70 Hemi Cuda

[704406]

Here's the story of my eventually getting the registration for the Hemi Cuda. Remember this is 1988 before the internet was a thing, you older guys will know what I'm talking about!

So after 4 months of negotiating with Murray, the owner of the Cuda I finally purchase it. He say's he has the "papers'. What he has is a 70 service manual and a file folder of the racing parts that were added to the Cuda, no ownership paper work. When I question him further he never had the registration as he got the Cuda from a friend and didn't care about the fact there was no registration. To describe Murray as an odd ball character is a huge understatement!

I go the the main motor vehicle office in Victoria BC  I took the fender tag with me so I could fill out the search request form for ownership. As I am writing the serial number onto the form an over zealous clerk grabs the fender tag and say's he must destroy it as I have illegally removed it. I'm over the counter yelling and threatening him when a coworker and a supervisor intervene. The supervisor recognizes the fender tag as being off a Chrysler product and reruns it to me undamaged. A search turns up no information on the Cuda, it's never been registered in BC. They give me a list of things I need to do to prove ownership and get it registered.

About a month later a fellow comes into my repair shop to get some work done on his truck, see's the Cuda in the corner and say's that it looks like the Cuda his uncle Stan used to own. How many Sox and Martin painted Cuda's are out there!
He calls his Mother and we quickly conclude it must be the same Cuda her brother bought new in Manitoba. She said her Mother was the beneficiary of her brothers estate and she might still have some documents about the Cuda as it arrived in Victoria BC in 1974 and she sold it later that year.

She calls me and say's her Mother still has a copy of Stan's will and legal paperwork from his estate listing the Cuda and the serial number and she will help me any way she can. I can't believe my good luck!

I had to call Manitoba motor vehicle to do a search for the registration for the Cuda, they do the archive search by hand thru the paper files and don't find anything relating to the Cuda. They do find a 69 Austin Healey and a 73 Plymouth in Stan's name.

Stan's sister confirms that the Healey was traded in on the Cuda and the 73 was the car he was fatally injured in.

Stan's Mother has to "sell" me the Cuda for 1 dollar to make it legal so I can get the Cuda in my name and get it registered for the first time!

[RzeroB]

That's a fascinating story!! Incredible stroke of good fortune that Stan's nephew chose your shop to walk into!! Personally I love hearing interesting back-stories like this. Thanks for posting!!