1974 Duster Restoration/ Transformation

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airkiller

airkiller

MOPARS Rule
Joined
Mar 7, 2010
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Location
Sacramento CA
I was going to post earlier photos, but it seams my son deleted them before I could get them out of the camera. The car started life as a bench seat 318/ 904 powered car with Powder Blue and white paint. I got it last year from a older guy who could see so well any longer and the car was getting beat up. He had tagged 3 of the 4 corners but the body was if fair shape. The pictures I will start psoting is of the car once it came back from paint. I plan of restoring the car to like new condition but as I think it should have been if I ordered it back in the day. I have built the 318 with a stronger cam, 4 barrel carb and higher compression pistons. The engine is completly ready to go back in the car, but the front suspension need attention first. Just got it from paint last Sat and still have not gotten into the swing of things. I will try to post some photos next.
 
Nice. I love 73-74 Dusters. I had one as a first car and after 12 years I again have a 74'.

8)
 
I wish to post pictures of my project but am having great difficulty making the limits of file size and pixel size. What can I do to post quality pictures and not have hem be to big?????????
 
airkiller said:
I wish to post pictures of my project but am having great difficulty making the limits of file size and pixel size. What can I do to post quality pictures and not have hem be to big?????????
Click to expand...

resize them...open the pic in paint(right click photo thumbnail) and I use 35% of original 100 %
 
I think I got the picture thing worked out now, what a pain! Well anyway I got the rear bumper and filler panels installed today. I had a heck of a time with my compressor. I bought a bead blaster to clean the large parts and my compressor just can not keep up. Time for a new one anyway, it has been tired for a long time and 30 years out of a unit is probably past expectations.
 

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Did you paint the stripes on or are they decals? If you painted them... Wow.
 
The black on the hood is paint, but the side stripes and the tail stripes are matt black vinyl.
 
Thanks, I still need to get the scoop and ralley mirrors back from the paint shop. I fear the black on the hood however will mosy likely need to be redone. The paint shop screwed the amount of flatting to try to match the side stripes sheen.
 
Keep us posted as you get stuff done on your car it is really nice looking!
Bead blasters put a hurtin on good sized compressors. Most everyone I know has to stop and let compressor rest for a while running a blaster.
 
Like the white,...Is That a Space Duster?...Keep us posted,...Still in the homework stage on mine...
 
Yeah, I think I need to get a much bigger compressor, but how much will I use it in the future is the question.

This car started out life as a Light Blue and White Gold Duster with the Space Duster Option. I have seen alot of pictures of older Dusters that I realy like so I am kind of making it the way I want. I have removed the 318 but have it beefed up and will reinstall it with a 4 speed. The bench seat is long gone and I have a console and bucket seats to add.

Little steps.
 
Well we got into it today. One of the tasks I want to do with my Duster is to cmpletely rebuild the front suspension. I purchased a PST Full upgrade kit last week and needed to get the front end components out to bead balst, upgrade and paint. I was only able to get the left side out but still, we are moving forward.
 

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Just got all of the suspension and K frame out of the Duster. Now the fun begins. I got a kit from PST for all of the bushings, koos good. Hopefully in the next couple of days we can get started on the reassembly.
 

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Just got the first set of parts out of the oven and I have to say, that the Extreme Chassis Black paint from Eastwood is fantastic. This stuff sprays very well and levels great. When it dries it is tough as nails, almoust like a cataliyzed paint but from a rattle can. Highly recommended!!!
 
Today we marked an important step in the restoration project. The bead blasting and painting are done, now we can get started on the assembly. I got the K Frame and Steering gear box back in. This Extreme Chassis Black paint from Eastwood is AWSOME!!!!!!
 

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Just finished up putting the lreft side of the Duster front suspension in. Looks all brand new!!
 

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interesting, this is an auto car by the looks of the floor but it has the ball stud support on the frame rail
 
Thanks for the interest. I am restoring the car as well as converting it to a 4 speed transmision from the auto 904 that was in it from the factory. I am converting the interior from blue to black and getting rid of the bench seat to go with bucket seats as well as the floor console.
 
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