73 GB5 Cuda Restoration

[Surfmichaels]

Got front end taken apart, body cart installed (pic added for people who want to see how high it sits) and sent over to fabricator to install new frame rails and rear quarter skin. Also started to paint interior using SPI epoxy primers and a preval sprayer. Worked great. Progress is still taking things apart but still progress..

[Edison1970]

Wow.  It looks like the car took a good shot at one time.  How did the car drive before you took it apart? 

[anlauto]

Any regrets ?

[Surfmichaels]

Car drove horrible but that's just what I thought 70,s cars drove like. It floated all over the road and was scary. BUT it had a horrible unisteer aftermarket steering in it that snapped while I was driving only 1 month after I got the car. I was lucky and didn't get in an accident.

No regrets so far, i bought it for a decent price, I enjoy working on it, it's a 73 and the damage gives me a great excuse to make it what I want. 70's trans am inspired road racer is where this will end up. I just got a 4 speed from passon and I already have a 340 6 pack.   this will be fun.


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[CUDA JAS]

Car drove horrible but that's just what I thought 70,s cars drove like. It floated all over the road and was scary. BUT it had a horrible unisteer aftermarket steering in it that snapped while I was driving only 1 month after I got the car. I was lucky and didn't get in an accident.

No regrets so far, i bought it for a decent price, I enjoy working on it, it's a 73 and the damage gives me a great excuse to make it what I want. 70's trans am inspired road racer is where this will end up. I just got a 4 speed from passon and I already have a 340 6 pack.   this will be fun.


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That sounds awesome...the build part, not the steering snapping!! 

Jason

[anlauto]

No regrets so far, i bought it for a decent price, I enjoy working on it,
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Well that's great to hear !

 A lot of people buy a car in driving condition for a decent price, tear into it to fix a few minor things, then find issues like you have and regret ever starting to take it apart or even buying that car in the first place ...

[Edison1970]

You might want to check that k frame.  I'm almost tempted   to replace mine. My frame rails weren't bent like yours but they were tweeked.  They raced my car and didn't do a great job tying the two frame rails together.  I guess from the front end hammering down on the track, one of my frame rails was pushed up.  My k frame was opened up in some areas.  I welded it back but I think it still may not be as straight as it should be.

[Surfmichaels]

You might want to check that k frame.  I'm almost tempted   to replace mine. My frame rails weren't bent like yours but they were tweeked.  They raced my car and didn't do a great job tying the two frame rails together.  I guess from the front end hammering down on the track, one of my frame rails was pushed up.  My k frame was opened up in some areas.  I welded it back but I think it still may not be as straight as it should be.

I just bought a miller welder to do some reinforcement in the kframe and the whole front end. Saw an article on the hotchkiss car and the front was popping spot welds. I'll stitch the whole front end and gusset the kframe (it seems straight but not sure how I would tell). I lurk all over the old posts to save pictures of reinforced cars and all the little stiffening mods I can find. Once the engine is back in I'll also be putting in an engine bar cross brace. So much work, fun!


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[Surfmichaels]

[IMG]

Receive my 4speed conversion kit from passon, Jamie was great to work with as I got a race prepped AAR geared box with the hurst cue ball shifter. Now that I have an empty garage I've started cleaning parts and working on the doors. The rear end must have had 10 pounds of caked on mud and grease.

2 open questions, although I'm not sure of the preferred method on this board for these questions, inline or start a new thread...

The door is staying stripped with just a coat of spi epoxy, has anyone ever seen custom pulls for the door handle, kinda like a Porsche gt3? Or other members with stripped interiors, I've seen Aaron Becks which looks amazing....

Suggestions on rear end ratio with AAR ratio 4 speed? It has 4:10 in now but Jamie Passon suggested 3.92 which doesn't seem like a big difference, I'm all about road course speed like willow springs and Laguna Seca, off the line speed isn't critical but I'd like good top end....any good road race gearing suggestions? (Rear end is 8 3/4 489 casing)

[femtnmax]

Very nice Cuda

I can't answer your road race questions, and I see the roll cage....are you going to add subframe connectors?  I made my own...not to difficult.

[Surfmichaels]

I had a custom connector installed when I did the cage but it hung down too low so I cut it out. I ordered a set of us car tools connectors that should be here anyday now. I think they look the best and stay tucked up out of the way. I also like the way they tie into the floor, I think it's a nice solution. I hope they don't interfere with an AAR side exhaust.

[Surfmichaels]

Also got my spoiler set completed today. Dales Cuda shop was great to deal with, as was Rylis who made the trans am front spoiler. Toys!

[hemiken]

Looking forward to seeing these mounted up on your car buddy

[Surfmichaels]

Progress slowly being made.
Engine bay cleaned and primed...


Undercoating scraped off for frame connector #1. Tried heat, tried scraping, tried needle scaler, the best item I found was a drill based wire wheel after all the wires have broken off... You are left with small nubs of wires that do an amazing job removing paint and undercoating.


Roof primed, after a lot of effort removing surface rust and glue


Doors primed


This is my first paint job so I am I trying to use good but not bank buster products, I can't say enough good things about spi epoxy primers they have been easy to use and work well in the gun and with preval sprayers. It convinced me to give their single stage top coat a spin.....

[hemiken]

Man you have got some good original tin on that car, what a great base to start with.