factory aluminum trunk lid... check this out

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Scat Pack said:
http://stlouis.craigslist.org/pts/1487120738.html

this sounds really cool but i dont think its the right one for my car. 125 bucks seems cheap. what were these all about?
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They came on 1976 Plymouth feather Duster and Dodge Dart Lite's only available in 76. Chrysler built these cars with a few aluminum parts like the trunk lid sub structure also the hood substructure and a few other minor parts. If I remember correctly the aluminum they used only sheaded around 180 or so pounds.....basically the weight of one adult. It was an effort to make the cars more efficient.....increase fuel milage. They used a lean burn slant six, with a specially tuned holley single barrel carb and an aluminum intake. I have heard that when these cars were equipped with the 833 OD trans they could achieve 30mpg.
 
Just as he states in the ad. They were factory on the feather dusters and lite sports. I believe the hood on them was made the same way. To make the cars lighter.
 
A few car makers used aluminum body parts through the mid 70's and into the 80's Oldsmobile had all aluminum hoods and deck lids on some of the Cutlass' in 78 or 79
 
The hood saves roughly 15 lbs and had to be crimped to the steel hood skin.
The trunk saves roughly 10 lbs.

The hoods interchange on their respective models from '73-'76 and the trunk interchanges on all Dusters, Dart Sports and Demons. The older ('70-'71?) steel trunk lids didn't have a rib down the middle.

The cars also had aluminum bumper reinforcements that were situated between the bumper itself and the "shock absorber" bumper brackets. It's a bulky, channel-style reinforcement found on the front of '75-'76 Dusters and Dart Sports and on the rear of '74-'76 Dusters and Dart Sports.
Scamps, Valiants, Swingers, etc. may have started the fronts in '74.
That saved a good bit but I haven't gotten around to weighing both versions. Those bumpers do not interchange with the earlier versions with "normal" brackets without some fabrication either way.
 
I've also read that they used an aluminum trans mount/cross member, the aluminum intake (as mentioned), and the case of the A-833 OD was aluminum as well.
The reports I read said that with the 4spd OD and 2.90 rear gears, the cars were good for 36mpg highway.

I'd love to find a hood and decklid for my '73... If I was anywhere near St. Louis, I'd have that one.
-Brad
 
I've never seen a mention of an aluminum trans crossmember, just the transmission case. Some people have also commented on lighter fenders and other parts, but that wasn't the case.

http://www.valiant.org/duster.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Duster

Parts are hard to find considering the 1-year only production. Just remember to bring a magnet when looking for the cars or parts!
 
Locomotion said:
I've never seen a mention of an aluminum trans crossmember, just the transmission case. Some people have also commented on lighter fenders and other parts, but that wasn't the case.

http://www.valiant.org/duster.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Duster

Parts are hard to find considering the 1-year only production. Just remember to bring a magnet when looking for the cars or parts!
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the parts are only aluminized like exaust...they're still magnetic...
 
doug 371 said:
the parts are only aluminized like exaust...they're still magnetic...
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Sorry, they are not. Some companies "aluminize" exhaust components, but that doesn't have anything to do with any other Feather Duster and Dart Lite components.

I have had 2 Feather Duster hoods, and currently have 2 Feather/Lite trunk lids, 2 Dart Lite hoods and a Feather Duster front bumper assembly. I may have had some other related parts also a while back. The under-bracing on the hoods and trunks are full, aluminum stampings and the bumper brace is a solid aluminum piece with some needed brackets heliarced on so they can be bolted to the "shock absorber" brackets.

On the hood and trunk, you just have to try the magnet on the underside bracing because, as noted, the top sheetmetal is still steel.

There was one instance where I went to purchase a Feather Duster hood and trunk which the guy swore came off of the same car. I don't know if the car was in an accident or not, but either the trunk or hood did not have aluminum under-bracing. Either the car was in an accident and the part was replaced or Chrysler ran out of that particular part during production and substituted a regular all-steel version. (It's been known to happen with other body parts as well as engines/parts.)

I've done a lot of research on the cars before getting parts for my application and have seen a lot of mis-information. I like to keep such information in our hobby correct. We went through a similar discussion on the A-body single scoop that had dual snorkles/openings (Demon/Dart Sport). If I don't know or am not sure about something, I will state that in my posts.
 
Brad54 said:
I've also read that they used an aluminum trans mount/cross member, the aluminum intake (as mentioned), and the case of the A-833 OD was aluminum as well.
The reports I read said that with the 4spd OD and 2.90 rear gears, the cars were good for 36mpg highway.

I'd love to find a hood and decklid for my '73... If I was anywhere near St. Louis, I'd have that one.
-Brad
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The 76 Feather I had used a steel trans X member and had a 3.21 8.25, it did have an aluminum 1 barrel intake and aluminum case 833od, the fenders weighed the same as standard Duster fenders. I drove it daily for a few months before swapping in a 360/833 and got 24-25mpg with the /6.

I parted it in '98 because it wouldn't go thru emissions and held onto the hood/decklid/bumper 'til 04-05 and sold them to Myron :wave:, it was the B5 blue set.
 
The feather duster i parted also had a steel crossmember. Its sitting in my basement with the 833 od attached to it so i know its steel for sure :p
 
Suposedly had slightly thinner glass too.

No metal emblems, stickers instead.

The exhaust was supposed to be less restrictive.

I have a hood from a feather duster.

I've seen several feather dusters, but only one Dart Lite.
 
SirDan said:
The feather duster i parted also had a steel crossmember. Its sitting in my basement with the 833 od attached to it so i know its steel for sure :p
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Thanks guys, I stand corrected.

-Brad
 
I just learned something........The aluminum brace inside of a Feather Duster/Dart Lite bumper saves around 30 lbs over a regular, all-steel brace at each end!

IMG_0214.jpg
 
Valiant422 said:
I'd think using 73 brackets would save more :D
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Absolutely, especially after removing the brace/reinforcement in between the bumper and "regular" bumper brackets. But that is a considerable savings for those people who may not want to do the work to replace the "shock absorber" brackets with the "regular" brackets.

The regular bumper brace/reinforcement is sandwiched with the same bolts. The later bumpers with the "shock absorber" brackets need the brace to bolt up. None of the early parts interchange with the later parts and require fabrication to mount to the frame when changing either way.
 
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