Pleasant surprises are always welcome, sometimes brightening a dull or boring day. This 1972 Plymouth Duster 340 shows initial promise, suggesting its restoration could be straightforward. However, there are also signs that it may have a few surprises up its sleeve, and these might not be so welcome. This car may justify an in-person inspection to confirm that potential buyers aren’t biting off more than they can chew. The Plymouth is listed here on eBay in Port Byron, Illinois. Bidding remains short of the reserve at $10,300, with a relatively short time remaining on the auction.
Some badges enjoy great longevity, while others blaze brightly for a short period. The Duster falls into the second category, remaining part of the Plymouth range from 1970 until 1976. This 1972 model makes a positive first impression as a restoration candidate. Its Basin Street Blue paint is presentable for a driver-grade classic, while its panels are pretty straight and free from significant dings or dents. The underside shots reveal the floors and rails are sound, with no rust or other nasty problems. The trim and Rallye wheels are acceptable for a survivor or driver, while the glass is flawless. So far, it all looks positive. However, I may be about to burst your bubble. Rust is emerging from under the taillights, but it seems repairable. More disturbing are the bubbles under the vinyl top. These may be nothing but may also indicate long-term moisture problems allowing rust to develop. They are less visible in the supplied photos than in this YouTube video. They may be nothing, but they justify an in-person inspection.
Considering this is a Duster 340, I’m sure you won’t be surprised to lift the hood to find a 340ci V8. It sends 240hp to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission. The combination fired the Duster through the ¼-mile in 15.1 seconds, which was respectable in an era when emission regulations were biting deeply into engine performance. The seller indicates the Duster is numbers-matching, which is a sliver of good news that might offset some of the potential gloom and doom hiding under the vinyl. They don’t indicate how the car runs or drives, but the previously-mentioned YouTube video features the V8 running. It sounds clean and crisp, with a hint of lumpiness that might suggest a camshaft upgrade.
The Duster’s interior is serviceable for those seeking a driver-quality classic. However, those wishing for more would need to splash some cash to lift its presentation. The seatcovers aren’t ripped or physically damaged, although those on the front buckets are stretched. The door trims are cut to house speakers, the radio is missing, and the dash pad has cracked. No problems are insurmountable, but the buyer must prepare to spend some money pursuing perfection. Alternatively, those less concerned with originality could add slipcovers to the seats, spend $60 on a dash cover, and slot a retro-look stereo into the radio’s blank space. This approach wouldn’t cost a fortune, and the results should be acceptable.
I am, by nature, an optimist. When I first examined the photos of this 1972 Plymouth Duster 340, I believed it showed promise as a straightforward restoration. That might still be the case because its underside looks as clean as you could hope to find on an unrestored vehicle of this vintage. The rust emerging under the taillights is a worry, but only a minor one compared to the bubbles in the vinyl. The Duster has attracted ten bids, suggesting a few people like what they see. Do you think I am being too cautious, or are there questions with this Plymouth requiring answers?
As stated, the problems this one has aren’t insurmountable; after all, we’ve seen cars in MUCH worse condition. If it were me buying, my do list would be:
strip roof, and tail panel, repair the rust/repaint..new interior components, substitute a “Tuff” steering wheel for the present abomination, and source a pistol grip handle to replace the current awful one! GLWTA!! :-)
High school sophomore, Staten Island, NY, my FAVORITE CAR in my FAVORITE COLOR.
Woulda coulda shoulda aimed higher, but affairs of the heart cannot be quantified. Or shouldn’t be. In this case, never were.
Nice find, Adam. The Duster with the stock 340ci surprised more than a few on Saturday night but to make it more potent is just the right thing to do.
Like MoParMan said, lose the silly JC Warshawsky steering wheel and give it a shifter you can reach.
FWIW, Adam, your 1/4 mile info is appreciated! Looking at the performance stats of todays car puts it all in perspective with regards to automotive progress, but todays cars for the most part don’t any panache or pizzazz, ie, Toyota makes 300HP, 1.3L, 3 cyl in their newest hatch-but it looks like every other 4dr with a wing ding on the back trunk!
Nice truck!
I seen the pictures and the tail lights are a concern . It would need a new panel back there. I agree with the other comments. Ditch the steering wheel get a Tuff wheel and get a Pistol grip for this 4speed. The body color also known by.. Richard Petty blue keep it. And vinyl top comes off check for rust.. If the engine is working good leave it. If not.. full rebuild with bigger pistons and nice cam. Or 6-pak cam with a 6-pak carb setup. Then it would be a screaming Duster!! 😄🐻🇺🇸
Here’s what a pistol grip Ken will set you back , there is one on eBay right now for $1795.00. 😲😲😪
I can buy a real pistol for a lot less.
