Chick with a Cuda

[chickwitha_Cuda]

Sitting here eyeing up your rear end in the air. Remembering I always liked the keystone's! what size are the tires? Be safe under there.what's going on under there?

Wheels are 15" with 7" in the front and 8" in the back. Tires are 275/60's. Update about the rear suspension coming...

 

[chickwitha_Cuda]

UPDATE -- Dec 2021 - Feb 2022

New leaf springs!! I got a pair of +2" Leaf springs from General Spring which fixed the issues with tire strikes I had been having after adding the newer 8" wheels. I had tried rolling the fenders, which mitigated the damage, but lifting the rear end a bit helped enormously while giving me that very 70's aggressive slant. This was a needed, but partial upgrade for the rear end as a whole. The "wooden Rollercoaster" feel of driving it has continued to diminish, but there's still a lot of vibration at high speeds... Not sure if I need an Alignment? Hoping it's not a bigger issue since all bolts were torqued to spec...

As of today I've begun prepping the new 8.75 rear end. I bought a full rear-end with drum brakes, early last year, but it took me months to find a proper third member for it. Today, I broke down the drum brakes and pulled the axels so I can replace the bearings with green. Once I get the new bearings pressed it'll be a process to put everything back together. I have a Wilwood disk conversation kit, and a ((mostly)) brand new 3.23 third member with Yukon housing. The plan is to build it all as one and hopefully do an easy swap of the stock 7.25 rear end currently there. Added to that project I'll likely add in the Hotchkis subframe connectors I got off a "Picture Cars" guy I know, and the much needed rear anti-sway bar that I was told 'should probably' be on the car, but wasn't... after that it's all about focussing in the engine...

Also along these months some small interior revamps are happening. Since the door panels are basically trash beyond saving, I'm attempting to save them... Building up missing pieces with resin glue, and filling in cracks. Sanding off the faux leather texture to also remove the deep gouges in the plastic. Metal under-pieces scrubbed with wire brushes, and steel wool and painted with rust reforming paint to protect it. New arm pads had to happen, the old cracked and damaged.

But the overall goal is to clean up the interior cheaply until I can afford to redo everything right in a few years.

Let's be clear about that... None of these repairs/upgrades are meant to be permanent. A new trunk divider to replace the once missing, and some added insulation to help with sound deadening. Cheap speakers to replace the dry rotted ones someone installed back in the 90's. The badly 'repaired' speaker shelf replaced with a stained 1/4" birch plywood. The fiber insulation underneath recut in foam.

Of course it can never be easy and one of the speakers still isn't working... So that lead to tearing apart the cheap 90's Kenwood cassette player, grinding out the steel plate that was tack welded into the original stereo plate, and replacing it with a cheap Blaupunkt head unit with bluetooth. But of course this means updating the the face plate and adding a storage pocked to fill in under the DIN bracket. One day I want to replace everything with a proper "Vintage Stereo" that's had it's interior revamped to modern but still looks original. But that's $600 I don't currently have. But the wiring is the next problem to tackle. The original wiring is a rat's nest, and nothing like the new wiring the new head unit uses... Eventually I need to redo the whole wiring harness in the dash and interior, but I'm not ready to tackle that yet... I'm hoping I don't have to run new wire back to the new speakers, even temporarily...

 

[moparleo]

JMO but converting to rear disc brakes is just $$$ and eye candy. Not necessary.
And the Green bearing conversion needed to do the disc conversion is a step backwards in strength and durability. Mopar knew what was best and it was not ball bearings.
The best place to put your brake budget is into the front brakes. They do the big majority of the stopping.
Remember that E-bodies are nose heavy to begin with and under braking most of the weight is being shifted to the front.
Just use high quality parts when you rebuild the rear drum brakes and keep them in adjustment. You will also get a much better brake pedal with the drum/disc setup. $ wheel disc tend to have a soft pedal.
Just my opinion after 30 + years in the Automotive service business.
Keep up the good work.

 

[chickwitha_Cuda]

JMO but converting to rear disc brakes is just $$$ and eye candy. Not necessary.
And the Green bearing conversion needed to do the disc conversion is a step backwards in strength and durability. Mopar knew what was best and it was not ball bearings.
The best place to put your brake budget is into the front brakes. They do the big majority of the stopping.
Remember that E-bodies are nose heavy to begin with and under braking most of the weight is being shifted to the front.
Just use high quality parts when you rebuild the rear drum brakes and keep them in adjustment. You will also get a much better brake pedal with the drum/disc setup. $ wheel disc tend to have a soft pedal.
Just my opinion after 30 + years in the Automotive service business.
Keep up the good work.

