Brad' second '70 Cuda and first (and last) restoration project

[e-tek]

GREAT story - thanks for sharing it!
How much did you pay for this - if you don't mind me asking?
Good luck and have fun - wish I was retired!!!!!

[usraptr]

Not at all.  It was $18K as is.  It was a little more than I wanted to pay but a lot of people were looking at it and the owner was starting to have second thoughts about selling it, so I just gave him his asking price. I figure when it's done it will be worth over $50K with matching numbers, not that I'm ever going to sell it.  I'll let my boys fight over it when I gone.

[ksierens]

Welcome! Man that looks like one sweet find, I am looking forward to watching the progress!

[wagesofsin]

Not at all.  It was $18K as is.  It was a little more than I wanted to pay but a lot of people were looking at it and the owner was starting to have second thoughts about selling it, so I just gave him his asking price. I figure when it's done it will be worth over $50K with matching numbers, not that I'm ever going to sell it.  I'll let my boys fight over it when I gone.

well said.

thats how i feel about my 'cuda.

lettem hash it out after im gone.

looks like you have a good  foundation for a fine car there. keep us posted please,
john

[usraptr]

Okay,
Ron (best friend and paint and body man) came over last night and removed the front and rear window moldings and windows.     I took out the K frame so the front suspension is now out and were ready for media blasting.  My son's off work tomorrow so were going to go over and dig another friends trailer out of the snow (advantage of living in Utah) bring it home and hopefully the two of us can load the shell onto the trailer with all the other misc parts, fenders, doors, hood, rear end, etc that need to be media blasting.  Then I'll haul it to the shop on Tuesday or Wed.  Supposed to snow on Tuesday and would rather not be out towing my baby in the middle of a snow storm.     Here's some updated pics of the cars current conditon.  BTW, as of now the torsion bars are still in the car.  Ron says it's no big deal to media blast with them in.  I see the clips in the frame.  How hard is it to take them out and which way do they go. Pull out towards the front or push out towards the rear?

[NoMope Greg]

Pull the clips out of the crossmember and pull the bars out from the rear. 

[usraptr]

Thanks Greg,  I'll give it a try tomorrow.

[ambitions2]

Just making a suggestion...you want to have everything apart and ready to go.  I would pull the bars from the from the K Frame also along with the torsion bars like Greg said and everything else in between.  In regards to you two loading up the shell, you'll be fine, I did it with my buddy and we had no problem at all.  What type of media is the blaster using?

Good luck and keep the pictures coming.   

[usraptr]

Thanks for the suggestions.  It looks like the snow is coming early so I'll have a couple of days to disaseemble the k frame and get the torsion bars out.  Ron told me what the media is but quite frankly it went in one ear and out the other.  Its a mixture of stuff,  I know it's not sand.

[usraptr]

Okay we caught a break in the snow storm and loaded her up and delivered her to the body shop for media blasting.  Took the fenders, hood, doors, etc in a second trip.  Hopefully it will blasted and primered by the middle of next week. 

[70shaker6pk]

Great!  Looks like you won't need to do much metal work...... Please post some pic's of it when you get it back from media.  thanks

[usraptr]

Stopped by the body shop today to check on their progress.  All the suspension parts are blasted and primered.  The car shell is 1/2 done.  They still have to do the rear quarters, underneath, doors, hood, front fenders and trunk lid.  They're going to use some paint stripper on these parts first to limit how much they have to blast them so they don't get heated and warp.  I like the idea since it's going to be a black car and I want it as straight as possible.  I attached some photos of how she looks now.  Hopefully, I'll get her home the end of next week or so.  I'm bored without her to work on and I miss her.        BTW, thinking out loud here.  Considering the car is an original numbes matching car, I have a bit of a dilemma.    The came with the original exhaust manifolds and a set of headers.  The headers are a little rusty, but otherwise in good shape.  Again, the car will be a driver, not a trailer queen.  I want to leave it as stock as possible with the following exceptions: after market, Year One Magnaflow exhaust sytem, a nice loppy cam and possibly using the headers.  Considering I'm already changing the color to black, (original color is yellow), as long as I keep the original cam and exhaust manifolds, am I hurting the value of an original numbers matching car by making these changes?  Like I said, It's a long way off yet, but just thinking out loud.  Your opinions are welcome and valued.     Thanks in advance.

[farmertan]

put those parts on a shelf and make the car what you want, wow looks really solid after blasting i dont see the usual rust holes where there any suprises?

[wagesofsin]

just keep all the original parts, that way they can put the car back,
no harm, no foul.

 and im sure you were gonna die with this one right?
so just paint it what you like, dont lose any parts, and have fun.

 

[usraptr]

Thanks for the feedback.  I'm reall leaning that way but that part is a long way off.  To answer your question, no surprises as a result of the media blasting.  Will have to replace the trunk pan and extensions, and lower quarters on both sides and the cowl under the rear window, but we knew that going in.  Otherwise, everything is really in good shape.