For the love of the game….

[Kern Dog]

I love this hobby.
I love the hunt for parts, chasing down leads and tips on classics that have been out of sight for years. Some pan out, some don’t. That “old Dodge” is sometimes an ‘82 Omni.
Yippee!
Sometimes it is better than that. Most people are NOT car enthusiasts like us. An old car might as well be an old dishwasher to people like that.
A few days ago, I got a call….”Hey Greg, do you want a parts car”?
Of course I do.
I get this picture….

Okay…not a ‘68 Road Runner or a69 340 Dart but I am still interested.

I make plans for Friday and got a buddy to help out.
I drove in today to find this:

Yeah…we have been getting a LOT of rain lately. This car is within 2 miles from the San Francisco Bay so it rained even more there.
Two inches of water was all around the car. This usually isn’t a problem but this car has been sitting in this exact same spot since at least 2002. I looked at the address on Google Earth and all photos prior to 2002 were too blurry to see anything.

Sitting this long with salty air meant that the brakes were likely rusted. Through some crazy luck, the fronts were fine. I did have to cut off the right rear drum so the axle shaft would spin.
The car was facing a fence to a narrow alley….

 

[khryslerkid]

Does the roof leak?

 

[F4R/T]

Never pass up a free parts car! I agree the hunt is a big part of it , the history or story is a lot and the car is the ultimate prize!

 

[Kern Dog]

Oh, it wasn't free.
The ground was soft and I had to get through this gate way:

I had to drive down this alley and block it.....

I used chain and this to pull the car out of the muck....

Even though it rolled, I couldn't push it. The ground was too slippery to get traction. I had to chain to a pole and winch it up....

The alley was so narrow, I had to pull into the street to get the ramps out. They slide in from each side.
It is going to need some work:

 

[Kern Dog]

For all of you that hear and believe that California cars don't rust, I say
B-A-L-D-E-R-D-A-S-H.

Yeah, it isn't as bad as many Northeast cars but I had hoped for more.

This car has been off the road longer than it was on the road.

 

[Kern Dog]

Original paint!

Remember these silly alarms that people installed years ago? The keyed cylinder on the fender was common in the 70s.
You can see it above the "Gold Duster" decal.

Vinyl tops are the devil!

 

[Islandkent]

Well he did say parts car.

 

[Kern Dog]

Every panel has some rust.

This is a low optioned model....Slant six, automatic, Power disc brakes! No A/C, no fold down rear seat, tiny 7 1/4" axle.
The only stuff that didn't rust is the plastic.

 

[dadsbee]

So the big question!!!! Is Mary happy with her new car....

 

[Kern Dog]

This needs a correction:

I'll part it out anyway.
The floors are rusted through. Who knows if the frame rails are any good. The front disc brake setup is worth something and there are numerous other small bits that may interest someone.
What do you expect for $400 ?

 

[Islandkent]

If you have the room for them, why not?? Take as many as you see fit.
I wish I had a spot to stash a few.

 

[Don Frelier]

 

[Kern Dog]

The guy also had THIS '70 Duster.....

It is in a LOT better shape but still needs lower quarters and who knows what else. He wants $1500 for it, a buddy told him it isn't worth more than $700. All of these cars are small bolt pattern, 95% are drum brake, 7 1/4" axle and at least 60% seem to be slant six models.

This guy texted me pictures of yet another....

 

[RemCharger]

The gold dusters were a special pkg! Rejoice!

 

[ckessel]

Along with the front brakes/spindles etc, you can harvest all sorts of fasteners, clips, wiring connectors etc.

 

[Kern Dog]

At least with the B body cars, every one of them had the large bolt pattern.
With many of the A body cars, with most of these surviving cars, you have to strip everything out from under them to change over to V8 spec equipment like K member, disc brakes, larger bolt pattern, springs and torsion bars.

 

[Kern Dog]

The gold dusters were a special pkg! Rejoice!

Along with the front brakes/spindles etc, you can harvest all sorts of fasteners, clips, wiring connectors etc.

The windshield trim, rain gutter and window trim and other moldings are often in demand.
I should at least get my money back and save a few parts for myself too.

 

[ckessel]

Yup. By the looks of the car, since its 73-, it "should" have the large pattern. My 73 340 one did at least. Maybe the /6 didn't get that?

 

[Kern Dog]

All 1973 and later cars that had disc brakes were always large bolt pattern. A bodies were weird though. I had an early build '76 Dart that had 4 wheel small bolt pattern 9" drum brakes. Apparently by Jan 1 1976, all cars had to have front disc brakes. I've read that NO V8 cars were built with 4 wheel drums from 1973 to 1976 but I'm not confident on that.
Even into the early 1976 model year, you could get 10" front drums on slant six cars. I had a '74 Dart Sport slant six with them

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Sorry. I would have gotten back in my truck & left the Duster to continue it's mission to return to the earth...