General Description
When I was 18, I began looking for a car my father sold only months before his first child was born in 1977. That chid was me and the car was an FC7/H6XW AAR Cuda. Back in 1995, the internet was just gaining popularity. My primary mode of searching was going to as many car shows as I could and to get as many Auto Traders as I could afford and just look around for what was out there. Kept coming up empty but was alway hopeful. By the time I graduated from college, the info on the internet had grown substantially and I figured any day now, I would run across the car...That was 16 years ago....the only info I had run across was on Transamcuda.com. I found a partial VIN and made a phone call to Jeff Bangert. Jeff was able to give me limited info as to where it's last known location was, but that info was only good up until the mid 80's as it turns out. For the record, several people I was told were experts in the field of finding these cars, all advised me to reach out to Jeff for info...I now know who the real expert is!!!
Fast forward to early April 2016...My brother-in-law was on a car spotter page here in FB and ran across a couple of pictures a very kind gentleman posted of an AAR his buddy had just bought. I saw the pics and reached out to the man that posted them. I asked him if he would be kind enough to get me the VIN from that car as I have been looking for a similar car of years. This was not the first time I have made this request for pics on FB but it was the first time I actually received a useful response! 3 weeks later he sent me a copy of the title! I had a very hard time reading all of the info as my eyes were filling up as I read the VIN...It was Dad's car!!! The guy he bought it off of was the guy my father sold it to as well as the last known address from the 80's that Jeff had spoke of!!! My mind went racing and I had to see this car! It was less than 10 miles from where my father had sold it as well the same distance from where my parents have lived since '82! This was crazy! My dad, cousin and I got in the car and were standing in front of it only days later....camera in hand. The car was beautiful. Just about 100% original in appearance, and the current owner was very willing to talk $$$. BTW the current owner is one of the nicest people I have ever met and was just as excited as I was that one of the early owners of this car was able to locate it and come and see it. As it turns out the car had been sitting in a climate controlled underground garage for 18 years! That made it very had to find since it was not on the road attending shows. The PO wanted to make it like new and ran out of space for all the parts. His wife ended up pushing the Sell It Now button...and that was when it came out of hiding. My new friend Marty, told me what he would sell the car to us for, $6k below what he wanted to get for it if someone else was buying it, and the deal was struck!!!
I have spent the last 2 days unpacking the car and parts for this Cuda and it is now safe and sound in it's new "forever" home! My parents as well as I cried at it's sight and now it is my job to get it back on the road--should be very easy to do as it does run with it's original numbers matching, 340 in it. the tranny was switched over to an A833 4 4spd and the drive shaft needs to be reinstalled to get it rolling under it's own power. That is my project for this summer/weekend -- lol.
I am very happy and thankful for all the assistance others in the hobby have given me along the way...it has been a very long journey.
My 12yo son has also been instructed to NEVER sell this car. It was too much work to find it and bring it home. It will now forever be a family heirloom! My parents were married 40 years ago and drove this Cuda in the wedding procession. We will be getting some "recreated photos" very soon of them on their happiest of days with this car just in time for the big anniversary...I am one happy son!!!
Fast forward to early April 2016...My brother-in-law was on a car spotter page here in FB and ran across a couple of pictures a very kind gentleman posted of an AAR his buddy had just bought. I saw the pics and reached out to the man that posted them. I asked him if he would be kind enough to get me the VIN from that car as I have been looking for a similar car of years. This was not the first time I have made this request for pics on FB but it was the first time I actually received a useful response! 3 weeks later he sent me a copy of the title! I had a very hard time reading all of the info as my eyes were filling up as I read the VIN...It was Dad's car!!! The guy he bought it off of was the guy my father sold it to as well as the last known address from the 80's that Jeff had spoke of!!! My mind went racing and I had to see this car! It was less than 10 miles from where my father had sold it as well the same distance from where my parents have lived since '82! This was crazy! My dad, cousin and I got in the car and were standing in front of it only days later....camera in hand. The car was beautiful. Just about 100% original in appearance, and the current owner was very willing to talk $$$. BTW the current owner is one of the nicest people I have ever met and was just as excited as I was that one of the early owners of this car was able to locate it and come and see it. As it turns out the car had been sitting in a climate controlled underground garage for 18 years! That made it very had to find since it was not on the road attending shows. The PO wanted to make it like new and ran out of space for all the parts. His wife ended up pushing the Sell It Now button...and that was when it came out of hiding. My new friend Marty, told me what he would sell the car to us for, $6k below what he wanted to get for it if someone else was buying it, and the deal was struck!!!
I have spent the last 2 days unpacking the car and parts for this Cuda and it is now safe and sound in it's new "forever" home! My parents as well as I cried at it's sight and now it is my job to get it back on the road--should be very easy to do as it does run with it's original numbers matching, 340 in it. the tranny was switched over to an A833 4 4spd and the drive shaft needs to be reinstalled to get it rolling under it's own power. That is my project for this summer/weekend -- lol.
I am very happy and thankful for all the assistance others in the hobby have given me along the way...it has been a very long journey.
My 12yo son has also been instructed to NEVER sell this car. It was too much work to find it and bring it home. It will now forever be a family heirloom! My parents were married 40 years ago and drove this Cuda in the wedding procession. We will be getting some "recreated photos" very soon of them on their happiest of days with this car just in time for the big anniversary...I am one happy son!!!
