'76 Duster build thread or something...

[ceekay]

So I figured I'd start one of these... Dunno why, haven't really done anything spectacular to her yet....

Rundown: Really, I want her more reliable than pretty for now... My plan is to throw a few bucks at it every paycheck until it resembles something worthwhile... Since I'm a body guy, I figure I'll throw money at the engine in the form of go-fasters and maintenance, and play with the body during the bulk of the pay period when I'm usually broke as a joke... Haven't decided on a color yet, but she's got a little bit of cancer in the sheetmetal that needs to be addressed before any sort of fancy paintjob goes on her....

According to the fender tag and a WONDERFUL resource provided by a member here (username escapes me), I found out she started life as a Silver Duster, silver in color with black/red stripe package, red canopy roof, 318, Automatic, AC, Lights package (trunk, map that I still can't find, glove box, under-hood), Boca Raton interior (that someone just HAD to f- with), and most of the other goodies available that year... She's actually quite stacked!

Craigslist ad pics:

How can you say 'no' to a face like that!?

"These here are the sleekest, sexiest lines American engineeres could come up with..." <3

Waking up to your own Mopar in the parking lot... Can't get much better than that!!

Night shift....

VERY clean interior!

318, in case you all forgot what these look like......

New tire!

Played around with Photoshop last night and came up with a very hasty and imperfect temporary concept image:

Black and grey are representative of primer... I'd like to replicate the 340 stripe complete with tag on the ***-end, but that is later... Once I get her all a solid primer grey, then I'll do the black.

And that's about it for now...


- CK

 

[QuintinMotorCompany]

good ,cant wait to see progress

 

[JDMopar]

Looks like a pretty good car to start with. Your wiper bushings must be broke. They're just little plastic bushings the pop in the arms. They are cheap to buy, and you can get them at a Dodge/Chrysler dealer, or off the "Help" rack at the parts house. If you go to a dealer, they are gonna give you the :angry7: look when you ask for wiper bushings for a 76 Duster. The bushings are the same as what goes in a Dodge truck all thru the 80's. You're gonna cuss when you have to work up under the dash to replace em!

 

[ceekay]

Actually, I have the gauge pod pulled at the moment (speedo doesn't work, speedo and cable on the way), and have decent access to the area. Also, I figure if I pull the glove box liner, I can get to the other side. What sucks, though, is that they don't move at all... They're frozen like that... Gonna pull the motor soon and see if it's still functional. Also, the wiper arms are frozen in place by about 1.125 metric tonnes of dried and caked buffing compound. :|

Yes I will need wiper bushings, but dunno if that's the only problem with them yet...


- CK

 

[Dusteriffic]

I've got some '76 parts. Let me know if you're looking for something.

You don't see many with the Boca Raton interior.

 

[ceekay]

Ya. Unfortunately, some rube cut the door panels up to stuff speakers in them. >:\

Also, the seats are not original (Boca package seats had the Boca pattern on the seats, mine has velour? and vinyl straight red seats)... Was thinking of trading even-up for a complete black interior, sans ruined parts like the trunk extension, door panels (speaker system Bubba-tizing mutilations), and dash pad (someone duct-taped that carpet mat in place, and coated the dash in duct tape to accomplish such retardation) maybe with a half-bench. But then again, shipping things as bulky as seats and dash pads is a pain in the arse, and I dunno if there is anyone willing to trade even-up that is that close to El Paso...

Honestly, I'd LOVE a greyscaled reproduction of the Boca style... Everything just looks better on the Boca door panels as opposed to your standard hunk of cardboard with vinyl nailed to it.... The shag carpet on the low end, the much more plush vinyl padding in the middle, and the saddle blanket seat cover looking stripe up high... LOVE IT! Unfortunately, NOTHING goes with a red interior except black, red, and silver (White too, but I refuse to do white; just don't like white cars very much), and I was thinking maybe blue, yellow, orange, or one of the greens (Sublime or that dark green, not sure yet).... And a black interior would look MUCH better than red in this situation...

