And So It Begins.... 1970 340 Cuda Restoration

[loco340cuda]

Why didn't you plan on putting the engine in from the bottom ?

I thought about doing that but I was not sure how to lift my car up.  I have seen pictures of other people doing this but it always seemed that they used some type of custom brackets to lift the car as well as the front of the body (i.e. header panel, front valence, bumper) was not installed.  How does one do this when all the body panels on the front of the car are installed?

[anlauto]

I use an engine hoist with tie down straps hooked inside on the front frame rails. I have the complete front end assembled first no problem

[loco340cuda]

Small update....  I got the front brakes back in and connected up this morning.  I should have the rear end back from the paint shop this week and hopefully in the car next weekend if my schedule permits.  Meanwhile I am assembling the dash and hope to have it back in the car this coming week.

[loco340cuda]

Also, I forgot to mention that I know some of the parts are not painted in the correct OE color.  This was done on purpose just to mix things up a little bit.

[Mpdlawdog]

Make it your own!!  Looking good

[loco340cuda]

Okay guys, I realized it has been awhile since I have posted any progress pictures.  The work has been moving along although slower then I would like due to the restoration shop taking their time with all the piece parts.

Since my last update the engine, tranny, rear end, and drive shaft have come back from the restoration shop as well as I received the re-chromed rear bumper and polished drip rail molding trim from the metal shop. I have installed the rear end, drive train, finished putting together the tail end of the car (bumper, tail lights, trim, etc), I have installed the drip moldings, quarter windows, front wheel well trim and rocker gills as well as the exhaust system.  I have also finished putting the  brake system together and bleed.

Next up I am waiting to get the steering column back from the restoration shop so I can install it and fire up the car.  After that the glass guy needs to come over and install the front windshield and back window.  From there the car has to go back to the body shop to fix a couple of things.  Once i get the car back from the body shop I will move to working on the interior of the car.

Here are some pictures of the progress.  Unfortunately I was in such a rush the day I was putting in the drive train I forgot to take pictures of the tranny and bell housing, they look as good as the engine does.

[cudamadd]

Great job she is beautiful. Love that colour 

[Rolling_Thunder]

looking great brother!   that engine makes me second guess painting mine the original blue

[340challconvert]

Small update....  I got the front brakes back in and connected up this morning.  I should have the rear end back from the paint shop this week and hopefully in the car next weekend if my schedule permits.  Meanwhile I am assembling the dash and hope to have it back in the car this coming week.

Those brake and front end components look great.  I am currently redoing the front end on my 70  A66 Challenger vert.
How did you get the lower control arms so clean? (media blast/rust removal)
Mine are off and I need to clean them up.  Yours look fantastic.

[loco340cuda]

Thanks for kind words guys!

Rolling_Thunder, for the first 7 years I owned the car the engine was painted Chrysler street hemi orange but out of mopar performance spray can and it never seemed to be the correct shade when I would compare it against other correctly done mopars at the local cruise-ins I would go to.  When I had the engine redone about 8 years ago the engine shop painted the engine and it turns out they used a chevy orange (long story on that) but it actually looked good so I decided to roll with it.  Nevertheless I always said that someday when I restored the car I was going to paint the engine in the correct shade because it always seemed like everyone else's mopar engine had a nicer shade of orange.  Once the car underwent its restoration I decided to buy the correct orange engine paint from Roger Gibson Restorations and man was I blown away with the color (what a nice shade of orange) when it came back from the resto shop.  I think the other thing that helps make it look nice is that it was sprayed by a professional with a professional paint gun so that really helps with how it lays down.  I highly recommend the Roger Gibson paint for anyone looking to redo their engine with the correct orange.

340challconvert, the LCA's were removed and if I remember correctly the resto shop took them to a machine shop that they partner with and put them in the same machine they use to clean engine blocks.  I think they did this to all the suspension parts (I know for sure they did this to some of them).  Once they were clean the resto shop just painted them up in a semi-gloss black.  My Cuda is an LA built Cuda and lived in California most of it's life.  As far as rust goes this car had minimal rust when I got it 15 years ago and the undercarriage parts such as the front suspension where actually very clean minus the grease, dirt, and light surface rust.  I'll try to remember to ask the resto shop how they cleaned the LCA's and let you know.

 

[340challconvert]

Thanks for kind words guys!

Rolling_Thunder, for the first 7 years I owned the car the engine was painted Chrysler street hemi orange but out of mopar performance spray can and it never seemed to be the correct shade when I would compare it against other correctly done mopars at the local cruise-ins I would go to.  When I had the engine redone about 8 years ago the engine shop painted the engine and it turns out they used a chevy orange (long story on that) but it actually looked good so I decided to roll with it.  Nevertheless I always said that someday when I restored the car I was going to paint the engine in the correct shade because it always seemed like everyone else's mopar engine had a nicer shade of orange.  Once the car underwent its restoration I decided to buy the correct orange engine paint from Roger Gibson Restorations and man was I blown away with the color (what a nice shade of orange) when it came back from the resto shop.  I think the other thing that helps make it look nice is that it was sprayed by a professional with a professional paint gun so that really helps with how it lays down.  I highly recommend the Roger Gibson paint for anyone looking to redo their engine with the correct orange.

340challconvert, the LCA's were removed and if I remember correctly the resto shop took them to a machine shop that they partner with and put them in the same machine they use to clean engine blocks.  I think they did this to all the suspension parts (I know for sure they did this to some of them).  Once they were clean the resto shop just painted them up in a semi-gloss black.  My Cuda is an LA built Cuda and lived in California most of it's life.  As far as rust goes this car had minimal rust when I got it 15 years ago and the undercarriage parts such as the front suspension where actually very clean minus the grease, dirt, and light surface rust.  I'll try to remember to ask the resto shop how they cleaned the LCA's and let you know.

 

  Thank you

[redo1973]

Super clean and crisp.  Great job! I'm dealing with paint now so hopefully not too far behind you. 

[YellowThumper]

Ok now that you removed the warning lable. Have you added oil?

Oh and btw it is looking real nice clean.
Partial to the color also helps...
Mike.

[loco340cuda]

Ok now that you removed the warning lable. Have you added oil?

LOL, yes I did add oil after removing the label.

When the engine came back from the resto shop with the note I was thinking hmmm, I wasn't expecting them to add oil but I guess they wanted to be clear that they did not add any oil.   

[70chall440]

Just a word of caution if you haven't started it yet, make sure you put some rags under your fuel lines before you start it in case one of those rubber lines on the carb leaks.