Hi folks,
I am in the early stages of restoring the 1971 Twister Duster that I ordered from the factory when I was 19. I was in college and so broke that that the car, aside from the Twister appearance package, was a completely basic car. Manual drum brakes, manual steering, and no AC. As some of you may appreciate, the 340 4-speed didn't cost but a few hundred dollars more - but the cost of insurance would have doubled and that kept it from being an option. It had and still has a 3-speed on the floor with a 318 CID engine. In 1990 I had the engine rebuilt, replaced the upholstry and had it painted black. While it looked good - I now see that it was a mistake to depart from the original color. Since the summer of 1971 I dated my wife in that car and taught both of my kids to drive in it. I drove it daily until 2000 but then committed the sin of letting it sit until the gas turned to sludge and many other bad things happened (like a rat's nest under the hood and chewed wires). With a new gas tank, tires, ect, the car is back on it's feet and running well. I'm now buying decals, gaskets, etc to prepare for a paint job that will bring it back to its original high impact red. I found the A Bodies Only Mopar Forum and I r signed up with plans to learn from others and to ask for help as I encounter problems.
I'm off to a great start with the discovery today that no one seems to have front or rear windshield gaskets. Hopefully I'll find some.
Take care,
Ken Laird
114 Aucilla Cove
Valparaiso, FL
[email protected]
I am in the early stages of restoring the 1971 Twister Duster that I ordered from the factory when I was 19. I was in college and so broke that that the car, aside from the Twister appearance package, was a completely basic car. Manual drum brakes, manual steering, and no AC. As some of you may appreciate, the 340 4-speed didn't cost but a few hundred dollars more - but the cost of insurance would have doubled and that kept it from being an option. It had and still has a 3-speed on the floor with a 318 CID engine. In 1990 I had the engine rebuilt, replaced the upholstry and had it painted black. While it looked good - I now see that it was a mistake to depart from the original color. Since the summer of 1971 I dated my wife in that car and taught both of my kids to drive in it. I drove it daily until 2000 but then committed the sin of letting it sit until the gas turned to sludge and many other bad things happened (like a rat's nest under the hood and chewed wires). With a new gas tank, tires, ect, the car is back on it's feet and running well. I'm now buying decals, gaskets, etc to prepare for a paint job that will bring it back to its original high impact red. I found the A Bodies Only Mopar Forum and I r signed up with plans to learn from others and to ask for help as I encounter problems.
I'm off to a great start with the discovery today that no one seems to have front or rear windshield gaskets. Hopefully I'll find some.
Take care,
Ken Laird
114 Aucilla Cove
Valparaiso, FL
[email protected]
