I though about selling..now im thinking of cloning it.

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ValerianMagnum

ValerianMagnum

the little car that could
Joined
Mar 17, 2008
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Location
montreal , canada
I was honestly putting my extremely rare 76 e58 Duster for sale , factory sunroof car , loaded with options , fender tag / bcast sheet / vin tag its all there , its the original body , original panels , its very solid , Unfortunately i saw that nobody had any kind of interest even for trades , i always tought that mopar purist always knew how rare this car is ( 1 of 304 : e58 dusters for 76 ) , My favorite duster is either a lime green 70-71 340 car , if i dont sell the car..im honestly thinking about cloning it , i never tought after all those years that people would just pass and not even consider this car , it will never be as desirable as a 70-71 for sure , but i wasnt expecting that kind of lack of interest because its a 76 . Should i clone it or leave it the way it is...im very confused

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I read through your past ads. It looks like a nice car and a reasonable price. Edit, I didn't notice the running issue that needs to be taken care of. If you don't mind some constructive criticism, i think it needs some different wheels, something chrome and flashy, chrome bumpers, and a stripe package of some sort. The car is just too plain looking on the outside. Just my suggestions to make it look more attractive. Here is an example:

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toolmanmike said:
I read through your past ads. It looks like a nice car and a readonable price. If you don't mind some constructive criticism, i think it needs some different wheels, something chrome and flashy, chrome bumpers, and a stripe package of some sort. The car is just too plain looking on the outside. Just my suggestions to make it look more attractive. Here is an example:

View attachment 1716368427
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I agree wirh some of your suggestions too. Never been a fan of painted bumpers,plus his ad for this car on the B bodies forum also says the car has mechanical issues and isn't running..for $19,000 it should run perfectly.
"The car is in storage since 2023 , the engine as a timing # mechanical issue that i didnt find , starts and spins but dies when its put in gear , but i dont have time to fix it ,looks like it runs on 7 cyl "
Rare doesnt always equate to desirable either. I personally like the 1970-1972 Dusters and don't care for the later ones. And the e58 package (360) doesn't mean anything to me,its still a 1976 car. I'd rather have a 70-72 Duster 340 (Just my opinion). Plus in some states such as California that car would still be required by law to be stock and pass smog or it couldn't be registered and driven. Another issue I see, would be that anyone looking to spend 19k on a 1976 duster because of some rare option is likely going to want it to be in factory stock condition.
I also doubt anyone would trade a 1968-1970 Roadrunner for a 1976 Duster,those Roadrunners are in another league altogether. I personally dont like the 1971 and later Roadrunners either. I've always thought they were ugly. (No offense intended to those who may like them).
 
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Remember too that "rare", "valuable" and "desirable" all have different meanings in the dictionary. I'm not saying it's not valuable or desirable. I'm simply saying that lots of times, people get the meanings of those three words confused. Lastly, I have to agree, 19K for a car with running problems is very stong......really ridiculous. .......and I really like the car. But for 19K it should run reliably and very well.
 
Leave it.

Market for unusual cars is going up.
Market for A body cars is going up.
The uninformed dislike of the 360 is finally starting to wane.

I personally love that car.

But.

I can't physically fit in Mopar sunroof cars, so I'm not a player despite my love of the car.
 
Yes , for sure i am 100% aware of the mecanical issue , i was very negociable and i had another complete 360 to go with it , its just that i didnt have time to figure out what the problem was. Yes for sure putting some stripes and cragars will help a lot + fixing all the mecanical stuff too , i think i was expecting too much out of it, after putting so much money and people telling me how rare this car is etc....i have to think about all of this. * im not insulted at all , i started it at 19k but if i had an offer of 15-16 k i would be ok with it too , I was and still thinking out loud.
 
Remember, people like the muscle car 'era'.

That car reminds people of.... Jimmy Carter.

Add some flash. Enjoy the fact that it's different. Get it running well and you may find you can't part with it.
 
Most of the "there's no replacement for displacement" people are strangely silent wen it comes to 360 vs 340.
 
I like it the way it is. There is nothing wrong with "plain." That look used to be very desirable for people building "sleepers." The one Mike posted definitely looks sharper and more marketable. It's far too new for me to know about. I had to look up what the E58 option code was. So, it's a "Performance package" Duster. Nothing wrong with that!
 
Just food for thought. Rare 1 year only 79 Chrysler 300.E58 360.Factory dual exhaust.
Put it up for sale @ $6000. got laughed at and criticized by many on the Bodies sites.
Sometimes it is what it is.Even had the OE wheels to go with the sale.

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RustyRatRod said:
Remember too that "rare", "valuable" and "desirable" all have different meanings in the dictionary. I'm not saying it's not valuable or desirable. I'm simply saying that lots of times, people get the meanings of those three words confused.
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To build on what Rusty said....

