Random R-code E-body of the day (or week)

[RzeroB]

May 20th

Today all we have is a fender tag that came up on a web search. It is for BS23R0B159479 a white on white 1970 HemiCuda column shift automatic (no C16 code for a Center Console so I assume it is on the column). Does any one know this car? All I have is the fender tag for it would like to ad some additional pictures of the actual car. Anyone? Betcha KissAlien has one ...

[RzeroB]

May 22nd

Well in case you missed getting your bid in on Ken Lingenfelter's 1970 Hemi Challenger RT at the Mecum Indy auction you are in luck as it did not meet it's reserve and is still available!  https://www.mecum.com/lot-detail/SC0516-243242/10344/1970-Dodge-Hemi-Challenger-R/T/4-Speed/



Don't know the VIN of this one either (help me out if you do), but it is 1 of 287 built for the U.S. market and of those 1 of 137 with a 4-speed. As we can see it is finished in High-Impact FY1 Top-Banana accented with V6X black longitudinal stripes and color matching Top-Banana "steelies" (must of been fun keeping those Top-Banana "steelies" clean). But wait, there's more ... this car is one of only a handful of 1970 Hemi Challenger RT's that came from the factory with the N96 Shaker Hood! Love the following pic ... now that's what I call a close-up!

[RzeroB]

May 24th



This car should not be a stranger to anyone. It is none other than BS27R1B409004, 1 of only 11 1971 HemiCuda convertibles made, 1 of only 2 made for export, and the last HemiCuda convertible ever made. It is finished in GW3 Sno White with a SRX9 black leather interior and a V3X black convertible top. This car is also equipped with the A62 Rally Gauge pkg, C16 Center Console, J41 Pedal Dress Up, P31 Power Windows and a S83 Rim Blow Steering Wheel.

It was originally built for export, and shipped to France (France?). In 2004 it was shipped to the U.S. for a total restoration by Roger Gibson, While at Gibson's shop, mega-collector Bill Wiemann saw it and managed to negotiate buying the car from it's French owner.



Eventually Wiemann downsized / liquidated his collection and the enigmatic "Two Brothers" bought the car and added to their nine other Hemi E-body convertibles (who are those guys?).

Bang it here for a good read that was featured in Hot Rod when Wiemann owned the car  http://www.hotrod.com/cars/featured/113-0507-1971-plymouth-barracuda-hemi/

[Topcat]

MCG did an article on the French Cuda and called it a fake.

So what's the story? Real or Fake?
 
I might even have that issue still if I need to pull it out.

[RzeroB]

May 25th

Good eye Topcat!

The former Wiemann and present Two-Brothers car 409004 is acknowledged as being "the real deal" and last HemiCuda convertible built.

In 2007 a very similar looking 1971 HemiCuda convertible bearing VIN BS27R1B269563 debuted at the Performance World Auto Show in Toronto claiming to be the 3rd of 3 export cars to France, and the 12th overall 1971 HemiCuda convertible.

Here it is at the 2007 Performance World show in Toronto





I couldn't find the MCG article, but here is an interesting read from the now dormant "Cudaworld.com" website (site hasn't been updated in years but somehow the site is still accessible - Chris must of paid years in advance to his site web server??)  http://www.cudaworld.com/71HemiCudaTribute/index.htm

The Cudaworld article makes for a fun read but I for one think that it is a real stretch to buy into. However, if you noticed in the second paragraph, the writer mentions that the Great Carnac of all things E-body, Anlauto, has seen the car himself at the auto show. It does not mention whether or not Anlauto signed off on it's authenticity, but IF Carnac did say that it is in fact "the real deal," well then it must be true!

