1970 Plymouth Duster - Friends With Benefits

Seemingly small details can often break the bank, and to prevent that from happening, Kevin turned to the used market. Instead of calling a mail-order house and forking over a credit card, Kevin scoured the Internet to score killer deals on items including a radiator, a cooling fan, an ignition system, wheels, and gauges. "You might as well call this the eBay car," he says. "If you don't mind putting used parts on your car, you can buy them for a fraction of what they cost new." Similarly, when used components weren't readily available, Kevin sought the advice of like-minded enthusiasts on Internet message boards, to find out which vendors had the best deals on new parts.

In the few instances where Kevin didn't rely on his friends or his affinity for parts scouring to cut expenses, he modified his approach accordingly. One example is the Duster's suspension, which doesn't have any freebies or used goods. Its simplicity keeps costs in check, though, as the front was rebuilt to stock specs with a $180 Mopar Performance rebuild kit. The same goes for the rear suspension, with the addition of a set of $200 Mopar Performance Super Stock leaf springs. Although he spent less than $600 on the suspension, it's still good for 1.68-second 60-foot times. And though these figures are still slightly shy of stellar, they're quite respectable for a genuine street car on a stock-style suspension.

At the track, the Duster has run a best of 11.59 at 117 mph on motor. With the NOS nitrous kit pilled up to 125 hp, the ET drops to 10.77 at 124 mph. And yes, as you may have already guessed, the nitrous kit was another freebie, courtesy of Kevin's buddy Phil Cook. Although it's far from the fastest car he's built, it is quite possibly the most rewarding. "Over the years I've had race car after race car, so it's nice to finally have something that I can enjoy on the street," he says. "The car has won its class in all three shows it's been in, which is definitely a new experience for me."

Naturally, with a group effort such as this, there are many people who deserve recognition for their hard work. Kevin would like to thank Randle Curley, Bill Bunce, Kent Birch, Jack Whitt, Jason Wolfe, Larry Wilson, Phil Cook, and Jack Vance for their help and free parts. "This car would have cost $20,000-$25,000 to build for most people, but I'm very fortunate to have such a great group of friends," he says. You see, "friends with benefits" doesn't have to be dirty. Like we said at the top, free 440 or not, speed doesn't come much cheaper than this.

Where The Money Went
Kevin refers to his Duster as "the eBay car," and we can't think of a more appropriate title. Many of the parts used to build it aren't fresh and shiny, but who cares? They get the job done for not a lot of scratch, and that's what matters most in a budget street/strip car. Here's a list of all the deals Kevin landed.