New owner in Illinois 74 Barracuda

[ClarkWGrizwald]

Well when I was a child, Dad and I would sit at the kitchen table with the stack of Mopar magazines and autotrader for sale magazines and we would just read, reread and reread them talking about all our dreams of owning one, what we would do with it, where we would take it etc etc. We each had our favorites and mine was a 1970 Cuda. I would certainly take a 71, but at age 10, I was locked into the 70 Cuda. Some 35 years later.... still my favorite!!!  I have had a lot of cars in my day and have done a lot of drag and road course racing. I have built a couple 1000 hp race cars in the garage and its been great. All have been 1988 and newer cars though. Yet at night, when you click on the computer and search the local listings for parts, I always type in cuda/ barracuda to see if anything local has popped up. For many many years, its been rusted out car after rusted out car. Not that there isnt potential, but I am not a body man. I am a mechanic. I can build an engine, trans fab up a twin turbo kit etc etc. Body work is not my thing though. So these cars were not lighting a fire under me and the cars that were restored were $$$$$$$ so.... had to pass. Then....July 18th a unicorn appeared ! Imagine.... an all original 1974 Barracuda, California car, that made its way to the midwest only to be put into dry storage for 25 years! And imagine this 1974 has never been modified or raced or stripped out at all. This car has the original muffler still date coded 11/1973! And best of all could it be completely RUST FREE????? Nah, unicorns dont exist in the midwest. So while looking at these online pictures and seeing the original engine stickers and the original voltage regulator and decoding the vin to see it was order with the 26 inch radiator and that it was still on the car....i was starting to believe. So, had to contact the guy immediately and go see the car asap.

2 days later, I was in front of the car. It was obvious it had a repaint long ago and the color wasnt a perfect match to original Golden
Haze Metallic but close. I didnt car so much about that because it was obvious that this thing had NO RUST! Immediately jacked it up and got under the car. Frame rails - solid! Torsion bar mounts- solid! inside all 4 fenders- totally rust free and no signs of bondo or anything! Pulled the trunk open and looked in there....factory mat still living there covering...... an rust free trunk floor!! slight surface rust but just the kind you can damn near wipe off with a wet rag. Under the hood- much the same- the cowl was perfect too! I was looking at a unicorn for sure! Granted it was a 318 powered unicorn that was motivated by a 904 trans but, hey, i can build engines no problem! Im looking at the rust -free future  home of a much more powerful engine.   Thoughts at that moment? I gotta buy this car!
I may never find another rust free original 45 year old MOPAR ever again. How could this deal get any better?

Well, time to get inside the car. White interior! Its been sitting for a long time so it was dirty, dusty and probably not cleaned in 30 years. Looking around the typical cracked dash....2 seams popped on the driver seat and the door panels a bit yellowed. But it was all there. carpet actually looks fantastic. the center console perfect and headline looks good too. Rear seat looks great too! Damn, I can work with this! And of course the cherry on top: and aftermarket KRACO stereo from the late 70s/ early 80s! This bitch is gonna rock, Im sold!

