Author Topic: Overhaulin' Your Cuda or Challenger (Read 22565 times)

hotrod98 · « **Reply #75 on:** December 14, 2005 - 10:28:46 AM »

I manage a body shop at a GMC dealership. I have mopar posters and pics all over the walls of my office and surprsingly the owners don't complain.
Most of the guys that have worked for me restore muscle cars in their spare time. I usually have at least one resto here in the shop at all times. Right now I have a matching numbers 67 hemi GTX on the rotisserie. As soon as it's finished, I'll bring my own 69 charger from home and mount it on the rotisserie. I usually restore or restify one car a year for the extra spending dough for my personal projects.
As for Pontiacs, I'll post pics of two of them just this once and we'll see if I get into trouble. The '79 is a matching #'s 403 auto but I have the 403 out and currently have a 400 in it. It has hotchkis suspension, AGR steering gear box and pump, race prepped trans, 2" dropped spindles in the front and 1 1/2" drop springs in the rear. The 2000 t/a is my wife's LS1 6-speed. We converted it to a non t-top car, installed the raptor hood and 17" miglia wheels with Yokohama tires. She laid out the flames and I air brushed them in and clearcoated over them. She usually either drives it or her '05 Daytona ram go-mango pickup. Her main show car is her '73 cuda. The black car in the pic with my '79 is my buddy's '78 formula. He has one badass 455 in it. Makes my 400 seem tame.
I also have a '95 firebird that is going to get my super comp motor out of my dragster and a '76 solid firebird that I might do something with some day. My mopars are by far my favorites though. They get more attention from me.

hotrod98 · « **Reply #76 on:** December 14, 2005 - 10:31:27 AM »

Wrong pic. Here's the one that I meant to post with my buddy's '78 in the background.

Blackcuda · « **Reply #77 on:** December 14, 2005 - 12:06:32 PM »

Man nice T/A's, most people who have never driven a 70's model T/A probably don't know how well they handle and how fun they are to drive. If we had drifting contests back then like we have today, T/A's would be a car of choice.
Sure they didn't have the horsepower of the cars of the muscle car ara, but they had plenty of torque. My 78 400 car in stock form was rated at 220hp, and 320 torque. They would run anywhere from 14.7 to 15.3 in the 1/4, and a cut open hood scoop, a aluminum intake, and a set of headers, would get you into mid to low 13's.
Here's some pics of mine.

hotrod98 · « **Reply #78 on:** December 14, 2005 - 01:32:00 PM »

Very nice. I have a set of those WS6 wheels for mine, but hate to take the 16" formulas off. They really do drive nice. I keep saying that I'm going to sell mine, but every time I drive it I fall in love with it all over again. They drive so much different than cudas. I love driving my cuda as well, but it is definitely a different ride. Doesn't make sense why it's worth about 1/4 as much as my 71 cuda.
You wouldn't believe how many mopar guys also have firebirds. I sold my buddy with the black formula a 71 cuda earlier this year to go with his 71 gran coupe.

Blackcuda · « **Reply #79 on:** December 14, 2005 - 01:52:33 PM »

They are a blast to drive for sure, I think thats why there have been so many used in movies, not just the 3 Smokey and the Bandit films. The latest movie I saw one in was Kill Bill 2. To be honest I do think they will reach the prices of todays 70-71 cudas, it just may take another 5 to 10 years. There are many restored T/A's in the high teens and mid $20,000 mark.
Depending on what engine and apperance package they have. T-top, and four speed cars will bring the most money.

hemi71 · « **Reply #80 on:** December 14, 2005 - 03:17:07 PM »

Not much into "Firechickens" but a friend of mine had a 1970(maybe 71 or 2) 455 Trans AM with a 4 speed. he grenaded the rear, and sold it for $300 in 1977....I was going to buy it, but backed out since i had nowhere to store it at the time.....I'd take on of those cars if one came along for the right number. Much nicer cars than the sister hoard of camaros.

Super Blue 72 · « **Reply #81 on:** December 17, 2005 - 09:25:55 AM »

Nice T/As guys!

Hey, Blackcuda, is that a Special Edition? Were those rims the ones from the factory? Our old '81 had those and I thought those were for '79-81?

As far as T/As in movies, there's a nice red early 70's T/A in the movie Cannonball with David Carridine. (Not to be confused with Cannonball Run with Burt Reynolds) His nemisis is a black '68 Charger. Cool movie.

Blackcuda · « **Reply #82 on:** December 19, 2005 - 11:58:54 AM »

Quote from: Super Blue 72 on December 17, 2005 - 09:25:55 AM

Nice T/As guys!

Hey, Blackcuda, is that a Special Edition?� Were those rims the ones from the factory?� Our old '81 had those and I thought those were for '79-81?

As far as T/As in movies, there's a nice red early 70's T/A in the movie Cannonball with David Carridine.� (Not to be confused with Cannonball Run with Burt Reynolds)� His nemisis is a black '68 Charger.� Cool movie.

