New Cuda Project for Road Racing!

[Brads70]

Ambitious I'll give you that!    Fun project though, should be much easier and do a nicer job of installing the cage without the roof in place. 

[72hemi]

My project caught the attention of Hot Rod!

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/1974-plymouth-barracuda-burned-barn-find/?fbclid=IwAR09dFUq8svoLsXY2Whn4D9e7Scqj69p6EPXR9C3fPzwWXEBQ2Mq84oMn60

[HP2]

This is something I've always wanted to do but have never found a suitable candidate for in a price range I was willing to take on. I've since defaulted into the possibility of building a kit car chassis. With the repop frame rails, rockers, firewall and a cage kit, I could create the basic caged chassis structure for around $3-4k. Hanging sheetmetal and building the suspension would be an entirely different and bigger expense.

Do you have a sanctioning body and class rule set you are going to build to? I was thinking of something that could run in NASA's American iron, AI Extreme, or Time Trials classes.

Looking forward to watching this one.

[72hemi]

 No specific sanctioning body in mind. The car will just be used for track days. I don't want to have my hands tied on what parts I can and can't use on the build.

[72hemi]

Well it has been a few years, but with my daughter being 3 now and I'm starting to find time to work on the cars again, it's time to revitalize this thread lol. So since my last post the direction of this project has changed. I came to the conclusion after having my daughter this car would get a lot more use when completed if it was a road car instead of a track car, which in turn makes it easier to justify the time and expense to restoring it.

So I will be building this into a Nash Bridges tribute car! Nash Bridges was the show that got me into Mopars originally and I have always wanted a 71 hemi cuda convertible. So here is my chance. I have already secured all the non reproduced convertible metal (things like winshield frame, wheel well caps, convertible top well, etc) and with the upcoming sale of my Viper I will be placing a large order with AMD for the remaining metal I need (front clip, floors, firewall, cowl, inner fenders, trunk, quarters, etc.)

I also just placed a sizeable order with PG Classic and will be placing an order with Tommy the Chryco for a shaker assembly and front elastomeric bumper.

Now while the plan is to drop a 426 hemi in it, for now I will utilize the 340 6 pack and 4 speed out of my 72 Challenger as I will be replacing that with a gen 3 392 hemi and tremec TKX 5 speed. Which I will document in another thread on here.

It's going to be a very busy next couple of years for E body work at my house and I couldn't be more excited!

[larry4406]

Keep us posted on your vert conversion!

What will you be doing for the quarters?  Buying Ken's or ?

[72hemi]

Keep us posted on your vert conversion!

What will you be doing for the quarters?  Buying Ken's or ?

I got the convertible metal from Ken and will be converting hardtop quarters myself.

[72hemi]

Couple of shots of some of the convertible part's I've gotten from Ken.

[larry4406]

Keep us posted on your vert conversion!

What will you be doing for the quarters?  Buying Ken's or ?

I got the convertible metal from Ken and will be converting hardtop quarters myself.

Please show the details on converting your hardtop quarters!

Are you doing the "in rocker" frame stiffeners like the real verts have, or are you gonna go with US Car Tool style frame stiffeners?

[72hemi]

Keep us posted on your vert conversion!

What will you be doing for the quarters?  Buying Ken's or ?

I got the convertible metal from Ken and will be converting hardtop quarters myself.

Please show the details on converting your hardtop quarters!

Are you doing the "in rocker" frame stiffeners like the real verts have, or are you gonna go with US Car Tool style frame stiffeners?

Will do! Definitely US Cartool connectors, and TBD on rockers. I want this car ro be as stiff as possible since it will be getting a 426 hemi

[ec_co]

I'm excited to see this project. Tons of work, awesome goal.

[HP2]

I'm disappointed to hear of the change in direction, but can totally understand the desire to have a streetable car that may get more regular use. I'm wrestling with that decision myself on a car I recently acquired. A race car has certain simplicities that make it very desirable, but street cars give so many more opportunities to enjoy them at any time. Good luck on the build, sounds like a huge undertaking.

[72hemi]

I'm disappointed to hear of the change in direction, but can totally understand the desire to have a streetable car that may get more regular use. I'm wrestling with that decision myself on a car I recently acquired. A race car has certain simplicities that make it very desirable, but street cars give so many more opportunities to enjoy them at any time. Good luck on the build, sounds like a huge undertaking.

Yeah it was something I wrestled with a ton, but when an opportunity to get the convertible metal popped up, and we had our daughter the combination sealed it. Now the racecar project hasn't dies, but it's going to utilize a different cuda, stay tuned for that project in a couple of years!