All this heavy work in the garage and not a scratch. Try to cook dinner and take the end of my thumb cutting an eggplant..... I need to stay out of the dangerous kitchen and stay in the garage.
1972 Duster Build with my Daughter
- Thread starter Jim Kueneman
- Start date
-
Kaelyn has been a trooper this week. She has spent time blasting everyday she has been home.... She is doing an outstanding job.
The engine will be loaded in the Element tomorrow afternoon and dropped off at the machine shop. Bruce says he is working on my Toth Performance Street Fighter Heads and the intake will be in Friday or Monday to port match the manifold too.
Santa came today with the first batch of parts! We should be painting next weekend and assembling the K-Frame and front suspension parts over the 4th holiday!
Started to mess around with getting the inner fender out of the Dart... Got lucky with the first few spot welds!
Lastly we had a scare... I noticed the compressor seemed like it was running too long and not shutting off.... The motor started grunting then stopped and shut down... I thought the pump seized. We ran the air down and let it cool off and it restarted.... I think the pressure shutoff switch got stuck and it did not shut off at 150 lbs..... That would be a major stoppage if I had to fund a new air compressor.....
We also got the rebuild kits for the Federal PS pump and the brake calipers.
The engine will be loaded in the Element tomorrow afternoon and dropped off at the machine shop. Bruce says he is working on my Toth Performance Street Fighter Heads and the intake will be in Friday or Monday to port match the manifold too.
Santa came today with the first batch of parts! We should be painting next weekend and assembling the K-Frame and front suspension parts over the 4th holiday!
Started to mess around with getting the inner fender out of the Dart... Got lucky with the first few spot welds!
Lastly we had a scare... I noticed the compressor seemed like it was running too long and not shutting off.... The motor started grunting then stopped and shut down... I thought the pump seized. We ran the air down and let it cool off and it restarted.... I think the pressure shutoff switch got stuck and it did not shut off at 150 lbs..... That would be a major stoppage if I had to fund a new air compressor.....
We also got the rebuild kits for the Federal PS pump and the brake calipers.
Last edited:
Getting closer to scrapping the Dart! Now the Duster will have a nice 26" radiator and factory AC condenser! I know everyone says to use the Harbor Freight weld cutters but after destroying one within 10 cuts I dug out my 30 year old Blair Cutter and it still works 10x better....
I am so close but I have to take the damn steering column and brake booster off... guess I have to start cleaning out the rat crap and cactus for the floor board.... yuck...
Is there something special that the tabs on the '72 Duster radiator support did? Some sort of factory chin spoiler?
I am so close but I have to take the damn steering column and brake booster off... guess I have to start cleaning out the rat crap and cactus for the floor board.... yuck...
Is there something special that the tabs on the '72 Duster radiator support did? Some sort of factory chin spoiler?
Engine short block is at the machine shop. Check Dave's Facebook page frequently as he posts his meticulous work often and I know he will post the 318 being built. He is up to his eyes in work so it will be a while before I get it back which is fine since I won't need to find storage space then 
Precision Machine Service
Precision Machine Service
The lower radiator support was the same part number for the duster and demon. If it had been a demon, it would have a lower valance because the demon bumper is significantly thinner than a duster bumper.
Yup I see that now. Thanks.
Well 2 years of heavy use has done in the Husky Compressor... The gaskets just fell apart. I tried to make some out of normal gasket material... Worked for about 20 minutes and they got hot, brittle and blew out. I ordered some exhaust gasket material then immediately found replacement gaskets so I ordered them too....
We sucked it up and got out the manual tools.... Compressors and air tools are what separate us from the animals...... those gaskets need to get here FAST.....
The Duster /6 K-Frame is out and ready to install into the dart. The Duster had nice lower control arms, the Dart has one with a sway bar bracket but the other one looked like someone hit a rock with it.... I will use the original Duster LCA, will have the girls drop them and the new bushings off at the machine shop tomorrow. Dave was optimistic he could have the UCA/LCA and V8 K-Frame cleaned and blasted by next Friday so we may be painting next weekend.