I do appreciate your opinion. I'm open to hear advice, even if it's advice I'm not planning to take. It's important to see all sides of an argument before you make a decision. That being said::

1. I've already done the front brakes and the entire front suspension system. It was the first thing I did because I knew the car was front-heavy.

2. JMO but if you're gonna rebuild something, you should build it better. I don't consider safety to be eyecandy. I live in Atlanta where people are awful on the roads and I consider the ability to stop on a dime the single most important thing I need in my vehicle. I don't consider drum brakes superior to disk brakes. I understand the science and that the difference is negligible, but disks still cool faster and there's less chance of break down if having to do fast, hard braking multiple times in a short time period. And if you think I don't have to do that in everyday driving, you've never dealt with I20 during rush hour. A side note is that they're easier to change the pads on, and yes, they do look better.

3. The green bearings were recommend by 4 different people for the needs I have in mind for the car. One had 30+ years of experience in Chrysler Certified Service shops and the other three were all drag racers with their own 30+ years of experience in various automotive industries and hobbies. At this point though any additional argument is moot because the bearings are on there and I'm not cutting off brand new good bearing to change them.

 

[Challenger RTA]

The Wooden Roller coaster feel can be reduced with air shocks and extensions can be placed on the top side of shock and reduce air pressure. Worked for me did a lot of highway driving. How ever it does change front end alignment a little bit. When done with suspension (put the big weenies on 11/16 tie rod) steering,brakes(There is so much more to be gained with larger brakes on the front 11 3/4" rotors.Or bigger! Best money ever spent.(70-80% of stopping power comes from the front).ABS rear would be the most beneficial.( Articular using Dakota rear ABS system and a Ford 8.8 tone ring.)I have had 2 1/2 sets of hens teeth for decades and yet to put them on because of Green bearing. I would have thunk there would have been a fix for that by now?I agree the rear disc look good if you can see them.and other factors easier to maintain and cool off quicker in racing conditions. Drum brakes done right last 100k miles.When the Parking brake is set the adjuster adjust the rear drums.// I would have it Aligned. Aligned with the stance you want. check air pressure and bumper height for reference for street or strip. A little more on pass side helps with hooking up on track.If you have two singles shocks.//Vibration at high speeds. Could be a number of things U joints. drive shaft splines worn,loose saddle or stripped.Weight has fallen of drive shaft. Worn,broke loose shocks steering components box rods,bearings,bushings.Bent rim tire has busted belt.Tires worn and out of balance?// The previous items are of safety concern that should be coincided. Just my opinion and maybe others. There are knowledgeable individuals here. I wounder what the combined experience is of the members? I understand personal preference rules over all.Game Set and Match! I didn't want to touch the rear.that could touchy and I would get slapped!!!

 

[moparleo]

Well you already did it, but drag racing is just one big high speed stop. I have been driving southern California freeways for 50 years and am well acquainted with stop and go driving. Tires are as important as brakes as tires actually stop the car, brakes stop the tires.
My experience is managing tire/repair stores for Bridgestone/ Firestone and others for 30 years of that time. Thousands of brake services in that time from the 70's when these cars were new until retirement.
Rear disc brakes are really common today because of lower manufacturing costs and ease of installation/adjustment at the assembly plant. Does a Corolla really need four wheel disc brakes ? Single piston, solid rotors on the rear, simple, cheap. No brake adjustments.
Braking technique is as important as brake type. Most people don't really know how to drive. But enough about that. You did it.

Air shocks and extensions are just Band-aides and not good ones. Damage to the upper shock mounts was common in the old Air shock days. Proper springs to establish ride height and good shock absorbers to tame the ride are the correct way to do the suspension.

Alignments don't cause/fix vibrations. It is just angles and not a thing.
Vibration will be from a rotating/moving thing. Be it tires, wheels ( improperly balanced as well, proper dynamic balance requires weights on both inside and outside), drive shaft, u-joints, flywheel, converter, loose trans mounts etc...
Fairly easy to diagnose. What speeds? Front or rear ?

 

[heminut]

Air shocks and extensions are just Band-aides and not good ones. Damage to the upper shock mounts was common in the old Air shock days. Proper springs to establish ride height and good shock absorbers to tame the ride are the correct way to do the suspension.

I was a teen back in the 'air shocks era' and I agree with this 100%! I had to get the guy who lived behind me to weld up the frame of my 62 Impala after the rear shock mounts tore loose. Yeah, air shocks are a really crappy band aid!

