73 duster restro mod

[dusterdan]

Its your car so ultimately its your call but i really dislike your door handle choice. The timeless look of classic muscle car handles just sets off the body lines whereas flush handles look quite ricey on muscle cars, in my opinion. I say go with original handles!!!

 

[76orangewagon]

Its your car so ultimately its your call but i really dislike your door handle choice. The timeless look of classic muscle car handles just sets off the body lines whereas flush handles look quite ricey on muscle cars, in my opinion. I say go with original handles!!!

Yea, Those look like Total crap !!!!! Who would ever put GM door handles in a Classic Duster body, What a "ricer" move. Oh wait, I did, I thought that picture looked familiar. On second thought , They look Freakin' Awesome!!!!!! Hopefully though you are planning other body mod's to help compliment the flush look, don't forget about the custom linkage your going to have to make or you can connect them to a activate a door popper when lifted.

Do I get a royalty check from this ?
Funny, I don't think my car looks like a Honda now, Do you?

 

[david98513]

Yea, Those look like Total crap !!!!! Who would ever put GM door handles in a Classic Duster body, What a "ricer" move. Oh wait, I did, I thought that picture looked familiar. On second thought , They look Freakin' Awesome!!!!!! Hopefully though you are planning other body mod's to help compliment the flush look, don't forget about the custom linkage your going to have to make or you can connect them to a activate a door popper when lifted.

Do I get a royalty check from this ?
Funny, I don't think my car looks like a Honda now, Do you?

yes, 76 0rangewagon, I owe you one for sure, the pic you used is the ideal I have been tossing around for handles..the style I plan on using is more of a slanted design to go with the body look..the other mods im doing to flush mount everything is shaving the drips rails, removing side marker lights, adding the new style dodge charger tail lights, flush mounting the bumpers, and a couple other ideas im keeping hush till they are done..yes, the rods will be fairly easy to make..i had a body shop for 18 yrs before the divorce forced me to sell it..

and I think the only way the cars would look like like a "ricer" is to add a body kit, carbon fiber hood and put a stock four cylinder in it with a huge muffler..lol

 

[76orangewagon]

yes, 76 0rangewagon, I owe you one for sure, the pic you used is the ideal I have been tossing around for handles..the style I plan on using is more of a slanted design to go with the body look..the other mods im doing to flush mount everything is shaving the drips rails, removing side marker lights, adding the new style dodge charger tail lights, flush mounting the bumpers, and a couple other ideas im keeping hush till they are done..yes, the rods will be fairly easy to make..i had a body shop for 18 yrs before the divorce forced me to sell it..

and I think the only way the cars would look like like a "ricer" is to add a body kit, carbon fiber hood and put a stock four cylinder in it with a huge muffler..lol

You don't Owe me I was just bustin' because of the "Ricer" comment. Stock handles are fine for a stock rebuild but newer handle really modernize a vintage body. I had seriously looked into adding a newer Charger taillight assembly, It looks awesome at night lit up, but I had just switched out my 73' tail panel to a 71' and didn't want to butcher another panel right off the bat. I get the keeping some idea's hush, I've still got a few going myself. looking forward to seeing the progress.

 

[ralphie361]

Car looks great, I like the door handles and the side marker openings to match. Great work!

 

[Mopar Dude]

Awesome car and great plans. Itll be cool seeing something different out there.

 

[david98513]

had a couple hours today to work on the duster..got the ugly *** bumper guards taken off the back and getting ready to start filling the holes in the bumper..also got the rear marker lights filled..its finally starting to take on a better look..next step will be filling front marker lights and pulling the front bumper tight to the body.

 

[cletus]

I like it. I hadn't thought about doing the handles on my Swinger, I shortened the fuel filler so it's in the trunk and filled that, and I am planning on filling the corner lights as well.

 

[magnumdust]

Its your car so ultimately its your call but i really dislike your door handle choice. The timeless look of classic muscle car handles just sets off the body lines whereas flush handles look quite ricey on muscle cars, in my opinion. I say go with original handles!!!

I couldn't disagree with you more. Look at the complete version(76orangewagon's car), i think its one hell of a nice looking upgrade. I just wish i had the fab skills to pull it off for my own car.

 

[Abodybomber]

I couldn't disagree with you more. Look at the complete version(76orangewagon's car), i think its one hell of a nice looking upgrade. I just wish i had the fab skills to pull it off for my own car.

