Project 'Cuda

Author Topic: Project 'Cuda  (Read 2506 times)

Offline Street_Challenged73

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Re: Project 'Cuda
« Reply #15 on: March 11, 2005 - 02:11:41 PM »
Thanks for the photos, Mr.Bill426!!!  That looks like a really great project.  As for the hood hinge area, I'd say any competent welder/metal fabricator could fix that.  Mine looked pretty bad, but the body man made them perfect. :grinyes: :thumbs:  Keep us updated with your progress! :thumbs:  I just found two photos showing the repairs up-close without any paint.
« Last Edit: March 11, 2005 - 02:54:40 PM by Street_Challenged73 »
1973 Dodge Challenger......................The ongoing project. (00/----\00)
1991 Dodge Stealth R/T Twin-Turbo....The sunny day cruiser (RTBoost)
1990 Toyota Celica GT Liftback...........The new daily & winter driver.
All-American Muscle: 'Cudas and Challengers...Still the Elite and always will be.

                                                                                             
                 
Street_Challenged73 from Wisconsin




Offline Carlwalski

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Re: Project 'Cuda
« Reply #16 on: March 11, 2005 - 02:50:23 PM »
Love the Cuda Bill, love the color also.  :grinyes: :drool:
1970 Dodge Challenger R/T
White, License Plate, 0A-5599
540ci Aluminium Hemi, F.A.S.T EFI
TF-727 Gear Vendor OD, Dana 60

Offline RUSTY Cuda

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Re: Project 'Cuda
« Reply #17 on: March 11, 2005 - 06:33:47 PM »
got mine at year one,bought the full pass side & used the rear half, on the drivers side I bought the patch panel & even cut that back a bit, autobody specialties has em too, but I did a bulk order & got the 20% off.
The patch panel does NOT come with the hood hinge adjustable mount I used my old nut(square???) & made my own plate!

Offline RUSTY Cuda

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Re: Project 'Cuda
« Reply #18 on: March 11, 2005 - 06:42:47 PM »
Drivers side came with that adjusting nut, but much thinner metal than the original, the panel itself seems to be the same guage as the old. the hole by the battery looks like a simple patch , I didn't need one there but made a bunch of patches outta a sheet of 20 guage! after the first few it got pretty easy! Hope this helps, Rich.

Offline mrbill426

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Re: Project 'Cuda
« Reply #19 on: March 11, 2005 - 08:27:00 PM »
Drivers side came with that adjusting nut, but much thinner metal than the original, the panel itself seems to be the same guage as the old. the hole by the battery looks like a simple patch , I didn't need one there but made a bunch of patches outta a sheet of 20 guage! after the first few it got pretty easy! Hope this helps, Rich.

Wow, you guys got into those cars DEEP!  I'm not sure if I'm gutsy enough to rip ours (interior) down that far, would probably forget where everything went!   :o

Your photos and tips help a great deal.  They also tell me to re-think my idea of rebuilding the front suspension before painting, looks like you guys did yours later on??  Except for fixing and painting the engine compartment, I had planned on doing ALL the mechanical stuff first and then doing the body and paint, so as not to risk marring it up.  What say you?

Another thing I found on the left (driver's) side, the "U" shaped bracket in the fender well that the upper control arm shafts mount to is pretty rusty.  I fear that it may fail under stress (during one of those 12 second runs  :tongue: )  Are the brackets part of replacement inner fender panels, available alone, or must they be repaired?
MOPAR or NO car!

'72 'Cuda 340, white on white
'72 Sebring; bracket project
'64 Imperial Crown black on black
'66 Imperial Crown; parts car

Offline RUSTY Cuda

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Re: Project 'Cuda
« Reply #20 on: March 12, 2005 - 10:45:13 AM »
The shock tower & inner well are seperate pieces,  there's a third piece that looks welded to the shock tower to mount the arms on, it's a heavier guage metal, haven't seen that or the shock tower repro'd . :(
painting is better afterwards on most stuff, but the K & all the steering stuff are (or supposed to be ;D) different colors, kinda hard to get all that stuff painted with everythingon I would think!
My K is gonna be body color, I like to be different!  ::) Rich.
« Last Edit: March 14, 2005 - 06:00:49 PM by RUSTY Cuda »

Offline mrbill426

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Re: Project 'Cuda
« Reply #21 on: March 14, 2005 - 02:04:08 PM »
Thanks!  Guess it would be easier to do the car color first, with the engine out, then do the K-frame and suspension work including paint, then put the engine back in.  Sound right?
MOPAR or NO car!

