7K Mile Survivor: 1974 Plymouth Duster
As a 20-year owner of a Slant Six-powered 1963 Dodge Dart 270 convertible, I have a real soft spot for this listing here on eBay. It’s a one-owner 1974 Plymouth Duster with just 7,777 on the clock, powered by that self-same Slant Six (170 or 225; it doesn’t say) and in a California barn since 2005. The price is at $2,550 with the reserve not met.
If you’re familiar with Mopars of this period, then you know that both the vehicles and the motors are legendarily robust. I’ve owned a dozen Valiants and Darts, and none of them were lemons, even the $100 examples.
It’s hard to see how a buyer would miss with this time-capsule car. Despite the listing being full of misspellings, this does indeed appear to be a one-owner car that’s always been garaged and has very low mileage. Underneath the grime is, very likely, a pristine automobile.
I say “very likely” because the last time it was driven regularly was the 1980s. More recent excursions 15 years ago were just around the block. My guess, based on considerable experience, is that you can slap a battery in it, throw some fuel in the carb and it will start right up, but after its long no-start slumber appropriate measures to protect the engine should be taken.
The photos are murky, but everything looks good and the no-rust claims go along with the California location and the garaging. Reproducing the cloth and vinyl upholstery (all vinyl in the convertibles) would be one of the costliest aspects of restoring one of these, but the Duster’s upholstery was under covers and looks excellent, absent even the fading you might expect from the California sun. The owner says the interior is “crazy good.” Again, the garage came to the rescue.
And those original tires, well I’m afraid they’re no longer safe. But they’re worth keeping if the show circuit is in the car’s future.
These Dusters are in no sense performance cars, but the Slant Six is surprisingly competitive with some fairly inexpensive mods that might be hard to find now. A fellow named Doug Dutra made aluminum exhaust manifolds for these cars, but I see even partial examples are commanding big money on eBay.
In stock form, the Duster will be slow and steady—like Doctor Doolittle, always getting you where you’re going. I got through the ’70s and ’80s in cars just like it. Daily transportation is perhaps a stretch in 2020, but the coupe would make a fine street rod or totally original show car. What would you do with this survivor?
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Comments
If miles are correct, nice, but a low option 6 cylinder Duster. Not that great. Really surprised by the number of bids without it being washed and cleaned. Hard to tell exactly what you’re buying until that’s done.
I don’t think that you could still get the 170 cubic inch in 1974?
Was the 198 still around? Maybe just a standard 225 by then. I understood the 170 back in the early 60s, but ten years later why the silly 198? Please do not hot rod this, just keep it like it as, just like most of us used to drive. At car shows I just yawn after seeing a full row of muscle cars, but I stop and spend a lot of time with a nice original standard car, it is something we can all relate to, at least those of us old enough to do so. The kids today might think we all drove hemis and big blocks, but truly that was not the case.
The vin number makes it a 225 /6 with the car built in Hamtramck.
The 198 was standard through 1974, so this one got the optional 225.
The 170 was offered until 1969. In 1970 through 1974 there was the 198 as the base Slant 6. Beginning in 1975 only the 225 was available. They offered the 198 as a lower cost option. The 198 was cheaper to make than the 170 since it used the same block and heads as the 225 – it was only the stroke that was different (i.e. connecting rods). If I am wrong on any of this someone please correct me – but I am almost positive everything I mentioned here is correct.
The 198 was standard from 1970 through 1974 but equipping the car with air conditioning necessitated at least the 225 option. AC wasn’t available with the 198.
Correct. From 1970 through 1974 the Slant Six options were 198 and 225.
What you said was correct S. Also since the 198 had short strokes it was as smooth as syrup. I had a ‘73. Not quick but once I put Monroe gasmatics and Michelin tires on it it was a solid and agile car. Comfortable too and surefooted in winter.
Geiger Counter, SPOT ON!!! Bidding is at $13,000!
I don’t believe that’s a legitimate bid. There are still 5 days left, for a car covered in bird poo and with no documentation to back up the mileage claim. This could be the rare time that the vocal minority actually step up and put their money where their mouth is, but I doubt it. I think the bid will be retracted or the auction will be cancelled before completion.
Steve R
I agree with you, Steve.
The car was slowly climbing, and got to $3100. Then, the last four bids were placed within seconds of each other and went from $4500 to $9800 to $13000. No one with any auction experience would bid in crazy increments like that.
Shill all the way.
Is that Al Bundy’s car?
