E-Bodies.org Cuda Challenger Forum

Background:

I started looking for a new project back in late 2015. I had completed - mostly anyway - my current restoration project; a 1969 Super Bee.

A number of my Mopar friends were restoring various E-bodies, mostly 1970 & 1971 vehicles, and I wanted to get in on the action. Plus, I'd never restored one and thought it would be a challenge (and a good idea to pick one up before I keeled over). Not really a "bucket list" item, but in a manner of speaking, somewhat.

I wanted to purchase the right car and I definitely wanted a BS23 (not that I have anything against other E-bodies).

Project:

I was a member of another Mopar-based website, and while looking through the "Projects for Sale" vehicles, I came across a 1970 'Cuda 383 car (pictured). It looked rough, but it had the doors, fenders and what looked to be all the sheet metal. The vehicle was located in MN, so I was concerned about rust.

After some difficult negotiations I was able to purchase it, almost sight unseen. The fellow emphatically stated that it was a real 1970 'Cuda and that it had the correct fender tag in the vehicle.

The Good:

1. Real 1970 'Cuda (VIN matches the Fender Tag)
2. Fender Tag was present
3. Frame rails were solid (surface rust only)
4. Original numbers-matching engine was present
5. Most of the original sheet metal (sans the quarter panels)

The Not-So-Good:

1. No title (I didn't know it at the time ...)
2. Engine is seized
3. Missing transmission
4. Quarters were replaced
5. Most of the interior was missing
6. Missing bolts and a whole lot of other items, mostly inconvenient items

Through a whole lot of money and hassles, I was able to obtain a good, clean CA title. (I know now a whole lot cheaper and of course legal way of getting a title, but at least I have one.)

What you see here is the starting point. I'm posting a few pics for reference.

I want to perform a rotisserie restoration during the next three to five years. I'm creating a budget (that's laughable, right?), with timelines and deliverables.

Right now I'm looking for a few pieces (hood) before the final disassembly and shipment off to the media blaster and then to the body restoration shop/painter.

More to follow...

Looks like you've got an excellent starting point! Keep us posted on progress. Lots of good help on this site.  :toast:

Looks like a great project and you have already solved the hardest part.  The clean title!  Having a numbers matching engine is super cool!

I know where there was a 1970 Cuda Ralley hood.  Really clean.  1970 had the smaller bolts where the hinges mount up plus no crumple zones.  I think they wanted $400 for it.  I could try to find their number if you want?  They are up here in Portland.  I might be able to bring it down to Fall Fling or something like that?  Can't promise, but it seems like I get to LA at least once a year or two.   :idea:

Hi Cody - Yes, if you could obtain the number for me that'd be great. (I thought I had a lead on a 1970 hood at Fall Fling, but couldn't reach the fellow by phone.)

My hood actually does have the crumple zones on it, but as you can see from my Fender Tag, it's a March 1970 car, which seems early to have that type of hood on the vehicle. And I'm almost certain it's the original hood. It still has red paint on the hood under the hood latch and the other places. Of course, it could have been hit in the front and repainted too.

A21 car  :veryexcited:

Is that V1X on there twice or is that V?X

Tom

Also, if I'm reading it right.  V5W on and FE5 car with V1X top.  That's going to look really neat!

Good find on the body w/#s motor.  Hope the block turns out ok.  You'll have a nice one when done.  :congrats:

Tom

The Vinyl top on LA built E-Bodies is always listed twice.   Not sure why, but just something they did.

Quote from: fc7cuda on January 11, 2017, 01:21:23 PM
A21 car  :veryexcited:

Is that V1X on there twice or is that V?X

Tom

@1970Cuda (http://forum.e-bodies.org/index.php?action=profile;u=26)  Sent you the guys name and phone number of the guy that has the hood.  His name is Karl.

Quote from: Cuda Cody on January 11, 2017, 02:33:06 PM
The Vinyl top on LA built E-Bodies is always listed twice.   Not sure why, but just something they did.


Is that V1X on there twice or is that V?X

Tom

[/quote]

Yeah, I'd read that before.  Just hoping someone knew why?? :thinking:. 

Nice project.  Keep us posted on your progress. :bigthumb:

So I've be AWOL on my restoration project for a while, due to other commitments (namely work).

But it's not like I've been totally neglecting my project. I've been taking assessment on what's needed, making lists and budgets. All the fun stuff.

I've also been having items media blasted and then having them clear-zinc coated. The black oxide I'll do myself, thanks to Cuda Cody's video. So for those, I've just had them media treated and then will wire wheel them and then into their "bath."

Here's a couple of pictures of my latest work. Not as much as need to really move the project forward, but at least I'm not totally stalled out!

I still need to find a good restoration shop to perform the body work. It's been a struggle as leads keep drying up and there are too many negatives on the shop to move forward.

Oh, and because I'm doing a rotisserie, I'm looking to go in with a friend to buy one used. Or, if anyone knows of a manufacture that has a reall slick one, please pass it along to me.

I appreciate the feedback everyone!

Regards, 1970Cuda

Thanks for checking in buddy and giving us an update on your project.  Wish I knew someone to refer you to for the body work.   :sorry: 

Nice job on the small parts so far!   :banana:

Even doing small components moves things forward.

A quick project update:

I made a mid-year "New Year's Resolution" - To work on my project for at least 4 -6 hours per week.

The good news is that I've been doing well on this resolution, and made considerable progress.

1. Purchased from one of members on this site both a much-needed performance hood and scoops/bezels (excellent price and quality I might add).

2. Acquired a Whirly Jig from my friend who's never used it to assist in my rotisserie project (attempting to register it now). (I need to purchase wheels for it in order for me to flatbed the 'Cuda over to the media blaster. Plus I need to purchase the instructions on how to assemble it w/o hurting myself or my project!)

3. Found my painter and body craftsman.

4. Pulled off most of the stainless (drip rails, roof rail molding, etc.), except for the front windshield and rear window stainless. Removed the last of the interior pieces and now finishing both the rear removal and, once one the jig, the front K-member and suspension. (I'm not sure if the jig can support that much weight, but I'll ask the folks first at Whirly Jig.)

Q: So, I'm a neophyte when it comes to removing stainless, and I don't know where to start to remove the front and rear stainless on the windows. So any tips on this would be appreciated. (The service manual is totally useless ... )

Here's a couple of pictures ... look at the original paint under the original Vinyl top. The FE5 looks brand new! And no rust.

When I finally get the 'Cuda on the jig, I'll post that too! - 1970Cuda

Thanks for the update @1970Cuda (https://forum.e-bodies.org/mlist/1970cuda_26)   :twothumbsup:  Things will start to go fast once you get the car on the rotisserie. 

As for removing the trim, most guys make their own little tool like the one in this photo.  There's clips that you release be sliding it under the trim.  After you do the first one or two you'll get it down and it will go quick.  Found this video, but it's not for a cuda.  It will give you a little idea of what you're looking for.

Looks like you're making good progress.   :)  You might try getting some window clips and seeing how they clip in.  Once you see the clip in person you might better understand how the trim clips in and clip out.

Quote from: 1970Cuda on June 26, 2017, 04:38:15 PM
Hi Cody - As I mentioned in my PM to you, I really appreciate the technical assistance on removing the trim. (I tried my new trim removal "tool," but it's still not correct. Part of the enjoyment of the hobby is learning new skills.)

When you get ready to remove your glass, a B string for an acoustic guitar works great. Poke it thru, tie a wood handle on each end and saw through the sealant. Takes two people but shouldn't take long.

A quick update ...

So, based on Cody's great tool suggestions, I was able to build my own and remove the front windshield and back window stainless moldings.

Also removed the door window regulators and windows/tracks, and the door latch. Question on re-installation of the door components. The order seems to be:

1. Install the door latch mechanisms.
2. Install the regulator.
3. Install tracks along with the window.
4. Install the stops, felts, etc.
5. Install the weather strip, etc.

If someone has a suggestion for another order, would you please post that for me? Thx.

Removing the quarter windows this week and regulators there too. Oh and the back glass too. That's the last that needs to be removed. 

I hate to have to replace my guitar B string (High E, B, G, D, A, Low E), to remove a window. I think I'm going to replace the glass with tinted anyway. Does someone make the rear glass tinted or is that really necessary to replace it with tinted if the rest is replaced, or would it look weird to leave it clear?

Very soon, the 'Cuda is going to the soda blaster, washer and then copper rust removal. I'll post a new picture when it's on the flatbed.

Thanks for your posts and great feedback ...