Agreed,sort of. I always like "smoothed" body lines. (trim shaved/eliminated... I hate ugly trim. Like, the door handle mod.

 

[david98513]

well, today I had a chance to get back to the duster..got a hole fixed in the trunk and hopefully tomorrow start getting the front bumper fitted and start pulling it in tight to the body.

 

[cletus]

:cheers:

Good riddance to the body side molding.

 

[david98513]

only thing left in trunk is to replace both extensions..too many pin holes, gonna be easier just to replace them both..guess its time I call amd:cheese:

 

[david98513]

I think for the interior panels, im gonna go with black and gray..the main panel will be black, the top 2-3 inches will be gray..where the top 2 lines are will be the gray and the bottom lines on the panel will be gray also..the armrest will be changed also, I think the factory style is to short..any thoughts on this?


and excuse the ugly kid in the picture...lol

 

[david98513]

finally got the front marker lights filled in..they don't look very pretty yet, but once i get all welding done, i'll go back over all welds with the angle grinder and some 36 grit..they all should take a minimal amout of filler to smooth them up..next is fender mounted turn signals and antenna opening to remove..

 

[david98513]

fender mounted turn signals and antenna opening are now gone..everything is filled on main body now..took the front bumper off so I can notch the brackets to start pulling the front bumper tight to the body..after that is done I will fill the front license plate area on the bumper and weld the jack holes shut..

 

[cletus]

You're only about 2 1/2 hours from me, load up your welder and COME ON OVER!!!

:supz:

 

[david98513]

You're only about 2 1/2 hours from me, load up your welder and COME ON OVER!!!

:supz:

just let me know when, I got weekends off and don't mind helping people out..

 

[cletus]

just let me know when, I got weekends off and don't mind helping people out..

I was just being a smartass. And kind of trying to give a nod your way for doing some cool stuff. I've got a buddy up here that will do some welding when I'm ready for it, but that's awesome of you to offer.

 

[david98513]

started pulling the front bumper tight to the body today. the pics show the steps to do this. when its done, the bumper will be moved back almost 1.5" and will be about a 1/8" from the edge of the fenders

 

[cletus]

:happy1:

 

[david98513]

got the front bumper put back on to test the fit..moved it back 1.5"..first trial fit put the bumper right where I wanted it..next step will be to get left and right spacing for fenders..then I will mark and cut the ends off the bumper, prolly gonna take about 5/8-3/4" off each end..then i'll weld the ends back on and that should put the bumper tight..after bumper is done, i'll be modifying the cowl vent..

 

[david98513]

got final fit for bumper..the drivers side is up a little bit, looks like someone pulled it with a chain and rolled the lip..will be an easy fix with a bfh to get the lip back..next step is to cut and move the ends in closer..

 

[76orangewagon]

got final fit for bumper..the drivers side is up a little bit, looks like someone pulled it with a chain and rolled the lip..will be an easy fix with a bfh to get the lip back..next step is to cut and move the ends in closer..

You should of just bought my car ....all these mods look very familiar. Good job, if you shave the lip down and re curve the arch you can get it closer even yet.

 

[david98513]

You should of just bought my car ....all these mods look very familiar. Good job, if you shave the lip down and re curve the arch you can get it closer even yet.

that sucks..i didn't know you were selling your car..it was really a nice quality build..

the mods im doing so far is what I had planned when I purchased the car..i had a nine month deployment to think about how I was gonna modify it..the duster body style is one of the better ones that Chrysler designed, its just a shame that they never got all the respect that the e and b body cars received..my plan with the car is to design and build a body that would look like what a new duster would look like today..my plan is to keep the original style duster body, but just do enough subtle changes to it so that it would resemble a new mopar product..sorta like dodge did with the new challenger..i want the younger generation to look at it and say what kinda car is that, but I want the older crowd to recognize the duster, but still be updated enough to impress them..the body and interior will be completely updated..two things im trying to figure out now is how to incorporate new car headlights, getting rid of the single old school ones, into the fenders and core support area without ruining the classic duster front end look..the other major change will be on the interior..i plan on adding either the new charger or the dart dash assembly into the duster..the stock dash is extremely plain looking and doesn't have the kinda effect I want with this build..i had originally planned on going with a 440, then changed that to a 360, but now im seriously considering with the cost of parts, machine work and labor to have the 360 and 727 rebuild if it is more feasible to find a good used 5.7 hemi and use that instead...I guess its the car builders dilemma..decisions decisions...lol