74 Duster getting a 5.7 Hemi (The Double Take Duster)
Wow, this certainly looks like the right place for this father/daughter project.
Kelsey is 15 and has been by my side for about 2 years learning to turn wrenches. I can't begin to tell you what that time means to me.
She first worked with me on a 75 CJ5/304 Jeep.
Once we got it running and on the road, we decided we wanted something more streetable w/ some umph to it. I have friends who are into older Mopars and I also own an 05 Magnum (Hemi equipped).
After some searching we found a 70 Duster and after working on it for a while then we found this 74 in much better condition.
We swapped the nose from the 70 on to the 74 just to get that muscle car look we like vs. the 74. The 74 nose was bartered for some wood work around the house.
I managed to pick up some SRT seats at an incredibly low price (gotta love Ebay auctions that don't end at a decent hour) and they really improved the interior.
I also coordinated a Mopar parts sale for someone else and benefited myself by getting a brand new sure-grip out of it. This car is going to desperately need that! Through a lot of horse trading & sweat equity, we now have TTI Headers, TTI eng mounts, a TF727, an Edge torque converter, XV manifold, MSD-6 ignition, an accusump, a new repop Go Wing, a 6-pack scoop and 6 Sprint II wheels (2 more than I need, but I'll sell 2 once I figure out which 4 we want to use. Our intention is to keep the car looking pretty 70's era correct but once the hood is raised to see that things are not what they first appeared.
As for motivation, we modified a 5.7 Hemi w/ one of Inertia Motosports big hp cams (~440hp) that should work for a 3200lb car :) Kelsey is really doing well with all this car stuff. She has been attending some of the car events with me getting to know some of the group and hangs out with the ladies that are there. She has had some fun rides along the way, too :)
Our next step is to get the car (loosely used term right now) to where I have all the big pieces and tools readily accessible. I am also helping to install a 3G Hemi into a 68 cuda. We will have the 2 cars side by side in hopes of working more efficiently, even though they are quite different. The cuda will have more hp than the Duster and will be a standard trans car. It's nicknamed the 10/30 cuda. Our goal for the cuda is to run a 1/4 mile in the high 10's and get 30 mpg on the highway utilizing the MDS system with the Viper 6 speed. It is set up w/ cage and many of the pieces to withstand the hp safely.
Anyway, we are ready to get to the installation part if we can just get a few of those "round tuits". The guy I am working with is a mechanical engineer that has a lot of experience on new and old Mopars. We are working to do away with as much of the higher costs that are currently part of 3G installations. I'll pass along what we learn from those adventures.
One of the last things we will do is paint the beast! We are currently thinking of a high imact color w/ the black hood, trim and go wing. That is a long ways off so we have plenty of time to change those plans.
Thanks for all the info FABO has already provided.
Wow, this certainly looks like the right place for this father/daughter project.
Kelsey is 15 and has been by my side for about 2 years learning to turn wrenches. I can't begin to tell you what that time means to me.
She first worked with me on a 75 CJ5/304 Jeep.
Once we got it running and on the road, we decided we wanted something more streetable w/ some umph to it. I have friends who are into older Mopars and I also own an 05 Magnum (Hemi equipped).
After some searching we found a 70 Duster and after working on it for a while then we found this 74 in much better condition.
We swapped the nose from the 70 on to the 74 just to get that muscle car look we like vs. the 74. The 74 nose was bartered for some wood work around the house.
I managed to pick up some SRT seats at an incredibly low price (gotta love Ebay auctions that don't end at a decent hour) and they really improved the interior.
I also coordinated a Mopar parts sale for someone else and benefited myself by getting a brand new sure-grip out of it. This car is going to desperately need that! Through a lot of horse trading & sweat equity, we now have TTI Headers, TTI eng mounts, a TF727, an Edge torque converter, XV manifold, MSD-6 ignition, an accusump, a new repop Go Wing, a 6-pack scoop and 6 Sprint II wheels (2 more than I need, but I'll sell 2 once I figure out which 4 we want to use. Our intention is to keep the car looking pretty 70's era correct but once the hood is raised to see that things are not what they first appeared.
As for motivation, we modified a 5.7 Hemi w/ one of Inertia Motosports big hp cams (~440hp) that should work for a 3200lb car :) Kelsey is really doing well with all this car stuff. She has been attending some of the car events with me getting to know some of the group and hangs out with the ladies that are there. She has had some fun rides along the way, too :)
Our next step is to get the car (loosely used term right now) to where I have all the big pieces and tools readily accessible. I am also helping to install a 3G Hemi into a 68 cuda. We will have the 2 cars side by side in hopes of working more efficiently, even though they are quite different. The cuda will have more hp than the Duster and will be a standard trans car. It's nicknamed the 10/30 cuda. Our goal for the cuda is to run a 1/4 mile in the high 10's and get 30 mpg on the highway utilizing the MDS system with the Viper 6 speed. It is set up w/ cage and many of the pieces to withstand the hp safely.
Anyway, we are ready to get to the installation part if we can just get a few of those "round tuits". The guy I am working with is a mechanical engineer that has a lot of experience on new and old Mopars. We are working to do away with as much of the higher costs that are currently part of 3G installations. I'll pass along what we learn from those adventures.
One of the last things we will do is paint the beast! We are currently thinking of a high imact color w/ the black hood, trim and go wing. That is a long ways off so we have plenty of time to change those plans.
Thanks for all the info FABO has already provided.