Here's a tread on installing the door windows, etc.  https://forum.e-bodies.org/body-shop/5/cuda-door-and-side-window-replacement/371/

Latest Update:

First, I want to say thanks to "USRAPTOR" for providing me with the link for the door glass window assembly/removal. I was able to remove everything successfully. One of my ideas is to replace the glass with tinted glass all around. I'm not there at all yet, but the photos were very helpful.

Second, and some good news here, I finally had my 'Cuda moved over to Cal Blast in So. Cal. (soda/paint removal and a copper-medium rust and bondo removal). Should take approximately two to three weeks to complete.

I'm posting a few pictures to show the latest progress report.

On another topic, my body craftsman spoke to me about paint and bodywork quality. My goal is to take the car to a No. 2 condition. On the paint, he's suggesting that I use water based paint vs. solvent (both two-stage of course). Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. (I personally am leaning toward PPG solvent based, but I'm staying open minded).

Now comes the chore of cleaning and fixing and re-anodizing all the parts. The tedious work (LOL)!

More to come and thanks for the feedback.

Water base and solvent base each have their advantages.  Solvent based is going to give you a larger palette with more vivid colors.  The downside to solvent is it is very sensitive to number of layers (coats), overlap and metallic's flopping.  Water base on the other hand is super stable and very easy to match.  The metallic's stay suspended in water base and are much easier to spray.  Any repair work is very easy to match with water base too.  As long as you have the water base paint code you can pretty much get a perfect match anytime.  The downside water base is it's hard to get vivid colors and sometimes can not come very close to matching the vivid old school colors.  So it really depends on the color you are shooting.  Have you painter to some test spray outs in each and you should be able to find the one you like best.   :alan2cents:

Hey Cody, great feedback. I'm not overly familiar with water based paints and I know you paint your own cars, so I trust your opinion. I'm going to take your suggestion and test both of them. Might cost me a little, but I'd rather make a good choice than be disappointed with the outcome.

I knew that solvent based tended to fade quicker over time and that water based were more stable. My painter did give me the skinny on both paints, but I wanted to also do some independent research too. As all my cars are garaged most of their life, so I'm thinking that fading would be reduced. I'm still leaning towards solvent based, but I think I'll take the guess work out of it and see how "vivid" each type is before I choose.

Thx again for the suggestion.

Another short update ... body is at repair artisan.

The 'Cuda just came back from the soda/copper slag blaster (Cal Blast, Upland, CA). Much of the body shell was good except the normal problem areas, re: inner fenders, quarter panels, trunk and extension. Looks to be quite typical rust and corrosion. Fortunately, the front/rear windows areas don't have corrosion, nor do the doors, frame rails, etc.

I already have my list for Roseville Moparts for the sheet metal, and hopefully Dave can steer me in the right direction on these.
Below are a couple of photos. The hood, doors, back/front valance are all sealed. We're sealing the body today.

Still deciding on whether to paint it with solvent or water-based PPG. I'm still leaning towards solvent.

Exciting to see progress being made!

Thanks for sharing the photos.  It's a super exciting time right now.   :banana:  The has just begun.

Good progress: It's on now!

Now the fun starts.     Body work and restoring all the various parts, etc.   :twothumbsup: Your car looks really familiar to what mine did like a few years back. Boy am I glad I'm past that point.  Well I still restoring a few things, but the paint, body work and interior are basically done. 

@1970Cuda (https://forum.e-bodies.org/mlist/1970cuda_26) 

Any updates on your progress?

Happy New Years! 

Quote from: Morty426 on November 10, 2018, 12:03:32 AM
He said sweeps not seeps.

I think he means you need to check your cat whiskers and how the mount to the quarter. 

If you are putting a vinyl top on it you need to have a stud gun as the clips for the trim go on studs

Are you sure about this in 1970 ? 1971-74 yes, but 70 I don't think so... :alan2cents:

Quote from: anlauto on November 10, 2018, 04:25:24 AM

Quote from: Morty426 on November 10, 2018, 12:03:32 AM
He said sweeps not seeps.

I think he means you need to check your cat whiskers and how the mount to the quarter. 

If you are putting a vinyl top on it you need to have a stud gun as the clips for the trim go on studs

Are you sure about this in 1970 ? 1971-74 yes, but 70 I don't think so... :alan2cents:

Darn I'll have to double check when I get home  :-[

Quote from: anlauto on November 10, 2018, 04:25:24 AM

Quote from: Morty426 on November 10, 2018, 12:03:32 AM
He said sweeps not seeps.

I think he means you need to check your cat whiskers and how the mount to the quarter. 

If you are putting a vinyl top on it you need to have a stud gun as the clips for the trim go on studs

Are you sure about this in 1970 ? 1971-74 yes, but 70 I don't think so... :alan2cents:

:iagree:

1970 are holes for the screws and 71 to 74 studs for the clips.

@1970Cuda (https://forum.e-bodies.org/mlist/1970cuda_26)

Just making sure you got the info above.   :ohyeah:

[quote author

Quote from: 1970Cuda on November 10, 2018, 03:09:05 PM
Yeah, they're definitely a spring clip with a stud and screw-on back. I bagged and tagged everything I took off. Unfortunately a lot of the car was apart when received. I'm hoping someone reproduces the clips because mine need replacement. (See pic.)

[/quote]

Are you sure about this in 1970 ? 1971-74 yes, but 70 I don't think so... :alan2cents:
[/quote]

Yep 1970.  I had to put those in my '70 'Cuda with a vinyl top.  Much easier to fasten if the back seat and package tray are out of the car.  It can be done from the trunk if you are a contortionist.
:iagree:

1970 are holes for the screws and 71 to 74 studs for the clips.
[/quote]

A quick update on the '70 'Cuda build ... so my body craftsman/painter had me pick up most of the painted sheet metal today for safe storage away from his shop. Below is the picture. I'll take a few more in the next week or so.

One question we had was about the fenders and what the factory used to protect the underside of them (from rocks and other debris being picked up from the tires). I don't want to dent my nice refurbished fenders from the underside.

I've got most of suspension finished, but I still need to research all the paint daubs, numbers, etc., to make it look more factory correct. I took tons of pictures, but most of the original markings that I could see were long faded/gone. I've seen some great builds on here and they're really an inspiration to kick up my game on my restoration.

Thanks for all your feedback and comments.

Looking good!

Quote from: 1970Cuda on January 26, 2019, 10:02:49 PM
A quick update on the '70 'Cuda build ... so my body craftsman/painter had me pick up most of the painted sheet metal today for safe storage away from his shop. Below is the picture. I'll take a few more in the next week or so.

One question we had was about the fenders and what the factory used to protect the underside of them (from rocks and other debris being picked up from the tires). I don't want to dent my nice refurbished fenders from the underside.

I've got most of suspension finished, but I still need to research all the paint daubs, numbers, etc., to make it look more factory correct. I took tons of pictures, but most of the original markings that I could see were long faded/gone. I've seen some great builds on here and they're really an inspiration to kick up my game on my restoration.

Thanks for all your feedback and comments.

The factory undercoated the wheel well area after they bolted in the plastic shields. 

I'm surprized a body shop wouldn't bolt all that back on for you. It would be easier for them, then fixing paint chips later. :alan2cents:

That's what I was thinking. Lots of stress coming up.

First, thanks information on how the factory undercoated the fenders. I looked at one of my loose fenders that I had at the house and I can see what you're stating. Interesting assembly decision.

Second, yes, I agree on the assembly concerns/suggestions. His shop is pretty small, and since the unibody is now on the Whirly Jig, there's not much room for my parts and his other paying customer's cars. Once the body is painted, he's going to assemble it at my residence. Not my favorite idea, but we'll see if it works out that way.

Unfortunately, I think I have a larger issue on my hands – my car is Rallye Red (FE5), but it definitely looks more like an EV2 (Tor-Red) on the parts. Before the car is painted I definitely want to see what's going on. I need to ask what paint code he used. Fortunately (if I can say that), the fenders, hood and other piece parts can be re-shot. Ugh, talk about a headache.

Man, I really hope you are wrong about the color.  Looks great to me, but I was wondering if it was red or orange myself.  Get it out in the sun and take some pics.

If he's assembling it then that's all on him.

The paint code may not help , I have had 6 different paint companies mix FC7 & they were all very different & none matched the original paint behind the master cylinder on the firewall so even with the correct code the paint mix can be out to lunch .

Looks like FE5 to me  :dunno:

Quote from: anlauto on January 28, 2019, 04:04:36 AM
Looks like FE5 to me  :dunno:

Looks FE5 to me too

Quote from: 1970Cuda on January 27, 2019, 07:11:54 PM
First, thanks information on how the factory undercoated the fenders. I looked at one of my loose fenders that I had at the house and I can see what you're stating. Interesting assembly decision.

