Need your opinion...72 duster..worth it?

[shadango]

Hi folks. New to the forum though I have lurked around before. I currently own a 92 Dakota 4x4 pickup with the 318 Magnum and a '03 Durango with the 360. Love them both. But need an old car fix I guess. LOL

I am a big mopar fan.....although I do like old Mustangs and Camaros, a classic Mopar is what gets me goin'. Been looking for a Challenger, Cuda or Duster/Demon/Dart for a little while now. Realistically, Idint think I will be able to find a Challenger/Cuda that will "fit"...I am looking for a car I can drive while I restore/play with. I can turn a wrench though I admitedly have no experience with major rebuilds or major reworking of body, etc....so I wanted to find something in nice shape that needs TLC but that is basically solid.

I found a prospect that I think I am very interested in, but basically am looking for advice etc as to the car. Most of the guys I hang with aren't Mopar guys so looking for some specific Mopar advice.

Here is what I know about the car so far, as told to me by the owner.

72 Duster.

318 engine and trans , and complete k frame and suspenion came from a 76 dodge aspen. engine is supposed to have 67,000
owner believes it has 133k on speedo
headers with turbo duals
Owner says frame is exceptionally solid, no rust
new factory seat cover, new carpet, new headliner, new fuel tank and sending unit, new brake lines, new brakes wheel cylinders, car has been switched over to front disc
appears to NOT be power steering or brakes....standard
the only rust in the floor, passenger front -- 6-8 inch hole, patch welded in.
floor stripped and coated with rust inhibiter and painted with epoxy paint.
one rear wheels stud broken
trunk floor was replaced, quarters were patched
clear title in hand
no heater in it. heater box and controls without a/c and a box and comtrols with a/c comes with it as well as extra set of tires and factory steel wheels, with the dog dish hub caps....car currently has mag rims and eagle tires
speedometer needs replaced --real noisy, and jumps around quiet a bit.

In the pics the car looks real nice and straight from what I can tell.

The owner has it advertised for $4500.

He lives about 3-4 hours away from me and its snowing where we both live....I would be driving the car home (no heater...brrrrrrrrrrrrrr) for lack of any better way to get it home.

Really feels like this ride is a good deal, to me.

Can you guys give me some honest opinions on this car, just based on what info I have given?

Can you suggest important things to ask about? Long way to drive to find out it has some major issues I didn't know to ask about. In the pics the car looks real nice, but trying to get past the shiny rims and nice looking paint to see if the car is really "worth" the asking price.

Thanks all.....

 

[mopar head]

:worthles:sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Pull all plugs, they`ll tell you alot. Start it up cold, see how it acts. If road worthy, test drive. sounds like a good start! dont worry about speedo, cable just needs cleaned and relubed

 

[dusterdon]

Aspen and a body totally different. How could this be. If its true I'd stay away like the plague.

 

[3404speed]

Aspen k frame is different than the Duster k frame....did they just drop in the engine?

 

[shadango]

Aspen k frame is different than the Duster k frame....did they just drop in the engine?

Don't know...all he said so far is that the whole engine,kmember and suspension (I assume just front) was transplanted from the 76 aspen.
Does this mean that the original frame was altered to take this?

The aspen that year had a different torsion bar setup, right?

 

[shadango]

Just emailed the owner about the k frame and engine.

He said it was a direct bolt-in...nothing altered.

Here are the pics he sent (hope he isnt a member here! Or if he is, hope he doenst mind! LOL)

 

['64 Cuda]

Looks like a deal to me.

 

[LXguy]

IF the body doesn't need work for what you want to do with it, I'd say that's a smoking deal.

I'm looking for something to build a race car out of, so if you don't buy it, tell me where it is! ;)
Steve

 

[dusterdon]

Well look closely at the eng compartment. If the torsion bars go front to back, it probably has a late duster k member. If they go side to side in front of the engine that's a Volare/Aspen set up. If it has that I'd be very leery. I've been involved with Mopars for over 40 years and this is the FIRST time I've heard about a swap like this. Check those torsion bars!!!!!

 

[shadango]

Hi , and thanks for the replies.

I talked with my fatherinlaw who worked as a frame technician for many years. From what he says the k member of the 76 will be heavier, but not an issue as far as he knows.....he echoed what you guys said about the setup of the t-bars.....apparantly made for a better ride in the Aspen...

What are your feelings about the 76 318 in general?

I know that in 73 they switched to a different way of measuring HP.....would the 76 have as much gut as as , say, a 72?

My Dakota's 318 is rated at 230 hp, and the ratings I found for the 76 318 is 150......but I also found info that seems to indicate that the older 318s are easy to get extra ponies from.

 

[shadango]

Talked to the owner a bit and he sent some more pics....he said that the rear quarters were repaired by the previous owner and that they are a bit wavy......drivers side has a few bubbles.

