New to Mopars, but not muscle cars....just picked up a 1971 cuda originally 340, but came with a 426 hemi crate.....car will be a lot of work but appears to be relatively rust free. Will
See once back from blasting....
here is the inspiration
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Here is the current..
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Already dropped off at the restoration shop
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Wow! That is a great project for you first Mopar! Welcome to the site, lots of friendly help from some of the best around. :banana:
Welcome dbishop. You're a rare individual, not many people start with 71 Hemi Cuda!!
Welcome, talk about jumping in head first! it ain't easy in the Mopar world but it sure is fun when your cruising! Good luck
Welcome from Colorado, going to be a cool car
:welcome: :wave:
Welcome from B.C. Canada. You'll run into lots of questions, just ask away here. There will be somebody here with the proper answer to any queries.
Cool project :ohyeah:
Welcome from PA Looks like it was an AC car also.
Welcome from Georgetown Ontario. The car is likely worth more restored original with the 340. I would sell the Hemi and restore the car properly :alan2cents:
Welcome from northern Ontario. Love 71 Cuda's!
agree 1000% sell that hemi and get a 340.
It is your car , just build your dream , Alan is just being Alan
"Alan" is just sharing "his" opinion, like everybody else. :alan2cents:
Quote from: anlauto on June 29, 2018, 04:49:23 AM
The car is likely worth more restored original with the 340.
What is it with you and 340 cars? First it was a 340 Cuda would be worth more than a Cuda with a Hellcat engine, and now a 340 is worth more than one with a 426 Hemi. A '71 Cuda with a 426 Hemi will out sell any 340 Cuda everyday of the week.
IMO drop in that Hemi and drive the tires off of it! :banana:
It is Only worth anything IF you plan to sell & if someone steps up to buy it .
It can be worth a Lot more than $$ to an owner who never wants to sell it & & wants to have their dream car .
Life is not only about $$
I think the Hemi engine will increase the value of the car by about the same amount as the conversion will cost. I've done quite a few conversions and to be honest I won't do another one but I can see why people who have always wanted a HemiCuda want to do one. Ha, and if I want an honest opinion on something I would ask Alan, he will give you the straight goods (as most on here will of course).
The nice thing about a conversion is that it can be done without cutting anything (especially on a 26 inch rad A/C car) and this car could have a 340 back into it in a weekend if need be.
Appreciate the comments..
I see hemi clones in the 6 figures.....never seen a 340 priced that high.
It's about the hemi mystique....so not negotiable....although if I told you what I paid for car and hemi you'd probably wouldn't believe it, let's just say that it's in the neighborhood of the hemi crate engine alone...
Did I mention it's a factory fc7 car[emoji47] With fender tag data plate??
So plans are to restore but not concours.....not gonna detail every component like it came from factory.....I want a "brand new" hemi cuda with modern suspension feel, brakes, ac, but completely stock looking outside and interior
Bigger 4 wheel disk brakes, wheels/tires, slightly lower more aggressive stance, Hotchkis front suspension with qa1 crossmember and lower control arms, gear vendor overdrive with 727, fuel injection.
Goal is to leave it bolt on mods so if someone wants to restore it to its "former glory" then they can later
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can't wait to see progress pictures
That sounds like a great plan
Leaving the suspension essentially stock with upgrades is a good plan , many upgrades are really not upgrades .
Be careful with the brakes again many upgrades are not , often the simpler swaps work better than high $$ conversions , you have to be careful with rear disc calipers as they can interfere with the rear sway bar , there is a jeep swap & Dr Diff offers a good conversion too , you may need hydroboost to get enough pressure .
something simple like Tiberon seats can make the drive more comfortable but can be swapped back to stock in minutes also .
looking forward to the build :twothumbsup:
Nice thing about opinions...like assholes, everybody has one.... :drinkingbud:
Quote from: dbishop1113 on June 29, 2018, 10:21:03 AM
So plans are to restore but not concours.....not gonna detail every component like it came from factory.....I want a "brand new" hemi cuda with modern suspension feel, brakes, ac, but completely stock looking outside and interior
Bigger 4 wheel disk brakes, wheels/tires, slightly lower more aggressive stance, Hotchkis front suspension with qa1 crossmember and lower control arms, gear vendor overdrive with 727, fuel injection.
This is going to fun watching it come together! There are a lot of guys with experience running a lot of aftermarket parts, so good and some not so good, so feel free to ask questions of even PM some of us, me included!
Any good project starts with research and preparation....
What list of reference materials such as service manual, body asembly, torque specs, etc should I look at? Best place to get them from? Or do all the vendors sell the same thing?
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The factory service manual is an awesome resource but most of it is backed up here now .
Hotchkiss has great products , well balanced pkg with hollow sway bars & a lot of great parts that will bolt in without re-engineering the car .
Double adjustable shocks can make a huge difference , composite leaf springs are available also .
If you plan to go to larger 17/18" wheels the brakes can become bigger as well . A lot of handling gains are made just in the tires & wheels .
Another option for EFI is the Hemi 6 pack intake & the triple throttle body set up .
Maybe start a thread on your specific plans as this can get expensive fast and you dont want to do anything twice if you can prevent it.
Lots of experience on this site. Im not assuming you haven't done your research, its just nice to be 100% confidence you are making the best choices
:welcome: from Sylmar, CA
Dont forget to call me for elastomeric bumpers and shaker kit :1place:
Quote from: Chryco Psycho on June 29, 2018, 06:45:33 AM
It is your car , just build your dream , Alan is just being Alan
:iagree:
Quote from: anlauto on June 29, 2018, 01:58:56 PM
Nice thing about opinions...like assholes, everybody has one.... :drinkingbud:
I worked for a guy who had a saying. The asshole is perfect. It does everything that is asked of it in a spectacular way. Are you Perfect?
Hemi definitely has mystique, everyone knows the term.
340, huh what's that........
Quote from: dbishop1113 on June 29, 2018, 10:21:03 AM
Appreciate the comments..
I see hemi clones in the 6 figures.....never seen a 340 priced that high.
...
Convertibles or hardtops? Big difference there.
And were they seen in the last year? E-body Hemi clones have come down a lot. Sub $80K cars
Remember auctions are unique sales and often fake. So real private sales are a better gauge of a market.
Quote from: autoxcuda on June 30, 2018, 08:15:08 AM
Quote from: dbishop1113 on June 29, 2018, 10:21:03 AM
Appreciate the comments..
I see hemi clones in the 6 figures.....never seen a 340 priced that high.
...
Convertibles or hardtops? Big difference there.
And were they seen in the last year? E-body Hemi clones have come down a lot. Sub $80K cars
Remember auctions are unique sales and often fake. So real private sales are a better gauge of a market.
All hardtops....I couldn't find any hemi 70/71 under 90k for sale for last 3 months....all were 6 figures but 1
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Quote from: dbishop1113 on June 30, 2018, 08:25:35 AM
Quote from: autoxcuda on June 30, 2018, 08:15:08 AM
Quote from: dbishop1113 on June 29, 2018, 10:21:03 AM
Appreciate the comments..
I see hemi clones in the 6 figures.....never seen a 340 priced that high.
...
Convertibles or hardtops? Big difference there.
And were they seen in the last year? E-body Hemi clones have come down a lot. Sub $80K cars
Remember auctions are unique sales and often fake. So real private sales are a better gauge of a market.
All hardtops....I couldn't find any hemi 70/71 under 90k for sale for last 3 months....all were 6 figures but 1
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Asking and selling are two different things.Dealers or private sales?
70/71 Hemi Cuda is the best car to catch a newbie with money to overpay on. Dealers like RK will wait a year to hook a sucker. Buyer and consignor. Advertised vs actual sell price is miles apart. Makes buyer think he got a deal and he won't loose money in resale.
