This is the VIN# for a 73 Duster
vl29c3g213748
I have the photo for the plate on the engine bay too. If it is needed.
Thanks very much

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1971 Plymouth Duster

Valiant, low cost, 2 door sport hardtop, 225 1bbl, 1973, St. Louis assembly plant

Basically a '73 Slant Duster

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

Post a clear pic of the fender tag and much more information will be available.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Ok, let me get that up in the morning
Thanks

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1971 Plymouth Duster

The plate photo you might not be able to read, so I am going to post it as I can read it. I am mostly interested in the type of tranny that was in the car originally. And would appreciate, suggestions on one that would work now.
The drive train tunnel has a machined hole and mounts for a stick shift.

v5x end
fe5 u c16 c56 h51 r11
fe5 c6l3 000 515 505423
e24 d34 vl25 c3g 213748

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1971 Plymouth Duster

end
v5x = Black Vinyl Roof
fe5 = Typo? Red Car Right?
u = USA
c16 = Console Car?
c56 = Bucket Seats Non Reclining
h51 = Air Conditioning
r11 = AM Radio
fe5 = It's a Rallye Red Car... LOL...
c6l3 = Trim C= Trim Grade 6= Bucket Seats L3= Parchment
000 = Upper Door Frame Paint = none in Duster
515 = Production Date
505423 = Vehicle Order Number
e24 = 225 1 barrel
d34 = Standard Automatic Transmission (A904)
vl25 = If a duster it should be VL29
c3g = 225 6 cylinder 1973 St Louis Plant
213748 = Production Number

In the 1973-1976 sometimes Console Cars got the floor shift hump like the 3-4 speed cars... the early 'late' cars (1973-1974)also had a metal folded strap on one end of the hump for mounting the console (this was done away about 1975...)

This car has vertical brackets on the tunnel , that would be considered mounts for a center console floor shift, and the hole is definitely machined, not cut out like you might see someone do to install an after market. So it may well have been an automatic on floor. Yes the car, was and is red. What is so weird about a red car? So, it had to have come off the line with an auto on the floor. Thanks for the info,

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1971 Plymouth Duster

And , yes it was vl29, read it wrong off the tag. I have a drive train, from a 68 Dodge Dart, it is a slant with a three on the tree, How hard would it be to install this drive train in that Duster, other than the obvious, would I have a driveshaft length issue ?

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1971 Plymouth Duster

Nothing wrong with it, it was a very common color, it's just a bit weird the underhood plate would have that stamp twice once in the section on the body paint codes, and another later is odd...




It will bolt in with the following things to note:

Yes Dart is 111" wheelbase and Duster is 108"... I take it the Duster didn't come with a drivetrain...

Suspension will bolt, up but you will have the Pre-1973 suspension components and not the late disc brakes....

Since the 1968 Dart starts from a in dash ignition switch and the 1973-1976 has a column ignition switch, you will have to figure out how that will work with the late vehicle and the 3 speed column shift steering column from the Dart...

If you go that route, you will want to use the wiring harness from the 1968
car instead of the 1973... if not, you should be able to modify the 1973 harness if intact since it uses a fuse box and circuit layout similar to the 1967-1972 cars... (that changed in 1974).

Last items to work out:

You will need the clutch pedal assembly and all the linkage from the Dart, and you may need to weld a plate to hold the Z-bar stud at the driver's side fender well and unibody 'frame' rail. Note also the 1967-1972 uses a different mounting system for the Z-bar than the 1973-1976... some of this is due to how the sandwich mounts set the engine in the body vs. the spool mount setup.

Inspect the 3 speed transmission....If you use the Duster steering column, the transmission will need to have the mounts on the tailshaft for a floor shifter (will need a stock 3 speed floor shifter and the shift rods, or an aftermarket shifter and rods)... if it doesn't, you will need a work around or procure a later floor shift transmission (4 speed, or 1971+ A230 syncro 3 speed)...


Good Luck.

Well here is the thing, and yes, I have been doing my research. I have to figure from the info on the build tag, this 73, was a /6..A904 platform. I have to look at the car closely one more time, and figure what kind of headache I care to give myself. If this car was a /6 A904, with the floor shift console, then all I have to do is find a suitable shifter. I have both drive trains available. Auto and manual, so the easiest thing is what I will probably do.

