Need Some Motivation from the Group

[70_440-6Cuda]

I am sure this is another topic that has been discussed a million times, but I need to find the direction I am heading with my project and could use some constructive advice, opinions and criticism - operative word being constructive!  I purchased my first e-body May last year, but am not new to classic Mopar ownership or building / restoring cars in general. 

My problem is after joining here and learning about all of the nuances and date codes and cool details and hunting down and actually getting the original broadcast sheet, I have gone off the rails a bit and am now in a state of paralysis by analysis and can't seem to make a decision on a go forward plan.  The original plan was to swap the hood, put on some steel wheels and redo the interior to make it nice to be in.  Ever since I got the broadcast sheet I decided I wanted to restore the car back to complete original, but a driver, not a 100 point concourse restoration.  Now I am starting to second guess that decision, or at least the way I am approaching it.

Car details: 1970 BS23V0 car with matching # engine (I haven't checked the trans) & original broadcast sheet, June 1970 .  Floor shift auto, rallye dash, super perf. axle pack Dana w / 4.10 suregrip, TX9, PWR Disc brakes, X9 black leather w/ OH console, 15x7 450 steel wheels, rallye hood.
 
Here is my dilemma - the more time I spend here the less sure I am about what I want to do and what makes the most sense for the car that I have.  There is a lot of discussion about rebodies, restored vs. survivor, cars for sale with "incorrect" parts etc. and I am starting to get discouraged that I am wasting a lot of time and money finding the right date code correct parts for the car without adding much value to the project (I don't just mean monetary value).  I intend to give the car to my son when I am gone, so making money is not a concern but the more I get into the project the more it seems like I am at a point of diminishing returns.

The car was very incorrect when I bought it - no side marker lights, fiberglass hood, fenders and header panel, seats out of a Toyota (don't ask), Wilwood front disc conversion, exterior trim shaved, 8-3/4 rear end plus I am sure there is more.  I have sourced a lot of correct original parts so far: correct '70 seats, date code correct Dana, most of the exterior moldings, , some NOS gauges and a bunch of other misc parts / pieces and a bunch of extras as well.

The problem I am having is at what point does it no longer make sense to find original parts?  Does the correct brake booster and master cylinder really warrant spending $2000+ if you can find them?  It seems every part I need is a '70 only hens tooth and over $1K.  I has a '65 Mustang Fastback 289 K Code A/C car years back which is a highly desirable car, but I restored that out of a catalog and no one cared - the car looked brand new and that was that.  Seems that the e-body culture is VERY different in comparison, or maybe times have just changed.

Work, which always seems to interfere with my recreating, conflicted with Fall Festival last year so I have not had the opportunity to meet the Mopar gurus in person.  I love the general discussions here, such as the recent rebody / VIN swap question - I understand that it is all opinion, and based on what I want in the end - but I am hoping to hear from all of you and your experiences and take bits from all of that and get going on the project or at least have a plan - 

[RUNCHARGER]

I think you're on the right path. "Fix" the wrong stuff on the car and make it nice, drive it when it's complete. Don't install anything wrong on the car that involves drilling holes. If you find a 71 brake booster for $50-$100 and a NIB auto store MC that looks correct install them, have a safe car and if you trip on the exact right parts later for a decent price pick them up. In the mean time you'll have a safe, driveable car that will look pretty right.
IMO don't spray paint your wiper motor flat black and install it, spend a few bucks to have it restored even if the date code is off. It's one the first things you'll note when you open the hood.
If you want to run headers go ahead and do so, I wouldn't if it was my car but if you want them it isn't something that cuts the car up and most of these cars had them within the first year since new anyway.
Don't buy a $125 chinese aluminum radiator that won't last long anyway and can't bolt up to the correct fan shroud. Spend a few bucks more and get the correct one from Glen Ray, it's the second thing you see after you open the hood.
Polyglas tires look great and are correct but they cost a lot, buy some modern radials for probably less than half price, they're a wear item anyway and you can easily put on Polyglas some day in the future if you like.
Rad hoses, buy what fits from Rock Auto, you don't need them stamped with factory markings, use worm clamps as they won't stretch on you and spill all your coolant on the ground when you're out driving your car.
Other opinions may vary but you'll find your way.
This photo is of one of my last Challengers, There were some major "wrong" parts on it but it looked good and drove fine.

