71dusterdan
Well-Known Member
I was introduced to this site via a thread at Moparts.com, and saddly, I havent really been back to Moparts much since. Too many e bodies and b bodies for my liking! 
So I am Dan and have had a 71 duster for the last 10 years. Dusters were always my dream car. When we were young the friends all wanted Porsche's Ferrari's etc, I was the dummy that wanted a 71 Duster. Wouldnt you know it of all those friends and desireable cars, I am the only one to own my dream car! hahaha! So over the course of the last 10 years I have been building it into a pro-touring ride with a race car theme. I have also occasionally toyed with the thought of giving it an Eleanor type look. The problem is all these years I have been going for "perfection", you know gotta get this part even though I own something that will work, etc, etc. The problem with that idea is, that it has been apart for at least 8 of those 10 years, right! So this is the year...I am going to go with good enough, in order to hit the street. Then I can use winters to upgrade and work towards the ideal. If I have a part that will work, it will go onto the car, even if it is just a bandaid. For instance the late "B body" unilug rotors and calipers, and spindles. Sure I would like something bigger and sexier, but, I bet those large car brakes with good pads will bring her down quickly enough. The rear, well dont shoot me, but I bought a ford 9 inch out of a mid seventies Mark 5. The rotors are bigger than the typical Versailles and explorer set up. So I own that stuff now, it will be on the car this year. Interior, well I want red and euro looking, but I own stock black and mint, with ricer seats minus a carpet, stereo, and fancy gauges. So stock it will be for now. Heck I have 2 dashes, I can do the custom one on my off time. Trans....yeah I want a 5 gear...but guess what, I own an 23 spline 833, and an 833 od. Gonna go with the od because I've got 3:50-1 in the rear. Paint and body.....well either red with a play on the factory two tone or again a dark gray like Eleanor. Well lets just get it straight, hang the quarters and tailpanel, and put it in epoxy primer for a while. As for the power....I would love F.I. and even a g3 hemi, but I own 2 360's one low mile clean rv motor with magnum heads, and one all torn down ready for a complete. So I am gonna use the rv motor, put some flat tops in it, deck it, slap in a mild cam, my performer intake and Tq, and the manifolds will come off a magnum motor for now.
If anyone has a drop center steering link....I am in need, I could also use low buck sway bars, t bars and rear springs. If any of you have upgraded and want to get rid of your hi po or slightly better cast offs....I am waiting! Now lets see if I can upload the rendering and a current state pic. Oh did I forget...a buddy built a sweet cage for me on the cheap, and we did the xv motorsports mods to the core support and cowl to inner fenders, along with through floor subframe connectors. It is STIFF! I can put the jack right behind the fronts or just in front of the rears and lift 3 corners off the ground! :headbang:
So I am Dan and have had a 71 duster for the last 10 years. Dusters were always my dream car. When we were young the friends all wanted Porsche's Ferrari's etc, I was the dummy that wanted a 71 Duster. Wouldnt you know it of all those friends and desireable cars, I am the only one to own my dream car! hahaha! So over the course of the last 10 years I have been building it into a pro-touring ride with a race car theme. I have also occasionally toyed with the thought of giving it an Eleanor type look. The problem is all these years I have been going for "perfection", you know gotta get this part even though I own something that will work, etc, etc. The problem with that idea is, that it has been apart for at least 8 of those 10 years, right! So this is the year...I am going to go with good enough, in order to hit the street. Then I can use winters to upgrade and work towards the ideal. If I have a part that will work, it will go onto the car, even if it is just a bandaid. For instance the late "B body" unilug rotors and calipers, and spindles. Sure I would like something bigger and sexier, but, I bet those large car brakes with good pads will bring her down quickly enough. The rear, well dont shoot me, but I bought a ford 9 inch out of a mid seventies Mark 5. The rotors are bigger than the typical Versailles and explorer set up. So I own that stuff now, it will be on the car this year. Interior, well I want red and euro looking, but I own stock black and mint, with ricer seats minus a carpet, stereo, and fancy gauges. So stock it will be for now. Heck I have 2 dashes, I can do the custom one on my off time. Trans....yeah I want a 5 gear...but guess what, I own an 23 spline 833, and an 833 od. Gonna go with the od because I've got 3:50-1 in the rear. Paint and body.....well either red with a play on the factory two tone or again a dark gray like Eleanor. Well lets just get it straight, hang the quarters and tailpanel, and put it in epoxy primer for a while. As for the power....I would love F.I. and even a g3 hemi, but I own 2 360's one low mile clean rv motor with magnum heads, and one all torn down ready for a complete. So I am gonna use the rv motor, put some flat tops in it, deck it, slap in a mild cam, my performer intake and Tq, and the manifolds will come off a magnum motor for now. If anyone has a drop center steering link....I am in need, I could also use low buck sway bars, t bars and rear springs. If any of you have upgraded and want to get rid of your hi po or slightly better cast offs....I am waiting! Now lets see if I can upload the rendering and a current state pic. Oh did I forget...a buddy built a sweet cage for me on the cheap, and we did the xv motorsports mods to the core support and cowl to inner fenders, along with through floor subframe connectors. It is STIFF! I can put the jack right behind the fronts or just in front of the rears and lift 3 corners off the ground! :headbang:
I don't have an A body (yet) and have only been here a couple weeks myself but this seems like a pretty nice place to be. I lived just outside of Rockford for about 7 years before moving back to Dixon a few years ago. The car looks like it'll be nice when finished. ;-)
