1972 Plymouth Duster Hardtop
"Duster is the big buy in economy cars. Big in front and rear seat hip room. Big in that it'll hold a family of five rather than four as many other small cars do. And with a big standard engine. A 198 Six. With the Duster 340, the 340ci V8 engine, plus our new Electronic Ignition System, is standard. The new engineering breakthrough practically eliminates ignition tune ups when low lead fuel is used." From the 1972 Plymouth brochure. My, how times have changed. Lead is a thing of the past, and small cars later in the 70's were scaled down from this '72 "economy car."
For consignment, a 1972 Plymouth Duster showing 13,091 miles which are not actual. The car has been owned by our consignor since 2008 and easily made the 40 minute drive to Morgantown under its own power! Yes, it's a drivable classic with a venerable Mopar powerplant, up a few barrels from its original form.
Exterior
Dressed in Formal Black, (as opposed to informal black), this "small" car features a flat nose with an undulating vertical straked black grille over a bone straight chrome bumper. But let's walk around to the back where the tail cannot be mistaken for anything else in the automotive ecosystem. The elongated dual sectioned tail lights under a wide and mostly flat deck lid make it immediately recognizable and this car sports beveled chrome exhaust tips for a little extra oomph. Unique in profile as well with a rising shoulder line that rises slightly to the C-pillar and this is accentuated by a silver taped stripe wearing a Duster emblem on the front fenders for a clean, racy look that distinguishes this car from other black dusters. 14-inch aluminum slot wheels are the perfect addition and visually mingle with the window trim to create some contrast to the black. The paint and metalwork are nice and imperfections noted include a scratch on the decklid, some thin paint on a quarter panel, and some bubbling near a wheel opening. Flaking filler and paint also catches our eye as well as some random scratches.
Interior
Headed by a black painted top, the door cards are simple stitch patterned affairs in, what else, black, looking tidy and tight. The tall bucket seats look tidy and tight too, dressed in black vinyl with a tear in the rear bench and some black tape on the driver's seat, otherwise looking great in a tuck and roll style pattern. A Grant flame-spoke steering wheel is offered up to the driver and shares its chartreuse column with a SunPro tachometer which partially blocks the dash that houses a square speedometer with stock gauges on a ruby red stained wood backing. Toward the center, an AM/FM/Cassette player looming over some dangling wires under the dash, just in front of the center console where the shifter resides in a patina'd base and added oil pressure gauge. The black loop carpet below is nice and the vinyl headliner above is smooth, while the trunk presents as well-used.
Drivetrain
A clean engine bay is home to a consignor stated 360ci V8, which our consignor also states was rebuilt, now fueled by an Edelbrock 4-barrel carburetor over an Edelbrock intake. An A727 TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic transmission is behind it sending power to the 8 inch rear while headers handle the exhaust that heads in the same direction. Drum brakes are employed on all four wheels. Power steering is present.
Undercarriage
Clean, driver quality conditions prevail underneath with some surface rust but no signs of leaks! The dual exhaust hit a pair of Cherrybomb mufflers in their tubular red presentation, then sent to the tailpipes out back. Suspension included torsion bars in front and leaf springs in the back.
Drive-Ability
This commuter car turned sporty ride didn't disappoint in the comfort department as tall buckets and a center console provide a nice perch from which to pilot the V8 powered Duster. The 360 started up after some priming of carbs and the solid engine delivered fine, reliable performance on our test, taking the car around the mall with adequate power and acceleration, easy steering with its power assist, and good handling from the staggered size tires. The limited list of functional items operated as expected and we returned this dark ride to the bat cave. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
One thing this car took with it in 1972 was a great song catalog likely emitted from an AM radio. What a year for music, (google it), and what a cool ride to bounce to the beat of all the great tunes. This is a straight, well running classic that would have been common. More than 220,000 Dusters were produced in 1972 and the majority were a base model, (Code L for "low price class"), touted as an economy car. A couple hundred thousand people probably have fond memories of this car and one of them will step up to sweep this Duster off our floor!
VL29G2B191395
V-Plymouth Duster
L-Low Price Class
29-2 Door Sports Hardtop
G-318ci 2bbl V8
B-Hamtramck, MI Assy Plant
191395-Sequential Unit Number
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person. There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee is not included in the advertised price.
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