Mopar Plymouth Duster Bumper Mod worth doing for virtually FREE !

End of video shows before and after !! We like improvements that can be done virtually free, at home with common tools !!

[@Mynextproject_74]

That looks really good! I was fortunate to get a solid mounted front bumper on my 74 Duster. I ditched the entire weight bar from behind the chrome piece. I was able to slot the mounting holes where the bracket bolts to the frame and push the bumpers back that way. I did something very similar to what you did on my back bumper. Thanks for sharing!

[@318willrun]

Thanks ! My '74 has the non-impact bumper on the front, and the impact bumper on the back, factory!!!

[@BigMikesHooptyBarn]

For me the aesthetic nature of it is worth the effort! Great stuff Sir!

[@318willrun]

Many thanks!

[@imskeptic1]

Wow, that looks way better, great idea.

[@318willrun]

It does! Thank you!

[@desertmopars3336]

Much improved look... AND you saved yourself more weight 👍 Nice work!!

[@318willrun]

Two stones with one bird, or something like that! Thanks for watching!

[@flbartlett]

Nice! Much better looking.

[@318willrun]

Thanks!

[@offshore50]

Nice look. Good job!

[@318willrun]

Thanks a lot !!

[@billjamison2877]

You sir remind me of myself many years ago. My family owned an autobody/paint shop from 1934 t0 2006. I was a teenager in the late 60's and was always at the shop tearing things apart, modifying this or that just to make my car a little faster and a little different from the cars that used to cruise the circuit in my hometown. Great times and great fun! Bye the way...MoPar or No car! MoPar Rules!

[@318willrun]

Thanks for sharing! Awesome family business! thanks for watching!

[@blakegaddis946]

Nice vid 318willrun! I enjoy all your video's!

[@318willrun]

I appreciate it!

[@sorta_stock]

That looks fantastic. Way better than the original setup. 👍🏻

[@318willrun]

Thank You !!

[@stuntmanmike7777]

Wow! That looks good! Thanks for the knowledge you drop on every video you produce!

[@318willrun]

Thank you! We appreciate it!

[@musclecarmitch908]

Awesome job! Looks so much better!

[@318willrun]

Appreciate it !!

[@ROBERTBORGESON]

Major improvement, good job !

[@318willrun]

Thank You!

[@2HacksGarage]

Much better!!! Tips like this can really add up, great job!

[@318willrun]

Thank you so much !!

[@bifaith100]

this is a good way to do it...thanx..looks sooo much better ..the gov.. intimidated chrysler to ruin these sweet mopars..

[@toddselph5992]

That looks so much better with the bumper tucked in. Great mod!

[@318willrun]

Thanks, we appreciate it !!

[@stephenhotzjustdriveit]

Looks good. I really like it.

[@318willrun]

Thanks man!

[@aarvolaredonjunior1032]

Very well done, I will be taking about 2 in off the front of my volare now.Thank you for the great idea.💡

[@318willrun]

Thanks! Hope it works out well for you!

[@MoparMan-ff8fb]

I shaved a bunch of weight of my 65 Dart and my D150 truck up front . On the Dart I switched to a mini start on the slant6 then to a aluminum 2 barrel intake and a radiator from early 90s dodge Dakota and then tubular upper control arms and slotted mag wheels Duster looks good .

[@318willrun]

'65 Dart is light !! Thanks for watching!

[@DuddiesAdventure]

That is great mod and really made the front of the car look a lot better! Plus getting rid of 9 lbs off the front will really help. Great Video!

[@318willrun]

Thanks! Looking forward for more Dart content from the D.A.R.T !

[@slantfish65sd]

Excellent work and an easy and effective modification and it looks great also, I just noticed on your channel here that somehow or another KZbin had unsubscribed to me. I thought I was subscribed but anyway might be something that your viewers want to look out for. Great work

[@318willrun]

Thank you! Yes, sometimes youtube "unsubscribes" viewers randomly.

[@tommyridolfi9261]

Big difference, looks good!

[@318willrun]

Thank you!

[@dangeroreilly2028]

I am just so in love with that car. I know the '76 is not considered one of the more desirable body style of a Duster, but I had a powder blue '76 much like this, and I want another one some day. Transport me back to high school in '76 if I can buy or recreate the look of my old one I would be thrilled. I'm in awe of this poster's talent though. Cars were never my talent and I really can't do much body or engine work!

[@titusco1086]

Thanks for the Idea! my Volare Wagon has a dang bench out front of it, this will definetly help the case.