My current parts required list:

1. Taillight bezel, R-side (have two L-sides)
2. Taillight lenses both sides
3. Red/Amber side markers
4. R-side fender (corner rusted away)
5. L-side "sport-style" mirror
6. Trunk lid (mine suffered the brunt of a TERRIBLE bodyworker).
7. '76 Grille (not that important yet, only has one rib broken and the driver side headlight bezel mount tab broken)
8. chunks of outer body, see pic at bottom for reference
9. 998 auto trans dust cover
10. Fuse block (mine is slightly melted)
11. Front fender well trim (both sides f'd up because some brilliant @$$hole bent the corners in for no good reason.
12. Front fender stabilizer struts
13. Battery strap-type device
14. Direct-Connect spoiler (optional, but still a much-wanted part)
15. Wiring schematic......
16. Bumper filler panels; all of them
17. Something in the driver's side inner door release linkage... VERY loose and floppy and sometimes a pain in the arse. I've yet to pull the door panels to see exactly what it is, though... Most likely a simple clip or something could use a good bending to tighten it up....
--More to come--

So if anyone has any of these bits and/or pieces, hit me up with a PM!

Also, I need to figure out why my gas gauge doesn't want to report proper fuel level and why my dash lights don't want to work... Could it be voltage regulator or a pulled fuse or my suspiciously dangling under-dash wiring?

Dunno, car's a hooptie... Just glad she gets me to and from the office (about 3 blocks away), and still looks good doing it.

Sheetmetal replacement required:

Most of the Right quarter is FUBAR'd, but I believe it is more than workable for now... Just the front bottom edge that's rusted bad enough to require replacement. Also, it so totally got hit in the right quarter, as evidenced by a mooshed-in trunk floor extension on that side. This will get replaced eventually, but isn't really required at the moment as it is a trunk floor piece and not a chunk of exterior body... Once I get her home to North Dakota and have more access to tools, space, and time, I plan on stripping it to the shell, media blasting or acid-dipping, then etch-priming and starting a REAL body job, complete with a legit Line-X undercoating... A parking lot body job only goes so far, but really that's all she needs to get her looking good again.


- CK

 

[ceekay]

Update: Not much new... Put some Mobil-1 and Lucas in and she doesn't smoke anymore and also the knock is almost completely gone. Also ran a new chunk of vac hose from carb to some sort of electronic component which the previous owner cut and capped, and got the front wheels polished-up and ready for tires...

Pics to come after work.


- CK

 

[R4Sedan]

I like the red & white color combo.

 

[R4Sedan]

Oh! you should have BBP, so lugs I believe are 1/2 by 20.

 

[ceekay]

Tried googling, and what little I could find on the actual thread size suggested 1/2x20, so I went with that... Funny, 1/2x20 is the size for most AK muzzle brakes (though, left-hand thread)! :glasses7:

Also, bolt pattern is 5x4.5... Not sure if that's bbp or sbp...


Thanks,
- CK

 

[ceekay]

Pics of the front wheels. Still waiting on the rears to come in:

14x7's. I specifically asked for rough and dirty wheels, because I don't want something super-flashy for such a piece of junk car; a good used pair is more than sufficient. She's nowhere near a show-car, so there's no need to put much money into wheels...

Special thanks to MObodyman for the fronts and being a wonderful person to work with.

How they arrived:

After an "exfoliation" process:

Have not received the rears yet, but shipping and Army mail is kinda funny... Will update when they come....

14x7, will be wearing 185/75...

Rears are going to be 14x8 and wearing 235/60's....

Also, during mock-up (images inbound) I noticed the 2x tape from the old wheel weights rubs on my brake calipers. Is there a possibility of weighting the very edge of the wheels when they balance? Otherwise, my calipers are going to literally shave the wheel weights off in the first few seconds of driving....


- CK

 

[ceekay]

A mock-up done on photoshop.

Also, I finally got me one of them high-speed rear quarter glass stickers!!

(ESS makes Crossbow(R) eye protection... Some of the best there is!! I had an extra sticker kicking around, so I figured "why the hell not!?")


- CK

 

[Bad Sport]

also, bolt pattern is 5x4.5... Not sure if that's bbp or sbp...


Thanks,
- ck

bbp

 

[Princess Valiant]

that duster has a nice personality ....i like it.

im not an aftermarket wheel type person but even i have to admit that those slots look great on the this car.

very coool later duster.......later dusters dont get the attention they deserve:love7:

 

[ceekay]

Oh it definitely has personality, which I'm trying to fix little by little....

Mirrors don't match, tires don't match, driver's side is 99% flawless while the pass side has rust holes in each section (one door, one rocker, one fender, and one quarter), she's rocking two driver's side bezels (will be fixed once I get my new lenses and pass-side bezel), for some reason she has a cat and a muffler which will most likely be remedied soon, one side marker is red the other is amber, and for whatever reason, putting Mobil 1 and Lucas in her freed-up horsepower, solved the smoking issue, and almost completely alleviated a knock!

