Dave first saw this car in the early 70’s and it was love at first sight. Dave knew the owner and when he first saw it, the Duster was red, just the way he wanted it. Dave kept bugging the original owner to sell the Duster to him and finally he agreed. Dave bought the Duster sight unseen and when he got to the barn that the car was stored in he saw that the Duster was silver. Apparently the owner’s wife did not like red and had her husband have the car painted silver when it was due for a repaint.


Dave drove the silver Duster for a few years but couldn’t stand it any longer and decided to have the car painted to its original red colour. All Dave was going to do is to have the car repainted to its original colour, but as most car nuts know once you start, the project seems to grow of it’s own accord. With the help of his friend Gord Aho, a bodyman / painter by trade, the project lasted for fourteen months with a complete ground up restoration. A lot of rust was removed and new panels were fabricated where replacement panels were not available. The body and interior were put back to its original stock condition and a new vinyl top was installed.


The 340 engine and 727 tranny were rebuilt with some minor modifications. The differential was re-geared to a more highway friendly ratio. The cost of rebuilding the car was only part of the final cost as Dave had to rent a shop for the project and then built a new shop to house the finished Duster. Dave did much of the grunt work and parts location.


The results of this project were outstanding and the Duster draws attention wherever Dave takes the car.