[@318willrun]

"bench seat out front" .... I love it 😁

[@seanfattireguythomas2994]

There’s lots ways shed weight . Me l could just quit eating so much nice job my friend

[@318willrun]

Much easier to cut steel rather than to trim fat... ask me how I know!!!!

[@cougariog8817]

I remember when my 74 dart got rear ended and it was just enough to push the rear bumper flush to the body. And when the guy that hit me got out I said wow that actually looks better. Wish I did this to the front. Great video.

[@318willrun]

Ha, cool story! Thanks for sharing and watching!

[@sumthinsumthingarage7913]

That looks good Brother. I am getting a 74 Duster from my buddy and will be doing this for sure.

[@318willrun]

Thanks !

[@chrisparsons7043]

I have a 73 Scamp, i removed the massive reinforcement inner from inside the bumper, and alsoslotted the brackets so i could tuck it back. Loada lighter and looks better 😉

[@edsmachine93]

Great idea Tim. I need to do this on my Duster. Moving it back over a inch further helps the weight transfer. Esthetically better looking. Functionality is still there. You have a winner there Tim.! I believe we could call this the Ralf Nader delete!! Hehe😂! Thanks for sharing Tim. Take care, Ed.

[@318willrun]

Hey Ed ! Appreciate you stopping by, and good luck with your Duster!

[@WhiteTrashMotorsports]

Good stuff, been doing this for years, on derby cars we drill them to drain the oil and push them and weld.

[@heavymetalmadness666]

I would have not thought about that, But yeah it would give you a better hit. Years ago( well decades) that wasn't something you really had to think about, but for safeties sake they keep making the track smaller and the way the cars line up at the start....It's kind of a joke.

[@318willrun]

Very Cool !! Thanks for watching!

[@brucejones7389]

Looks great!

[@318willrun]

Thank you !

[@jamesdobie576]

Thanks for the vid as going to do the same to my 74 and also replacing the rear bar with a 73

[@318willrun]

Good luck!

[@duster71thechad27]

Sure does make it look better!

[@318willrun]

Thank you !

[@keithsims86]

I like the 76 look. To takes away the car looks to each is on.

[@318willrun]

Thanks for watching!!

[@johnnywooten7199]

Looks way better !

[@318willrun]

Thanks !

[@lorriegriffith4979]

I really like the way that looks on your car. I have a ‘76 Plymouth Scamp with the same bumper & I’m going to do mine like that. I didn’t like the Valiant grill so I swapped it for a ‘73 Duster grill. Nobody notices it. I also bought a a ‘76 Plymouth Fury with a 360 that I want to drop in my Scamp. I catch all your videos and they are very entertaining, keep up the good work. 👍🏻 Marty G

[@318willrun]

Thank you!

[@matthewsmith6486]

Better looks. Better weight transfer. Less overall weight. Win!

[@318willrun]

I agree!

[@ShovelMonkey]

That DOES look a lot better now. 👌

[@318willrun]

Absolutely!

[@SteveM-426]

Well Done!

[@318willrun]

Thank You !

[@NathansMoparGarage]

It looks much better. 👍

[@318willrun]

Thanks!!!

[@halljam70]

Looks great, def something my 76 Nova needs. Front bumper is 75 ponds, not including the shocks.

[@318willrun]

Thank you! Hope it works well on the Nova !

[@JustMoparJoe]

Very nice video! I need to do my dart sport as well

[@318willrun]

Thanks!! There is about 45 lbs total to be taken out of a factory impact bumper on these, just working with the factory braces/brackets. And still keep it all steel !

[@JustMoparJoe]

@@318willrun thanks!

[@iijg27rich36]

Looks way better :)

[@318willrun]

Thanks for watching!

[@cumminski]

Thats a good one👍

[@318willrun]

Thanks !!

[@felixlafuente9714]

Really nice work! Did you got new rattling sounds or something? I love the new look

[@318willrun]

Thank you! This is something I wanted to do for a while, and just didn't get around to doing it.

[@Ridendrty]

Very good mod and good vid too! I think they make aluminum bumpers for Dusters but likely not cheap.

[@318willrun]

Thanks, we appreciate it! I thought about making aluminum brackets for behind the factory bumper.

[@vincemajestyk9497]

Great mod! Makes the car look so much better. I like that twin inlet scoop. One of the best looking factory scoops. I put one on my '71 Satellite Sebring Plus I put a 440 and 4 speed into (a long time ago). I think if you found one in a junkyard, you could just use the brackets off a 'non' 5mph impact bumper car. Those bumpers really made the cars a lot uglier. That was an insurance industry lobby thing.

[@318willrun]

thank you!

[@Kman.]

