Up for sale in Arizona is small yet fun muscle car known as the famous 340 Duster. Factory painted Plum Crazy Purple, this 340 4-speed machine is quite complete and is a numbers matching machine for the most part. The car was a driver a few months ago but is now up for sale in the hope that someone will restore it. With little time remaining, this Mopar is currently bid up to $5,400. Be sure to take a look here on eBay out of Scottsdale, Arizona.
Remarkably this Mopar is considered completely numbers matching aside from the engine. The 340 V8 was borrowed from another 1970 Duster and has what is thought to be a suitable build date for this Duster. The engine is not currently installed, but the seller is willing to install the engine for shipping purposes. The 4-speed manual transmission, the rear end, and the radiator are all numbers matching according to the seller. Thankfully the suspension and brake system are complete, so this Mopar project seems like a sweet start.
The interior appears to be in very fair condition with expected splits in the seats. The seller claims the interior is complete and is in overall fair condition. From what I can see the dash looks very reasonable, minus the modern tachometer. Hopefully, the tach was mounted in a way that did not damage the dash itself. The carpet appears to be fairly plush, and the seller reports that the back seat is like new.
Although this car is located in Arizona, I get the idea that this is not where this car spent its past. The quarters, the lower front fenders, and the rockers all need attention on this Mopar. Someone has previously come along and primered the rusty areas to inhibit its spread. Also, there may be some filler mixed in as well. Aside from the rust, the body is very straight, and the paint certainly displays like a true Arizona car with almost all of the paint burned off. Overall this is a great car considering its level of completeness, and for its cool factor as a “small” muscle car. It seems that the floors and the trunk floor are solid so this project might be the perfect restoration for you. Would you restore this Plum Crazy find?
This will be a real beauty when restored. As much as I love the 71 grille I’d have to go back to the 70 grille being it’s a legit FC7 340 4speed car. Another one of those wish I could afford it cars. 340 4speed duster/demon has always been a dream car of mine.
Oh no, I have always loved those grills. Was in high school when new, so couldn’t afford one, otherwise would have bought it. Not sure if I would have gotten the 340, even then I was more a 225/318 kind of guy, but could I have gotten that grill and dash then? Don’t remember. These were a nice comprise from a Barracuda/Challenger, plus a hundred pounds lighter too. I have always speculated that they took sales away from them, cheaper, and almost as sporty. The only thing missing was available big blocks, and for me, never wanted one anyway. Have never owned a heavy big block, small V8s, sixes, fours of all varieties, even a five cylinder.
Sounds like you would have wanted a 71 duster twister. Had the 340 shark grille, stripes, blackout hood, and the choice between a 225 or 318. I’m sure the rallye gauges were available as well.
Not sure how a car with a non-original engine can be considered to be numbers-matching, but this will be a fun project if the price stays low.
for one thing this numbers matching crap does not apply to mopars never did never will! that said you read the fender tag on the drivers side all letters every thing about the car is right there! and 340 dusters would blow the doors of 383 road runners all day long, eat mustangs and poop camaros all you needed the person who knew how to tune a 340 and throw that junk thermoquad in the trash can and put a 650 holly double pumper on it!
The only purple I see is some badly sprayed paint in the engine bay and on a repainted door that could easily have come from another car . It looks like this car was going to be a restored Duster painted in Plum Crazy , ,but the owner gave up on it. Vins are easily swapped. I’m a big fan of Dusters but I would really have to look this car over with a fine tooth comb before I put a bid on it .
The Plum Crazy paint is correct and very visible in the door jams under the blue respray, checkout the other pictures closely and I am sure you will agree.
I just see one picture of the end of a repainted door with the build date on Ebay , I don’t see any other pics of door jams and the trunk area was sprayed black – maybe some pics got deleted ?
If its a real Plum Crazy Duster 340 I’m sure the bidding will skyrocket !
Being a 1970 Plymouth with FC7 color code it’s actually In Violet Metallic.
I cannot ever recall someone stating that a car has a “numbers matching radiator.” Honestly, is there such a thing as a “numbers matching radiator?” Or is the seller just trying to say that the radiator is original?
Probably means radiator support.
There is a stamping on the radiator that will tell you year of manufacture, engine family/cooling package. A company re-pops these, but they charge $1k+ to start with
Paint Code on tag FC7 properly translates to “purple” whether Plum Crazy [Dodge] or Inviolet [ Plymouth]. “H” in Vin means legit 340. Unbeatable combination with 4 speed. Seems seller also has a similar A- body in garage.
Crazy, it’s almost plum paintless.
I had one of these in high school. 340 4 speed and plum crazy. Paid $1100 bucks for it in 1975. And yes it was fast. After graduation I hit a deer with it, did in the right side door and fender. Took the ins. money and sold it “as is” for $600. One thing I remember was when I bought it the ins. co. didn’t consider it a high performance car. 340 ‘Cuda yes, 340 Duster no. I even got a discount for having a compact car.Before that I had a ’64 Caddy. Hindsight is 20/20 I should have held onto both of them, I could probably pay my house off if I sold them now instead of 40 yrs ago.
Coulda shoulda woulda. WE’ve all been there.
So I guess I must be plum crazy thinking that any left over paint on the car looks blue. I swear to it until I’m red in the face. One second my phone is ringing, Yellow? Harold! You bought what? Why I’m green with envy.
oh come on! She might have spent that night with the football team going over plays.
Some crazy painted this plum blue.
Never thought I’d see the day where Dusters became hard to find, but here we are. Nice project, way under priced.
Best color on a Mopar ever.
I see its now gone. Someone probably contacted him with a 10K offer and took it home as a bargain.
Relisted with a $7500 BIN. Probably not for long…
Remarkably it is considered completely numbers matching aside from the engine? If the engine is not the original, it is impossible to be completely numbers matching to ANY extent. This is just like the Corvette that was on display at the corvette Expo in Tennessee a couple of weeks ago. It had been completely painted and the engine had been rattle canned orange. The sign said: this car is 100% original, unrestored. The people who present their cars this way are not stupid; they just think everyone else is. This Duster seems pretty nice but it is just a Duster with a ”correct dated” non original engine. It could also say the original transmission and rear end. It is not a matching numbers car. Not my opinion, just the facts. Soon we will say numbers matching because it has the original vin #s still on it. I do like to say my car is rare because it is one of one. It is the only one with ”this” vin #. Super rare!!!!!
Had the Duster come out a few years earlier I wonder if a big 383 or 440 would have been available. Hemi maybe, just like the drag cars, I’m certain something would have been offered just to satisfy NHRA rules.
The things I used to think about, hmm.
Fun street car here, the right stance, body style, and light weight. Just adding a set of mags made these instant cruise material, although in the early eighties most of what I saw were 6 cylinders and some 318’s, and many had aftermarket wheels. Like the 340/360 versions.
Think this was actually sold a while back…….
Listing ended on Mar 28 at $5,600.00. Someone got a fairly good car that needs some TLC. Best of everything to new owner. Sure wish I had a place to take on a project like this. 11′ x 18′ won’t do the trick.
I own it now.