Economic rationalism has seen many brands reduce their badge offerings to buyers, while some corporations have retired marques for the same reason. Plymouth joined a long line of such brands in 1971, marking the end of what had been a golden era for Chrysler. It spawned cars like this 1971 Plymouth Duster, a car that shows promise as a project candidate. It has already received an engine upgrade, although there is scope for the winning bidder to bolt a V8 under the hood to unleash plenty of additional performance. The seller has listed the Duster here on eBay in Citrus Heights, California. Bidding sits below the reserve at $5,000 following some pretty impressive auction action.
Plymouth introduced the Duster to its model range in 1970 as a sporting variant of the Valiant. Buyers received a two-door Coupe featuring crisp styling, with the badge soldiering on until being replaced in mid-1976. The first owner ordered our feature car in distinctive Butterscotch with a Black vinyl top. A quick check of the supplied photos confirms it isn’t perfect, with the panels sporting a selection of minor bumps and bruises. However, there are no significant dings or dents that would demand steel replacement. Rust also doesn’t appear to be a major concern. There are a few bubbles in the driver’s side lower quarter panel, but the seller doesn’t mention any other problems that could cause concern. The rear bumper has developed a matte look, although the remaining trim is in good order. The glass is clear, and the aftermarket wheels are in good order. I admit that I am not a fan of their style and would probably source a set of the correct Rally wheels if I were the winning bidder.
Chrysler produced some pretty impressive engines at the height of its power, with the slant-six worthy of special consideration. Its power and torque figures were always at least on par with the sixes provided by the opposition and were often significantly better. This Duster left the factory with the 225ci version, teamed with a three-speed TorqueFlite transmission. The driver would have had 145hp under their right foot, although this car is no longer numbers-matching. The original powerplant made way for a “Super Six” variant that Chrysler produced for the 1976 model year. It is debatable whether this will produce improved performance, but this engine should cope admirably with modern fuels. The seller also added an electronic ignition and recently replaced the master cylinder. Potential buyers can consider the Duster as a turnkey proposition. The seller recently undertook a few long road trips, with the Plymouth running perfectly and returning excellent fuel mileage.
Potential buyers will welcome the state of this Duster’s interior because it presents nicely. The headliner is sagging on the sail panels, but stretching this back into place might be possible. Otherwise, the Black vinyl trim is free from damage, the dash and pad are excellent, and there are no visible aftermarket additions. The first owner ordered this Duster with air conditioning, although the seller notes that the entire system was removed. The only other factory option is an AM radio to relieve boredom on long journeys.
I invariably look at cars like this 1971 Duster and feel sad that the marque that produced it has been consigned to the pages of history. It isn’t alone, with iconic brands like Mercury and Pontiac sharing the same fate. This Duster shows promise as a project candidate, and the lack of urgent issues will allow the buyer to enjoy it immediately while they contemplate its future. It will be fascinating to gauge your opinion on this classic and what path you would follow if it found its way into your garage. Would you simply address its panel and paint issues, or would the lure of a V8 transplant prove irresistible? So, it’s over to you for comments.
Is that a late 70s Super Six, or just the air cleaner from one? It would be nice to see the carb, plus the exhaust as they used 2 inch pipes.
The seller says the cylinder head is from the super six.
Steve R
Given that the two barrel air cleaner assembly (and that IS a two barrel air cleaner) wouldn’t fit on top of a one barrel carb without significant modifications, and the seller states that the original ’71 slant six has been replaced with a ’76 Super Six, a claim readily disproved by simply removing the air cleaner lid, and would be a material misrepresentation that would immediatly cost him the sale if found otherwise, I’d be inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume for the time being that the claim is true.
No A51 fender tag. A plane jane 6 cylinder Twister clone. Ugh to the color. But worth more than 5k as a modern Hemi swap starting point.
Agreed on the color, Jay E. Bahama Yellow (Plymouth)/Butterscotch (Dodge) was among the worst selling high impact paint colors in both 1969 and 1971, the only two years that it was offered as a regular production color, and for good reason.
There are groups, including a fairly large one on Facebook, that are all about getting more power out of a Slant 6. That intrigues me more than “another V8” swap. A vintage v8 won’t keep up with modern muscle and swapping a modern 8 is a process. I’d prefer to be different. Having said that, the eventual buyer will spend his/her money as they see fit. It’ll be a nice car in any event.
Agreed with being different and extracting more from the six. That said, if you’re set on going modern, what about a new twin turbo Hurricane six?
I’m quite interested in this new straight 6 and the new Charger.
Torq Storm makes super chargers for the ‘leaning tower of power’, that’s the route I would go
I once had a ‘64 Valiant slant six (not sure of the size) but a buddy of mine & I fitted an Offenhauser 4 bbl manifold on it along with a 4bbl carb with no notable increase in performance. Must of done something wrong.
Auction ended 4/2/2025 with a high bid of $7,600 but did meet reserve.
Steve R