Newbie but an oldie

Cuda Kid · Oct 30, 2015

Hello all. I'm new here but not to Mopars. Senior year high school In 1975 bought a barely used AAR Cuda for $1400. The engine needed rebuilt which I did in the school auto shop. The car was in like new condition. Due to the gas embargo and premium gas getting hard to find a few years later everybody was getting rid of their muscle cars. I sold it to the 1st guy answering the for sale add for $1500. I know, bad decision!! A few years later I bought another 1970 Cuda. A 440 6 pak, shaker hood, and I believe it even had a leather interior. Times were tough and later I enlisted in the Marine Corp. After boot camp I figured I wasn't going to be home for awhile so I sold the car while home on leave. Sold it for $3000 to the first guy that came along. Ten years in the Corp and another 23 years and I make it back to the old hometown. Now it's time for another Cuda. Bought a 1974 locally and started the teardown. The plan is to make the 74 look like one of my 70's Cuda. Got a homemade rotisserie to put it on when ready as this is a project in need of body work. So if anybody out there has any body parts needed to make a 74 Cuda look like a 70 Cuda send me a pm. This is going to be a driver and do the Hot Rod Power Tour long hauls. Being a driver and to keep costs down I'll be using used parts. If finances are good enough at the time I'll be going with a late model Hemi and 5 speed stick. I've done the late model drivetrain in my 1956 F100 truck with a fuel injected 302 and a supercharger, 5 speed tremec trans, 9" rearend with 4:10 gears. Chrysler torsion bar front suspension and disc brakes to make it drive nice. I've completed 2 long haul Power Tours with the truck with no problems and 21 MPG. So the Cuda will be able to do the same thing when done. I do all my own work so this may take awhile. But, I'm in the market for used parts to do the Cuda conversion so let me know if anybody has parts to help me out.

moparleo · Oct 31, 2015

Welcome aboard. My first vehicle back in 1971 was a 1955 F-100. It came with a 223 ci inline six cylinder with three on the tree and a Dana 44 rear end.. Ran a blown 392 Hemi with a late model 727 Torque-flite from Art Carr. And finally a big Dana 60 with 3.54 gears.. Big difference on the old pick-ups and e-body uni-body cars. F-100 had enough room to put 2 of any sized engine you wanted. Body on frame construction also allowed any engine, trans and rear end to fit with minimal fabrication. The best and ultimately the most economical way is with new, AMD sheet metal. Used 70-71 Cuda sheet metal in good condition would be more expensive than new.

Bill · Oct 31, 2015

NICE!!! Welcome from Vermont. pics, pics, pics!! Keep us posted. Sounds like an awesome project.

DetMatt1 · Oct 31, 2015

Welcome to the site from the Motor City fellow Michigander!
How's the lower cowl/firewall on it? I have a new AMD part that I'm won't be using here in the Detroit area and I'm asking less than what the dealers can get them for.

ramenth · Oct 31, 2015

Welcome aboard! Love to see pics of both the 'Cuda and the truck.

burntorange70 · Nov 2, 2015

Welcome to the site.

jeff968 · Nov 2, 2015

You did well back in the day. I purchased my running Challenger T/A back in November of 1979 for $1800. I had to finance half of it at the bank and paid a 20% interest rate! I still have the paperwork. Any photos of your old machines? I purchased about 20 70-71 E-bodies between 1979 and 1985 for the cheap. Fix them and flipped them. The good Ole' days

My best was a green 71 'Cuda 340 4 speed with billboard and a full shaker setup for $300.

MOPARMITCH · Nov 2, 2015

Welcome to the Madness !!

Cuda Kid · Nov 9, 2015

Okay I'll try some pics ,hope it works. The AAR and 1970 'Cuda are pics from back in the day so may look kinda bad. I painted the Black one with my billboard design so it is the same car. A 440- 6pak with leather interior and overhead console. I did a frame off restoration on the F100 with updates. A 1986 Chrysler front sub frame for the disc brakes and power steering. Torsion bar suspension sure beat the original leaf spring solid axle drum brakes. The engine I built is a 1996 302 Cubic inch roller cam block. A B303 cam from Ford Racing, GT-40 high flow heads. The super charger came off a 2000 Ford Lightning and I fabricated everything to make it fit the engine. I adapted fuel injection to it with a Quarterhorse programmable chip to make it all work together. A Tremec T5 trans is hooked to a posi trac with 4:10 gears. It's my daily driver, has completed 2 Long Haul Power Tours and gets 21 MPG on regular grade pump gas.