1970 was an interesting year at Plymouth, as one of their models, the Barracuda, got a redesign that shed all remaining ties with the Valiant. However, the introduction of a brand new offering shared a very close association with it. That fresh for ’70 car was the Duster, a compact coupe with a sporty appearance that stayed in production until 1976, with few substantial body changes throughout the car’s lifespan. This 1975 Plymouth Duster here on Craigslist is near the end of the run, and while this one’s sort of a plain-jane model, it’s said to be a rust-free Califonia example, presently calling Cabazon home. With the solid condition here, the asking price of $7,500 certainly sounds reasonable. Barn Finds reader Rocco B. liked this Mopar too, and we want to thank him for sending us the tip!
The seller tells us this one’s a survivor, still wearing its original paint and showing no sheet metal rust, even after all these decades have passed. The body isn’t entirely perfect, with a small dent around the trunk’s keyhole perhaps being the biggest blunder outside, but with how good the rest of the exterior appears I might stop with that one repair and leave the rest as it came from the factory. I’m feeling the whitewalls and dog-dish hubcaps as well, but I could also appreciate the next person wanting to replace them with something a bit more catchy.
For the 1975 model, engines began with the slant six, which can be found under the hood here. V8 power was also optional, with displacements of 318 or even a 360, so it wouldn’t surprise me if this one gets the inline 6 pulled and something more exciting put into the bay. On the other hand, the seller mentions this one’s got under 63,000 miles on the odometer, so if originality is your thing, maybe just continue maintaining the drivetrain and keep things how they were born.
A green interior was a popular choice during this period, with the inside full of components in this color. The seats are tearing and will need attention of some sort, whether it’s new upholstery on the bench or swapping it for a pair of buckets. I’m kind of torn here if this 1975 Plymouth Duster is a better candidate to just enjoy as-is and keep as close to original as possible, or make a few mods and end up with a really fun cruiser. What would you do here?
It looks pretty clean and well kept for a 50 year old car.
Good project, but hard to see $7,500 for a 6cyl A-body in this condition even if it were the more desirable 70-72 small bumper car.
Steve R
I graduated from high school in San Francisco in 1975.
Depends on the cost of redoing the interior. Seems that the only damage is sun damage, but the dash is ama,ingly clean.
Answering author Mike’s question about mods…… NO!!!!! It’s beautiful. Don’t trash it.
Hit up JC Whitney and get some seat covers and just drive it
No mods.
Real Mopar fans stick to OEM stock. Don’t mess this classic car with only aftermarket upgrades.
I had a 72 Duster. 318
Took it off the road in the 80s to do a semi restoration.
Other than changing the paint color which I later regretted I keep it all original.
From the looks of the trunk lock I can see why the spare tire and jack are missing. Other than that and some rips in the seats this is a sweet ride. It’s rust free and it’s a pretty desirable car in the Dodge lover’s world. I’m thinking the price is not out of line. It’s probably negotiable some so someone is going to get a car that will last a long time if they just fix the seats and trunk and leave it original.
These and the Hornet hatchback were my favorite ’70s compacts. Cover the seat and enjoy music of that little slant six.
Leave the Slant-Six, but maybe go for some bolt-on upgrades that can be easily returned to stock if desired, like a new intake and exhaust system. The rear valence panel might be fixable with some work by a paintless dent removal specialist. I might consider replacing the bench seats with factory buckets, as the high-back bench seat almost looks like a bucket seat anyway. If I kept the bench I’d spring for some new seat covers, but other than that, just drive it!
That engine picture…. all the hoses and stuff… I had 2 slant 6’s back in the 60’s and the radiator hose and 2 heater hoses were it…
75 was the beginning of all the gov’t interference about ecnomy / pollution….
It’s a Plymouth not a dodge