First project

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BOXHEADgumby

BOXHEADgumby

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2014
Messages
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Location
VA
I have been a silent member for a while just searching threads and learning. I picked up my 74 duster about four years ago. It has always been on my bucket list to build an American muscle car. Found it a mile from my house. The car was advertised as a 340 which I soon learned was not true, it had a 318 , 727, 8 1/4 rear and It has rallye wheels and that was it. I had a drive shaft made, had a custom made alternator made because I got tired of chasing a gremlin in the harness. Threw a floor shifter on , a carb and a set of Doug's headers with summit exhaust kit and got her running.
 
I soon stumbled onto a 360 in a junk yard and picked her up for 300. Got it torn down cleaned and machined and rebuilt it with KB pistons stock rods, stock crank, Eddie heads, rpm intake, roller rockers , tumpr cam, and all the rest to make it function. It will be my first engine build and i did the assembly myself so hopefully it holds up. I tore into the rear end put in 3.55 gears cleaned it up painted it and stole some jeep liberty discs and got them installed, while I was under there I threw in hotchkiss leafs and an addco sway bar. I travel alot for work so this has been a slow process. Next step working rear to front will be redo the valve body in the trans. Following that the plan is to put energy suspension bushings and a hotchkiss sway. Then I'll be ready to start getting the 360 in the car.
 
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Really clean Duster! She'll have some get up and go...and stopping power when you get her going!!!
 
BOXHEADgumby said:
Down in Va beach.
Click to expand...

If you haven't already, check out Tidewater Mopar Club. Fantastic Club that's very active. I lived in Va Beach from 2011 - 2015 and miss the club almost as much as "bird" watching on the boardwalk!!:rolleyes:
 
Looks amazing, I'm south of you guys in North Carolina
 
Got the 360 in finally, also went ahead since I had the time and redid the 727 with new bands and clutches as well as a valve body mods kit. I got the 1.03 torsion bars and QA1 upper control arms installed(had a bent arm so I had to) and the rest of my energy bushings in place. All that's left there is the sway bar to install but I'm going to wait until I get the front end dialed in and all the fluids in the car to set that up. Have a timing issue in the 360 im working through to get it to turn over. I hope I didn't miscaculate and have either the chain off or my damper marks off.
 
Okay guys a quick update. I’ve been busy between work trips and other life events. The car has become quite the Frankenstein. I picked up a C6 zo6 T-56 for cheap and retrofitted it into a gto/f-body style and have begun the process to get that into the car as well as a junkyard 8.8 with 4.10 gears and limited slip that has been narrowed.

Before I post in the Tranny forum has anyone who’s done a T-56 swap that would know if the clutch on a small block LA needs a reverse hub clutch? I’ve run into back order issues and I’m trying to source if I can get another one to get the car rolling again.
 
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