72 Duster Street / Strip Build

[tnts72]

So I picked up a 72 Duster 6 weeks ago now and it is about to depart from my garage in order to get the metal patchwork taken care of so I figured a post in the Restorations forum was due. So in the last 6 weeks I have been pouring over countless threads and asking quite a few of you several questions. Thank you all very much for your answers and advice, GM guy at heart, but the Duster is coming along well. Just trying to wrap my mind around all the little modifications I should while this thing goes through various states of disassembly.

Initial tasks completed -

Drum brakes cleaned and adjusted for now / Mad Mod completed / HEI distributor / Rebuilt a Holley 600 that came with the car / New plugs & wires / cleaned up an old eldelbrock air cleaner, just waiting on a filter / interior stripped, cleaned and dyed with SEM Satin Black / Subframe connectors installed / Steering column rebuilt / Bucket seat pedestal mounts fabbed up and installed / Shifter Mount - plates and studs welded to floor pan vs using bolts / spacers through the floor pan...

As it stands now the car is a 318 / 727 car, plan is to build something a little more aggressive down the road once the wife gets some seat time with this setup.

Still on the To Do List

Run braided fuel line - just waiting on a couple 10 an PTFE fittings

Dana 60, 3.55 Power Lok unit, to be narrowed and made ready for installation

3" 1350 driveshaft out of my Malibu will be cut and rebalanced for the Duster. Went to 3.5" tube in the Malibu and kept this one around for the next project...

Assemble and install new front 11" disk brakes / Master / Proportioning valve - little plumbing work

I plan to reinstall the interior once it comes back from metal work and at least get it in coat of primer before Fall. Will be looking to have the paint and body work completed next spring.



Here are some pictures from the last few weeks.

 

[tnts72]

More pictures

 

[tnts72]

Any guesses as to what it will run...? I am thinking high 8's in the 1/8th mile - no idea on the engine specs just assming a practically stock iron headed 318 with possibly a small camshaft... Have not even driven the thing since I brought it home just fired it up with the new igntion and baselined the carburetor sitting on jack stands. I doubt it has much of a converter in it and she is also running through manifolds to what appears to be 2 1/4" exhuast with glasspaks all redone by previous owners.

 

[clinteg]

Looks like you have a nice build ahead! Keep up the good work.

 

[tnts72]

Car left for metal work last night. Dana 60 getting dropped off this week, will be narrowed to 53" backing plate to backing plate. Might need a small 3/8" spacer for now but when the time comes for spring relocation / bigger tires it will just need the perches moved... If that day ever comes. Should be good on a 275/60 radial for a long long time!

 

[rumblefish360]

I like what you did with the dash gauges. What sizes? What brand/model?

 

[tnts72]

2 1/16 and 3 3/8 autometer cobalts. Had a local shop burn a plate for me to lay over the factory bezel.

 

[tnts72]

In hindsight I should have found another bezel to chop up, but not like it's a real sought after cluster... So it went under the knife... Errr dremel.

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=320831

 

[RobertP]

awesome project you are getting into. i'm in the process myself of a re resto very similar to yours.
very nice dash set up. i just did the exact same thing except i went with white faced gauges and a pre made bezel from classic industries. it worked very well.
see my set up in my build.
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=323465

 

[tnts72]

Curious to see what the 416 runs!!^^. I plan to build a stroker sb for this thing once the wife gets bored with the 318. Just need to start her off with something that won't be too much to make go straight at first

 

[tnts72]

Curious to see what the 416 runs!!^^. I plan to build a stroker sb for this thing once the wife gets bored with the 318. Just need to start her off with something that won't be too much to make go straight. Noticed a couple typos in my first post. I did not drill holes through the pan to mount the shifter. I welded washers to the floor pan to beef the area up a little and welded 4 bolts about 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 long to serve as mounting studs. I ran a nut down on the threads and then installed the shifter, using the nuts to level it up before putting the nylocks on top. Turned out really well and may end up remounting the shifter in my car in a similar fashion.

Updates:

Pump it down mod has been completed.

All big brake components are here along with prop valve for a disc / drum car.

Subframe connectors welded in and painted

10 an line plumbed / eliminated the vapor canister and vent line. Are you guys using a functional vent and or fuel return line??