Time to talk numbers. I know the price the guy was asking from the ad but he said he had "some extras" that can be negotiated with the car. What the hell extras ya got? This is when I learned a bit more about the history of the cars and its previous owners. Turns out, the guy who I am buying the car from got if from basically his step father. That guy was obviously a true 'CUDA guy deep into his soul. But his soul has aged into its 70's and at this point, health not doing so well and his dreams of doing this car up into his dream car are fading. So he passed the car on to his "chevy-guy" son who thought the car was cool and thought he would hop it up. He sat on it for 2 more years while working on and enjoying his chevelle. Then he found a 69 camaro that he bought and decided to build that instead of the cuda. Thank god ! Because thats when my opportunity to buy it came thru.   Now back to his dad--- I know he was a CUDA guy because of the "extras". These included: brand new black seat covers front and rear, brand new black door panels front and rear, new carpet, new trunk mat, brand new dash! all year one stuff new in the box bought in 2002! Or course he bought the 'cuda emblems that go on the dash and door panels as well as the trunk plate. But what cuda would be complete with out BRAND new NOS rocker panel stainless trim? and brand new rear cuda tail panel stainless meticulously packed in a home made crate to prevent any bends? Why not throw in a brand new AAR rear spoiler with all the proper hardware? Add in hood pin kit, new battery tray and whats that over there? Oh, its a spare rally hood freshly painted in red as well as a 8 3/4 rear end drum to drum out of a 70 cuda! yep, they go too! This old guy had a vision and it was a yellow 74 cuda clone ! I just happened to find a framed picture of said yellow cuda in one of the boxes!  it had all these accessories on the car and had to be his inspiration. Well done sir, well done. Im just the buy to make that car come to life. Maybe not in yellow, but i love all those cuda parts and really want to see them on this car. You know what else would look nice? freshly chromed front and rear bumpers....that were still wrapped up from the chromer patiently waiting for someone to return them to there rightful positions on the car. Man this guy and his "extras" ! Damn! throw int he extra cluster and a full dash harness, brand new NOS clock and ...what the hell is that? a rear defroster? OMG, these had rear defrosters? the cuda guy! damn. The question is, how much $ can I get all these parts for??

Lets hear the car run please! As the guy starts it up for me , he reminds me that he recently replace the fuel tank, the fuel lines, the fuel pump and the carb. Didnt want to risk crap getting into the carb and lines that may have developed in the fuel tank over the past 30 years.   As a result, it starts without issue and just sits and purrs. for 104K miles on it, it runs smooth as it ever did. What else can a barracuda guy ask for? Its time to buy this girl and bring her home! And so I did!





I will post up some pictures and I have a few questions about some of the wiring on this girl. Ill try to post up the "restoration process" I perform on it and Im looking for some opinions on what to do with this ride. Being a 74, its not all that collectable , but being so original, do i mess with it? I almost hate to mod it. Yet, I want to put in a full racing K member and IRS rear and a much bigger motor, put the new interior in and paint it a bad ass color and make it look tough and make this thing rip as well! Im not sure just what to do. I like hearing others opinions on the subject.

Looks to be a great site here with lots of info and good people. Looking forward to hanging out here more.   

[ClarkWGrizwald]

Some pictures from the seller when it was posted online...

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[ClarkWGrizwald]

More once I got it home and cleaned it up a bit...

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[ClarkWGrizwald]

Few more

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[ClarkWGrizwald]

Engine

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[Cudakiller70]

Welcome from Krazyfornia  Nice car, you have a good start whatever you do.
Your car, build it your way! If it was a rare or pedigree AAR or hemi and there's some others I personally would like to see them restored,  but it's still your car your way. Best to ya!

[ClarkWGrizwald]

Clean underneath

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[Chryco Psycho]

Welcome to the site from Panama 
Looks like a great Cuda too !

[Dakota]

  Welcome to the site from Buffalo, NY!   Yours is a story of "good things come to those who wait."   Sure looks like you have a nice platform to go wherever you want to on the build.   

[dodgemania]

  to the site sweet cuda 

[73440]

Nice find !
Document , save all original parts and drop in a 440 and 4 speed would be my plans.

[Rich G.]

Welcome to the forum. Nice car and tough call on what to do. Something that clean and original is tough to change it. Rust bucket with missing parts is a different story. It isn't a high dollar rare car but how many original 74 Barracudas are still our there that haven't be modified? You're car you're call but if you decide to change it I'd save everything you take off and keep it so it can be returned to stock if you ever wanted it.

[Jay Bee]

   Welcome aboard and congrats on the "unicorn".

[Cudajason]

You serious about that Clark????  @ClarkWGrizwald   great screen name! 

Welcome from Ontario Canada!

Looks like a great find.  Build it the way you want man!

Jason

[Brads70]

Welcome form Canada! Nice clean car enjoy!