Second, yes, I agree on the assembly concerns/suggestions. His shop is pretty small, and since the unibody is now on the Whirly Jig, there's not much room for my parts and his other paying customer's cars. Once the body is painted, he's going to assemble it at my residence. Not my favorite idea, but we'll see if it works out that way.

Unfortunately, I think I have a larger issue on my hands – my car is Rallye Red (FE5), but it definitely looks more like an EV2 (Tor-Red) on the parts. Before the car is painted I definitely want to see what's going on. I need to ask what paint code he used. Fortunately (if I can say that), the fenders, hood and other piece parts can be re-shot. Ugh, talk about a headache.

Ouch!   :(

Thanks for all the great feedback and comments. (Ouch is right; not to mention the time loss.)

I agree that the picture I uploaded—under the florescent lights and the only picture I saw after the parts were painted—it looks like Rallye Red. But when I picked up the parts this past Saturday and saw them in sunlight, it looked much more orange than red. (I'll take a picture of it in the sun and upload it.) It's much closer to EV2 and has a lot more orange in it.

And I have heard that just because a paint code is used doesn't mean to much, because of all the variations in paint companies (as Chryco Psycho mentions).

What I need to do is get with the painter and see what he actually ordered. Whether it was the correct code or not. At least from there I can make an informed decision.

When I spoke to my friend who used to paint cars, he said his shop only painted a part or two and had the customer sign off on the color before everything was painted. I probably should have done better research on the correct protocol. I'm just glad the car isn't painted yet.

Here's a picture of the original enamel factory paint (under the original vinyl top). It was in surprisingly good shape. This is the paint that I wanted ...  and he did receive the car before the 'Cuda was copper slag stripped.

EV2 is a orange paint with gold metallic ....looks nothing close to the pictures you posted, however I agree it's hard to tell from photos on the internet.

I think you'll drive yourself crazy trying to exactly match 49 year old single stage paint with the new base/clear that's available. As mentioned, every manufacture of paint will have a different outcome for FE5 not to mention the base colour affects the finished colour as well.

I think you got a nice bright red and it looks great....I think it's weirder that they are painting the car separate from the panels...a car should be painted altogether at the same time with the same mixed paint, not as important with a solid colour, but still will make a difference from panel to panel.

I understand and I did check with the shop owner on the paint and had him send me a picture of label of what was purchased (posting the pic just for completeness). It's FE5 so ... I guess I received a great tutorial on paint and all the variations that can occur with formulas, mixing, etc. Next time I'll be a little more intelligent.

Again, appreciate all the knowledge of everyone on this forum.  :cheers:

Looks like they used shop line which, IMO, is not as vibrant as their other line. 

I agree with Alan that the whole car should be painted at one time. 

I think it will turn fine color wise. 

How's the progress coming along?

So I wanted to provide a short progress update to everyone.

I've completed most of the front suspension. I've decided to go with disc brakes instead of the drums (front of course). And I've also decided to go "larger" on the torsion bars too (in case I decided to go larger on the CIDs in the future I won't need to make major changes there. Otherwise, I'm keeping it as stock as possible.

I also have been anodizing all the hardware for the vehicle, which I think adds some panache to it and also makes it look more factory correct.

Below are the front suspension pictures, but I'll post some of the rear too.

I'm going to also put on the factory paint daubs (if possible), but I just need to locate the appropriate literature to make it happen.

Thanks for taking the time to look. Comments and feedback are always welcome. Hope everyone's project are coming along as well. 

Nice work. If you're adding factory disc brakes then your spindles are on backwards. The caliper should hang off the front  :alan2cents:

Darn, and I even checked the manual and it seemed to be hanging from the rear and not the front. Fortunately it's an easy fix and thanks for letting me know. It's my first installation of them so no doubt I'll make some mistakes.

Including a picture of my rear suspension and axle assembly.

Very nice. I have been quietly following.

Just found your project thread.  Very nice car!  Im working on a FE5 70 Cuda as well.

In regards to the paint, I just sprayed some paint I had mixed to the paint code and its definately different than the original paint on the car.  I am a little bummed as I didn't paint the entire car was hoping to have it match better.  I am going to try and spend some extra time buffing the paint next to the area I sprayed to see if that makes it any better.  We'll see. 

Wayne: Good luck on your project and your color matching. Keep me updated so that we can compare notes.

Two minute ticker on project update:

So I finally finished my suspension updates and corrections on the spindles (thanks again for letting me know anlauto).

Here's a couple of pictures I took over the weekend with it final settled back to earth.

Also, even though my 'Cuda came originally with a vinyl top, I've decided not to replace it. I figure that if someone else wants to put in on great, and it can always be done after the fact and it probably won't detract from the appeal of the vehicle.

Next step is to finish painting the chassis and get it back to it's stable where it belongs.

So another short update:

My car is finally sporting its new Rallye Red (FE5) paint, and I'm somewhat relieved that it's more red than orange.

We are planning on returning the car to my residence next weekend (4/11/20), where all the parts that I've been amassing are ready to be installed. The fenders, doors, trunk lid, etc., are here and we are hoping to have all that at least roughly fitted on Saturday. It could be a long day! Below are some pictures of the new paint.

One thing I did noticed is that the back panel is painted gloss black instead of flat black. Q: It seems that it's painted in texture of some kind on original cars. Does anyone know if that's true or what type of paint is used? (Thanks for your information.)

So progress is being made. Good luck to everyone on your restorations.

Man do I love FE5!  Paint looks great, so bright.  Your making great progress.   :banana:

Red is like green or brown, it looks great when shiny not as good when weathered. That tail panel should be painted organisol black, organisol is a textured semi flat black paint with a slight bit of metallic in it. Not wrinkle black but textured black.

 :iagree:

Quote from: RUNCHARGER on April 06, 2020, 08:14:56 AM
Red is like green or brown, it looks great when shiny not as good when weathered. That tail panel should be painted organisol black, organisol is a textured semi flat black paint with a slight bit of metallic in it. Not wrinkle black but textured black.

In the old days I agree about the paint weathering quickly.  However, with today's modern two stage paints I don't think that will be a issue.  Especially, since our cars are not daily drivers and left outside for any length of time.  Another alternative for the tail panel which is very close to the original is "hot rod black."  That's what my painter used and IMHO it looks like the stock color. I'll admit when he was first painted it I was concerned that it was glossy, but he assured me it would "flatten" when it dried and he was correct. I know the picture isn't the best (It's 50 years old) but for comparison purposes the last picture is of my original 1970 Cuda's rear tail panel.

Hi everyone,

Great information and really appreciate all the positive comments and feedback! I think you're right on the new paints being so much better than the older ones. Plus, since this is garage kept I think fading will be minimal.

I'll pass along to my painter the information on the Organisol black paint. Sure wish I would have mentioned it to him earlier. But at least it can be corrected. But it really makes the rest of the paint "pop" with the textured finish.

I'm very pleased how it turned out and most importantly, it's coming home so that I can start reassembling it.
I'll keep this thread posted as I work through the kinks on the restoration.

Thanks! And best wishes to everyone out there on their projects.

Coming along very nicely indeed. Glad you wound up liking the paint color.  Looks great. 
Are those the wheels that will end up on the car when done?  What size are those Hoosiers?  I like em!  And what size rims?  Are you going to run dog dishes?  If so, I think thats going to look totally bad ass. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hey thanks for the positive feedback.

On the wheels, I actually am going to run a set of four, original (and I believe optional) 15"X 7" Rallye wheels. My friend picked them up at a local swap meet and I purchased them a few years back (not cheap).

I'm debating on the wheels and tires, as I'd either like to run a new set of Hoosiers on the Rallye wheels.

Or I might possibly run a set of Goodyear Eagle front runners on Fenton (Gyros) (3.5" X 15") and rears (15" X 7"). I still need to find the rear Fenton wheels. (If anyone knows of a set of rears, please let me know.)

First things first though, I need to get further along on the restoration. This is the fun part of the restoration; putting it back together.

This is the original PPH lacquer organisol I sprayed on my HemiCuda when you could still get the paint. Not a great photo but it's the best one I have.

Wow, that's a great looking tail light panel on your '70 'Cuda. I wonder how the PPG new Organisol looks compared to the lacquer? I'm thinking it still looks pretty good. I went ahead (since I'm so deep into the project anyway) and purchased a quart of it that my body craftsman is going to shoot for me. I bought too much, but I have a few buddies who will need it in the future, and I've heard it will keep for a long time.

