I built this car after suffering from 110 miles of daily driving in a 360 Dart (14mpg) .... Been driving the Demon for a week now and the MPG is 26-27! I'm pleased! Got about $1500 in her....



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Gearhead, US Navy electronics
, 71 Valiant S6, 72 Dart 4dr 318, 71 Demon S6, 70 Roadrunner 440, & 55 Dodge pickup

Very cool car, Ronnie! Nice MPG results too. Tell us a little more about yourself and the car when you get a chance.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Hmm.. the car. Well, it's actually a '72 Duster that already had a Dart/Demon front clip on it. I decided to continue "demonizing" it vice sourcing replacement Duster parts. Call me lazy, call me a non-purist; I saved the car from the crusher! I rebuilt the slant myself and it was the easiest engine build I've done. Well, except for the lash adjustment on the valves!! I must've pulled the valve cover off 5 times but I got it right finally and she's sewing machine smooth....
As far as the wheels, I scored a set of perfect rims & tires off a '05 mustang for $250! I'm one cheap SOB.. I already had an early dakota 8 1/4 rear end and used wheel adapters for the front. I've read some heartache stories with fitting these crazy positive offset wheels and I didn't have any problems (measure twice, cut once!).
All of my other Mopars always had 727/904 automatics and I'd read here about the 833 ODs. I go to the junkyard one day and this '85 D100 has a slant six in it. Look in the cab and there sits a Hurst shifter. I got the Flywheel, clutch, shifter, & tranny for $150! I was stoked til I got it installed and every gear but 3rd was rumbling and whining horribly. I thought this transmission was going to grenade and take my leg off! Research here led me to the input bearing and sure enough, the bearing was loose and the balls galled. The tip of the mainshaft was worn down too and I wasn't about to let this damn transmission whip me. So, I research a caged needle bearing with a hardened bushing and fix the mainshaft. I won't say I've miraculously solved the notorious 833 input bearing/mainshaft issue with this magic bearing since I've only driven the car a week (500 miles). But, it's holding up well so far and I'll make that claim to fame if the tranny lasts.
Paint. Good ole Rustoleum Safety Yellow and Rustoleum Satin Black on the hood. Sprayed it myself. I went 60/40 on the paint with the 40% being Acetone. Light colors are fine with rustoleum, but black or any dark color can be a bitch! If you look at the lil blue Dart I had, that was a $50 roller job. Once again, I'm a cheap SOB!
Me. Well, you already know I'm cheap. This site is my kinda place and I have to give props to the people here! From the sorry ass 1945 1bbl holley I've fought with (and won!) to the HEI upgrade, 130 amp alternator upgrade, electric fan, and my first 833 rebuild, you guys were there! Mopar people are mostly cool and the Slanters are all cool. Thanks, Ron

Future mods: batch fire fuel injection, A-body disc brakes, & better suspension....

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Gearhead, US Navy electronics
, 71 Valiant S6, 72 Dart 4dr 318, 71 Demon S6, 70 Roadrunner 440, & 55 Dodge pickup

Taken in '03... Didn't run/hadn't run in 4 or 5 years...

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Gearhead, US Navy electronics
, 71 Valiant S6, 72 Dart 4dr 318, 71 Demon S6, 70 Roadrunner 440, & 55 Dodge pickup

That Duster/Demon looks good!

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"When you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it." - Pointy-haired Boss

1964 Valiant V200, 225/Pushbutton 904
BBD, CAI, HEI, LBP, AC, AM/FM/USB, EIEIO

Sweet car! Like those tail lights and the cool paint job.

Cody

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Old truck: 82 D150 225, 2bbl, dutra duals, 2.5" straight pipe to dual 2.5" tail pipes. Mud tires, 4spd, old forest service truck.
Current truck: 98.5 Ram 2500 ccsb, sport, 24v cummins, 5spd, 4.5" lift, 35's, 5" straight pipe.

Thanks for the comments... Took some effort making those tail lights look half-ass "normal"! My Girlfriend's son called it the "Dusty Demon" after all the dirt and dust we kicked up the other day... She'll get sideways pretty easy and he loves it. Another Mopar convert!

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Gearhead, US Navy electronics
, 71 Valiant S6, 72 Dart 4dr 318, 71 Demon S6, 70 Roadrunner 440, & 55 Dodge pickup

Good looking car! What is width & the back spacing on those Bullit wheels that you used on the front? I like many am struggling with what size to use on my 70 Duster.
Your car has a great looking stance.
Thanks Derek

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70 Duster 238'', four speed ,3:91's, 500 Elde, Hookers
68 Dart 4 dr 225, completely original

Cool Project.

Glad you are enjoying it!

I have the Same wheels on my 79 Volare/ Duster Now. Love em so far.


