Early production 70 Plymouth valiant Duster

[Daniel J Thurston]

Hi so I got a 70 Plymouth Valiant Duster. Duster I guess was like a trim sport package. But anyway

She was produced 09-69 a 318 automatic painted Fk5 Burnt Orange. Black interior.

I found it in Buffalo on Craigslist as a roller for $3,000. It looked clean so checked it out.
Owner said it was raced a few times...
The body was in really good shape no rust except floors. Qtr panels had a little bit cut off the bottom corner for bigger tires. The wheel lips were trimmed.

The car was tubbed by what looks like a child but I think it would have been ok to keep.
It had some weird connector things that welded to the main cross member but just stopped where the the rear shackles were located but on the opposite side of the frame rail. And cut and boxed the floor around it.
The only damage I saw than was the banged up driver fender that was fixed poorly.
Interior was gone.. it had a drag seat a beat up bucket seat and a b+m slap shift
The dash panel has original miles 71.156
It had cragar super trick skinnies.
A 8 3/4 suregrip that was "built for 1/4 mile"
So I bought the car for 3000
Took her home in a snow storm.
It was January 2019

Now a little about me I was 28 and had gotten in some trouble and really wanted to replace my original 74 Duster that I had recently lost to acet forfeiture. It was my first car and I was emotionally invested in getting a replacement. I looked for one and had trouble finding anything local so when I found this one I was definitely going to buy it. But i should have payed more attention to the red flags....
..... To be continued .......

 

[Daniel J Thurston]

Pictures from the first

 

[Daniel J Thurston]

So I got her home and started to buy parts. It sat for a while but I got ALOT of parts. And got to work I took a better look and realized there are some frame issues. And that was when I realized the car is twisted BAD. Like 6in off on either corner . I was in way over my head to begin so at this point I feel like of my league..

 

[Daniel J Thurston]

I chopped her up and put her on the lift.
I took measurements from the floor to the car and the car to car in like 56 places and I would put weight on the front and rear of the car the way it was twisted until I got the numbers to match on all the way around. And welded my floors

I had to learn to weld as I did it.

 

[Daniel J Thurston]

I decided to do something a little more drastic now that I knew how to weld and started getting ideas. So next thing I know I'm making subframe connectors. And relocating my lead springs

 

[Big.J.007]

Cool

 

[Oldmanmopar]

You remind me of myself in my younger years. I wasn't afraid to tackle or do anything. My first car hauler. Note the tarp straps holding the front and rear down. Right up the 4 laner out of Allentown through Whitehall at 55mph. Pictures were taken in 1983.

Keep on working on it you'll get-rr done I did.

 

[Big.J.007]

And somehow the 1 on top ran better..

You remind me of myself in my younger years. I wasn't afraid to tackle or do anything. My first car hauler.

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[Dartswinger70]

if I did that shell on top of the car the cops would have pulled me over worst we did was flat tow with a chain and pickup truck...well we did worse than that also...