74' Duster Build

[Diverdude87]

Another new user and another '74 Duster. I posted in the Welcome a few weeks back that I was searching and looking to do my first build (thank you all for the warm welcome by the way). Well, I found one...17 hours away. Thankfully, for friends I've met, a buddy went and checked one out for me, sent me pictures, videoed me, and was patient enough with the endless questions that we went and picked it up. Now I just have to wait until the first week of March to go get it myself, and let me tell you; Have I BEEN BITTEN by this bug! I can't stop thinking about it, reading articles, and watching countless hours on YouTube University. So while it's not in my possession yet, here are the few pics I do have. It was an original /6, but someone threw a 440 with a 727 Trans and swapped the rear end for a Ford 9 bolt. Otherwise, it's solid. Only a little surface rust as is expected with its age. Oh and the exhaust will NOT be staying alongside. I've been burned many times by my Uncles '76 Corvette.

Thanks for taking the time, and I'm sure I'll be posting a LOT of questions in the other threads.

Cheers,
CC

 

[Kendog 170]

Congrats! Looking forward to your build.

 

[Plymouth 65]

Looks pretty solid, good luck with your new project! 65

 

[Duster360LA]

Welcome to FABO! I found my 74 Duster a little over 2 years ago and its been a great project car! FABO members were a huge help with ideas, suggestions and hard-to-find parts. Enjoy every minute of the build (even the times that you want to pull your hair out)!

 

[340six]

Looks like a great start.
Welcome

 

[Diverdude87]

Welcome to FABO! I found my 74 Duster a little over 2 years ago and its been a great project car! FABO members were a huge help with ideas, suggestions and hard-to-find parts. Enjoy every minute of the build (even the times that you want to pull your hair out)!

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Wow. What a transition to a beautiful finish. Looks amazing and thanks for the assurance! I'm looking forward to this. Good. Bad and ugly lol.

 

[nckennyb]

Looking forward to seeing your progress.

 

[Diverdude87]

Ok, so I got it home and I've slowly been going through everything to see what I'm working with.

440 RB (still need to make sure the K member is g2g. Kinda unsure about that), QFT 4 barrel crab (which I'm still trying to find the model for so I can make sure it's tuned correctly at some point), 727 trans (missing the inspection cover and pulled about 1" of mud and grass outta the bottom of the housing. Green passenger seat. Tan driver seat. Black back seat. Gold trunk, tank driver quarter pan, yellow hood, Ford 9bolt rear end. I'm starting to think this is the Frankencar! Lol. I love this wild ride so far. It's a complete car with very little rust so I'll give it that.

Anyways, it hasn't started yet but turned over good and strong after and oil change. Currently waiting on new spark plugs. Here's a pic of those I pulled out. Not surprised based off this car so far. If you see it, you know. Lol.

Then, just now...I stopped to write this because I'm besides myself. Someone in this cars past decided it was a good idea to use a zinc wall screw to mount the starter solenoid and ground to that to the fire wall with four different washers and a weird metal bracket.... Man oh man what am I getting myself into here! This is absolutely thrilling. No wonder it was throwing arcs!

Oh and I found an old screwdriver lodged in the passenger wheel strut mount. Yup.

Also, if I'm not posting updates correctly here someone let me know. New to this form thing.

-CC

 

[mpgmike]

You most likely have at least bad valve stem seals, and probably bad (sloppy) valve guides. Those plugs show evidence of lots of oil. Hopefully it isn't bad rings/ovaled cylinder bores.

 

[nckennyb]

Does it also have the factory starter relay? Maybe that went bad is the reason for the firewall mounted solenoid if someone just used what they had lying around.

 

[Diverdude87]

I'll have to look up what that looks like because this is all pretty new to me.

 

[Kendog 170]

The screw driver may have been for jumping the relay?

 

[Diverdude87]

Ha! You're onto something here

 

[Kendog 170]

Back up your camera shot so we can see the harness a little better. Is your battery in the trunk?