[Brads70]

I'd say it depends on your funds available and your goal for the car. It will cost you a LARGE to put everything back to stock, date codes and all.
Or you could just build a nice looking functioning driver and enjoy the car sooner and cheaper.
Depends on what you want? A 1:1 scale diecast that you fuss and worry about and never or rarely drive, or a nice driver that you could enjoy more as your not worried about every stone chip etc.... or having 250 K wrapped up in it.
I might be the wrong guy to ask about pedigree type cars though as I could car less about build sheets, date codes etc...  I bought a /6 car and drive the wheels out of it as often as I can.
Smiles per gallon sort of a thing. You can't see the date codes when your driving it!

[anlauto]

  YOU CAN DO IT  YOU CAN DO IT  YOU CAN DO IT 

How's that for motivation 

[torredcuda]

Depends on what you want? A 1:1 scale diecast that you fuss and worry about and never or rarely drive, or a nice driver that you could enjoy more as your not worried about every stone chip etc.... or having 250 K wrapped up in it.

with this. I am finally starting to restore my `70 road runner, it is a very low option 383, 727 car so will never be worth a ton of money - not that I care as I don`t plan on selling. I have the fender tag but no build sheet, I have the matching numbers engine but missing the transmission when I go it so I hunted down a correct part number case for it. My original plan was to a 98% original looking restoration adding an air grabber with a few Day Two mods but now I am leaning to building it more of how I want it and less "correct" . I am on the fence about adding other options such as Dust Trail and tail stripes and dressing it up a bit. It will never be a show winner and just built to drive and enjoy, If you want a show winner you need to get the correct parts but if you just want a nice driver I would get the major stuff correct but not sweat all the details and just enjoy it.

[E74cuda]

Some good advice here already. The important thing to me these days is to get the cars done. Just don't get to hung up on things that no one will even notice.

[moparroy]

I can relate! When I started my '74 Cuda project 25 years ago it was going to be just a quick refresh to make it safe - new suspension bushings, ball joints and brakes, some minor body work and away we go. Well then I got hit with the "proper restoration" bug and stripped out the first couple years work and stripped the whole car down to shell - sandblasted the whole thing etc. It is a numbers matching car after all.
But I knew even then I did not want to go "all original" - cause I wanted a little more performance out of the motor - was not hot on a white interior - liked the idea of using the X-Heads I got with it and more.
So the approach I have taken - and still at it 25 years later... is major stuff keep OE. The hardest decision on that for me was the paint - cause the car is a JY9 Tahitian Gold car (some will call it brown) - but I decided that is too hard to change back later so I went for it. Now that it is done no regrets - the pearls used to match the JY9 gold highlights from '74 look pretty sweet esp in the sun.
Engine block will look stock as will the rest of the drive line and suspension and brakes. Engine top end will not look stock at all and I will use headers cause I like. Interior will have a white head liner and upper trim to honor the original color but the seats and door panels (which are easily changed if you want to) will be black to cover up my grimy finger prints.
I was a little more fortunate in that much of the car was '74 when I got it - even the boxes full of basket case stuff. But I had to search for a few things - and there my approach is if I find it for a reasonable price I'll buy it - if not substitute. Good example of that was the fan shroud - could not believe it when I found an original matching part in good shape at Carlisle - but the price was border line on the high side of reasonable. In the end decided to go for it.
When I get done with it the ultimate sacrilege will be the TB EFI system I put on it - just cause I hate messing with carbs and carb engine warm ups!

