Single Family Ownership: 1971 Plymouth Duster
Whenever I confront a car, I wonder – why was this car made this way? Was it a sibling of some other car – or not? Was there something else going on – regulations, wars, Mad Men in control of marketing, financial distress, fads – that made this car this way? Was the designer crazy? Was the manufacturer an egotist? The Duster is fertile ground for these questions. In 1969, Plymouth received $15 million from Chrysler to facelift the Valiant. But it didn’t spend a dime on the existing car. Instead, stylists carried over the platform, sections of its sheet metal, and the bumpers, and went to work with a sketchpad. To fit within the slender budget, even the sheet metal crease lines had to match the Valiant’s stamping equipment. The whole exercise was clandestine, and contrarian. The corporate plan was to incrementalize cars, not recast them entirely. But the Barracuda was instrumental in the birth of the Duster. The Barracuda was newly situated on a larger platform. It was so heavy that it barely beat a Chevy Nova to the quarter mile. That spry Nova was the Duster’s target. And the Duster made a nice cradle for Chrysler’s 340 cu. in. V8 in addition to a selection of other engines. So the work proceeded, and that’s how the Duster hit the pavement starting in 1970. Here on craigslist is a downmarket 1971 Duster, with the revered slant-six and an asking price of $3000. The car has been owned by a single family since new, and it’s located in Oceanside, California. Tony Primo submitted this most excellent tip – thanks, Tony!
The seller indicates that his mom bought this car in 1971, and it’s been sitting for ten years. The fuel tank had a leak which has not been fixed but the motor does turn by hand. The mileage is unknown. The 225 cu. in. slant-six has a reputation for durability and tunability. Originally equipped with a Carter carburetor, output was 145 hp. This example has a three-speed automatic.
The doors are stuck shut, so the interior photo was taken through the window glass. Speaking of window glass, that’s special on a Duster. At the time, side glass was typically 90-inch radius sheets. But to bring the roofline lower and follow the curve of the sheet metal, the Duster’s designers wanted to try 45-inch radius glass. It fit, but barely. The rear windows can’t roll down – they pivot. From what we can see, that interior will need work – the seats are torn and who knows what doesn’t work in there.
The paint is compromised from outside storage, the body has a few dents, and the grille is cracked. By 1971 the Duster lost its “Valiant” badges. More than 186,000 of these “pocket pony cars” were sold this year, with the vast majority being six-cylinders. You can pay around $50k for a 340, or you can opt for a Gold Duster or a Twister, but these slant-six cars offer a great entry point in the mid-teens for a nice one. What do you think about spending the time to resurrect this Duster project car?
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Comments
I never noticed the door glass angle before but now that you point it out, I see it. It’s definitely more raked than a ’71 Maverick or Nova. Still, I see this car as square. Square front end and square sided compared to a Maverick. A Maverick has more curves and looks more like a fastback to me
Yes, the designers were pretty constrained. The preference was also for a shorter wheelbase, but they had to make do with the Valiant.
You cant kill these engines without severe abuse. Having said that, a 440 or modern hemi would be sweet
400 b block…STROKER with a 727 out of a motor home
3K?…killer deal!
You’ve got to be kidding. It doesn’t run. It will need EVERYTHING. The whole fuel system gone through, carburetor rebuilt, ignition tune up, tires, brakes, interior redone, repaint, and who even knows what else. And it’s still a slant 6. You can’t even get into the car because the doors don’t open – who know what is wrong in there. Cha Ching! I’d give him $1000 tops.
basically what you do when you by a vintage car…..
My first thought too.
My dad had a 1970 Duster same color I drove it to my junior prom. Wish my wife would let me buy this one!
The Duster features a short front end and long rear quarter with large overhang in the rear section. Makes you wonder about the true intentions. Huge trunk, engine bay holds a hemi
I raced a duster for over 20 years in NHRA S/S with a 340, the weight distribution was 49%/51% on the rear. Always launched hard.
That long rear overhang was an artifact of the Valiant chassis. The designers apparently desperately wished for something different but the budget was constrained.
Vice grip garage this duster is screaming revive me….
Hmmmmm. I have a 440 w ith 727 laying around in the shop somewhere
Derek Beri, over on VGG, just gave away one of these that he resurrected. Same color, but with a small block Chrysler with Chevy heads on it!
Chevy heads?
I had a 70 duster 340 in 1976. 3 speed on the floor bench seats. The car was one I let get away
Someone call the Roadkill Garage boys.
Very optimistic seller. Doors wont open? WTH?
A girlfriend’s sister had one of these back in the day. She was a taller than average gal and she slid into those bench seats just fine. But, its pretty much just a generic soulless corporate knock off.
Why would anyone want it? The seller certainly doesn’t :)
Al Bundy wants it.
