Blue Duster

OVERALL GOAL: The Blue Duster completed its original goal, of re-enacting my 1971 journey from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to George Air Force Base, Victorville, California, cache by cache, and now it has made its way back home. The Duster's second goal was to re-enact my 1974 return to Pittsburgh from George Air Force Base, California. We think that we are going to retire this bug to our mantle! We would like to thank all of the cachers that helped the Blue Duster go to California and back. Special thanks to Geotastic 4 for getting the Blue Duster in to Pennsylvania, and scootermac13 for bringing it back from New Jersey. It is great to have our bug back!

ABOUT THE OVERALL GOAL: I want the Blue Duster Travel Bug to reenact my 1974 return journey from George Air Force Base, Victorville, California to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The goal is for the Blue Duster Travel Bug to follow the same roads as my original trip. As such, it won’t be helpful for someone to fly the bug to Pittsburgh. I will choose towns in short hops for the immediate goal along the various Intestates that I took on the original trip. The immediate goal will change as the Blue Duster travels across the country. Although a short immediate goal will be listed, I have no objection to someone giving it a longer ride as long as it is a road-vehicle following the Interstates listed on the goal sheet. Hopefully the Bug will not get too far off course. ****************************************************************************
ABOUT THE TRAVEL BUG DUSTER: This is a diecast 1/64 scale 1971 Plymouth Duster 340 by Johnny Lightning Collectible Diecast. It is from the Mopar Muscle series release 3, item #237-03. There are several versions of the 71 Duster by Johny Lightning, I chose this one because it is a similar shade of blue to my actual Duster. ****************************************************************************
ABOUT THE ACTUAL DUSTER: I drove to California with somewhat less muscle than the Blue Duster Travel Bug. My car was a 1970 Plymouth Duster with a 318 cubic inch V-8 (230 HP) and a 3 speed manual transmission on the floor. Unlike the Travel Bug it was all blue, no white top. Blue Fire Metallic actually, and what a boss shade of blue! The car was a bit odd. I ordered it. I wanted a 340, but the 318 was the biggest engine the loan officer (my father, a slant six man) would approve. I ordered it with disc brakes, heavy duty suspension, limited slip rear axle, and a 3 speed on the floor (four speeds were available only on the 340). I ordered plain wheels with hub caps because I intended to replace them with really cool after-market wheels. It had no creature comforts other than an AM radio and a heater, power nothing. It ended up being somewhat of a Duster 340 without the 340 and the window dressings. It wasn’t a street rod per se, but then again it wasn’t a dog either. I ordered the car in February of 1970. It was delivered in March. A week later I got a letter from Uncle Sam inviting me to report to 1000 Liberty Avenue, 4th floor, Pittsburgh PA on 9-Apr-70 at 07:00 for a physical at the taxpayer’s expense. So much for the really cool wheels. *****************************************************************************
ABOUT THE TRIP: I finished my enlistment in the Air Force and returned to Pittsburgh in June of 1974. I chose to take a different route back to Pittsburgh than my trip in 1971. Experience a small portion of my journey, move the Blue Duster Travel Bug to the next cache listed above. The Bug has a log book for you to record your experience, relate your own road trip, or tell us about that hot car you had back when. *****************************************************************************

EPILOGUE: After I got out of the service, Red Shoe and I dated in the Duster. The Duster witnessed our engagement, and the Duster took us on our honeymoon. It was our car for the first few years of our marriage. In 1979, the Duster developed serious engine problems. Due to severe body rusting from the road salt and the age of the car, we decided to buy a new car. The Duster was sent to auto heaven (in a 3 X 3 cube) in October of 1979 with over 120,000 miles, and its front bumper still sand blasted from the wind blown sands of the Mojave. *** George Air Force Base closed in 1992 and is now the Southern California Logistics Airport. *** Daimler Chrysler discontinued the Plymouth name plate in 2001. ***
For web page links on Johnny Lightning, Plymouth Dusters, and George Air Force Base, see the first log entry below.