My '72 has the "flush" bumper, yeah...I didn't know what year they went to the _E X T R U D E D_ bumper style till you made mention, but I had heard folks talk about how theirs was the model year that stuck out a good bit. I don't know of *ANYONE* that likes 'em stickin' out, and the same probably holds true for the two rubber bumper guards as well...quite unsightly. I'd think that THEY would be easy to remove? It pays to be handy like y/self, great job!

[@joeyspinelli4906]

Nice work man. those later year dusters suffered from impact bumper laws Looks fitting. I have the early years ones, so I get what you mean.

[@318willrun]

Thank you!

[@char81998]

Think you did good on this mod, theres alota stuff for weight reduction you can do on ya ride, really cool when you can mod the visuals for a custom look as well.

[@318willrun]

Thanks a lot !!

[@ericwilson2585]

I agree with that brother. Any weight you take off the car (especially at the front) is exactly the same as adding horsepower to your engine.

[@318willrun]

Thanks for watching!

[@mirandeemassoo1877]

Looks wayyy better

[@318willrun]

Thank You !!

[@vsavage_old_rockerz]

nice. need to do my 74 Nova this way! peace

[@318willrun]

Thanks, and good luck on your Nova !

[@79beans347]

Man what a difference, im going to do something like that to my front and rear bumpers on my pinto. I don't know if you know how far they stick out especially the rear but its alot like you can actually use the rear bumper as a seat or a bench. 😂

[@318willrun]

yeah, looks like a end gate is open !! 😃 Thanks for watching!

[@guidosarducci3047]

Well done sir! Does your wife know u had her nice bathroom scale out there? LOL!!!

[@318willrun]

Ha! She was holding the camera, so I'm on the uppity up this time!

[@vernoncarroll9839]

My friend has a 74 duster. We got a 73 bumper with brackets to see if it will work. But what you did looks good also

[@318willrun]

Thank you! Hope your swap goes well !!

[@CarsandCats]

It will work. My '74 came from the factory with a '73 bumper on the front.

[@CarsandCats]

I have a '74 and it must be early, because it came with the '73 front bumper on it. But it had the shocks on the rear bumper. When I dropped that rear bumper I weighed it and it was 140lbs! Fiberglass is going back on. I am going to use a '70 Bumper and pull it real close to the body by making my own brackets.

[@318willrun]

Your '74 is the same as mine! Mine has the '73 front and the impact bumper on the back. Thanks for sharing!

[@henrymeynier5072]

My 73 dart sport had the heavy rear bumper and light older front bumper

[@briankinnard654]

I took the flat steel brace off and bolted the bumper to the brackets. Tucks in nice,

[@mopartron3030]

Looks way better! I'd like to remove some more front-end weight from my '70 Duster for handling but it has normal bumpers without the shocks. Already have aluminum top end on my 360 but it's still a heavy engine in a small car

[@318willrun]

Thanks !!! '70 Duster's are one of my favorites!!

[@altpraize6708]

Fiberglass hood.

[@javimacias1215]

Almost sure you have a manual steering box and aluminum intake which shave a substantial amount of weight off the front end, compared to iron intakes and power steering boxes. Also hear torsion bars from slant six cars have a better weight transfer than the ones from V-8's.

[@318willrun]

Indeed the slant bars up front will help! I still have the V8 bars

[@nicolasgrachek9709]

You can always drill holes thru the mounting tube to get rid of weight

[@318willrun]

Yep !!!! Thanks for watching!

[@christopheransell2179]

That's a pretty slick trick! I don't know why auto designers chose to stick the front bumper a foot ahead of the car, to make it look larger, I guess. That mod definitely would have helped the look of my Dad's '76 Plymouth Volare Premier 318 station wagon with faux woodgrain back in the day. Anyway, take care!

[@mopartron3030]

They did it so there's room for the bumper to bounce backwards in a collision without damaging any of the body

[@WhiteTrashMotorsports]

The government mandated them

[@mopartron3030]

@White Trash Motorsports the government mandated 5 mph crash bumpers but the auto engineers had to figure out a design for making it work.

[@318willrun]

Thanks! I like the Volare wagons!

[@larryhutchens7593]

I have been going to do that to my 75 but since I'm selling it to my grandson I'll let him do that. Looks a lot better. Now I know how it is done. That plastic spacer gets very brittle over time. On your side grinder: Please try to set it up so that it is pulling the grinder away from you rather than pushing towards you. I've seen guys get injured using your method.

[@318willrun]

THanks!

[@A-BONEpickup]

i did the same thing to my 74 chevy nova, look's better and shaved 80lbs of the nose , my bumper also had a rectangle steel tubing inside the bumper.

