Howdy guys. I have been a lurker for the last couple of months, reading and admiring your guys' rides and figured what the heck, may as well join the crowd
. My name is Mike, I am from Morgan Hill, CA and have a 1970 Cuda. Here is a little history:
My dad is a huge MOPAR guy and I was raised by 2 phrases (Mopar or no car and No replacement for displacement lol). He has a '69 Dart that is pretty wicked, but this isn't the place for that.. When my sisters got their licenses back about 14 and 16 years ago my parents bought them both Cudas. My "younger" sister had a '72 340 4 speed Barracuda and my "older" (by 2 years to the younger) bought a '70 383 3 speed Cuda. Talk about awesome first cars
. They had them all throughout high school and until a few years into college. Gas was too expensive ($2 a gallon or something. HA!) so the '72 we sold. We hung onto the '70, which was half way through another restoration.
Long story short, my older sister was going to get married, and she thought it would be cool to have it in the wedding. I spent quite a few hours that summer helping a family friend finish the restoration. While my parents obviously own the car, it in a way has become my first car and I couldn't be any happier or more thankful. It is an absolute blast to drive and it is amazing to own a piece of history like an older car. Just about every weekend (if I drive it often that week) it gets the whole nine yards detailing... Wash, wax, make sure the chrome is polished, condition the vinyl, etc. I am 20, almost a junior in college and a true mopar nut. My dad makes the joke that I have the mopar sickness; there really is no sweeter smell than old car exhaust and feeling the rumble of the car while you sit at a red light waiting for it to turn green.
On to the car... Like I said, 1970 383 3 Speed 'Cuda. It has never left California and afaik I THINK our family is the 3rd or 4th owners. We purchased it from a guy in San Jose, roughly around 1997. At the time he had a blower on the motor and was doing street races with it. It used to be black with red interior, but during the restoration we repainted it red (its the dodge durango red) and changed the interior to black. Its numbers matching, and any of the parts that we have replaced we have kept the original parts in case we ever want to switch it back to factory stock. It currently has a 3.23 non sure grip rear end and I am trying to track down an affordable 3.55 sure grip (at this point, I am not willing nor able to afford a brand new 3.55 rear end, but that would be ideal). It has 42k original miles on it, 40 series Flowmasters, headers (not sure on brand, those were changed years ago), new carb (again, not sure on brand), and cam. The engine is a little lower compression since the guy had a blower on it, but it still runs pretty strong - it is plenty to blow the doors off the guys that pull up in their girly mustangs and want to race
As it sits now I still need to put in the glovebox and door, find a key for the glovebox lock (any suggestions?), install the passenger side mirror, install a radio system (personally I think the exhaust is fine, but this is my mother's request), find the part of the door panel that sits below the door lock and doesnt allow stuff to fall behind the panel, install the dome light cover, and track down some retractable seat belt covers. Oh and the bumpers could get a little TLC as they developed a few very small rust spots while the car sat over the years, but nothing too major that you could spot unless you are up close looking for them.
Wow, sorry just realized I have rambled... Anyways, on to the goodies:
You can find quite a few more pictures in the album here:
http://s248.photobucket.com/albums/gg165/Wildjones/Cuda/Hope you guys enjoy, I know I sure do <3 hehe
- Mike