 

[chickwitha_Cuda]

Well you already did it, but drag racing is just one big high speed stop. I have been driving southern California freeways for 50 years and am well acquainted with stop and go driving. Tires are as important as brakes as tires actually stop the car, brakes stop the tires.
My experience is managing tire/repair stores for Bridgestone/ Firestone and others for 30 years of that time. Thousands of brake services in that time from the 70's when these cars were new until retirement.
Rear disc brakes are really common today because of lower manufacturing costs and ease of installation/adjustment at the assembly plant. Does a Corolla really need four wheel disc brakes ? Single piston, solid rotors on the rear, simple, cheap. No brake adjustments.
Braking technique is as important as brake type. Most people don't really know how to drive. But enough about that. You did it.

Air shocks and extensions are just Band-aides and not good ones. Damage to the upper shock mounts was common in the old Air shock days. Proper springs to establish ride height and good shock absorbers to tame the ride are the correct way to do the suspension.

Alignments don't cause/fix vibrations. It is just angles and not a thing.
Vibration will be from a rotating/moving thing. Be it tires, wheels ( improperly balanced as well, proper dynamic balance requires weights on both inside and outside), drive shaft, u-joints, flywheel, converter, loose trans mounts etc...
Fairly easy to diagnose. What speeds? Front or rear ?

I had drum brakes on the rear of my Lancer. I didn't like how they stopped. I'm running BFGoodrich 275/60 TA Radials on the Cuda as recommended by the performance wheel/tire shop I have worked with for the past 8 years. I was trained to brake by my father who has owned muscle cars since the 1960's, and on the local tracks doing weekend timed runs in my Lancer and my buddy's BRZ. As for the shocks... Do you mean like the new +2" leaf springs, and mounts I mentioned installing as well as the QA1 Tier 3 double adjustable handling shocks?

The vibration comes from the rear wheels at speeds of 70mph+ and became pronounced after the installation of the new springs. The wheels have been balanced and it took out some of the vibration, however a full diagnosis will have to wait until I'm ready to replace the entire rear-end. Which will be happening in the next few weeks. Then all parts, nuts and bolts will be removed, examined, and either restored or replaced and reinstalled to spec.

I'm not looking to be combative or rude here, because I really do feel it is important to hear and acknowledge others who may be more experienced than myself, but I also feel it's imprudent to assume you know the level of experience of another when you 'explain' to them your opinions. How you choose to upgrade/maintain your own car may not be how I choose to handle my own. My knowledge my come from other owners/builders who hold different opinions than you, but that doesn't make their knowledge less than yours, nor the changes I make based on their opinions. It might help the tone of your post to be more suggestive and less lecturing.

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

I had drum brakes on the rear of my Lancer. I didn't like how they stopped. I'm running BFGoodrich 275/60 TA Radials on the Cuda as recommended by the performance wheel/tire shop I have worked with for the past 8 years. I was trained to brake by my father who has owned muscle cars since the 1960's, and on the local tracks doing weekend timed runs in my Lancer and my buddy's BRZ. As for the shocks... Do you mean like the new +2" leaf springs, and mounts I mentioned installing as well as the QA1 Tier 3 double adjustable handling shocks?

The vibration comes from the rear wheels at speeds of 70mph+ and became pronounced after the installation of the new springs. The wheels have been balanced and it took out some of the vibration, however a full diagnosis will have to wait until I'm ready to replace the entire rear-end. Which will be happening in the next few weeks. Then all parts, nuts and bolts will be removed, examined, and either restored or replaced and reinstalled to spec.

I'm not looking to be combative or rude here, because I really do feel it is important to hear and acknowledge others who may be more experienced than myself, but I also feel it's imprudent to assume you know the level of experience of another when you 'explain' to them your opinions. How you choose to upgrade/maintain your own car may not be how I choose to handle my own. My knowledge my come from other owners/builders who hold different opinions than you, but that doesn't make their knowledge less than yours, nor the changes I make based on their opinions. It might help the tone of your post to be more suggestive and less lecturing.

I see you are getting to know moparleo well. Good for you, Chick!

 

[Chryco Psycho]

2 comments to add ...
Drag racing with green brgs is very different from street driving as side load / cornering is minimal & yet even drag racing I have seen green brgs fail , they will work for a while but nowhere near as long as a tapered roller , years ago I did find a disc set up where you could use the tapered roller but that was 20 years back & I can't recall which company made them & I didn't buy them , the customer did .
The rear vibration is likely the tires , I have seen BFG tires molded with 3/8 step in the tread brand new , I have zero good experiences with BFG tires to share , I have seen so many problems with these tires over the years where they do not even last 200 miles from new before failing , I would use any other brand such as Cooper as a better choice , anyway carefully check the tires they are usually the issue . About 4 years ago I helped a friend get her car ready to drive to Carlisle , we hit the road & 2 hrs into the trip the front tires [BFG which were brand new] came apart , we had to find a tire store & replace them , luckily neither of them failed completely & destroyed the freshly painted front fenders but within a few more miles they would have .