[@318willrun]

Awesome! Unbelievable what the bumpers on these mid-70's cars weigh!

[@will7its]

Very nice, but I would get some aluminum scrap and get rid of all that heavy mounting bracket stuff. I love dumping that crap and putting a big battery in the trunk too. Does look good...... Edit....Whoops just read below that you were way ahead of me about aluminum brackets, my bad...🤠 Just subscribed too......whoopie

[@318willrun]

It's all good !! Aluminum is a great idea! Thanks for watching!

[@tims72demon]

Good info ! 👍 Are you going to do the rear bumper too? My old Duster I bought as a parts car for my Demon, had those shocks on the rear bumper.

[@318willrun]

I cut the brace out behind the rear bumper a few years back. Not sure if I will tuck it in closer to the car or not. thanks for watching!

[@tims72demon]

@@318willrun The front end looks a lot better tucked in like that. Glad my 72 Doesn't have those shocks. Hope to meet up at the NNN. Thx

[@stevenclare]

Hi, your bonnet scoop looks great, where can i purchase one the same or have you made it yourself,thanks.

[@318willrun]

ebay has many. Here is just one. www.ebay.com/itm/262467997557?itmmeta=01HVP70P3Y07VJEV03FABW31JB&hash=item3d1c4fcf75:g:G-oAAOSw1D1iZdHJ&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA0GzuTmMZcl506kxfCU0%2FKySHg%2FvvaPcf09OLleHOkVBvKJjsAfsHg%2B1p34SUwUK1BM%2BYRnJkJ%2FkDk90NcZXxqIjjeqt%2B9iElBJuxQIHzzYerKTyzmXk4ATNLPehYgg7Fpyim7U%2F%2BpQURCwBfv3TL1aHP20eEy62zvt2dfcUAIJw5KkhVRatPmg9GssydXAO08dtQgC%2BTEfgx1zRIU5lv36ZJV%2BDjSqmbhXkF2aFy7pY2EZBCX90uT8QeQ0u49zxGlQeRNjjSTSDOiQDp9ivLfA4%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR4bigsfdYw

[@moparedtn]

I like it a lot - but now the question begs: How hard would it be to continue along this vein and come up with something that fits like the earlier non-5mph bumpers? Any more weight to be saved doing that? - Ed on the Ridge

[@318willrun]

I thought about an aluminum bracket. Might save a few more pounds. Thanks for watching!

[@henrymeynier5072]

I make my own mounts out of chunks of scrap aluminum plate

[@318willrun]

I almost did that! Thanks for watching!

[@billharden7127]

👍

[@CCR414]

Looks great! You should have saved that original oil and sold it to someone doing a resto...

[@318willrun]

😂😂😂😂

[@joerussell5241]

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

[@318willrun]

Chicken gravy... mashed potatos.... biscuits..... now you did it, I'm hungry !! Thanks for watching!

[@powers6963]

Looks much better tucked in tight. Nice job! Also, good video, but I think you'd do yourself a huge favor by using a tripod for a lot of the shots.

[@318willrun]

Thank you! I do use a tripod sometimes, other times my wife is filming, and then those times when a guy just has to crawl underneath then I'm just one handing the camera !! Ha!

[@powers6963]

@@318willrun Whatever works. Haha!! Can't believe what a big difference that small modification made. Any thought to ditching those cylinders all together and making a couple small mounts out of some bar stock?

[@318willrun]

@@powers6963 Thought about making aluminum brackets

[@smilsmff]

All from factory should have been made closer to look your finished product , thanks for sharing.

[@318willrun]

I agee

[@dangeroreilly2028]

Looks like '76 Powder Blue?

[@rodneybyrd9516]

I need to do my Dart Sport (beak!!)!!!

[@318willrun]

I've had a couple of Dart Sports! Thanks for watching!

[@daveooldham9850]

I did it to my dart sport,I welded it tho not bolt,I think the bumpers ruin the whole look of these cars jmo.They do weigh a ton and after you bring them closer to the body the ends don't follow the contour of the body

[@rong4189]

Yeah, much better. Never liked those things. Good info!

[@318willrun]

Thanks !!

[@79asspin]

That's a lot better.

[@318willrun]

Thank you !! And thanks for watching !!!

[@altpraize6708]

Dude, where do you get all these awesome mopars???that Magnum and the duster are cool! I live in California, if a person can find one for sale,it's junk and way overpriced. Good luck with your projects

[@318willrun]

Thank you!! Mopars are not plentiful around here in the rust belt, trust me!!