I like the matte finish, which looks nice; however, I think the texture will look good too. Thanks to all for sharing their pictures.

So yesterday I received the Organisol paint (quart, not rattle can), and my painter applied it already. It looks a lot more factory correct and I think turned out really nice. I wanted to update my thread.

Below are the pictures.

 :iagree: :perfect10: :bigthumb:

Looking great.

That looks real nice ! :twothumbsup:

Progress Report: Just got the doors on. Beginning to look like a real car ... needs fenders on it though.

 :inlove:

I know that feeling when all you have left is installing the front fenders.  It's really nice to see a complete car, at least on the outside.  :twothumbsup:

FYI, The black on the tail panel should extend down to mist over the portion that the bumper mounts on. That way when the rear bumper is on the car you don't see body color between it and the black out.

Hi folks,

I have been remiss in providing an update on my project build – although the restoration has been coming along, albeit slower than expected.
I am just posting one scant picture of the driver's side door with the window glass installed and the doors mostly together (except for the weather stripping).

The thread on reassembling the doors (door handles, locks, rods, etc.) and regulators/tracks/guides/stops was invaluable. Even though I have a shop manual, it really helps to read about others' experiences and suggestions for faster and less hassle-free reassembly. (As an anecdote, I tried it both ways – installing the glass first and then the latches and locks, etc., and vice verse; I think it's easier and had a better outcome when I did the later, as the manual indicates is the order.)

I am installing tinted glass, mostly because I need to replace all my glass anyway and it looks better and should stay somewhat cooler. I installed used door glass as a trial run in case I broke one or something happened. Turned out OK, and I learned a ton about the doors. (I just need to adjust them and put on the strikers.)

Q: Has anyone used the new AMD glass? If anyone has other suggestions, I'm always open to other ideas too.

Next I'm working on the brakes and getting those finalized (since this was mostly done anyway). And then circling back to the correct assembly sequence of the trunk weather strip and adjustment (since I also saw this on e-bodies.org).

Hopefully everyone's projects are coming along too.

Hi All,

Since August 2020, I have not been able to work on my project (as I had shoulder surgery around mid-month and was recovering from it 'till now). However, I now have partial clearance to work on my hobbies, so I dived back into it during December 2020.

What I've been working on to date:

1.   Completed the rebuilding of the 4-speed and brake assy (see suggestions below)
2.   Completed the installation of brake lines, front to rear and engine compartment
3.   Completed the cleaning and painting/installation of the windshield wiper arms and pivot gaskets
4.   Completed the final touches on the doors (except alignment and striker placement)

Attached are a few pictures for reference. (Thanks to both McKellar's Modified Rides and Roseville Moparts for parts assistance.)

Suggestion: I purchased both the stock needle bearings and also the National needle bearings for the clutch (B-88), and the Nationals are far better than the standard factory ones, at least from my perspective. (The Nationals are US made and also have an actual bearing carrier vs. the standard OE version, which merely has the needle bearings held in place by a crimp seal on the bearing.)

Next on the agenda is completing the axle lines, installing the fuel line and return line and then the tank.

Hope ya'alls projects are coming along too.  :^)

Looking good! :banana:  I love the way that red paint pops!  :twothumbsup:

Hey thanks for the compliment – I am a big fan of the Rallye Red. What is interesting is it seems that it has more orange in it then red, as perhaps the base color is orange? I noticed in the bright sun it looks much more orange then when it is in the shade.

Converting ECS system to Federal Standard:

I have a question though on a different subject: Converting the CA fuel vent system (Evaporation Control System) over to the Federal standard. My car came with the ECS system, but I want to use the simpler Federal system. As well, I am missing some of the ECS components, and no one reproduces those, so if I want it running, then I need to convert it anyway.

Is it possible for one of my fellow enthusiast out there post a picture of the fuel tank, filler neck and return line please (just in the trunk and tank area)? I bought the tank with the one vent tube, but not sure about the filler neck (mine has no vent) or the vent tube placement (including the one in the trunk if possible). Here is a picture of what I have so far. I have not installed the vent tube, but I know that it runs alongside the fuel line the length of the car, but is routed differently under the trunk pan. (I have read and reread the shop manual, but It is not very clear). Thanks much for your assistance.

I see you haven't had any responses to your question.  Do you still need  pics or did you figure it out.  I can snap some pics tomorrow of my '70 if you still need them.  PM if you still need the pics.

Here you go. My fill tube does not have any vents attached to it.  First pic is of the vent assembly in the passenger side of trunk.  Second pic shows the vent assembly running up turning around and then going through the plate in the floor.  Third pic is of the nipple on the pass side of gas tank and the rubber gas line that I connected to it..  Third pic is of that rubber tube and metal vent tube going through the hole in the frame rail.  Last pic shows the bottom of the vent assembly that is shown in first pic.  Let me know if you need any additional pics or explanations.  Sorry for the late response we finally got a day with temps over 60 here in Utah and my son and I took advantage of it and were gone all day on a motorcycle ride and just got home.  I went out and quickly took these pics and then naturally my internet acted up and wouldn't let me post anything for an hour!  :verymad: :pullinghair:  Good luck.  :twothumbsup:  I hope these help and answer your questions

Evening USRAPTOR - Many thanks for both the pictures and explanation! I think I have it now. I did have one other question now that I see your installation: The larger vent tube, the one that I believe is 5/16"  (that runs through the frame rail hole). It doesn't attach to anything, it that correct? I vents to the air?

And it was I who had the late response to your offer of assistance. I didn't get a chance to look at the site (darn work always getting in the way of more important things - LOL).

What was weird is that the kit I bought actually had another line (I'll post a picture tomorrow), sort of like an "S," that I had no idea where it went. It's probably for a later vehicle, like a '72.

When I see your installation, it's pretty straightforward. Again, thank you for the information!

All your missing now is the vapor line clip, I got mine from Mike at BEA Parts.

70Cuda, here's a few pics of my 70 challenger's tank vent.

"   It doesn't attach to anything, it that correct? I vents to the air?   "

My car vents INTO the frame rail (attached pic of pink car not my car, don't have a pic of mine), rest of white car are my may 70 LA built car with fed emissions (not calif as your's was). Hope it is some help to you.

Update: after reading your response above it appears Usraptor has the pics you need as my car vents FROM the filler neck and your's will be venting from the nipple on the tank. However it appears they both vent into the hole in the rear frame rail.  jess

None of these pictures are correct :alan2cents:

Yes, the larger vent tube just vents to the air inside the frame rail. 
Alan, not sure what you mean about all the pics being incorrect?  Please explain.

The pictures of the white car look correct....I was referring to the underside pictures.
Pictures of the pink car....that tube should be inside the frame rail.
Pictures of the black car....missing the steel "S" tube that goes through the frame...shouldn't have a long rubber hose like it does.
R/T Specialties sells the clip for the 70 Cuda set-up :bigthumb:

Alan, so on the black car, mine, a "S" tube connects to the gas tank nipple and then to the bottom of the vent tubing.  I assume the connections are made by a rubber hose?

Quote from: usraptor on March 07, 2021, 10:36:28 AM
Alan, so on the black car, mine, a "S" tube connects to the gas tank nipple and then to the bottom of the vent tubing.  I assume the connections are made by a rubber hose?

Maybe I'm wrong, but it looks like you're missing the "S" tube altogether. You appear to have a rubber hose passing through the frame which is not correct  :dunno:

Hi Alan and USRAPTOR,

So the kit that I purchased (as few years ago) is for a 1970 - 1971 E-Body (wish I would have bought stainless, but that's another story), and it has all the components that Alan is showing.

The vent line that goes into the frame rail is 5/16" (I measured it), and the second, smaller line is 1/4" as is the "S" line is also 1/4". I do not think (surmising here) that the factory would go from a larger line to a smaller one (vice verse) as I don't recall anywhere that this has occurred before. I need to put in the tank first to see exactly where the "S" line goes, but it does seem to fit nicely (and snugly) into the frame slot. Also, the "S" line is bent up on one side and down on the other, it sure would seem that it connects to the 1/4" vent line running out of the trunk, to the "S" line, runs through the rail opening and then connects again to the tank vent nipple. I'll mock it up this coming weekend to see if this is correct.

What I noticed is missing is the Vapor Shield. See picture number 2 below. I'm using the '71 - '74, but I have my original '70, which is different than the later model shield. I'll post that too once I install it.

I've never seen the vapor shield.  Where does it attach?  I think I have my original S tube in my parts stash.  I'll have to go through it and see.

