The 70 Duster......

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Ordered the Duster parts needed in order to finish out the front suspension assembly. Control arms should be back from the powder coating this week. Then Larry is going to assemble the front end around the K-member so it can go in once the car is painted!!!

Mancini Racing.....
MOPP5249151 - Mopar Performance A-body .920 torsion bar set
MREQE173 - Mopar Torsion Bar Lock and Seal Kit
MRE35612 - Torsion Bar Adjuster (x2)
 
The 360 was delivered to the machine shop today for the Duster. They are going to look everything over and let me know what it needs. Since the block and heads have already been vatted a couple of years ago by them. (Same motor I took them when the Duster was sent to the first shop but I picked up the motor when the first body shop was jacking me around). So they are going to check the heads first. If it needs heads I plan to order the Indy LA-X heads and build around those. If the stock heads are okay and just needing the hard valve seats I will likely go with a mild 360 build. I should know something in a week or so.

Also all the powder coated front suspension parts for the Duster and the new PST front end kit have been delivered to Larry.

Ordered from Firm Feel for the Duster.....
Stage 2 power steering box (large sector)
Pitman Arm (large sector)
Rear Shackle Kit
 
I think I have ordered the last little item for the Charger! At least until I can locate a 71 Superbee, R/T or Ramcharger hood.

3443516 - Mopar Performance 440 Magnum emblem (x2)


My plan is to dremel cut the studs off the back of the emblem so that I don't have to drill holes in the hood. Then attach the emblems with 3M body molding tape.









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Found out today that the Duster front suspension is all together! Now it is a waiting game to see how long the body man can drag out painting the bottom of the car and the engine compartment. Once that is done, the new suspension will be bolted on!

The machine shop should have the 360 on the dyno in a few weeks. So hopefully we can have the motor and trans bolted to the K member before Larry drops the body over the K-member!

The Charger is getting....really really close to being done! Should have some good pics of it in a couple of weeks.
 
The Charger is now wearing some "NOS", year of manufacture, plates and is insured with Hagerty! Getting closer.......can't wait!!

Duster status has not changed.
 
Just heard from Larry and he plans to fire up the Charger either tomorrow (if the weather holds up) or Friday!!!
 
Nope...three non runners. One I want (which I mentioned the other day) and 2 parts cars. Seller will only sell as a package.
 
No new projects today. I finally talked myself out of buying yet another major project...."save for something better down the road".
 
Finally found out what emblems were correct for the Charger door panels. Got them ordered this morning!

MP5611 (x2) Mopar (Charger) door pad emblem



Also heard from the Duster body man. He said he was going to try to finish up the metal work next week. :sure, yeah right:
 
I just finished reading the whole thread and it's great to see that good progress is finally happening. I'll bet soon after you're driving that Charger you'll feel it was worth the hassle.

Your body shop being slow and making excuses sounds very familiar, my brother went through the same ordeal and had to pull his car out. In fact, when people show steady progress from a body shop I'm always amazed. We learned to do our own body work and painting on his car and we're glad we did. It ended up being a 4 year project but 20 years later he still has it and it still looks great. The blood, sweat, and tears we put into that car has become a big part of the bond we have with it.

Your Charger is beautiful, I would be very proud if it was mine!
 
Thanks for the compliment on the Charger! Also welcome to the forum.

I am going up in the next few days to check on both cars so I should have some updated pics! I will be going by the machine shop to check in on the motor and trans build for the Duster. Also I have some plans for another one of my cars and hope to iron out all the details on that next week when I am there.
 
Got a chance to stop in at Larry's shop to check on the Charger. He was working on getting the A/C charged up! He got the car fired up later that day also!

It was the first time I had seen the car with the stripes on. I am glad I went with the solid black out instead of the R/T. Also I am having second thoughts on the blue steering wheel. I really wanted the correct blue 3 spoke wheel but could not find one that was in good shape. So I decided to order a blue Tuff Wheel when I saw one available. I just thought the black Tuff wheel would look like an afterthought being really the only black piece in the interior. But knowing a blue Tuff was never really available when the car was new...has me second guessing.
 

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Also got a chance to stop in the other shop and check the guy working (or not working) on the Duster. Not really much going on there except it appears he cut the trunk floor out since he knew I was headed to town.
 