Stereo installed / all interior is ready to be reinstalled.

Rearend getting dropped off this week.

Will be a busy month or so before deer season gettin this old girl buttoned up after she comes back from metal work. Hoping I can get the interior / rear end / brake system installed and maybe get it in a quick coat of primer before October 1st...

Anyone have a 1350 727 yoke laying around? Have a 3" .083 wall driveshaft I will be getting retubed but it has a 1350 yoke for a gm turbo 350 currently.

Have also been told to shim the front leaf spring bucket back 1/2" to center the wheel in the wheel well... Seems like a pretty easy modification to make. Couple pieces of 1/2" plate and some longer bolts.

 

[tnts72]

Still debating on having the pinion snubber added to the Dana 60... Shop doing the narrowing said they could machine and weld on threaded bushings so I could mount the snubber from the 7 1/4 on it. Not sure where the snubber would contact the floor pan with the 60 vs the 7 1/4. Just have to see once things start going together. Or go SS and ditch the snubber...

 

[RobertP]

i'm interested to know what it will run as well.

i'm curious to know what master cylinder and proportioning valve you have for the disc/drum set up.

 

[tnts72]

Pulled the prop valve out of an 80 diplomat along with the lines from the master to the valve. Master cylinder is for a 73 duster with a disc drum configuration. Have to go back and get the part number, 1 1/32" bore I believe.

 

[tnts72]

Dana 60 dropped off at the shop to be narrowed / new 35 spline mosers coming / Duster is at the metal shop getting patched up.

Now I get to work on all the little pieces so the car will be ready to reassemble when it gets home.

To Do List:
-Reinstall interior

-Grill and Headlight Bezels cleaned up and ready to have the black sections repainted.

-Install rear end / shim front leaf spring mounts back 1/2" - possibly new springs from ESPO, just going to wait and see how they look once the new rear end and spacers go in.

-Trip to Terre Haute to get the 3" 1350 driveshaft retubed and balanced once I get my measurement with the Dana installed.

-Found a straight rear bumper from a 71 Demon I need to go pick up

-Get new front Disks and control arms unboxed and ready for installation.

-Drivers Side fender patchwork R&R

Not much for picture taking lately, just more "busy work" will be taking some pictures of the finished products ready for install once I get to that point

Going to be a busy couple weeks when it comes back home getting it reassembled prior to deer season!

 

[tnts72]

Grille / bezels are done, old spindles / caliper brackets / heat shields are all cleaned up and painted awaiting the return of the Duster. Will be getting some pictures of assembly here in the next couple weeks. Wheels / tires are mounted up, $465 moser axles ordered, parts pile continues to grow...
:burnout:

 

[rumblefish360]

I would not worry about a snubber yet. Also since there easy to install, if needed.
I have used a return line and a working vent line without issue on general high performance builds without any notice or issue. It's just an added vacuum line that is there. Deletion is easy if it is unsightly.

 

[tnts72]

I appreciate the response I currently just have the return / vent line plugged at the tank. Haven't noticed an issue with it vapor locking or building pressure in the tank, but its onły been on a few short trips. Charcoal canister was scrapped so no where for the line to go given only input and output from a mechanical fuel pump.

I haven't had one on my race car in years so I don't see why this one should be any different, car has -10 an braided PTFE fuel line for the little 318. No sense in doing it twice, old stuff was rotted out and plan to build a real motor for this thing in the next few years anyway.

 

[tnts72]

Got the call Dana 60 is done $580 on the housing work and the new 35 spline Mosers

So that makes it
$100 on the Dana original purchase
$465 on axles
$115 to shorten the housing / weld the tubes to the carrier and weld on new perches and drill the drums for the 5 on 4.5 pattern
$125 on all new rear brakes from Rock Auto

$125ish on new timken bearings and seals - haven't ordered them yet...

Carrier bearings look to be reusable, but with it already being torn down, probably best to replace them all and reuse the factory shim packs and the 3.55 set.

$930, figured it would come back in around 1K once the new axles were required.

Will have a set of 5 on 5 pattern 30 spline Dana 60 axles laying around if someone needs a set to cut down or use in a 30 spline setup...

 

[sledger46]

Nice project...subscribed.

