Building my new E-Body- My "movie accurate" 71 Phantasm 2 Cuda build

Author Topic: Building my new E-Body- My "movie accurate" 71 Phantasm 2 Cuda build  (Read 35436 times)

Offline AARudy

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I am up to my ears in Mopars lately, so why not buy another?

For nearly twenty-five years I have been obsessed with Phantasm 1 & 2.. and have wanted that black 71 more then most guys wanting a vanishing Point Dodge Challenger  (and not because of a certain television show building one recently) but besides cars I am a collector of horror movie "things"... 

I saw this sitting out at Mopars On The Strip and a friend of a friend owned it and its been in the back of my mind this whole time...
after a week and a half of dealing, I bought it!


it's a 71 383 2bbl Barrakooda- new AMD full quarters, trunk floor and front floor... has real fenders that were "gilled" later and that is actually the original roof. Besides the car I struck up a deal with window regulators and a whole list of parts.

I sold my 72 Dart and my 74 Charger now to help finance some work on this when it arrives and get it to the next step.

Definitely gonna be a Phantasm 2 Cuda- HEMI Cuda, The two movie cars have small differences like chrome versus painted mirror, chrome trim differences, the part 1 car has a sun roof and 70's fender flares, I just can't cut up this nice steel body.
( I know the real cars were 340 and 318 barracuda's- I am going by what they portrayed on the big screen, the car had HEMI callouts on use hood)

« Last Edit: December 20, 2014 - 09:57:14 AM by AARudy »




Offline AARudy

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Re: um.. I bought another car to build.
« Reply #1 on: June 18, 2013 - 05:10:58 PM »
Some shots of the real cars..
the first pic is a rare one- the part 2 car with two wrecked ones behind it!
« Last Edit: October 08, 2013 - 02:01:23 AM by AARudy »

Offline Haddixj

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Re: um.. I bought another car to build.
« Reply #2 on: June 18, 2013 - 05:29:54 PM »
Looks like a solid start. I am curious as others I'm sure mind sharing how much you paid? I just bought a 71 cuda recently

Offline AARudy

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Re: um.. I bought another car to build.
« Reply #3 on: June 18, 2013 - 08:16:35 PM »
yep, all of the metal work is finished and done right, the yellow is all epoxy primer (except for the yellow fender) that is paint. There is a long list of parts accompanying the car that were added to the sale.
Rotted out 71's, the only two that I have looked at lately, were in the 10-12k range.. (not total basket cases like the one that just ended on ebay, but usual rusted area cars) --- I am somewhere around double that figure along with transport from CA to IN. Thought it over for a long time.. had to take in account of the panels, the work done to it, etc..

I usually buy cars because they are a great deal and I plan on flipping them after driving them. This is different, this is something that I really wanted for a long time and it's just not a car that you can steal.. especially from a fellow enthusiast. I have a killer 71 convert sitting in storage for five years that I haven't touched simply because I wanted to build this hardtop Phantasm car. (probably the only guy in the world who has the ragtop and wished it was a hardtop) I have a deal with a close friend who is buying the ragtop from me, so I also based this hardtop figure off of that a little.. 

Offline Haddixj

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Re: um.. I bought another car to build.
« Reply #4 on: June 18, 2013 - 09:28:24 PM »
I hear you on that I prefer hardtop cars also. I think I recognize that car from the spring fling in woodley park. A vendor I think had it for well there. Looks like a good start to a awesome project

Offline AARudy

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Re: um.. I bought another car to build.
« Reply #5 on: June 18, 2013 - 09:52:12 PM »
Probably, Dave hits all the major shows usually alongside Ted Stevens. 
Thank you, I agree.. metal work done already , at least there is some kind of head start this time.

Offline jimynick

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Re: um.. I bought another car to build.
« Reply #6 on: June 18, 2013 - 11:25:07 PM »
That's also my favourite and I wish you good luck with it!  :thumbsup:

Offline dusty

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Re: um.. I bought another car to build.
« Reply #7 on: June 19, 2013 - 05:59:48 AM »
That's awesome. Good luck with the project! Gonna be a sweet car!