[@rich_mc]

The rubber stayed in, just further inside the bumper, correct?

[@318willrun]

Both tubes were hollow when i was done. It's solid mounted now.

[@franksgarage8551]

we dont need a swimming platform on the front of our cars! I have read about it, now that i have seen it, easy modification. Im thinking i will plug weld mine.

[@318willrun]

... a diving board? Ha! A guy could weld, but I thought the bolt would make an easy removal should I need to remove something. Thanks for watching!

[@dwwilliamsonsr1243]

I'll do the same to my 75 if I don't convert it to a demon clone plus I'm going to shave the bumper down a little too thanks

[@318willrun]

Live the Demon front end!

[@jeffsr8300]

1st- less weight less e.t. 2nd looks real good. What about the back?

[@318willrun]

Thank you! I had cut some of the brace off the back bumper a few years back. I didn't tuck it in closer, for some reason the back doesn't bother me as much.

[@jeffsr8300]

@@318willrun aha; I didn't realize you'd done that with it, that explains why from a certain angle in you opening your Duster looks like a '72 that somebody put '74 to taillights in. Thnx

[@karlsracing8422]

I removed the massive plate in my 74 no bumper shock things.

[@318willrun]

Nice !

[@BadTreeProductions]

Slicker than snail snot. The far out bumpers were never the best look. Way to make the car look better for free...

[@318willrun]

I slipped on snail snot once..... Thanks for watching!

[@UnfinishedProjectDartSport]

CCCLX!!

[@318willrun]

440 ?? 😂😂

[@UnfinishedProjectDartSport]

@@318willrun 360!!

[@nastybastardatlive]

Nice mod. But I'd've welded those tubes instead of using a nut and bolt. At least weld the nut to the bolt so it can't back out from vibration.

[@318willrun]

Good suggestion! My thought was I can remove the bumper in seconds just by removing the two bolts! Thanks for watching!

[@nastybastardatlive]

@@318willrun when in the next 50 years are you gonna need to remove the bumper?

[@318willrun]

@@nastybastardatlive With me? Could be next week !😂

[@MrMcbuck48]

Do what I did, make a new bracket from thinwall 1x1 tubing. Lose 25 lbs.

[@318willrun]

Thanks for the tip!

[@vintagesavoiur]

Another 1inch would look better

[@318willrun]

Each has to adjust to their liking! Thanks for watching!

[@moparnut6286]

This was the fault of the feds sticking thier nose where it doesn't belong! The video was a bit ironic when you picked up the duster bumper in front of the magnum the king of the 5mph bumpers sticking out almost a foot! I've thought long and hard about bringing bumper in on my late B body cars Cordoba/charger and doing away with the bumper fillers as I have many of the shock spring bumper mounts may just take some of your ideas. I've already done it on my 74 charger and it looks the way mother mopar indented! Plus I shave the bumpers bolts for even a cleaner look.

[@318willrun]

Yep, you nailed it! Thanks for watching !

[@MrSwinger1]

Thats federally mandated equipment is it a legal mod?

[@318willrun]

think about all the fiberglass bumpers, aftermarket tire sizes, lowered or raised suspensions and a billion other mods that's been done to these cars ...... and then question if some of this was functional after 50 years or just rusted weight.... Thanks for watching!

[@MrSwinger1]

Its probably notbing,nothing, it isn't like today's inspection mechanics know how the cars came from the factory in 76 but that one guy could be difficult. In Pa,we just take it for a " second opinion" someone would sticker it. I do recall the 74 Nova looking bad with the log bumpers

[@MrSwinger1]

It does look alot better man, I don't wanna leave ya with presumed negativity...😁

[@Kman.]

@@MrSwinger1 It's a night & day difference, yes!

[@drewdane40]

It was mandated that the manufacturer install them. That's as far as that mandate went. But if the FBI will show up to inspect the bumpers on this guy's 50 year old car, I hope he'll let us know.

[@mcm95403]

Just me, but id just make new mounts out of aluminum stock.

[@318willrun]

That would be best!

[@talljohnsfunshop2722]

Much better looking but 9lbs and moving it back ...well done. Thats gonna help folks. Except the purists.

[@318willrun]

Correct, 9 lbs off the very front AND moving the bumper back over an inch will help in weight transfer. Thanks for watching!!! (purist??) 😶 Ha

[@benwright6330]

.oh, ..so, ...just cut as much off your vehicle as you possibly can from the rear wheels forward, yes? ..or maybe I'll just go on a diet and loose 15 to 50 pounds. ..just a thought🤔

[@318willrun]

Much easier to cut steel than to trim fat, ask me how I know ... Ha!