J.D. O'Weger, like most 16-year-old guys, had one thing in mind-getting a suitable set of wheels. Shunning the popular ricer route, he was more interested in traditional muscle. After all, the old man works at Performance Automotive Warehouse (P.A.W.), one of the largest speed merchants in the country.
Let's just say J.D. is no stranger to the world of high performance. Better still, he wasn't on the hunt for a Chevy, and he never considered a Mustang or the offerings from Pontiac, Olds, Mercury, or Buick. J.D. decided early on it had to be a Mopar, and the search was on. Initial hopes of finding a clean, affordable E-Body soon gave way to market realities. Clean 'Cuda or Challenger pickins are pretty thin on a student's budget. rebuilding a basket case would have the car in the garage for years, while the skateboard would continue to rack up the mileage. The solution was a lateral move into an affordable A-Body.
After considerable sleuthing, the ideal candidate was uncovered-a '74 Plymouth Duster. The Duster had the right combination of sporty looks, compact size, and performance potential. Owned by a bodyman, the sheetmetal was already refinished in bright yellow, and the original black interior was freshened. It was a nice body, but the mechanicals were another story. The 318 under the hood was original and feeling its age, as was the 904 backing it up. Underneath, the suspension was the typical, tired, 30-year-old stuff. Let's see, a nice body and interior, but needs mechanical work. yeah, it'll do. While the original plan was to press the Duster into service as is, it wasn't long before the 318 expired, setting the stage for a major refitting.
The 318 was hoisted out, and with cleared access, the front suspension was rebuilt to stock specs. While at it, J.D. cleaned and detailed the engine bay and chassis parts to ensure a sharp look under the hood. The only remaining decision was whether to rebuild the stock 318 mill or make the change to a 360. The temptation of a fatter torque curve prevailed, and a 360 core was obtained for a full rebuild. The plan was for a simple and economical combination, but with the right choice of aftermarket parts for that elusive blend of driveability and street performance. Naturally, P.A.W. handled the block machining, boring the 360 .030-inch over, and finished honing it for a set of Federal-Mogul 116CP pistons with Speed-Pro moly rings. P.A.W. reconditioned a set of stock rods, fitted them with high-strength bolts, and prepped the stock crank with a 10/10 regrind. the bottom end was balanced at the P.A.W. shop, and using the remainder of the P.A.W engine kit, the short-block was assembled and completed. Up top, a set of production 360 "J" heads were treated to a performance valve job, while the intake-valve diameter was opened up to 2.02-inch diameter for better breathing. The head/piston combination yields a compression ratio of about 10:1, just the right territory for street/strip performance.
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