First drive after 2.5 years 71 Cuda

[n9671x2]

This picture is of a car I bought 2.5 years ago.  It is a real tx9/white billboard 340 car.  Car has an awesome body and new paint when I got it, but mechanically it was awful.  Had a non numbers 340/727 which barely ran, brakes hardly worked, vibrated like heck etc..  Car looked very cool, but I knew I could never really enjoy it like that.  Other than paint/billboard, car was very low optioned, std dash, drum brakes, manual steering etc..

After 2.5 years of messing with it, I finally drove it for the first time yesterday 

[n9671x2]

It was kind of a strange project as EVERYTHING was redone on the car outside of the exterior paint.  Car was pulled apart, we reshot the trunk, underhood and bottom of car.  Added a vinyl top and OEM rear louvers.

[n9671x2]

Everything mechanical was redone/replaced.  Added a b body 410 Dana as they are a little narrower and allow bigger tires.  Added power steering and disc brakes.

[n9671x2]

Drivetrain is a little different.  The motor is a 97 360 truck block that was built by a guy who went onto work at Roush racing in their motor department, so he must know what he is doing!  Nothing exotic, but he did alot of cleaning up on heads and intake, with a relatively mild cam it dynoed at 460 horse.  Keisler 5 speed behind it.

[n9671x2]

Some TIGHT clearances with the TTI headers/Milodan pan because of the Keisler.  I was not aware of this, but the 5 speed requires the motor/tranny to tilt back alot for tranny to clear tunnel.  I had to take a little off of centerlink to clear pan, headers are about a playing card width off of oil pan.  The header that wraps around the drivers torsion bar is CLOSE.  I don't have solid mounts at this point, don't know yet if I will have to or not.  Notice how headers are point down, exhaust has to curve back up after the headers because of motor/tranny angle.

[n9671x2]

drivers side

[n9671x2]

295 50s fit perfect on 8" rallys in the tubs because of the narrower b body dana

[n9671x2]

Passenger side

[Cannibal94]

That is one sweet ride!!  I love that black!  Are you thinking about putting the billboards back on it?  The motor looks really good too.  Do you have any interior pics?? 

[n9671x2]

front end

[n9671x2]

Added correct rallye dash, leather interior and rimblow.  Have to say I am glad I started the ball rolling on this 2.5 years ago.  It would be HARD to find this nice of body to start the project with anymore, let alone the price if you could find one.  I have not added up what I have into it, sure it is alot, however, probably not as much as you might think.  Looked for bargains all along during project, the 5 speed was used/half price etc..  Traded for parts I needed when possible.  First drive went good, do have some electrical issues which I kinda expected.  Get those ironed out and start using this thing finally 

[Steve]

WOW!!!

Great Work!

 

[Rev-It-Up]

Congrtulations!  Man, I'd be in heaven driving around in a 71 triple black cuda!!  Life doesn't get much better than that!  So, how's she running now?

[n9671x2]

That is one sweet ride!!  I love that black!  Are you thinking about putting the billboards back on it?  The motor looks really good too.  Do you have any interior pics?? 

Appreciate the compliment!  I have not decided for sure on the billboard yet.  Part of me says it looks good like this, part says a black billboard would look stealth, however, even though the car is far from "correct" anymore, a factory white billboard black Cuda has to be very rare and it should probably go on??  Maybe I need to do a poll!!

[Blown70]

WOW THAT IS NICE