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Plymouth dusters ?

I like the 73/74 facelift. I like the 70-72 as well.
With a 73/74 you get electronic ignition and are more likely to get disk brakes.
You might also get a fold down rear seat, if that appeals to you.

Dusters don't have "dog tracking" problems like novas do.

Dusters are not true post coupes like novas, meaning Dusters have no post around the door window.

Duster rear wheel wells are much more generous than novas.
You can just about put any size wheel and tire on a Duster you want without modification.

Dusters handle better without suspension mods.

Dusters have more headroom.
 
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Love those Duster/Darts! My sister had a 73 Gold Duster, 318, auto. Had that snakeskin top. My buddies sister had a Buick Skylark, 350, auto. We used to race them, whoever was able to get off the line first usually won. The problem was that little Duster would definitely do the one wheel peel, for a long way, if I wasn’t careful. I won most of the time. That same bud had a 74 Dart Sport, 318, 4 speed. Petty blue with white top, blue interior and sunroof. I would bet it was a rare car, if I only knew then, what I know now!
 
Let's only discuss your parameters, for a 73-74 vs. same years No-va. Design wise, Duster wins hands down ! Nova has those ugly FAT bumpers, boring outdated styling, grandma grocery-getter look. Duster is a sporty, sleek look. Mechanically, from experience back in the day, I'd put them both on par, good and bad. A 73 340 or a 74 360 is a nice quick street package, and with some tweaking makes a very good HP/weight machine. Call me Mopar biased, but for me, the choice is clear... Duster.
 
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Me ? I'd take the red car over your Auntie Grizelda's car
 
I think you need your head examined.

Why?

Anyway, @Purepony I’m a B body guy but always have had a soft spot and have owned several A bodies too. Dart swinger 340 cars, duster 340, and most recently acquired a 74 Dart Sport 360 car which is now equipped with a 340/727 combo. These cars are nice driving and a lot of fun, and also have modern amenities like big bolt pattern power disc brakes and power steering. I’m tall so I made a couple of seat extension brackets for the buckets.

I can kinda see why you think the nova and dart/duster’s are similar. A friend has a 72 nova with a 377 inch small block and it’s damn fast! It’s a cool car too.

One nice thing about the 73 and up duster/dart is they can be had for relatively cheep compared to the earlier 72 and down 340 cars. The one pictured is my latest and it was about a third the cost of a nice 70 340 car…
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My first venture into Mopar's was with a 73 Duster, 340/3spd/ps/pdb/bench seat/radio/heater/rubber floor mat. Great cars.
 
The '73 front doesn't bother me as much as the Dodges from those years..the "beak" cars. Simply blacking out (or argent) the grill and tossing those ghey bumperettes in the trash cleans up the look nicely IMO.
I've always liked the Dusters.

But getting down to brass tacks....unless you get lucky and find one cheap in very good condition nearby, expect to feel like you got a little ripped if shopping for one...I see them all the time for $4000-$5000 in pretty rough shape, missing major pieces, etc...decent drivers that still qualify as "projects" seem to be going for around 15K. Not B-bod money by any means, but dayum...and this is for garden variety slantys and 318 cars. Factory 340 models are even more. We could start a "crack smoking Duster sellers" thread on those!:D
 
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My 71 Duster is one of my favorite drivers. My mom had a 72 demon (slant 6) when I was a teenager and I loved that car. I wouldn’t hesitate to get a 73/74.
 
back in 1973 i was driving a 68 road runner i was in my parents driveway when my mom pulled up in a brand new 73 318 duster she had just traded her 64 oldsmobile for it. she was very proud her first new car, i remember telling her she should have done it a year earlier the 73 front bothered me[to this day a mystery that i never understood WHY do all cars have to get uglier with each new model] she drove that car for ten years 100 thousand miles, i have fond memories of watching her hand wash and wax her car. after ten years it was starting to have rust spots pop here and there she went to trade it in on a new ford ltd II. the dealer offered her 500 trade in, i told her i would give her the 500 for the car. fast forward 39 years i never done anything with the car other than store it all because of that 73 frontend couldn't get by it. but you no what it kinda grew on me, mom has since passed and just this spring i have started working on the duster thing 73 pro stock build
 
