1971 Plymouth Duster

Smaller and lighter than its Road Runner brother, Plymouth's Duster 340 was a compact powerhouse that provided all the thrills one expected of an old-school Mopar muscle car. Throw in a four-speed and you can't help grinning like a teenager every time you run through the gears. Here we have a real-deal 1971 Duster 340 that still sports its original, rock-solid body panels. Look closely and you'll see even panel gaps and supple weather stripping. The doors click shut with a finger's push. Note that the exterior was originally EV2 Tor-Red. During the Duster 340's restoration in the late 1990s the car was completely disassembled and the color was changed from Tor-Red to Formal Black with no remaining signs of the original color. A black vinyl top, dual sport mirrors, a blacked-out hood with "340 Wedge" decal and orange factory side stripes add more pizazz to the Duster. The car retains all of its original glass, including the windshield that's in very nice condition, as is the chrome and stainless-steel trim. A set of period-correct aluminum wheels with unique raised orange letter BF Goodrich Radial T/As are on the car presently, but we will be installing a new set of Rally wheels and BF Goodrich T/A tires and will update the photos once that's done. Underneath, it's the same story as the very impressive undercarriage has the nicest floors you'll find with along with very solid torque boxes and overall structure. The trunk pan is original and it comes with the original jack, mat and spare. Inside, everything looks factory fresh and rather than a boring bench seat there are bucket seats with the factory Hurst 4-speed shifter with its original wood knob between them. The black and bright orange upholstery ties in perfectly with the exterior's orange accents and the sporty "Tuff" steering wheel provides a meaty grip; no skinny plastic rim here. The dash was replaced with a new one and as such the lenses, plastic-chrome accents and woodgrain accents all look factory fresh. A factory AM/FM radio provides clear sound for when you're just cruising. Under the hood the original 340 block is long gone, a victim of a steady diet of drag racing in the 1970s. No worries, as a high-performance 340 crate engine now occupies the engine bay. A few highlights include a new Edelbrock intake and carb (650 cfm) and dress-up kit (valve covers and air cleaner) as well as the Edelbrock "Performer" aluminum heads and a set of ceramic-coated Doug's headers. The original 340 was likely underrated at 275 horsepower and gave these cars ripping performance. This considerably more powerful 340 transplant likely makes around 400 horsepower, boosting the fun factor even more. All that power is sent through the 4-speed gearbox and out to the Sure-Grip rear end. Manual steering and brakes make this a true, engaging-to-drive muscle car, while the dual exhaust with its OEM style mufflers makes this car sound as good as it looks...and goes. Note that a trunk full of brand new, top-grade parts go with the car and include a Cold Case radiator/fan/shroud, a full set of auxiliary gauges, a tach, a billet electric water pump, and a heavy-duty alternator. The Edelbrock components were installed already as mentioned above. Given its combination of condition, desirable features and affordable pricing, we don’t expect this muscle Mopar to last long. Please call Carroll Street Auto at (603) 627-5595 to schedule time to view this classic close up. Financing is offered through our approved lender, trades are welcome and enclosed shipping can be arranged.