I've decided to put my '72 Duster back together

[95teetee]

after looking for a car for a while (and missing, by one day, a pretty sweet yellow '71 340 4-speed Duster) I've decided to put mine back together:

went to look at it at my brother's place, where it's been sitting for many years, and she's held up pretty well (other than the non-existent vinyl roof, and the paint which was obviously applied too thin, as the car is now primer grey in most of the sunny areas). Heck, the cragar's will even clean up pretty nicely with a little elbow grease :thumrigh:

So the front end, buckets, console, and go-wing will go back from the Scamp to the Duster (although my bro has a sharktooth grill that I can probably buy from him) and then it's all about drivetrain.
He also has a 416 kit that I could buy from him if I like. Then again, he's also got a turbo kit I could buy from him if I like...then yet again, he said he's got a nice solid 440 I could buy from him if I like...choices, choices...

I'll probably go Plum Crazy again (although I'll get the year-correct stripes this time, and not just do them myself based on what little info I could find back then lol). And since it's the 21st century, I probably won't airbrush the spoiler again...
As it goes together, I'm going to be needing some advice (and some parts, most likely:iconbigg so I'll probably post about a bit. Like, I think the tail light panel will need to be replaced (couldn't tell where the seams are for that) and I'll have to figure out why it wouldn't hold a wheel alignment way back then.

Unless I get bored and forget all about it. But I don't think that'll happen:smile:

 

[t-granger]

It is nice to be able to shop at your brothers hopefully he will give you a good price.

I imagine the picture is not your car, so lets see pics of what your car looks like.

It is always good to see another Mopar coming back to life and on the road again, no matter how long it may or may not take.
Don't tell your Bro that Sharktooth grills are hard to find and expensive.

 

[Dusterdude72]

Awesome, sounds like you are a man with a plan!

not sure if thats just the picture but that color sure does not look like plum crazy....almost has a maroon tint to it.

I am a big fan of plum crazy (thats what my 72 duster is going as).

if you need a guide line/tips on the tail panel removal/install .....a link to my build thread is located in my signature below.

there is a seam on both ends of the tail panel where there is lead you will have to melt out....then there is about 50 spot welds around the boarder of the tail panel you will have to drill out, then you have to drill out the spot welds on the back side where the tail light brackets go...and around where the trunk lock support is.

its sounds more intimidating than it is....its not impossible.

 

[95teetee]

yep, that picture is my car (the picture is probably mis-representing the color-unless my paint guy messed up on the mix). I basically plan on having it look like that again (unless we swap over to BBP, in which case I'll probably put rally wheels on it).

My bro knows about the grills (unfortunately lol) but he basically collects things that catch his eye. When he got this one, they sent it with the bezels attached (and busted into little pieces in shipping). They sent replacements, though (they're in one of the boxes of parts in the part of his shop where two of his barracudas and his Ram SRT-10 are sitting). The ST grills are growing on me, I think I'll try to get it.....

...and I expect he'll give me good deals :mrgreen:

thanks for the info Dude- I'll check it out. (edit- is the leaded seam the pointiest part where the quarters meet the taillight panel?) I've already looked up the part @ AMD- my bro thought one of his parts cars had a good one we could swap in, but I think it's about the same as mine--repairable, but maybe better to just swap it. Then a couple patches on the lower quarters and I think that's all she'll need before I start prepping for paint.



edit- btw, I found a pic of the go-wing right after I did the airbrushing on it (you can just see it in the first pic I posted)- sitting in the snow for a photo op lol.

 

[Dusterdude72]

In my build thread there are pictures that show it.

here is a picture from right before I installed my new tail panel.

right where the tail panel steps down over to the point the quarter panel steps up is where the lead will be. just hold a propane torch over it for a minute and all the lead will pour right out of it. then under the lead you will find some spot welds that were hiding.

I am not going to relead the gaps....I am going to fill them with duraglass,then grind it down and finish it with body filler.

 

[95teetee]

right on-thanks man.

I stopped at a buddy's autobody shop this morning (he's the guy who I'll get to spray it after I do the prep work) and he said that he doesn't even bother leading anything any more- fillers nowadays are high enough quality that it isn't cost effective any more.

 

[airwoofer]

Can still see the lead where they did the roof on my 68 fish. Never been painted. Kinda lumpy.

 

[tractorfix]

Assembly line "bodywork" in the 60's was brutal. You should see the roof pillar seams on my Dart. I don't think a vinyl top would hide the mess!