[Cudajason]

Well...first off, do you have any pics of what you are working with, because 

Now, I am not a numbers or build sheet, factory correct guy, but for the right car, think factory FM3 TA or AAR, I could be swayed.  I certainly understand  the desire and craftmanship it takes to restore a car to that level...and dedication lots of dedication.  For a high dollar car, it makes sense, however, in most cases I assume the level of money to get a car to that level is a losing proposition.  Car restoration is not an investment, for most it is a hobby.  So yes you will likely see diminishing returns on the money you spend on the car to make it OE Correct with all date coded parts.

The practical approach to me would be to think about how you want to enjoy the car....if you want to drive it and enjoy it with you son (not sure how old he us), I personally would not give a damn bout date coded correct parts.

I would make it look the way you want, add the trim back on etc., put the hood you like on it etc.  Dana 60 sure if you can find one at a reasonable price, the right date code...who is going to look.  When the tires are smoking people are just going to be smiling anyway.

If you want it to look correct, use OE style parts, but don't worry about date codes.  Most people who that look at these cars could not tell you if it is the correct date codes anyway, hell I would not even know where to look!.  Those that can read the codes and do point it out to you should keep their traps shut and mind their own business!

Anyway that is my opinion, for what its worth.  Keep in mind what my car looks like...

[dodj]

You can put lots of 'incorrect' parts on there and get it on the road and fun to drive. If you still want to have original parts on there after you are driving it, buy them when a good deal shows up, install it and keep the 'incorrect' part for a good proven spare. It might save your ass someday.

[Cuda_mark]

With a car like the one you have, I think you should get it to the point where you can enjoy it and then drive it as much as possible. make a list of the things you want to make original and then just peck away at it. If you find the right part at the right price, do it but don't force yourself into having to make the car perfect to enjoy it. If, at the end of the day, you get to 50% of the things on your list, that's great. If not, you can still enjoy the car and it will always be a 1970 V code Cuda. That, in itself, is cool enough already.

I hear you on the 1970 specific parts. I am restoring a 1970 convertible and I like to keep the details correct. It is a little annoying when most stuff for a 70 is one year specific. I wasn't aware of how much of the car is one year only when I started it.

Bottom line is that you already bought the car. It's your. Enjoy it and make the upgrades when it is convenient for you. anyone who puts your car down for it not being 100% correct is probably just jealous!

[anlauto]

We have over 3500 members here, and if each one was to weigh in with their opinion, you'd end up with about 3000 different opinions.

YOU have to decide what YOU want. Period.

My only advice, which I tell all my customers up front, is to decide exactly what you want the "end goal" to be and work toward that and do not waiver. For example: If you end goal is a 100% OE restoration, then don't waste money buying old original parts because they are correct if the quality of them is not 100%. You want the car to look "NEW" when finished, then buy "NEW" parts. "I bought these side marker lights because they're original, yea I know they're pitted, broken stud, faded and cracked lenses...but I can make them look half decent..." That type thing is a waste of money, just buy the new licensed reproductions and save yourself the hassle. HOWEVER if your "end goal" is a decent driver, then you can get away with parts looking "decent"......but if you don't decide the "end goal" first, you could just end up wasting money over and over again.

My opinion on your car: You don't really know how lucky finding the broadcast sheet was, In the Mopar world, that's like one in a million, winning the lottery type stuff, it almost never happens.
Your car is VERY COOL, being a TX9 V-Code 1970 Cuda. HOWEVER, it's NOT a 4 speed, it's NOT an N96 shaker car, so therefore in the eyes of most collectors, it's certainly not the cream of the crop with it comes to V code E Bodies.
Fully restored to the broadcast sheet with nothing changed or added, your car is for sure a six figure car, maybe $125K-$145K properly restored.

To maximize the investment value, in my opinion, the only way to do the car is a 100 point nut and bolt resto back to the sheet. Any deviation from that will hurt the longevity of the value. Is your car the best candidate for that type thing ? Some would say yes, I would have a hard time making that decision without more detailed info about the car.

All that means the car will no longer be fun to drive....

