New Member-1970 Cuda Project

[Jorge Cardona]

A basic tag is one that reflects the basic parts that were used to build a very basic example of a particular model car it is very easy to figure out. Some options are on all tags even those of the most basic models (a BH23G0 car) things like (R11) 2 watt radio it is more common then radio delete or more deluxe radios, (M21) drip rail mouldings, (Y05) built to US specs and so on, then check the basic options that go into the Cuda 340 package they all had dual exhaust with chrome exhaust tips (N41,N42) all these codes would have been on the original tag some codes are never on the tag tyres, wheels, and so on you know it had a 340 so (E55) can go on. What about the transmission? Just study the tags of similar spec cars and make an honest representation don't turn it into a flight of fantasy by adding things you don't know for sure, Cuda's had std dash with ralley as an option unless you can find evidence of a ralley dash on the car don't put (A62) on it just keep it as real and honest as you can this is what I refer to as a basic tag.

This is where it becomes difficult. It reminds me of algebra... lol. I would need to speak to you when the time of putting it together comes. I hope I don't get lost.

 

[Jorge Cardona]

If you do it properly there is nothing wrong with it and chances are the original tag would have been more impressive then the one you end up with anyway.

I really welcome all ideas and suggestions, and I would not try to fake it. I am considering putting a 3rd. Gen. Hemi on it, what do you guys think about that ?

 

[Jorge Cardona]

What is properly if you don’t have the original?

California cars didn’t all have N42 chrome tips. All plants didn’t use Y05, this man never said where his car was built, Yes R11 is most common, but we don’t know what the radio this car came with at all. So right from your own example you are ASSUMING things that could/will be wrong. This is why you don’t try to make up a tag.

There is a VON and a date on the tag, how are you to know what it should be??

This is why I don’t like FAKE tags. Imagined tags. Most likely tags. They are all wrong.

I like the Nash Bridges tag, you know someone made it up and it’s fun, it has no resemblance to a factory tag.

Someone else told me: "since you don't have the original engine/tranny, It will have to be a 'resto mod', and you can do what ever you want with it, and just enjoy it".
If I decided to go this route, should I still put a tag on it? and if I should, what kind of tag should it be?

 

[Jorge Cardona]

You can see my car photos in "Photo Garages" under "1st wife, '70 Cuda 440" and "Restoration, '70 Cuda". My car is scheduled to be restored at AMD this October.

Cool. Yes, I checked out. Man, this is fun, but sometimes I get overwhelmed

 

[413]

Tag is gone period. Car doesn’t need a tag. Pull one off a dodge pickup and put on there if you have to have one.

You can build what you want. Stock resto, resto mod, slant six, new Hemi, old Hemi, what ever you want.

It doesn’t have to be anything.

 

[aussiemark]

413 is right without a build sheet or damaged original tag it is impossible. Just build it the way you want and enjoy it, with all new panels it will have a better body then most and there are a lot of cars out there with missing fender tags it's not a big deal you have the VIN and you know in your mind what it is and that's all that matters.

 

[aussiemark]

The VIN will tell you what engine it had originally if you want to build it as a stock resto you will have to guess on the transmission and other parts, or if you decide to build it another way anything goes sky is the limit.

 

[Jorge Cardona]

Thank you all for your recomendations! I am thinking just putting a fender tag with my name on it.

 

[Rich G.]

My 71 Cuda was a plain Jane BHG rotted pretty bad. I built it exactly the way I always wanted it and found this tag on EBAY one day. I get interesting comments and I just tell them it’s special to me!

 

[Jorge Cardona]

View attachment 61438 My 71 Cuda was a plain Jane BHG rotted pretty bad. I built it exactly the way I always wanted it and found this tag on EBAY one day. I get interesting comments and I just tell them it’s special to me!

That is a cool idea. Without a tag it will feel like something is missing.

 

[Jorge Cardona]

Hello everybody,
I know it is difficult to find spare parts for the 1970 CUAD - SEAT TRACK RAILS...
Anybody out there who know where I can find this particular piece?
(it is the teethed part of the outer passenger rail)

 

[Adam]

On the plus side when it comes time to have the car painted there will be a lot less prep work then normally required because all the new metal is straight and the EDP coating is a good base and will help prevent rust in the future.

This brings up a good point... EDP coating is very tough and can be painted over, but it is porous and will begin rusting in short order, if exposed to moisture. Ever see a Toyota truck driving around with a EDP coated replacement hood or fender that is already rusty... if Jorge is spending 30k at AMD he should have the car sprayed with epoxy primer as soon as is practical. Epoxy primer will seal the car; and any bodywork, if needed, can be done on top of the epoxy primer...

 

[Jorge Cardona]

Thanks for the comment Adam.
It is my understanding that the car will be coated with EDP. According with what the guys at AMD, " it will never get rust again "...