I'm not sure that the 1970 Cuda got that shield  :thinking:

The '70 definitely has a Vapor Shield - I'm posting a picture of my original below that is badly rusted, that I took off my 'Cuda. There is a manufacturer for the shields, both '70 and the later one, but I believe he's out of business. It was hard to find the '71 - '74 shield, but I did find one. The 1970s are also scarce and I'll pick up one of those too in case I run across another part that no one makes, which is another shield the runs through the frame rail. I'll post that picture too. My body man LOST mine (grrr) and now all I have is the picture of one. He was going to make one for me (which was also badly rusted), but I gave up on that because he's too busy.

It's for the four lines that run to a gas tank with the ECS for the CA emissions. See pictures below.

Oh, and the vapor shield attaches to the wheel inner well. I test fitted the new one and it fits perfectly.

Quick Update:

So I finally finished putting on my vent tube assembly (and the vapor shield) and just about finished the undercarriage of my project. (I only have the pick-up to put on, but I'm sending that off with my fuel gauge to have calibrated first.)

I wanted to add a few new pictures, including the vent tube, "S" tube and vapor shield. I looked through the shop manual and I honestly couldn't find any picture of either the "S" tube or shield.

Now I'm jumping into the interior and my next project is the Dash Frame installation (it's being painted now) and also my heater box restoration.
Hope your projects are coming along nicely.

Hi everyone - So another flash update on my project – still making progress on the 'Cuda restoration.

1.   Finished the heater box, and just waiting to install the blower motor before the final assembly of it and placement back into the project. (Unfortunately, the shop has lost it and I'll need to locate a replacement one. Grrr ...)
2.   Finished the back light assembly (see picture). (And installed the vapor line "clip" in the trunk compartment.)
3.   Finished the installation of the refresh rebuild on the two-speed wiper motor. (Thanks Cody for providing me with the awesome restoration source.) (See picture.)
4.   Purchased (at the MoPar Nationals) a restored, single-speaker, Non-A/C dash pad. Now I'm sending out VIN to have it restored.
5.   Located a bunch of parts that were missing from my 'Cuda back at the MoPar Nationals. And just in time for a great winter project, re: cleaning, restoring and polishing.

The progress looks great !
"Sending out the VIN" sounds a little scary, I hope it's not to the same company that does your blower motor(s) :'(

Hey thanks for the feedback. I really appreciate the support!

Actually, for the VIN restoration, it's A.G. Backeast is the entity that Bob (?) from Ultimate Rides suggested. I think you've used them before. My VIN is looking pretty sad - not damaged, just needs professional cleaning and painting.

I actually did post a "Parts Wanted" for the heater blower motor. I'm going to Fall Fling at Woodley Park in So Cal, so maybe I'll get lucky and find one there. :^)

Hi all,

I am excited to report that progress continues on my restoration project. I finished my heater box restoration (see picture) and it is ready to be installed this weekend. In addition, installation of the dash, sans the dash pad, is ready. (I am still waiting for the pad to be returned since October.) At least I can install the under dash harness too.

Next will be rebuilding my steering column. I am dreading that actually, because it looks to be pretty difficult and time consuming. I will watch Cody's videos on it again ... and thanks for these too ... but still dreading it though.

Q: Has anyone changed the locking mechanism from the rest of the "tumbler"? I have new door locks and want to key my ignition switch to this new lock. I have the key from my original initiation switch and it turns, so there's no problem there.

Hope everyone is having success on keeping their projects going.

Great job on the heater box!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the compliment! I appreciate the feedback.

I did put in the box today, but I did notice something a little unusual that maybe someone else has run into before. I'm posting a couple of pictures for reference. I'm seeing a gap between the heater box and the defroster vent and I've checked the shop manual and it doesn't show any "vent connector" between the two. Should there be one or is the box somewhat adjustable? The gap is around 1 inch or so. Any ideas would be appreciated.

I am hoping to install the metal dash frame tomorrow if possible, but i want to fix this first before I move forward. Thanks to everyone who's provided guidance on my project. This site is super awesome and it's amazing how much people know about these e-bodies.

The gap is supposed to be there so that it draws in cabin air to mix with the warm air coming from the box to increase over all air flow to the defroster vents  :alan2cents:

I agree with Alan.  My '70 'Cuda is the same way.

Oh wow, I guess I have a lot to learn yet! Thank you Alan and usraptor for your feedback – I really appreciate all the timely input and answers to my endless questions. You fellows rock!

I am going to see about installing my metal dash today (hopefully). And then the dash harness. (Or maybe vice versa, not sure which is the correct or better order of things, but it might not matter.) I'll post another pix, once that's installed.

Build as much of the dash that you can while on the bench, then install it as a complete assembly :alan2cents:

Ah OK - I again really appreciate the suggestion and advice. Could I (or should I) go ahead and install the dash harness now or should I wait for the Dash to be installed first?

Alan is correct.  Assembly as much as is possible in the dash before hanging.  Have a second person help you.  Keep the pivot bolts on each side, below the A pillar, loose and set the dash frame slotted arms onto those bolts and then tilt forward and attach one of the screws on the top leading edge of the dash.  (Hopefully you don't have your windshield in yet as it's not very easy to attach these bolts with the windshield in place) Start all the bolts loosely and once all are started make sure dash frame is tight against firewall area and then systematically tightened all bolts.  Don't forget too tighten to the two pivot bolts on the side pillars that the dash arms went into when you first started.  Good luck.

OK, will do. I'll get a much done as possible on the dash as you and Alan have suggested – I'm glad I asked. I took it apart around four years ago and took a bunch of pictures, but still, since it is my first re-assembly, it helps to ask.

And yes, I don't have the glass in yet, so that should make it easier.

I am guessing though it makes sense not to put in the dash pad until all the dash is in then. I'm still waiting on the pad anyway to be refurbished (which has been almost four months).

BTW – Your pictures are great usraptor and your car is fabulous and very desirable (as you know of course). That was a lot of work and no doubt took a boatload of time. Thanks for posting all the detailed pictures!

If it was me, I'd wait until you get the dash pad back. I also had mine redone and as well as it came out it still required some trimming to get it to fit correctly.  The trimming and fitting to the frame is much easier done when the dash frame is out of the car.  Plus it's easier to reach the attachments for the pad with the frame out of the car.  If it's been four months it shouldn't be much longer.  Mine took about that long or just a bit longer to be redone.  Just my  :alan2cents: 
BTW thanks for the compliments on my 'Cuda.  it's much appreciated. 

Right – I trust your experience, since I see how nice your car turned out. I'll wait until I get the pad back then and then fit everything together before installing the dash as a unit. It is a little frustrating to wait for everything TBH. It takes forever to get all the parts ...

In the meantime, I still need to send out my VIN to have it cleaned and refinished. I kinda hate to do it after my experience w/the blower motor (which by irony I did eventually get back, but that's another story).

Still I have plenty to do like polishing stainless and put in some new tinted glass. I'm getting pretty good at removing and reinstalling glass :^).

Happy New Year usraptor, Alan and all e-bodies.org enthusiasts!

I don't mean to keep telling you what to do, but unless your vin plate is really toast, you can easily restore it yourself and save a lot of money.  You just need to strip the paint off of it, prime and then paint with SEM black landau paint.  You can buy the correct repo rivets and decal from ECS.  https://ecs-automotive-concepts.myshopify.com/collections/mopar/products/factory-exact-vin-plate-transfer-rivets   They're not cheap so take your time applying the decal and use a good rivet gun when attaching to the dash.  Again sorry to keep butting in on your restoration. Just trying to help and save you a little money.  Happy New Year to you also.

Since you've had the dash frame out I assume its been painted along with the car. Make sure there is a solid ground between them it could save you from chassing grounds. The wiper motor is sensitive to this. Also make sure the switches have proper grounds also

To piggyback with what Ns1aar said, a good place to insure a good ground is on the dash frame arms where they attach/pivot on the bolts below the A pillar.  Make sure to clean the paint off to bare metal on the bolts and both sides of the washers, the frame around the bolts and the paint on the dash frame arms where they attach to the bolts.

That's totally fine usraptor – I'll take all the great suggestions as possible on my restoration. I'm just absorbing all the good info. from you and others.

On my VIN, it isn't all that bad really – see picture. And since you provided the link to the source of the VIN plate transfer and rivets I can probably do it myself. (I already have the rivets, so maybe I can purchase just the transfer? I'll check it out though.)

Can I use a rattle can to paint the VIN or will it look terrible? I purchased paint from a fellow who deals only in MoPar Restoration paint.

