While it is by no means a hard and fast rule, you can often tell a lot about a person by the car they drive. Take this 1974 Plymouth Gold Duster, for example. Its six-cylinder motor and automatic transmission suggest that the car’s original owner wasn’t fixated on outright performance. However, their decision to include power steering and factory air indicates that comfort was a high priority. The Gold Duster has spent years in storage, but the seller has revived it, ready to head to a new home. Located in Spring Hill, Tennessee, you will find the Plymouth listed for sale here on eBay. The bidding currently sits at $7,600, although this figure remains short of the reserve.
When the seller located this Plymouth, its original owner had placed it into storage more than thirty years ago. When it emerged into the light of day, it proved to be a solid and unmolested survivor. Its Golden Haze Metallic paint isn’t perfect, but it is definitely acceptable for a survivor-grade car. However, it is the Gold Halo vinyl top that grabs my attention. If it isn’t already distinctive, the company’s choice of a snakeskin pattern seals the deal. It is in excellent condition, with no deterioration or bubbling. It seems that this Duster is rust-free. There are no apparent issues visible in the supplied photos, and the lack of obvious surface corrosion makes a positive statement on that front. The trim and graphics look good for their age, with the damage-prone hubcaps worthy of a special mention. These look flawless, and the same seems true of the glass. The buyer could choose to treat this Duster to a cosmetic restoration, but it would probably attract more attention and positive comments if it were to remain untouched.
Buyer could order their ’74 Gold Duster with a V8 under the hood, and many did. However, the base motor was the 198ci slant-six producing 95hp. If that wasn’t enough, but a V8 was too much, a buyer could hand over $36 to upgrade from the base engine to the 225ci version that produced 105hp. That’s what the original owner did with this Gold Duster, but it is the rest of the drivetrain configuration that indicates that they placed comfort and ease of operation above outright performance. Bolted to the slant-six is a three-speed TorqueFlite transmission while negotiating the twisting bits should be easy thanks to the inclusion of power steering. The ¼ mile ET is all that you might expect, with the journey taking 19.8 seconds. The seller chanced upon this Duster after its original owner passed away. That gentleman had placed the car in storage, and it had lain idle for more than three decades. The seller worked through reviving this classic, but he kept one eye firmly focused on maintaining as much of its originality as possible. Therefore, he sourced any replacement parts from the good people at YearOne and Classic Industries. The entire fuel system from the tank to the carburetor is new, as are the water pump, hoses, belts, and gaskets. He flushed and replaced the fluids, added new whitewall tires, and performed sundry other tasks. It seems that it was worth the effort because this Duster starts at the first turn of the key, and it runs and drives perfectly.
The “original and unmolested” theme continues when we examine this Gold Duster’s interior. The original owner ordered the car trimmed in Gold vinyl to compliment the exterior, and the upholstered surfaces appear flawless. There is no evidence of marks or physical damage and none of the wear you might expect to find in a car with 98,000 miles under its belt. The painted surfaces show some mild deterioration, but it is so insignificant that dismantling the interior to address the issue would hardly be worth the effort. There are no aftermarket additions, with the factory AM radio remaining intact. What sets this interior apart from mere mortals is the original owner’s decision to order the car with factory air conditioning. According to my resources, A/C was not an unusual addition to any Gold Duster, but it was less prevalent on those ordered with a six-cylinder engine. That doesn’t make this car exceptionally rare, but it does help to make it more interesting.
While it may not carry the credentials of a genuine muscle car, this 1974 Plymouth Gold Duster remains a fascinating vehicle. Its originality seems beyond question, and its firm focus on comfort over performance indicates an original owner who prioritized comfort in their life. The fact that it has emerged after three decades in isolation in such sound physical and mechanical health means that the next owner will be sliding behind the wheel of a classic that seems to need nothing. It has only received twelve bids at this point, but with nearly a week left on the auction, that leaves scope for both the bid total and price to climb significantly. Where do you think it will reach when the hammer falls?
Spring Hill WAS the home of Saturn.
This Duster is in really nice shape,but still
just basic transportation.
For some of us, that’s part of its charm.
I love this car!
When I was a little boy, I had some friends up the street whose Mom had a white Gold Duster with the same stripes, top & interior. It too had the slant six (love the sound of those) & it too had air conditioning. This car really takes me back to going places in that car with them.
That is not factory air. Interior is after market as is the compressor. Not complaining, just saying. The factory compressor was brutal, I swear it would take 20HP away. Nice car, hope it retains this configuration but I bet not. A das and sorry world. Of course, those of us who bought these cars new are dropping like flies in the barn zapper, so maybe a new generation should do what they want with them.
That may actually be better than the Airtemp units that came on these. I like how it covers the whole underside of the dash. And yes, that compressor weighs 2/3 of what the factory one did.
That was my first thought! Not original AC. I had a 74 Gold Duster with buckets and a 318 that had factor air and the duct work and compressor were much different. Sadly even the 318 didn’t offer much more get up and go in 74! Especially with the AC running!
Looks kind of like the dealer installed ac that was on my mothers Volare. She originally didn’t want ac but changed her mind so the dealer installed the system or had someone do it.
I had a 73, same color and vinyl top with no air when I was much younger. Hated that car with a passion. It wouldn’t run in the rain with the electronic ignition being in its infancy. Owned it for 32 days and traded it for an AMC Pacer. Best move ever.
Duster to a Pacer? Oy 🙄
The stalling in the rain I can relate to.
My 72 Plymouth Scamp used to do the same thing. I would use both feet to drive when it rained or snowed otherwise it would stall. I seem to remember reading that water would get into the bulkhead connector and causing the problem. Car ran fine when it was dry out.
The driver’s side door and front fender appear to be slightly darker than the rest of the car.