 

[aussiemark]

EDP is a good base coat but as Adam said it does need paints to be applied ASAP to prevent oxidation, they say you can judge a good base coat by trying to wipe it off with a rag dipped in thinners if it wipes off it's no good if it can't wipe off it is good.

 

[Adam]

Jorge, the car will need to be epoxy primed at some point. There is no benefit to waiting, and much downside to it..

My two cents: Painting a car is very expensive because there is much labor & materials involved. Even if the body is perfect the car needs to be cleaned & epoxy primed, inside, outside, underneath, etc.

Epoxy primer is very tough. Any needed body work can be done on top of the epoxy, sound deadened, undercoating, and so on. It is however, not friendly/easy to sand, so another “primer-surfacer” is sprayed on the exterior. It is easy to sand and is thick enough to hide small imperfections or scratches. The primer-surfacer is usually wet sanded with a rubber or foam block until the finish is dead flat. Then it is ready for color coat, unless you have areas of exposed metal or filler which require a sealer. The color coat most commonly used these days is base coat, and topped with a clear coat. The clear will usually require wet sanding and buffing to finish. So that is a lot of materials and labor... the last time I bought a half gallon of Plum Crazy base coat it was around $260. Clear coat is at least $100 a gallon, primer surfacer about $90, and epoxy around the same... unfortunately when I had fully finished wet sanding my Challenger’s primer and was ready for color my painter, Rod Alexander, suffered a hemorage and died... he was a young guy too. Anyway, another painter wanted $5000 just to spray the base/clear... not including materials; ridiculous for an afternoons work! I did it it my garage because I figured even if I screwed it up I would only be out about $500.

If you, or others reading this, are so inclined, it is an easy matter to prime the car yourself. You need a gallon of epoxy primer with hardener & reducer, mixing cups, a spray gun with about a 1.6 to 1.8 tip, a air compressor with a water filter, and a protective mask. It’s only primer, you cannot screw it up, and if you do, just let it dry, sand/remove it and re-shoot it. This can be done outdoors on a calm day because if/when a bug/ dirt lands on it it doesn’t matter because that spot can be easily addressed.. and the car is going to get a coat of primer surfacer anyway. Even a first timer can get good results if you follow the mixing directions, adjust the air pressure and spray gun, and practice on something (I use old parts or the sides of my trash cans), then start on hidden areas, insides of the doors, engine compartment, etc. This way you can get your car primed for a fraction of the cost. I will be happy to help anyone with any questions...

 

[340challconvert]

Good synopsis Adam

Jorge, the car will need to be epoxy primed at some point. There is no benefit to waiting, and much downside to it..

My two cents: Painting a car is very expensive because there is much labor & materials involved. Even if the body is perfect the car needs to be cleaned & epoxy primed, inside, outside, underneath, etc.

Epoxy primer is very tough. Any needed body work can be done on top of the epoxy, sound deadened, undercoating, and so on. It is however, not friendly/easy to sand, so another “primer-surfacer” is sprayed on the exterior. It is easy to sand and is thick enough to hide small imperfections or scratches. The primer-surfacer is usually wet sanded with a rubber or foam block until the finish is dead flat. Then it is ready for color coat, unless you have areas of exposed metal or filler which require a sealer. The color coat most commonly used these days is base coat, and topped with a clear coat. The clear will usually require wet sanding and buffing to finish. So that is a lot of materials and labor... the last time I bought a half gallon of Plum Crazy base coat it was around $260. Clear coat is at least $100 a gallon, primer surfacer about $90, and epoxy around the same... unfortunately when I had fully finished wet sanding my Challenger’s primer and was ready for color my painter, Rod Alexander, suffered a hemorage and died... he was a young guy too. Anyway, another painter wanted $5000 just to spray the base/clear... not including materials; ridiculous for an afternoons work! I did it it my garage because I figured even if I screwed it up I would only be out about $500.

If you, or others reading this, are so inclined, it is an easy matter to prime the car yourself. You need a gallon of epoxy primer with hardener & reducer, mixing cups, a spray gun with about a 1.6 to 1.8 tip, a air compressor with a water filter, and a protective mask. It’s only primer, you cannot screw it up, and if you do, just let it dry, sand/remove it and re-shoot it. This can be done outdoors on a calm day because if/when a bug/ dirt lands on it it doesn’t matter because that spot can be easily addressed.. and the car is going to get a coat of primer surfacer anyway. Even a first timer can get good results if you follow the mixing directions, adjust the air pressure and spray gun, and practice on something (I use old parts or the sides of my trash cans), then start on hidden areas, insides of the doors, engine compartment, etc. This way you can get your car primed for a fraction of the cost. I will be happy to help anyone with any questions...

 

[Walter Phillips]

Jorge, the car will need to be epoxy primed at some point. There is no benefit to waiting, and much downside to it..

