The Duster was a welcome addition to the Plymouth family when it appeared on dealer lots in 1970, offering those who might have bought an ordinary Valiant the previous year something a bit more fun and sporty to be seen in their driveway. Many consumers viewed the Duster as basic, economical transportation, with the tried-and-true Slant 6 being a popular and satisfying engine choice. That’s how the seller says this 1973 Plymouth Duster here on Facebook Marketplace left the plant, but it now has a powerful 340 under the hood, with some fine aftermarket parts both inside and outside the block. This one’s priced at $35,000 and located in Gainesville, Florida, and we owe our thanks to reader T.J. for finding it and sending in the tip here!
The seller calls this Mopar a survivor, and when it comes to the exterior alone, it sounds like they got it right. The green finish is reported to be the original factory-applied paint, and although there are a few small dents and minor imperfections outside, this one still presents very well to have never received a respray. The vinyl top is also noted as original, and I have to agree with the owner for not wanting to disturb the originality of the body here. Thankfully, the sheet metal appears sturdy all around, with no obvious corrosion, so preserving this one as-is cosmetically sounds like a great option here.
The seller says he purchased this Duster in 2018, and that in 2020 the Slant-6 was removed and a 340 V8 was installed in its place. Photos in the listing show the long list of goodies the small block received, with the rebuild including Keith Black 10.5:1 pistons, a Hughes cam, Doug’s headers, and an Edelbrock dual-plane intake with a Holley 650 double-pumper on top. There’s a 727 TorqueFlite handling the shifting, plus an 8 3/4 Sure Grip rear end out back, so anything that was hindering performance in the past has been dealt with very nicely!
It’s also mentioned that the interior is almost entirely original, with the condition remaining far above average for its age. Adding some buckets and a console might be fun, but keeping things mostly stock in here seems like a good way to go as well. Since the mechanics have been modified, it likely matters less trying to keep the rest of the car as factory as possible. However, I’m not spotting much that would keep me from simply enjoying driving this one for a while. What are your thoughts on this 1973 Plymouth Duster, and its $35k asking price?
I get that the thrill of a good 340 will go a LONG way, but $35k is a lot of green to pay for a split pea soup can with a dented roof. Momma always went to the A&P dented can aisle for bargains, which this isn’t.
I bought a REAL 1973 340 Duster, with a worked 360 in it. The body was clean and the motor was a screamer, I bought it 2 years ago for $16k. I have no idea where the seller thinks this is a $35k car, but he has been hitting the pipe for far too long.
I forgot to add, my car had p/s, pb, and non-working a/c.