Photo: limitless_5721/eBay
Introduced in 1969 as a sportier alternative to the Valiant, the Plymouth Duster was one of the company's shortest-lived nameplates. Discontinued in 1976, it's not as iconic as the Barracuda and the Road Runner, but it was quite popular toward the end of its production cycle, moving almost 300,000 units in 1974. This Gold Duster comes from that era and showcases one of Plymouth's most exotic vinyl tops.
Mopar offered quite a few trim and option packages for the Duster in the 1970s. And all were named accordingly. The Feather Duster featured lightweight aluminum parts, while the Space Duster came with fold-down rear seats for enhanced cargo room. The Silver Duster had special stripes and a Boca Raton-style cloth interior. This 1974 coupe is of the Gold Duster variety.
First introduced in 1970, the Gold Duster package added gold badging and stripes, a deluxe insulation package, and wall-to-wall carpeting. A fancied-up Duster, it also included a vinyl roof. Not only a rare feature on a Duster, but the top also had a snakeskin pattern. And amazingly enough, this 48-year-old coupe still has it in one piece.
Finished in Gold Haze Metallic, a color that perfectly rounds off the Gold Duster package, this Plymouth spent more than 30 years in storage. And judging by its condition, it was kept in a heated garage instead of a barn. I guess this explains why the exotic roof is still in place.
And yes, it's an authentic time capsule that still rocks most of its numbers-matching components, including the engine. Unfortunately, there's only an inline-six mill under the hood. The mill in question is a 225-cubic-inch (3.7-liter) six-cylinder, which was the mid-range option for the Gold Duster in 1974.
Rated at 105 horsepower, it was far from impressive, but let's not forget that Plymouth's 318-cubic-inch (5.2-liter) V8 was good for only 150 horses that year. The Malaise era was already in full swing in 1974.
But there's good news in other departments. This Gold Duster has factory A/C and power steering, as well as AM radio and all of its original decals. And it's been recently serviced top to bottom, so it drives like new. Sure, there's a bit of surface rust to consider, but it can all be fixed with a mild restoration.
If you fancy a bit of gold and snakeskin in your life, this Duster is being auctioned off by eBay seller "limitless_5721" as we speak. The bidding is at $8,600 as of this writing, with five more days to go. For reference, 1974 Dusters in excellent condition can fetch more than $30,000.
First introduced in 1970, the Gold Duster package added gold badging and stripes, a deluxe insulation package, and wall-to-wall carpeting. A fancied-up Duster, it also included a vinyl roof. Not only a rare feature on a Duster, but the top also had a snakeskin pattern. And amazingly enough, this 48-year-old coupe still has it in one piece.
Finished in Gold Haze Metallic, a color that perfectly rounds off the Gold Duster package, this Plymouth spent more than 30 years in storage. And judging by its condition, it was kept in a heated garage instead of a barn. I guess this explains why the exotic roof is still in place.
And yes, it's an authentic time capsule that still rocks most of its numbers-matching components, including the engine. Unfortunately, there's only an inline-six mill under the hood. The mill in question is a 225-cubic-inch (3.7-liter) six-cylinder, which was the mid-range option for the Gold Duster in 1974.
Rated at 105 horsepower, it was far from impressive, but let's not forget that Plymouth's 318-cubic-inch (5.2-liter) V8 was good for only 150 horses that year. The Malaise era was already in full swing in 1974.
But there's good news in other departments. This Gold Duster has factory A/C and power steering, as well as AM radio and all of its original decals. And it's been recently serviced top to bottom, so it drives like new. Sure, there's a bit of surface rust to consider, but it can all be fixed with a mild restoration.
If you fancy a bit of gold and snakeskin in your life, this Duster is being auctioned off by eBay seller "limitless_5721" as we speak. The bidding is at $8,600 as of this writing, with five more days to go. For reference, 1974 Dusters in excellent condition can fetch more than $30,000.
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