71 Cuda: To OE Resto or to not OE resto?

[CudaMaxx]

You've got me all wrong.  I love cars, always have, and just realized these old mopars are some of the coolest cars ever made.  I want to turn this one and "make a killing" so I can do what I love and own all of the cars that I have been dreaming about since I was a kid.  I figured that I got this car at a good enough price to be able to do all of the work myself, flip it, and buy more rusted, left for dead, cars that made history and bring them back to life for everyone else to enjoy.  And to make a living doing it at the same time.  This ones just a foot in the door.  I don't think the block seller is a bad guy.  I'm just not happy, like anyone else would be, having to pay that much for an engine that's going to have to have work done to it anyway.  I was just making a point about buying the Hemi, I know there's more to it than just sticking it in.  He want make any type of trade, already tried.  Thanks for yall's help.  I think I know what I am going to do.

[CudaMaxx]

How do I stop people from owning these cars.  Everyone has the same opportunity as I do to buy one of these cars. 

[72bluNblu]

How do I stop people from owning these cars.  Everyone has the same opportunity as I do to buy one of these cars.

That's easy. You price them out of the market trying to make a killing. With E-bodies its not hard, the price of these cars is already pretty high. Most normal folks can't afford a T/A or high optioned numbers car. I know I can't, and I make more money than a lot of normal folks. Its not easy to buy a car that you're not going to drive everyday, usually can't finance, and costs a bunch to maintain. They almost have to be a 2nd or extra car, so that by itself limits the market.

Barret Jackson and all the numbers matching, over-restored Hemi, T/A, AAR etc cars are driving all but the rich guys right out of E-body's. And the sad thing is, they're not in it for the cars, they're in it for the money.

The only "killings" to be made are at someone else's expense.

[torredcuda]

You are trying to have it both ways-you got a good deal on your `cuda but now you are balking at the price for the mathcing numbers engine, then you want to sell it for the max profit once it`s restored.The buy low/sell high free enterprise system is great but that is also the reason prices on this stuff is expensive.

[1970 RT Challenger 1970]

Post some pics of your 7K Cuda. Depending on how bad or good shape it is, you might end up in the hole 50% with a money pit project rather than turning any profit. You might be better off to sell the car and buy a completed one.

Need a little help,
I bought a 71 Cuda 340, 3 speed manual.  Paid 7k for it.  Doing research, I found out that only 151 were made with this combo.  I don't have either the motor or tranny.  I know where the motor is but not the tranny.  Would probably never find it, only maybe a year correct tranny.  The guy with the original motor wants 6500.00 dollars for it.  It still has all the original parts except the pulleys and the carb.  I think he's trying to screw me because he knows the only reason I want it is for this restoration and he was planning on using parts of it for a 408 stroker he's building.  I saw someone else selling a restored Cuda with same combo motor and trans but both of theirs were only year correct and they were asking 85,000.00. 
I guess my question is, is it worth it to buy the 6500.00 dollar original motor and find a year correct tranny, or just use another 340 short block I already have?  How much more would the car be worth with the original motor but not tranny?
Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks

[CudaMaxx]

If I wouldn't have bought it, someone else would have.  I bought it cheap.  I have to do the work on it to get it where it will be a beautiful car again.  Anyone else has the same opportunity.  I sell at what the market calls for, up or down.  This is a free enterprise society (like he said), not a socialist one.  Not everything is fair.  Besides, if more people would have liked these cars when they were built, we wouldn't  be in this situation to begin with.  If the car's worth less than what I put into it when finished then so be it.  But, I'm not rich, I can't go buy one completely restored either.  Are we supposed to just let these cars waste away?  NO!  I can't make someone buy it.  I can't make someone pay too much for it.  If you own a mopar muscle car you should be proud that they are worth so much and not an everyday car like a camaro or mustang.  I see those all of the time.  I have never seen a cuda cruisin down the freeway.  Only at car shows.  You should be proud people think so much of the cars!

[CudaMaxx]

As soon as I can I will get some pics on here, if I'm not shunned by then.

[torredcuda]

I`m not knocking you for trying to make a buck-good for you if you can.I have bought,restored and sold a few cars and made some money.

[TorOrange]

I understand what your trying/wanting to do and that's great. But you won't make much money at it unless you have a ton to start and rare cars to start with. Could you make a profit maybe but it's going to take a lot of time, money management and almost everything done by you. But good luck 

[hotrod98]

Check previous auction results on similar cars. You might change your mind. I restore mopars for a living and I'll tell you that you will make far more profit by buying a crate 426 hemi and 4 speed setup for the car. People don't pay top dollar for 340 cars...period.  Earlier at the Mecum auction in Kansas city, I saw a 72 Barracuda 318 car that was a poor resto but had a 426 hemi in it go to 45K. The guy wanted 50K and managed to get it after the sale. I even told the guy that was buying it that I could build him a nicer 70 Cuda with a 426 hemi for that kind of money but he had to have a hemi cuda right then. It wasn't a real hemi car or even a real cuda.
I sold a 318 Challenger convertible that I restored for 65K by simply putting a hemi in it. Otherwise it would have brought 35 to 40K at best.

Put the money in a hemi. Besides, you're going to be sick if you pay that kind of money for the 340 and then find that it's cracked. 

[Topcat]

Building a 70-71 426 Hemi takes alot of work if you want it look OEM correct.
 
I spent close to 4 years chasing down everything to build mine. I didn't scrimp so it was a little more than expected and that took time as I had to get other stuff for the car.

After the dust settled, I had 20 grand into mine. And it still needs the shaker top end components.

[joelson6]

this is the wrong time in the market to "make a killing". if you want that, you BETTER get that original motor and try
to go as OE as possible.


and for the hemi option in your build..............................

to me, the word hemi is the most over used term in the automotive industry right now. to say you have a hemi in your car is like saying you
eat corn flakes for breakfast. oh-hum, another hemi, big schmeal............ back in the day a hemi meant something special cause they weren't
mass produced like that are today. so putting an modern hemi in it would just make it..........vanilla.............big deal,  another new hemi.

[AARuFAST]

    Yes, it would be worth having the original engine  ignore the guy  that has the motor. Do all the repairs on the Cuda and
maybe later he will come to you if he feels you are going to install the 340 you have.
This Hemi was for sale at Carlisle.... granted as mentioned you will need all of the wiring and components to
finish it.

[hotrod98]

this is the wrong time in the market to "make a killing". if you want that, you BETTER get that original motor and try
to go as OE as possible.


and for the hemi option in your build..............................

to me, the word hemi is the most over used term in the automotive industry right now. to say you have a hemi in your car is like saying you
eat corn flakes for breakfast. oh-hum, another hemi, big schmeal............ back in the day a hemi meant something special cause they weren't
mass produced like that are today. so putting an modern hemi in it would just make it..........vanilla.............big deal,  another new hemi.

It might be over used but the hemi clones are still selling very well.  I can convert a car to a hemi for 20K very quickly. There are sources for every little part now. That 20K conversion will pretty much guarantee you an extra 30K on a 70 or 71 e body or a 68-70 b body. Just do your research on recent auctions. Don't take my word for it.

[4 speed fish]

To make a hemi clone correct the shaker parts will cost 5k.big block radiator, 3 speed wiper if you do not have one.hemi booster.it would cost a least 20k with the owner doing all the work.To do a hemi without the shaker is just wrong.