74 Cuda 360 4-speed, #'s matching, 410 stroker resto

[tinfish360]

This all started back in 1999. Was restoring a 68 charger and ran into a guy that wanted to trade a 73 cuda, 69 roadrunner and a 80 chev shortbed 4x4 for the charger. Made the trade. Commented on needing some parts and he said I know where there is a 68 Charger R/T and a 74 Cuda for sale. Went and looked at them and bought them both for $2200. Well I fixed the 4x4 and sold it for a good profit a few weeks later. Decided to move out of state and had 11 cars to move. Moved all of them except 2 and sold those locally. One which was the roadrunner. I did drive the 74 Cuda at the shop once and it had some power to it. Started working on the 74 cuda after the move, pulled out the engine and decided to check numbers. I originally bought this as a parts car so numbers didn't matter at that time. I was very suprised to see that it still had the original engine and trans. It had headers, holley double pumper, 340x heads, cool fuel can, aluminum intake, sure grip and traction bars. #'s matching was the last thing I expected. I knew it was going to take alot more $$$ to fix so I restored the 73 Cuda instead. It too was a numbers matching car with an auto on the column. Originally red but painted black with a '71 nose and most of the a/c missing. Put it all back to original except for the paint and ebay'd it in 2000.
I have been collecting parts for the 74 since then and have most everything for it. So 4 days ago I decided it was finally time.

As I bought it.




Pulled the engine and trans.


Pulled the heads and found this along with a flat cam on one cylinder.


Restored the trans back in 2000.


Stripped it, cut the quarters off and this is how it has sat until last year.


Put it on the rotisserie in 2007 and started to blast it and then ran out of steam so it sat until now.


So now it is in the garage and I am removing  the floors along with the trunk and getting it ready to blast again.








Originally Tahitian Gold and will be repainted the same in single stage.


The machine work is finished and I have started to assemble it.






Double stamped block.

[NoMope Greg]

Looks like you're making good progress there; we'll be watching.   

[hezzel]

  I will follow

[lazerboat]

is this car located in fox lake . i think i spotted it next to the garage 

[tinfish360]

Looks like you're making good progress there; we'll be watching.   

Cool. Thanks.

is this car located in fox lake . i think i spotted it next to the garage 

Nope. I live near Seattle.

Here's a few pics of the 73 that I did in 2000. Took about 3 months.








About the 68 charger that I traded for the 3 vehicles. He kept it for about 3 years and sold it to a guy in California. Had it shipped on a car transporter. Well about 2 hours from its destination, I think around Stockton, Ca the chains came loose and it fell off of the transporter landing on its roof totaling the car. The guy had hooked the chains in the holes in the frame and they eventually ripped out.

[tinfish360]

Finally got the whole car stripped. Decided to take it and have it blasted. Didn't feel like messin' with it. Had them bead blast the roof. It came back with a few more holes to fix . While it was gone I blasted the k-frame and the dash shell and powder coated them today. They are still sitting in the oven. I'll get them out tomorrow and post pics. Planning on powder coating the leaf spings and a few other parts tomorrow.

[The Cuda Guy]

That is going to be one sweet ride when its done!  Cant beat a black ebody.

Don

[tinfish360]

Changed my mind on doing the springs today and decided to clean up the shop so that I could have some more room to work. I did get the parts out of the oven. Decided to put the dash pad on the frame. Slipped a few other things in to make sure that they fit. Sooooooooooooo much more to do.

[70shaker6pk]

That will be a very nice car when you finish, It's great to see where a person starts on a project and the progress through the resto,, can't wait to see it done!!  Thanks

[tinfish360]

Thanks guys. I'll do my best to keep it documented. Got some blasting done today and am going to try and get as much powder coated as I possibly can before the weather turns nasty on friday.

The beast.




These two were out watching me work. Now you can see why my lawn is all tore up. They think it is their race track.

[tinfish360]

I managed to beat the weather and get everything powder coated. It is now 29 degrees with 3" of snow on the ground.
So now I have to work on the body. Started to fit some of the panels and the fit wasn't too bad. In fact the outerwheel house fit the full quarter perfectly on a trial fit. I'll post some pics when I get more accomplished.

Filled the oven full.




Before and after. Check out the bushing.

[71bigblock]

Dang, great stuff.  I can only dream about having equipment like that.   

 

[tinfish360]

Thanks. It is not very expensive to build your own oven. I have powder coated with a household oven (don't ever do this in your house) for years, but was tired of the 16"x16" limitation. So I finally built my own. Total cost $600. Measures 5.5' x 5.5' x 3'. Digital controlled, 4 3500 watt elements, interior fan(for air circulation to eliminate hot spots, 1000 degree rock wool insulation and a solid state relay to keep the oven at exactly the temp you set it at. It will go over 700 degrees so that ceramic coating is not a problem. A commercial built oven this size would cost $12K and work the same. I recently powder coated my rallye wheels. They actually make a powder in rallye wheel silver. Here's some pics of other parts I have done. I do all of this at my home as a hobby.

[Kapteenikosmos]

Impressive! 

[tinfish360]

Impressive! 

Thank you.

Been working when I can. It is just too cold. 10-20 degrees and the heater runs non stop. But that should change by next weekend.
It appears that the tailpanel has been changed sometime in its life. Brazed at the top and pop riveted in at the bottom. Who knows? To me it just isn't worth fixing when I can get a new one. Also will be changing the trunk gutters since they are so thin and beat to death. Welding in a lot of small 1"-3" patch panels. The good news is that all of the window channels are intact along with the firewall. Ordered some new powder coat and will be doing the pedals soon. Also have some eastwood lead free solder coming so I am going to try that soon. Got both of the outer wheel houses welded in. Progress.







Gotta love those quality mopar welds. 



Here's a vid I made for those who have never seen this done. What looks like ordinary metal just melts away.