The 1971 Plymouth Duster is an icon. The sophomore year of Plymouth’s take on a sporty compact based was a strong one: the Duster got its own badge, a new trim package (the Twister) and a few fun, optional features. Since then, the Duster has become a popular street machine housing a perfect foundation for updates, upgrades and modern power. That was certainly the idea behind bulking up Jordan Costello’s vehicle when he brought it to Troy Gudgel at BBT Fabrications in Mahomet, IL. "The goal with the Duster was to build a car to stand the test of time and still resembling the classic styling of the 1970s Mopar Muscle cars while modernizing the car to perform like a modern day muscle car,” emphasizes Gudgel. The vision: a classic look and feel with a Hellcat drivetrain and fortified chassis. However, the vehicle itself needed a little work before that could happen. The sheet metal and frame needed help and instead of dropping in a crate of ‘Cat and a facelift, the Duster was going to need some real surgery. Costello was on board, and BBT set about creating the custom-built full frame, featuring HRE wheels (18" in front, 19" in back), 14" 6 piston Baer brakes, Toyo tires, Dakota Digital gauges, K & N filters, and an Eaton tru trac. A Bowler Tremec T-56 transmission is the perfect complement to this Mopar machine. And while the driving components are enough to excite any street machine enthusiast, the customization continues inside. “Jordan’s (Costello) favorite part is the way it drives. My favorite element of the car has to be the blue interior. While it looks factory, everything has either been modified or built from scratch to improve to todays standards while keeping the 70s vibe,” says Gudgel. The front seats are recontoured from a C6 Corvette, and the rear seats were custom built to match, all in dark blue leather. The outside of the vehicle is a stunning, crisp white and features modified bumpers and customized Intek Otto mirrors and door handles. And it will be making it’s official debut at the 2024 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in the RacingJunk booth. "SEMA is the place to get the most exposure for a car in todays market. Having a car on display in the Racing Junk booth at SEMA is a great honor for us," says Gudgel. Displaying a build at the trade show is a way to celebrate car culture and the people involved in maintaining and evolving it, people and businesses like BBT Fabrications. “We want people to know BBT for the quality of work that we put out over a variety of different cars,” emphasizes Gudgel. The SEMA presence will definitely contribute to that, although BBT already has a strong presence in the custom world having built t a number of SEMA Battle of the Builder finalists, amongst other award-winning vehicles. “Helping to debut a showstopper like the Duster is one of the ways that RacingJunk supports the enthusiast industry,” says Scott Stetz, Director of Sales and Marketing for RacingJunk. “Throughout the show, people stop by to look at the build and talk about what they love and envision their next passion project or reminisce about past vehicles. It’s a win for everyone.” The Duster will be officially unveiled on November 5, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. PST in RacingJunk’s booth #24211. Press Release Type: Vehicle Company: RACINGJUNK.COM Booth #: 24211 Show Categories: Hot Rod Alley Racing & Performance Restoration Marketplace Media Contact Name: Andreanna Ditton Media Contact Email: andreanna.ditton@internetbrands.com Media Contact Phone: 3102804459 Photo Gallery: 102821