And since we are on the subject of long-lost HemiCuda convertibles that have recently "surfaced" lets not forget the 1971 HemiCuda convertible that popped up on the Los Angles Craigslist of all places. Seller claimed the car was the long-lost 8th U.S. spec car and 13th overall 1971 HemiCuda convertible. The car was completely disassembled for restoration and the seller wanted $1,000,000 for it. The ad is long gone but I did manage to save this one pic from the ad of what is allegedly the dash VIN tag



To my non-expert eye the VIN tag looks like it could be legit. It looks well "seasoned", font looks right, and no other 1971 HemiCuda convertible has a VIN with the last six digits that start with "24." Was it the "real-deal?" Who knows, but I for one seriously doubt it. 

[anlauto]

Are you referring to me ANLAUTO  ?
If so....YES I was the first to spot the car on the Thursday of that show, because I was there setting up my car on display.

Chris Picco and about a million other people heard about it from me first because I went home and talked about it on Mofarts.com......

I in NO WAY ever talked anything about it's authenticity, or made any claims about the car.

[RzeroB]

May 26th

Well since we are talking about long-lost HemiCuda convertibles, there probably isn't one more mysterious and enigmatic than BS27R0B290994.

290994 was one of three Canadian spec HemiCuda convertibles sold new in 1970 and allegedly it was a Limelight over white automatic car. The two other Canadian spec cars are relatively well known - the Lemon-Twist over tan car being owned by Peter Klutt and the Lemon-Twist over black car being recently acquired from Brett Torino by the Two-Brothers Collection (who are those guys?). All three of the Canadian spec cars were coincidently sold new out of British Columbia with 290994 reportedly being sold new out of Port Alberni.

But what ever happened to 290994? There are some obscure rumors to it having been wrecked and junked. Another rumor has it being over on a Saskatchewan farm with a blown engine. Wherever it is, it apparently hasn't been seen by anyone since the 1970's - it has simply vanished and nobody knows what really happened to it.

Or do they? Anyone want to ad to the rumor mill, or ad a clue to solving the mystery of 290994? 

[RzeroB]

Well I let the last post concerning the long lost HemiCuda 'vert 290994 linger there for a while hoping that maybe we would get a few bites on it but none were forthcoming. Guess we will never know it's true fate as apparently it disappeared too long ago for anyone to remember anything about it.

So on with the show...

In 1970 five of the 18 HemiCuda 'verts were TX9 Black-Velvet with three being "triple-black", one being black over blue, and the other being black over tan. As a tribute to 290994 we will post up another HemiCuda 'vert that had been laying low for a while (at least to me it was) but fortunately is still with us. So without further ado, I present to you, BS27R0B280974, the black over tan car



The car belongs to Cy Behrens and he brought it out for a rare public appearance to the Hemi E-body convertible invitational at the 2015 MCACN show in Chicago. The car is not a restored show queen - it is an original, unrestored driver that shows some wear. It is a four-speed Super-Track-Pack car with a black top, tan leather interior, elastomeric bumpers, power steering, power disc brakes, a standard dash and a center console. 



Cy said he was a bit hesitant to bring the car to the show because his car is original and unrestored and he didn't want it sitting next to a restored show-queen. He credited Dave Blake for persuading him to bring the car out by insisting that Cy's car would be parked right next to Dave's black and blue car which is a bit more "original and unrestored" than Cy's car is.

Coincidently, Dave Blake also had a hand in how Cy acquired his car. According to Cy, in the early '80's he decided he wanted a Hemi E-body 'vert and was checking the Hemmings listings monthly for one. An FE5 '70 HemiCuda 'vert came up and he tried to get it, but Dave Blake was quicker and swooped in and bought it before Cy could. Then in 1983 a TX9 '70 HemiCuda 'vert came up and he tried to get it, but once again, Dave Blake was quicker and had swooped in and had first "dibs" on it. However, after buying four HemiCuda 'verts (the FE5 '70, a FC7 '70, a TX9 (blue interior) '70, and the EV2 '71) in a short span, Dave couldn't close the deal and the seller sold the car to the next guy up which was Cy and he has owned it ever since. Cy is a very personable guy, and I am glad that Dave Blake persuaded him to come on out to the show as I very much enjoyed talking to him and seeing his elusive HemiCuda drop-top up close and personal.

