---
title: "This Plymouth Duster Rat Rod Sits on a C6 Corvette Chassis"
description: "Modern sports car performance with classic muscle car character. What more could you want?"
date: "2017-09-26"
modified: "2017-09-26"
authors:
  - name: "Eric Brandt"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/eric-brandt"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/watch-this/14612/this-plymouth-duster-rat-rod-sits-on-a-c6-corvette-chassis"
categories:
  - "Builds"
  - "Culture"
  - "News"
  - "Watch This"
tags:
  - "c6"
  - "Chevrolet"
  - "Corvette"
  - "Coupe"
  - "Duster"
  - "Engine Swap"
  - "Hot Rod"
  - "LS"
  - "muscle car"
  - "Plymouth"
  - "rat rod"
  - "sports car"
---

# This Plymouth Duster Rat Rod Sits on a C6 Corvette Chassis

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2017/09/duster-2.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com\</em\>*

Holley LS Fest in Bowling Green, Ky. is full of [unlikely engine swaps](<https://www.thedrive.com/watch-this/14497/this-1977-cadillac-coupe-de-ville-with-a-twin-turbo-ls-v-8-is-1172-horsepower-of-malaise-luxury>) and heavily modified hot rods. One of the most interesting attendees this year was this 1973 Plymouth Duster riding on a chassis from a 2007 [C6 Chevy Corvette](<https://www.thedrive.com/start-finish/8731/watch-a-corvette-with-a-half-mopar-engine-set-a-drag-racing-record>) powered by the ‘Vette’s 6.0-liter LS2 V8. Mismatched body panels and just the right amount of wear and tear give this Duster a unique rat-rod aesthetic.

This cross-breed started out as a hand-me-down for owner Gordie Rutkowski who inherited the car from his sister. It was originally the lamest kind of Duster with a 225 ci Slant Six engine and a three-speed automatic transmission.

“That got boring after a while,” according to Rutkoski in the video below.

Understandably bored with the gutless Slant Six, Rutkowski upgraded to a 318 ci small block V8 and added nitrous. Other upgrades he made included air shocks and Cragar wheels. In 1987, the car was taken apart for a paint job and just never got put back together, an all-too-common tale.

Rutkowski did some looking around at some possible chassis and engines to replace the powertrain of his Duster to create something a little different from your average hot rod. He decided a C6 Corvette with the Z51 package would be a good candidate for bringing his old Plymouth back to life. The Z51 adds performance upgrades to the C6, like extra cooling, stiffer suspension, bigger brakes, and wider tires. A bunch of measuring, cutting, and welding later, this beautiful rat rod was born.

It has single adjustable coil-over shocks from RideTech which Rutkowski is very happy with. He praises the car’s handling on the track and says it can keep up with modern Z06 Corvettes. Rutkowski did a fantastic job achieving the performance of a modern sports car with the character of a [classic muscle car.](<https://www.thedrive.com/muscle-cars/4242/the-buyers-guide-to-vintage-american-muscle-cars>)

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/brandt004>)