On the metal dash frame, I actually wasn't aware that it needed to be grounded too, and yes, it was painted already with the correct paint (or so I was informed). I did post a picture earlier in this thread. It looks awesome to be honest. Fresh paint really makes parts look so much better.

The ECS Vin plate transfer is good. You can blast and paint it no problem. It does look pretty good as-is. The VIN plate and build sheet are two things that I would never let out of my sight no matter what.

To answer your question, yes you can use a rattle can to paint the vin plate.  In fact the SEM black landau is a rattle can.  That's what I used. I agree with Runcharger about never allowing the VIN plate or build sheet out of your hands.  At car shows I display a color copy of my build sheet along with a Repo Window Sticker on my dash.  At the last car show I was at a spectator came up to me and was concerned that I was displaying my "original" build sheet on the dash where anybody could grab it (windows down).  I told him it was a copy and he was glad because he had buddy who left his original on his dash at a car show and while he was away from the car somebody grabbed it.

The dash wiring and dash pad should be assembled as one unit outside the car to make life easier... :alan2cents:

Not to seem too slow here, but the ECS VIN plate transfer is the actual gray transfer that the ecs-automotive-concepts offers for sale (and thanks for that tip usraptor)? There isn't a way to save my original right? 

I was nervous about sending out the VIN to have it done anyway, but now that you all have commented, I'll nix that idea and just go ahead and clean/paint it myself. I certainly don't want it lost or mangled during shipping, etc.

And I agree – I wouldn't want to display my original paperwork on my car at a show. Heck, I get nervous even bringing it to a show TBH. People just don't seem to care how much time and money we spend on them. That's an awful story about someone stealing the person's original broadcast sheet. I don't even like the idea of leaving my fender tag on the car; a couple of screws and it's gone forever.

Alan – I'll take your suggestion too on putting on the wiring harness on the dash frame before installing it in the vehicle. I took it off that way, but wasn't sure if that was the best way to do it or not. I'll definitely need a buddy to help we put it back in these w/o messing up other things.  As always, appreciate the great feedback and passed-on experience from everyone.

To answer your question yes the gray transfer logo that ECS vin plate transfer is the same as ECS automotive concepts offers.  You could try putting some blue painters tape over the Chrysler logo but it would be hard to match the original black paint with the new.  I suppose you could do a test spray of the new paint on some scrap metal and compare.  However, as Runcharger stated, your original is actually in pretty good condition compared to most.  If I was in your position I'd just buy the original type rivets and reuse your vin plate as is.  I think it adds some provenance and authenticity to your car as it's actually in pretty good condition as is.  As they say, it's only original once.  While I restored most everything else on my Cuda, I left my original to the car space saver spare tire and steel rim as is with the original decal(s) and a few scratches alone. Again, I second what Alan said about connecting the dash wiring harness before installing the dash.  Makes it much easier to connect everything that way.

OK – I was kind of thinking the same thing on my VIN. To get the color to match would be nearly impossible. I'll just clean it up (carefully) with some Simple Green and a Q-tip and then just rivet it back on. It's not going to look factory fresh, but it will be original like you were mentioning.

I am also definitely going to take both Alan and your advice and assemble everything that I can on the dash while it is out of the vehicle.

Right now, I am boxing up my non-Rallye Instrument Cluster and getting that off to Redline. Based on what I read on e-bodies.org (and also I talked to Redline today and Instrument-Specialties), I think Redline might be a edge better, but both sounded like they are top-flight in quality. The price for restoring a cluster has really risen over the past few years. I was quoted around $1000 to $1200 for my cluster. Again, I can't thank you all enough for the advice :^)

Happy New Year everyone! Let us hope 2022 is an awesome year with lots of progress on our projects.

I did send off my instrument cluster to Redline last year (ok, like three days ago), so I'll post an update when I receive one. But on another topic since everyone is so helpful ...

Quick question if someone has time ... I looked through the threads, and I did not see any answers to this question (although something similar was posted).

1.   I am installing my polished roof rail (C) and I wanted to know whether I use (A) (non-adhesive backed) or (B) (adhesive backed) foam on the rail? I believe it is (A) that needs the "Super Weatherstrip Adhesive," just on the one side that adheres to the rail, and not the pre-adhesive backed one, but I thought I would check with the experts.

2.   Do I need to install the drip molding first and then the roof rail or vice versa? I can't remember since it's been a few years.

3.   Unfortunately, one of my drip molding pieces has a nasty dent in it (see second pix) and I do not believe I can remove it myself without making it worse. If anyone has a suggestion of someone who does this professionally that would be great. Or if some has an extra for the R (passenger's) side, I'll buy that from them.

It's been a while since I did mine but I believe the drip rail attaches first and then the weather strip channel.  Hopefully Alan will chime in as he would know for sure.  re the adhesives strips this is from the Detroit Muscle Technologies website: "(2) rolls of 1/8"x7/8" black poly foam to seal between the weatherstrip channel and the roof,
- (2) rolls of 1/8"x3/4" dark gray soft foam with adhesive to seal the weatherstrip channel to the drip rail." If I remember correctly I did use that weatherstrip adhesive when attaching the weathstriping.   Re the dented drip molding you could work that dent out with a small hammer and dolly (I believe Eastwood sells them) and then sand smooth and polish.  However, i don't know of  anybody who restores these but if you do a search on the web site you should get some answers as I've seen people post about getting their SS back after restoration.

Quote from: usraptor on January 01, 2022, 03:32:37 PM
It's been a while since I did mine but I believe the drip rail attaches first and then the weather strip channel.  Hopefully Alan will chime in as he would know for sure.  re the adhesives strips this is from the Detroit Muscle Technologies website: "(2) rolls of 1/8"x7/8" black poly foam to seal between the weatherstrip channel and the roof,
- (2) rolls of 1/8"x3/4" dark gray soft foam with adhesive to seal the weatherstrip channel to the drip rail." If I remember correctly I did use that weatherstrip adhesive when attaching the weathstriping.   Re the dented drip molding you could work that dent out with a small hammer and dolly (I believe Eastwood sells them) and then sand smooth and polish.  However, i don't know of  anybody who restores these but if you do a search on the web site you should get some answers as I've seen people post about getting their SS back after restoration.

:iagree: This all sounds correct  :worship:

Hey perfect, and thanks again to you usraptor and Alan for pointing me in the right direction and clarifying things for me. No matter how many pictures I've taken, I never seem to take enough pictures when I'm taking apart - anything. I saved all of them, studied them and it still wasn't clear :takepicture: .

I guess I'm going to need to fix the drip rail first then before putting it all together - was hoping to get something on the project car this long weekend. Ugh. Oh well ... still making progress though, albeit slower than I want. Appreciate it!

So a brief update on the happenings on the '70 'Cuda restoration. (I must be on the 10-year restoration plan.)

1)   Finished polishing the right side drip rails and installed them. Also, completed the polishing of the window weather strip channel stainless rails and installed it.
2)   Finished polishing the stainless for the left side (drip rails and window weather strip channel), but waiting for one piece of the drip rails to be repaired.
3)   Installed the fuel tank sending unit. (I was told that I should be sending out the sending unit along with the instrument cluster to have it "calibrated." However, after talking with Redline (whose restoring my standard gauge cluster), I was told that was not true. It has a set resistance value, so no reason not to install it.
4)   On another issue on my restoration, my original engine came with my car purchase, BUT it had frozen pistons in the block. After a lot of Gibbs oil, heat and some mechanical advantage, I finally was able to finishing pounding out the pistons. That was hard. It was like a two year project – I am thinking that even if it does not clean up I can probably sleeve it. I have heard that rust can really penetrate the block in the cylinder walls.

Check out a few pictures.

Next I'm waiting for ...

1)   Tinted door glass from AMD (waiting four months now)
2)   Instrument cluster (two months now)
3)   Dash pad (been waiting 7 months now and three phone calls/emails later, etc.)

As soon as any of this stuff comes in, I am ready to install it!

Hope everyone's project are coming along nicely. Keep the faith!

So I finally received both my AMD door glass (tinted) and my Redline restored instrument cluster.

Glass
I was pleased about the glass as I was under the impression that it was not going to have the Chrysler logo. But it does, which is great. I even picked up the side quarter glass too. I have already installed the door glass before, which is not too bad and the write-up on this site was awesome. I just need to take out my old glass and install the new ones.

Instrument Cluster - Non-Rallye (Standard)
Redline did a fabulous restoration on my instrument cluster. I decided to upgrade to a voltmeter, and also to add a real oil pressure gauge. It looks totally factory correct. I do not think anyone would know the difference. See picture.

