Found my dads original 1971 duster!

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Top right cavity is damaged. Off the top of my head that might be for wire L1.
Get a replacement connector.
If that is L1 with the AMP Fast-on 1/4" spade terminal, replace with a Chrysler or Packard 58 for 14 or 16 gage wire.
Sorry but that's what is needed so it will have a good connection and won'tslip out the back when the connector gets installed onto the switch.
If you were desprate I'd tell you could cheat it if you added a headlight relay harness. But its all on the bench so do it right.
Headlight relay harness is a good idea anyway, but that can be a plug and play in the engine bay. The headlight circuit is the one really weak circuit, especially with higher watt lamps than the car came with.
 
This guy was also working on '71, but with a Ralley dash.
www.forabodiesonly.com

1971 duster

I’m confused which cable goes to the control box, any idea Did you get the heater cables figured out?
www.forabodiesonly.com www.forabodiesonly.com

Some of those have some subcircuits for headlight on reminder and such that can get tricky.
If you trouble with one of those start a thread about tjust hat and there will be a bette chance people who know about it will see it.

Here's some reason I suggest eventually adding a relay harness.
www.forabodiesonly.com

Headlight short

My headlights do function properly, but after 30 seconds of being on the switch itself gets hot and wisps of smoke come out of the dash. Could my switch itself be shorted even if it functions properly? Thanks as always
www.forabodiesonly.com www.forabodiesonly.com
 
Mattax said:
This guy was also working on '71, but with a Ralley dash.
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Some of those have some subcircuits for headlight on reminder and such that can get tricky.
If you trouble with one of those start a thread about tjust hat and there will be a bette chance people who know about it will see it.

Here's some reason I suggest eventually adding a relay harness.
[/URL]
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Wow. Amazing info and diagrams. Thanks so much, mattax! I’ll do some testing etc today and keep you posted. Looks like my black wire that was hanging beside the headlight harness should actually be in the harness. Headed to national moparts now to see if they have a new harness end. Need a few other things as well. Thanks again!!
 
dads71 said:
Wow. Amazing info and diagrams. Thanks so much, mattax! I’ll do some testing etc today and keep you posted. Looks like my black wire that was hanging beside the headlight harness should actually be in the harness. Headed to national moparts now to see if they have a new harness end. Need a few other things as well. Thanks again!!
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Sorry, I didn't get that pic....Family stuff yesterday. I will today. If no luck with Nigel, I think I can did up an extra connector if need be.

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CFD244 said:
Sorry, I didn't get that pic....Family stuff yesterday. I will today. If no luck with Nigel, I think I can did up an extra connector if need be.

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Thanks! I just swapped mine out. Nigel had one! So I discovered that the black one that was hanging beside my harness was the feed to the headlights. Also while connecting the new harness I found 2 very bad wires. I’ve replaced them with crimp on heat shrink connectors. The new harness end has 2 red wires instead of just one in mine. All others were identical. I just taped off the extra one. Not sure what it’s for
So now I have headlights and dash lights! I still don’t have signal lights or glove box light, console light or map light. But progress! I’m surprised I don’t have signal lights though. I finally got wiring diagrams today from Nigel. Just need someone who understands them. Lol
I think 2nd last pic is flasher for signal lights? It’s connected to something. The last pic are wires not connected to anything yet

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Good for you brother. You'll have this figured out in no time. Just keep plugging away, and ask as many questions as you want.

Follow those schematics like water flowing.......From the positive, through the circuit (switches, relays etc.) and load (lights, wipers etc.), back to negative. Understand the difference between series and parallel circuits.:thumbsup:
 
CFD244 said:
Good for you brother. You'll have this figured out in no time. Just keep plugging away, and ask as many questions as you want.

Follow those schematics like water flowing.......From the positive, through the circuit (switches, relays etc.) and load (lights, wipers etc.), back to negative. Understand the difference between series and parallel circuits.:thumbsup:
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Thanks man!!
So update: the signal lights are working! (I forgot to turn the key on when I tried them. LOL).

Map light is working

Glove box light is working

Radio circuit is working

Door buzzer is working

Console light is working

Gauges all work except the oil pressure gauge. The weird thing is that when my buddy used a test light on its terminal to see if there was power, the gauge would steadily go up as long as he held the test light on it. So weird. Any ideas?
Once I have it working and heater cables installed, I can put the dash back in :)

Great day! Tomorrow is tackling the heater cables and running harness to rear blower to get it working
 
Sounds like the test light is providing the ground path for the gauge. Make sure that you have a complete circuit to the oil pressure sending unit, and that you are using the correct sending unit for a gauge system vs idiot light. This is the one that you need.

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CFD244 said:
Sounds like the test light is providing the ground path for the gauge. Make sure that you have a complete circuit to the oil pressure sending unit, and that you are using the correct sending unit for a gauge system vs idiot light. This is the one that you need.

