Hello Everyone !

[Jozzle]

Hey all, Long time Mopar fan here. It seems I'm working my way back to my youth. I was helping a young guy with a very nice '73 Duster 340 engine and while I was on Ebay looking for parts, oops, I laid down a bid on a barn find '72 Duster /6 - 3 on the tree, all complete just sitting there since 1986. I'd already started working on it and found another '72 Duster /6 with an auto just down he road, but its already a driver. Just put in a new fuel sending unit, and looking at a brake upgrade for the 9" drums and a sway bar up front. Its been long time since I've been under the hood of these old beasts. My drivers have been 2nd gen Dodge Rams and had a Dakota for a while as well. Back in the day I've had '71 Satellite 383, '70 Charger 440, '70 300 Hurst 440 TNT, among others. Boy, I wish I still had some of those old cars. So, it looks like I've got a new project and came here to relearn a thing or two about A-bodies. Mainly, going to get rid of and repair any rot and protect the metal thats good. Keep the /6 for economy and beef up the car for reliability and serviceability.

 

[Ottmundr]

Welcome from Santa Rosa, California.
Beef up that /6!
You may want to check out slantsix.ORG also.

 

[Car Nut]

 

[Jozzle]

Thanks ottmundr, I think I've visited /6 but not a member yet. I'll be just driving the one for now. Its surprisingly responsive with the 3 speed and 2.76 rear. Just a little sloppy in the corners. I am a bit concerned with the brakes (spindles) though. They stop fine with a bit of muscle to the pedal but I've already had a gal said she wouldn't get in it due to having a front wheel fall off her fathers car she was driving when she was younger. Not the first time I've heard this. After checking I see that the steering arm to spindle bolts are pretty puny at 7/16" . I'm going to try to keep it fairly stock and looking at a Kelsey hayes setup now. I think theres some extra stuff I don't need in the batch. Guy is asking just under $1K for NEW calipers, spindles, disks, dust shields, pads, steel lines, hoses, new upper & lower ball joints, upper control arm w/ new bushings, and wheel studs. I'm still trying to figure what works with what from '72 and '73 up. I'm pretty sure I dont need upper control arms, I'm pretty sure I need the steering arms with the bigger bolts to keep it safe, don't these come with the ball joints mounted? He's also got a sway bar w/ brackets $200 he's trying to sell with lower control arms. I was just goin to manufacture and weld sway bar tabs and reinforcements on mine and save $425 for control arms.

I will be building up the other / six project car, freshen up the bottom end, a little finess on the head, thinking of bumping the compression for E85, adding fuel injection and maybe around 10lbs of boost, electronic ignition for sure. The manual 3 speed and 7 1/4 will have to go though, I see prices are pretty high on some parts that are getting hard to find, so I'm looking at tryin an Explorer 8.8 for the rear, and a tossup between a A833 overdrive and a later 904 lockup with steel internals and increased clutch packs. The only one I can find is an 81 hydraulic lockup from a truck and not sure but I think the tail is longer, not a big issue.