Too nice to use as a parts car? (pic intensive)

[Fuzzy Dice]

About a month ago I picked up a '73 Duster (340 auto, power steering, power brakes, etc) to use as a parts car for my '71 Demon. My Demon is an original /6 car with a 383 swapped in, which was fun but it's starting to get old having fenderwell headers, manual steering and (drum) brakes , no heater, sbp front wheels etc. I found the Duster and it was in good running and driving condition so my plan was to pull the engine, k-frame, suspension, and brakes and bolt that under my Demon (along with other nice to have things like the heater), then switch all the current Demon parts over to the Duster and resell it.

My problem now is my mom, dad, and brother-in-law all think that the Duster is too nice to tear apart. The body is in good condition compared to what you usually find around here, and it does run and drive nicely. It has features that I haven't seen on a lot of A-bodies like rear defrost, fold down back seat, map/floor lights, working door buzzers, working seat belt buzzers and other options and nice to see things like original spare tire, bumperettes and fender mounted blinkers (I think those were "nice" options back in the day), nice cardboard trunk lining, good bumpers, new fuel tank, etc.


What are the opinions on this car? Too nice to rob parts from? My thought is that it's a '73 Duster which isn't super collectible and I don't want to buy a beat up parts car where I end up swapping parts over and then having to rebuild the engine, go through the suspension, re-do the brakes, etc. and end up having a bunch of money stuck into the project...

The bad part of the body.... The rockers are a little beat up, there's rot in the rear fenderwells, and there's some amateur body work on the bottom or the quarters.

 

[chryslerfat]

Pull what you need and sell it.

 

[67dart_drop_top]

You face the same problem I have with buying parts cars: usually the cars that have good parts are too nice to chop up. It is like I am taking one off the road permanently, and it does not seem right. Anyone that wants to put it back on the road would have to find the same parts I took off. I guess it is like I would be a bottom feeder on the food chain of car restoration. LOL! Anyway, I am sure this did not help you.

Is there a chance you could do so minor work and turn it for a profit? Use the funds to buy what you need? Appeal to the masses to save the soul of a Duster?

 

[67Dart273]

Your choice. Some of the guys I know would look at that rot and cringe and immediately part it out. Others would strip it down, weld it up, fix it, and be happy as 'ell.

Depends on what you have "into it" whether you have a clear title, and what you would have to do / spend to fix it.

Are "the family" giving you this advice going to finance the repairs?

 

[pishta]

I seen worse shown at car shows...your call.

 

[PocketAces]

If it's a factory 340 car then either you restore it or clean it up and flip it for a profit. If the 340 was added, find out what the engine came out of and sell it off separately. Or were you planning to swap out the 383 in your Demon?

 

[dano]

Is it actually a 340 Duster or a Duster someone put a 340 in?

 

[clhyer]

The heater box, I think is very different from the earlier models. Might bolt it, but it might also be a very big pita to do that.
C

 

[70DartMike]

That's a pretty clean car for around here. I always say, never part out a running, driving, rust free (I realize that has a little, but it appears super solid) car. They aren't making these anymore, I'd say keep it together and find a dead one.

 

[pauly]

I'd drive it....................or sell it. Guessing you could pick up the parts you need for the other one with the funds you get from selling this one!

 

[YY1]

4 door cars are a good candidate for what you are looking to do.
(no offense, 4D guys)

They're usually a LOT cheaper, and they're just as likely to have v8, a/c, and Disk, plus they usually (usually) don't get thrashed on as much.

That's a pretty loaded Duster. Looks like a deluxe interior package.

I'd like to see how the rear defogger works with the fold down.

 

[Fuzzy Dice]

If it's a factory 340 car then either you restore it or clean it up and flip it for a profit. If the 340 was added, find out what the engine came out of and sell it off separately. Or were you planning to swap out the 383 in your Demon?

It's a factory 318 car. The 340 is a '69 but I'm not sure what it came out of. I'll be swapping it into the Demon initially as I build up the 360 I have sitting around.

The heater box, I think is very different from the earlier models. Might bolt it, but it might also be a very big pita to do that.
C

Good to know, thanks for the tip!

 

[inkjunkie]

Can you do the body repairs yourself? If not and you choose to "fix it" you will just have another upside down ride....

 

[Fuzzy Dice]

Your choice. Some of the guys I know would look at that rot and cringe and immediately part it out. Others would strip it down, weld it up, fix it, and be happy as 'ell.

