The Duster was perhaps Plymouth’s big success story of the 1970s. They took a Valiant compact and grafted on a new fastback body from the cowl back. The result was sales of nearly 1.3 million copies from 1970 to 1976 (plus a smaller number of the similar Dodge Demon/Dart Sport). The Gold Duster was a popular trim package with gold-colored trim wherever you looked, plus an optional matching half-vinyl roof. This ’73 edition looks like a survivor-quality car with plenty of life left in it. It’s got the usual bumps and bruises that a 50-year-old automobile would have, but it benefits from being in a dry climate. From Sparks, Nevada, this thrifty Mopar is available here on eBay where $4,600 has been bid, the reserve is unmet, but the “pass-go” price is $7,500.
Other than a bit more bulk in the front bumpers, the 1973 Duster was the same as a 1972 Duster. And it would turn into the marque’s second-best sales period out of the seven-year run. You had your choice between a 225 cubic-inch “Slant Six”, a 318 V8, or a 340 small-block if you were interested in some muscle. The seller’s car has the mid-range choice with a TorqueFlite automatic transmission. Besides the Gold Duster appearance package, it came with power steering and factory air conditioning (though the latter isn’t working). We’re told that this Plymouth runs and drives as it should.
The gold paint may or may not be original and has some dents and ding, especially in the passenger side rear quarter panel. But rust doesn’t seem to be a major issue so the Duster here should have good bones to work with. The interior may be a bit of a mystery as there’s a sheet over the front bench seat, while the back seat looks to be perfect. But the dash pad has been royally baked by the Sun. The seller did install a new carpeting set with additional sound-deadened applied below.
For any future repairs that this Plymouth needs, the seller is throwing in some extra parts. They include new brake parts, a new blower motor (A/C?), and a new motor for the windshield wipers (working now?). Extra door panels are also coming along for the ride and a wipe-in clear coat kit if you decide against a repaint of this Gold Duster. The seller indicates that the mileage is greater than 200,000, which does suggest some things will be getting tired.
I think $7500 for this Duster isn’t too far rrom a realistic number.
Drive, as is, until repairs are wanted or necessary.
Reminds me of an Aston Martin I have.
Nice car good luck with the sale
🎶 🎸 🎤
” Take your silver spoon, dig your grave
Heartless challenge
Pick your path and I’ll pray
Wake up in the morning
See your sunrise, loves to go down
Lousy lovers pick their prey
But they never cry out loud, cry out
Well, did she make you cry
Make you break down
Shatter your illusions of love?
And is it over now, do you know how?
Pick up the pieces and go home
Rock on, ancient queen
Follow those who pale in your shadow
Rulers make bad lovers
You better put your kingdom up for sale
Up for sale
Well, did she make you cry
Make you break down
Shatter your illusions of love?
And is it over now, do you know how?
Pick up the pieces and go home
But did she make you cry
Make you break down
Shatter your illusions of love?
And now tell me, is it over now?
Do you know how to pick up the pieces
And go home? Go home, go home
Pale shadow of a woman
Black widow
Pale shadow of a dragon
Dust woman
Pale shadow of a woman
Black widow
Pale shadow, she’s a dragon
Gold Dust Woman
Woman, woman ”
🥁 🎹 🎵
That’s very high mileage, but believable, if it was well maintained, and this one isn’t rotted away, like so many of them were. This may sound a bit silly, but I have never seen a Duster with a V8 and factory A/C. I’ve seen many Slant Sixes with factory air, but none with an 8. There’s no reason there couldn’t be one, and these cars were everywhere when I was a kid, and my parents had two of them, one a slant six with air, and the other a 318 with no air. I hope a Mopar fan buys it and restores it to original, or just fixes what’s needed and enjoys it for what it is.
V8 and AC pretty common. I have and have had several examples. A very cool car some one will love it.
What is this love of unsilenced air cleaners? For the love of JC Whitney! Great car with a 318, much better choice than a 340 for all sorts of reasons. Too bad it is so rotten inside. You could get a 318 with a four speed in a Challenger, but I have never seen one in a Duster. Was it possible? (yeah, yeah, I know this one is an auto, I was just wondering)
yes rank the overdrive version of the 833 4 spd was an option as well as a 3 spd. i had a dart sport coupe with the od 4 spd.
those air cleaners looked cool and made it sound awesome, just like flipping the sock air cleaner lid did.
as for 318 vs 340… it really depended on what you wanted. a driver then 318.
a hot rod then 340. and the 340 in the a bodies worked very very well for the hot rod guys.
in todays market the price is fair and the interior is not a big deal at all. all diy level work and not expensive whether you source used, nos or repops
someone is going to get a sweet toy.
if it was me it would wind up a resto mod. i would source the buckets and center console. maybe even a sun or moon roof
The same 4sp that you could get with a Volare, you know, the one with the bad feeling linkage? I mean, a straight 4sp with a 1 to final gear. Hotrod? For a drag strip? On the street was a poor idea if you didn’t like tickets, jail time, and becoming uninsurable. Plus street racing is dangerous, not just for you, but for those around you as well. I love going to the drag strip, but whole heartily disapprove of street racing.
actually i said that wrong rank. the 833 4spd was available and the the od version 833 came out in 75 they were physically the same and the same linkage set up.
no, mopar never offered a toploader 4 spd as far as i know for the cars.
they were in the trucks though.
and as long as the linkage wasn’t worn out they shifted fine even behind the big blocks and hemis
In many cases it is less expensive to replace a missing or rusted out factory air cleaner with an aftermarket open element air cleaner. This one suits the Duster. It is manufactured by Edelbrock so not a cheap unit.
Duster ,Demon predecessor Heart ❤️ shaped symbol with a tail fading left or right.Inwhich, Chevrolet introduced the Luv pickup.
Friend had one this vintage. Pretty dark forest green. It was slant six but looked good and we’d get five of us in there no problem. I think I slid into his driver’s side rear panel with my 89 Daytona 🤔. I still owe my 26 years later…oh no.
Yes I bought a ’74 Duster 318 -auto tranny half vinyl roof a/c sunroof in 1974. Nice car but not enough power
Ex-wife had a 1973 Duster, 318, auto. Had it for several years. The day we sold it the frame broke in half about a mile from our house. Too much Chicago winter for too many years.
My dad worked for Chrysler/Plymouth in the 70’s when I was a kid. He brought home a new demo about every 6 weeks and then the dealer would sell it at a discount as it had several hundred to a couple of thousand miles on it. He usually brought home the nice cars but one time he brought home a slant six Duster. It just so happened we were headed to Ft Walton Beach to see his sister that same weekend so we filled up the Duster and took off. I guess my dad wasn’t used to cars that got good gas mileage and as we got closer to our destination he decided to see if we could get all the way without stopping for gas. (From Jacksonville) We ran out of gas about one block from her house. My dad was amazed as it was over 300 miles and the Duster wasn’t even broken in yet. I do remember though the very next week he turned the car in stating that the cheap vinyl bench seat hurt his back. I think the real reason was he just missed his 383 & 440’s. P.S.- Remind me to never buy a used car from Mark!
There’s always a used car for sale near zezo magic shop in Colorado