[cudamadd]

Wow  ,That EB 3 ice blue cuda is just beautiful. Thank you 4 the post 

[1 Wild R/T]

Well if we're gonna post fender tags with E74 on them how about this one?

[RzeroB]

Well if we're gonna post fender tags with E74 on them how about this one?

Randy, that is a very unusual looking fender tag that you have presented.   Can't say that I have ever seen one like that as far as the VIN and VON go.   Got a back story on that one?

[1 Wild R/T]

Scott Harms Smith posted it on "another" Mopar site years ago & somehow the thread vanished before I got the story.... It was claimed to be legit but I have no idea...

[RzeroB]

Scott Harms Smith posted it on "another" Mopar site years ago & somehow the thread vanished before I got the story.... It was claimed to be legit but I have no idea...

Scott's a pretty reputable guy so that is interesting indeed ...


Speaking of Sassy-Grass-Green Cuda's, I think one of them will be today's pick ...

But first a little personal side note concerning Sassy-Grass-Green. A loooooong time ago a middle-schooler was riding the bus home from school. Sitting in the back and gazing out the window, the healthy rumble of a muscle car could be heard coming up from behind the bus. The kid looked back and there was a Sassy-Grass-Green with black vinyl top '71 Cuda right behind the bus. It lingered there for a little while, impatiently waiting for an opportunity to pass, and when it was finally clear, it roared on by and quickly disappeared down the road. The kid of course was me. Next to Colleen Moran, that Sassy-Grass-Green Cuda was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen up to that point. I think it was the first E-body that I had ever seen, or at least took notice of, and it instantly hooked me right there.

Anyway, back to today's pick ...



I don't know the VIN of this car, but it is reportedly a very late build car and it belongs (belonged?) to Smith Stokes of Reidsville North Carolina. It is 1 of only 107 made for the U.S. market, and of those 1 of 59 with a 4-speed. It is finished in FJ6 Sassy-Grass-Green with V6X black "billboard" stripes and a H6X9 black vinyl interior.



This pic reminds me of that green Cuda that blasted pass the bus all those years ago. This HemiCuda is coming around the bus and doing so in a hurry thanks to the A34 Super-Track-Pack 4:10 geared Dana Axle Package. It is also equipped with the A21 Elastomeric Front Bumper Package, A62 Rallye Gauge Package, B51 Power Disc Brakes, G11 Tinted Glass, L34 Road Lamps and S77 Power Steering among other things.

For a great read on this car, and what it was like for the author to take it for a test drive, bang it here http://www.hotrod.com/cars/featured/1971-plymouth-hemi-barracuda/

[1 Wild R/T]

I know all to well about sitting on the bus watching muscle cars... I distinctly recall a 68 Charger R/T it was red the a black top & black butt stripe.....  A few weeks later it showed up at my neighbors house, they were changing the oil & I got a chance to take a better look.. First time I'd seen a Hemi.... Awesome then, Awesome today.....

[RzeroB]

Enough of the sentimental journey and back to business ... racing business  

BS23R0B131693 was bought new to be a dedicated race car. After only one year the original owner sold the black fish to Jack Blosser, an avid Mopar racer who raced a Hemi Challenger. When Jack blew up the Challenger's engine in late 1971, he looked no further than the HemiCuda for a replacement engine for the Challenger.



In early 1972 Jack sold the engine-less HemiCuda to William Nolte who planned to restore the car ... someday. Someday never came and after 32 years of sitting untouched in William's garage he finally sold the car in 2004. The new owner, while searching for a date-code-correct engine for the HemiCuda, was informed that Jack's old Challenger, with the HemiCuda's engine still in it, was for sale at a car dealership in Wisconsin! The new owner managed to purchase the Challenger and after 32 years apart, the HemiCuda's original engine was reunited with the HemiCuda it was originally from - how cool is that!