New Duster / Mod or restore?

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Rice Nuker

Rice Nuker

Let the Coal Roll!
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U.S.A.! Near Jackson CA
Thought I would share this info.. I bought this Birtchin Duster. It is 98 percent unmolested with the exception of a front end accident where some potential maniac welded on a new front clip. New parts like entire front end rebuild very recently, New MP elec IG kit, new clutch on fan, new 2 core radiator (car quest or similar), locally rebuilt alternator. Car is extraordinarily clean and rust free particularly underneath and in trunk / wheelwells. . I did a very thorough examination of it prior to purchase and found no rust other than simple surface rust. Body is almost perfect with a few minor dings. I have yet to strip the car to inspect the quality of workmanship on the front clip but all the lines look straight and there are no exaggerated adjustments on parts hung. Dang one of the freeze plugs are rusted out, concerns me on the block / engine condition.

Car is original 360 4bbl TQ, Console Shift 727, 2.94 8-1/4 single track. Standard gauges, dash great / factory radio. Front narrow *** sway bar- nothing special. Car runs and drives nice. Handles like a banana on a pile of greased owl shi%. I have to fill with water every time I take it for a short drive due to the fairly quick leak in freeze plut, I only drive it for 5 or 6 minutes at a time. Seats are fairly jacked up, carpet is toast. Will be getting factory seat covers and new carpet as well as refurbishing the interior to near factory appearance.

Whats this car worth, anyone care to speculate. ?

I paid 3500.

I am probably building it fairly close to factory in appearance, except with 17 inch wheels. Pro touring suspension setup utilizing as many factory appearing parts as possible.

Ahhh, well, at least i have a sweet mopar to wrench on..
 

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well, in this economy, i would say you paid on the high side. it is like any of these cars...... you have to basically restore everything to some level.. but if you can do alot yourself, the it good to go
 
Can't comment on the worth, but I say it a great start. If it's a 74, they didn't build a great deal of the Duster 360's. Looks like it's got some good options too, buckets, console, non-AC.

I like your plan for 17's and a pro-touring suspension. That's what mine is getting.
 
Sweet *** sweet. Diabetic. MOD, man. Make it yours.

When you slap those 17s on, if you want to sell the wheels that are on it now, let me know.
 
Put the period correct wheels on it..those big bling bling wheels don't look right on the old cars,they make them look like over-sized matchboxes...
 
I say Modify that *****......We all know how Chrysler made them look, and there are plenty of bone-stock restored cars to look at. Restored is somewhat boring. I love how Chrysler made them, but really like to see how we build them and the different styles. I like the Pro-mod look myself, but some like the big-wheel hoopties to. Just build it how you want and you will get a lot more attention.
 
Regarding the blink wheels, I hear you.

Generally I like rallyes and magnum 500s, particularly 15"ers that are 7 or 8 inch / widened, with some nice meaty tires.

But I have been down that 15" route on two road cars, and spongy and flexible is a problem in this day and age of hard fast cornering, doing 125 + on a country highway w cows eyeballing you, cow crap, coons, cats, dips, whoopty dips, and plenty of curves. Those fat tires just bend and squish, then rebound. So, I am interested in a larger/ wide wheel to run shorter sidewalls as I am into nonsensical cornering and burning up some foreign sports cars. I purchased some excellent forged factory mustang gt wheels for 115$. 17/8s. They are quite lightweight, and I believe in satin black they will hopefully look more like a modern Mad Max, than bling blong. Cause bling blong completely sucks.

Thanks for the input folks :). I am going to mod it within moderation.
 
I understand the dislike for big wheels, but IMO 17" on a Duster aren't oversized, just modern. And you can't get very many modern performance tires in anything smaller than 17" anymore.

I think the 17's are more proportional anyway. If anything, I think an 18" in the rear is a good look also on a Duster, since the haunches are a bit "big" anyway. The only rule I have is I want 4" or more of sidewall. Anything less and you start having problems with bending wheels and they start to look like rubber bands.
 
It looks like the gold front end was welded & bolted to a red car, what is the story?
 
