mopar_1974-Eric's Duster project

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mopar_1974

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Well i really enjoy reading everyones restoration projects and seeing the continuing progress so i guess i'm gonna start my own. I've owned my duster for around 4 years now so i guess i'll start by doing some backtracking. Found my car while searching ebaymotors and saw that it was only a 2 hour drive away. At the time, i had no idea what mopar was, how gutlass the slant six was, and i really didnt grow up wrenching on any vehicles. I just knew i liked muscle cars when i rode around in a friends newly aquired 72 El Camino. So after winning the auction, i rode with a friend of the family into Iowa to pick it up. Lucky for me, it was in the 90s, i was in a car with no A/C, and i didn't know about the floor vents yet. I finally arrived home with a sweat soaked t-shirt and a smile from ear to ear. not too long after i began to make it my own. the horrific looking bumper horns came off and the hubcaps were replaced with trim rings and chrome lug nuts. The duster got me into working on cars, I am currently going for automotive engineering and right now i work at the Wal-mart Tire and Lube Express. Speaking of, my lunch is almost over... I'll be back on later tonight to continue.

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Very nice mopar 1974 that is a nice Duster. Is that the factory collor?
it almost look's Panther pink.

Get back with us after work.
 
yeah it is factory, rally red. I just waxed it that day and the sun must have been shining on it just right or something. Its darker than it appears in the picture. but im off to put my brake drums back on...
 
don't forget to put on some rubber clove's or wash your hands after!
that brake dust can stop you too. :thumbup:
 
ok, back to the duster. Years pass and really nothing exciting for the duster yet. I've added stuff the normal high school kid adds, a new JVC CD deck, 6x9 Speakers, and two 12 inch Rockford Fosgate subwoofers. And of course we all know that we have to get rid of the factory exhaust and make it as loud as possible. I got sick of bottoming out at every railroad so i put in new shocks in the front and air shocks in the back. I have really only started pouring all my money into it in the past year. First off and one of the biggest improvements was the wheels. I found some cragar s/s SBM rims in the twin cities and won them for only $75, 4 rims and 2 good tires. I put them on at the same time i put my new rear leaf springs on, which i bought from espo.com, 5 leaf with a 2 inch extra arch. I attached some pictures of before and after. Driver side with new wheel and leaf, passenger without. You can see in the picture a large dent in the drivers fender, since i have owned my car i have been in two accidents, The first i was able to play with the insurance company and got about $1900 from, which is more than i paid for the car, this accident totaled the other car, however, the duster got nothing more than a pushed in bumper, a cracked grill, and a broken windshield from where my ex-girlfriend hit her head (ouch). The other accident occurred at night when i was sleeping, i woke up to find that someone backed into my drivers front fender, luckily they left thier number and i was able to get a settlement on that. (the funny thing is, i already had bought the rust-free, fenders for it before it happened)

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A quick wrap-up of the other changes made. Added a new grant steering wheel. Bought a hood and rattle-canned it flat black and hood-pinned it. most of my money has been going into my motor- 360 with 727 tranny.
I picked up the motor and tranny after selling my 68 dart 2 dr post, a project that lost funding and interest. I was able to sell it for $680 and during the deal i bought a running 360/727 for $500 delivered to my house. So far i purchased the schumacher conversion mounts, eddy air gap intake, Holley 650 vac secondary and pro form roller rockers. i plan on getting keith black 107s, getting the j heads ported and the valves back cut, and a msd ignition. Other future upgrades include a 8 1/4 rear end and disc brakes from a 73 dart sport i found up the road.

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Ok, now that were up to date i am now doing a front drum brake job. After putting the new rims and rear leafs in, something must have gotten tweaked, the car shakes really bad when braking. the front needed new shoes anyways. After the first payday of the month, i invested in 5 gallons of evaporust. Let me tell you, it does what it says it does. I pulled both front drums and replaced the shoes, springs and had the drums reworked. I did a before and after by dipping half of the drum in for about 8 hours. Afterwards, i gave it a few coats of Napa brand black paint, i figure i might as well save a few bucks on paint since the drums wont be there for too much longer anyways. i should have the other side on and painted tomorrow and we'll see how much it helps. its amazing how much better it looks

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Looking good Eric,...not sure about your rear shutter. Sounds like somethings out of round. :scratch: Just a poke...I take it your shoes are on the correct sides..(large to the rear)?
 
Looks like new. send me the 68 then I can stop looking and get started.
 
update on the brakes... got them on a couple of weeks ago but forgot to post. Brakes work great and no more shutter when trying to stop. this was with the stock front rims and wheels. i actually dont think it was the brakes, i took off the cragars and noticed a few spots where the drums rubbed into the rims. lugnuts werent all that tight either. i put some washers on the studs before sticking the rims back on. havnt gotten a chance to take it out yet. we'll see, its getting a new bolt pattern within the year (hopefully) anyways.
 
looking good i like the color, now the million dollar question, who is in your avatar :lol: :headbang: keep us posted on the progress :thumbup:
 
Nice Duster Eric. Those Dusters keeps on growing at me.
Looks real solid
 
Update-my day got a lot better when i came hope for lunch, i found a big FedEx box as well as a Summit Racing box lying in my garage. Take A Look!

The Rims are leaving me. I figured it was in my best interest to sell them now so i could get the engine swap done quicker. Oh well, the parts car i am getting has ralley rims on it, and thats quite a step up from the pressed steel.

Ive got much more stuff coming. And a lot of money leaving.

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Did you get the aluminum radiator from Summit? If so which one did you get?
 
got bored tonight and decided to do some mock up engine work. it took some patience to get the 2 barrel intake off but i finally talked it into giving up. i'll get the gaskets on and torqued later...perhaps tomorrow night

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havnt updated for a long time. I moved to a smaller place. no more 2 car garage. At least i got a 1 stall i guess. it will have to do. Less working space but it gets the job done.

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heres the goodies i've gotten recently. The summit and comp engineering frame connectors just arrived today. i jokingly wrote the 12.72 time in the corner a long time ago. now its what i'm shooting for.

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heres what i got to try and get my goal, also going to keep a running list of the build up costs. Prices will include shipping costs. Round off to nearest dollar.

Slant six duster $1550
1972 360 engine/1986-87? 727 tranny-$500
Summit racing $284
-Competition engineering frame connectors
-Trans Pak
-Oil Breather and Cap
-Thermostat, engine bolts
Comp Cams XE274 K-Kit $430
Spark plug Heat Shields $15
Chrome Water Neck $12
Mini Starter $70
Nearly new Richmond 3:55 gears 8 1/4 $25 yes, $25 shipped
360 external balance flexplate $63
Flowtech Cutouts $30
B&M 2400 Stall $90
Radiator Cap $20
Fel Pro gasket Set $70
K&N air cleaner, filter and precharger $49
26 inch aluminum radiator $160
RPM Air gap intake $190
Holley 650 Vacuum secondary $90
Shumacher conversion engine mounts $163
Doug Thorley headers $133
H-Pipe $25
New Steering Wheel $60
CD Player $250
Chrome car oil pan $64
wow....that added up quickly
Total so far
$2793 upgrades+$1550 car=$4343

More to come
1973 dart sport parts car-for discs and rear end
engine machining
J head porting
Keith Black 107s
Exhaust
275/60R15 with torque thrust Ds
much much more
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
 
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