There's a world of responsibility required when it comes to raising children-providing them with food, clothing, shelter, the resources to grow into successful and responsible adults, and introducing them to the fun things of life: music, movies, and other interests.
Dean Schoen of San Jose, California, is a great father. he not only works hard to give his family what they need, but he still finds time to have fun with them. The owner of an original '66 Plymouth Satellite with a factory 426 Hemi and a four-speed, Dean is no novice when it comes to the power of a Mopar. his first car was a '71 340, four-speed 'Cuda that he purchased during his service in the Navy. So when the time was right, Dean wanted to introduce his oldest son Mason to the world of Mopars.
As far as personal taste, there's not a lot of room to say which cars are cooler than others. But when we get mail exclaiming that "all the good musclecars have been bought up, cut up, crushed, or rusted into scrap," we can't help but think that many of these complainers are just not looking hard enough. Many would-be enthusiasts search a few auto trader magazines, look online for a while, and maybe ask around to a couple friends before finally giving up. But not Dean, he kept his ear to the ground for a year before stumbling across this '71 Plymouth Duster on sale at the nearby Goodguys event in 2004.
The Duster was in bad shape after spending years underneath a pine tree. The A-Body's paint was blotchy and faded; the upholstery was torn, cracked, and weathered; the carpet was wet and moldy; and the body needed some serious rehabilitation. But it was a good foundation to start his project, so the Slant Six automatic car was picked up for $1,000 in cash and brought home.
The first phase of the build required Dean and Mason to clean the Duster as best they could and drive it to the body shop. That feat required pillows and a blanket to protect themselves from the springs protruding from the seats. The industrial steam cleaning shop revealed the Duster was in better condition than originally estimated. The body that initially looked bad only suffered from minor rot in the usual places: the lower quarters and trunk floor. The high-temperature steam cleaning also blasted the caked-on grease, grime, and road debris from the undercarriage and suspension.