Kaelyn is looking forward to getting the Dart out of the garage and the Duster in so progress we make is getting is moving the Duster forward and not destruction of the Dart!
The Duster /6 K-Frame is out and ready to install into the dart. The Duster had nice lower control arms, the Dart has one with a sway bar bracket but the other one looked like someone hit a rock with it.... I will use the original Duster LCA, will have the girls drop them and the new bushings off at the machine shop tomorrow. Dave was optimistic he could have the UCA/LCA and V8 K-Frame cleaned and blasted by next Friday so we may be painting next weekend.
Kaelyn is looking forward to getting the Dart out of the garage and the Duster in so progress we make is getting is moving the Duster forward and not destruction of the Dart!
JDMopar
Well-Known Member
Do a little checking before you use the earlier LCA's with the later spindles and ball joints. I did that once, and the car wouldn't turn in a 40 acre field! Hemi71GTX or 72Blueandblu are both members with extensive knowledge of what works and what doesn't as far as suspension parts.
Glenwood
Member
great progress Jim! I had to put an inline desiccant filter on my sb cabinet to keep the nozzle from clogging. Interesting idea with the led lights in there. I used a par 38 flood lamp which worked pretty well but I bet the LEDs are brighter and better distributed. I'm surprised the Husky gasket let go as mine is still going strong at 13 years now. How's your daughter enjoying the project so far?
It is dry enough here I don’t need the desiccant for blasting. It is also hot enough here the gasket overheated and became brittle. I will install a fan that blows on the cylinder head when I get it fixed.
She is absolutely loving it!
She is absolutely loving it!
Verified that the LCAs are the same between Disk and Drum so they went to the machine shop for bead blasting and new bushings. He had also finished the UCA and tanking/blasting the K-Frame. Dave is meticulous so he painted the UCA with Seymours Cast Blast too.
Spent a bit tonight drilling out another two dozen spot welds to get the Duster lower radiator support out. Tomorrow should see the side and upper radiator support out if I don't break my last cheap HF spot weld cutter....
The car had had a slight mishap in the LF corner..... this will take some work to get it so the bumper brackets are straight...
Spent a bit tonight drilling out another two dozen spot welds to get the Duster lower radiator support out. Tomorrow should see the side and upper radiator support out if I don't break my last cheap HF spot weld cutter....
The car had had a slight mishap in the LF corner..... this will take some work to get it so the bumper brackets are straight...
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
FyI, Only difference on A body LCAs from at least 1963 to 1976 is sway bar tab location. One location up to and including 1972. 1973-1976 tab location is different. 73 to 76 liwer ball joints fit earlier LCAs with no modifications, or problems.
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
I recommend boxing the LCAs in to stiffen em up. The plates are cheap enough to buy as a pair.
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Awesome work so far.
joseph schrom
Well-Known Member
see the broad cast sheet is there that is good
More input! Not sure what this is relating to....
65barracudaLA
Well-Known Member
He is referring to the build sheet or broadcast sheet that is in the springs of the back seat. But since you are not restoring the car back to original, it might not that important.
JDMopar
Well-Known Member
I'm guessing he saw the broadcast sheet still in the seat, in one of the pics in post #13 on the first page of the thread.
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Broadcast sheet is really only worth anything in an original or restored car, especially a muscle car. Modified car, notsomuch.
Hey there is serial numbers on the top radiator support, make sure you keep them.
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Splice number plate back into your new core support in same location.
Yeah I was thinking about that. Is there some legal reason I should do that or just to feel good that there’s number matching?
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
That number is the vin sequence number. It matches the last 8 in your vin. There is one other like it on the trunk weatherstrip rail too. Its not a numbers matching thing. Its a vin matches the body thing.
-
