When Ford introduced the Maverick in 1969, they had something that Plymouth did not: an inexpensive, sporty fastback. But that was quickly corrected with the debut of the Duster in 1970. From the cowl forward, it was a Valiant, but from the windshield back, all the sheet metal was new. The car was popular enough for Dodge to clone it as the Demon the next cycle. This second-year Duster was a one-owner car until 2021 when the seller acquired it for a restoration that he/she’s not going to get around to doing. So, the Plymouth is available in Wrens, Georgia, and here on craigslist for $8,950. Pat L. does it again finding us this cool tip!
While sales numbers of the Duster didn’t mirror the Maverick, Plymouth still sold a ton of them. Between 1970 and 1976, more than 1.3 million Dusters appeared on the landscape, plus a smaller number of the Demon/Dart Sport. In 1971, the Duster was little changed from its first year, yet demand stayed strong at 186,500 copies of which 173,600 were “regular” Dusters (i.e., not equipped with a 340 V8). Though Plymouth would introduce the Volare as the Valiant/Duster’s replacement in 1976, there was still enough interest in the earlier car to produce both for a year.
The seller found this Plymouth in a barn near his home. After striking a deal, all it took was a battery and some gas to get it to drive to his house after having been dormant for about nine years. The seller or his/her mechanic installed a new starter, voltage regulator, fuel pump, and some other odds and ends. It still needs a power steering pump (the current one leaks) and a tune-up is likely in order. The 318 V8 is original to the car and has been tweaked a bit for speed, such as the addition of an intake manifold, 4-barrel carburetor, and dual exhaust. Some of the original parts and paperwork come with the deal.
Though this auto has more than its fair share of patina (aka surface rust), the body looks to be solid overall. Sure, there are some dents and dings, with the worst perhaps being in the passenger front fender. The front bumper is also pitting, and some attention will be required inside the Duster, such as the door panels, dash pad, carpeting, and upholstery (the headliner is said to be fine).
The photos seem to depict two sets of wheels, but the seller only references the original steel wheels with dog dish hub caps and ancient tires. Though he/she has no time to restore this Plymouth, interest in a “trade” is also mentioned. With a weekend or two of work, you could be running around town in this Mopar.
Ah, she’s equipped with the Haynes manual!
Russ, I’d opine that Plymouth had the Barracuda (also an A-body) way back in ’65, right? I mean, the early ‘Cudas were fastbacks, and sporty, right? And those early Barracudas weren’t expensive, were they?
If you’re into Dusters this doesn’t look all too bad. The 318 will wake up with the right parts and the repoped parts will get the project home. It going to make somebody happy.
Always liked the taillights on these. Looks to
be worthy of putting back on the road. A/C!!
I had an original 1973 340 duster. The only car I wished I never sold.
Me too, luckily for me , no one liked the color when I tried to sell it when gas
hit 75cents a gallon so I ended up keeping it
This is one dusty duster ❗needs to be dusted off❗
Dusty Dustbin. It’s natural habitat ! lol
That roof looks like if you got happy with a grinder you might go thru it. Looker over good. 4 speed!
Cheers
GPC
Not with 1970 era gauge steel ! Thats just light rust over …patina
Is that a throw on the seats…..or gawd….didn’t they actually equip the car with those horrid things.
no they didnt, actually
Ford’s Maverick was introduced in 69 for the 70 model year, and so was the Plymouth Duster. Its not like they rushed it into production in a year because the Maverick was popular .
My college girlfriend had that same car in blue. And I had a rare one, a ‘76 Feather Duster, of which they only made 500 (I didn’t realize how rare while I owned it), and which had aluminum block and tranny case, some aluminum body parts, and an overdrive transmission. It was supposed to get 30 mpg, which was kind of amazing for the time.
Hard to believe that an $8k Duster could be a bargain, but here we are…
Jay, askin and gettin are two different animals:)
Here is a piece of trivia for this car. I was working at a Chrysler/Plymouth dealer in Atlanta when this came out. You will notice that the trunk lid does not have a ridge in the center of it as do all later models. People complained that when they slammed the trunk closed, their hand would leave a small dent in the lid. It is rare to find a 70 model without the dents! Chrysler put the ridge in it the next year to strengthen the lid.