Well I'll be darned!
Thank you, sincerely, to all who contributed, and especially cudaized.
You see, the fact is I saw BOTH cars sitting side-by-each at Parkway Motor Sales in Kingston ON. And I have been called everything under the sun for this ["erroneous"] recollection! The original story relayed to me by their salesman at the time (just after '71 intro, late-September/early-October '70) was a small dealer had ordered ONE...and TWO were delivered...and NEITHER sold, so he dumped them after getting the year-end allowance. One was bought locally by a construction worker who, I recall, played football at my high school and was a bit of a "wildman". I recall seeing that car sitting in a falling-down two-car garage in the early '80s...TOAST, just like the garage. Beside it sat a Dark Ivy Green R-Code '69 CJ 428 Mach 1...in even worse shape! Daily drivers in the Kingston area were lucky to last 10 years, back then. And without the full power and availability of the Aftermarket that we enjoy today, going to a local dealer to order new parts (if then available) was a very expensive venture.
Another local case in point:
Earlier in 1970 (June iirc), I was sitting outside a local speed shop, Mr. Ignition, shootin' the breeze with a friend when we heard this engine/fan noise approaching. WOW! An In-Violet with White interior (no stripes) HemiCuda Hardtop rumbled by. First one we'd seen in the flesh on the street! Spectacular-looking Cuda; Rallye Wheels, Silver Shaker, and what turned out to be a 727-3.23-geared "driver". I worked part time at the local Sears store and this car was bought by the Ass't Cosmetics Dep't Manager and her husband, a prison guard. Daily driven 365 days a year, without oiling or "rust-proofing".
[An aside: one night at the prison, a con jumped the HemiCuda owner in the parking area outside the walls, and stole the keys and then the HemiCuda to make an escape. Car was found shortly after, some distance away, basically unhurt...but HOT!]
Fast forward to April 1st, 1978 (no foolin') and a classified in the local daily paper: For Sale, 1970 HemiCuda yadayada $1,000 or B.O. I'll bet it's the same one, thought I. Called, and sure enough it was. Raced over to their house. SHOCK...and DISMAY. I swear, that last winter, it had been used as a dog house for their Shepard! There wasn't a single item/panel/part/piece that didn't need rehabbing/replacing. It ran...barely, shooting ducks through the carbs, up to about 25 mph. Fender tags attached...barely. Original motor/trans/diff/hood/Shaker. Inside, the plastic rear seat surround panels were scraped and gouged, seats ripped and torn front and backs, console in disarray. An ambitious restoration.
Went to the local Mopar dealer, with a list: That came to almost $5K, just for the obvious parts needed. Rebuild ALL the mechanicals, including engine-trans, estimate $2.5K. Body and paint: new fenders/quarters/trim/grille etc. Interior COMPLETE. In Toronto, at that time, you could buy a local show winner for $10-12K, done and driveable. This one was gonna take more than that, which was beyond my budget. "Pass".
**A local mechanic bought it ($800?), did a rudimentary body job in primer, pulled the motor/trans, and sold the rolling shell, eventually, for $1,500 to someone from the Toronto area who just had to have it! Waited a few months, and phoned the new owner: "Guess what I just found? the number-match motor and trans! Needs rebuilding!"
What would you pay for the ONLY number-match-to-your-HemiCuda motor and trans?! Yup, LOTS!**
Now, a car matching this exact description, from Ft. McMurray Alberta (I believe) won the Good Guys Northwest Nationals "Best Muscle Car in Show" a few years ago ('09-10?). I wonder if it was the same car?
Another local construction worker custom-ordered a '70 Hemi Roadrunner Coupe, In-Violet/Black Buckets/White Vinyl roof, 4-speed Super Track Pack. Drove it for a few months, got laid off on the late-fall, and had it repo'd. Back at the same dealer, the car was advertised in January/71 (height of winter), with little mileage and unhurt, for $3333 (Canada, remember!). Sold to a local restauranteur who at least laid it up for the winters. It became available again, also in '78, like the Cuda above. Two local drag race brothers bought it...and took a cutting torch to the rear quarters so they could mount deeply-offset mags and 12.00X 15 SLICKS. Standard original motor/trans/Dana. It lasted about two races, when they summarily blew it up! Ended up being parted out, body scrapped...
My family doctor, Dr. Cheseborough, bought the local Dodge dealer's wife's demo, in the late spring of '69. She had acquired it as a low-mile Exec demo from Chrysler: one of four (?) '69 Dodge Daytona with the S/E Package, 440-727. Red with Black Leather...and NO a/c! He drove that car as a fairweather car, his son had it refinished a few years ago, and it sold at auction about '10 for something north of $125K, still needing some touches.
Hope I haven't bored y'all, or overstayed my welcome.
Again, many thanks for the 440+6 confirmations.
** See UPDATE, below