So, in my opinion, you can make it a "decent driver", but don't get in the mindset that a driver carriers the same value as a 100% OE resto....and don't bother wasting money on absolute correct parts...

[70_440-6Cuda]

@anlauto, your reply is actually super helpful - the end goal is the part I am struggling with so your opinion and experience helps a lot.  I know ultimately I have to decide, but getting others' perspective is extremely helpful.  I am definitely not doing a 100% nut and bolt resto and am not worried as much about resale value as historical value - meaning am I doing the car justice in my restoration.  One thing that bothers me is when a car for sale is posted here and then all of the "incorrect" things are pointed out - I don't want to be that guy but that's a personal thing.

I am definitely restoring the car to the broadcast sheet specs, and am pretty close I think, but I really liked the point about the side marker lights - that was a big help in looking at things in a different way - exactly the type of response I was hoping for.

Plus I just enjoy hearing about others people's journey and how they approached their build

[torredcuda]

I would make it look the way you want, add the trim back on etc., put the hood you like on it etc.  Dana 60 sure if you can find one at a reasonable price, the right date code...who is going to look.  When the tires are smoking people are just going to be smiling anyway.

If you want it to look correct, use OE style parts, but don't worry about date codes.  Most people who that look at these cars could not tell you if it is the correct date codes anyway, hell I would not even know where to look!.  Those that can read the codes and do point it out to you should keep their traps shut and mind their own business!

I see a lot of "restored" cars at local shows where not only spectators but the judges think they are perfect. Now I am by no means an expert but when I notice things like GM style disc brake swaps, wrong engine, wrong carbs, cloned car and many other things on that vehicle it shows how many people don`t know what is correct. Unless you want to get into serious judging at major events most won`t even know it`s not factory OE perfect. I have the correct intake and exhaust manifolds, correct Holley carb and other parts to make my road runner look correct but haven`t bothered to do date coding on anything.

[Dmod1974]

My only advice is to do what you want; you'll be much happier in the long run. Anybody else's opinion on what you do to the car is irrelevant unless you're planning on flipping the car or having it as an investment, which for 99% of us is a losing proposition if you're not restoring the right car that doesn't need a ton of work, with the right parts, and doing all of the work yourself. And at the end of it all, it's only worth what someone will pay anyways. Build it how you see fit and enjoy it!

[70_440-6Cuda]

WOW!  Thanks everyone for the responses - more helpful than you can guess!

Let me give a little more background - my son is 13 and has the car disease as bad as I do - I have owned over 70 cars and motorcycles since I have been driving, and my wife always says "why do you always get a project to 90%, keep it for a year, finish it and sell it?" and the answer is for me, the fun is in the doing, not in the having.

I was originally looking for a '65 Mustang fastback to build with my son so he can do the occasional take it to high school on a Friday like my dad allowed me to do with his '40 ford street rod.  Then I decided to go back to the Mopars and wanted the '71 'Cuda.  When I found this my current car, it was basically the only thing that was not a basket case that I could afford so I pulled the trigger sight unseen and took a gamble.  Well, as it turns out, I have developed a passion for the '70 'Cuda over the '71 and I got ridiculously lucky to find the broadcast sheet and end up with a legit V code 'Cuda.

Also, the car is complete, running, 100% rust free except some pin holes in the trunk floor and fast as hell.  My son is excited to build it back to match the broadcast sheet, and it has been a blast talking about all the stuff we learn on here together.  I understand that factory may not be the nicest car to drive, but we are just around town cruising anyway.  The plan right now is to tear it down to the shell, repaint and reassemble.  It will be a driver quality restoration as I am not looking to recreate factory markings and all that.

All that being said, I am not a money is no object guy, but I want the car to be "right".  We are doing everything ourselves, including paint if possible.  I think the dilemma I am having is right vs. insanity!!! I tend to get over excited if I find a part and just pay the money because it seems impossible to find anything.

Pics of the car currently.... I have the original 6 barrel intake and carbs, and have the Dana 60 as well.  Wheels are from Tony's parts and in the end I will put the Polyglas on them.