Deltatech's 1973 Plymouth Duster

[Deltatech]

This project started in March of 2019.
1973 Gold Duster-
Engine-Slant 6 Trans-904
Rear- 7 1/4 open Dif Brakes-4 wheel Drum
Options-,No Ac, Am/Fm radio, 3/4 Vinyl Snakeskin top, Bench Seat, Power Steering.
small bolt pattern wheels.
Purchased Locally for $1900 in 2018 with 40,000 miles on the original Slant 6.
The build is a weekly driver.
Phase 1 Daily Driver- 318/904 swap, 300-350HP, rear end swap, suspension improvements and brake conversion.
Phase 2- Daily Driver360/727 swap, 400-450HP drive shaft, rear end and chasis mods.
Phase 3- Weekly Driver 440/727 swap, 500-550 HP and
Phase 4- Weekly Driver SuperCharged 440. HP?

 

[Deltatech]

Not too much rust.

 

[Deltatech]

Last owner tore it down to turn into a drag car. The interior is good enough for a daily driver!

 

[Deltatech]

I immediately started to assess the rust and strip and convert as much as I could. The plan is to truck bed coat the floor pan and trunk.

 

[Deltatech]

It took about 3 days of stripping, spraying and sanding, then another day to coat all of it with some Herculiner bought locally.
Cost less than $200 for all the materials.

 

[Deltatech]

The slant 6 runs decent but the gauges need work.
The 318 just arrived for $200. I tore the cluster out and found corrosion.

 

[Deltatech]

Looking it over and trying to decide to save the original paint or respray the whole car. My Duster came with a 70 trunklid, my Brother swapped me a green one for a 73 style off of his 72 drag car.

 

[Deltatech]

I'm guessing a 70 clone was the previous owners goal.

 

[Deltatech]

It's a HUGE project but one step at a time.

 

[Deltatech]

Took the brake lights apart and cleaned everything with a wire brush, made some super thin clear glue to repair the cracked lenses.
And THE LIST!

 

[Deltatech]

While I have glue made and I'm in it "I may as well" repair the cracked under dash heater vents and clean them up.

 

[Deltatech]

Glue didn't work so I got out my old soldering iron, looked through my scrap and found some black plastic to plastic weld the cracks, not pretty but it'll function.

 

[Deltatech]

New soft exhaust manifold gaskets arrived damaged from shipping and I found that my Exhaust manifold is cracked on the slant 6 so I needed more than just a gasket.
and the old slant carb pics for reference for anyone in the future.

 

[Deltatech]

So Off comes both manifolds to change the exhaust. Sheesh, $350 for a new exhaust manifold was terrible, second guessing repairing the slant and focusing on the 318 build.

 

[Deltatech]

The new manifold fit perfect and went on smooth, I had to take some reference pics to remember where all of the lines were.

 

[Deltatech]

While I'm waiting for parts, I buy and cut some vinyl to recover the rear deck and install new carpet. Also finished cleaning up the gauge bezel and ready to reinstall it.

 

[Deltatech]

Trying to figure out what this thing on the pass side firewall is...Windshield came in and it's GOING IN!!
I wish my Grandpa was here to see it.

 

[Deltatech]

So while I was de rusting the trunk I tried to pry the plug out of the pan with a screwdriver and poked straight through the old gas tank...... aaaaaaand here is the new tank...and I got a full 440/727 with 40k miles on it out of an RV.
Getting ready to put the 318 together almost all of the parts are in.

 

[Deltatech]

I got it running and driving really well. I drove it a little. The slant SEEMED like it just doesn't have enough power so I started ordering for a Parts for a 318 parts flood!
Taking a little advantage of me being a Chevy guy transitioning to Mopar, My little Brother told me about the kickdown adjustment having to be right or it will burn out the bands AFTER I burnt out the bands.
The little **** knew and didn't tell me.
He said he's just wired either all the way forward or back but he couldn't remember which direction.
Maybe the slant had better power than I thought because the band was slipping the whole time. Bought an engine stand. Headers came in.

 

[Deltatech]

Howards .480 lift 282 because my Brother bought it for my birthday.... and I'm painting it gold because of what Mopar parts cost...It has 302 casting heads and this 318 came out of an 89' Dakota, has the bosses but no roller. Minimal block work was needed, I sent the heads to get resurfaced and had the block done as well.
I'm gonna port match to 360 gaskets and intake and smooth the guide bosses, widen the pushrod pinch to squeeze more flow and power out of these heads I'd like to get 350Hp if I can.

 

[Deltatech]

Do or die, who cares if I ruin em, they are 302 castings, just getting practice for better parts.

 

[Deltatech]

I got the 440 tore down, from the looks of inside it I should have just ran it. Everything was pristine. No wear anywhere in it. Oh well...
Getting the slant ready to pull.

 

[Deltatech]

She's going together. New intake, water pump and lotsa goodies!
87' 318- 9.27:1, stock bore ,all new rings, bearings, seals, new hyper pistons, 302 casting, new stock sized valves,port matched to 360 port size and mild porting, guides shaved,
Howards 282 adv dur .480 lift cam,
Comp lifters,pushrods and springs, new melling rockers, Assault air gap, Edelbrock 1405 manual choke vac secondary 500 cmf carb, double roller timing set,
Jegs billet distributor with adjustable advance set and lighter springs.
Mopar orange box,MSD coil.
Accel 8mm wires, champion plugs.

 

[Deltatech]

Out comes the slant! Cleanup derusting and painting the engine bay, cutting for conversion mounts incoming!!!

 

[Deltatech]

More cleanup and start to measure for mounts. BUT they sent the wrong conversion mounts. I don't have time to send them back and wait so I'm making these work for now. I'll change them when I build the 360 and put it in.
And like a true Former Chevy guy I painted the engine bay black.
I'll repaint it the body color when I put in the 440 in Phase 3.
I just cut them and welded what I needed to.