New Member

[70cudaFun]

Hi there,

My name is Sean and I have been a huge Cuda fan for years!  I came across this site and recently made a decision to get serious about my Cuda search. I'm coming here for wisdom from you folks in hopes of some basic questions being answered.  My goal is to obtain a 1970 Cuda but I realized I don't know as much as I thought about the engine options, model options, etc.  I'm looking for a newby area to start researching what I am looking to get into.  I do know that it must be a manual car, non convertible and by no means does it have to be a numbers matching/collector car.  I'm looking for a nice looking Cuda and the goal is to just have fun, not to let it sit in showroom condition.  I'm looking for a finished car or close to finished car which only needs minor work.  I guess I first need to know where I stand and how much a 1970 cuda with a powerful engine goes for.  I have done a fair amount of searching online and the prices I come across are all over the place depending on the car of course.  Looking forward to the knowledge I will gain from this forum.

[70CUDA4SPEED]

Welcome aboard!

[dakota]

Welcome from NY Sean.  Good luck with your search.  I bought a Challenger in good shape planning to do only a few things to it and ended up taking the car entirely apart, so consider yourself warned about that slippery slope.   I can't help you much on prices for a Cuda, but there are certainly folks here than can help evaluate options and guide you with whatever work you decide to do on your car.

[anlauto]

Whether you like it or not....Cudas are not cheap, they are to some degree an investment....You should look for the best one you can afford. The "numbers matching original" cars will always hold their value better then a modified car and they don't all have to be trailer queens, you can drive them too.

If you'd rather have a "resto mod" then by all means look for something already modified, but be warned they will never equal in value to an original car down the road.

[js29no]

Welcome aboard!!!   It took me A while to find my car, and then it took A while to fix the things that the previous owner had done. be patient, they are out there. good luck.  

[turbostang7]

If you aren't worried about numbers matching and a high value later, you can always find a BH (Barracuda) instead of a BS ('Cuda) and make it what you want. It will never be worth what a numbers matching 'Cuda will be worth, but fun to drive!

[Cudakiller70]

Welcome from California, be patient and look at the cars yourself if you can. Pictures do lie. You'll get a feel of what their worth. If you can't go hire someone or maybe  someone here if close by might look at it for you.

[soundcontrol]

Welcome from Sweden, a 70 or 71 Cuda is next on my wishlist also.

[70cudaFun]

Thank you all for the warm reply.  I have always appreciated the idea of a resto mod Cuda but these haven't made financial sense to do unless I were to purchase one from someone who did all the work and is tired of it for some reason (like that would ever happen with these beautiful machines).

I have come across 70 cuda's that were decent but none were ever 4 speed trans.  The manual cars seem to really demand a premium price.

I would love to hear from some members who actually have decided on a clone Cuda and hear their perspective on why they decided on going this route vs a numbers matching original.  Other than the obvious price factor of course.  Although I have seen many clone cuda's demand a 60K + pricetag.

Just to know how on point or far off I would potentially be, does the current market allow 70 clone Cuda's in decent shape with a decent motor setup around the 30k price range or am I way off?  Again, the motor specifics aren't crucial but the manual trans is.

Thanks!

[jimynick]

Welcome to the site from  and don't let the quest for a stick car drive you nuts. There's 4 speed floor humps and pedal sets with full 4 speed conversion kits out there and if the original stick cars are either unavailable or priced too highly, that may be an option for you with a more reasonably priced auto car. Good luck. 

[cudamadd]

Welcome from Keep looking as popular as they are you will find one

[70cudaFun]

Welcome to the site from  and don't let the quest for a stick car drive you nuts. There's 4 speed floor humps and pedal sets with full 4 speed conversion kits out there and if the original stick cars are either unavailable or priced too highly, that may be an option for you with a more reasonably priced auto car. Good luck. 

Good idea jimynick.  I already starting searching for this option on this forum to see if it makes sense.  The prices aren't as bad as I thought it would be.  Thanks for the info.

[ec_co]

another idea to get the best bang for the buck and not breaking the bank would be to consider the '72-'74 years. grill and taillights are the only real differences visually, but the hit on your wallet will be MUCH less. '70 and '71 command the premium prices and '72-'74 relegated to the lower end, even though they look almost exactly the same. there are also plenty of folks that have 'cloned' a '72-'74 into a '70 or '71 (the hardest part being the taillights) for the looks.

[js29no]

another idea to get the best bang for the buck and not breaking the bank would be to consider the '72-'74 years. grill and taillights are the only real differences visually, but the hit on your wallet will be MUCH less. '70 and '71 command the premium prices and '72-'74 relegated to the lower end, even though they look almost exactly the same. there are also plenty of folks that have 'cloned' a '72-'74 into a '70 or '71 (the hardest part being the taillights) for the looks.

    come to think about it, there is A 74 360 4-sreed cuda on A Craigslist ad I think in Grand rappeds For 12.500 that didn't look bad. if I remember right it had A ralley dash.

[70cudaFun]

    come to think about it, there is A 74 360 4-sreed cuda on A Craigslist ad I think in Grand rappeds For 12.500 that didn't look bad. if I remember right it had A ralley dash.

  That got me moving pretty quick to Craigslist.  It's a nice deal but only because it needs work and doesn't seem to have an engine/trans.  Thanks for the lead though!

I actually like the idea of switching the taillights out to look like the 70.  However, after doing a quick search on eBay for 1971-1974 Cuda's & Barracuda's, I didn't see the prices much lower compared to a 1970.  I guess I just have to hunt patiently until I find the right one.

Thanks Guys!