Modifying My Stock 71 Barracuda Ragtop

[70 Challenger Lover]

Haven't visited the forum in a while but I was asked to share the updates I've been making to my 71 Barracuda convertible.

Some may recall the car being offered on eBay close to five years ago. It got no meaningful attention until I flew out and arranged to buy it after the inspection. To be fair, the ad looked scammy and had all the warning signs.

The previous owner restored it in 2005-2007 with a couple incorrect details. The Road wheels being one detail. Build sheet came with car and showed it should have had hub caps. I corrected the details I could and for more than three years, I dutifully kept it original. Numbers matching 318 and 904 too.

Eventually, I dipped my toe in the waters by changing the hub caps out for chrome Magnum 500s and added dual sport mirrors. Modest changes even a purist could appreciate.

Little over a year, I went to sell it thinking I'd put the money into a genuine numbers matching Cuda hardtop. I finally learned then that uniqueness, build sheet correctness and originality really don't mean much unless it is also a highly desirable car to begin with (I.e. BS car). Everyone seemed to admire the car with its 318 but they are also of the opinion that it didn't have much value because of the 318 and I should therefore give it away. Potential buyers often had real deal 71 Cudas already and I have no doubt that these buyers fully intended to clone the car out.

So I made the decision to build it how I wanted it (within certain limits). I added a warmed over 1969 340 and a four speed, along with rallye gauges, power brakes and a color matched sport hood.

If money were no object, I would have liked to go full Cuda and reshoot the entire car but that will have to wait a few years.

[70 Challenger Lover]

Couldn't squeeze in all my photos.

Up next, I'm upgrading the brakes and suspension to oem 340 Cuda stuff including new leafs and torsion bars plus front and rear sway bars. Toss up between factory discs or 11 drums up front.

Also plan to add road lamps and a rimblow wheel.

[Mr Cuda]

Time  for a forum  name change.
71 Cuda lover,  it's not taken.
It's seems you have gone away from the dodges.
 I fully support your improvements to your barracuda.  I know you were in a tough spot, not trying to clone or modify a clean barracuda.
 340-4spd is such a great combo in these cars, I would have done it on day one. My opinion is the value is improved by the extras, however since I see you left the door emblems, I  could go either way with the hood or exhaust tips.
 Keep in mind, I'm a weirdo who has("had" as it's apart) a 440 Cuda with a flat hood. I like the clean unassuming look.
 

[70 Challenger Lover]

Time  for a forum  name change.
71 Cuda lover,  it's not taken.
It's seems you have gone away from the dodges.
 I fully support your improvements to your barracuda.  I know you were in a tough spot, not trying to clone or modify a clean barracuda.
 340-4spd is such a great combo in these cars, I would have done it on day one. My opinion is the value is improved by the extras, however since I see you left the door emblems, I  could go either way with the hood or exhaust tips.
 Keep in mind, I'm a weirdo who has("had" as it's apart) a 440 Cuda with a flat hood. I like the clean unassuming look.

I do own two 70 Challengers still but both are in the project stage. But if I'm being honest, I do love Cudas more than Challengers.

This is the first 340 I've ever driven. It's been a very pleasant wake up call. The motor behaves so differently than the big blocks I'm used to. If I spin the old 318 up to 3000 on the Interstate and hold it there a while, it feels like I'm going to burn up the motor after a while. With this 340, it just sings along happily. I can finally appreciate why the factory offered 3.91 gears with the motor and why so many people like them. Still love big blocks but I have a new respect for the 340.

I was hesitant on the door emblems but I'd really like them gone. Someday they will be removed. If they are held on with nuts, I'd have to weld up holes which would be hard to paint without being obvious or reshooting the whole car. If they are just stickers, I'd probably be left with ghost images underneath since the paint job is nearing twenty years old. If good paint jobs weren't so expensive, I'd go full Cuda and just reshoot the car. Maybe in a few years.

It was the hood I wanted most. The flat hood is okay but it's boring (just like hub caps) and I've really grown to hate hearing how much this car reminds people of the Brady Bunch. Most E body cars came with flat hoods and yet it's not often you see them anymore. That says a lot to me. Just like hubcaps, if everyone truly liked them, there's nothing stopping them from putting them on, yet they don't. That stuff generally looks better on a car you don't own.

If you look at what cloned 71 Barracudas sell for, it's clearly lower than the real deal cars (naturally) but it's substantially higher than a base model car that hasn't yet been cloned (like mine was). Adding the motor, the hood, the four speed, etc. only improved resale value. And it opened up the pool of potential buyers. I had two interested people in the low to mid 90s range before. No doubt in my mind I could find more than two interested buyers at a higher price point if I were to sell.

[Mr Cuda]

Get the discs and suspension done.

Then.....why sell?
To buy in today, and roll the dice on another car, and the chance of project creep?
 The road less traveled (gold) is better than showing up with 3 clones of your (purple,yellow,green) car at every show.

[dodj]

 
Nice mods to the 'cuda!
Looks good!

[usraptor]

Looking good!  Those are very purposeful and tastful mods.   

[70 Challenger Lover]

Get the discs and suspension done.

Then.....why sell?
To buy in today, and roll the dice on another car, and the chance of project creep?
 The road less traveled (gold) is better than showing up with 3 clones of your (purple,yellow,green) car at every show.

I agree. I doubt I would sell unless I was offered a silly amount. It's almost exactly the way I want it. And the gold has really grown on me. It's become one of my favorite colors.

[larry4406]

.....I was hesitant on the door emblems but I'd really like them gone. Someday they will be removed. If they are held on with nuts, I'd have to weld up holes which would be hard to paint without being obvious or reshooting the whole car. If they are just stickers, I'd probably be left with ghost images underneath since the paint job is nearing twenty years old. If good paint jobs weren't so expensive, I'd go full Cuda and just reshoot the car.....

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The '71 Barracuda door emblems are stickers, at least they were on mine.  Took some prying to get them off.

[70 Challenger Lover]

.....I was hesitant on the door emblems but I'd really like them gone. Someday they will be removed. If they are held on with nuts, I'd have to weld up holes which would be hard to paint without being obvious or reshooting the whole car. If they are just stickers, I'd probably be left with ghost images underneath since the paint job is nearing twenty years old. If good paint jobs weren't so expensive, I'd go full Cuda and just reshoot the car.....

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The '71 Barracuda door emblems are stickers, at least they were on mine.  Took some prying to get them off.

You know, I could always buy a new sticker one and if it's an exact match, pry off an old one. It it cleans up perfectly, leave it. If I can see where it was, just put the new one on to hide it.

I've seen new ones for sale that used nuts so I wasn't sure.