SPY PHOTO - 1970 PLYMOUTH 4 DOOR CUDA!!

[resq302]

Hi Master Brian!  There actually was a red 4 door Cuda that was built in 1969.  It was destroyed and never seen again.  I will post the write up on the car that came from a retired Chrysler Employee who remembered seeing the car parked outside of his office.  We do not want for anyone to think that we are claiming that this IS that red concept car.  Our car will be yellow.

    Darn it, Dave!  You're making me look bad!      Honestly, I never knew that they had made one.  I always thought it was just a "print" version.

[Super Blue 72]

Cool story! 

Wish there was some way to go back or have docuemnted all the crazy stuff the public never gets to see. 

Some stuff doesn't touch the public, some does.  A few years back I was getting some free car mags from an older gentleman off craigslist.  Did some small talk and he said his son works for Ford up in Detroit and they have some weird stuff.  One such thing was a Mustang with 1,000hp.  I thought he was crazy.  Thing is there is a production car now with that much HP, the Shelby 1,000. 

[anlauto]

I absolutely love the idea of this project, but I think the concept is seriously flawed IN MY OPINION.

It's plausable that Chrysler would have considered making a 4 door version on the E Body platform. We've seen it in many other body styles where the "Muscle car version" and the "4 door version" shared the same front sheet metal, rear sheet metal etc...
Coronets, Belevderes, Chevelles, Lemans, etc...(can't think of a Ford)

But the one thing, IN MY OPINION, that a car company would never consider is a 4dr Muscle car.....There would be ZERO market for it.

I think if I saw a bright yellow 4dr "Cuda" with hockey stripes, ralley hood , ralley wheels etc... My first thought would be "What a goof ball car, sorta like a 71 GTX convertible. I would laugh at it, and the massive engineering feat, would be lost....Sorta like....Look at this thing  then keep walking...

BUT....If I was at the Mopar Nats or at any prestigious show and came across a very mundain looking 4dr "Barracuda" maybe in a factory earth tone like GF3, or GT2 or EB3, with matching interior. A Barracuda with a flat hood, hub caps, whitewalls, budget mirror....The interior would be bench seat, column shift....either stripped of all options like a radio, or loaded with options like A/C, cruise control, AM/FM 8 track, etc...etc...

I think a plain jane Barracuda is WAY MORE believable and would have 1000 time more jaw dropability.....IN MY OPINION. It would look exactly like what you would think a factory proto type would like like.

I can hear people now....My Uncle had one of those.....

It's not too late Dave...

[anlauto]

If I had the means....I would have considered it, but now that it's been done, what fun would it be to make another one. 

Glad to see you're open to objective opinions. 

I was actually at the shop today that my metal guy has. He's making a 4dr truck out of two 1940's Dodge trucks. The front end is a cab-over and he's grafting another cab  from the same year of a regular truck behind to create the two rear doors. The fabrication of the "B" pillar and the conversion of the rear door glass frames is un-imaginable, 100's over hours of metal fabrication. (sorry to hijack) 

[resq302]

Cmon Dave.  You've restored a gorgous Cuda.  You've then topped the boads with a restored Challenger big block WITH air conditioning.  You then broke the mold by losing your sanity with your team restoring a 4 door run of the mill valiant.  Now you are making a car from scratch?     Do I see the development of a new type engine in the future?     Honestly, what don't you attempt?   

[anlauto]

You only achieve in porportion to what you attempt. 

[resq302]

You only achieve in porportion to what you attempt. 

Very true!  Many things I have attempted and failed at only to tweak a process a little to come out with a desired result and product!  If at first you don't succeed.....

[resq302]

Hmmm...... 340 or 383 under the hood?

[Super Blue 72]

Hmmm...... 340 or 383 under the hood?

Slant 6?  Steel wheels and dog dishes?

I kinda like these hubcaps, I think Mike Brady had these on a Satellite on the Brady Bunch, I think...

[resq302]

Super Blue,

Dave said it would be a 4 door sports car.  I doubt a sports car prototype would have had a slant 6.  If it made it to production, I would say then yes, a slant 6 would have been offered.  Just as they did with the Charger and Challenger's.

[EB3-GranCoupe]

Dave,

What you are doing sounds like a lot of fun!

 You said

...and have discussed the Corporate logic for what a "concept car" should represent.

, which got me to wondering....i was thinking about the practical side of constructing that car.  might that care have been a "mule" of sorts?  I wonder if the decision had not been made yet about a 4-door B-body for 1971, and that it was a test to see if the 4-door would be a new E-body offering, and make the '71 Body a 2-door only model. 

It seems like the 71 B-body 4-door has a lot more in common with the E-body, component & size wise.

Thanks for the updates on your project!
Matt

[anlauto]

Dave
What type of car donated the "A","B" pillar and "C" pillar and front/rear door shells ? Did you use an original body side aperature of an existing 4dr ? If so which model ?
Alan

[resq302]

I would like to get some input from those who are following this thread.  Should we incorporate as many NOS parts in the project as possible or should we make this car a rolling testimonial for the new parts that Manufacturers are producing?  There are some really nice pieces that are currently being offered and developed by the MOPAR Industry!  This 4 door is obviously not a Factory built OE vehicle, so does it matter on things like original Tires, Interior Materials, Wiring Harnesses, etc......? Your thoughts and ideas are appreciated!
 

Just going back and killing time at work and re-reading this thread.  Have you decided which kinds of parts you will use for this build?  If it were my car, I would save the NOS stuff for other vehicles that would be a stock resto vs. a custom creation like this.

Still can't wait to see more of the progress.   

[resq302]

Wow.  Just reading the process for making the door structure is making my brain hurt.  I wonder what the door panels will look like on the inside?

[anlauto]

Interesting choice  I would have thought a 1971 B Body would have satisfied your needs better. With the 71 B Body sharing the front clip with the E Bodies. Front frame rails, inner approns, support brackets and rad craddle, etc.. as well as having the exact same front suspension geometry as an E Body would have been a nice short cut.

Never knew you to be one for short cuts though...

How was the verticle angle of the side glass on the 4dr compared to an E Body ? In your one picture it appears to be a drastic difference...making the "C" pillar quite the challenger for your metal guy. I assume you're going to retain the factory 4dr verticle angle ?
I assume if you were to measure over the roof from drip rail to drip rail that the 4dr is wider too ? Hand fabricated roof panel as well ?

In the end I think a gatorgrain vinyl roof will be your friend, wise choice.

Any current pictures of the metal work ?