Offline AARudy

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Re: um.. I bought another car to build.
« Reply #8 on: June 19, 2013 - 06:48:20 AM »
 :working: thanks! The car will arrive in August right before the Nats. I'm excited to build a car the way I want it rather then a all date coded, correct, car to be judged. I just want a dependable driver that I can hunt down the Tall Man with!
 :biggrin:

Offline CudamanTom

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Re: um.. I bought another car to build.
« Reply #9 on: June 19, 2013 - 06:55:34 AM »
:working: thanks! The car will arrive in August right before the Nats. I'm excited to build a car the way I want it rather then a all date coded, correct, car to be judged. I just want a dependable driver that I can hunt down the Tall Man with!
 :biggrin:
Now that's what I'm talkin about.

That's goin to be a sweet ride Rudy.  :ylsuper:

AND I absolutely LOVE the Phantasm movies and the Cudas that were used in them. I got my itch for a cuda back when the 1st Phantasm movie was out. Those movies (especially 1 & 2) never get old with me.
Not sure if it's the Cuda or the Tall Man that gets me every time.  :bigsmile:
Please keep us posted.
1971 Cuda Vert 440-833 - (clone)
1971 Cuda 440-727 - (clone)


Because I like it fast!!!

Offline AARudy

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Re: um.. I bought another car to build.
« Reply #10 on: June 19, 2013 - 07:09:53 AM »
Oh yeah, part 2 is now on blue ray so it's cool to see a lot more details on the car then ever before. July 5th there is a horror convention in Indy, and Angus Scrimm (Tall Man) and Don Cascarelli (producer) will both be there! I'm bringing the glove box door to have them both sign it, along with some other cool Phantasm items I have.


Offline CudamanTom

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Re: um.. I bought another car to build.
« Reply #11 on: June 19, 2013 - 09:15:47 AM »
That is awesome  :cheers:
Wished we could have great stuff llike that in Oklahoma.  :pullinghair:
Love the sphere too. First time I saw that in the movie I though, "holy sh!t, that is bad a$$". The idea and creation of that thing was a perfect fit with the movie plot.
I need to get me one of those.

You gotta show pics during the convention with Angus for sure.
1971 Cuda Vert 440-833 - (clone)
1971 Cuda 440-727 - (clone)


Because I like it fast!!!

Offline AARudy

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Re: um.. I bought another car to build.
« Reply #12 on: June 19, 2013 - 09:51:14 AM »
I will! should be pretty cool. I've been to a lot of them and have met a bunch of cool movie people.

Here is how the whole movie came to be:

The genesis of the story came to Don Coscarelli in a dream. One night, being in his late teens, he dreamed of fleeing down endlessly long marble corridors, pursued by a chrome sphere intent on penetrating his skull with a wicked needle. There was also a quite futuristic "sphere dispenser" out of which the orbs would emerge and begin chase.

He said a guy in high school always parked a black 71 Cuda in the lot and he was always jealous of that car, so he wanted to have his very own black one as the car in the film..

Offline AARudy

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Re: um.. I bought another car to build.
« Reply #13 on: July 09, 2013 - 07:51:54 AM »
I met with Don Coscarelli this weekend! We had some great conversation regarding my car build, the movie car, and all things Phantasm. After having him sign a rare poster, I laid two restored Cuda glove box doors in front him to sign, and said "you and I have a mutual friend, (Rob Wolf from MCG) - we instantly clicked and started talking MOPAR!
He said the Graveyard Cars build, had nothing to do with him, but he will be on a episode next season "giving the car his blessing" etc. it's a black 71, but doesn't resemble the movie car with its details. He was very excited that I am building the part 2 car. I gave him a copy of the MCG with my AAR on the cover and he exclaimed "I had a red on red AAR!!" The conversation just got better and better.
He wants to keep in touch with me and watch the new build and post updates on the Phantasm Facebook page. Angus Scrimm, the "Tall Man" from the movie, became ill and canceled on showing up, I was so disappointed! I need his signature on that glove box door!
The car is slowwwwwwwwly starting to come together.. Haha..
End of August I start the body and paint. This will take priority over the purple car build.

Offline 360FISH

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Re: um.. I bought another car to build.
« Reply #14 on: July 09, 2013 - 03:47:15 PM »
ha!  Very cool!   Love those movies.

Why not make the left side of the car the part 1 car and the right side the part 2 car?   :roflsmiley:

have fun with the build...  then reshoot a could scenes from the movie...  would be awesome!

Alan
1973 ‘Cuda   Semi-Pro Touring
360 SB - 518/OD auto tranny - FAST EZ EFI - Edelbrock Fuel sump - HHR fan
Hella H4 headlights on relays - 97 Dodge Avenger seats - Chin spoiler - Bumpers pulled in to ’72 offset

Build: http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=74674.0