Blue Sky Hemi Duster Build
Last October I placed an ad on Craig's List for a bunch of 340 Duster parts including the engine, transmission, k-frame, brakes, etc. Craig's List being what it is, I received
several emails and texts from scammers, a bunch from apparent losers and a handful of what seemed like legitimate inquiries that just didn't pan out. The ad eventually faded
and I moved on to different things while all those parts collected dust and took up room. Eventually all that clutter started getting me down and I let Jimi know he could send
the k-frame to the scrapper. It was big, heavy and bulky and I had lost confidence in anybody taking it off my hands.
Not long afterward I got a call from one Kevin N. from somewhere in Minnesota. He was one of the more serious callers from my Craig's list ad who happened to have business
in St. Louis, MO and wanted to head to Kansas City afterwards to purchase my pile of Mopar A-body parts. Of course the main thing he wanted was the disc brake equipped k-frame.
I cursed my impatience in letting go to the scrapper. Undeterred, Kevin still wanted the other parts.
Turns out, his business in St. Louis consisted of purchasing a dilapidated 1972 Dodge Demon that actually has a pretty decent body and plenty of potential.
It marks Kevin's third Demon and is being slated as a future project. I'm not sure it if my old 340 is destined to lay between that Demon's frame rails or not.
Kevin inspected the engine and transmission and deemed then good. We then reviewed all the other crap that was stuffed into boxes, laying on the floor or stashed on shelves.
Radiator and fan? Check. All manner of brackets, pulleys and linkages? Check. How about these snazzy Mopar valve covers? Check. And so on.
We settled on a price and he and his crew began to stow and secure his bounty followed by handshakes, declarations of good luck and directions to the highway. And that was that.
Before they left Kevin and I had a chance to chat and he told me that one of the things he likes about projects like his is the opportunity they afford to meet
different folks who also play around in this classic car sandbox. I heartily agree.
One guy I'll be getting to know better is Kevin Broderick of Fabrications Unlimited. As I've mentioned before, he's the cat who will be doing the fabrication work on the Duster.
While I am pretty good at cutting giant holes into floorboards and cross members, I haven't a clue about how to put them back together. Same goes for installing
sub frame connectors, four-link suspension mounts and the like. Kevin comes highly recommended and I'm confident he'll be a huge asset to the project.
Not long after Kevin N. headed back to Minnesota Kevin B. arrived to haul the Duster to his shop. If things go right I should have it back in my hands in about a month.
By then I hope to have talked Jim down from his Camaro induced cliff so I can get him up here for plumbing and wiring. We will then be frighteningly close to having a car that actually runs.
In the meantime, I have some important things to figure out. Near the top of the list is a solution for the exhaust manifolds/headers, I'd rather do headers
but if I have to find a pair of those SRT8 Jeep manifolds I will. I like Jim's idea about the side exit exhaust so I'm going to see if I can slap on some AAR 'Cuda/Challenger T/A pipes style pipes.
Then there's the rear end. Looks like it shouldn't be too tough to find a good 8.75" center chunk. Jim and I noodled on the ratio and have decided to go with 3.55:1,
which should be a good number considering the gearing of the NAG1. Then there's the brakes. Do I stick with manual or try to fit a hydroboost system?
Right now I'm leaning toward the former given time and expense involved with the latter.
Last October I placed an ad on Craig's List for a bunch of 340 Duster parts including the engine, transmission, k-frame, brakes, etc. Craig's List being what it is, I received
several emails and texts from scammers, a bunch from apparent losers and a handful of what seemed like legitimate inquiries that just didn't pan out. The ad eventually faded
and I moved on to different things while all those parts collected dust and took up room. Eventually all that clutter started getting me down and I let Jimi know he could send
the k-frame to the scrapper. It was big, heavy and bulky and I had lost confidence in anybody taking it off my hands.
Not long afterward I got a call from one Kevin N. from somewhere in Minnesota. He was one of the more serious callers from my Craig's list ad who happened to have business
in St. Louis, MO and wanted to head to Kansas City afterwards to purchase my pile of Mopar A-body parts. Of course the main thing he wanted was the disc brake equipped k-frame.
I cursed my impatience in letting go to the scrapper. Undeterred, Kevin still wanted the other parts.
Turns out, his business in St. Louis consisted of purchasing a dilapidated 1972 Dodge Demon that actually has a pretty decent body and plenty of potential.
It marks Kevin's third Demon and is being slated as a future project. I'm not sure it if my old 340 is destined to lay between that Demon's frame rails or not.
Kevin inspected the engine and transmission and deemed then good. We then reviewed all the other crap that was stuffed into boxes, laying on the floor or stashed on shelves.
Radiator and fan? Check. All manner of brackets, pulleys and linkages? Check. How about these snazzy Mopar valve covers? Check. And so on.
We settled on a price and he and his crew began to stow and secure his bounty followed by handshakes, declarations of good luck and directions to the highway. And that was that.
Before they left Kevin and I had a chance to chat and he told me that one of the things he likes about projects like his is the opportunity they afford to meet
different folks who also play around in this classic car sandbox. I heartily agree.
One guy I'll be getting to know better is Kevin Broderick of Fabrications Unlimited. As I've mentioned before, he's the cat who will be doing the fabrication work on the Duster.
While I am pretty good at cutting giant holes into floorboards and cross members, I haven't a clue about how to put them back together. Same goes for installing
sub frame connectors, four-link suspension mounts and the like. Kevin comes highly recommended and I'm confident he'll be a huge asset to the project.
Not long after Kevin N. headed back to Minnesota Kevin B. arrived to haul the Duster to his shop. If things go right I should have it back in my hands in about a month.
By then I hope to have talked Jim down from his Camaro induced cliff so I can get him up here for plumbing and wiring. We will then be frighteningly close to having a car that actually runs.
In the meantime, I have some important things to figure out. Near the top of the list is a solution for the exhaust manifolds/headers, I'd rather do headers
but if I have to find a pair of those SRT8 Jeep manifolds I will. I like Jim's idea about the side exit exhaust so I'm going to see if I can slap on some AAR 'Cuda/Challenger T/A pipes style pipes.
Then there's the rear end. Looks like it shouldn't be too tough to find a good 8.75" center chunk. Jim and I noodled on the ratio and have decided to go with 3.55:1,
which should be a good number considering the gearing of the NAG1. Then there's the brakes. Do I stick with manual or try to fit a hydroboost system?
Right now I'm leaning toward the former given time and expense involved with the latter.