Thanks, you've basically summarized what I expect and want from the car.
I want to build it to be left alone. I want to not have leaky cork gaskets, a tune that doesn't need to change with the weather, to be able to drive the car day in, day out with out rolling the windows down or smelling like fuel....
Get in, take off a minute after starting it and getting onto the freeway with a range that I decide. The silly fast speed I expect from 550hp in a relatively light weight combo is the best part.
This is all being done in my driveway, with no special tools or super expensive parts with the help of some really good friends. Wade, Mike and Brian all come to mind.
I won't say that this swap is cheap or for everyone. My case is unique and this car is swapped for about half the cost of the average person but I've horsetraded and stashed parts for 3 years before I turned a wrench on it. I saved a ton of money by being broke and patient.
In the past, I enjoyed the tuning of the old 340, COMP XE268 and thermoquad, but with the wide temperature swings we have in Houston in the fall, winter (Ha!) and spring, the daytime temps can be from the 30's -> 90's (October 14th today and it's 94 as I write this).
I also want to be able to drive this car (Assuming I ever get it back from the body shop) anywhere in all weather conditions and be able to cruse down the freeway @ 75Mph all day long with the A/C running (Passion 5-speed, 3.73's 285/35-18's), approach or exceed 20Mpg and run 118Mph in the 1/4 mile as well as stop and handle with a modern muscle car.
Thanks to Alex (Assuming he's right!) and Wade and Steve, both our motor are essentially identical and my '71 Duster should be a couple of hundred pounds lighter than Alex's '68 Runner.
This should be a fun, go anywhere, do anything resto-mod Duster. Hopefully it's first outing at a track will be at Royal Purple Raceway in February and the Big Bend Open Road Race in April! Time will tell...
