How do you guys feel about clones?

[EB3-GranCoupe]

Joe Mannix drove a Dart GT convertible in seasons 2 (1968)  and 3 (1969) , and a 'cuda 383 convertible in seasons 4 (1970) ,5 (1971) & 6 (1972) there were all green.  season 7 (1973) saw him in a challenger.  unfortunately, he had to switch a a manufacturer that shall not be named in the final season 8.

for a good laugh check out this clip, where joe drives his clients '68 satellite convertible, while be chased by the bad guys in a '68 barracuda 'vert...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbqCkDYKHnIhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbqCkDYKHnI

[EB3-GranCoupe]

I found a clip where Joe come driving in, in his '70 'cuda at about 19:20

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=-qtiml8ycZA

[candyman]

I have recently purchased a 70 cuda project. The body is in great shape and was originally a 6 cylinder car.  I am going to marry it up with an original hemi engine that I own.  Does someone manufacture reproduction hemi shaker assemblies?  Thanks.

[Chryco Psycho]

Yes there are 2-3 manufacturers of them
Gene Gregory , Ben Snobar have complete conversions available , expect to pay 5k for one .

[joelson6]

i came into this post late, so i didn't read all 10 pages.


my feeling is, where the hell did the term "clone" spring up from. I've never been a rich person to afford the top dollar cars and
I've never had a deal of a lifetime fall into my lap. with that said, for years I've been buying 318 cars and installing big blocks
into them. because that's that I want. I've never passed the cars off as something they weren't. they were my cars. so i guess
the term "clone" is used for the people who don't want to technically lie to others about what their car actually isn't. a spade is
a spade call it for what it actually is. the worst offenders of this practice is the Camaro owners. my wife is the proud owner of
a REAL '70 Z28 Camaro. i can't begin to tell you how many Camaros I've seen with Z28 badges on them that weren't Z28 cars.
truthfully, i like the sleeper look, no badges, no engine designation, guess what's under my hood 

[Twisted73]

Well I have a 73 Cuda that I have put the 71 billboard on and put 71 bumper guards on. Not really a clone but I have had people ask me if it was a "fin" delete 71 before. The grill is still the 73 grill which is a dead giveaway. Regardless, I built the car to look like what I wanted and it turned out great. I drive the tar out of it and even though I would freak if something happened to it, I certainly and not afraid to drive it like it is meant to be driven.

[RzeroB]

I realize that this thread has been idle for a while, but I'm new to the board and wanted to put my .02 cents worth in on the subject so I'm reviving it.

In the summer of '85 there was a good sized Mopar car show and swap meet at the Shelby facillity (he was with Dodge then) in Santa Fe Springs CA (Los Angles area). I left my '70 HemiCuda at home and went there with the truck as I had a lot of parts I wanted to deal at the swap meet. While there a gleaming Rallye Red '71 HemiCuda convertible with black top, black interior, black billboards and a Coca-cola front license plate (don't know why I recall the plate?) came rumbling in as part of the show. I was in awe as I had never seen one of the "holy grail" '71 HemiCuda convertibles in person before. Once he got settled in I sauntered over there to check it out. As I'm admiring his car and gushing about how awesome it was to finally see one of the real '71 HemiCuda convertibles in person he chuckles and tells me that it isn' t a "real" one. "Excuse me?" I say. He then tells me that it is a "clone" (or something to that effect) and that he built it into a HemiCuda from a lesser convertible (383 I think?). "Oh? So it's a fake?" I say with a hint of distain in my voice and then went back to my parts display.

It was an absolutely beautiful car in every detail. However, because it wasn't "real" I acted like a snob and snub him. What a jackass I was! I was a "purist" back then and believed that Mopars were what they left the factory as and nothing more. Modify them all you want but you couldn't turn a 318 Challenger into a 340 RT or a 383 Cuda convertible into a HemiCuda convertible. In the mid-80's there were still a lot of original cars around and they didn't cost a second mortgage to buy. If you wanted a particular car you sought it out and bought it - you didn't "build" it. "Clones", "tributes", "recreations" or whatever you want to refer to them as, were relatively new at the time, and I think that '71 HemiCuda convertible was the first one I ran into.