[/IMG]

[/IMG]

[/IMG]

Looks like a good deal of bondo was used.....Whereas I thought it was just rear quarters, looks like rockers too.....

He said that the trunk lid originally had a stripe on it and when the car was painted purple they just sanded the edges of the stripe...but their are now cracks where the strip was.

[/IMG]

[/IMG]

Said rest of body is is nice shape.

More interior pics

[/IMG]

[/IMG]

Does the headliner look funny to anyone?

Due to weather, probably cant drive the car until weather clears.

Any thoughts? I know the quarters are common trouble spots.

Its along drive to see this car from my home, about 5 hours each way, so wanted to think this out best I can before.

Thanks for your feedback folks.

 

[shadango]

Here's the link to all the photos of the Duster I was yammering on about.........(very bottom of page)

The guy sent me a bunch more, so I stuck them all on a photos website for ease of viewing....lots of undercarriage, etc........at least he isn't trying to hide anything.

But is it worth $4500 though, not sure.

Found a green matching numbers 318 in Texas for $2k....

http://www.cars-on-line.com/38455.html

Its not as "pretty "as the purple one....would need paint and body work in the quarters and interior work......but it would be mostly original and I would know what I am starting with.

Looks like quite a bit of this purple car I am thinking about is NOT original...stuff like the painted dash...painted black by the current owner when he changed the interior from green to black (per the photos)....replacement door (blue door in photo)...less than perfect job done on painting the engine bay black.....(don't MOPARs usually do the engine bay in body color?).....

I am trying to look past the pretty purple paint and rims........it looks slick in the pictures, I think....easy to fall in love with a purple hotrod looking car...LOL...but pictures can lie.

Frame wise, seems like its actually in good shape.....again, pictures can be decieving....but looking at some of the details, some defects but nothing glaring.......

Thing is, am I expecting too much? A-bodies are starting to get sought after.

I may just wait and bide my time a bit and see.......In this economy this wont be the last one to come along I suppose....I dont want to rush into this.

If it was $3,000-3500 I think it would be closer to a "deal"....or if it was numbers matching V8 original car at least, sure, even if it needed quarters and paint (like it does now, really). If the body was really good, ie paint was great and the body work didnt need doing.....yes...I think I would jump on this..... But being a pieced -together car, plus it needing body work and paint right now, it makes it less attractive.

It was probably originally a 6 cylinder car when the last owner had it.....started it as a project.......then didnt finish it.....the present owner repainted the interior, etc.

I guess seeing it in person would really cement it one way or the other. But not sure I want to take a day off of work and rush up there....5 hours away.

Here is the link to the photos.

http://s349.photobucket.com/albums/q391/shadango_bucket/72 duster/?albumview=slideshow


Dave

 

[7demon2]

the purple one really is going to need to body work pretty soon. there is alot of bondo in the quarters from what i can see. rockers look alittle shakey as well. tough call... the green one is also going to need work but, you are able to see what is not hidden by nice paint there. on this level they are even. it would come down to drive train for me. what is the condition of both engines and transmissions? what is interior of the green one like? the headliner looks more than funny on the purple one to me. i also don't like the black engine compartment, but that is just my personal opinon. sorry just being honest here not trying to offend....

 

[Racerex1]

I would buy the green one. No doubt.

 

['64 Cuda]

After seeing these pics I'd go for the green one.

 

[Snake]

be carefull if there is any sprayed undercoating he could be hiding majour rust.my thoughts if there are any patches in the car thats rust so how could a car have perfect frame floors be very carefull rabbit.look all the cars over with wide eyes.you said there is snow snow means salt were i come from.Glad to here your a mopar lover to many dam chevelles,mustanges, cameros at car showsssssssss.

 

[shadango]

Hi guys

Well, the green one isnt an option for me, since its in Texas.....not sure WHAT the interior looks like, aside from probably green.LOL

I posted that linkto illustrate a point to myself I guess...that there will be others coming along at some point.....

When I first saw the closeup pics on the purple one my first gut reaction was "wow...bondo city".

If its minor bondo, thats onething......

But, I am thinking it could be more than just minor.....problem here is that with the purple one, you dont know whats there....at least with the green one, as was said, you do.

I dont mind the prospect of replacing quarters, etc...gotta learn sometime. But it hits me that $4500 is a lot to ask for a non-numbers matching, pieced together car that is gonna need body work anyways.

Thanks for the feedback guys...this really helps. Gonna still keep condiering it....I dont want to overthink this, but then again I dont want to buy one based on a "gee thats a pretty color" reaction on my part.

 

[daredevil]

run forest run, there will be others.

 

[Useless]

I've drug home a lot of junk in my time and even I would be very leary of that purple duster for that price. Looks like it's full of bondo, has a poorly spray bombed interior and the torsion bar deal.

The Aspen and A body k frame and torsion bars of completely different designs. As far as I know it isn't possible to swap to the two and it would be completely pointless to do so in the first place. I've had both V8 and Slant 6 F bodies, both wollow like pigs and don't ride any better than stock A-body stuff.