She was painted by an amateur; 80 scratches everywhere, poorly-prepped bondo spots, and the roof and wheels were painted with a BRUSH. :|

I'm actually half-tempted to goose the PLUCK outta the engine and keep the body slightly hammered; make a sleeper outta her. :glasses7:

BUT, I want to fix the rust holes... The one in the rear window seam doesn't seem to leak (amazingly, since I can see through the bastard), but there are two seams under the bottom of the windshield that -do- leak... Also, me being a body guy, I HATE looking at her and seeing every last little flaw. Drives me CRAZY! :banghead:

Also, she NEEDS new weather strip in the doors... Every time a sandstorm blows up, I have to vacuum entire ecosystems out of her. :\

The plan for this weekend was to finally get the new speedo and cable in, put the wiper bushings on and figure out why the whole system is seized (won't move at all), and pull the bumper bumpers off the bumpers for a slightly more sporty look (will eventually run some chrome bolts where the bumper bumpers were)..... But I got way too toasty last night, and now my goal is to cure this damned hangover. Drinking heavily is never worth it, which is why I rarely drink heavily... But last night the Sambuca and reisling austlese were treating me way too well.

Thanks for the encouragement and info thusfar, guys.


- CK

 

[ceekay]

Wiper questions...

I got a pair of bushings and got one stuck in the driver's side wiper-to-motor linkage, but it would seem all the other joints are clipped on to keep them in place (seems like a C-clip or some sorts is holding each link), and apparently they take a different bushing because the ones I got from Pep Boys specifically for '74-89 Chrysler are a sort of cap design to act as its own clip, as opposed to a tube design to allow the male end to slide through the female end and be clipped on the other side... (not sexual inuendo).

There's still a LOT of play between the two wiper arms (at least 20 degrees of rotation before the other side joins in)...

Still, I got the wipers straightened so it doesn't quite look like s**t anymore.

Also, I don't have the FSM so I've no idea what the fuse layout should look like, nor where a fuse for the wipers would be, nor what sort of amperage said fuse should be... Any advice?

I also attempted to pull the bumper guards off the bumpers today, with absolutely zero luck; they're rust-welded together, and I even hosed them down with PB!! I guess that will just have to wait until I get the time and tools to completely remove the bumpers... Also might have to quite literally cut them off...

PICS!!!!

They're still only for show, but at least they -look- like they work.


Thanks,
- CK

 

[ceekay]

Update: Got the rear wheels and lug nuts today, so hopefully I can get them tired this weekend and get them on.

The rears I got from a user named ike61, and they are absolutely phenomenal for the price! Thanks, ike61!!

They are a bit deep, though (I love the depth, they look really cool), but I'm concerned they might not fit. It might be the much wider tire on the pass side, but it looks almost as though my axle is shifted... That would explain why it floats from side to side when I hit a good dip with some speed, and would be a fairly simple fix, but still a little concerned. Also, if they don't fit at all, I could simply flip the axle and bring the ***-end up a good bit, but I'd rather have them tucked a bit (even though the 225/60R14 rubs when I hit bumps at speed)...

Pics to come tomorrow.


- CK

 

[74DartSwinger360]

a 185-60 is pretty tiny for a 14x7
and in the back I would step up to biggest available and go 245-60
And mine sits as low as yours in the back and I have 275-60-15 on back no rubbing dont know why your 225-60-14 are

 

[ceekay]

Shocks are shot.

Also, 185/70 is what's on there now, and I'm gonna go with the same size just to have the smaller front tires look to make it look faster than it really is... (Did I say 60 somewhere? I meant 70, sorry)... Also, these rub too, every so often... Will have to get new shocks eventually...


- CK

 

[ceekay]

As promised days late, photos of the rears courtesy of ike61

As you can see, I don't know if I can squeeze 235's on it as planned without modifying the fender wells...... 225's might fit, but 235's I'm afraid won't.....

Still, I'm not without options.... I could either smoosh the fender well closer to the quarter, or pull a page from my mini-truckin' days and flip the axle. I'd rather have it tucking, but I'm out of money (can't buy a stubbier rear axle at the moment), and the axle flip should gain me 2-3" at least, which should be enough to stick some big fat wheels under her. Further, I could turn the torsion bars down a bit and run with some crazy cool California rake!

And mine sits as low as yours in the back and I have 275-60-15 on back no rubbing dont know why your 225-60-14 are

Your wheels are like 90% backspace, while mine are nearly centered and 14x8's to boot... Yours push in, mine ride the center line...