My two cents: Painting a car is very expensive because there is much labor & materials involved. Even if the body is perfect the car needs to be cleaned & epoxy primed, inside, outside, underneath, etc.

Epoxy primer is very tough. Any needed body work can be done on top of the epoxy, sound deadened, undercoating, and so on. It is however, not friendly/easy to sand, so another “primer-surfacer” is sprayed on the exterior. It is easy to sand and is thick enough to hide small imperfections or scratches. The primer-surfacer is usually wet sanded with a rubber or foam block until the finish is dead flat. Then it is ready for color coat, unless you have areas of exposed metal or filler which require a sealer. The color coat most commonly used these days is base coat, and topped with a clear coat. The clear will usually require wet sanding and buffing to finish. So that is a lot of materials and labor... the last time I bought a half gallon of Plum Crazy base coat it was around $260. Clear coat is at least $100 a gallon, primer surfacer about $90, and epoxy around the same... unfortunately when I had fully finished wet sanding my Challenger’s primer and was ready for color my painter, Rod Alexander, suffered a hemorage and died... he was a young guy too. Anyway, another painter wanted $5000 just to spray the base/clear... not including materials; ridiculous for an afternoons work! I did it it my garage because I figured even if I screwed it up I would only be out about $500.

If you, or others reading this, are so inclined, it is an easy matter to prime the car yourself. You need a gallon of epoxy primer with hardener & reducer, mixing cups, a spray gun with about a 1.6 to 1.8 tip, a air compressor with a water filter, and a protective mask. It’s only primer, you cannot screw it up, and if you do, just let it dry, sand/remove it and re-shoot it. This can be done outdoors on a calm day because if/when a bug/ dirt lands on it it doesn’t matter because that spot can be easily addressed.. and the car is going to get a coat of primer surfacer anyway. Even a first timer can get good results if you follow the mixing directions, adjust the air pressure and spray gun, and practice on something (I use old parts or the sides of my trash cans), then start on hidden areas, insides of the doors, engine compartment, etc. This way you can get your car primed for a fraction of the cost. I will be happy to help anyone with any questions...

 

[Walter Phillips]

Adam thanks for the info on what to do after EDP treatment. My car is scheduled for AMD this Oct.

 

[Adam]

We have all seen cars driving around with replacement panels, still in EDP, starting to rust...

 

[Jorge Cardona]

Jorge, the car will need to be epoxy primed at some point. There is no benefit to waiting, and much downside to it..

My two cents: Painting a car is very expensive because there is much labor & materials involved. Even if the body is perfect the car needs to be cleaned & epoxy primed, inside, outside, underneath, etc.

Epoxy primer is very tough. Any needed body work can be done on top of the epoxy, sound deadened, undercoating, and so on. It is however, not friendly/easy to sand, so another “primer-surfacer” is sprayed on the exterior. It is easy to sand and is thick enough to hide small imperfections or scratches. The primer-surfacer is usually wet sanded with a rubber or foam block until the finish is dead flat. Then it is ready for color coat, unless you have areas of exposed metal or filler which require a sealer. The color coat most commonly used these days is base coat, and topped with a clear coat. The clear will usually require wet sanding and buffing to finish. So that is a lot of materials and labor... the last time I bought a half gallon of Plum Crazy base coat it was around $260. Clear coat is at least $100 a gallon, primer surfacer about $90, and epoxy around the same... unfortunately when I had fully finished wet sanding my Challenger’s primer and was ready for color my painter, Rod Alexander, suffered a hemorage and died... he was a young guy too. Anyway, another painter wanted $5000 just to spray the base/clear... not including materials; ridiculous for an afternoons work! I did it it my garage because I figured even if I screwed it up I would only be out about $500.

If you, or others reading this, are so inclined, it is an easy matter to prime the car yourself. You need a gallon of epoxy primer with hardener & reducer, mixing cups, a spray gun with about a 1.6 to 1.8 tip, a air compressor with a water filter, and a protective mask. It’s only primer, you cannot screw it up, and if you do, just let it dry, sand/remove it and re-shoot it. This can be done outdoors on a calm day because if/when a bug/ dirt lands on it it doesn’t matter because that spot can be easily addressed.. and the car is going to get a coat of primer surfacer anyway. Even a first timer can get good results if you follow the mixing directions, adjust the air pressure and spray gun, and practice on something (I use old parts or the sides of my trash cans), then start on hidden areas, insides of the doors, engine compartment, etc. This way you can get your car primed for a fraction of the cost. I will be happy to help anyone with any questions...

Adam, Great information, thanks. I am not in the painting stage yet, but I will get back to this post for the info, and, heck yes! I do want to save some money on the paint. I have a small compressor, I will get a painting gun and I will do it myself in the garage.