Things are different now. Through attrition the original cars have become scarce and the rule of supply and demand makes it so that they cost a bundle when you find one. And then there is the historical significance of some of these cars - they're just too rare and valuable to make into anything other than museum pieces. Enter the "clone". If you didn't get it back when it was affordable, or if you are not wealthy enough to get it now all you have to do is "clone" it. It took them a while but the aftermarket body parts business has finally caught up with those for the Mustang and Camaro where you can now get whatever you need to make whatever you want.

I agree with many of the inputs on this thread. "Cloning" is good for the hobby for there just were not enough of the original cars made for everyone to have what they would really like. "Cloning" is good for the aftermarket parts business - demand drives the business and if nobody was cloning most of these parts simply wouldn't be available. "Cloning" is good for me. I had an original HemiCuda for four great years back in the '80's but I had to let it go. I simply could not afford to buy one now. However, if I really wanted one, I could probably stretch for a nice "clone" of one.

Lastly I just wanted to say that I might have been an anti-clone jackass back in the '80's but I'm all on board now. And if you happen to be that guy who had that beautiful '71 HemiCuda convertible "clone" at the Shelby meet in '85 I apologize for my rudeness and commend you for being a "cloning" pioneer.

[Topcat]

I realize that this thread has been idle for a while, but I'm new to the board and wanted to put my .02 cents worth in on the subject so I'm reviving it.

In the summer of '85 there was a good sized Mopar car show and swap meet at the Shelby facillity (he was with Dodge then) in Santa Fe Springs CA (Los Angles area). I left my '70 HemiCuda at home and went there with the truck as I had a lot of parts I wanted to deal at the swap meet. While there a gleaming Rallye Red '71 HemiCuda convertible with black top, black interior, black billboards and a Coca-cola front license plate (don't know why I recall the plate?) came rumbling in as part of the show. I was in awe as I had never seen one of the "holy grail" '71 HemiCuda convertibles in person before. Once he got settled in I sauntered over there to check it out. As I'm admiring his car and gushing about how awesome it was to finally see one of the real '71 HemiCuda convertibles in person he chuckles and tells me that it isn' t a "real" one. "Excuse me?" I say. He then tells me that it is a "clone" (or something to that effect) and that he built it into a HemiCuda from a lesser convertible (383 I think?). "Oh? So it's a fake?" I say with a hint of distain in my voice and then went back to my parts display.

It was an absolutely beautiful car in every detail. However, because it wasn't "real" I acted like a snob and snub him. What a jackass I was! I was a "purist" back then and believed that Mopars were what they left the factory as and nothing more. Modify them all you want but you couldn't turn a 318 Challenger into a 340 RT or a 383 Cuda convertible into a HemiCuda convertible. In the mid-80's there were still a lot of original cars around and they didn't cost a second mortgage to buy. If you wanted a particular car you sought it out and bought it - you didn't "build" it. "Clones", "tributes", "recreations" or whatever you want to refer to them as, were relatively new at the time, and I think that '71 HemiCuda convertible was the first one I ran into.

Things are different now. Through attrition the original cars have become scarce and the rule of supply and demand makes it so that they cost a bundle when you find one. And then there is the historical significance of some of these cars - they're just too rare and valuable to make into anything other than museum pieces. Enter the "clone". If you didn't get it back when it was affordable, or if you are not wealthy enough to get it now all you have to do is "clone" it. It took them a while but the aftermarket body parts business has finally caught up with those for the Mustang and Camaro where you can now get whatever you need to make whatever you want.

I agree with many of the inputs on this thread. "Cloning" is good for the hobby for there just were not enough of the original cars made for everyone to have what they would really like. "Cloning" is good for the aftermarket parts business - demand drives the business and if nobody was cloning most of these parts simply wouldn't be available. "Cloning" is good for me. I had an original HemiCuda for four great years back in the '80's but I had to let it go. I simply could not afford to buy one now. However, if I really wanted one, I could probably stretch for a nice "clone" of one.