Also, in my quest to find wheels that would match between the two while avoiding BF Goodrich (my family and BFG have a sordid history, needless to say I don't trust their products), I found some Cooper Cobra GT's in 185/60... They're gonna look TINY, but that's not a bad thing... I want tiny in the front, huge in the back a la street/strip car, which is the general direction for her..... I LOVE the depth in the rear!

Thoughts?


- CK

P.s. I'm tempted to have the tire shop use their fancy air-powered impact drivers to pull the bumpers and bust the rusted-stiff bump-stops off... Tried with my regular Shanghai Special ratchet set and a gratuitous application of PB with no luck. :\

 

[ceekay]

Update: It's been windy as all hell for the past few weekends, preventing me from really doing anything crazy to her... But, that hasn't stopped me from making just a bit more progress.......

I am currently still turning the new speedo to the old speedo's mileage (mainly because I don't want to put it in until I know my wipers work, and they don't at the moment). Pulled the glovebox to get some more work room, still haven't put it back in yet...

Talking to my step-pops a few days ago (on their way to Aruba, lucky bastards), turns out he's got an 8-3/4" rear-end for me! Unfortunately, it's about 1500 miles away. Luckily, however, he has a brother in Texas, and might be able to have him bring it down for me the next time he makes the drive... He also says he might have a 727 TF kicking around somewhere (he's got a '70 Duster, first brand new car he ever bought himself, right after his Army Basic, and is a HUGE Mopar fan, as most of my home town is)... Hoping he also has a 360 4-barrel brand new from Mopar kicking around somewhere, which wouldn't surprise me.

Questions for the experts: Any info on the 8-3/4"? Is it gonna be the same BBP as my 7-1/4" in terms of length? I'm sort of hoping it would be an inch or two shorter on each side, thus accomodating my big fat 14x8 Ansens better without having to flip the axle? I love how she sits on the rear, was thinking of squatting the front but I need to play with the torsion bars and get new shocks in it before I can do such a thing)... I'd rather have the rear-end tucked away nicely than sky-high with enough room to put groceries in the wheel wells.

Also, after rewatching "Christine," I am very tempted to name this car thusly....

1. It's red and white
2. It's a Plymouth
3. It's possessing my body and soul
4. It's BADASS!
5. I wish it would fix itself.


- CK

 

[Princess Valiant]

Also, after rewatching "Christine," I am very tempted to name this car thusly....

1. It's red and white
2. It's a Plymouth
3. It's possessing my body and soul
4. It's BADASS!
5. I wish it would fix itself.


- CK

if its an A-body 8 3/4 then it will be the same length as your current rear end ....mosy likely the 8 3/4 will be SBP ...they never made an A-body sized 8 3/4 in BBP from the factory ......so unless someone converted after the fact ...you will run into that.

Giving a car a name is a great thing to do ....i name all of mine and wont work on a car with no name.

a name gives it personality and life and brings it in as part of the family

 

[ceekay]

He mentioned something about having a complete B-body rear end... Not sure if it was the one he was talking about, though. I'd imagine a B-body 8-3/4 would be quite a bit longer than an A-body one... Would the bbp equipment fit on the 8 3/4", and what would that entail for work?

I always try to name my cars, but I can't really find a good one for this car yet....

Also: Didn't do much today; played with the carb a bit more, I think I've got her dialed in pretty well, and put new headlight adjusters in the passenger side. Turns out, it was being held in place by the bezel alone! D:


- CK

 

[Princess Valiant]

He mentioned something about having a complete B-body rear end... Not sure if it was the one he was talking about, though... Would the bbp equipment fit on the 8 3/4"?

I always try to name my cars, but I can't really find a good one for this car yet....


- CK

a B-body rear would be BBP ....but a b-body rear is also slightly wider and you would have to cut the perches off and re-weld them in ....like 1/2 or somewhere in that neigborhood to fit .....i have a B-body rear in my demon and it works good but if you go with really wide tires ...the width can hurt.......i use stock sized tires and with that most ppl dont eve notice the rear is slightly wider than its supposed to be.

i think 66/7 b- body rears are prefeered bcoz that are not as wide as 68-70 ....and if i recall 71+ are different even still

 

[ceekay]

Update: Front tires came in yesterday!!! Going to take them today or tomorrow to get them mounted and balanced and toss them on either tomorrow or Saturday. (YAY Easter 4-day!)

Rani: Thanks for the info!


- CK