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Also while I was visiting my projects (and family) I started the process of having shops look at starting on another car. They should let me know something this week. These bids will likely set one of two things in motion. I will likely either send one of the cars to one of the shops or I may make some major changes. I have been saying for some years that I was going to sell all my projects and combine that money with what I would spend to restore one car and buy one nicely done car that we could enjoy rather than fighting another battle. Only time will tell.

This was the first time I had both cars uncovered at the same time since they went into the building in 2007(ish). Figured it was worth snapping a pic....
 

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Heard back from the 2 shops that looked over the Barracuda (and Satellite). After talking with them yesterday and again today. I have decided that I am going to work on selling off all my projects. I am to the point that I needed to buy land and a building to store to my cars and parts. So for the last few months my wife and I have been looking into that option. We found some properties that would have fit what we wanted. Before we made a land/shop purchase, I decided to check into some more resto hot rod shops to work on my two projects that I had been putting off (Barracuda and Satellite). When I bought the Barracuda I planned to do it first (resto mod). Then the Satellite (full factory correct because it is so original and has a long history coming from same dealership my parents 71 Satellite came from). Well when the time came to build a car (the Duster) was the best option to fit the budget we had at the time. I wanted the Barracuda done but knew the first shop was not the quality I wanted for the Cuda so I sent the Duster. Well we know how that has gone from the length of this thread. Anyway. The 2 shops that came out to look at the Barracuda and Satellite, both do not want to a "full factory correct resto" so that rules out the Satellite. So the quotes on the Barracuda range from a driver quality 30k (labor only) plus parts to 70-100k for "done right" (plus parts). So going off what I have bought for the Charger....I would have about 30k minimum in parts. That would put the resto at somewhere between 60-130k for the Barracuda. The Satellite, both shops said they were not interested in doing the "correct chalk mark, correct plating, OE type resto". It is not that they would not do it they just knew the price was going to be probably more than any reasonable person would tackle.

With all that in mind....I have decided that I am going to work on selling off all my projects, and not purchase the extra land and shop. When I look at all the costs involved....it made no sense.

Land/shop - 60k min
insurance - 1500 year
1 resto - 50k (low end of what I was priced but more than I was willing to spend)
insurance for the cars (likely 4 cars minimum Dart-Duster-Charger and the 1 resto) - 1500 year

I love cars, I enjoy the hobby and will always have a Mopar or two...but time to downsize..
 
Probably going to make the next trip up to check on things around the 18th. Still undecided as to when exactly. Hope to make the decision on what is going to happen with the Duster when I come up. If work is still not going forward and does not look promising.....going to cut my loses and pull the plug on it. Bolt the stock suspension back up to get it rolling and sell the car for whatever I can get (which will probably be almost nothing).

The motor (being built now) and all the drive train will be installed in the Dart and I will go on down the road.
 
Just made it home from a trip to check on the projects. The Charger is almost.....almost done!!! My dad and I went out one morning and Larry fired the car up for us! It sounds pretty good! It just needs the vinyl top put on and then have the windshield put in. So it is getting really close!

We also stopped in to check on the Duster progress. Actually the lack of progress. I called the shop to see when he would be there. He said he could not be there until 3pm the next day. We drove by that morning and he was there. We drove by after lunch he was there. We showed up at 3pm as we scheduled and there had been a few hours worth of work done since the last time I was up there. So it appeared to me that he found out I was back in town and spent a few hours trying to show progress before I got there. Anyway, if the machine shop gets the motor and transmission ready before the shop paints the car.....I am pulling the plug and finding a new home for the fresh drive train! May just put it the Dart and go on down the road!!!

Speaking of the Dart. We got it out and my dad got behind the wheel for a short drive! Last pics of the Dart in its plain wrapper! Going in for a bit of a make over!
 

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I just read your thread; I'll jump on the "you have more patience than me" bandwagon. That Charger is Bravo Alpha though-I love those aluminum Rallyes. I was about to launch into a dialog and tell you more than you probably care to know about my project-lol! But, this is your thread, and I sincerely things start comign together a little more quickly from here on out-that's gonna be a sweet Duster when you get it all squared away-good luck man, I'll be keeping an eye on this one!
 
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