Bottom line is I don't plan on selling anytime soon, who knows where values will be in 10-20 years
I have a 50k budget for the build, not include ding what I paid for the car and hemi, hoping 18-24 month timeline, and in the end maybe I'll be upside down, maybe I won't, but i will have a "brand new" 1971 hemi cuda that should last way past my lifetime, the cool factor will be through the roof
And if it costs more than 50k to build, it's just money...I'll make more
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At home and at the shop, paid a visit today and laid out some plans...Hoping to have it at media blasting next week and in epoxy primer
Overall assessment so far has been positive, planning to put it up on the 4 post lift to start the chassis strengthening and bracing before media blasting.
I come from the mustang world and have several resources for frame measurements and data points......is there a source for such with these cars that I can access...looking to take measurements to see how square and true it is before starting the subframe connectors and door bracing for the rotisserie
Gonna take some of the stuff such as console, dash, seats, column to my house to start the refinishing/rebuilding process....gonna try to have that stuff ready to go when it comes back from paint so we aren't held up on it. Was looking at the legendary leather seat covers and currently they are on a 3 month backorder by the site I looked at...
I'll have more pics this week hopefully
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Yes there are frame reference specs I believe in the reference section here ... looking :huh:
Welcome to another Ford guy finally seeing the light :andyangel: :haha: :drinkingbud:
Quote from: anlauto on June 30, 2018, 07:46:13 PM
Welcome to another Ford guy finally seeing the light :andyangel: :haha: :drinkingbud:
I don't know about that....currently have a 1965 mustang fastback restomod build going simultaneously........yes, I'm nuts....
However that one I've owned for 13 years and is a rustbucket, it's currently in metalwork and getting $5,000 in sheetmetal and 10k in labor for metal work, it should be about 3-6 months behind the cuda.....but since the cuda is so dang expensive, I'm gonna have to do a lot of the mustang myself, such as the electrical, engine, trans, rear end, suspension, interior.....probably everything but the metal/body work and paint....
Here is the inspiration for the mustang...
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Must be nice :twothumbsup:
Are we talking about a nut & bolt "71 Hemi Cuda" Clone ? :notsure: Or just a " This is what i want my Hemi Cuda to look like " Conversion. :dunno:
Nut & Bolt... You Better Sharpen your pencil.
Quote from: GY3R/T on June 30, 2018, 08:06:34 PM
Are we talking about a nut & bolt "71 Hemi Cuda" Clone ? :notsure: Or just a " This is what i want my Hemi Cuda to look like " Conversion. :dunno:
Nut & Bolt... You Better Sharpen your pencil.
Definitely not but and bolt....like I said, will be fuel injected, aftermarket suspension, vintage air a/c, gear vendor overdrive...etc.
But stock outer appearance minus wheels, stock interior...but I won't be detailing each part concours style. Will repaint/refinish each piece so its a "new" car, but not factory correct. Sort of a stock appearing restomod
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50k is a solid chunk of change, but unless you have a painter who is very fair, you might have to do a lot more work than you are expecting as parts add to lots of $$$$ so fast. How much work does the hemi need from a financial perspective? I can tell you are passionate. Keep at it!
Oh, that mostly red fastback is a nice car!
Quote from: RUNCHARGER on June 30, 2018, 11:52:45 PM
Oh, that mostly red fastback is a nice car!
Agreed, I love my Challenger but would trade for that in a heartbeat!
Restomod Mustsngs are awesome, Elenor from the Gone in 60 Seconds remake has to be my dream car.
I just re-read this thread to see where the $50K number came from....
In my experience....32 years of restoring Mopars, over 30 E Bodies in that time frame.....I can tell you that you will have to work more to be able to bump that number up.
Coming from a Ford background where you can buy a pair of exterior door handles from Scott Drake for $35.00 or a radio antenna kit for $19......comparative parts for a 1971 Cuda will cost you $130 for door handles and $105 for an antenna kit...On average I spend about $24K on each car for the reproduction parts needed to fully restore an E Body
...and it doesn't stop there. Aftermarket parts such as AC conversion kits, front suspension kits, wheels, brakes etc...etc...etc... are all generally more expensive for a Mopar then a Chev or Ford.