'72 'Cuda 340, white on white
'72 Sebring; bracket project
'64 Imperial Crown black on black
'66 Imperial Crown; parts car

Offline BB73Challenger

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Re: Project 'Cuda
« Reply #22 on: March 14, 2005 - 02:16:52 PM »
Looks like Ohio historical plates.

Pretty good car you have there!
Keep the pics coming.
Jeff from Cleveland, Ohio

Offline mrbill426

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Re: Project 'Cuda
« Reply #23 on: March 14, 2005 - 02:39:07 PM »
Looks like Ohio historical plates.

Pretty good car you have there!
Keep the pics coming.

Yes they are, we bought it in Ohio two years ago.  Unfortunately it has soemof that Ohio (salt) cancer too.  :cry:


MOPAR or NO car!

'72 'Cuda 340, white on white
'72 Sebring; bracket project
'64 Imperial Crown black on black
'66 Imperial Crown; parts car

Offline BB73Challenger

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Re: Project 'Cuda
« Reply #24 on: March 14, 2005 - 02:55:48 PM »
That's the reason I left Ohio to buy my Challenger.

By the looks of your Cuda you still did pretty good!

Jeff from Cleveland, Ohio

Offline mrbill426

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Re: Project 'Cuda
« Reply #25 on: March 14, 2005 - 03:30:51 PM »
Actaully I think we did okay too.   ;D  We bought it from an older (80s) couple who had purchased it for there daughter back in '72.  She had it for about 10 years and when she announced she wanted to sell it, Mom and Pop bought it.  It's been crunched at least once (bondo) I think, and painted twice. 

So far the floors are "dry" except the rear part of the trunck where it meets the tail panel.  The L/F frame rail is suffeing from I think a battery leak.  This may all change when we remove the carpet.  :o  Their little pooch managed to scrach up both left inner door panels  :madvibe: , which I guess the body shop tried to fix with interior paint.

Somewhere along thr line somebody removed the resonators, as it only has mufflers in the rear just before the tips.  The job they did though looks "factory".  Did any 'Cudas come without resonators??    What exactly do they do?  It does not really sound that loud anyway.



That's the reason I left Ohio to buy my Challenger.

By the looks of your Cuda you still did pretty good!


MOPAR or NO car!

'72 'Cuda 340, white on white
'72 Sebring; bracket project
'64 Imperial Crown black on black
'66 Imperial Crown; parts car

Offline Street_Challenged73

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Re: Project 'Cuda
« Reply #26 on: March 14, 2005 - 05:42:17 PM »
Mr.Bill426, I actually had planned on removing my front suspension prior to painting, but I didn't get things rolling fast enough by the time it was sent to the shop.  I needed a different K-frame cause mine has a nasty crunch in it (some previous owner must have thought they owned the General Lee), so I figure I'll just carefully pull out this scrapped one and reinstall my rebuilt donor along with the rest of the suspension all at once.  I was a little skeptical about this approach at first, but I see a few of the other guys here have done it like that with great results.  Best of luck with your rust repair and continue to keep us updated. :thumbs:

Oh and another reason I ruled out the idea of pulling the suspension was moving it.  My garage has a rather steep grade and it's just crushed rock, so casters wouldn't have worked so well trying to get it back into my bay.  Now that it's in the spot where it'll sit until I'm finished with college, I can finally strip it all down to just the body/shell without any concern for moving it. :grinyes:
« Last Edit: March 14, 2005 - 05:45:51 PM by Street_Challenged73 »
1973 Dodge Challenger......................The ongoing project. (00/----\00)
1991 Dodge Stealth R/T Twin-Turbo....The sunny day cruiser (RTBoost)
1990 Toyota Celica GT Liftback...........The new daily & winter driver.
All-American Muscle: 'Cudas and Challengers...Still the Elite and always will be.

                                                                                             
                 
Street_Challenged73 from Wisconsin