Cuda quarter window structure reinforcing plate

[shredder]

I wonder what the engineering behind the braces was.  They are mounted with two thin strips of metal per side. You can bend them just by leaning on them too hard.  And they're not even attached to the roof skin.

[PLY474]

I see that now.  Got me??!?!  Are both beams attached that way, or just the forward 74 beam?  I would have thought the beam would be full length and spot welded to the outer frame.  It's hard to understand them using a heavy quarter plate and then a lightly mounted beam.  Maybe they intentionally wanted the beam mounting area to buckle on impact?  I don't know.

[Dmod1974]

1970's American car body build "quality" (especially Mopar) and 1970's "safety engineering" are an oxymoron.  I wouldn't look too far into it. 

Most golf carts today have higher crash ratings than the cars built back then.  There were sections of my car that were not spot welded from the factory because someone forgot or was too lazy to do it.  They also used to believe that big fins on the back of the car helped to stabilize it and increase fuel economy....  Comparatively speaking, these are deathtraps compared to anything remotely modern.  Any increase in safety between a 1970 and a 1974 E Body by todays standards is negligible, at best.

[RacerX]

1970's American car body build "quality" (especially Mopar) and 1970's "safety engineering" are an oxymoron.  I wouldn't look too far into it. 

Most golf carts today have higher crash ratings than the cars built back then.  There were sections of my car that were not spot welded from the factory because someone forgot or was too lazy to do it.  They also used to believe that big fins on the back of the car helped to stabilize it and increase fuel economy....  Comparatively speaking, these are deathtraps compared to anything remotely modern.  Any increase in safety between a 1970 and a 1974 E Body by todays standards is negligible, at best.

"Build quality" is non-existent in the 71 cuda I am restoring now.   The body is just slapped together by what
looks like 800 pound gorillas with crowbars and sledge hammers.    Maybe 1/4 of the spot welds "didn't take"
or were never even done.  Another large portion of spot welds just "missed" the target and welded nothing. 
Many parts are badly misaligned and the MIG welds look like a 6 year old playing with the welder did them. 
There are structure panels inside the rear quarter window area that the spot welds didn't take and had to be
producing the most annoying rattling noises from day one of the car's life.

Replacing a lot of rusty metal and since it won't be hard to do a better job than the factory did it will be 1000
times better when it is done, but wow man oh man what a mess it is from the factory.   Just when I think I've
seen it all a new bit of craziness is uncovered...

[Dmod1974]

1970's American car body build "quality" (especially Mopar) and 1970's "safety engineering" are an oxymoron.  I wouldn't look too far into it. 

Most golf carts today have higher crash ratings than the cars built back then.  There were sections of my car that were not spot welded from the factory because someone forgot or was too lazy to do it.  They also used to believe that big fins on the back of the car helped to stabilize it and increase fuel economy....  Comparatively speaking, these are deathtraps compared to anything remotely modern.  Any increase in safety between a 1970 and a 1974 E Body by todays standards is negligible, at best.

"Build quality" is non-existent in the 71 cuda I am restoring now.   The body is just slapped together by what
looks like 800 pound gorillas with crowbars and sledge hammers.    Maybe 1/4 of the spot welds "didn't take"
or were never even done.  Another large portion of spot welds just "missed" the target and welded nothing. 
Many parts are badly misaligned and the MIG welds look like a 6 year old playing with the welder did them. 
There are structure panels inside the rear quarter window area that the spot welds didn't take and had to be
producing the most annoying rattling noises from day one of the car's life.

Replacing a lot of rusty metal and since it won't be hard to do a better job than the factory did it will be 1000
times better when it is done, but wow man oh man what a mess it is from the factory.   Just when I think I've
seen it all a new bit of craziness is uncovered...

I'm sure you've heard of the saying. "A grinder and paint makes me the welder I ain't!"  Except they just globbed more seam sealer on the joints so nobody would ever know until 45 years later.

My passenger side inner rocker to cowl side panel was not welded at all, and my rear speaker shelf panel was welded so badly that it separate after just drilling 1/8" pilot holes for the spot weld cutter, among other things.  At least it saved me some time I guess....

[shredder]

The added roof arch support is designed basically the same way as the original except the thin strips of metal extend out farther from the main structure. About 1"  The center one is about 1/2".

Near as I can figure, the strips of metal would only do any good in tension, so as the roof attempted to crush, it would get wider and the metal strips hold it from additional widening while the arch form holds the roof from crushing, Brilliant and cheap.