Back in high school i had a 74 duster 225 that my grandma bought new. i got it running pretty good with a BBD 2bbl setup and had a lot of fun with the car but got distracted into off roading and built a bronco instead and sidelined the duster for a while.

now that i don't have to smog the duster getting it back on the road sounds like a great idea for a daily driver. i'm gonna throw the 2 bbl back on. i'd like to ditch the stock 7 1/4" rearend and 2.73 gears for an 8.8" explorer with discs and 3.55s since they are very common around here. is this a popular swap? the research i've done seems like it would work...5x4.5" bolt pattern, e-brake discs, lower gears, slightly wider width to fix the narrow track in the rear that always bothered me...

the car has the typical body rot in the quarter panels, base of the a pillar and cancer spots under the vinyl roof. i'm gonna have a body shop take care of that down the road, right now i want to focus on drive ability. are there any other spots i should be looking for that are notorious for rot? i'm a pretty accomplished welder etc so i can deal with fixing suspension components.

speaking of suspension, the rear end sags bad. what are you guys doing for leaf springs? JCwhitney lists replacements for ~$75, summit has mopar performance units for $240. are the mopar units worth the extra dough?

the car has always had a bit of a hesitation issue, i'm chalking up mostly to old dizzy parts, smog equip etc. i'd like to replace the ignition box tho. will the orange mopar performance unit work? it looks like the box i have in there already...

just interested in what your thoughts are on my questions. thanks

Welcome on the board. The Ford 8.8" rear axle swap has been discussed at pretty good length; see here and here.

Hesitation and such can be dealt with easily. Tune-up parts and technique suggestions in this thread. Remember the engine needs periodic valve adjustment. Carburetor operation and repair manuals and links to training movies and carb repair/modification threads are posted here for free download.

No, there is no reason to spend the extra cash for the MP leaf springs. Check with JC Witless to be sure, but last time I checked they were getting their leaf springs from this outfit. Also call and check with ESPO; they don't list rear springs on their site because there are so many different configurations -- you have to call and ask.

The orange MP ignition box is junk. All Mopar electronics for our old cars are junk. Want substantially better ignition without spending a whackload of cash or dealing with special parts that can't be replaced quickly in an emergency? Go for the HEI upgrade.

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