Greg

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http://www.youtube.com/hyperpack

Derek,
All four wheels are '05 and up stock 17x8 wheels and tires (235/55/17 Goodyear RSAs). They were in such good shape I assume they were taken off a brand new car... Offset for these are +45mm and the backspacing is 6.295 inches...
For the front, I used a 1.3" wide/ 5x4" to 5x4.5" wheel adapter that I found on Ebay (still see them available). No tie rod hitting the rims issues (drums in front) or turning the wheel and rubbing the inner wheel wells. I did have to adjust the tortion bars a few times since the outside of the tire was hitting the fender lip occasionally in turns. Right now, the fender sits a half inch over the tire....
On the rear, I used a '92 (6 lug) 4x4 8 1/4 dakota rear end with 87-90 5 x 4.5" axle shafts. Only reason for mixing these up is that I wanted a 3.5 gear and the earlier 87-90 non-overdrive 8 1/4s are mostly 2.76, 2.94, & low 3s... The spring perches were mounted on the bottom of the 4x4 axle (I've read they're on top of the axle on 2wd dakotas but don't know if the perches are 43" apart..) and I had to cut them off and weld on the original 7 1/4 axle perches. I used the original U-bolts, springs, and spring plates to keep the stock shocks. What else... My measurements were: original 7/14 axle flange (mounting surface edge) to flange - 56.5" (did read somewhere that it's 57.12"). Dakota 8 1/4 axle flange to flange - 62.75". Hub diameter was slightly off so I took a dremel and little by little reamed the wheel hub. I maybe removed a millimeter or two.. No spacers used on the rear and the inside of the tire is 1.5" from the springs and outside of the tire is 1/4" into/under the lip. I did roll the fender lip in as far as I could (1/2" ?)and it's not hitting the lip on bumps or body rolling in the tire on sharp turns. Some people might not be willing to roll their fender lips, but I don't like wheels sitting deep into the wheel well..
8 1/4 dakota rear ends use the larger yoke so I used a B-body driveshaft and had to cut exactly 4" out of the shaft to make it work with a 904/833. Overall, a lot of work but worth it!

Considerations: People have used E-body 8 3/4 " rear ends with mustang wheels. I don't recall the axle to axle width but it's close to 63" and the spring perch width is 46"... They're hard to find and expensive when you do!
Weight: 8 1/4 & 8 3/4 are no doubt heavier than that puny 7 1/4! Might need to add a spring, re-arch, or need new springs. My original springs are holding up ok so far..

'01-04 bullet/bullit wheels are +30mm positive offset and 5.72" backspacing. You'd easily be clear of rubbing the inner tire with the springs but that 15mm difference would definitely put my tire into the fender lip. I'd have to cut the lip, inner wheel well, & flare the fender to make these work...

8 1/4 brake lines are same thread count as 7 1/4 and the original brake lines will bend to fit.. Now, you probably want to replace these anyway. I did since mine were in rough/rusted shape. Brake cylinders are the same (I actually used my orig. 7 1/4 cylinders in the 8 1/4).

Rear Proportioning valve? I haven't observed any problems with having a bigger rear drum lock the back tires before the front. And, I've had to lay on the brakes a couple of times already!

Master Cylinder.. I'm using the stock drum brake MC. No brake booster and stock proportioning block... The 8 1/4 rear end made a slight but definitely noticeable improvement on overall braking..

Wheel geometry. Read the arguments and it goes back and forth.. Some say it negatively effects geometry and whatever... 700 miles and no sign of any irregular tire wear. I haven't checked my toe in/out or camber & caster but tires "look" right. My car handles better indeed, way better than the scrawny steelies I had on it. I do notice the car wonders a little on crowned roads but probably my fault as I'm running manual steering (i.e. power steering with no pump). I'm going to put a pump on it and track the difference it makes. maybe that wide of a tire up front is causing it to wander some? Time will tell....

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Gearhead, US Navy electronics
, 71 Valiant S6, 72 Dart 4dr 318, 71 Demon S6, 70 Roadrunner 440, & 55 Dodge pickup

Wow! seems like alot of thought went into these wheels, great results. My car is manual steering and wandering on road crowns or following ruts in the pavement is something I've gotten used to. I have after market sway bars with wide tires and it handles three times better than stock.
Thanks & regards
Derek

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70 Duster 238'', four speed ,3:91's, 500 Elde, Hookers
68 Dart 4 dr 225, completely original

The issue I've found with wandering on ruts/grooves/lane edges is if you have significantly different track in front vs. rear, especially if too wide in the rear. I believe this causes the rear to "grab" a groove and pull the car over to that side. When I have gotten the wheel spacing right front/rear (similar backspace and spacers front/rear), then this problem goes away. I have well kept manual steering on all my cars.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

dare I say "get a wheel aliment done"....you will notice differance if done right.....a bit of caster/toe,make big differance

No choice a lot of times. I have to make do with what I have or in the case of those wheels, they were such a good deal that I made em work..

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Gearhead, US Navy electronics
, 71 Valiant S6, 72 Dart 4dr 318, 71 Demon S6, 70 Roadrunner 440, & 55 Dodge pickup

No worries, just a thought. You obviously have done a lot of creative work on this car, so keep it up!

All the best,

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988