71 Duster 360 (new project)

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70aarcuda

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Well...bought a 71 Duster off Craigslist a few weeks ago...got to take a wonderful trip over to Crestline, Ca to pick it up.

Going to build this for Daughter No. 2 to bracket race with, hopefully going to run in 12s with it. Let her learn how to bracket race.

The car is 71 Duster with /6 in it, a 360-904- 8 3/4 will replace the existing running gear.
Picked up a Sharktooth grille for it already, it needed door panels and i found a set of front and rears on ebay...the bench seat will be replaced with buckets I found on craiglist a couple of days ago...same bucket seats the Challenger Drag pac cars come......lol

also bought a 71 K member from fabo member. Duster came with KH manual front disc on it....going to stay with those for now, still got a set of SBP front runner Centerlines left over from 71 Dart.

the 360 used to be in my 73 Duster that i could not get to pass smog, only changes will be deep oil pan and using a Howard hydraulic cam...instead of the Hughes.

360 .030...Kb107 piston down .020, Eddy OOTB heads, Eddy Air Gap intake, 750 dp or vs carb as needed...1.5 aluminium rockers, msd 6 al ignition, TTi 1 5/8 stepped headers.

904 will have turbo action cheetah valve body bought new back in 1983, 10 inch 3200 stall converter (I think).

8 3/4 ...i have a complete drum to drum with 4.30 sure grip ...will change out axles to make BBP... ..Have a set of nearly new MP SS springs for rear along with CE shocks.

Probably end up with 9x 28 MT slicks on the rear.....hoping to have this all done by March 22, 2013

Pictures and updates will be posted as work is done....

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That should be fun...

Is this daughter actually interested in working on it or just driving? :)
 
come on man....LOL


since she is here with the car...she will help...or maybe just watch...lol
 
what a cool dad!you know she'll want to go tens too! how come the kb 107s are 20 down in the hole? mine were close to zero before decking?
 
Very nice find Tony:thumblef:. That's gonna make a real nice simple bracket car.

BTW, with all that inventory, have you considered adopting a son from the east coast?....:D.
 
Nice car Tony!With all the parts at hand you,ll have standing room in your shed now.LOL Keep us posted with your progress.:D
 
more pictures...short block...and bucket seat....
 

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sweeet looking pick up nice looking seats awsome find what bottom end u gonna use
eagle forged with sir rods or you perfer the h beams wanna follow your your motor build a little to get more info for my 408 i was either gonna use a 3200 stall and a 305 h cam or a
20-229-4 wanna try to stay streetable but if i cant i just go cruzing in the 1 i bought for my grandaughter and tow it 2 dam hours to the track and run it for kiks
 
what a cool dad!you know she'll want to go tens too! how come the kb 107s are 20 down in the hole? mine were close to zero before decking?

i bought this short block many years ago...it was assembled...got a good deal on it..had milodon pan..hughes cam and lifter...It spend about 6 yrs in my 73 duster....it would not pass smog...but a friend took care of me...but that ended ...so engine came out....has low mileage on it...super clean..

3.58/2= 1.79 + 6.123 + 1.675 = 9.588......

if my 360 has a deck height at 9.608.....pistons end up at .020 in hole...

360 block deck heights are usually all over the place from factory...this one has a variation of .003 from front to back ...but is has the same on both banks...which i consider lucky...

i have seen it vary from .010 to .020 from front to back and left to right...

I will use the thin MP head gasket .026....compression works out to be 10.55...good enough..
 
Well...looking around the tonight..I figured out i put the wrong pick up tube...not for the milodon pan....oh well...better to find out now...
 
I dug up my notes for my 340, that i built 18-+ years ago.

Piston pop up was .012 on cyl. #1 and .016 on cyl. #7.
My notes also told me that the piston pop up was spec. at .018 out of the hole.(flat top pistons)

My new motor had the block decked for "0" deck as well as square deck!
 
Nice straight rust free west coast car.
Those are hard to find here on the east coast
Looking forward to watching this build.
 
i bought this short block many years ago...it was assembled...got a good deal on it..had milodon pan..hughes cam and lifter...It spend about 6 yrs in my 73 duster....it would not pass smog...but a friend took care of me...but that ended ...so engine came out....has low mileage on it...super clean..