No it's not an S/E because it's a none T-top car, but it's fully loaded. 78 was the first year for the 15x8 wheels.

bs549 · « **Reply #83 on:** December 19, 2005 - 08:30:17 PM »

Quote from: NZ440R/T on December 07, 2005 - 06:14:45 PM

Sorry, my answer was a little vague. I meant, if I could tell Chip exactly what I wanted 100% of the way, definitely.
But I would never give someone my Challenger and say, "do your best"�

That's the only way you will get a car that your love is if you are the boss 100% of the way.�
If I didn't like something, I would let them know and to make sure I was happy even if it takes 3 times as long.....

I wouldn't complain if someone gave me the Foose Challenger, not at all, but not with my car. I would sell the Chip Challenger for $$$.

The 'beater' episode the other day was where the owner was not tricked at all.....he had input to Chip directly before the car was overhauled. He even asked for a 572 for his car, and they delivered.

hotrod98 · « **Reply #84 on:** December 21, 2005 - 11:16:27 AM »

I'm the guy that usually defends Foose, but that paint job was a little too off the wall even for me. Would still drive the hell out of it though.
I had a 70 Z28 that I was going to put an LS1 in a couple of years ago, but sold it to a friend. Should have kept it and finished it. At least I could have driven it without having to worry about someone running a stop sign and destroying the $3000 grille in my 71 cuda.

71 shaker · « **Reply #85 on:** December 22, 2005 - 06:03:35 PM »

my wife looked at me while the show was on and I told her"if someone did that to my challenger she would have to visit me in the big house".while this maybe ok for some,everyone is entitled to ther own opinion,this is AMERICA,I WOULD RATHER KEEP MINE ALL MOTHER MOPAR,WITH FACTORY TYPE OPTIONS,EVEN IF THE CAR DIDNT COME WITH THOSE ON THE CAR FROM THE FACTORY.i think chrysler was set apart from the crowd on what you could get on your car from the factory.if your gonna be a bear......be a GRIZZLY!

hotrod98 · « **Reply #86 on:** December 22, 2005 - 06:35:25 PM »

Quote from: 71 shaker on December 22, 2005 - 06:03:35 PM

my wife looked at me while the show was on and I told her"if someone did that to my challenger she would have to visit me in the big house".while this maybe ok for some,everyone is entitled to ther own opinion,this is AMERICA,I WOULD RATHER KEEP MINE ALL MOTHER MOPAR,WITH FACTORY TYPE OPTIONS,EVEN IF THE CAR DIDNT COME WITH THOSE ON THE CAR FROM THE FACTORY.i think chrysler was set apart from the crowd on what you could get on your car from the factory.if your gonna be a bear......be a GRIZZLY!

I'm guessing that the first thing you did after taking that pic in 87 was taking off those god awful looking wheels, seeing as how Challengers didn't come with wheels like that.
Let's see a pic of how it looks now.

mrcuda · « **Reply #87 on:** December 23, 2005 - 10:11:45 PM »

Maybe I'm missing something here. But most guys with more than one old Mopar either don't have the time or money to complete all of the projects. So unless you have a really rare car, what's the big deal?� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � `

hotrod98 · « **Reply #88 on:** December 23, 2005 - 11:08:26 PM »

Quote from: DY3CUDA on December 23, 2005 - 10:11:45 PM

Maybe I'm missing something here. But most guys with more than one old Mopar either don't have the time or money to complete all of the projects. So unless you have a really rare car, what's the big deal? `

So, if I understand you correctly...you feel that the only mopar worth having is a really rare car. You don't sound like a true mopar guy to me.

Myself, I just love owning mopars, rare or not. Except for my wife's superbird clone and finishing the paint on my 69 R/T SE triple black charger, my cars are all finished. Some people collect die cast cars...I collect the real thing. I restore cars year round for other people and manage to find time to restore one for me every once in a while. At least all of my cars are tagged, insured, kept in secure dry storage and driven at least once a month. They're certainly not sitting out in the driveway in the snow and the rain slowly rotting away like some cars that I know of. I even keep my trans ams inside.

Ghost · « **Reply #89 on:** December 23, 2005 - 11:18:00 PM »

Quote from: hotrod98 on December 23, 2005 - 11:08:26 PM

So, if I understand you correctly...you feel that the only mopar worth having is a really rare car. You don't sound like a true mopar guy to me.

Actually, what I got from it is, whats the big deal about having it overhauled, unless it's a rare car.

See my previous post about wanting it done MY way for the answer.

Author Topic: Overhaulin' Your Cuda or Challenger (Read 22565 times)

hotrod98

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hotrod98

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Blackcuda

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hotrod98

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Blackcuda

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hemi71

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Super Blue 72

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Blackcuda

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bs549

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hotrod98

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71 shaker

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hotrod98

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mrcuda

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hotrod98

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Ghost

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