smoothe rear valance?

[miketyler]

I had to pull my rear valance to install my spring relo kit and was thinking how cool it would be to have a smoothe lower valance with no bumper bullets and frenched in exaust cutouts with rolled edge exhaust tips. Any of you ventured down the custom path for your rear valance?  Would be great if they were available in the aftermarket

[Confederate Cuda]

Mine will be smoothed. I don't have any pictures of it now but it has been cut and the new metal has been shaped and tacked in, looks 100% better in my opinion. This is one of the things that I have never cared for on our cars. I will try to get a picture soon and will post it.

Mark

[miketyler]

Cool- would love to see pics. Are you doing anything with the exhaust tips/cutouts? I think it would look slick frenched into the rear valance like is done on the sides of the G-Machine

[Confederate Cuda]

I am going to leave the cutout's stock but I agree that it would look cool to have them frenched. My theory on my build was to change the things that I did not like about the orginal car but leave the things I do like and still have it look like a Cuda. Johnsons car for example, is great and I would love to own it but I really don't consider it a Cuda as probably less than 10% of the car is made by Mopar. I have made several other modifications to my car though, such as french my sidemarkers (I have a 73), install modern electric seats, put in rear sholder seatbelts, change the supension, 6.4 EFI Hemi and I will run 18" wheels to mention a few. If you decide to french the cutouts, please post a picture as I would love to see it.

[426HEMI]

I don't know I would have to see them.  I will make some changes on mine as well but the body will stay mostly like it was when it came from the factory.  I just dont think you can improve on perfection I guess you could say I am a purist but each to his own on that.  I know what I like and you know what you like.  That is why they made different body styles anyway.  Just my thoughts.

[miketyler]

Frenching the tips would be secondary for me; the thing I would like most is to remove the two rear bumper bullets and the valance bulges/cutouts for them. Not a redesign of the rear but more a "simplification". Yes, Bobs car is obscene isn't it? Very imaginative to come up with a design like that.   

I don't know if I would ever get serious enough to try this, as to go all the way would mean to fill all the holes in the bumper, then and paint or rechrome it. I am unsure what mods would have to be done to provide clearance to flatten/smooth the valance below the bumper line but evidently others have done it.

Will post pics if I endeavor down that path. I think if I had a junk valance panel with no cutouts I'd be inclined to see what I could do with it. 

[miketyler]

After looking at the layout, it would require moving the rear shackles forward. Could be done with shorter springs or an alternative suspension system but thats gonna be a deal breaker for me. 

[GoodysGotaCuda]

Here is Dad's

[AZDAN]

I think if you use sliders instead of shackles it would be easy to do.

[miketyler]

Here is Dad's

Yeah, that chally looks clean out back. The bumper is larger than the Cuda but that's the look I would like to have.

I think if you use sliders instead of shackles it would be easy to do.

sliders? Got any pics?

[miketyler]

I found em, yeah they might actually but the spring would probably need to be shorter still.

[HP2]

For what you want to do, i doubt sliders would provide enough clearance. Cudas are just too tight in back.

What you might consider is have a special main leaf made that is short enough to provide the room you want. You could have a spring shop make you a new one, or send in your old ones and have new eyes rolled into the ends. Add a shackle hanger in the coresponding spot to provide the rear anchor, and you have the room to smooth the valance.

Simply swapping in A body springs won't work because their shortness comes out of the front segment. Rou need to reduce the rear segment. But, Let me look through my chassis book this weekend and see what other spring options may be out there.

[ViperMan]

THAT is GORGEOUS...

Jeff

[miketyler]

For what you want to do, I doubt sliders would provide enough clearance. Cudas are just too tight in back.

What you might consider is have a special main leaf made that is short enough to provide the room you want. You could have a spring shop make you a new one, or send in your old ones and have new eyes rolled into the ends. Add a shackle hanger in the coresponding spot to provide the rear anchor, and you have the room to smooth the valance.

Simply swapping in A body springs won't work because their shortness comes out of the front segment. You need to reduce the rear segment. But, Let me look through my chassis book this weekend and see what other spring options may be out there.

Thanks for the response, I understand what you are saying about only changing the rear segment of the spring. Would be great if there was a shorter spring that would work. So cutting and welding springs isnt an accepted practice eh? 

[HP2]

NO!!!, you don't want to weld on your springs. Now you could cut the old out and roll a new eye, which is, in an essence, what the shorter main leaf needs to accomplish. The reason why I say replace the main leaf is to keep costs down, then you can transfer the balance of you pack to the new main leaf. You always could just spec out a new spring pack.