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Yep. That’s the one I’m using! I read a few threads that’s say you can’t use Teflon tape because the unit won’t get good enough ground to the engine. Mine definitely has Teflon tape on it. Just not sure how it wouldn’t leak oil if tape isn’t used
 
Check continuity between the sending unit body and ground. That will tell you if the teflon is a problem......I have always used it with no issues.
 
Question guys. We had the key turned in the on position yesterday while hooking up lights etc. Car was never running. We probably had the lights etc on for a combined 2 hours or so. The alternator and coil were hot to the touch. Without the car ever running. Does this mean that I have a short somewhere, or is that normal?? Thanks again. Really hoping nothing else is wrong. Finally ready to start reassembling
 
When the key is in the 'on' or run position, power is supplied to most circuits, and I would expect the coil to be warm for sure, probably the alternator too. Most modern cars the battery would likely be dead after 2 hours.
 
missing linc said:
When the key is in the 'on' or run position, power is supplied to most circuits, and I would expect the coil to be warm for sure, probably the alternator too. Most modern cars the battery would likely be dead after 2 hours.
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Well that is great news! I’m hoping that’s what caused it. We had headlights on for a good portion of that time too. Everything now seems to be working perfectly. I just need to try taking the Teflon tape off of oil sender unit to see if that fixes oil pressure gauge issue
 
Well guys. Pretty good day. A friend stopped by and we got the heater cables all hooked up. I installed the speaker and radio. Put dash temporarily in place and tested everything and it all worked perfectly!
BAD end to the day though. I then completely installed the dash, re tried everything….and now the radio and heater fan won’t work. Pretty frustrating end to the day. It went in very easily and nothing pinched or did anything that I felt. I’ve just now pulled it back out. So now I have to sort out what happened :(
 
Update:
Heater blower was a loose connection (I think) and radio has power going to its harness, so the 50 plus year old radio must have just given up the ghost.
Man, this electrical stuff is fun! Lol
 
Hey guys. Here’s an update:

We got the brakes fixed, adjusted and bled (5 leaks), dash is all in…for good (I hope), took it for a little test run up the street to see how everything was working. All seems good, but the brakes are very hard to get you stopped. They seem much harder than my 72 duster was. I’m wondering if the brake booster is faulty. Both cars are and were drums

I was told that the throttle cable mounting bracket might be wrong. There isn’t any adjustment left and there isn’t much foot pedal currently. Also the kick down lever is wrong, I think. The spring isn’t even hooked up to the right spot.

Biggest worst news though…is that I’ve found out that he put dart doors on my car. Thats why the windows fit so horribly. He’s drilled holes to try to make them work, but the glass is basically falling out of the tracks and is 2” or more off from hitting gaskets (that’s when they don’t fall out of the tracks). I have a friend that says we can try to make them fit decently, but even then…..now the door trims and felts that go on the top of the door won’t work. So not sure what I’ll do there. Any ideas would be greatly appreciate.

I’ve polished it a bit more and have it looking pretty decent from afar!

Windshield and back glass is going in tomorrow

Last pic is one of the ground off bolts that were hidden under the duster emblem, for him to try to make the tracks work. He’s quite the butcher

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Your making great progress learning various areas of your car! Well done!

How did he get Dart (2 door hardtop) doors for your Duster? Did he tell you the doors were wrong before he butchered them?
 
H22A4 said:
Your making great progress learning various areas of your car! Well done!

How did he get Dart (2 door hardtop) doors for your Duster? Did he tell you the doors were wrong before he butchered them?
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He told me that one door would be a dart door, but said that the doors were identical in every way, to a dusters doors. Just a complete liar. I’m not sure why there ended up being 2 dart doors. I know mine weren’t in very good shape
 
H22A4 said:
Your making great progress learning various areas of your car! Well done!

How did he get Dart (2 door hardtop) doors for your Duster? Did he tell you the doors were wrong before he butchered them?
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Oh….and thank you! I’ve had some help from some friends too. I sure am learning lots!
 
@72bluNblu might have some info on how to make those doors right. I know he's done it with good success. There are a couple of things that need to be done....I don't believe it's a direct bolt in due to glass issues.
 
CFD244 said:
@72bluNblu might have some info on how to make those doors right. I know he's done it with good success. There are a couple of things that need to be done....I don't believe it's a direct bolt in due to glass issues.
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Ya thanks! I’ve been googling the crap out of it. It looks like it can be done. The idiot has tried to drill holes under the doors to match a duster door, but he’s as much as 1/2” off on some of them
 
Hey guys! Does anyone have any ideas on how to use duster door felts on dart doors? I’ve scoured the internet and can’t come up with anything. Thanks!
 
I believe that the Door felts or cat whiskers are the same for darts or dusters. The difference is between model years. The earlier say 70, 71 are held on with clips on the whiskers themselves as for the later say 72, 73, 74 are held on by difference method which I can't recall. I ran into this issue with 69 style vs 70 something on a dart door skin. The "builder" probably used the later doors as I believe the outer shell (skins) are the same. Hopefully someone else can confirm for you.
 
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