71 340 Cuda Convertible EL5 Bahama Yellow Billboard

[cudaize]

Wow...great job on the cuda, I must say it's nice to see another Mounds Rd Corporate Blue 340.   

Ross, thank you very much for your kind words.

As you know yourself the Mound Road 340's have a number of different little nuance different details compared to the Windsor built ones.  I saw about a week back that there was some discussion in your restoration thread about whether or not 71 340's had the 90 degree oil filter adapter or not.  Looking at the photo below I am certain that mine did not.  Furthermore I believe that oil filter was installed when the engine was painted. 

[Jocigar]

Very nice job!  beautiful looking car.

If I may ask a question to educate myself... I thought the engine color was hemi orange through 71?  blue starting in 72? 

[Yellow71Cuda]

I love your car...for obvious reasons!

Great Job!!!

[fuscobros]

Gorgeous car!  Beautiful restoration! 

[anlauto]

Very nice job!  beautiful looking car.

If I may ask a question to educate myself... I thought the engine color was hemi orange through 71?  blue starting in 72?

Blue started in the last few months of 71 production, sometime in May I believe.

[71383bee]

Ohh wow is this gorgeous!  Cudaize you have done an amazing job.  the corporate blue really stands out against the EL5!  Very impressive.  I would love some more reference photos of the engine as mine was built there as well. 

I had a 71 EL5 roadrunner with the louvers and the V21 Air Grabber.  Its an awesome color combo! 

[cudaize]

If I may ask a question to educate myself... I thought the engine color was hemi orange through 71?  blue starting in 72?

Blue 340's started appearing in 71 when assembly of them switched from the Windsor plant (orange) to the Mound Road plant (corporate blue).  In terms of SPD of E-bodies this change started occurring around mid to late March.  If you have an original 71 340 block the way to tell if it was blue or orange is to look at the assembly stamping on the front below the head.  "GW" would be a Windsor built orange engine, "GM" is a Mound Road built blue engine.

Here is the stamping on my engine. 

[anlauto]

Was it March ? Wow, lot earlier then I thought 

[cudaize]

Ohh wow is this gorgeous!  Cudaize you have done an amazing job.  the corporate blue really stands out against the EL5!  Very impressive.  I would love some more reference photos of the engine as mine was built there as well. 

I had a 71 EL5 roadrunner with the louvers and the V21 Air Grabber.  Its an awesome color combo!

Thank you very much for your kind words.  I don't believe that I have ever seen a Roadrunner Bahama yellow but I have seen Charger's and GTX's.  In my opinion the black accents such as vinyl/convertible tops, billboards, hood black out, louvers really make the color pop.  I have seen cars with white tops and stripes and to me it doesn't pop like the black contrast, but obviously I'm partial.

Here are some pictures of my engine on the cradle before I installed it.  Obviously the Fram filter is incorrect.  I have a number of pictures I took while tearing down the engine that I will post in the next couple days.

[cudaize]

Here are various notes I took about date codes and hardware markings on the engine.

340 Cuda Convertible      
SPD 331
Block Casting Number: 2780930-340-5
Block Casting Date: 1-19-71
Assembly Stamping: GM 340 35000073 or 35060073.  Fourth character is not stamped real heavy
Thermostat housing bolts: RSC heads grade 5
Intake manifold bolts: S on top of (3) lines inside circle  look to have been yellow zinc, fizzed when put in acid so zinc confirmed
Oil pan long bolts into timing cover:  Double lightning strikes on raised circle, look to have been phosphate
Oil pan short bolts:  EL inside double circle about half look to have been phosphate and rest may have been bare steel or clear zinc.
Choke thermostat housing bolts: No marking on head with a raised rim around outside
Ignition coil bolts: (1) black oxide with double lightning strike head, (1) gold zinc or cad with 3 lines
Block water drain plugs: 9/16 head , ¼ pipe thread, can't tell if painted, bare or plated
Intake vacuum plug:  hex, does not look to have had any paint, possibly some bare around base in intake where there was tape.
Crank: Main journals 1, 3, 4 .001 under, rest std, .001 bearings dated 12 69, std bearings dated 11 70
Intake manifold: dated 1 21 71
Oil pan gaskets: Were cork 
Head gaskets: Chrysler composite
Outer head bolts: H in depressed circle
Oil filter: Did not have right angle, looks like filter could have been on when engine painted or adapter was masked in some manner.
Temp Sender: 250 temp, date A1
Heads: 915 "J" casting right dated 3370, left dated 0461
Exhaust manifolds: Right 3418823 dated 1 20 71, left: 3418621-1 dated 2 2 71
Distributor: 3438517 dated 40 0 silver tag
Distributor hold down: copper plated
Idle solenoid bolt: anchor head
Battery cable bolt: Head B inside double circle
Timing cover: 2951698 supplier code 05102, date pies 70 in center dots in 11 slices
Connecting rods: #4 2899496 DF37 MS3049, all others 3418644 JSFH
PCV hose: gates dated 02221, February 22, 1971

[anlauto]

Details look amazing 

[cudaize]

I love your car...for obvious reasons!

Great Job!!!

Thank you.  I have been seeing more and more EL5 71 Cudas lately.  The only show I've taken this to so far was the AACA meet this past November in Gettysburg PA and there was a 383 EL5 hardtop there that I had never seen before.  It was a 383 Shaker, billboard car that the fellow had owned since the late 70's and its' restoration was on a par with mine.

[69BFan]

An extremely detailed restoration with the attention to the details throughout the entire car.  Very nice to see the efforts to follow through on such a journey.  I had never seen the brick red coil boot before on a small block application.  Most of the ones I have were on 69-70 Hemi and Six Pack B-Body applications.  Thanks for sharing your efforts.

[Jocigar]

@cudaize   sorry to distract from your excellent restoration.   learning something new, thanks!   

Its a 318 but plan of going with date correct 340 when the time comes... I had a 73 340 4spd back in HS loved that engine.

So you guys tell me based on build sheet, orange I think ?   

[76orangewagon]

Mike,
I see you got one of the little details correct that I overlooked....I guess I'll have to mix up a little more blue paint and paint the metal base of the spark plugs. Again great attention to detail and thanks again for helping me out during my build with several items. We should try and park next to each other and show what will probably be the only two 'cudas with corporate Blue motors.  My casting date on my block was 1-21-71 and final assembly was 3-16-71. Exhaust manifolds were 1-15-71 (pass) and 1-27-71 (Driver) and had visible blue overspray on the heat riser after soaking it in evaporust. I see you have it but forgot to mention the all important late 3512100 intake with the "HUMP" that's also correct for a Mounds Rd 340.