1974 Duster restore or not

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Townie

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Hi everyone this is my first Mopar it's a 74 Duster with a slant six that is bad, I have a new short block that I found at a yard sale for $50. I also bought a new interior for it. My question is how far should I go with this car? There is no body rot on the car except on the left corner of the dash board. I love the body style but I also love the V8's. I was going to put Clifford performance parts on it but that's another $1000. Should I just put the engine that I have now and sell it and save for the Duster that I want or make this the car of my dreams. I have about $2800 in it already. Any advice would be appreciated. Sorry the last pic is not my car.
 

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It looks like it is great shape and you are into it for very low bucks..

Why don;t you pick up another 6...they are being given away now...and drive it until you have the bucks / time to do what you want..they are sweet cars and if you give this one up..will you find another at such a great price...

Grassy
 
Schumacher makes easy swap motor mounts. a 360 can be had for cheap out of a truck and do a pan swap. If you are patient, you will find a great 360 ready to go for short change. An 8.25" rear end can be had for reasonable $ and can take anything a stock 360 can throw at it. I would live the dream and go with the 360/904 trans.
 
Wish it was that easy ..

He doesn't say if he has drums in front.. ..he would need to swap out to disks...new torsion bars of course. Changes to his wiring system...the radiator has to go...new cooling lines..adaptors for his alt and p/s pump.. new carb...I would think that the linkages for the 904 are different that the auto behind the /6... Kick down cable plus attachments or linkages since the /6 stuff doesn't work..don't forget a new drive shaft.. I can go on..

I guess the better question is how much you want to spend or spend in the garage...

I have spent since April just putting together and rebuilding a duster from a bare frame...and I am not there yet...

Good luck, either way.. but go into this with both eyes wide open..

I can go on but it isn't as easy as new mounts and a 360/904 combo...
 
when I first got heavy into mopars, 73 and 74 dusters seemed to be everywhere and they never went for much money ....but fast forward ten years to now and those are actually getting hard to find and nice ones are getting spendy now.

if you sell it, good chance you will never come back, depending where in the country you are.

if you have a nice rust free body in your possession, whats the debate? :D ....that is a lot further than a lot of people out there.

Just sayin
 
My car has front disc, power steering brakes and ac. What concerns me the most is the rust at the lower windshield, when it rains the floor fills up with water. After checking out some of the restoration's on here I'm gonna keep it and put the 6 in it for now. Another member has a rebuilt head and a lunati cam & lifters and a four barrel intake that I'm going to buy. I need to find some headers so if anybody knows of a set for sale let me know. I'll be posting pics of my progress.
 
Cool. I like pics. So when you start the work, it would be great to have another car. A/c eh, I'm jealous :)

Dusters are becoming rare just like Rani said...looks like you have a gem..

Grassy
 
I heard that before about the wiper seals I think that's where most of the water comes in. Is that a big job? How do you get at them, under the dash? The dash has a rust hole at the left corner that needs a patch welded in. The engine is out and the new one is waiting for parts so that I can reassemble it. Fifty bucks for a slant six in the crate! What a lucky find. I'll post some pics of the progress. I alway's wanted a vitamin C Duster.
 
Wiper seals cost less than 20 bucks, they are under the dash.
Search on here there is a thread on how to do them.
 
This engine has been sitting in a garage in the crate for at least 15 years. I soaked with mystery oil and wd 40 and it turned by hand the next day. I bought a head and camshaft & lifters and a 4 barrel intake from a fabo member. I can't wait to get it running.
 
Well I got the engine out, I have all the parts to put the engine together and I had to move my car to let a friend of a friend use the lift for a couple of day's. That was over THREE weeks ago! I wish that I had my car and parts at home where I could work on them. Oh well this is how far along I am.
 

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Townie said:
Well I got the engine out, I have all the parts to put the engine together and I had to move my car to let a friend of a friend use the lift for a couple of day's. That was over THREE weeks ago! I wish that I had my car and parts at home where I could work on them. Oh well this is how far along I am.
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We'll it's March and my car is where I left it in October, the a&&hole that needed to use the lift took the engine out of his car and made a mess of the shop is still not done and I can' get at my car.
 
JDMopar said:
Unless the shop belongs to the friend of your friend.....log chain+4WD truck= problem solved!
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My friend who rents the shop doesn't charge me to keep my car there or to use the equipment but he charges the moron $250 month to keep his jap car there, so I'm kind of screwed for now. I can't remember how everything goes back together. I'd love to chain it to my Ram and drag it out but that's not an option right now.
 
sounds like a great start! im workin on my first mopar, a 74 duster as well. keep at it, theres so much you can learn on this site.
 
Townie said:
My friend who rents the shop doesn't charge me to keep my car there or to use the equipment but he charges the moron $250 month to keep his jap car there, so I'm kind of screwed for now. I can't remember how everything goes back together. I'd love to chain it to my Ram and drag it out but that's not an option right now.
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Get a factory service manual.
You'll never regret it.........
And if you don't, you'll be sorry.
Mark my words.
 
Used to have a 1974 Plymouth Duster 318cid. Miss that car! Need to get me another and restore to stock specs.....miss taht car!!!!!
 
Rav4117 said:
Used to have a 1974 Plymouth Duster 318cid. Miss that car! Need to get me another and restore to stock specs.....miss taht car!!!!!
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Yea Brother,

I was going to put a 360 in my 318 car but I decided to keep the car as a 311/904/8.25 car
 
Im finally working on the Duster again. I have the engine almost ready to go in. Everything on this engine is new. I have decided to sell the car so anyone interested I'm looking to get $3000 for everything. I also have a new interior to put in. I live in Rhode Island if anyone wants to look at it.
 

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