 

[elnielsen]

I did a full stock suspension rebuild.. including torsion bars.. So, I would absolutely suggest the torsion bar upgrade, but the stock suspension rebuild... ehh.. perhaps upgrade!

 

[FY1TopBanana]

I have the very strong Ford 'Torino' 2.5 "set 20" taper roller bearing with Wilwood Dynalite on my Chall. The Ford ends are setup on a Strange S-60 center. DTS builds these for any Mopar with choice of gears, lsd, and axles for reasonable $$. Heavy beasts but just right for my Hemi 700 ft lb coming thru

 

[ted s]

ta radials are garbage

 

[Chryco Psycho]

I did the ford ends & Tapered roller brgs on the dana 60 for my Challenger also but I didn't do rear disc .

 

[chickwitha_Cuda]

Just so we're all clear here...

I'M NOT DRAG RACING THE 'CUDA.

I'm not setting this car up for the strip. It's not going on the strip. I don't have the insurance to cover it on the strip. I'm not setting this car up for the track. It's not going on the track. I don't have the insurance to cover it on the track.

THIS IS A DRIVER. THAT IS ALL.

I want it to be a nice driver. I want it to be a driver with good power and performance. But this is not a race car. All modifications and restorations are built for street DRIVING ((not racing)) So I have a nice "Show off" car that can still handle itself when someone wants to get insubordinate with me on the highway.

 

[chickwitha_Cuda]

I did a full stock suspension rebuild.. including torsion bars.. So, I would absolutely suggest the torsion bar upgrade, but the stock suspension rebuild... ehh.. perhaps upgrade!

So like the full QA1 Suspension system I put in last August that replaced everything from the K-frame out to the wheels?

 

[Chryco Psycho]

Understood which is exactly why I would not recommend green brgs because you actually want to drive the car in corners too .

 

[CudaGirl Aussie]

TL;DR:: Hi! This is my Car! I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm doing it anyway!! Enjoy my misadventures!

Long version-- Hello Everyone!

This is kind of my introductory post, and unofficial journal of restoration... Part-time lurker, but it's past time I start participating. I'm a bit late to the party. Little history-- after 2 years of looking, saving, and trying to prepare; I purchased my 1974 Barracuda 318 in February 2021. I found it in Illinois, the gentleman bought it to restore/flip, but decided to let it go and use the funds on bigger projects. He only had it about 3 months so all restoration/modifications had been done by the previous owner who had it for at least 20-30 years... I'm a die-hard AMC fan, but wanted my first project car to be something that was a bit easier to find parts for. The 'Cuda has been one of my favorite cars since I was a little girl and one i always just assumed was financially out of reach. I cannot tell you how much it means to me to have been able to own this car so much earlier in my life than I anticipated.

I'm already well into restoration and modifications of my own this past year, so I'll break things down into a couple different posts in this thread...

In this first post you can see when I first went to see the car and when she got home. A few of the details I knew and determined when I first bought the car::
Motor is a non-number's matching 318. Mainly stock, it had an Edelbrock intake manifold, and Edlebrock carb that was WAY too big for it. Missing kickdown linkage.
727 Torqueflite transmission
7.25 Rear end
A/C car
Minimal rust. Few holes smaller than a silver dollar. ((Floor pan, battery tray, etc...)) No major bondo as far as anyone can tell with a magnet. Rust damage around the rear windshield.
Front and back bumper damage... ((Like they backed into, or drove into the garage wall... Super minor.)) Badly repaired damage on the grill.
Driver's seat badly cracked and split. Foam is pretty squashed. All other seats in good condition.
Dash badly cracked and the previous owner badly drilled speaker wire over the missing speakers.
Original radio replaced with cheap cassette player
Paint was a backyard job that looks amazing at about 10ft but as a professional graphic artist drives me crazy with color discrepancies, wobbly lines, and terrible color matching....

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Hey chickie,
I am red cuda 1973 owner in Australia!!!!

Nice to meet you!!!


I'm also going to get my cuda (I call him my husband) as hes rather lovely .. fixed and eventually restored and then one day a tad faster..

Let's keep in touch as great to share info with another cuda gal.

PS. I made my own tshirt MOPAR GIRL. I am not a cougar. I just love my cuda.

hehe evette. brisbane

 

[CudaGirl Aussie]

Isn't it every man's dream to have a Chick that comes with a Cuda....

No. it's every girl's dream just to own a cuda.
HA.

Cuda Girl.

 

[Yella71]

nice cuda....reminds me of my first one except yours is all the same color. build it the way you want dont let any one tell you your wrong (as I can tell you wont) you will find out what works for you and what doesnt.