Alaskan_TA said:
It looks like the gold front end was welded & bolted to a red car, what is the story?
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Yea, the former owner had a fellow graft the gold front end on there as it was in apparently a hard front end accident. heheh. Like I said up er in my post, I have yet to wire wheel it down and look at the graft. Lines all match, thing looks completely straight regarding the body lines...
 
Rice Nuker said:
Regarding the blink wheels, I hear you.

Generally I like rallyes and magnum 500s, particularly 15"ers that are 7 or 8 inch / widened, with some nice meaty tires.

But I have been down that 15" route on two road cars, and spongy and flexible is a problem in this day and age of hard fast cornering, doing 125 + on a country highway w cows eyeballing you, cow crap, coons, cats, dips, whoopty dips, and plenty of curves. Those fat tires just bend and squish, then rebound. So, I am interested in a larger/ wide wheel to run shorter sidewalls as I am into nonsensical cornering and burning up some foreign sports cars. I purchased some excellent forged factory mustang gt wheels for 115$. 17/8s. They are quite lightweight, and I believe in satin black they will hopefully look more like a modern Mad Max, than bling blong. Cause bling blong completely sucks.

Thanks for the input folks :). I am going to mod it within moderation.
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Good choice.
 
You might want to see if they have the original fender tag instead of the donor tag thats on there now. I say restore it since factory 360 dusters are few and far between. Plenty of /6's to resto mod.
 
hemizach said:
360, automatic, 8 1/4 car? Cut that sucker up and mod it!
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Seth Jones said:
I say restore it since factory 360 dusters are few and far between. Plenty of /6's to resto mod.
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I agree with Seth (to a point).

I can't agree with hemizach to cut it up as there really weren't that many made. There were actually more 340 Dusters, Demons and Dart Sports made in '72 and '73 with the auto than the '74 Duster 360's. Even the Cuda and Challenger 340 cars are more plentiful in '72 and '73. I don't have numbers for '70 and '71 so I don't know there, but per the white books, there were only 2975 Duster 360 auto's built in 1974. Maybe there isn't the same appeal to the 360 cars as the 340 cars, and maybe they aren't as light because of the bumpers and such, but I can't agree with cutting it up.

At the same time, I don't see a problem with swapping bolt on stuff. Swapping wheels to 17", big torsion bars, swaybars, maybe a wider rear axle to fit the bigger wheels, are easy to reverse and so things like that don't hurt the potential value, but they make it more fun to drive.

That what I'm going to my Duster, and that's why I am so excited about the Passon A855 5 speed that is supposed to bolt in. I really want a 5 speed in my car, but I don't want to cut the floor on a 1 of 586 produced car like I did on my Valiant. The rest of the stuff I am doing (including the SMPI swap I am working on) can be easily fixed, but cutting the floor would be pretty major.

The only concession to cutting the car is subframe connectors. They are a must to me, and that means some cutting and welding on the frame.
 
DionR said:
I agree with Seth (to a point).
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Let me back pedal on that a bit, it depends what you want to do with it.

I agree that restoring it to stock is worthwhile, and if you want something that you enjoy taking to shows then stock is the best way to go.

If you want to drive it and enjoy it, then it needs some updating. Just don't hack it up to do it.
 
I hear you guys on the cutting.

I am not mini tubbing this one, nor any other cutting planned, unless I get a burning for a 4 speed. weld in sub frame connectors and the rest is bolt on. I am going to mod the wiring harness with relays and heavier wire where applicable.

I appreciated the feedback from yall.

I am going to start a thread on the build, but need to rack a couple months progress up so the thread will have a little flavor.
 
DionR said:
Can't comment on the worth, but I say it a great start. If it's a 74, they didn't build a great deal of the Duster 360's. Looks like it's got some good options too, buckets, console, non-AC.

I like your plan for 17's and a pro-touring suspension. That's what mine is getting.
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A friend of mine has a 74 360 car. They are pretty rare indeed! I believe that fewer were made than the 340 Dusters (of any year). Might wanna do some research before you modify it.
 
paint that tan front end grey primer and put big and little black 15's on it.
That Duster smacks of '68 Super Stock Hemi 'Cuda!
 
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