We’ve seen a recent influx of interesting Mopar classics at Barn Finds, with some looking more promising than others. This 1973 Plymouth Gold Duster is a gem that has been part of the same family since it rolled off the showroom floor. It presents well for its age, but lifting its appearance to a higher level would cost very little. Its most pressing need is a new home, with the seller listing the Plymouth here on eBay in Santa Rosa, California. They set their BIN at $15,000, with the option for interested parties to make an offer.
Plymouth introduced the Duster to its range for the 1970 model year. Based upon its Valiant underpinnings, it brought a stylish two-door body to the party as a direct competitor to vehicles like the Ford Maverick. It remained in production until 1976, with Plymouth producing several special editions to entice buyers into its showrooms. The Gold Duster variant joined the party in mid-1970, finding favor as an affordable options package that enhanced the car’s naturally attractive appearance. The seller inherited this Gold Duster from their grandfather. He took delivery of the vehicle in 1973, ordering it in Mist Green with White stripes and a matching vinyl top. The seller admits it received a repaint and new vinyl, both applied by the dealership. Many years have passed since the work was completed, but a life stored undercover means it remains in remarkable condition. The paint has accumulated a few flaws, but a reputable shop should have no trouble addressing these without breaking the budget. The panels are straight, and the car’s history makes the absence of rust unsurprising. The stripes are crisp and clean, the glass is spotless, and the trim is excellent. The Duster rolls on its original steel wheels, and its damage-prone wheel covers are as impressive as the rest of the exterior.
I initially thought this Duster had received a retrim because its interior presentation is exceptional. However, the only non-original components are a replacement driver’s door card and retracting seatbelts. The seats have worn covers their entire life, allowing the vinyl to remain faultless. The carpet has slightly faded spots, but the dash, pad, and faux woodgrain are excellent. The factory air conditioning requires a recharge, and the fuel gauge doesn’t read accurately. Otherwise, everything works as it should, and the car will undoubtedly receive praise from enthusiasts for its excellent preservation.
Buyers faced several engine choices when ordering their 1973 Gold Duster, with this car’s original owner selecting the range-topping 318ci V8. He teamed that motor with a three-speed TorqueFlite transmission, adding power assistance for the steering and brakes to ensure an effortless driving experience. The V8 produces 150hp and 265 ft/lbs of torque, which are modest figures by modern standards. That doesn’t make this Gold Duster a muscle car, but cruising effortlessly on the open road at 70mph while topping 15mpg makes this Plymouth a practical long-distance tourer. Potential buyers seeking a well-documented classic may find this Plymouth irresistible. Its ownership history means the seller holds comprehensive Service Records and other documentation dating to when their grandfather took delivery. The listing shows an odometer reading of 106,000 miles, and I see no reason why that figure couldn’t be genuine. The Duster appears to be a turnkey classic, ready to hit the road with a new owner behind the wheel.
This 1973 Plymouth Gold Duster is a tidy classic with no immediate needs. It is ideal for someone seeking a well-documented car they can drive and enjoy immediately. Recent sales results suggest the BIN figure is realistic, gelling with the value quoted by Hagerty for a #3 example. I see it finding a new home pretty quickly, but are you tempted to make it yours?
Doubtful anyone special ordered this ; even a higher optioned Gold Duster would have been available at every Plymouth dealership ; heck , my Mist Green 1973 Duster 340 was an off the lot purchase ! That being said, I wonder if its really a “Gold Duster” , or maybe just had reproduction badges stuck on. The half vinyl top was a Gold Duster trim part , but non Gold Dusters had them too. The stripes are wrong for a Gold Duster, they look like someone made them, they are too thick compared to the original ones. While it could be a Gold Duster, Ive never seen one in this color and white roof in the nearly 50 years of me messing with A bodies .
Special ordering cars for a customer back in the early 70’s was frowned upon by dealer management & even the factory. Chrysler Corp had the lousy practice of building cars as they saw fit and parked them as available inventory for the dealers to order from. Dealers then were relegated to get cars from “the pool” & take what they got. This car is probably just such a car.
There could be some awful combinations that someone at the factory thought worthy to build. The worst I ever saw was a medium dark blue metallic with a green cloth interior. This was a few years later as that was a Dodge Aspen.
Nice looking Duster. Love the color and equipment. Have we seen this just recently?
I’ve been a Mopar fan since 1963. I like the Chrysler A-Body cars. This looks legitimate to me. Had a friend who had one of these in blue, his was special ordered and had the center console and bucket seats. He also had the white vinyl top. The stripes look correct to me. I don’t see anything that makes me question the authenticity of this car.
Personally I prefer the style of the 2 door hardtop better, but I can’t fault this one at all.
I looked up pics of 1973 Gold Dusters ; you can clearly see the difference in the stripe width. Its still a nice looking car, but I dont think I live with a light green car with a dark green interior !
Although that 1971 Demon looks far more attractive and striking and is a better performer, I would choose this Duster because of its originality and one-family ownership. Made an offer of $14K but got outbid.
Your offer of $15K ($1K below ask) was more than fair!
$14k
I was too busy to follow up on what happened. I was told that someone bid $14.5K and I’m looking into that now.
Beauty. I’d be tempted to add a 4-barrel, dual exhaust, 3.21 gear ⚙️ and follow the sunshine 🛣 🌞 ⛱️
Like…..and if it was repainted know it alls – there were no reproduction or orginal side stripes on dealers shelves for Gold Dusters. The fold down seat is not common to Dusters except those Hang 10’s. Nice car and if it’s grandpa’s grandson selling it shouldn’t be that hard to prove.
The seller states the car has been repainted and a new vinyl top installed – and there are reproduction stripes available ; these certainly aren’t them .
And the Spacemaker package while uncommon, is not as rare as you’d think. My 340 even has it, which I thought was an odd choice, but I’ve recently seen two other original 340 cars out in the midwest ( one a twin to mine) that also had that option, and I’ve parted a few six cyl cars that had it, and they were local to me. Dart Sports also had them , some known as “Convertriples” that came equipped with a sliding steel sunroof.
The rarest part of this car is the color ; the one year only F1 Mist Green was not a popular color ,compared to the 16 or so color options available .If its as solid as it looks ,I’m sure it will sell for a good chunk of change !
The bumper rubber parts are mixed, the front have the early ‘73 style while the rear have the later style, that continued until the end of the model in 1976.
Probably got hit at some point and they put on whatever they found at local yard.