Lastly I just wanted to say that I might have been an anti-clone jackass back in the '80's but I'm all on board now. And if you happen to be that guy who had that beautiful '71 HemiCuda convertible "clone" at the Shelby meet in '85 I apologize for my rudeness and commend you for being a "cloning" pioneer.

I was there at the Shelby test facility car show I think around that time.

I do recall Coca Cola license plate frame. I was in awe too as it was my first Hemi Cuda I had ever seen in person.

[RzeroB]

I was there at the Shelby test facility car show I think around that time.

I do recall Coca Cola license plate frame. I was in awe too as it was my first Hemi Cuda I had ever seen in person.

You were there? That's totally cool!

That "clone" '71 HemiCuda convertible was exceptionally nice wasn't it? WTH is it about that Coca Cola license plate that made it memorable? I can't remember the guys name but I remember his license plate. I would think that I would remember other details about the car other than that stupid license plate.

Man that was a long time ago. I was starting to think that everything that I was referencing pre-dated practically everyone else on this board! Thanks for the reply. I hope to make more connections as I go along.

[Topcat]

You were there? That's totally cool!

That "clone" '71 HemiCuda convertible was exceptionally nice wasn't it? WTH is it about that Coca Cola license plate that made it memorable? I can't remember the guys name but I remember his license plate. I would think that I would remember other details about the car other than that stupid license plate.

Man that was a long time ago. I was starting to think that everything that I was referencing pre-dated practically everyone else on this board! Thanks for the reply. I hope to make more connections as I go along.

I remember that trip really well.
There was about 5-10 Mopars up here in N. Cal that all of us convoyed to the show.
Good days back then.

[1 Wild R/T]

And the Red 71 Hemi Cuda Vert Clone was built by Randy Gerstenberg who owned Cuda Country

[ToxicWolf]

That is a beautiful car.   

[RzeroB]

And the Red 71 Hemi Cuda Vert Clone was built by Randy Gerstenberg who owned Cuda Country

Looks like a vintage '80's pic and to me it looks like the Lake Tahoe meet. In the '80's they held a late summer Mopar meet just outside of Lake Tahoe. I forget what they called it ... Mopars in the mountains? Something like that.

[1 Wild R/T]

Looks like a vintage '80's pic and to me it looks like the Lake Tahoe meet. In the '80's they held a late summer Mopar meet just outside of Lake Tahoe. I forget what they called it ... Mopars in the mountains? Something like that.

Power In The Pines...  Held at Kirkwood Ski Resort....  I was at all three of the shows 85, 86 & 87, Awesome location for a car show... Wish it had continued...
Amongst all the other cool stuff the swap meet was amazing.. First time I saw a Sixpack manifold,carbs & air cleaner sell for big money.. $500... I'd bought three prior to that & never paid more than $100....

[RzeroB]

Power In The Pines...  Held at Kirkwood Ski Resort....  I was at all three of the shows 85, 86 & 87, Awesome location for a car show... Wish it had continued...
Amongst all the other cool stuff the swap meet was amazing.. First time I saw a Sixpack manifold,carbs & air cleaner sell for big money.. $500... I'd bought three prior to that & never paid more than $100....

That's it! "Power in the pines".

It only ran for three years? I was there in '85 and '86 but I didn't make the '87 meet as I moved out of California for Florida in the spring of '87. I just assumed it continued on for years and years.

The swap meet was great too. Sold off a lot of stuff there. I had a pair of E-body convertible rear interior side panels (white) that I sold for like $50 or $60 for the pair and I thought that I made a killing!!

Was also the place that I saw my first 'Cuda with a bench seat and column shift automatic. Up until then I didn't know you could get a Cuda with a bench seat. Oh and get this, of all things it was a '71 HemiCuda and it was black with white billboards.