When I was a Kid there were 2 brothers one had a 69 Camaro one had a Nova. Both were Root Beer Brown 396 4spds. Fast cars but I liked the Nova best. Both had the day 2 addons like slapper bars headers ect. Then there was the guy with a Bad *** 340 Dart that would kick their asses every time. My Dad bought a 70 Charger FC7 383 Mag 727. wish I still had it. After that car I was hooked on Mopars. The good old days. I would take a SS 396 Nova any day not that I would go out and buy one though. I have a Chevy in my stable a real oddball.
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I'm a Mopar guy & have had a few Dusters when I was young. I have to admit that I had a 69 Nova, as the second car I ever owned. It was a very good car & well taken care of (my Aunt bought it new, & GAVE it to me when my first car got totaled) I still have a fondness for 2nd gen Novas, but I will take a Duster, Dart Sport/Demon, of any year, over a Nova.
 
Are these A Body cars now considered as a B Body??? Me thinks you would have a better answer over on the For A Bodies site that is part of this MOPAR Mix!!! Personally??? Never would I even consider one over a B Body or a C Body because I have had both and prefer the B Body. And to ask about and for opinions on a CHEBBY Generic Motors car??? A fool and their money are easily parted. And yes I have also owned Generic Motors rides ...Just MHFO...cr8crshr/Bill:usflag::usflag::usflag:
 
Don’t forget the Dart Sport and the Demon, same basic car as a Duster with different fenders and grills. 73 to 76 are pretty much the same car.

Generally speaking the A bodies seem like they are cheaper to buy versus the B and E bodies. Not sure what sales are like in CA but the rest of the country 7k to about 18k can by a pretty decent A body. A decent 73 to 74 fall in that range most of the time.

I think an A body is smaller than a second generation nova, a body is more comparable 67 and earlier nova and chevy 2, closest to the 66-67s. 68 and later Nova is little wider and longer. Closer size wise to a later 70s Aspen or Volare.

We have pair of 65 dart GT’s, 67 valiant, a pair of factory 71 340 cars, one 4 speed and a base auto car, a 75 Dart sport 318 and a factory 76 360 Dart sport. I think 76 360 HP car is likely one of our rarest cars. An old car and driver back in 76 article showed it’s 121 top speed beat the 76 455 Trans am and only getting beat by the higher output vette. So they called the dart the second fastest car in America! :thumbsup:
Picture below is a shot of the dart sport speeding by the radar..

Our 65s have a lot of head room, bucket seats, and with the longer wheel base I like driving it better than anyone of the later A’s we have had. It had a 318 in it for years now has a big block. I really like the 71 340 duster body style and colors for 71 cars, over all I think our coolest A body our is that curious yellow duster with a 4 speed and 3.90s. It is a quick car, but I have never been able to get comfy driving our later A’s with bench seats. It has a bench with an fold down armrest, the rest are bench seat cars. Missing to much headroom for a 6’ 3” dude.

For the most part A’s make me appreciate our B bodies all the more!

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One reason A Body are cheaper the only 67? 68/69 Darts and Cudas had BB. Don't roast me for ignorance on these it's just that so few were made. They weren't made in the tens of thousands. (Hemi Darts & Cudas don't count) The BB A bodies command premium dollars. Loved my 68 Dart GT, had a 273 in it but I put a 318 in it. Guy that owned must've run water in it except in winter. Several freeze plugs were replaced with rubber plugs. Had plans to put a 413 in but was able to buy a Hemi back and thought to put that in. Looked at body and realized it was to rusty for a conversion. Sold it to a guy who parted it.
 
I had a '71 340 Duster absolutely loved that car. I don't care much for the front of the '73 and up. But they are still really nice car's. I would want to change the the front, but it's getting hard to find all those pieces.

Just bought exactly that as a project for my youngest son (22). Good thing about '73-'74 is IF it came with factory V8, it will have front disc brakes and big bolt pattern wheels. Paid $1K for it.
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