Flak Nobody that would know anybody would care. Man, Now we are going to need more pictures of the cuda so we can see the details on that paint job.
I don't have many pics of the 1972 'Cuda.
It has a rather controversial history.
I bought it about 16 years ago in a small town about an hour south of me, when I bought it I was told the car was well know as one of the baddest street racers in the area in it's day and went by the name of "Flyin Fish".
It was custom painted in blue amberflin paint.
The car was sold new locally in that town.
The story goes the car was sitting on the showroom floor in December of 1971 as the new 1972 model 'Cuda.
A wealthy gentleman with cash in hand came to the dealership wanting to buy a big block 440 sixpack 'Cuda.
He saw the 72 'Cuda sitting there and wanted the new for 1972 'Cuda looks (yes back in the day many people hated the looks of the 1971 'Cudas which is why they changed it back to 2 headlights in 1972 like the 1970's).
He wanted a big block 440 sixpack engine in the 72 'Cuda.
The salesman told him no deal as the 340 was the hottest engine in an E-body for 1972.
The buyer flashed cash and told the sales manager he was going across the street to the Pontiac dealership to buy a new big block Trans Am.
The sales manager seeing the cash stopped the guy at the door and offered to make a deal.
They took the complete drivetrain out of a 440 sixpack 4 speed 1971 'Cuda that was sitting out back totalled after being wrapped around a pole during a test ride and installed in into the 1972 'Cuda.
They wrote it up as a engine warranty issue.
I was skeptical of the story but the price was right so I bought it.
Once home I started looking at the car closely.
The 440 sixpack engine and Hemi 4 speed tranny were both numbers matching and dated coded for a 1971 car.
The car had the dana 60 rear end and HD leaf springs.
It even had the factory 3/8" fuel lines.
Everything on the car looked like it had been there since the car was new
It's VIN and fender tag are for a 340 4 speed 1972 'Cuda.
About 5 years ago on another Mopar website somehow we got on the topic of 1972 sixpack cars.
I didn't even mention the 'Cuda when someone posted the story of a certain 1972 'Cuda in his hometown that the dealer sold new with a 440 sixpack drivetrain installed for a wealthy customer. He stated the car was the fastest car in the area back in the day.
Well guess what town he was from?? Yep the same town I bought the car at.
After sending him some pics of the car he verified it was the one.
I have talked to some old time Chrysler mechanics who worked back then and they told me this type of swap happend quite often, if the customer had the money they would build the car the way they wanted.
Obviously it's not a factory built 440 sixpack car, but it still was sold new that way and it sure ran like one.
I also did a LOT of street racing with that car, for some reason it was nasty quick.