In many instances, "rare" doesn't equate to value, and just because it's "one of a kind" doesn't necessarily mean it's "valuable". For example, my good friend Bazza's (Barry's) '71 VG Mexicana (my avatar pic) is one of less than 200 ever built, there are only 40 of them (or so) known to still be in existence worldwide, and his is the only one here in the States. Is it rare? Hell, yes! But is it valuable? In OZ or NZ it may be get a premium price, but here in the States- not so much.

With regards to your car (nice car, by the way!), the Market has spoken, more or less. You don't have to like it, but you're going to have to accept it if you want to sell it.
 
ValerianMagnum said:
Yes , for sure i am 100% aware of the mecanical issue , i was very negociable and i had another complete 360 to go with it , its just that i didnt have time to figure out what the problem was. Yes for sure putting some stripes and cragars will help a lot + fixing all the mecanical stuff too , i think i was expecting too much out of it, after putting so much money and people telling me how rare this car is etc....i have to think about all of this. * im not insulted at all , i started it at 19k but if i had an offer of 15-16 k i would be ok with it too , I was and still thinking out loud.
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Repost your ad with the lower price and see where it goes.
 
Being it is what it is, my opinion...... change the grill out for a 73/74 grill. Rechrome the bumpers, add a stripe kit, rally wheels...... and get the 360 sorted out. Will be back on the road alot quicker than if you clone a 71.
 
I can tell you, I had a factory 74 Duster 360 4 speed car. I sold it for $3500 40 years ago. It was a super nice original car. (For the most part) To this day, I regret selling it. You have a VERY rare car, especially a sunroof car. KEEP IT! Return to stock appearing, hop-up the engine a bit, (It won't take much) & it will run pretty damn good. Mine still had the factory exhaust manifolds on it, mild engine work as in a little larger cam & that's it. High to mid 14s with street tires. It would run. They were as fast as most any 340 car.
They don't get the respect they deserve because most people think they are smog era cars, WRONG! Keep it or you'll most likely regret selling it one day. It looks like a pretty nice car.
 
My opinion, and no offense intended-
Don't you dare use it as a clone.
It's too rare, and too nice to butcher up. As the last of it's kind, it is going to be appreciated for what it is; people are slowly beginning to realize what these later cars are.
But as previously said by others, a 19K car comes with some expectations-
C'mon, painted bumpers? Mechanical issues/undriveable? Can't even put windshield wipers on it? Throws up red flags immediately to anyone who may be interested in dropping that kind of coin- even on a "1 of 304" car. Bare black steel wheels- even the original wheel covers would brighten it up.
Yes, you've got a rare car with a degree of desirability; but as it sits it appears as more of a project, the extent of which is unknown as it is currently presented.
If you can't even deal with some of these relatively minor issues, what makes you think you can tackle a proper cloning? Again, no offense intended; it's just reality.
 
niceolddart said:
I can tell you, I had a factory 74 Duster 360 4 speed car. I sold it for $3500 40 years ago. It was a super nice original car. (For the most part) To this day, I regret selling it. You have a VERY rare car, especially a sunroof car. KEEP IT! Return to stock appearing, hop-up the engine a bit, (It won't take much) & it will run pretty damn good. Mine still had the factory exhaust manifolds on it, mild engine work as in a little larger cam & that's it. High to mid 14s with street tires. It would run. They were as fast as most any 340 car.
They don't get the respect they deserve because most people think they are smog era cars, WRONG! Keep it or you'll most likely regret selling it one day. It looks like a pretty
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It IS a "smog era' car. By 1975 all cars had catalytic converters installed on them. In the state of California all 1976 and later cars STILL have to pass a bi-annual (every other year) smog test (visual as well as emmisions) in order to get your tags.
There were also other federal regulations like the 5mph impact bumpers foisted on cars around that time. And compression ratios began to drop in the early 70's. So no,it wasn't a good time for muscle cars.
Most of the smog junk can be taken off now as most states have exemptions for classic cars,but it will always be a smog era car.
 
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ValerianMagnum said:
…….im very confused
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Yes, you are.

Maybe share with us what you want. Is a clone what you want? Do you think cloning will make you happy? Is it a money thing? I really don’t understand your goal.

In short, the market has spoken. You now need to decide what you want, and what is a practical and lowest cost to get there.

Finally, I personally would not plow money into the car (other than to get it running right) to increase the sale price. Either wait longer for the right buyer, or lower your price.

I kinda like the look of the car now.
 
