New ride

[Jarlaxle]

Bought last weekend.

679617491.jpg (84.31 KiB) Viewed 5477 times

[BoSoxGal]

Will that be your summer ride?

[Bicycle Bill]

Looks like a '69 - '71 Plymouth Duster — yes?

-"BB"-

[Jarlaxle]

Looks like a '69 - '71 Plymouth Duster — yes?

-"BB"-

73.

[Bicycle Bill]

Looks like a '69 - '71 Plymouth Duster — yes?

-"BB"-

73.

And while most people know that Mopar used the Warner Brothers 'Roadrunner' character (from the fertile mind of animation icon Chuck Jones) as the logo for the Plymouth Roadrunner — and then modified it to produce a second version of the character for the high-winged 'Superbird', they are not aware that the original Duster logo was inspired by WB's 'Tazmanian Devil' tornado-like image.





-"BB"-

[Burning Petard]

I am in a downer mood, but this looks like a money hole to me. How much 50 year-old rubber and plastic needs replacing. And spot welds will be/are coming apart from fatigue. But then any hobby costs the same--all you got.

snailgate

[BoSoxGal]

I was saving up for a new ride myself but then the prices went insane and now I’m feeling like I want to wait until things settle and I can get into something hybrid or electric and that will be an issue because where I live there isn’t a plug.

But also this is probably nuts but I’m not keen on all the computer electronics in these new fangled autos, voices telling you to stay in your lane and beeping and alarms I think that would all drive me nuts. My cousin’s mid 2000s Highlander was totaled in a fender bender and she’s just upgraded to a 2016 Chevy SUV which is noisy and bossy.

And part of me wants to see how long Reva can last. She is 23 years old and still very reliable. She could use a paint job her paint is awful but then why do it? She is 23 years old. But only 206500 miles on her! Barely broken in.

[ex-khobar Andy]

I'm in something like the same situation. My 15 year old Mazda 3 hatchback is very reliable but needs around $2000 in repairs: driver's window doesn't work; some kind soul went into it when it was parked and left no note so damage to port side front fender; AC finally died and needs new compressor. 130K miles. But even if I do the repairs I'll be lucky to get $3000 trade in for a newer car. At my age (73) (I never used to be this fucking old - what happened??) I want those 'bossy' features - at least I think I do - to keep out of trouble. And frankly I think electric is the way to go because power can be produced much more responsibly in a power plant with all sorts of scrubbers than in a little internal combustion engine. So spend the $2000 and hope it lasts me for another 5 - 10 years; orate the hit and buy some sort of unknown electric gizmo. Knowing me I'll probably dither for months and decide at some point in the future.

[Burning Petard]

Andy, Know he feeling. I just put $4k into my 2018 Carolla. Sorry BB, but my next vehicle will probably be an electric bicycle.

snailgate

[Bicycle Bill]

I'm OK with electric bicycles, so long as they quit labeling and selling them 'E-bikes' and start calling 'em what they are ... an electric moped.  Seriously — the only difference between the 'traditional' moped with a 50-cc engine and an E-bike with a 250-watt electric motor (and that's on the low end; I've seen listings for some E-bikes that have a 750-watt motor and can maintain 20-plus mph without ever turning a pedal) is that the E-bike's propulsion unit doesn't burn gasoline.

Let's face it — we don't call a Nissan Leaf, a Chevy Bolt, or any of the various models of Teslas "Power Wheels" cars for big kids....

And I just thought I'd toss this in here for good measure —



-"BB"-

[Jarlaxle]

I am in a downer mood, but this looks like a money hole to me. How much 50 year-old rubber and plastic needs replacing. And spot welds will be/are coming apart from fatigue. But then any hobby costs the same--all you got.

snailgate

The structure is fine...Rick Ehrenberg's Valiant was 40+ years old before any reinforcement was done, and that car is a road racer. Most of the rubber and plastic has already been replaced. It needs a few things, but nothing major.

[dales]

Drum brakes, pushrods, and fuel-swilling carburetors.......what's not to like?

[Jarlaxle]

Drum brakes, pushrods, and fuel-swilling carburetors.......what's not to like?

Naah, discs in front for 73. If I want better brakes, that is about $150. (Caliper brackets from a late B or R-body, police Fury rotors from Rock Auto.) That setup will happily pull an A-body down from 160MPH, and can hot-lap Watkins Glen all day with minimal fade.

If that's not enough (and it is, unless I open-track it with 500+hp, which I have no plans to do), the easy upgrade is a pair of 4-piston Brembos, as used on Dodge Vipers.

[Crackpot]

Dales! Long time no see

[Jarlaxle]

He comes and goes, but always returns.

Like herpes.

[Gob]

Didn't they have any other colours than snot green?

[Crackpot]

Your snot is that color? Been snorting radium?

[Jarlaxle]

Pretty sure that's Limelight. Might be Sassy Grass, not sure. Kind of subdued, but not bad.

[Big RR]

Is it the original color? I don't recall that neon green at that time, but it wouldn't surprise me.

[Jarlaxle]

No, though it is a factory Chrysler color. Car was originally tan.