One of the most interesting things about writing about cars is how much you learn. When I made my choice to write about a Plymouth Duster for today’s AutoHunter Spotlight – a second-year 1971 Plymouth Duster offered by a dealer in Missouri – all I really knew about the model was that it was Chrysler’s more compact-size muscle car, built to compete with the Chevy Nova. As I did my research, I learned that the Duster, from the cowl forward, was basically a Plymouth Valiant. From the cowl back, the Duster featured a steeper-angled windshield and also received more of a fastback styling look, penned by Neil Walling.
The project gets more interesting with the fact that Chrysler-Plymouth A-body product planner Gene Weiss came up with the Duster in only six weeks, with little management support and a minuscule tooling budget of less than $15 million. Nevertheless, that all added up to a sales success. The Duster also was more than $600 cheaper – and, in its 340ci engine form, faster – than the heavier ‘Cuda.
The seller describes this Duster as being powered by a Mopar Performance 360ci V8 mated to a three-speed 904 automatic transmission with 2700 stall converter. Finished in Curious Yellow over a Chestnut vinyl interior, this classic is offered by the selling dealer with a build sheet and clear title.
Overall, this Duster looks to be an excellent example, having been judged at the Monster Mopar Weekend in 2009, 2010, and 2011. Now finished in the great-looking color of Curious Yellow with black stripes and “340” decals, the car’s original (and quite boring) color was Tunisian Tan (code GT2). It also features a Ramcharger hood. The car rides on 15-inch chrome Cragar wheels clad with 225/60 BFGoodrich radial front and 275/30 Nitto Extreme Drag rear tires.
The interior, finished in Chestnut vinyl upholstery (code T7), features a bench seat, a factory radio delete plate, and a column-mounted automatic shifter. Instrumentation includes factory 120-mph speedometer, as well as temperature, fuel, and alternator gauges. In addition, it features Bosch auxiliary gauges for oil pressure and temperature.
Under the hood is a Mopar Performance 360ci Magnum V8 crate engine fed by a Holley 750-cfm four-barrel carburetor mounted to an Edelbrock aluminum intake manifold. The engine also features high-performance headers, an aluminum radiator, and an MSD 6AL ignition control module. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a three-speed 904 automatic transmission with a 2700 stall converter. The rear end is an 8 3/4-inch Sure-Grip with 3.55 gears. The engine is said to have 400 horsepower, which gives it plenty of punch to impress from the driver’s seat – and much preferable to the 145-horsepower 225ci six-cylinder engine it came with originally. This really looks like an excellent build.
If you are looking for a Mopar muscle car, this Duster looks like it ticks all the boxes. It should leave any stock 340 ‘Cuda in the dust (pun intended) and would make for a great car to take to shows or even the drag strip if you are so inclined.
If this custom 1971 Plymouth Duster is as interesting to you as it is to me, then I would get over to AutoHunter and made a few bids, as the auction for this yellow Duster ends Monday, January 5, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. (MST). Be sure to wave as you leave behind the ‘Cudas and Novas.
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery
