The problem with hunting Craigslist or eBay is that you’re gambling a little bit every time. Photographs can lie…trust me, every photo of the Imperial looks pretty decent, but in person the car isn’t that pretty. Same thing happens with Craigslist hunting…you can look around and see a peach of a car and when you get to see it in person, your first reaction is “uhhh….” as you see the checked paint, the rust you never saw before, and you see the interior that the seller never bothered to take pictures of, for a reason. And no picture can ever get you ready for the smell you just encountered. Ask me about the limo sometime…

With that, allow me to present one of the most sure-bet Rough Start finds that I’ve come across. This is a 1973 Plymouth Duster, a slant-six automatic car that is being sold by it’s third owner. It’s had an older repaint, and it’s got wear, but it’s all there and as you can see in the pictures, for a Rough Start find, it’s in pretty decent shape. These little A-bodies are a great starting platform for someone who is into Mopars or who wants to get into Mopars. They are basic, they are durable, and the potential is there. We’ve seen the whole range of Mopar mills under the hood, from the virtually unkillable Slant Six to blown Hemis and everything in between. The factory hot shot was a 340 four-barrel setup, with the 360 taking over when the 340 was phased out. You could go that route and it’ll be a blast.

“But McTag, how the hell can you be so sure about the condition of the car?” I’m glad you asked, reader! You see, when I first saw the car on Craigslist, I swore that I had seen it before. I haven’t seen this car in person, but I have seen the Duster before: on the Internet. This is Dylan McCool’s project Duster, and a quick glance at his channel tells why he’s unloading a survivor Duster: he just picked up a 1969 Dodge Charger project car and either he’s making room or freeing up cash. We don’t like seeing one car being sold for another, but Charger rear glass is probably expensive. At least you’ll be able to go into his back catalog of videos and see the work he’s done to the A-body!

Craigslist Link: 1973 Plymouth Gold Duster