Badge Engineering
The Trail Duster is a Dodge full-size, two-door Ramcharger wearing Plymouth badges. Trail Dusters were built from 1974 to 1981 in numbers far lower than the Ramcharger. Estimates peg the total volume at approximately 36,000 units over the six-year production period. They were rare then—and rarer today.
These vehicles were built to work. It took two years before a passenger seat became standard equipment. The Trail Duster sits on a robust carbon-steel frame with front and rear solid axles and leaf springs. The standard drivetrain pairs Chrysler’s venerable 318-cubic-inch V-8 with a full-time four-wheel-drive system. Big-block V-8s were optional. Buyers could choose either a steel roof or a dealer-installed vinyl soft top.
Plymouth eventually softened its off-road wagon. Two-wheel-drive models were introduced in 1975. An optional Sport Package included:
- High-back bucket seats
- Center console with removable ice chest
- Color-keyed vinyl door trim panels with assist straps
- Woodgrain instrument panel
- Sport rear bumper and badging
Rotisserie Revival
JCJ Customs of Fort Worth, Texas, performed a frame-off and rotisserie restoration on this Trail Duster. It has been a Texas truck since it was new. The restoration retained its rust-free original sheet metal and floors. The restorer stripped the body to bare metal and refinished it using Axalta’s Standox two-stage paint. Much of the truck’s trim, including the quad-headlight grille, head- and tail lights, parking lights, and turn signal lights, is new old stock (NOS).
The powder-coated frame is fitted with rebuilt suspension components, a Chrysler 9-1/4-inch rear axle featuring new gears and a limited-slip differential, and a rebuilt Dana 44 front axle equipped with period-correct manual locking hubs. The rebuilt brakes include the factory front disc brake calipers. The original NP203 full-time transfer case is still in place, accompanied by a Mile Marker part-time kit that disengages the front axle when 4WD isn’t needed. Chrome Method wheels resemble the original painted spoke wheels. They mount beefy BFGoodrich All-Terrain radials.
The Trail Duster’s once-utilitarian interior is now posh. Buckskin leather covers the seats and door panels. The dashboard, gauges, and steering wheel look brand new. Air conditioning from Classic Auto Air keeps passengers cool, as do fresh breezes when the new vinyl SofTopper top comes off.
Shop now for OEM Trail Duster partsDyno-Proven Horsepower
A date-code-correct 1971 340-cubic-inch V-8 that looks like it came from a Duster muscle car powers the Trail Duster. It boasts a long list of aftermarket parts, including:
- Forged crankshaft
- New valvetrain
- Ported cylinder heads
- Edelbrock intake manifold with Holley Street Avenger carburetor
- Ceramic-coated Hedman headers
- Custom exhaust with Thrush mufflers
The engine produced 329 horsepower on a dyno. Those test sheets are included in the sale. Also included are an owner’s manual, brochure, factory shop manuals, and restoration receipts and records.
The Trail Duster has gone fewer than 800 miles since its restoration. Its $79,890 Buy-It-Now price seems steep at first glance. Yet, it’s comparable to restored examples of Ford Bronco and Chevrolet Blazer competitors. For that money, you get a rarer vintage SUV.
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