 

[tnts72]

Should have the Duster back in another week or two according the metal shop... Dana is built ready to install / rpm airgap intake waiting / front discs / interior... Budget is starting to get a little sideways on me, but that always happens right?

Picked the car up for $1500 and I am quickly approaching 8K in it... All that will be left is cleanup work and paint / body. Should be able to keep it in that 10-12K range. Figured 10 when I started and looks like that was a pretty close estimate.

 

[tnts72]

Sorry for the long post - teardown has commenced and I hit her pretty hard over the weekend.

So we got the car back and I am going over the metal work - finding some issues here and there but nothing major. Pretty satisfied overall, lot of metal work was done. Still not sold on that driver’s side rear taillight corner, just looks too pointy to me... I have taken about 15 different measurements and all are spot on compared to the original passenger side, just one little difference in the radius right by the edge of the taillight if you look straight down on either side you can see the difference. Once nice thing is I can fire her up and drive it outside to do all the messy cleanup work vs doing it in the garage and the weather is perfect for working outside in the evenings when I get home. I will be working on pulling 3 dents tonight - stud welding and slide hammer style, just can’t get to them very well from the backside.

One question - should I seam seal the backsides of the quarter patches that I can get to or not bother with them? The guy flanged the seams and installed a sheet metal backer strip. Seems to be quite solid, but putting a light to it you can see it shining out around the stitches. Just wondering if I should hit the back side with POR 15 and some type of seam sealer before or after epoxy primer or not worry about it...??

So I removed the old front fenders - pretty much junk, took a few pictures then hit the inner wheel wells with the needle scaller and stripped the rockers to the lower seam. The wheel wells are just about ready to be POR 15'd and I have the new control arms / spindles / shocks / disk brakes sitting on the bench. I removed the pins from the roof that held the old snakeskin top trim rails in place; need to weld up the screw holes by the drip rail without sending a spark inside to light up the headliner...! There are also 4 screw holes at the bottoms of the front a pillars which I assume held another piece of trim in place. Those too will be welded up and ground down tonight. Anyone have any tips for removing Front and Rear glass trim? I removed the lower piece on the rear window which was just held in place by trim screws, but the others seem to be glued in. I can get them flex and sort of peel up, but I do not want to bend or tweak them. Drip rail trim already removed along with old snakeskin top remnants.

Also installed the rear marker patches and sealed up the trunk patches. Plan there is to base coat it in black and then go over the entire trunk with the Black / aqua spatter paint. Yeah I know that's not traditional Mopar, but fully gutting this thing and doing the firewall / trunk and interior in B5 just isn't in the budget for this 10K...? build...

Plan currently stands to strip shell of the car primary focus is bare metaling the areas that need filler and getting a good base of 2 - 3 coats of epoxy primer on then applying / shaping the filler / sealing her up with a couple more coats of epoxy, with the final boarding and any remaining light body work to be done by the shop painting it.

Pictures - keep in mind this will be a street / strip car. Not getting a full restoration, as it will be getting driven regularly and raced pretty much every weekend in the spring / summer. Probably wouldn’t hurt to find a set of rear frame rails with new buckets but I may see about patching up what I have in there now with some 1/8"... Anyone have a set lying around??

 

[tnts72]

Found a set rear rail cutouts I will be replacing these with. Little more clean up and spot weld removal to get the areas ready for the new rails... My poor air compressor is taking a beating on this job and I haven't even started sanding the shell down. Plan is to sleeve the new rail sections into the old ones by 3" or so on either side of the cut. Drill maybe 5 holes in the 3" sides and a couple in the bottom, plug weld the plates and weld the butt joint in the rails then grind everything down and POR 15 the entire underside of the trunk.

 

[tnts72]

Little more clean up done, just waiting on rail sections. Should clean up nicely once I get everything spot welded back in place and the new 16 gauge T plates tie everything together. Had to heat the old leaf bushings up to remove them - bolts broke obviously all to be replaced anyway along with the rails / hangers and shackles. Fun Fun

 

[tnts72]

New rail sections are in, welded until I ran out of wire last night. Will finish them up tonight and give the sections a good coat of POR 15 along with the underside of the trunk pan. Caltracs are in process just about ready to get this thing outside and sanded down for the first couple base coats of epoxy...