Hardtop Duster?

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75slant6

75slant6

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Has anyone ever made a hardtop Duster or seriously checked into what it'd take or if its doable? I think it'd be absolutely sweet to have duster where the rear window and "pillar" between the door glass and quarter window would roll down! Like a normal 2 door hardtop. Any thoughts?
 
The factory never made one but I think there is a member here trying to attempt to do just this or at least a roll down rear window.
 
Any idea who the member is? I'd love to see how he does it! Only reason I can think of that the factory didn't do it is lack of time. If iirc the Duster was designed and put into production in like 2 weeks.
 
Something to consider. If you remove that pillar, you may have to weld in a support somewhere else lower in the body. But I am not sure exactly where. My Dart swinger has the cross brace behind the back seat. Does the Duster have that? I would think that it does, but I am not sure.
 
The thing is, that "pillar" is incredibly flimsy... I honestly dont even know if it does anything as far as body stiffening... And yes, dusters have the cross brace as well.

And I'll be putting subframe connectors in it as well.
 
What door will work with this setup, a earlier 2dr Valiant? Maybe I'm confused here :).
 
the "pillar" between the door glass and quarter glass is only the rear window frame. Its not structural.

when you take the 1/4 window out, the so called pillar comes out too ........because its actually just the 1/4 window frame.
 
the easiest option would be to remove the 1/4 window (three screws) and roll down the door glass when you want to cruise hardtop style and then when your done just pop the 1/4 window back in and put the screws back on and roll up the front window and all done!!


easy as that, your window crank could just be a Phillips screwdriver :)
 
Caleb, i'll support you if you decide to take this project on, but keep in mind that 99% of the public will never realize the time, money and effort you went thru to do it. Unless there's crash damage or extreme rust issues in that area of the body, my opinion is to leave well enough alone.
 
ok, I understand the mind of someone young who cant leave well enough alone... (I used to be there too)

so here is some food for thought, I used to have a 70 road runner two door post (RM21) and the back windows pop out just like a duster and I remember mopar muscle had an article and I remember seeing it done because my road runner had this mod. You get a power actuator from a late model (late 90s) dodge van which also has pop out rear windows and you can make the rear window pop open or closed powered. kinda like power windows for the pop out action .......


kinda slick and kinda useless but then so would roll down windows be also but if you wanted to be unique in the crowd, maybe an option.......jes sayin
 
Hmmm.... Just takin out the 1/4 window may be the better option here! It'd just be sorta like t-tops, take em out n put em in the trunk! And rani, you're probably right about the "can't leave well enough alone" part... Lol.
 
Keep in mind- the competition (nova and maverick) were both true 2 door sedans, with frames around the door glass. Mopar was the winner in that category with a hardtop style door, and a true hardtop in the "23" body A.

You may get away with modifying a 23 body mechanism, but you'd need to fabricate the channels, the weatherstripping, and the trim.

Also keep in mind that the Duster had the sharpest curvature of glass in a production car at the time, so using a 23 body window is also out.
 
Yea I'm guessing you'd need a bunch of custom stuff to do it. And even then, unless you'd hook power to the rear windows you'd need to reach back n crank em down. I think I'll just see how fast I can take the 1/4 windows out
 
The curvature would be the big deal. The mechanisms and hardware would be a piece of cake compared to the custom glass you'd need to roll them up and down. The Duster pop out glass is too small to make a roll up window out of because it has a gasket on the bottom side too, not to mention the "pillar". You'd need a piece of glass with the same shape on the top, but then continuing straight down from the "point" of the quarter glass.

My guess is that you'd have to use Lexan if you wanted it to be even slightly cost effective.
 
Maybe you could hinge it from a pivot point in the rear and swing it from an offset? It would leave a small portion of glass exposed at the rear but more in line with what you are talking about.
 
72bluNblu said:
The curvature would be the big deal. The mechanisms and hardware would be a piece of cake compared to the custom glass you'd need to roll them up and down.
Click to expand...

I remember reading an article on the Duster body design. (probably on Allpar)
One of the BIG hangups was that the designers wanted to have curved side glass. They almost did not pull it off because the curvature had to fit inside the existing door width. Once they solved that, it was a GO. IIRC, it was the first car to have that much curvature in the side glass.

If you can pull it off, I think it would look great. I really like the Duster/Demon body style.
On a similar note, I've wondered if the vent wing window could be eliminated on 67-69 cudas. But why stop there? Flush mount front and rear glass, shave the drip edge, etc.
 
Here you go good read. And as some of you have had the trim off back there. It looks like Ma may have planned on doing a roll down rear window.
Lot of mounting places screw holes and empty room at top of frame not used and if you look at some of the angles could have been a thought that did not make it. But a lot more cost effective to just pop out a little window and less weight gas crunch time.
Here is the thread. Not mine.
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=284608
 
Cool! I'll have to watch that thread! Eventually I'll need to do 1/4 work on my 72 so if he gets it figured out I may have to copy him!
 
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