Seems really fish to me.....

Edit: After looking at the other pics he sent you, looks to me that it has the regular old a-body k-frame (anyone else confirm?) Judging from the blacked out engine bay, GM speckle paint and carpet remnant in the trunk, looks like the typical "mopars are worth a fortune, I'll take this $500 Duster, spend $1000 to paint it and put some makes on it, sell if for 5 grand"

I looked at a 318 Valiant in the same shape as that Duster a few weeks back, the car in reality was a $2000 car that had an asking price of $5000 just because mopars are hot these days.

If you're still really interested in the car, be sure to look it over very well in person and take everything the owner has to say with a grain of salt.

 

[Judge Mills]

I see they left the old slant six radiator in it as well.... That's not cool!

It probably has shumaker (spelling) mounts or the k frame is from another similar year duster/dart.... I highly doubt the claimed k frame is in there... i'm willing to bet money on it....

You also had a question about the 318's power... it just depends if it's stock or rebuilt. I know for a fact my 78' 318 has much more than 150 HP.... It may have started life as a Lean Burn, but is no longer....

 

[fourspeed]

The purple car will need a lot of bodywork. By the time the outside looks like that, the stuff underneath is GONE. If that kind of work doesn't scare you, fine. I would wait for a nicer one though.

 

[shadango]

The purple car will need a lot of bodywork. By the time the outside looks like that, the stuff underneath is GONE. If that kind of work doesn't scare you, fine. I would wait for a nicer one though.

Thanks for the feedback.

Truthfully, not sure if it would scare me or not......But it does turn me off a bit I guess. IF I am going to have to do major body work and a repaint (for at least the back half of the car) would rather start with an original.

Strange thing is that what the pictures show is a decent undercarriage....(don't they?)...although it seems that there is undercoating. I know that you can spray on undercoating to hide a lot of issues.... Could there be issues lurking under that stuff even if its original undercoating? Was undercoating common in 72?

The trunk floor was replaced and there was that 8" hole in the passenger front floor that was patched...so yeah, there were some issues there.....

I guess if I am this much "on the wall" it would be best to wait and see if another comes along.

I would MUCH rather work with something that is original or close, versus having (at least) two other owners making it a "project car" and then not completing.....no idea for sure what has really been done, or not done.

What I need is a true "barn find" ....LOL....something that is original and has not been molested in any way.......no rust and selling cheap (can someone define cheap for me, realistically?) by someone just looking to get rid of it.......and that is close enough for me to drive to.

........I probably have a better chance of hitting the lottery, eh? :angry7:

I was checking out the "'rescued cars" thread and was amazed at how beautiful some real wrecks were made.....wish folks would have listed what they paid for them.....would give a noobie like me something to base my search on.

 

[shadango]

I see they left the old slant six radiator in it as well.... That's not cool!

It probably has shumaker (spelling) mounts or the k frame is from another similar year duster/dart.... I highly doubt the claimed k frame is in there... i'm willing to bet money on it....

You also had a question about the 318's power... it just depends if it's stock or rebuilt. I know for a fact my 78' 318 has much more than 150 HP.... It may have started life as a Lean Burn, but is no longer....

Now THAT is great info! Seriously? Great eye! Thats why I came here....ok, so now we know they cut corners there....so what else did they cut sorners on, right?

Did you see the couple of front-end pics ? It shows the k-member and the "new" torsion bar setup. Looks differentfrom what I expected...and the torsion bars definately do not run back to the frame (shown in one of the other underbody pics).......

daredevil and useless....thanks for your feedback......great feedback too....just what I am looking for.

 

[Judge Mills]

Those aren't the torsion bars...... That is called a "Strut", according to my chilton's manual...That basically helps keep the lower control arm in place. We all should have them. You, my friend, have an original style K member. My level of expertise can't decipher whether it's a v8 or slant 6 k frame, but ti's the right one.. That should be a sigh of relief!

Here is a pic of my 71' Duster for reference:

 

[shadango]

Found this picture online of the 76 Aspen suspension. Seems pretty clear that this is NOt what is in this purple duster....the owner said it was "suspension, k-member as a unit from a 76 Aspen.

Well.....if he got that incorrect, wonder what else...thats what really bothers me. The guy was sure of it.

But obviously he is someohow mistaken.

The other thing I JUST picked up on was that in the pictures of the car he sent me, it has shiny rims and eagle tires......in the pictures of the undercarriage, you can clearly see that there are whitewalls turned inside....supposedly he "just took" these pics.....so either these arer pics of something else, or he swapped wheels tires out, which he never menetioned.....that doesnt seem honest. I guess there could be a good reason....

Here is a link to the description of the whole article on the suspension in case anyone else could use this info....
http://www.dippy.org/forum2/index.php?topic=127.0

Thanks again for all the help and advice on this! I think greener pastures are in my future....LOL