When I first started shooting CCs ten years ago, there were still so many Dusters around. I never wrote them all up, although two of them did make it into the archives, a ’71 Duster 340 and ’74 Gold Duster. Sadly, I never did find a Feather Duster, although David Saunders did, but not stock.
Here’s a fine dusty and grimy example sitting out in front of a nicely color-keyed industrial building.
These were the tri-five Chevys of their time: the cheapest way to got some hot wheels under you, or at least create that impression.
Note: a rerun of an older post.
Related CC reading:
1972 Plymouth Duster – The Tweaker
1974 Plymouth Duster – There’s Gold In Thar’ Hips
1976 Plymouth Duster – Add Lightness, Reduce Fuel Consumption; Add A V8, Reduce The Competition
These cars were third rate both then and now. Elementary school me could tell that they were pretty shoddy.
I must disagree. College girlfriend’s Mom had an exact copy of the featured one. No Cragar s and a Slant Six. Very solid and comfy. Close friend had another in color-keyed light green metallic. Superior to the contemporary Nova in so many ways.
I concur, I had a ’73 Gold Duster that I bought when it was 13 years old and had 30,000 miles on it. I put more than
60,000 more trouble-free miles on it. A very solid economical car. My only complaints were the brakes as by that time, I was used to disc brakes.
I had both a Valiant and a Dart Sport as a young man, cheek of tan. Drove them all over creation. The Slant Six and TorqueFlite may not have been exciting, but they were dead reliable and reasonably economical. The Dart Sport went on a lot of SCCA road rallies. Took best time of day more than once.
They did tend to run for a long time. The siblings, and cousins (badged as “Dodges”) did too.
My best friend and college roomie had 3 of them, and I had a Scamp, so I spent a LOT of seat time in these. They were not luxurious cars, but were simple and effective. I miss a world where old Dusters can be easily found for $1,200.
David Freiburger and Steve Dulcich own them all now.
I had both a Valiant and a Dart Sport as a young man, cheek of tan. Drove them all over creation. The Slant Six and TorqueFlite may not have been exciting, but they were dead reliable and reasonably economical. The Dart Sport went on a lot of SCCA road rallies. Took best time of day more than once.
Sad to see they’re almost all gone now, all through the 1990’s I’d see them in the self service junkyards wit nary a scratch, always dusty, old folks cars no one wanted .
Not as good looking but certainly a “better Chevy II” .
-Nate