I do have a question whether anyone knows if someone makes the little Headlight/Dimmer/Wiper sticker that I can replace as mine is worn out. I have looked around and have not seen any replacements. Also, any suggestions on how to paint the plastic cluster frames? I have checked some of the threads here and did not see anything exactly that matched. Final question – are the 1970 frames different texture from the 1971 – 1974? I bought a spare at the Spring Fling 2022 swap meet, which is in great shape, but on closer inspection, it seems that the texture is different than my original 1970.

I remember what anlauto said on this thread and am assembling all that I can on the dash before installing it (re: wiring harness in particular and dash pad). I am still waiting for my dash pad, but I have talked to the person at "Ultimate Rides" and it is supposed to be done in a month. It has already been ten months. (I think we have all been experiencing long wait times for sure.)

See pictures for reference. I am getting excited to see progress. Great to see everyone's project coming along as well.

A two min update on my dash - I installed the new factory correct wiring harness (M&H Electric). It looks pretty great. I just need my dash pad so that I can install the whole unit back in the car. 

If you were referring to the dash steel frame paint, yes there is a diffence from early to later. Do not know dates of change, but the early paint was more "velvet soft touch" for surface finish. My 74 only had a matt black paint.

Yes, and thanks for the response. I was thinking both of the actual steel dash frame as well as the plastic textured dash trim pieces (e.g. instrument cluster bezel housing). From what I am observing, the '70 is different from the '71 - '74.

The 1970 dash looks to be as you indicated, and housings/bezels look less textured or flatter texture than the later ones.

I have been updating them with Herb's Parts Interior Paints (based on some reading from e-bodies.org), and to my untrained eye, they look pretty close to what I am guessing was original.

Thanks again for the feedback and response.

Door Glass:

Starting on the weekend and completed yesterday evening (taking my time to do it right), I finally finished installing my new AMD tinted door glass. I really liked the quality of the glass and it did install fairly easily. I did read over (a few times) the shop manual and the original thread on this site to install the door glass, and the advice on it was spot-on accurate.

If anyone has used the AMD door glass before - which I am sure a bunch of people have - I would like to hear their experience on it.

Now it's a matter of adjustment and getting it aligned with roof weather strip.

Next is the quarter windows.

I've used tons of AMD glass, never an issue...just wish I could still get it  :pullinghair:

Hey thanks anlauto for your feedback and also for your write-up on installing the door glass. That was really the ticket. The shop manual isn't all that clear (:looney:) - IMO - but definitely your real-world-experience was for sure. And great to hear that it's a good quality product too - from what I saw/experienced on installing it, it was an excellent re-pop. 

I went through Ed M. and he was able to secure it for me after a few months of backorder. Such a hassle still to get parts ....

"1970" Deluxe Seat Belt Restoration

Background:

Unfortunately, my project car did not come with any seats or seat belts. And as everyone knows, interior components – apparently seats and seat belts in particular – have become very expensive. Fortunately, I was at able to track down (at Spring Fling this year in Southern CA) a set of "1971" (not 1970) Deluxe seat belts. The 1970 Deluxe seat belts are impossible to locate. While my project car did not come with Deluxe seat belts, they look so much better than the standard fare (see editor's comment below).

After searching around for a competent and honest seat belt restorer, I settled on "Sharon's Web" out of Texas. I received a quote for the complete disassembly and restoration of the 1971s, along with the correct 1970 retractors (traded for my 1971s). I had a number of emails back and forth, with numerous questions, etc., and the representative was very pleasant and patient.

The result? They turned out fabulous – including the correct labels. See picture of the results. (Note that I am not connected with this business in any way.) I would highly recommend this company.

Editor's Note:

I had actually found a set of standard 1970 seat belts at the Fall Fling car show in 2021, and provided it to a restorer for refurbishing. Unfortunately, they were either lost or something happened, and I was not able to contact the business. Lesson learned: Always take pictures of the item before they leave my hands.

Update:

I am posting a few pictures on my door and window alignment as I am struggling with getting the window to align with the door weather stripping (rail). I have reviewed a lot of the threads here and haven't seen anything specific as to my question. Re: The door looks to be close on alignment, and I have read and followed the instructions on aligning the window a few times in the service manual, but it seems that it is still too close (inboard) to the roof top/weather strip rail (inboard vs. outboard). And it looks like the front of the door is further misaligned than the the rear part of the window.

The only thing that makes sense to me is that perhaps the door is too inboard on the front when the hinge attaches to the door top and needs to be moved outboard, meaning away from the vehicle.

I am guessing that the window felts are not used to assist with the windows alignment.

Any ideas or suggestions would be great. See pics.

It's hard to tell by your pics but the gap at the rear of your door does appear to be obsessive.  Is the front fender installed?  In the second pic it doesn't appear to be.  If not then it's really going to be hard to get your gaps/door adjustment correct.  If I'm reading your post correctly the door glass is to tight (inboard) at the top where it contacts the door window gasket??  It's been a while since I did the glass in my car but if I remember correctly, there are three bolts on the bottom of the door frame that attach to the window regulator.   If you loosen these bolts, and any other bolts that are connected to the regulator,  you can move the regulator assembly, via a slot,  either towards the outside of the car or inwards towards the interior.  If the glass is tight at the top, move the regulator/bolts towards the interior of the car and the top of the glass should pull back from the gasket.  Below are some links to various posts that describes the installation of the glass and adjustment. 
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=74301.0
https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/1968-plymouth-barracuda-side-glass-regulators-and-window-alignment/
https://forum.e-bodies.org/body-shop/5/cuda-door-and-side-window-replacement/371/

Hopefully Alan will chime in.  He is the resident expert on door glass installation and adjustment and knows far more on this subject than I do. Good luck!  :bigthumb:

Just seeing this now, but I agree, my first thoughts go to the three bolts on the bottom of the door, they control the in and out position of the top of the glass when rolled up. :alan2cents:

Hi usraptor and Alan,

Once again, you two are awesome in providing me guidance on all things 'Cuda.  :bigthumb:

A couple of quick follow-ups. First, you are correct, and I don't have either fender on the car. And you are also correct, the glass in too inboard (re: to close to the weatherstrip rail), even though I have "maxed out" the outboard adjustment. (Starting with the adjustment (from the manual) of the front track like it says (fore an aft window adjustment to the "A" pillar), and then moving on to the bottom of the track and rear track bolts (inboard/outboard.)

My body craftsman who installed the quarter panels, trunk pan, etc., and painted the car said I should align the doors to the quarter panels first and then the fenders, as the quarters are fixed positions. I was thinking that could be enough for the glass - but since this is my first glass install, door alignment, I must be mistaken. So today I went ahead and re-adjusted one door again (LH side, not shown) and dialed that in pretty well. (I re-read the door alignment guidelines in the shop manual and it was pretty straight forward.)

Also, I did read the excellent door and window alignment write-up on this site a couple of times and I guess I need to read it again because obviously I must have missed something. RE: https://forum.e-bodies.org/body-shop/5/cuda-door-and-side-window-replacement/371/.  (Thanks for taking the time to post those others; I will read those too!)

I will try the adjustment on the glass again, following both the shop manual instructions and also Alan's suggestion on his posts too.

I had two other questions, if you don't mind.

1. There isn't any adjustment for the weatherstip metal rail, correct (meaning moving it further inboard)?
2. I read in the manual (pg. 23-110) and tried to adjust the rear "... regulator idler pivot bracket up or down ... ." but that did not give me much more "outboard" movement in my glass. Q: The front of the regulator doesn't have any affect on the window adjustment correct? I didn't see anything in the manual on that.

If nothing else I am getting an education on 'Cuda window and door alignment.

Hope everyone is enjoying their Labor Day weekend. And another big thanks for responding to my questions.

Re question #1, there isn't any adjustment in the weatherstrip metal rail to my knowledge.
Re question #2, I can't answer that as I'm not that versed in the window adjustment.  Hopefully Alan can answer for you.
Good luck  :bigthumb:

Happy Fall 2022 everyone ... hopefully everyone is enjoying working on their projects the first weekend of Fall.

usraptor: I really appreciate the answers to my questions (like almost never ending questions from me it seems). And I concur with one of your comment - sometimes I wonder why I ever started this project? But for me, that's only in times of frustration. I guess I'm learning like crazy.

So I did follow both your and Alan's suggestions and was able to figure out my issue with the door window alignment, and it was as you all hinted at, my door alignment was off (specifically the bottom alignment to the rocker). Once I corrected that, the window glass did align much better to the weather strip and rail. I still have some more adjustment to go, but it's much, much closer. Thanks again.

