73 Duster -- Father-Son Project

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HookEm

HookEm

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Austin, TX
My Dad bought this 73 Duster a few weeks back, October 27th I think.
My Dad had a 75 Duster when he was a little older than me, which played a big part in choosing the Duster.
He's a truck driver so he's only home on the weekends, when he's able to get home. I'm in college, so I'll be working on small stuff when I can.

Anyways, we went and picked it up that day. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures before we started. My Dad took some, but they're on film. I think by about Thursday 11/1, I had gutted just about everything from the interior. The week after that, my Dad was only home for a few hours, so we took out the front and rear windows and some other small stuff. He wasn't home the week after that.
We got a da sander 2 weeks ago and started taking down the surface rust on the roof. That damn rust is a pain in the ***. On top that, we've got a small compressor. Dad wasn't able to get home the week after we got the sander, and I didn't do anything on the car. I've been sanding on the rust a few days this week, and we got fairly deep this weekend with it.
I found a little tutorial on getting rid of surface rust with naval jelly here: http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/secrets-surface-rust-removal-revealed-55679.html I figured we should try it since the naval jelly's only $7.

We plan on getting and rebuilding a 360 or 340, not sure yet, just depends on what we come across. Most likely going to be using the 727, I mentioned to my Dad about using the 904, but we're not sure on that either. One of my Dad's brothers works at Jeep Masters and he's very knowledgeable of rear ends, and he offered to rebuild and help with our Duster. My Dad's brother also knows a guy who is very experienced with transmissions, so we might get his help on rebuilding the transmission.

It'll be a slow build, but it'll be fun.
 

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up until now.
4th picture should be after the 7th
 

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Looks like you've got your hands full. Cool project. That naval jelly looks to be good stuff. I've used it on smaller stuff with good results. There's a product called E-Vap-O-Rust that supposedly works really well too. I've seen it at O'Riley auto parts. Never used it myself, but have read that it really works. Thanks for sharing, and keep the pics coming!!
 
Good for you man. I'm positive your dad is proud of you for taking the initiative to get at it while he is away. Enjoy the time with him because as a father myself I can say that he enjoys every minute with you. Two big thumbs up from here. :thumleft::thumleft:
 
Cudos to both of you,

My son and me have been working on our 73 duster for about 10 years now and its still not completly done, we are constantly changing our minds on some thing or another, You 2 enjoy working on it, its a great way to stay connected to your dad

Bob / Bryce
 
Haven't done much with the car. Have been fixing up the garage a little bit and making room for big parts in the attic during the week. You can kinda see what I changed from before and after in the pictures.

Started to take apart the front end and drop the k member, but we're gonna have to get some sockets for those bolts.

Dad got a welder from Harbor Freight. The electric one is gonna produce a lot of splatter, but the places were gonna be using it in, it won't really matter.

Strongly thinking about shaving the drip rails. Personally, I don't like chrome, but I think it looks alright on classic cars. If we do decide to shave the drips, I think the car would look best with the window trim being body color, along with the quarter mirror pillar being body color too.

Borrowed a grinder to help with getting the rust off the roof, but it didn't seem to do much with the wire wheel? Has anyone encountered that with the grinder? All it seems to do is create a burning smell and turn the rust black, but it doesn't seem like it gets any of it off.
Guess I'll just stick with the DA.
 

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Looks awesome in there! Good job. "A clean work space, is a safe work place". :thumrigh: I like your tool box, it's just like mine! You'll find as you work, keeping it clean and organized will save time and grief.
 
Welcome to the site and if you need any off the wall solutions to the problems you run into get in touch.
Ill PM you contact info.
Andrew
 
Well, not much has been going on.
Found a 97 318 magnum on Craigslist for $100, guy said I could take it off his hands for $25. Though, initially I thought it was a 360, I saw the numbers when I went to go pick it up, but I didn't know how to decipher them, or what they meant. :banghead: :violent1: Didn't find out it was a 318 until I got home and checked. :banghead:
Came with rods, pistons, and crank, and got it for $25 so I won't complain.
It's a little embarrassing to have to admit that, but oh well.

My Dad is thinking about staying with it and stroking it, but I think we'd be better off finding a 360 because it wouldn't cost as much to get the same hp/tq. It's all up in the air for now though!
 

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We have been looking for parts for the front end and just about finish with removing rust from roof.
 
Its my cars twin right down to the rusty roof. I ended using 80 grits da disc and SEM Rustmort. but be easy with it because the acid will etch everything it touches. Evaporust didnt work.
 

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Cool. I see you have V8 spool mounts on it. Was this a /6 car to start? Can't really tell from the first pic.
 
It's a 340 H car. The guy we bought it from got it in a package deal from a lady that her husband collected mopars and sold parts off of them. It didn't have a front end or rearend. So he put parts on it that were laying around which is all /6 stuff. We want to put it back the way it was with a few changes here and there.
 
Duh, guess I should have noticed the stripe!! Cool, I also have aquired a 73 340 Duster. I am going to be starting on it right away. It sounds like we will be doing about the same. Mostly but not 100% stock.
 
The 5.2 should run plenty strong for a cruiser. Unless you plan on racing it I would just go through the bottom end and bolt on some RHS or EQ heads. You can get them with the LA intake pattern and run any intake you want. Add a nice small Hyd roller cam and beat the crap out of it.
 
My son wants to go with a 340 or 360 and I don't blame him. It's not going to be a daily driver.
 
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