# MOPAR guys might call this a "Rice Eater"...



## Rain-Xx (Jul 29, 2002)

**Update* MOPAR guys might call this a "Rice Eater"...*

... but I call it a hunk of rusted metal which is in need of a fix-up.

Enter the '75 Duster:
The Car section of my website

5.9L 360ci V8... roughly 240 hp and 300 lbs-ft torque, stock...
has had some port-polishing work done to it by the old man.

Apparently, she just needs to be cleaned up a bit and her carb needs a tune-up. So I have my summer project.

Here's some pics not on my site yet:








Could use some armor-all.... or something...









The Thermoquad, what I need to work on.

Edit: Ok, so I added the pics right after I posted. Consider the ones here a 'teaser' or something.


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## himilefrontier (Jan 21, 2003)

I'd ditch the Thermoquad and go with either a Holley or Edelbrock 600. Better yet would be one of the new BG Road Demon's, but they're expensive. The Thermoquad's thermoplastic main body (as opposed to the Carter AVS and AFB's aluminum one) is usually warped and expensive to replace (although it is now being reproduced...I don't know by who tho..). Be careful...once you strat playing with musclecars, it's hard to go back to imports.


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## Slayer2003 (Jun 4, 2003)

.........why is there mud sprayed all up on the steering column? ........that is mud......right?


nice project though mang, ought to keep ya busy for a while :thumbup:


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## Rain-Xx (Jul 29, 2002)

himilefrontier said:


> I'd ditch the Thermoquad and go with either a Holley or Edelbrock 600.


For now I want to tinker and play around, this is a project to help me become more knowledgable about engines and such, and hands-on experience should be the best way to learn, right? So I'll try fixing up what's on it now, with the old man's help when needed.



himilefrontier said:


> Be careful...once you strat playing with musclecars, it's hard to go back to imports.


I don't have the money right now to get into muscle cars.  My Pulsar's been good to me for two years, and I'm not into the modification scene yet. I'm just here for information, and apparently the Off Topic section.



Slayer2003 said:


> .........why is there mud sprayed all up on the steering column? ........that is mud......right?


I have no clue what it is, all I know is the car has been in our back yard sitting for 12 years without being taken out on the road... I have a lot of cleaning to do.


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## himilefrontier (Jan 21, 2003)

I'll also mention that a 360 A body is a rare car. It may be worth something even if it is not the more desireable pre 5mph bumper model. It may not be as good an engine as the solid lifter 340 it replaced (in 1972 when Chrysler discontinued the 340), but the 360 in a A body is still a very desireable combo.


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## Rain-Xx (Jul 29, 2002)

When I look around at the other A-bodies, [Well, ok, Duster A-bodies] it does seem that few have the 360 in them.
More common appears to be the 318 and the 340 from the early 70's.

This rear bumper seems so... odd to me. It's got two rubber bumper-bumpers to protect the bumper itself... and apparently it's attatched by shock absorbers to the frame, so I could back into a solid wall slowly in neutral and bounce right off.

Too bad this one was originally from Quebec, where they use a lot of salt so the body has a lot of rust on it.


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## Rain-Xx (Jul 29, 2002)

*Update, for those who are interested*

Added a few things to my web site (see signature), but I'm still working on the Carb write-up.

The carb has been cleaned as good as she can be cleaned (3 different cleaners, letting it sit in cleaner for a few days), so I think within the next two days I'll re-assemble it and get it back ontop of the engine... just have to pick up a carb re-build kit.

After that, got to make sure the starter and fuel pump are fine, get a battery for it and after some fluid checks, attempt to START THE ENGINE!
If it turns over, I'll start cleaning the car inside and out. Don't want to clean the thing if I'm just going to let it sit until I have enough money to fix it up, if I still want to, which could be years if it has more big issues.

But for now I'll continue to get the car ready and hopefully by the end of August she will be safe for the roads, and a blast to drive.

I can almost feel those 240 horses and 300+ lbs-feet of torque*...




* numbers are estimates


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## asleepz (Feb 24, 2004)

Yep that would be the 5 mph bumpers there. I've got them on my Z too they look crazy. I don't even know if they still work and I wouldn't trust yours neither lol. They could be naturally welded in place. I'm sure we have all had our fun of parts being "Naturally Welded" on and couldn't get them off.

Gotta love the square speedo though


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## Rain-Xx (Jul 29, 2002)

Ordering Carb kit tomorrow... $42CDN
Also going to pick up a new fuel filter for my Pulsar.

If I can get the carb kit in within a few days then I might have the engine running by the end of the week, or the beginning of next week. More pix by or during next week...

Stay tuned...


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## Rain-Xx (Jul 29, 2002)

*Update*

The engine has turned over! Although we had to use a screwdriver to get the connection... the ignition didn't work. Also, the fuel line was pumping fuel which ran clean after a about a minute of cranking the engine.

The Carburator has been re-built, only a few more adjustments to make. She's on the engine right now, just have to make sure I can re-hook all the links, levers and springs properly.

Still have to get a damn door open, though. I'll wait for a cooler day, the hell if I'm climbing into that thing (or entering Dukes of Hazzard style) when it's 40 degrees inside and I have a bad knee.


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## Radioaktiv (Feb 12, 2004)

heh
the doors wont open?


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## Slayer2003 (Jun 4, 2003)

i would just climb on the inside, n kick it out. did it on my friend old buick he had in his back yard for maybe 10 years. left a scuff on the door panel though :-/


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## Rain-Xx (Jul 29, 2002)

Nope, doors feel like they've been welded shut. And they wouldn't budge when we (My Dad and I) did try kicking them open.

So I will (on a cooler day) get inside it and WD-40 the door mechanisms after taking off the inside pannel.... maybe jiggle it all a bit, too. At least then I might be able to see why they won't open. Actually, we can't even get the driver's window rolled down, either. So we get in through the passenger window.


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## Rain-Xx (Jul 29, 2002)

*Engine ran and maintained Idle*

Well, the ol' girl is running. But not without her hesitations...

Actually, she ran twice but the first time I had mis-adjusted one of the float levels so the carb flooded after about 2 minutes.

But damn, that engine, for being unused in 4-5 years and the car having sat there for 12 years... it sounded damn good. All the cylinders sound to be in good shape. I say sound because I have yet to move the car under its own power.

I re-adjusted the carb right after it cooled down, and then once back on we ran it again. This time she ran for three minutes or so before we set her to a lower idle and let her run for another ten minutes or so.

The car sounds so beautiful... nothing ugly, like nothing was wrong... I'm going to try and put up a recording, or a short video soon. I know I said more pictures... but... meh, I sometimes get lazy about those things.

Next on the list is to move it to a place where it can be put up on block/jacks so the front left suspension can be checked out, and I still have to clean the thing. Also still have to do adjustments/checks on the engine/carb because even after the engine was warm, it took a lot of cranking to start.


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## Radioaktiv (Feb 12, 2004)

awesome
congrats on getting it going :thumbup:


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