I have never owned a Duster or a Demon or a Dart Sport for that matter (essentially all the same cars)- though I came close a couple of times. The Hang Ten was one of many wild and wonderful decor packages Chrysler made available to peddle their otherwise standard A-body production cars. Orange colored shag carpeting, stripe patterned seats, red white and blue exterior striping, and the requisite fold down rear seat (for your surfboard, of course) when combined with a EW1 Eggshell White Duster made the Hang Ten package.
Technically, this car is not a Hang Ten, but falls into another group of painted-up Plymouths that share a common gene with the Hang Ten cars. This car actually has the even rarer A63 Cloth and Vinyl Decorator Package, along with a whole lot of other cool options like the 318 V8 engine, AC, PS, Disc Brakes, Rallye Wheels, 8 3/4 Sure Grip rearend, bucket seats, sport mirrors, full gauges and floor console. Combined with the great color combo of black with white 3/4 vinyl top and red/white waist stripe, it makes for a pretty cool car.
And how does any of that translate into value or even rarity? Unlike most domestic car manufacturers, Chrysler's cars received coded fender taqs that document each and every individual option as ordered new for that car. That set the stage for a whole cottage industry ( and accompanying value system) of de-coding such tags and identifying rare factory options on individual cars. The nuttier the option or combination of options as originally ordered- the rarer the car. Or so goes the Mopar game.
But all that- if it proves out- is just a bonus. I think it is a neat looking car, with some nice driveability options, offered at a very fair price of $3500. Lets hope this surfer spent plenty of time away from that salty sea air.
Don't know why . . . but I like it!
ReplyDeleteI never owned one either, but I did learn how to drive a stick on a three-on-the-tree Duster with the Slant 6!
ReplyDeleteJust bought a hang 10 duster 75 360 tx9 black with the same interior...gonna restore it , just because it is cool.
ReplyDeleteI got a 75 space duster 360 TX9 as well and the sunroof still trying to find production numbers
DeleteAwesome Anonymous, send us a photo and we will post it.
ReplyDeleteAfter looking at everything on the 1974 hang ten Dart that ONLY came white with white, orange and black interior, I almost gave my boyfriend heart failure thinking his car wasn't what he expected!! I'm SO glad I found this article and God bless you for putting this here. I'm new to researching for my group and I think my hide is saved. With an explanation of 'option for individual car' his black 74 duster can very well be a hang ten!!
ReplyDeleteLove the A-body Mopars (Darts, Dusters, Dart Sport Fastbacks) so much fun associated with those cars... Many of these cars came with the most durable/bulletproof inline 6 cylinder motors ever built, the "Slant 6". They could get 30mpg on the highway. People today are building them up for performance too... Turbocharging and Supercharging as well as popping on a high-performance manifold and 4 barrel carburetor. Just go on youtube and type in "Slant 6".
ReplyDeleteThe red and white seats with with red, white, and black plaid cloth inserts in the Duster was a "Decorator Interior". I know because I bought a '75 Duster 360 new with that interior, Rallye Red exterior and it came with a red, white, and black body tape stripe. "Hang 10" was the Dodge Dart interior, which had striped cloth inserts.
ReplyDeletejust bought restorable duster with same options missing drive train .is that interior still avallable aftermarket thanks
Deletemy email is juddzia@eastlink.ca if anyone woild know or point me in a dirrection for mine 75 360 TX9 sunroof and spaceduster back seat always garage kept codes on fender tag for roof M52 code for seat C73 lots of options as well
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