1970 Plymouth Valiant-Duster Facts – Resources

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1970 Plymouth Valiant-Duster

1970 Plymouth Valiant-Duster Facts and Specifications

General Year Information – 1970 Valiant-Duster

DUSTER
The Plymouth Duster introduced in late-1969 for the 1970 model year was all Valiant from the cowl forward, but the rest of the car’s sheet metal, save door skins, was completely different. The Duster coupe provided the compact Plymouth Valiant with a sporty body style designed to attract more customers. The car was a $15 million effort to update the Valiant for the 1970 model year. The design incorporated a semi-fastback roof and a special rear valance having no bezels. The door glass was operated by a new regulator mechanism, required to fit the much more radical “tumblehome” (reduced side glass radius), and the windshield was more steeply raked. For 1970 only, a small Valiant badge went on the front fenders just above the Duster badge, but it continued to be used on all the companion 4-door sedan and 2-door Valiant models.

The 1970 Duster was available in two models – the standard Duster and a performance-oriented Duster 340. Engine options were 198 cu in (3.2 L) and 225 cu in (3.7 L) versions of Chrysler’s Slant Six, as well as the 318 CID V-8 and 340 CID V-8.

The Duster was also positioned to compete with Ford’s slightly smaller semi-fastback Maverick compact car and the AMC Hornet that were both also introduced in 1970, and the slightly larger semi-fastback Chevrolet Nova whose design was introduced in 1968. While the Maverick, Hornet, and Nova were offered in a 4-door sedan body style, the Duster nameplate was used only for the 2-door coupe.

Numerous trim and option package variants of the Duster were offered with names that included the famous Duster 340. At midyear, a Gold Duster trim package was added. The Gold Duster package came with gold badging, gold stripes on the sides and rear, wall-to-wall carpeting, pleated, all-vinyl seats, whitewalls, wheel covers, a deluxe insulation package, and a canopy vinyl roof. The Gold Duster was equipped with the 318 engine. All these marketing variations of the basic Duster design targeted customers seeking economy, cargo capacity, and/or performance.

After failed negotiations with Warner Brothers for use of the Tasmanian Devil cartoon, the Duster’s “twister” logo and font logo was created by Chrysler’s Thomas Bertsch.

VALIANT
For 1970, the Valiant was carried over with detail changes, including a new black plastic grille sculptured differently from 1969 model’s metal piece. The central portion protruded flush with the forward edge of the hood, while the remainder of the grille was set back from the front plane. The two-door sedan was dropped, (replaced by the new Duster coupe). For all except export Valiant models, the base 170 engine was replaced by a new 198 CID version of the slant-six. The 198 gave better performance than the 170, and was less costly to make, since it used the same cylinder block as the 225.

The rarest Valiant option was power drum brakes, used in just 1.6 percent of all Valiant models built.

1970 Plymouth Valiant-Duster Facts – Significant Options

• Prices Where Known
  • Adjustable driver’s seat, 6-way manual with bucket seats.
  • Air conditioning ($357).
  • Front disc brakes ($28).
  • Hood Insulation.
  • Mirror, left, outside, remote-control.
  • Mirror. right. outside.
  • Power brakes ($43).
  • Power steering ($105).
  • Radio AM/FM ($135).
  • Radio, Music Master AM ($62).
  • Rear shoulder belts, left and right.
  • Rear window defogger ($27).
  • Speaker, rear seat.
  • Sport steering wheel ($32).
  • Tinted windshield and windows ($33).
  • Tinted windshield only.
  • Undercoating.
  • Wire wheel covers, ($50).
  • Wheel covers, Deluxe, ($16).
  • Wheels, Chrome Road, ($50).
  • Wheels, Rallye Road, ($33);
  • White sidewall tires ($34).
  • Windshield wipers, 3-speed electric.