Thank you,,
He always referred to his as a Dodge.
Yeah, and once they tried to pull off using an AMC Gremlin as a Dodge, remember that?
The Gremlin was from the episode that Al tried to buy a new Mustang convertible with his buried $5000 “magic shoe box” but he only found $700 and a red hair.
He ended up with a Pacer and then a Gremlin and then he ended up buying the Dodge back, but repainted.
His was a Dodge Demon
Plymouth Duster
I could see a very high bid for the car. Somebody would look at it as the closest thing to getting a brand new Duster body available.
Will it stay stock. Not a chance!
Nope. Anyone paying that price to not keep it stock obviously has too much money to throw away! If you’re looking for just a body, there are tons of clean Duster bodies still around for a lot less.
198cid was available in 74. Per VIN this is a 225cid. Nice car but not worth 13 g’s to me.
I think it’s the real deal, doesn’t have any tell tale signs of wear. I read the 198 was around through 1974, but I bet it’s a 225. $13 grand must be a typo, no way, this car will need everything. Cool to see, however. I think as older folks die off, you’ll see this stuff surface for years to come. There’s a lot of garages to go through.
I agree, Howard A; a lot of vintage tin will turn up as guys who squirreled these cars away pass on. There were millions of cars produced every year back then and it seems likely there are probably a few million garages and barns that hold an old ’60s car or two. The young men who had musclecars when they were new are now getting up there in age, too; many are in their 70s now. You see it at many car events, a lot of guys with ’60s cars are looking pretty long in the tooth. It will be interesting to see where the hobby and prices go when more and more of these cars become available because their owners kick the bucket.
Real muscle cars and certain body styles such as 68-69 Charger, Mustang fastbacks and 70-71 Cuda’s and Challengers will hold their value. Full size 4 doors and cars like this will only be somewhat valuable if the have survived in excellent condition, projects that need lots of rust repair should be avoided at all costs.
Steve R
Prices will come DOWN, as in hard. Kids don’t have the passion nor interest in the ‘antique’ muscle cars pushing 350-425HP. Manually shift? Clutch adjust? Who does that? No paddle?? That’s work. Play with a carb & a choke in winter, oh sh*t, carbs on fire! ‘WTF did I buy again’ they’ll say?! Where’s the USB port, I gotta google…?? They’ll panic like a crackhead that just bought a pack of Ajax crystals & list for sale to try & recoup as their friends journeying to the coast on a 400 mile trek with their ’18 Challenger R/T Hemi & ’16 Mustang GT’s will be the ‘I told you so’ friends..
Wow almost 14 grand.
Someone wants that low miler to clone it.
Bet it goes higher.
“Duster” seems appropriate.
Cool car just like it is. I’d just get it running and clean it up.
A nice, clean body with a leaning tower of power under the hood! I want it something fierce! It is a real shame it will probably be turned into something else. Sure is a sweetheart!
Oh well, at the aforementioned $2550.00 I was drooling but at $13,000? Nothing to see here folks. That’s the problem with eBay, by the time I get my bags packed to go look, someone bids it through the roof. 😊
Not a Mopar fan but those slant six engines were very dependable engines. I had a friend back when these were new that a car just like this. He drove over 100 miles per day going to college and stacked up a lot of miles in a very short period of time. It developed a exhaust leak at the manifold, it had a bolt that seemed inaccessible so he just drove it like that until it became to unsafe to operate. He finally broke down and took it to a mechanic to get it repaired. Oh well, enough of that. This car is to nice not to be cleaned up inspected serviced and driven.
The 226 Slant six unquestionably is one of Chrysler corporations best almost indestructible engines with providing reasonable fuel economy and reliability. Easy to service, accessible, and should the new owner choose, can be upgraded with some nice performance options, maintaining its “matching numbers” provenance, and still provide a respectable level of power without a engine swap. These bodies and frames were susceptible to extreme corrosion in states utilizing salts on the roads, thus the buyer needs to inspect any purchase of this model carefully. Otherwise, a really fun car.
I LOVE this car! I’m not sure what it’s worth, but it sure looks like a real deal time capsule.
I had a ‘74 with a 198, white (with same interior—only green) and a 3 speed on the column. Loved the car, but didn’t like the fact that 1st gear wasn’t synchronized. If you went around a sharp corner, you putted away in 2nd gear. Until I taught myself to double clutch into first….
