The original Duster was Plymouth’s fastback version of the Valiant compact. From 1970 to 1976, Plymouth sold more than 1.3 million of the popular cars, so it’s not surprising the Duster name would pop back up later as a trim option on the Valiant’s successor, the Volare. We don’t know how many Volares came with the Duster package, but it was only $30 extra. Plus, this Duster has the “Super Six” version of the “Slant Six” engine with a 2-barrel carburetor for better performance. This ’79 Volare Duster runs but needs attention and is available here on eBay via a salvage yard in Logan Utah. Just one bid of $500 has been cast and the Buy It Now price is $4,250.
1976 was the Bicentennial celebration of the United States of America. And it was also the year that Chrysler rolled out the Plymouth Volare/Dodge Aspen to replace the aging Valiant/Dart. There was nothing revolutionary about the new design and the cars would rack up a fistful of recalls in their first couple of years, giving Chrysler something of a black eye (quality control was not what it should have been). This all seemed to be ironed out later in the nameplates’ runs, but there would be no second generation for these cars when production ended in 1980.
Since Plymouth had made a mint with the original Duster, they brought it out of mothballs in 1979 and 1980 on the Volare coupe. It was a trim selection that included louvered side windows and wild upholstery material that resembled the suits worn by Herb Tarlek on WKRP in Cincinnati (Google Herb Tarlek suits if you don’t recall). The seller’s car has this option, as verified by the surviving window sticker, and it also has the “Super Six” version of the 225 cubic inch engine which was spruced up with a 2-barrel carb and corresponding intake manifold.
We’re told this Plymouth performs but will need some easy things done to have any reliability, such as a tune-up, a new power steering hose, and the like. The tires may be good, but you’d better check their date codes. The body is fair with minimal rust although there are small dents in both rear quarter panels. The interior is where most of the work will be needed, replacing the upholstery, carpeting, dash pad, and maybe more. This is a mildly interesting project car that if you got carried away restoring it might be worth less than your collective investment.
The Duster name would appear two more times – on yet another variation of the Horizon TC3 hatchback in 1995, and on a variation of the Plymouth Sundance in 1992.
BTW…. $250 for dealer prep on a $5800 car? Somebody got ripped off, especially considering that the manufacturer reimbursed the dealer for prep.
High Dealer Prep cost! I woulda telt the dealer ta suck my tuches
The broadcast sheet list steering wheel tuff! It has all the right stuff just rough around the edges
meh…
Adding the Super Six set up to my ’80 Volare made a big difference. I changed the carb, intake, increased the exhaust diameter from 1-7/8″ to 2-1/4″ and picked up over 15 rear-wheel horsepower. Drivability was much improved.
I had a ’79 version and I also added a “split Ex. manifold”…..really made it sing. Hadn’t made one of those in fifty years.
$4250 Buy it now from a salvage yard? That’s already exceeding it’s value. Could be a really sharp little car once repaired. I’m thinking 500-600 tops.
The seller is Jeremy, a reliable, honest Mopar enthusiast from YouTube.
These cars are fewer and fewer to be found. As time rolls by, we’ll be restoring worsening conditioned cars.
Already, the cost of straight 1967-70 Mustangs, Camaros, 1970-74 Cudas, late 60s early 70s Satellites, roadrunners is sky high and nearly untouchable for us average guys.
Grab these while you can, kids.
In 10 years, this same car is way worse condition will be double.
500-600 is long, long gone.
A good friend had a 79 Volare Roadrunner. Black with the red stripes. Red Graphics. 318 small block with 70 series Cragar SS wheels all the way around it. It had side pipes but it was done very Tastefully. It had T-tops, automatic, floor shift, black leather interior that you literally sank in like sitting on a marshmallow. The car was super comfortable and extremely nice looking and I’ve wanted it everyday since then and that was back when I was in 10th Grade and that was a very long time ago when the car was brand new. It was his brother’s car and his brother worked on the oil rigs. And just gave it to him to drive it and he came and took it from him on weekends about once every 6 months. Other than that we got to cruise around in it everyday. Man I really like that car. I know a lot of people don’t like the Volare anything but that one was done really Tastefully. It was really clean, really comfortable and it would be really nice with a beefed up 340 or 360.
Mine was a 76 Volare coupe. 225-automatic. Oof. 0-60 with an egg timer. My cousins had later ones with the super six and overdrive. All were quicker and claimed mileage in the low to mid-20s against my 17 mpg. sigh
The Tuff wheel is cool. Was going to order one on an ’81 Dodge Aries but ended up with a Horizon instead.
SOLD for $4,250.
The salvage yard just made at least 4K.
I know the Dusters were concisered good cars. My family and several friends all had Valients, Lancers and Darts. Then in the late 70s we had a few Volare and Aspens. Being built from the Valient Dart platform, they had very strong reputations, although I understand they quickly became rust buckets, but not in California. I always thought the Valients and Darts were good cars, although very underpowered with the Slant 6. Even with the 318 cid V8 the performance greatly improved. The V8s gave the cars a completely different presence. They of course even sounded much better. Los Angeles County agencies used Valients and Darts as field cars for two years then auction them off at very low prices. They were always the lowest trim levels, but were very well maintained by the county. In the two years the county had them they would rack up 200,000 or more miles, they were always white with light gray interiors, and that was before gray became the standard interior that it is now. For the 60s and 70s these cars were the best selling Chrysler cars, along with the Plymouth Belvederes, and Dodge Cornets, that were popular law enforcement choices. The Chrysler Corporation wad first in fleet sales for years.
Valiant and Darts were A-Bodies. Volaré and Aspen were F-Bodies. Although they were similarly sized, they were different platforms. The F-Bodies, and soon to come M & J Bodies were quite similar, and used the same torsion bars with 90° bends in them, and different steering knuckles. Cheers!
Nifty project. It needs much but it could be done as a piddler project you drive around as you sort it out. At some point it needs disassembly but you’d be deciding how to go about doing each task and gutting anything you can to the end until driver’s seat needs removal, at which time you pull drivetrain and muffler etc to prep and paint underneath and engine bay. Updating engine and trans and converting to fuel injection and CDI ignition. Update suspension and brakes. Spartan interior until full body paint prep. It’s a nice project. Should be a 20mpg+ car done properly.