No Reserve Project: 1971 Plymouth Duster
The popularity of the Plymouth Duster seems to still be on the rise among collectors, and while this one’s a complete project the good news is there’s no reserve, so the high bidder has bought themselves a Mopar that might not deplete their savings account, at least not on their initial investment. Just be aware that first impressions aren’t always as they seem, and those 340 stripes are deceptive as a previous owner added them for looks to exaggerate what’s under the hood a bit. The Plymouth is located in West Branch, Iowa, and can be found here on eBay, with 7 bids placed so far taking the price up to $809.
The details we get on this one begin with the engine, which is thought to be a 318 but the seller believes it’s locked up, and from the looks of things in the engine compartment that seems like a reasonable assessment. It looks like years or maybe decades have passed since the motor has seen any action, but it does have a manual transmission so at least there’s something favorable regarding the drivetrain.
I keep staring at the outside and pondering how the finish got into the combination of hues we’re seeing here, and one explanation that seems plausible is the seller thinking the Duster went through a flood sometime after it was parked. We don’t get any specifics here such as how long ago this one was taken off the road, but he does mention the car came from Arizona, for what it’s worth, and that the body is mostly solid. But it also got hit in the front at some point, and though the radiator support survived the grille, bumper, and hood were not salvageable.
Thankfully, a few pictures of the undercarriage are provided, with the seller claiming that the frame is exceptionally straight and solid. It’s definitely got its share of surface rust, but as I try to envision what the steel looks like under that corrosion I’m thinking this may be an accurate assumption. It’s not pretty, but the seller mentions the trunk pan is also sound, but the lid covering it is rusted out.
If I had to imagine an image in my mind of how an interior that sat unoccupied in Arizona for years and then went through a flood would appear, this would be exactly it, and I’m guessing there’s little remaining inside that’s going to be of much use. But we’ve all seen numerous autos that started off worse than this one resurrected from the dead, so if you’ve got a strong set of skills perhaps getting the Duster back on the road might be time well spent. What are your thoughts here?
Auctions Ending Soon
2006 Ford Mustang Saleen S281 SCBid Now4 hours$16,000
2002 Subaru Impreza WRXBid Now3 days$333
1975 Chevrolet Corvette ConvertibleBid Now3 days$3,000
1964 Ford F-100 Camper CustomBid Now3 days$2,000
2006 Jeep Wrangler SportBid Now5 days$10,500
Comments
I don’t know Mopars, but this one needs help. The faded paint is fascinating.
VIN indicates a 1970 model with the 225 slant six engine so the V8 under the hood is not original to the car.
Thanks MoparDoug. I’m looking at the picture with the radiator. The radiator looks small for a V8. Is a radiator for a slant 6 smaller than for a V8? Or maybe it’s just the angle of the picture?
That definitely is a 6 cylinder radiator.
That’s the air conditioning radiator. That’s why it looks so small. The radiator is behind it.
Really? Hmm, makes me wonder where the factory-looking ‘340’ on the rear quarters came from, and why… maybe just a case of someone in this cars past having delusions of grandeur about what they had, kinda like fake ‘SS’ badges that you can put on anything… my riding mower is a Cub Cadet zero turn SS, lol…
You need a tetanus shot just looking at the photo’s and you know there is much more hidden.
I wonder how rusty the torsion bar areas are? No pics of that.
The blue over yellow paint is wild. Even painted the firewall but the blue paint didn’t stick? Just bizzare. Price is low at least but way too much work for me.
I would bet concerned about hidden corrosion and the wiring after a flood, particularly since these are unibody cars. I would pay particular attention to the integral frame rails and rocker panels, since those may have continued to rust after the flood waters receded. The wiring will probably have to be replaced as part of any restoration anyway, but I would have to have the body work done professionally, since the damage exceeds my admittedly meager skills in the body and paint department. That would add significantly to the cost, possibly pricing the restoration firmly “under water”, figuratively speaking, LOL! If you have the skills, facilities, tools and time, you might be able to at least break even, but otherwise, this bad boy has “parts car” written all over it, IMHO!
The taillights are a ’72. Pieced together from odds and ends maybe?
Is the trailer included ?? good deal if it is~~!
A parts car or – Call the scrapper.
Plymouth “Ruster”!
The VIN tells the story. Definitely a 1970. Definitely a 225 Slant 6. The MoPar community knows how to decipher the VIN and the Data Plate on the left fender well. It never ceases to amaze me how many people don’t realize that and try to pull a fast one. Me? I worked for Chrysler from 1973 to 1978. I know these cars pretty well. I scratch my head when I realize there are more Hemi ‘Cuda’s out there today than Chrysler ever built back in the early 70″s. And yet so many people try to sell them off as “original”. Just tell us what you got and be honest about it. There’s probably someone who can do something with this car. Maybe parts? Maybe restore? Who knows. But just be honest about it.
Push it back into the lake and forget about it there’s nothing left unless you get the title for a vin swap lol
I cannot believe after all the heart burn about prices for old muscle, people on here have a opportunity to gain bottom entrance into the market! Under 1k and people are still complaining about the car! Sand, paint black with white 340 decals on the rear quarters throw in some buckets, keep the manual in the floor, and your choice of 340, 318, etc.. Watch the price roll. Never will be this cheap again!
“Don’t get it right just get it running”
David Freiburger
If you get it running, you just got it running! With this market, you would be pushing those higher level dollars into someone else’s hands! The middle man does not exist in this market, so do not become one! I work this market daily…the money is in the paint!
I was referring to an enthusiast getting the car going and enjoying it, not someone just looking for capital gains.
I guess the right person could fix up that Ruster with another good parts car 2 could make 1 nice car. Parts are available more so then some new cars ,and one thing for sure mopar A bodies are fairly easy to work on even strip completely down and put back together dont ask me how I know
All the bashing “ruster” really? After looking at the pictures closely this is a solid car with typical surface rust, no need for another donor car and its not pieced together as mentioned above those are the 70/71 taillights not 72.
Well now here on the rust coast (east coast) that little bit of rust is nothing. Being it started life as a slant 6 it will never be worth big bucks. So why not do it any way you want and enjoy it. personally I would find and build a 360 for it. Keep the 4 speed. Gut the interior and redo it new carpet seats etc. Paint it satin black no stripes or decals just keep them guessing. And I would drive it a lot. Just my thoughts.