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1968 Dart 270 said:
It IS a "smog era' car. By 1975 all cars had catalytic converters installed on them. In the state of California all 1976 and later cars STILL have to pass a bi-annual (every other year) smog test in order to get your tags.
There were also other federal regulations like the 5mph impact bumpers foisted on cars around that time. And compression ratios began to drop in the early 70's. So no,it wasn't a good time for muscle cars.
Most of the smog junk can be taken off now as most states have exemptions for classic cars,but it will always be a smog era car.
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This car is rumored to be a "rcmp" pursuit car , because it was very rare to order a 360 car at this date of production late december Xx 1975, most of all 360 car were left overs from 1975 , and this one has the *special handling* fender tag + deleted cats from factory stamped on the broadcast sheet , it was build exactly like a A38 police Valiant of the era No cats , dual exhaust + 360"hp" 4bbl car
 
Professor Fate said:
My opinion, and no offense intended-
Don't you dare use it as a clone.
It's too rare, and too nice to butcher up. As the last of it's kind, it is going to be appreciated for what it is; people are slowly beginning to realize what these later cars are.
But as previously said by others, a 19K car comes with some expectations-
C'mon, painted bumpers? Mechanical issues/undriveable? Can't even put windshield wipers on it? Throws up red flags immediately to anyone who may be interested in dropping that kind of coin- even on a "1 of 304" car. Bare black steel wheels- even the original wheel covers would brighten it up.
Yes, you've got a rare car with a degree of desirability; but as it sits it appears as more of a project, the extent of which is unknown as it is currently presented.
If you can't even deal with some of these relatively minor issues, what makes you think you can tackle a proper cloning? Again, no offense intended; it's just reality.
Click to expand...
Im not planning to cut it up...or clone it , its just a tought , i have this car since 2008 , half restored it , i was 22 at the time and wanted a "sleeper" = strip & strip car , my wiper motor broke that summer , i removed the wipers and put on a special paste to clear the windshield and make it good in the rain without wipers , the car is very light , fiberglass bumpers and fiberglass fenders , the mecanical stuff must be a stupid thing , since the compression is excellent / camera shows that its all nice inside / oil is perfect , maybe a roller lifter collapsed ( roller 360 engine ) so....some tests are needed , and pretty sure it will be fixed very quick if i take the time to do it.
 
Professor Fate said:
My opinion, and no offense intended-
Don't you dare use it as a clone.
It's too rare, and too nice to butcher up. As the last of it's kind, it is going to be appreciated for what it is; people are slowly beginning to realize what these later cars are.
But as previously said by others, a 19K car comes with some expectations-
C'mon, painted bumpers? Mechanical issues/undriveable? Can't even put windshield wipers on it? Throws up red flags immediately to anyone who may be interested in dropping that kind of coin- even on a "1 of 304" car. Bare black steel wheels- even the original wheel covers would brighten it up.
Yes, you've got a rare car with a degree of desirability; but as it sits it appears as more of a project, the extent of which is unknown as it is currently presented.
If you can't even deal with some of these relatively minor issues, what makes you think you can tackle a proper cloning? Again, no offense intended; it's just reality.
Click to expand...
Exactly. It's currently "built to taste" (painted bumpers, black steelies,....), but if the OP intends on reaching a wider audience he may find it advantageous to address these issues.
 
Ah, I see your location now.
So you're talking 19K Canadian? That's just over 13K US, a little more realistic but still a tad high considering it's current state. Your "acceptable offer" of 15k brings it to 10.5K US, so fix the issues and it'll sell.
 
ValerianMagnum said:
Im not planning to cut it up...or clone it , its just a tought , i have this car since 2008 , half restored it , i was 22 at the time and wanted a "sleeper" = strip & strip car , my wiper motor broke that summer , i removed the wipers and put on a special paste to clear the windshield and make it good in the rain without wipers , the car is very light , fiberglass bumpers and fiberglass fenders , the mecanical stuff must be a stupid thing , since the compression is excellent / camera shows that its all nice inside / oil is perfect , maybe a roller lifter collapsed ( roller 360 engine ) so....some tests are needed , and pretty sure it will be fixed very quick if i take the time to do it.
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Oh, non-original engine? Roller LAs (318) didn't come on the scene until the mid eighties, 360s in the late eighties. E58s were hyd. flat tappet.
 
my goal was a solid 15k usd , i have more thant 25 canadian in the car , and wanted at least 15 usd for it , i can always go lower but theres very expensice parts on it , a bodie differential , 8 3/4 , 3.91 sg clutch unit , moser axles , 2500 stall with a brand new 727 , super stock leaf springs , frame connectors , scs cheetah shifter , new gas tank , new windshield , new wiring harness , paint and body was done 10-11 years ago , dual plane intake - holley dp carb - etc etc , i was starting it at 19k , because i got caught in the game ... ive seen a lot of shitty and bad dusters for sale for almost 10-15k more , and i was tempted to ask 19k to have an honest offer for it , but i think ill have to take a step back and think about all of this , maybe just removing all the aftermarket parts and put it back like it was from factory , its a very fast car , all the drivetrain was in a 71 demon that ran 11.60 with slicks couple of years ago , so this is a high 11 -12.xx flat car , but im getting older and i dont want to beat the crap out of it anymore , i have a ratty 68 fury with a 318 and i just love driving it , so yes..i am confused with this rare duster and its future !
 
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