Also, seeing the car's current condition, hopefully it came with everything because the missing parts are expensive.
Reading your list of wants....I'd say you're looking at a $100K plus to build. :alan2cents:
Listening to Alan is something you really need to consider. His experience and knowledge is well earned. We've never met, but but my experiences are similar. Yes, Hemis are way up on the cool factor so if thats what you have to have, then go for it. Just heed his advice. I have personal knowledge of two 71 hemi cuda clones that sold at the Mecum Dallas auction last year. I believe they both sold for less than $90,000. Both cars had well over 150,000 in each. I know the owner. Now I have worked and driven hemi Cudas, big blocks and 340 cars. With a iron hemi, get ready for front end heavy, no handling, and a very harsh riding car. My personal favorite is still my AAR. It drives so nice. Coming from the Mustang word, just get ready for sticker shock on parts. Don't fall to the idea of buying all the cheaply made Chinese reproduction parts like gauges. Send yours off to get them restored. It just adds up. Congrats on the buy. You did well on the buy. Most start out with a rust bucket and get in too deep on bodywork. Keep at it. It will be worth it in the end. There are a sea of Mustangs but not many can have a purple ebody!
I have already been pricing a lot of the parts. 50k is by no means a hard ceiling....more of a hope. Bottom line is there is no budget to get it done. The bill will be what it is..
I do plan on doing a lot of the restoration myself, in my previous career I was an automotive technician for over a decade, and very mechanically inclined, just have very little experience with "paint and body"
The shop where it's at is a relative who builds cars, longtime mopar guy.....his previous cars have body work/paint ranging from 12-15 k, so planning on that.
Once the mock-up/body work /paint stage is over, I will be tag teaming it with the shop to do a bunch to not only keep cost down but to play an intricate part of the restoration. I will build the rear end/driveline, suspension, a/c, interior
The hemi is complete pan to intake, has three dyno pulls on it and basically been on stand for a while, so I will most likely take it to machine shop for tear down, inspection, and probably just put new rings/bearings/seals etc in, but shouldn't need any extensive machine work.
Have a big block 727 and a gearvendor overdrive I picked up cheap from the seller.
I don't plan on selling either car in the next decade so we will see where prices land then. Reality is I plan on just adding to the stable......looking at a 70 Chevelle SS or a 69/70 gto next but
That one I keep telling myself will be a finished car.... no more major overhauls until these are completed.....of course we went to a July 4th car show yesterday and the wife tried to buy someone's car!!!
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Go for the GTO. Chevelles are thick as fleas on a dog.
First shipment of parts trickling in....up first is car tool stage 2 chassis strengthening
Subframe connectors, radiator support, inner fender braces, and torque boxes..
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Nice chassis strengthening is a nice upgrade. The only 2 really needed is the inner fender braces which is a pain to paint once its welded in and subframe connector. The rest seems just for show in my opinion
Will need both quarters, passenger side was beat up good with thick bondo, drivers had repair sectioned behind door that apparently got rehit and needs repair again, and lower rear section rust holes, would have to section 2 or 3 areas so easiest to replace.....overall not much surprises besides quarters
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There goes the budget :bigmoney: :'(
Quote from: anlauto on September 13, 2018, 04:07:59 PM
There goes the budget :bigmoney: :'(
Actually it only added $1500 over what I had already planned. Knew they needed attention but replacing makes more sense now...I'm happy....not really a budget, it'll take what it takes to get done
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In epoxy primer
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That's pretty much the same condition my '70 Cuda was in when I media blasted it. Also replaced rear quarters because the originals just needed to much work. Good luck and keep us posted.
Looking good , nice progress :twothumbsup:
That's the way all projects should start. :alan2cents:
Yup: When the final paint is on there will be no worry about what's still happening underneath.
Looking good!
looks like you are doing it right!