1972 Duster Build with my Daughter

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Y’all have done an awesome job! This has been a fun build to follow. From date of delivery to its maiden voyage in 2 days short of a year! I can’t imagine being able to accomplish that much in that short a time!
 
Y’all have done an awesome job! This has been a fun build to follow. From date of delivery to its maiden voyage in 2 days short of a year! I can’t imagine being able to accomplish that much in that short a time!

Yea but now I have 2 years worth of home improvement project that have backed up to start working on..... Or I will call John about that '68 Barracuda Convertible he has just around the corner from where the Duster was.......
 
Yea but now I have 2 years worth of home improvement project that have backed up to start working on..... Or I will call John about that '68 Barracuda Convertible he has just around the corner from where the Duster was.......
With the skill level the two of you have I'd be building another project to sell and then use the profit to pay someone else to do the home improvements. I know which of those two jobs I'd rather spend my time doing.:thumbsup:
Neil.
 
I agree if I'm working with wood, I get too impatient with sanding car bodies.
 
Great job you guys. That thing has come a long way.
What did you end up doing for a grill? We're still on back-order for the non-sharktooth here from CI.
 
Great job you guys. That thing has come a long way.
What did you end up doing for a grill? We're still on back-order for the non-sharktooth here from CI.
Bit of sanding with drum sanders and it slipped on. Barely can tell from the front
 
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First show with both cars this afternoon! Neither too any trophies be we had fun!



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Fantastic job you both did on that beautiful Duster. Special skills and talents to do all that went into the car.
 
DAMN IT..... I am finding myself grabbing the keys for the Duster exclusively and the Coronet has not moved other than the show......
 
Damn it.... Swapped out the leaking, whining rust pitted gear set 2.76 with a nice leak free quiet 2.94 before heading to a show (we were too late to enter after the gear swap). On the way I got use to dropping it into second at 55mph and punching it.... well the 2.94's reved higher than I anticipated and the original A/C compressor we rebuilt ate 3 reed valves from over reving.....

Thanks to Barry over on the FBBO site who helped me diagnose with his years of AC experience. Now I get to go to O'Rilley's tomorrow and spend $350 on rebuilt compressor, flushing fluid, etc to get the ladies A/C for the 300 mile trip first thing Wednesday morning.... what an idiot I am.... We blew it in the first 20 miles of our 160 mile round trip yesterday so I know they will NOT be happy with 300 miles sweating in the desert heat.....

Positive point Michelle who runs the show and the Arizona Car Shows Facebook page snapped this of Kaelyn and her Duster even though we were not officially in it.

You know @Rainy Day Auto that is one sharp looking Duster..... I think it needs a black Go-Wing to carry the black down to the trunk but Kaelyn says no....

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What a holiday weekend... The bloody wind never stopped blowing less than 20mph the whole weekend so I totally failed on getting a friends Accord bumper and fender painted (don't ask how I got tricked into that one). After the Willcox trip it was clear the gear train needed a bit of balancing. I had the driveshaft balanced but there as a lot more metal spinning in the rear axel. I added a hose clamp to the drive shaft and marked every 90 degrees. Ran it at 35/45/55/65/75 and noted the vibrations. Then I rotated the clamp 90 degrees and repeated. I found the best spot in the 90 degree position then I tried +/- 45 degrees from that and picked the best one. It still had a bit of a vibration so I added a second aligned with the first. Spun it and noted the vibration. Tried it a +/- 90 and picked the best then started dialing it back toward the first one until it vibrated more and put it back a few degrees. It seems tedious but it only take 30 minutes or so. Also went to Tucson and bought all the A/C parts. The A/C is now all new and working as good as it can. Barry helped me dial it in but it still works no where near as good as the Coronet. I don't know why.

Went for a ride this evening and it is vibration free and fairly cold A/C. I would have liked it to freeze me out with a 75 degree outside air with the sun low in the sky but it would only reach 48 degrees or so. It is close to the specified 30 degree delta but I know the Coronet can do much better as well as all of our newer Hondas.

The rear tires hit the wheel well lip (interesting noise at 75 on the freeway when hitting rough spots and bridge joints!) I won't get to that before we leave Wednesday as I have not even looked at my car for the trip!

Kaelyn also completed her first oil change. We changed out the break in oil as we have about 500 miles on the engine now.

Work tomorrow then we leave Wednesday morning.... fingers crossed for an uneventful trip.
 
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250 trouble free miles to the mountains (with the Duster, Coronet is cutting out on acceleration from red lights. Could be TPS in the FiTech, could be pertronix unit cutting out, electronics...... I brought my points plate. It may go back in tomorrow). The wife drove the Duster and wants to know when she gets her car with a BIGGER motor. :BangHead: Kaelyn yelled at her when she floored it to pass like she does with her Element for going too fast. I may have created a monster and there will be no rest for the wicked.....
:rofl:
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Damn it.... Swapped out the leaking, whining rust pitted gear set 2.76 with a nice leak free quiet 2.94 before heading to a show (we were too late to enter after the gear swap). On the way I got use to dropping it into second at 55mph and punching it.... well the 2.94's reved higher than I anticipated and the original A/C compressor we rebuilt ate 3 reed valves from over reving.....

Thanks to Barry over on the FBBO site who helped me diagnose with his years of AC experience. Now I get to go to O'Rilley's tomorrow and spend $350 on rebuilt compressor, flushing fluid, etc to get the ladies A/C for the 300 mile trip first thing Wednesday morning.... what an idiot I am.... We blew it in the first 20 miles of our 160 mile round trip yesterday so I know they will NOT be happy with 300 miles sweating in the desert heat.....

Positive point Michelle who runs the show and the Arizona Car Shows Facebook page snapped this of Kaelyn and her Duster even though we were not officially in it.

You know @Rainy Day Auto that is one sharp looking Duster..... I think it needs a black Go-Wing to carry the black down to the trunk but Kaelyn says no....

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Quit tearing your kids car up, now grab that drop top and build it for your wife.
 
300 miles back with no problems other than a belt tightening (ordered AC Delco Belts tonight since they have worked flawlessly on the Coronet, the Gates are more like expensive rubber bands). We got less gas milage due to the extra weight of carrying back all the trophies.....

Duster = Best Mopar
Coronet = Best Paint and Bodywork (really? I don't buy it but I'll take it I guess).....

You can't believe how proud @Kaelyn was of herself and how proud I am of her.....

We have discovered the Duster is a chick magnet. Wives were dragging their husbands over to the "pretty blue car" all day!
:rofl:

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