Frame Up Restored Duster 360/450 HP

It's a mistake to overlook the venerable Duster as a performance car. With a compact body and the ability to handle big power under the hood, they can be formidable street performers. If you've been paying attention to our sales lately, the last three moderately priced Dusters we've featured sold in days, so there's definitely demand for nicely built examples. And as nice as those earlier cars were, this one tops them all. There's just no way you could duplicate this car, even if you spent $60,000 trying.

The coolest cars always come from humble origins, and according to the fender tag, this one is as humble as they come, starting with a slant-six and little else:

VL29:Plymouth Valiant, DusterLow2-Door Sports Hardtop

C4B: 225 105HP(net) 1x1 barrel 6 cylinder1974Dodge Main, Hamtramck, MI, USA

173872: Sequence number

E24: 225 cid 1-barrel 6-Cylinder 145hpD34: Light Duty Automatic TransmissionKG2: Frosty Green Poly Exterior ColorD2G6: Trim - Luxury, Vinyl Bench Seat, Green000: Full Door PanelsA24: Build Date: October 24088249: Order number

KG2: Frosty Green Poly Top ColorU: USA SpecificationsG11: Tinted Glass (all)G51: UnknownH51: Air Conditioning with HeaterN76: Coolant Recovery System

R11: Radio Solid State AM (2 Watts)V5X: Body Side Stripes, BlackL2: Unknown366: Unknown

Today there's little left of the Frosty Green grocery getter. Instead, it has been remade and rebuilt into the killer dark green metallic hammer you see here. And I have to say, the bodywork is astounding given the price tag on this car. It must have been the proverbial little old lady special to begin with, because this one is incredibly straight. There are almost no ripples or flaws in the sheetmetal, and the panel gaps are probably better than new. There are a few signs of age and it has seen some action on the street, but it's very rare for a sub-$20,000 car to look this good. The color is nice, too, not too loud, but definitely with good depth and a lot of shine. The charcoal gray body stripes help, duplicating the factory patterns with a slight twist that looks great against that dark green paint. You've undoubtedly noticed the giant hood scoop, which looks right at home on the Dusters curves because it is just like the ones used on earlier Mopar muscle cars. No showy modifications, just a clean car that looks like the factory might have done it.

There was quite a bit of chrome on the cars in ’74, and this Duster is no exception. Front and rear bumpers look good, and items like the door handles, tail light surrounds, and even the gas cap, are all crisp and nicely finished. Hood pins give it a performance look that matches the hood scoop, which wears ‘360 Four Barrel’ badges. The original Duster logos on the front fenders are augmented with subtle ‘360’ badges from a late model, and out back, the Duster tornado logo has been affixed to the tail panel. Glass is good, including a recent windshield.

This little green cars real secret lies under the hood. In place of that wheezing 101 horsepower slant six is a fire-breathing 360 cubic inch crate motor that cranks out a reported 450 horsepower. It sure looks right nestled into the Dusters dark green engine bay, and it is as nicely finished as any restoration might be. The fenders and firewall are well done and show good finish work and no signs of previous damage or rust. Dressed in black cast aluminum Mopar Performance valve covers and air cleaner, the engine is subtle in a high-performance way and looks very OEM. The high-rise manifold is great for torque production, as are the coated long-tube headers that let the built small block breathe deeply. There's a heavy duty original style radiator keeping it cool up front, so the whole engine bay looks period-appropriate, and just for fun, someone has added a Duster tornado decal on the firewall. Forget power-robbing accessories like power steering and A/C, which you don't need anyway if your goal is to walk softly and carry a big stick.

The engine is backed by a heavy duty 727 TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic that churns torque to the 8.75-inch rear packing 3.73 gears inside a 489 case. The suspension is mostly stock, with air shocks out back to help adjust the launch attitude for maximum performance. The original floors bear out the notion that this is a clean, unmolested car, and they've been undercoated to control sound and make for easy maintenance. Those long tube headers I mentioned earlier exhale through a set of performance mufflers, and leave no doubt that this car is packing some heat under the hood. Wheels are classic Rallyes wearing 215/70/14 BFGoodrich T/A radials at all four corners.

The interior of this Duster is a real treat, with a cool twist on an OEM look. Dark green vinyl with white trim covers the original bench seat, which matches what was there when it was new. The dash is also original, but carpets, door panels, and headliner have to be new, they're just too nice to be originals, right? The original gauges are all functional, and have been augmented with a tachometer and three auxiliary gauges under the dash. And despite the extensive modifications found throughout this car, the original Music Master AM radio still lives in the dash that 450 horsepower engine should provide plenty of entertainment. A set of matching green Duster logo floor mats protect the carpets. The trunk is also nicely finished with a correct mat, and if you look at the insides of the quarter panels, you can clearly see the original factory undercoating, meaning that this car has all its original sheet metal.

Amazingly, this car also includes the original build sheet, which, while it shows nothing special, also provides a link to the cars history. It's always cool to see it, and they're most often found in nicely preserved original cars.

Go ahead and take a moment to glance through our sold inventory at the other Dusters that we've sold. They've all been pretty nice, and this one is perhaps the nicest one yet. With great bodywork, an extremely potent engine, and a beautifully finished interior, you'll be proud to show it, and it's an absolute party on the road. The workmanship throughout is universally high quality, and this is a turn-key car that is ready to hit next Fridays cruise-in. Don't miss this one, because as history proves, these go fast, both literally and figuratively. Call now!