Build-Up 72 Duster

[416 mopar]

Here is my 72 Duster 416 project,
I am 14 years old and i love Mopars my dad has a 72 Cuda 340 and i helped him completly rebuild his car and last year when i was 13 i was looking around and found a 72 Duster 318 4 speed pistol grip shifter. We went to look at it and it had everything it was set up for small block because it would have been hard if there was a slant six. It has a 8 3/4 rear end with small bolt setup. It is a 4 spd pistol grip. we picked up the car for $2,100. When we got it i put a battery in it and tried to start it, it started but there were some problems there was so much oil, oil came out of the headers it was basically running on oil everything in the 318 was toasted. The clutch was slipping crazy it was like driving an automatic car you can dumped the clutch and it will role not stall. So we have a ton planned for this car.
Pictures will be uploaded, and you can see the progress.

 

[DusTed74]

Good luck with your project!!
I'm certain that you'll find alot of help here @ FABO.

Ted

 

[416 mopar]

here is a pic when i got it

 

[416 mopar]

another pic

 

[416 mopar]

Engine Bay

 

[Project 65]

It' s really good you and your Dad have a common interest.GL with your build!

 

[416 mopar]

Here is the inside of the car the front floor pans had rust and a few rot holes. we are going to replace them. There is a split bench in the front. That will be replaced by scat pro car front bucket seats. We will have the back seat redone to match the sport seats.

 

[Old Tired Rebel]

I like it.

 

[sireland67]

Welcome,
And go for it youg buck.
The duster looks like a very good start..
Make your dad proud and keep you grades up in school..
Hipppe

 

[416 mopar]

The back of the car was a different story the trunk was rotted out over the years sand and snow and salt started to rust and rot the bottom out. so my cousin, my dad and myself cut the entire trunkpan out with snips and got to the frame rails the back foot and a half was rotted and the bottom half of the crossmember. The back of the car needs some work we are planning on cutting out the frame rails and replacing them with 2x3 box tubing very heavy duty. we are planning on mini tubbing the car and doing a leaf spring relocation kit so we can get some big tires in there. we are going to get a set of steel wheel tubs from summit. so there is a lot of fabrication that is going to be taking place over the next few months. i will post pics when it is completed.

 

[416 mopar]

Here is a pic of the frame rails.

 

[416 mopar]

Now the 318 comes out the motor took a few hours it was very hard to get out because the headers were still on and we didn't take the starter off, but there also isn't a lot of room between the headers and the inner fenders. we got it out though.

 

[416 mopar]

After the engine was out we took it apart and looked at it the engine. It was shot there was oil everywhere it had gunk all over look carefully and you will see over the crankshaft all of the gunk that built up. It is wierd that this thing ran with a towel stuck in the cam and all the gunk.

 

[66cuda]

JUst curious....at 14, where are you getting the financing to rebuild this car, with all the nice options you mention?...... This is not a cold water on your project or rain on your parade question....this is a real interest in how you plan to do this with your Dad...... The reason I ask is because I did this with my ex girlfriends son..... I financed the project with the idea that I would teach him the ins & outs of building and owning a classic....and HE would end up with the car!!.
Since he had little do but show up to help and learn and NO contribution made ...he WAS NOT " invested " in the car and therefore quickly lost interest because NONE of his money was spent or would be LOST in the event he decided NOT to finish ( which he decided shortly after the project began, because of the amount of time & work required) He discovered that girls and poker were far more fun and that was the last I saw of him.

What I am saying is I had 6 k invested, he had NOTHING invested, hence it was EASY for him to become disinterested and just walk away.... so what I am saying to YOU is save up, lawn cutting money. returning bottles money, delivering papers money...what ever...INVEST MORE than just your time, your contributions will result in a MUCH sweeter taste when you finish...you will have a contributed sense of ownership...
Something to think about

GL with your build looks like you have a pretty good start
66

 

[gerahead]

A towel stuck in the cam???? :wack: Good luck with your build. It is great to see the younger generation developing an interest in the hobby. It will be great times working with your Dad and the experience is invaluable. L8r

Jim

 

[416 mopar]

My dads Cuda has a 340 and i wanted the same so we went looking for a 340. we found a 69 340 shortblock for $800, so we bought it and when we brought it home it was an origional 340 no cam. The pistons looked good one of them had a very small spot of rust, but the crankshaft looked good, so Christmas comes along and for Christmas i got a scat rotating kit and scat stroker kit. This will make the 340 into a 416 stroker. I have to say you get everything with the kit the Pistons, Crankshaft, rods, rings, bearings everything bolt on. we picked up a set of Crane Cams rocker arms, Edelbrock Air Gap intake, X Heads with new valves and springs.

 

[416 mopar]

I have my own Landscaping Business and i have been saving money for a lot of it but my dad pays for most of it. He says save your money.

 

[416 mopar]

After the engine was out i sandblasted the entire engine bay.

 

[sireland67]

JUst curious....at 14, where are you getting the financing to rebuild this car, with all the nice options you mention?...... This is not a cold water on your project or rain on your parade question....this is a real interest in how you plan to do this with your Dad...... The reason I ask is because I did this with my ex girlfriends son..... I financed the project with the idea that I would teach him the ins & outs of building and owning a classic....and HE would end up with the car!!.
Since he had little do but show up to help and learn and NO contribution made ...he WAS NOT " invested " in the car and therefore quickly lost interest because NONE of his money was spent or would be LOST in the event he decided NOT to finish ( which he decided shortly after the project began, because of the amount of time & work required) He discovered that girls and poker were far more fun and that was the last I saw of him.

What I am saying is I had 6 k invested, he had NOTHING invested, hence it was EASY for him to become disinterested and just walk away.... so what I am saying to YOU is save up, lawn cutting money. returning bottles money, delivering papers money...what ever...INVEST MORE than just your time, your contributions will result in a MUCH sweeter taste when you finish...you will have a contributed sense of ownership...
Something to think about

GL with your build looks like you have a pretty good start
66

X2
I got a really nice car off a one owner.
Fixed it for the step son to drive. He never got a drivers licence.
Cold ac. Insurance paid for 6-months.
I tormented him by tacking him to work in back in it.
I sold it for 3 times what I paid for it.

 

[416 mopar]

A lot of work went into the engine bay i used body filler and got rid of all the wrinkles in the inner fenders.

 

[416 mopar]

After the Body filler was all sanded i hit the entire engine bay with a etching primer.

 

[416 mopar]

Now we have removed the front suspension. My dad ordered front disc brakes that are big bolt setup and new rear drum brakes that are big bolt. He ordered them from Doctor Diff out of Colorado. we made little dollies with heavy metal and small tires. then we bolted the dollies to the holes where the bumper bracket goes.

 

[416 mopar]

Took the windshield out in the front and rear because i didn't want them to get scratched also i took out the dash and it is a must, you have to take the windshield out to take the dash out, the dash is going to get totally redone i got a dash cluster custom made and all new auto meter guages. after the dash was out i continued and ripped out the steering column.

 

[416 mopar]

All of the interior parts were in good shape but the headliner i threw that away. the door panels and kick panels are still in good shape but my dad and i are going to customize them up a little.

 

[416 mopar]

I took the Fenders off the car and saw that there is undercoating so i got a propane torch and a scraper and heated up the undercoating and scraped it off like butter. I took the undercoating off to make sure that ther was no rust or rot.