Depends on what you have "into it" whether you have a clear title, and what you would have to do / spend to fix it.

Are "the family" giving you this advice going to finance the repairs?

I do have a clear title for it, just got it registered and drove it around this weekend for S&G's. I definitely won't be welding it and fixing it to keep, I doubt if I'd get my money back out of it if I fixed it "right" to sell, so I guess my choice now is to either try to flip it or rob parts from it and resell...

Any idea what I could get out of the car now? And what it would be worth minus the engine and with a /6 k-member set up for a big block and drum brake suspension?

 

[Fuzzy Dice]

Can you do the body repairs yourself? If not and you choose to "fix it" you will just have another upside down ride....

Yeah, I can but I really don't have the time to (just got married, moved to a new city, started a new job, and would really like to get my Demon going). We did the paint and body work on my Demon and that turned out well.

 

[cosgig]

I think your answer is in the non-original motor! Use the motor, find a cheap 318 and put it in and sell the car to someone who needs a nice project! That ain't no parts car, and the $$$ you get back from it will certainly pay for the parts you need and then some!! The 340??? Bonus for you!!! JMO of course, Geof

 

[rapom65]

Tough one to call. Although I hate to see a viable car get parted out money becomes a real issue especially for someone on a budget. What is a realistic resale price for the Duster? Are the floor pans solid? If so the rust spots you showed are relatively easy to repair. If the rust goes into the floors/trunk then repair becomes more intensive = less desirable = less $ value as a project for someone else. Tally up the cost of the Demon parts + rebuilding if needed. Now you have a means to evaluate, dollar wise, between trying to save the car or upgrading the Demon.

 

[moparlover]

wait what. what possible parts do you need off that duster to get the demon going?
it already runs and drives. it sounds like you just want a brake upgrade.

if you pull the kframe/engine/etc you still will have big holes where the fenderwell headers have been.

i'd keep the demon as/is. fix the problems you dont like. that duster is in in too good shape to part / then crush.

you actually have 2 nice cars.

 

[duster360]

I say get what you need put your old parts back on the duster and sell it.

 

[YY1]

We really need to know what you paid for the car before we can try to figure the parts value versus the resale value.

In FL, that's about a $2500-$3500 car. Maybe a bit less cause of the green.

By contrast, a driving 4 door v8 with disk can be $500-$1500.

 

[Fuzzy Dice]

wait what. what possible parts do you need off that duster to get the demon going?
it already runs and drives. it sounds like you just want a brake upgrade.

if you pull the kframe/engine/etc you still will have big holes where the fenderwell headers have been.

i'd keep the demon as/is. fix the problems you dont like. that duster is in in too good shape to part / then crush.

you actually have 2 nice cars.

The parts that I want off the duster are the engine, k-frame, inner fenders, suspension, brakes, wheels, heater (if possible), and maybe the SS springs from the rear. The Demon runs and drives but it's a pain in the *** having a big block in there... I have no power steering and manual drum brakes, fenderwell headers that don't have a ton of ground clearance, and a 383 that was a former drag engine. Not the best setup for a car that I want to put some decent miles on.

If I can pull all of those parts from the Duster and put them on the Demon, then put all those parts from the Demon (minus the engine) back on the duster and sell the Duster for a decent amount I'd be happy.

I've never said anything about crushing the Duster... I'd sell it after I was done using it for what I needed. I just didn't know if I had something that had some nice options that was worth decent money as is that I shouldn't be tearing it apart.

 

[Fuzzy Dice]

Anyone have an idea of what the car is worth as-is?

And an idea of what it would be worth with drum brakes /6 k-member (with big bock adapters) and no engine?

 

[Louie70Dart]

Sell the 383, put the 340 in the Demon for now. Look around for the replacement 318 for the Duster and maybe new fenderwells. Just price the inner fender wells, If cheap enough then get them. Put the Duster out there for sale and see what happens?

 

[Fuzzy Dice]

Sell the 383, put the 340 in the Demon for now. Look around for the replacement 318 for the Duster and maybe new fenderwells. Just price the inner fender wells, If cheap enough then get them. Put the Duster out there for sale and see what happens?

The 383 is going in my dad's Charger. If I take the 340 out of the Duster, all the suspension, brakes, and K member are going with it.

 

[barbee6043]

it would help to know how many $$ you have in the duster,,,, parts car ..... did ya pay salvage price for it or $10,000??????