3.58/2= 1.79 + 6.123 + 1.675 = 9.588......

if my 360 has a deck height at 9.608.....pistons end up at .020 in hole...

360 block deck heights are usually all over the place from factory...this one has a variation of .003 from front to back ...but is has the same on both banks...which i consider lucky...

i have seen it vary from .010 to .020 from front to back and left to right...

I will use the thin MP head gasket .026....compression works out to be 10.55...good enough..
sorry tony just talked to my machinist he said mine was 17 back and 14 front before he squared it up.
 
Hope you do get it done by March 22, 2013.....then I'll have another car to shoot at the track :D If you need any help just let me know!
BTW you do know they changed the rules here on getting a classic smogged for registration.....just register for classic plates and no smog. They also went from limiting you to 2500 miles a year up to 5000 miles.
 
Hope you do get it done by March 22, 2013.....then I'll have another car to shoot at the track :D If you need any help just let me know!
BTW you do know they changed the rules here on getting a classic smogged for registration.....just register for classic plates and no smog. They also went from limiting you to 2500 miles a year up to 5000 miles.


yes..i know..but they did not change it until after I swapped out the motor...the 73 Duster is not registered as a Classic Car...and it will pass smog...once i change out the metering rods in the eddy...lol

Hope to start working on 71 Duster next week...but I thought I would have the disc brakes and UCA/Strut rods swapped out by the end of the week on the Dart...but it is a short week...

Installing new LCA bushing in Dart while I have it apart. Parts will be here tomorrow for that.
 
Got all the parts in to rebuild the 904, the trans is 77 with low gear set in it...

Clean it up...and got the back half and reinstalled...now for the fun stuff..

I could not for the life of me get the pistons back into the drums...dam lip seals both on drums killing me...using lip seal tool too..

just walked away....lol

anyway...got the 24 mulitspring kit...new pump gear...new band strut..new rear servo..bands and disc/steels...Teflon sealing rings,...hopefully have it wrapped up in a few days..

edit for post above...the 73 Duster is now registered as a classic car...has been since they changed the law.
 
Dang Tony, that is a bunch of bracket cars to maintain and tune. I would hate to see your tire bill. LOL You are a good man. I hope to see you in March.
 
after a couple of days...I fought with those lip seals again today...but in the end I whipped them...I have two bad thumbs and have a hard time pressing down on the pistons...

got the twenty four spring kit installed in the front drum...

the tool is the factory tool for compressing the drum...bought it off ebay several years ago...

one picture I had the retainer for the big single wound spring in there...it is not used with the multispring kit...could not remember...but figured it out since..it would not all fit..and I wonder why I had several of the retainers in a box (left overs).

got the servos installed...waiting on the 5.0 kickdown lever......and i have to replace the bushing in the drum...and pump...along with the new pump gears...

of course..the old TA cheetah valve body goes in....the serial number on it shows that is was build back in 1983....bought it new for $69.95 back then....
 

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awh...all the small parts being gather to finish to front of the motor once the cam get here on 11/29...so they say...well..summit now shows the cam arriving 11/30/12...
 

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and finally....i had the wrong pickup for the milodon pan...had to pull the pan and replace the pickup....
 

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Worked on the Eddy heads the past couple of days as I wait for the UPS truck to bring me stuff...lol

Bought these heads a couple of years ago as part of a large cache of sb mopar parts from a guy who found them basically in the trunk of a car he towed...He was a chivy guy and wanted to get rid of all the stuff ...cheap...even discounted the cost of my gas to come and get them...LOL...

Heads have been sitting for a "few" years...old part number..and been sitting in my garage for two years...

I disassembled them...cleaned everything..the assembly lube in the valve guides was like cake...lol...got a set of new valve seals ..and shims to correct the spring height for the dual valve springs i am using...suppose to be at 1.800.....I was getting 1.825 to 1.830 inches...

well..gotta go finished putting disc brakes on a dart the next couple of days.
 

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Nice project Tony! That duster is CLEAN! Should be a fun ride for your daughter!
 
Bought these heads a couple of years ago as part of a large cache of sb mopar parts from a guy who found them basically in the trunk of a car he towed...He was a chivy guy and wanted to get rid of all the stuff ...cheap...even discounted the cost of my gas to come and get them...LOL...

Some peoples luck. Nice score Tony
 
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