. Unless, it would be worth my time to get the car and drop a 340 into it which I believe means I need a new trans and rear axel as well.
Gold Crusader
Well-Known Member
I also read where you can get a stroker kit or turn your 318 into a 390 using a kit? Sounds a lot over my head and that I would need to take it to a shop. All of this I'm willing to do as I love the look of the car. Just not sure if I should just wait until another car pops up.
j par
Well-hung Member
Okay you have a lot to learn. It's 340-360--318 and a 273 are all small blocks. In most cases you wouldn't be able to tell them apart except for internally. One is not going to be externally bigger than the other. Nowadays a 340 is for the original car mostly. People would rather get a 360 for lack of better words and to make it more easy for you to understand trick a 360 out. like I was saying you got a lot of hodgepodge there. And unoriginal sticker on the hood no carpet a different colored bench seat and not an original motor. Any one of those for small blocks that I mentioned would attach to your transmission. A small block transmission is a small block transmission. Like I was saying you need to really check and see if this thing is Rusty or not. You can put your own motor in it. I'm selling a 318 right now out of a truck running for $350. And that's proven running meaning they can come see it run inside the truck before I pull it out not me telling him it ran the last time I I seen it or it was running when I pulled it out. That would be considered a core and probably worth $100 or less..
Gold Crusader
Well-Known Member
Ok, all that made sense to me. I also read that a 360 would be more worth my time as it's easier/cheaper to get parts for it. My thought process now is if it has little rust (and just the spots he told me which is a few spots on the trunk) I could buy a running 360 and have a mechanic drop it into the car for me.
j par
Well-hung Member
Also most people would just go ahead and stroke a 360 and make it a 408. the thing is it's almost cheaper to get a 360 and stroke it because they're more commonly done. You'll find it's almost more expensive to stroke a 318 because it's not so commonly done. Why Pay More For Less...
I bought a $1, 400 kit from Jegs and a 360 block from a machine shop for a hundred fifty bucks...
If they can't 100% confirm or 340 which is just a collector's piece mostly then the shell is still worth something. A lot of times that's the way to start it just kit a good brush free shell with as much together as possible and switch in what you want.
j par
Well-hung Member
You don't need no mechanic to drop it in for you. First thing you need to do is buy an engine stand from Harbor Freight for the 40 bucks. Then you can rent if you have to a motor hoist and drop it in. Just unhook what you have in there and repeat the process in Reverse putting the new motor in.
j par
Well-hung Member
You're missing out on all the fun part of only one of these cars by letting quote mechanics work on your car. You'll find that you doing the work yourself is what it's all about. Then when things go wrong or breakdown you know how to fix it because you put it in there. There's many things we can teach you here we will walk you entirely through every process every nut and bolt of that car. Not a problem don't panic remember"don't run down there and bang one sheep walk down and bang them all!" As in take your time get the car and we'll help you with the rest. Make sure it says Rush free as possible that's your biggest tasks right now and as cheap as possible. If you have a phone and you're doing this from your phone let us know what time you're going to be there so we can read all the pictures that you're going to take of it. You can spend an hour or two there if you're putting out thousands of dollars in cash. Take pictures post them here on the internet and will look them over for you. We got to know when to be paying attention though we have lives...
Gold Crusader
Well-Known Member
It's that simple? Wow, actually that sounds like a lot of fun!
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