I think it’s hilarious to see how many people came up with so many variations the slant 6. (170 ci, 198, 225, 226!?), when the VIN has already been decoded to a 225. If this dusty Duster is capable of pulling down $14k, I wonder what would be bid if the seller simply washed it off, scrubbed the whitewalls, refreshed the interior, engine bay and trunk with the proper detailing tools? And then took better photos?
I owned a 1970 Plymouth Duster, it was red exterior with a black interior, manual transmission, rally wheels or the Plymouth equivalent of a rally wheel. I sold it with 15000 miles on it, after the 3rd clutch went out. I ordered it and upon receiving it the clutch was dragging you could feel it in the clutch pedal every time you shifted, took it back to the dealer immediately and they determined it was okay and three thousand miles later the first clutch plate was gone. It was a slant 6, very economical but something was wrong with it that they could not fix. You don’t see a lot of them. It was a great looking car and could give the Nova a run for it’s money in the looks department but that is where it stopped. Maybe the 318 or bigger would have been a better choice with an automatic.
Ok Ok enough.
Its a freakin stripper Duster with a slant six and a slushbox. Yes its covered with bird poop or whatever. The seller did nada, zip to make it presentable or to even try to get it running. What “NORMAL” if there is such an animal, car nut, would do that?
Original OEM is my deal fo’ sure. But, a stripper Duster? Btw, back in 1977 a friend had the exact same year Duster in yellow. She knew nothing about cars . It was perfect for her if somewhat humiliating. Get in, turn the key, go forward.
So insofar it is an example of a base Duster in situ 1974, ok. besides that, meh!
The Seller either needs to be educated about how to do this, is too lazy to do things correctly (pass on the car) or doesn’t give a damn (pass on the car). The Seller, or any Seller, who refuses to get the car in the sun and clean it for presentation isn’t trustworthy.
Shorter rods do not shorten the stroke. The crank determines that. Shortening the rods only lowers compression.
To change stroke you must change the crank and then the rods or pistons to keep the compression the same.
Dusters were good basic transportation especially with the six popper.
Two things will survive nuclear holocaust- cockroaches and MoPar sixes.
I searched the internet and found that in 1974 the 198 was the standard six, 318 the standard V-8 with the 360 V-8 installed in the Duster 360 model and 225 slant 6 engines optional for lesser models. Not sure what is under all the dust on this California Duster, but it appears to be a pleasant light blue example in solid condition. This would have been a practical, dependable car in its day with a size that was not too big and not too small. Getting it up and running after all those years might be a bit challenging but well worth when done to use as a show car and for weekend missions to old school drive-ins.
Look at the Fake Bidders… Looking for a FOOL
I had two Dusters-1971with the 225 slant six and three speed on the floor-a $13.00 option, and 1974 with the 225 slant six and auto. Sold the ’71 because my new wife was too short to push the clutch far enough in to shift. Lost the ’74 when the same wife totaled it. Had a ’65 Dodge Coronet hardtop with the 225 and a ’77 Volare’ wagon with the 225. The Dodge and both Dusters were great, the Volare” was a joke. Didn’t buy another Mopar until 1992 (Dodge Grand Caravan). On my third Grand Caravan (kids, then grandkids), still have the same wife. Won my first drag race in the ’71.
Suspensions getting yanked & beefed up, crate stroker going in, B&M trans with floor shift & some Cragar SS’s all around mated to the L60 rears. Straight bod calls for jet black paint. No way in hell someone is driving this thing stock at all.
Im sorry but im gonna ned a Govier letter of authenticity . Is it numbers matching? To many unknowns, I just dont want to get burned with a restamped motor, how are the rivets on the fender tag?
Well, at least we know with those bumpers it ain’t a factory lightweight version LOL. My first and last Dusters were both ’74s, and the bumper supports are made of some freak metal that feels like cast iron when you try to lift them. First thing that I’d swap out, otherwise pretty solid cars from the era! BTW…on eBay, just because you bid does not necessarily mean that you actually end up paying for the item.
No doubt shill bidding going on here. Along with buyer ID protection. In one minute 4 bids go from $3100 to $13k. At least lets not make it obvious.
Hellcat swap and done .
I’ve had a Duster, Volare and even had a Dodge pickup with the 225 Slant six engine. These engines are bullet-proof, reliable and was great on gas mileage in certain cars. This Duster for sell is very nice but their are trolls online that are raising the price on this car for the wrong reasons. The $13,000 bid is extremely outrageous. I hope the seller will see through this.