My wife's 70 duster

[johnnycharger]

Hi guys
I  am going to look at a duster for sale tomorrow.  I am thinking about it as a car for my wife to play with. It has a 318 and is in ok "driver" condition. Cheap steel chrome wheels, possibly repainted in the 90s, and front bench replaced with buckets. That is all I know so far. What is the reasonable price range for something like that?

[VegasCharger]

2K-4K

[johnnycharger]

2K-4K

Thanks. That confirms what I have been seeing looking online. 

[johnnycharger]

Turns out it is a 70 duster. I bought it. Now I have a lot to learn because I don't know anything about hem really. It is for my wife. It is her first "muscle" car.

[johnnycharger]

[crj1968]

Very cool...I've owned many A bodies.  Not much to learn really, same as any other mopar.
73 up a body discs will fit with new upper control arms, just like on a B body.

It's got some big front tires on it eh?

Looks like a nice car just needs some ramcharger scoops !

[johnnycharger]

Yup! All the tires are too big. The rears are rubbing. I need to sort that. I already took the silly Valiant badges off the side. Next I need to figure out what size engine it is. The PO stated 318 but all of the old paperwork states 340... then on to cleaning and tuning up.....

[Drache]

Nice! $10,000 car here in Canada 

[skip68]

Nice clean looking ca .   

[johnnycharger]

Thanks guys!
I confirmed it is a 318. Just decoded the fender tag and it was originally a slant 6 white exterior and blue interior.  Since the original engine is gone I guess we can go with what ever color combo she wants....
It also said it had black "transverse " stripes. Don't know which those are yet....

[Drache]

It also said it had black "transverse " stripes. Don't know which those are yet....

Your standard Duster stripe

[johnnycharger]

It also said it had black "transverse " stripes. Don't know which those are yet....

Your standard Duster stripe

Awesome!  Thanks!

[jaak]

Nice score! I am jealous, have been wanting a Duster for a long time. That's what I want next!

[johnnycharger]

Thanks! We are having fun with it and are very happy with the price we paid.

[charge69]

Looks to be in great shape !  A-bodies are very cool and you must have got a great deal on it!  Congrats and have fun with it!

[johnnycharger]

Thanks. It is in decent shape and has been a lot of fun so far. 

[Alaskan_TA]

the silly Valiant

If you did not know, they actually were 1970 Valiant Dusters. 

http://www.hamtramck-historical.com/vintageAdvertising/_1970PlymouthMakesIt-01.shtml?load_img=14

[johnnycharger]

the silly Valiant

If you did not know, they actually were 1970 Valiant Dusters. 

http://www.hamtramck-historical.com/vintageAdvertising/_1970PlymouthMakesIt-01.shtml?load_img=14

Thanks for the link! I did not know that at first but figured it out a couple of days ago with some of my reading.  Also (as I am sure you know already) that is why there is a "V" in the vin number. Either way I didn't think those badges looked good on there at all.

[VegasCharger]

Great score 

I've owned 14 A bodies back in the day from 1982 thru 1996. Four of them were parts cars only and the others most of them ended up being parts cars lol. 7 Dusters, 4 Darts and 3 Scamps. There was a stretch where I had bought 7 cars in a row that were all A Bodies.

Hadn't had one since 1996.

Maybe one day I'll get one, maybe a 1973 Duster.

[redgum78]

Cool car, cool wife! 

[johnnycharger]

Great score  

I've owned 14 A bodies back in the day from 1982 thru 1996. Four of them were parts cars only and the others most of them ended up being parts cars lol. 7 Dusters, 4 Darts and 3 Scamps. There was a stretch where I had bought 7 cars in a row that were all A Bodies.

Hadn't had one since 1996.

Maybe one day I'll get one, maybe a 1973 Duster.

Dang! That's a lot of mopars!!!! If you you were to get one why would you pick a 73 over the others?

[johnnycharger]

Here is a video from day three. After we de-greased the engine but before we did the tune up. I was very happy when she said she wanted to do the tune up herself. I taught her how to change the plugs, cap and rotor, air and fuel filter.  Then I sat back with a beer and watched her do it.

https://youtu.be/2jE1jHJduO0

[redgum78]

Dang those rear wheels are big in there!

Sounds nice!

[johnnycharger]

Dang those rear wheels are big in there!

Sounds nice!

Thanks!
The rear tires are a little too big. The rub on occasion. 

[crj1968]

It has transverse stripe code?

Those were only on 340 cars in 1970 and different ones like shown above on Duster 340/Twisters (slant or 318) in 1971 / 72

this would be the stripes on a 70 Duster...but not on a slant 6 or 318 car.  



Very strange.  

And yeah, the first duster were Valiants. But those big hideous emblems would not be the ones on the fender originaly.  A much smaller rectangle "valiant" tag was on them.