I know a few people who had 72 Dusters with that rear panel rust, they were notorious for that, even when garaged. Replacement panels are extremely hard to find, unless repairs are possible or if there’s a good aftermarket one available. When I fixed my 77 Coupe Deville in the early 2000s, replacement 1/4 panel extensions from numerous sources fit very poorly, so if a buyer wants to restore this car, he’d better have both eyes wide open. If a buyer isn’t bent on perfection, he could preserve it and enjoy it for what it is. It still does look pretty nice, and a 340 duster is rare.
I say buyer beware with this one….as previous replies have stated, it could run into big bucks spent…..in the end, the entire car might possibly require a repaint….the vinyl roof must be removed, Lord knows what the rust damage beneath would show….rear deck replacement isn’t cheap either….unless the price turns out to be very reasonable, I’d walk away…..
Beleive it or not the roofs on these cars an the dodge scamp were bad for roof rot vinyl top or not..
No, they weren’t’ . I’ve owned dozens of A body Mopars in the last 45 years , and unless it had a vinyl roof that was old and cracked, the roof were never rusted . And these cars were all from the coastline of CT.
In the ’70s MOPAR stood for Mostly Old Paint And Rust…I know from experience. My first new car (still in college) was a 1969 Barracuda S fastbackwith 340 and 4-speed. A fun car, quick and decent handling for the era. But it spent as much time at the dealer for warranty work (no drivetrain issues) as on the road and was developing rust bubbles in less than 3 years — in Southern California! The first and last MOPAR I’ll ever have!
I drove a 1972 Cuda eight years with no hint of rust anywhere. NC used very little, if any, salt on the highways in the ‘70’s. The car was never garaged.
As a contrast to Bob’s experience, I drove a ’73 Barracuda in the salty Northeast and it was rusted pretty badly when I bought it in ’78.
It looked okay when I bought it, but in about a year, the rust started bubbling up to the surface.
I’m a big fan of the pistol grip shifter, but in this case I’d probably go back to the original Hurst lever. I had one in my 71′ 340 Duster and it just looked right.
With the lower compression of the 340 motor in ’72, you lose a little HP and torque. But any A body 4 speed car from this era is a hoot to drive. I personally give this one gets extra points for the Petty Blue paint, vinyl roof, sharktooth grill and original chrome exhaust tips all being intact. I’ll take the rusty back panel repairs. You won’t find may 70’s Dusters that won’t need that work done.
I’d ditch the Super Victor manifold and Holley and go back to a properly jetted Thermoquad with a purple stripe cam. Then look for a 8 3/4 sure grip and go Mustang and Camaro hunting!
P.S. +1 on fitting a Tuf Wheel. That monstrosity would be the first thing to go. And you might as well replace it with something nice.
I had a ’70 340 and +1 agree with everything you said. The original shifter lever was longer and had a rearward dog leg in it that put it in a much better position than the pistol grip, which tipped forward. Purple stripe is awesome, perhaps some w2 heads if you could find them. You would need 3.91’s posi to go hunting. This car really brought me back. I bought a replacement some years ago but found my memories of the car when I was young really didn’t fit my older more responsible self. So I sold it and I’m fine with that. But for 12K it was sure a tempting, if unrealistic wish.
Good perspective! I’m sure I’d love having this car as a project and driver. But we always remember the true loves from our youth without thier warts.
In this case, for under $13k it would sure be fun to find out! You could do all the mods we’re talking about (and the necessary repairs), have fun with it for a few years, and still break even when you decide to sell.it on.
P.S. Your right… at that price somebody stole this puppy!
$12,800. Wow, someone stole this. Goes to show there are still great deals out there. Wish I were younger, but I have more projects than life left to complete them.
Bought a new ’71 Dodge Demon (slant six, three on the tree and bench seat) while living in Raleigh, NC and finishing my degree. Started finding rust at the base of the rear window and the veritcal tail lights within a year or ownership. Traded the car for a ’73 Chevy Caprice coupe and never looked back.
Like every other rust belt car it has rust. If the frame rails/floor and torsion bar mount are good it is worth repairing. I had two 71 340/4 speed Dusters and they showed a lot of Camaros and Mustangs their taillights.
Is it possible for this site’s advertising to violate its socio-political commentary rules? …cuz it just violated mine.
Relisted on eBay with $10k opening bid. Somebody flaked