My sister had one of these back in the day. It was yellow, and it stalled when she made left turns.
’74 was a low mark for drivability. Even the rags [including Consumer Reports] made note of it at the time.
A friend in school had a Feather Duster. It was a fuel economy model from 1976. He had aluminum wheels on it and a 3 spd manual. It had the clicking six. It looked like a muscle car but wasn’t. Nothing says inferior when you are 16 a V8 anything rolls up to you at a light and revs the engine.
The quarter mile time rivaled that of the Vega. Where I come from they rusted as quick. The engineering at this time was horrible. When it got rebodied into the Aspen it wasn’t much better. Cryco was starting to hurt at this time. In a few years Lee was asking for government money.
Dart/Duster was not “rebodied” into the Aspen/Volare. They were 2 very different platforms. While the Aspen/Volare was intended to replace the Dart/Duster for the 1976 model year, they (Dart/Duster) were still selling so well the decision was made to continue one more year and both platforms were sold along side each other for ’76.
To prevent nearby v8 revving:
1. Racing/sport stripes should not be present.
2. Put homemade “225” emblems on the fenders.
Car already has skinny whitewalls & wheel covers.
So many people have a story about the humble Duster because there were so darn many of them on the roads–especially in high school parking lots. In my case, it was my cool babysitter who drove this identical car, minus the A/C (I can still remember the scorching hot vinyl seats). When I win the Powerball and build my Jay Leno garage, this will be one of my crown jewels, slant 6 and all.
Roy C. Agree the two platforms were made at the same time. One going out of production. Much in the vein of the 2004 F150 having the old body in production to use up old parts while the replacement was being made.
To clarify the Duster (an A body) has been in production since 1967. It’s safe to say that Cryco used everything under the car already in production to save on tooling costs. All manufactures do that
Gold ✨️
I had a virtual clone to to this Gold Duster car. Even the same wheel covers. It was the Camry of its day. Sliced white bread, nothing special. Modest power, good MPG, very roomy and nice driving. A HUGE trunk. One thing that you will find is that even when moving at normal traffic speed, you will be constantly passed by other cars. I think that it is a holdover from back in the day when older owner just drove them slower. Sort of like approaching a minivan.
This is a nice car, and worth what it is selling for at the moment. But I wouldn’t pay much more. It certainly isn’t any more collectable than a Vega or Pinto. Too boring and pedestrian for my tastes.
I’ve owned several 73 Plymouths ; one for nearly 50 years now. Drove them in all types of New England weather and never had an issue with the ignition except one ballast resistor in one after 10 years of driving one . That ignition system was basically unchanged for years, so I dont know what your cars problem was.
Well it kind of is more collectable . A body Mopars in nice shape would be worth more and there are a lot of options that make these more valuable. Pintos and Vegas ? not so much
Wife drove a yellow one, bare bones & manual tranny, that was her Mom’s, until a few days before we married. Driver’s door would fly open on right turn highway ramps. Traded it for a new $5500 Mazda B2000 long bed pickup so that it was never in our driveway after the wedding.
There are ‘Dusters’ and then there are ‘old lady Dusters’. This Gold Duster is the latter.
Wife had one identical but with the 318 when I married her. Had enough power to run the AC.
Dusters and Valiants had an excellent reputation for dependability per the consumer and automotive magazines of the day. The slant 6 was a step up from the base engine and was especially popular after gasoline prices spiked in the early 1970s but was not powerful by any stretch of the imagination. I do recall how Plymouths of that Era did not want to restart if it the engine was already hot or it was raining; electronic ignition was a step forward but not all the bugs were worked out yet. The vinyl seats of American cars were ice cold in winter and sticky hot in summer; definitely my least favorite seating of all time. So what we are left with is a partially restored compact economy car that was once a top seller and deserves to live as a time capsule. But the 95 hp in a vehicle that would be mid or full sized today with those vinyl seats would not be fun to drive to warm weather car shows and in cruises. Yes, A/C would help but it would reduce power and the car still has to driven home after sitting in the sun for hours.
I was wrong. The car for sale has the 105hp engine. Still less than Civics, Corollas, Sentara and similar cars today and pushing a lot more weight. Duster looks nice but a 318 was the better choice balancing between power and mileage when it was new.
Yea, but with that long stroke and displacement, way more torque. That you can feel. Apples and oranges.
Apples and Oranges , compare this car to a 74 CVCC or Corolla ; the Duster was a lot more car back then that either of these foreign ones, and didn’t dissolve in water like the Asian cars did
I had a ’74 Duster, 225 slant 6 with factory air. Drove great, rode great, cruised comfortably at 80 mph. No issues starting no matter the weather. I would not hesitate to have another one. The only slant 6 I ever had problem with the ’77 Volare, that was one of the myriad number of problems the Volare/Aspen twins had.
I had a 74 that I painted “Sublime” put mags on the back of it ,Black “Starsky & Hutch” stripe on the car.Also a 340 Hood Scoop,air shocks.It only had a 6 cyclinder but it was cool & it was mine . Gave up a girlfriend for it because her father did not want his daughter to go out with someone with a race car. Remember only a 6 cyclinder far from a race car .
Obviously Chris’ would be father-in-law knew absolutely nothing about cars and potential boyfriends for his daughter. If a boy had more traffic tickets than his family had trading stamps back in the day, his concern about her riding in the car was justified. But he could have had Chris visit her at the house, go with the family or even dropped the daughter off at school events to meet with Chris. I always thought cosmetic cars had a downside like attracting traffic cops, drag racers who really had powerful engines to embarass slower cars but never thought it would put the kibosh on a teen romance! This Duster would fly under the radar.
All show & NO GO those were the days .That car could not get out of the way without a head start even then . The only race it would win was going to the gas station
Final bid $9926 with the reserve not met.