Middle aged hamster
1972 Duster Build with my Daughter
- Thread starter Jim Kueneman
- Start date
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Little snafu with the Title today but we will get it figured out. The previous owner messed up the signing of the back 25 years ago.... believe it or not they still live at the same address!
Pulled the 25 year old gas tank.... I think I am whining about smelling like varnish more than my daughter is 
.... Pictures coming soon.
.... Pictures coming soon.
Ok we are going to be moving shortly. Daughter needs to study for finals next week, I am on travel then family and friends for the other daughters graduation next weekend. After that it is time to work on the Duster. The '74 Dart parts cars arrived today so we are all set to start digging in! She is chomping at the bit to get started!
Looks like great projects and wonderful DRY air!!!!
Looks like I will be within 100 miles of you next week in muggy HUMID air!
JDMopar
Well-Known Member
Looks like you hit the jackpot with the parts car! Inner fender that you need, 3 spd wipers, 318 and a spool mount k frame, plus disc brakes....and more than likely a 8.25 rearend. Hope you and the young lady have fun with the project. She has chosen a very nice look for the car.
Princess Valiant
A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
Princess Valiant
A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
It is so cool to see a B1 powder blue 72 A body. This color is not commonly seen around and I always look for them because I have a 72 demon that is an original B1 powder blue. Pretty much the same car as what you have there except the dodge cousin.
And she is pretty sure she wants to keep it B1 with a black top and stripe
Are you sure that dart isn't a 73??
Looks like a 73 to me
Might be I’ll check
Actually it has to be with the large bolt pattern front disks?
Princess Valiant
A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
Most 73 and up cars have that equipment.
The vin will be LH23G3 = 73 or LH23G4 = 74
The 8.75 rear end off a B-Body was part of the deal and will be delivered in the near future (or when we are are ready for it).
You are correct sir! LH23G3
JDMopar
Well-Known Member
LOL.....that sir is actually a Ma'am! Very nice young lady who loves her old cars. 
LOL.....that sir is actually a Ma'am! Very nice young lady who loves her old cars.
Ha Ha, sorry young lady! I see it now, Lady and the Scamp
... Gotta get to know the FABO folks as well as I do the FBBO crowd! Can't say Ma'am since I am likely older!JayinMI
Well-Known Member
What are your plans for the Dart shell? (Sadly, I'm too far away and in the middle of a project to be able to do anything with it) That is my favorite body style A body. Hope it doesn't go to waste.
Looking forward to progress!
Jay
What I don’t use from the Dart goes back to the guy that I bought the duster from
Got 8 tires that will stay inflated for a few days now so I moved the Dart in the garage and the Duster outside behind it. Those HUGE bumper pads looked like a hazard for the wife so I convinced her and my daughter that I MUST work on making the garage a safe place for them to go without fear of banging a knee so I was allowed to work on the Dart a bit ...... The garage egress to the wife car is now OSHA approved safe.....
The Condenser will take a bit of TLC but it is salvage able with some patience and a fin comb...
Got my large bolt pattern disk brakes... the rotors are shot so no free lunch there...
Ah Arizona sun crispy interior and 40lbs of pack rat crap and Cholla Cactus nests... I hate cactus anymore living at 5200 ft we don't have many, too cold in the winters... I will likely save this dash and grab the AC box/controls/switches/etc....
Yea Baby, Oh Behave.... Houndstooth (plaid!) "Luxury B5 Interior". Even after power washing just knowing there was 25 years of rats peeing and pooping on these I can't bring myself to sit on them..... They are Groovy though!
Mmmmmmm someone has a Mopar problem late in life I think.....
Or is it a Honda Problem?
The best of both worlds, Cool and Reliable! Can't wait to start digging into the Dart with the daughter. Likely 2 weekends away
...... The garage egress to the wife car is now OSHA approved safe.....The Condenser will take a bit of TLC but it is salvage able with some patience and a fin comb...
Got my large bolt pattern disk brakes... the rotors are shot so no free lunch there...
Ah Arizona sun crispy interior and 40lbs of pack rat crap and Cholla Cactus nests... I hate cactus anymore living at 5200 ft we don't have many, too cold in the winters... I will likely save this dash and grab the AC box/controls/switches/etc....
Yea Baby, Oh Behave.... Houndstooth (plaid!) "Luxury B5 Interior". Even after power washing just knowing there was 25 years of rats peeing and pooping on these I can't bring myself to sit on them..... They are Groovy though!
Mmmmmmm someone has a Mopar problem late in life I think.....
Or is it a Honda Problem?
The best of both worlds, Cool and Reliable! Can't wait to start digging into the Dart with the daughter. Likely 2 weekends away
SLOPAR72
Well-Known Member
You're a lucky man OP..... Definitely envious of you on this side of the keyboard.... Let her work things out for herself as much as she can while restoring it. This is something in her life that an education at Harvard won't give her lol....
JW
JW
JDMopar
Well-Known Member
If you ever have to put a starter on that Honda Element, do it from the top! Don't be tempted by that dude on You Tube who says do it from the bottom. You can take the intake off, and get right to it....no new gaskets required. Oh, and be VERY careful with the small wire on the starter!
So @Kaelyn just joined to add her perspective to this adventure for her. Maybe next year we can do a road trip to Colorado and let two ‘72 B1 Blue Duster/Demon Mopar girls meet and compare cars, @Rainy Day Auto!
FINALLY was able to work on stripping the Dart today. My daughter was getting really good with the 3/8" impact and removed most of the bolts and nuts today. We have everything up top done to drop the K-Frame/Drivetrain.
There is sure a lot less room for this small block in an A Body compared to my Coronet! I had to improvise to get the roll pin out of the steering coupling.
Once it was started I used a piece of threaded rod that was long enough.
I got my engine cradle reassembled. I just bolt 3 Harbor Freight moving trollies to my frame.
Even though AMD sells a single firewall for all A Bodies the A/C in the '73 and up is different. Notice the Dart below both A/C and heater core are horizontal and they A/C is very close to the blower fan.
The '72 Duster has a horizontal pair (not sure if they are A/C or heater core) and they sit further from the blower. Not going to be able to just unbolt the Dart A/C box and use all the '73 parts in the '72.... Figures.
There is sure a lot less room for this small block in an A Body compared to my Coronet! I had to improvise to get the roll pin out of the steering coupling.
Once it was started I used a piece of threaded rod that was long enough.
I got my engine cradle reassembled. I just bolt 3 Harbor Freight moving trollies to my frame.
Even though AMD sells a single firewall for all A Bodies the A/C in the '73 and up is different. Notice the Dart below both A/C and heater core are horizontal and they A/C is very close to the blower fan.
The '72 Duster has a horizontal pair (not sure if they are A/C or heater core) and they sit further from the blower. Not going to be able to just unbolt the Dart A/C box and use all the '73 parts in the '72.... Figures.
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