“The seller certainly doesn’t (want it)” What???!!! That can be said about EVERY car (vehicle) that’s ever been on here!!! — The Duster (Valiant) and its sister vehicle – the Dart – or whatever you want to call it was an excellent design and well-built. Gave the customer a family size interior specs and family size trunk space at a very affordable price and if given the proper maintenance – (which most people did not do because it wasn’t a “flashy sports car”) – these Mopar pony cars would go on and on and on and on – giving back every penny’s worth of investment. Very few other cars would ever do the same. — The frozen doors are due to being exposed long term without any attention to extreme temperature differences – and so the rubber seals around the door are sticking, which can be easily remedied. To focus on that at all is just a clear sign of an extreme bias against the car for some totally weird personal problem. Way too many of them gave their owners a great value for the money for many years and are still around – for anyone to have the attitude towards them that you do!
On a Duster like this one? The proper remedy for the sticking doors is a crow bar, or lightly tapping a brick on the side window. Works every time.
I owned a 71 duster with a/c 225 slant 6
Great engine. Easy to work on but the front grill will brake in a second if anyone sneezes
Sorry bud, but your lucky if you could pay
Pick your part to take it. $ 3,000 😂.
Not even al bundy wants its 🤣 James
Above you.
I remember having to remove all the studs in the head to be able to surface it
Well, personally, I think it’s a good deal. It’s a one owner car, seems to be in decent condition and all original with no major modifications if any at all. And as far as the doors stuck shut, that’s just a matter of squirting some penetrating oil on the weather strip and let it do its thing. The owner having the original paperwork for it would be a good thing also.
Had no idea you could put Chevy heads on a Chrysler motor.
The stuck doors are just the weatherstripping sticking. Yes, the paint has faded, and the fuel system needs work, but the leaking gas tank gives me the excuse to fit a new tank with a return line for an EFI setup, either a TBI setup for the existing six cylinder, or port injection with a 340 refit. Try rubbing compound on the paint before attempting a repaint, it’s just oxidized. The good news is that this bad boy came with a painted steel roof (no vinyl), so the roof is in good shape. In 1971, the anti-smog rules hadn’t started to bite hard yet, the drivability was still acceptable, so I’d be tempted to leave it stock, with the Slant-Six intact. Upholstery and carpets can be repaired or replaced as time and money permit, and are relatively inexpensive, in any case. Flush and bleed the brakes, rebuild the carburetor, tune it up and drive it!
Exactly — on all points. To get weatherstripping unstuck, all that’s needed is to spray some silicon spray with the skinny tube that comes with the can down on it – wait a little while to let the spray work and the doors will open right up. However – do NOT use WD-40 unless you want the task of replacing the weatherstripping as WD-40 breaks down and dissolves rubber – not immediately – but soon you will have the weatherstripping falling apart. And I agree; the paint on the car just needs buffing out with rubbing compound and it’ll look good, and the slant six is easily brought back if necessary with simple repairs. This car is a good deal.
I might want to replace the fifty (50) year old weatherstripping in any case, just because fifty-year-old rubber isn’t like fine wine, older is definitely NOT better, LOL! It’s a two-door, so that’s an easy and relatively inexpensive job, just like the seats. I’d probably replace the truck seal while I’m at it, for the same reason.
If this car was a 70 Nova in the same (or worse) shape the Mopar haters here would be screaming “great deal ! ” . This is a 54 year old popular model car and its rust free and selling cheap. Parts are available for it too, so its not going to take long to put it back on the road.
If you want a little more juice from the squeeze, I seem to recall that you could get a multi-carb intake for the Slant-Six! It’s a bolt-on, and uses dual Weber carbs. Add headers and a low restriction exhaust and the Slant-Six can make good power. The best part is, since it’s all bolt-on goodies, you can return it to bone stock form in a couple of hours. Just something to think about, if you want to keep the original motor in it.
I agree completely with ‘bone’ – Mopar haters are just going to hate – no matter what. I had the sibling to the Duster – the Dodge Dart – which are the same cars with minor cosmetic differences. The Dart was a great car for the money. It too had the slant six with four on the floor, all of which just kept on going on and on and on with no problems. Proper maintenance kept the six and tranny in top shape – and caring for the body kept it rust free. Nothing on the Dart was substandard in its class and well worth every penny I put in it as it gave it all back in years of comfortable economical driving.
I wonder why the rear side windows do not roll down on Duster(& even 1969-70 mustang fastbacks!), but they do on 2 dr Valiants – makes no sense.
The same reasons why some Road Runners didnt- without the regulators, the car is lighter , and cheaper to build . put a little hinge on so they pop out , its better than a fixed glass for sure !
The roof line may also have had something to do with it. The regular Valiant had a conventional, formal roof line in the rear, making it easier to fit window regulators into the “sail panel”. The Duster, with its fastback roof line, may have not had enough space to fit a window regulator inside the sheet metal.
I had a 70 gold duster 318 factory 3’on the tree lite and fast