Dare to be different only goes so far with some people. Instead of doing a Camaro, they’ll do a Nova or a Malibu, just because it’s close enough. Whatever happened to taking the unloved and making something jaw-dropping and killer out of it? The Willys was not always the hot-rod icon it is now, but one day a guy with a set of wrenches, a vision and a big-ass motor on standby got to work and turned out a ride that was absolutely respectable. From where we sit, rear-wheel-drive converted K-car derivatives are an excellent option. Mark Beckett’s rear-drive converted 1990 Daytona cemented our opinion on the matter…after a quick ride with him on some fairly empty highways, there was no doubt that not only was the car brutally fast, but was also rather tame and could easily be seen pulling street duty. This Plymouth Duster, on the other hand, looks strip-only and focused on one mission: win. The P-body was Chrysler’s evolution of the basic K-car, the Aries and Reliant, and they sold well on the same premise of their predecessors: basic transportation at a low cost. Sitting in a garage, with the exhaust venting out of the front fenders, “basic” isn’t the first word that comes to mind. “Oh, mother…” seems suitable. Or maybe, “Can I drive it?”
Photos courtesy of Mark Simmons via SRT-8 owners. Thanks to Joe Haber for the tip!
WANT!
A lot of body styles were nice back in the 80’s and 90’s but were FWD, boring! My favorite RWD conversions were the mid-90’s Olds Cutlass and Achieva.