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Im going to try keep this to a minimum, otherwise it would take two pages lol. Here is the short story. I am Tate Hanson, 19 years old, now live in Rapid City, South Dakota. I came from Chamberlain, in the central South Dakota area. I am not in a car family, my dad is not a car guy, my grandpa knows how to fix equipment and keep everything on the place running but thats about as far as it goes. Got into cars and motorcycles when I was around 12 or 13 years old. Was always attracted to mopars, I have no idea why. I happened to see the movie vanishing point when I was younger....thats probably what did it. bought my first mopar when I was 14, saved up 400 bucks from my ford dealership car detailing job for a 1972 Dodge Dart four-door, with a 318 and and an automatic. Mufflers and stock air cleaner were the first thing to go. Made some chaos with that car for a couple years until I turned 16 and decided it was time to look for a two door project. I was riding my first bike, a '80 Kawasaki kz550, to my uncles to go work for him for the summer when I passed by a house with the garage door open. I seen the butt of a Duster, and since there was not particularly allot of mopars in the area I had to stop and ask about it. Turns out he was just putting a for sale sign in the window for $2500.00 for a 1974 Plymouth Duster that had bright yellow paint on it. I was in the market, and hell it was the brightest color possible, had a rebuilt 225 slant with a 3-speed manual trans and a nice interior with bucket seats. I was sold but didn't have the cash. I sold my bike and my dart and went down to the bank to take out a loan for the rest, still expensive considering I was working a minimum wage gas station job. Daily drove the Duster with the slant six for my sophomore, junior and small part of my senior year of high school. Joined FABO couple years ago, glad I did, have definitely got enough information out of the members here to donate for the gold member status. Got into allot of trouble with the car even though it only had a six. It made allot of high speed midnight runs for various reasons.....some of which were not entirely great choices now that I think about it....but the past is past. I lost my cousin, who was another mopar A-body guy with his '73 Dodge Dart Swinger, on March 8th 2008. It was a significant change in my life that has given me a different view and perspective on things in this life....whether or not it was for the good or bad still have not figured out yet. I know I had some real problems after his passing and Im afraid if it wasn't for my Duster I might not be here today. I put together a 360 for it most of my junior year and started to drop it in my senior year. I ran the 3-speed manual trans it had and the 7.25 it had since I became broke for building the engine. Got it rumbling six hours before my senior year prom. Graduated high school and after working for the summer moved out to Laramie WY, to go to school at Wyotech. It was the longest time I had ever been separated from my duster...but simply couldn't afford to bring it out there. Completed the auto tech course and ASM to get my self an Associates Degree in Automotive Management. I was planning on taking all the other classes available out there until I found Hot Rod Institute in Rapid City, South Dakota. The school is run by a guy that has done some amazing cars, some here more into Hot Rods/Street Rods might know the name, Doug LaRue. Right now he is my current instructor in sheet metal, great guy. Anyway, I brought my Duster out here a month or so after I got out here and started the tear-down to do the Resto/Mod that I have always wanted to do with the car. http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=69342
my Duster on the left and my cousin Zane's 73 Swinger
summer of '07
right after I put the stripes on in '07
Im going to try keep this to a minimum, otherwise it would take two pages lol. Here is the short story. I am Tate Hanson, 19 years old, now live in Rapid City, South Dakota. I came from Chamberlain, in the central South Dakota area. I am not in a car family, my dad is not a car guy, my grandpa knows how to fix equipment and keep everything on the place running but thats about as far as it goes. Got into cars and motorcycles when I was around 12 or 13 years old. Was always attracted to mopars, I have no idea why. I happened to see the movie vanishing point when I was younger....thats probably what did it. bought my first mopar when I was 14, saved up 400 bucks from my ford dealership car detailing job for a 1972 Dodge Dart four-door, with a 318 and and an automatic. Mufflers and stock air cleaner were the first thing to go. Made some chaos with that car for a couple years until I turned 16 and decided it was time to look for a two door project. I was riding my first bike, a '80 Kawasaki kz550, to my uncles to go work for him for the summer when I passed by a house with the garage door open. I seen the butt of a Duster, and since there was not particularly allot of mopars in the area I had to stop and ask about it. Turns out he was just putting a for sale sign in the window for $2500.00 for a 1974 Plymouth Duster that had bright yellow paint on it. I was in the market, and hell it was the brightest color possible, had a rebuilt 225 slant with a 3-speed manual trans and a nice interior with bucket seats. I was sold but didn't have the cash. I sold my bike and my dart and went down to the bank to take out a loan for the rest, still expensive considering I was working a minimum wage gas station job. Daily drove the Duster with the slant six for my sophomore, junior and small part of my senior year of high school. Joined FABO couple years ago, glad I did, have definitely got enough information out of the members here to donate for the gold member status. Got into allot of trouble with the car even though it only had a six. It made allot of high speed midnight runs for various reasons.....some of which were not entirely great choices now that I think about it....but the past is past. I lost my cousin, who was another mopar A-body guy with his '73 Dodge Dart Swinger, on March 8th 2008. It was a significant change in my life that has given me a different view and perspective on things in this life....whether or not it was for the good or bad still have not figured out yet. I know I had some real problems after his passing and Im afraid if it wasn't for my Duster I might not be here today. I put together a 360 for it most of my junior year and started to drop it in my senior year. I ran the 3-speed manual trans it had and the 7.25 it had since I became broke for building the engine. Got it rumbling six hours before my senior year prom. Graduated high school and after working for the summer moved out to Laramie WY, to go to school at Wyotech. It was the longest time I had ever been separated from my duster...but simply couldn't afford to bring it out there. Completed the auto tech course and ASM to get my self an Associates Degree in Automotive Management. I was planning on taking all the other classes available out there until I found Hot Rod Institute in Rapid City, South Dakota. The school is run by a guy that has done some amazing cars, some here more into Hot Rods/Street Rods might know the name, Doug LaRue. Right now he is my current instructor in sheet metal, great guy. Anyway, I brought my Duster out here a month or so after I got out here and started the tear-down to do the Resto/Mod that I have always wanted to do with the car. http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=69342
my Duster on the left and my cousin Zane's 73 Swinger
summer of '07
right after I put the stripes on in '07