I haven't found any pictures, yet, of center shift automatic cars, Although a guy out towards S.A. Tx. has, the console itself, for sale for about a grand. Thanks for the added information. Will check back periodically. The other option was, a 318cu. in. with the 904 backed up to it. So, I may lean that way, as well, your comments are always welcome. Thanks again
John

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1971 Plymouth Duster

I am going to start the resto on the 73 Duster. Have a 68 225, with a 3 speed, and looking to make, the Duster a floor shift car.
I was still hoping that I could get some more info on the driveshaft issue. I heard 111, on the 68 Dart, to 108, on the 73 Duster. Hoping someone may have time to elaborate. Thats only three inches. Please let me know what you think. Thanks

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1971 Plymouth Duster

Much like the other brands Some makes are more 'luxury' than others... The selling point for the Valiant platform was the low price working man's budget car... Dodge
was a step up so the Dart was given the luxury of having 3" of legroom for the backseat passengers (if you've ever had the fun of being over 5'6" with 2 other people
in the backseat of a 2 door valiant or duster and the driver is a 6' tall american or better, your legs will let you know that 3 more inches would have been a good improvement....

So for the "late" A-body two wheelbases were used at 108" and 111"...(not a completely inclusive list, but it will get you a donor).

108" would include:
1970-1976 Dusters
1971-1972 Demons
1973-1976 Dart Sports
1967-1969 Barracudas


111" would apply to:
1967-1976 Dodge Dart 4 door and 2 door hardtop
1967-1976 Plymouth Valiant 4 door
1970's Plymouth 'Scamp'

To further goof this up...some A-bodies got a 2 part drive shaft where the outer shaft has a rubber dampening liner (and this shaft has the front U joint) and the inner
shaft is press fit into the rubber (and this part has the rear u joint)... these work great at dampening road/reqar axle vibration....but... are not a good candidate if
you have a modified slant six...much like the engine harmonic balancer/damper... if the engine/transmission applies torque, and the rear wheels don't want to move...
you can slip the inner shaft, change the U-joint clocking, and imbalance the whole assembly...which will feel like driving over a bunch of washboard and not be
good on the transmission, u-Joints, and rear axle yoke.

A 70's single piece construction unit that has been balanced will work fine.

If you get one for a 111" and you have a 108" vehicle, you can take to a driveline shop and have it shortened and rebalanced and be as good as new...

Other issues will pop up:
If the 68 dart is a 3 speed car and it's a column shift car, the transmission may not have the mount for the floor shifter on the tailshaft...bolting the shifter to the body
is not good as any flex over a pothole can knock it out of gear...

The conversion grocery list will be:

Floor Hump
Floor Shifter, boot, and bezel
4 speed floor shift carpet
Clutch Pedal assembly (you will have to unbolt this from under the dash and remove the column and dash gauge cluster to get best access).
Clutch pedal linkage
Z-bar and studs (there is a mounting change with the location as the Pre-73 cars with sandwich motor mounts sit differently than the 1973-1976 cars that bolt the
drivers side stud through a stamped reinforced plate at the subframe just before the fender well (there will be a 1" hole knocked out in the fenderwell for the ballstud to
fasten through).
The reinforcement plate (last "quicky" conversion I did, I just used a chunk of 3/16" plate drilled for the stud and mig'ed to the frame rail)...(this is necessary as the fender
won't take the force of the pedal and linkage and flex, and not allowing the shift...
You may need replacement stamped "u" clips for the linkage and Z-bar.
You may need new Z-bar nylon bushings.
You also may need a new fork rod as the "eye" gets worn out after a decade+ of traffic

transmission, correct shift rods, bellhousing, 1968+ flywheel, clutch/clutch cover, you may need new clutch cover bolts, throwout bearing, clutch fork...

Optional items will be an:
A-body floor shift column 1973-1976.
Dash Mounted Reverse Indicator light.
HD clutch return spring if the one on the pedal set is already worn and won't let the pedal return to the stop without help....
you will remove the spring entirely if you go to a diaphragm clutch.