However, now I am somewhat flummoxed by the quarter windows, as in installing the new glass in the frame. I read Alan's answers to someone in the now classic thread (https://forum.e-bodies.org/body-shop/5/cuda-door-and-side-window-replacement/371/15), but as I look at my window, the only rivets that I see to remove are the ones in the picture that I've circled. However, those aren't standard "cold" rivets. And I definitely don't want to remove anything that I can't replace. 

I was told by Ed (The Mopar Shop) where I purchased my glass and quarter window setting tape, that I should use a heat gun to melt/soften the old rubber setting tape so that I can remove the old glass and tape. But I don't know if that means I also need to take out the rivets. And how or what would I replace those with? 

I have read the shop manual a few different times, and there isn't anything in it that I see about actually putting in new glass in the old frame. I have also looked for videos and can't find anything. (Another member mentioned that a video on both the door glass and quarter glass would be awesome, and I couldn't agree more.) We should pay someone to demo this for us novices - I would be glad to chip in to have an awesome video of that. (Like Cody's whole series on rebuilding steering columns, which is awesome!). Any suggestions on how you or someone else did it would be awesome.

Sorry for the late response.  Been involved in several projects and haven't been checking in very often.  Hopefully, you've found the answer to your question by now.  Unfortunately, I'm no help on this question as I haven't  replaced my quarter window glass, yet. Mine is also scratched and is on my to do list.  However, since I always roll all the windows down at car shows, it hasn't been a top priority.  I'll be interested in what you find out regarding whether it's necessary to remove the rivets for when the time comes to replace my quarter glass.

Hi usraptor,

Thanks for your response and I really appreciate your feedback and comments. Unfortunately, I haven't really found a great solution yet for removing the quarter windows from their respective frames, but I did find a way (finally) to remove them. It's certainly not elegant by any means, and while I have asked at least dozen people who know e-bodies fairly well, most say they don't do it. Which is weird, because if a person is replacing clear glass with tinted, one has to change all of it.

I tried a heat gun, and that was useless. That's what one person recommended. Another said try and use a light mallet, but that just got me nervous about breaking the glass. (One person said just break the glass, but that seemed somewhat crude and also dangerous.)

Based on a little sleuthing and trial and error, I thought about a chemical way to soften the old setting tape and removing the old glass. What I found was that Acetone would dissolve the old rubber-based tape enough to remove the window. Definitely one needs to do this outside and also use a respirator. Also, removing the old rubber requires the use of a mechanical tool (to get in between the glass and the frame.) With both of these tools I was able to finally remove the window.

Now it's a matter of cleaning the frame well and inserting the new setting tape and window in place and polishing the stainless on the window. (I will use a good layer of tape on the window so that I don't scratch it when polishing the stainless frame.)

If you find a better way to perform this laborious process let me know. That's the only way I have found to remove the old quarter glass. Again, thanks for your response. 

Hi all ... I want to posit another approach for replacing quarter window glass ....

From my very limited experience, the suggestions given to me were not successful. It was suggested using a heat gun to remove the old setting tape (which had no affect), and also removing the rivets on the vertical stabilizer and separating the glass from it. (I decided not to perform this because I do not have those special rivets and the tool to install them.)

What I tried and was ultimately successful using to remove the old glass and setting tape, and also cleaning the support and then reinstalling the new setting tape/new glass was the following process.

1.   Remove the quarter window glass from the vehicle.
2.   Remove the quarter glass window seal that runs up the vertical stabilizer.
3.   Use Acetone (in a well-ventilated area with a respirator) - the old setting tape will be softened.
4.   Use a sharp utility knife to scrape the old tape from the quarter glass housing and stabilizer.
5.   Mark and measure the glass position before removing it so that the replacement glass can we properly set.
6.   Clean and polish the vertical stabilizer and clean the housing thoroughly of old tape.
7.   Install the window, using the setting tape and using a heat gun (around 440 degrees F), soften the tape so that the glass and tape are affixed to the housing.
8.   Perform the same for the vertical stabilizer with the setting tape. Note: Do not run the setting tape completely to the top of the glass. The new quarter glass to door window seal needs to be installed in the stabilizer, on top of the glass.
9.   Install the vertical stabilizer seal using adhesive and ensuring that it also affixed to the "groove" on the stabilizer.
10.   Using painters tape, cover the quarter glass before installing it in the vehicle. This will prevent scratches on the glass.
11.   Install the up-stop on the glass.
12.   Install the glass and adjust.

As always, take many pictures, and when you think you have taken plenty, take a few more. You can see the results below.

Congrats on figuring this out.  :clapping: :worship: I bookmarked this for future reference for when I finally get around to replacing mine.  Can I ask where you got your glass and how happy you were with it?  Seems like I recently read a post where people were not happy with AMD glass and preferred OER?  Maybe you already said but I had hand surgery this AM and I'm still a little loopy,  :looney:

Thanks usraptor, I appreciate the kind words. It was trial and error somewhat and I really asked a lot of people for advice and even called a person who specialized in installing glass into older vehicles. In the end, I lucked into a solution.

I purchased my glass from Ed at "The Mopar Shop" in Madera, CA. I like to support local and small businesses. But I did purchase one quarter window glass (RH side) from Year One, only because it was on close out and on sale. I only used AMD glass and it was a best spotty. I actually was going to use ECS glass, but the price was way, way more than I expected. Actually only the RH side door glass has an incorrect curvature. The driver's side - arguably the most important IMO - fits perfectly and adjusts really well. From my perspective it was a cost analysis. If a person is going to drive it a lot, then maybe better glass is appropriate or a person is doing a points car. But the AMD glass has the Chrysler logo, so that's good enough for me. And really I don't think I am going to have a bunch of people ridding in my car who are going to want to roll up and down the windows. But definitely I think having it all new looks better and it functions perfectly fine.

One of my concerns was about plumbness on the vertical support. I was careful about the glass placement into the frame, but even with good measurements, it would be easy to be off on this measurement.

Also, if you want any more gory details on what I did to install the qtr. glass let me know and we can talk directly. And good luck on your hand surgery healing and rehab. Surgery is never fun.

So I'm finally getting some time to work on my dash installation and need a little advice (again). I purchased a replacement speaker from Classic Industries (4" X 10"), and I'm not actually sure how the new speaker is installed. When I read the shop manual there are two sentences on removing/installing the speaker - remove the grill and then remove the speaker/disconnect the wire (connector).

I actually have two speakers - a replacement from Radio Shack (old) and a new one from Classic Industries. The question I have is do I trim the opening to fit the new speaker into the opening or how have people accomplished the installation? Does it drop in from the top or underneath the dash pad? The Class Ind. is a lot deeper and I'm sure better sound than the original. Any suggestions would be great.

Hi fellow E-body enthusiasts - a brief update on my project. ... I finally finished the Dash Assembly. The picture was put together using two photos, so it's going to look a little weird. But it's finally done.

I noticed the thread on dash pads that I will throw my $0.02 on, but suffice to say I used my core, and honestly the pad turned out OK, but certainly no where near perfect. And it took around 18 months to finally obtain. I concur with those that say, "show up to the show with a good core pad and just buy it on site." At least you'll be able to pick out a good example.

Next on the agenda is getting the brakes finished, my original steering column on and back to the painter for color sanding. Once it's there, I'm going to start my steering column assembly (I've picked up a few to start working on to perfect my technique for my original).

Looks great!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi All,

I Finally finished the brakes install and brake bleeding. Stainless lines look great, but definitely can be a pain to get sealed correctly.

Now we completed the installation of the fenders. They really make the chassis look more like a car. Now it is on its way back to the painter for color sanding and then back the the home shop for Dash installation. Check out a few photos on the progress.

One question I have is whether the Vertical Lock Support and Yoke (according to the shop manual) are unique to each model year. See picture for reference. For a reminder, I'm working on a 1970 'Cuda. I am trying to install those before going to the painter and some of the holes for the Spacer to Grill Reinforcement do not align. Any thoughts on this would be great. And let me know if the pictured support isn't a 1970 if you know, because I cannot remember whether it came with the car or I picked it up at a parts swap meet over the last few years. Thanks for all your answers - really helps out a lot.

I love the Rallye red paint!  :twothumbsup:  Almost painted mine that color.

Thanks Usraptor, I like the Rallye Red too, although, it seems more orange than red, especially in the direct sun.

I spoke with my painter yesterday (11/24), and it's going back to him late December for the color sanding. I am hoping that doesn't take too long to complete. Now I just need some roller tires and a flatbed. I really want to install the dash assembly.

Next on the agenda is restoring my steering column. I need to re-watch Cody's great videos on that process.

Good luck with your projects everyone.