LedPhoot's '73 Cuda (she’s alive)

[ledphoot]

In a couple of years I will be returning her to JA5 Silver Frost... I found her twin and I think she needs to be returned to that color, so much so that I will be doing my interior in white in preparation. My car did not have the wing and the one in these pics does not have the fender mounted turn indicators.

[YellowThumper]

That IS nice! 

[ledphoot]

My brother had a pretty good idea, he said I should take the car down to the paint shop and have them shoot the engine compartment Silver Frost before I drop the drivetrain in and then recolor the rest of the car later.. I know it'll look stupid for a while when I open my hood, but that way I could recolor the car without taking it apart again...

Thoughts?

[bennydodge]

I'd do the whole thing at once. My 73 is also a factory A5 car. If and when I take it apart, I'm positive it's going back to original color. Funny thing is it's been blue longer now than it's been silver.  I'll throw some more gas on the fire....

[nsmall]

 So no media blasting?

The drivetrain you're going to put in soon will be the set up up you plan to keep for a long time?


I love JA5, awesome color, looks modern.

73 stripe?  I have a 73 cuda, and I think I'm not in the minority, that 73 stripe is not nearly as good looking as the 70 hockey.  Heck I think the 72 stripe is 10x cooler as the 73.  Sorry for going on and on, I think JA5 and no stripe or a hockey would look great.

[RUNCHARGER]

That will look great. I would change it all at once when you change it. It may be a few years before it happens.

[Chryco Psycho]

If I have this right all you would have to do is wet sand the car & lay the silver over the green as the body is solid under the green now right , no reason to media blast the car & go back to the metal , if so I would just spry the whole car now 

[ledphoot]

My priority is to drive it and I don't want that to be delayed by my desire to return it to its original color. The body and paint is very good, it was stripped, primered and painted ~12-14 years ago and it's been sitting in my shop every since. So it's not great but it is a nice driver with some minor imperfections.

The drivetrain will likely stay with the car for the rest of my life unless something goes wrong. >500HP small block stroker with a tremec tko and EFI. It'll do the job


So the motor will go in this weekend and I will do the interior in its primal white to encourage me to do the paint in the winter of 2020.

[nsmall]

Sounds like you are going to have a very fast and fun driver.  I say wait for engine bay paint as you may enjoy the car for years to come the way it is.  A new paint job kinda ruins the fun factor.

I should of listened to cuda Cody and runcharger but my old paint job was pretty awful but it was fun to park it and not care about door dings.

Good luck on the engine install

[Chryco Psycho]

You asked for thoughts , I would paint it , no issue if you want to put it together & drive it , that is your call

[ledphoot]

You asked for thoughts , I would paint it , no issue if you want to put it together & drive it , that is your call

I did indeed and I have taken them to heart. The car will definitely be returned to JA5, but I am going to go ahead and assemble it first and repaint the whole car all at once when I can afford to do it correctly. I doubt I will ever have to take it to metal to repaint, it is stored inside and I won't be driving it in the rain / snow...

It's time to see this car run.. it's been too long.

[dodj]

I think you are going the right way. Get a little running time on the paint job you already paid for. Then in one, or two, or three years, if you still feel the same way, repaint. All at the same time.

[RUNCHARGER]

Sometimes it's nice to make a change after you've driven the car awhile too. I get a little bored with them after they're finished.

[nsmall]

 .  You often have some really good advice. You are a wise man.

[YellowThumper]

My brother had a pretty good idea, he said I should take the car down to the paint shop and have them shoot the engine compartment Silver Frost before I drop the drivetrain in and then recolor the rest of the car later.. I know it'll look stupid for a while when I open my hood, but that way I could recolor the car without taking it apart again...

Thoughts?

If you are dead set on changing it back then yes I agree with engine compartment at minimum.
That definitely would force decision down the road.
These things are hard enough to complete once. Let alone a full repeat teardown for color change later. Would save the possibility of being tempted to cut corners later because it is assembled already.

My2c
Mike.