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directconnection
04-04-2008, 08:44 PM
This is a little history on the Cuda. This is when I brought it home back in Aug. of 2000. as you can see it was little rough but it only had 66000 original miles. It was in all stock form but needed a resto so shortly after the pics I started the tear down. It had all its original parts except engine. The engine was blown up back in the 70's and in it's place came a 440.

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x262/directconnection/MyCudaAugof2000resized1.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x262/directconnection/MyCudaAugof2000.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x262/directconnection/MyCudaAugof2000inthegarageresized.jpg

As you can see below the grille was painted black (were its supposed to be argent silver) I think it was an 80's thing. It looked ok but it needed to go back to original.

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x262/directconnection/MyCudaAugof2000resised.jpg

What I started with for Interior. The car was street raced a lot back in the early 90's and thats why I had to replace dash pieces and a console top from all the switches used for nos, electric fan, fuel pump,and who knows what else. Not to mention the pull your hair out speakers stuck in the doors.:mad:

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x262/directconnection/MyCudaAugof2000Intresized.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x262/directconnection/MyCudaAugof2000Int2resized.jpg

And this mess is what I started out with for an engine bay. :eek: The engine block sitting in there is an original 1971 HP383 just not the one that came from this one. This 71 HP383 came from a RoadRunner. I'm still trying to find mine:(

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x262/directconnection/MyCudaAugof2000enginebayresized.jpg

I know some auto body work so I striped it down myself to bare metal. I done this for 4 hours a day then worked a 12 hour shift at Cushmans. Needless to say I was very dedicated to this car.

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x262/directconnection/MyCudaafterIstripedit.jpg

Sitting at Jasons body shop after I striped it.

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x262/directconnection/MyCudaatthebodyshop.jpg

In epoxy primer. I wish I had more detailed pics.

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x262/directconnection/MyCudasittinginepoxyprimer.jpg

After the paint and clear.

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x262/directconnection/MyCudaafterthelastshotofclear.jpg

Back home to be finished.

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x262/directconnection/MyCudaafterthebodyshop.jpg

The 440 Doug helped me build

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x262/directconnection/440readdytogoin.jpg

And as it sits to day. Engine bay.

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x262/directconnection/theCudas440-1.jpg

Interior

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x262/directconnection/interior_view_of_cuda_fall_05.jpg

Last year at Culvers

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x262/directconnection/SupraGirlwiththeCuda.jpg
6PackCuda
04-04-2008, 09:23 PM
She's a beauty Kevin. Nice job. That car deserves to be driven.
69 GTX
04-04-2008, 10:53 PM
I second that motion, use it or lose it!
71blueduster
04-05-2008, 11:28 PM
Besides the interior and engine bay, it looked like it was in pretty good shape. What body work did you have to do to it?
86shelby
04-11-2008, 02:59 PM
She's a beauty Kevin. The car doesn't look bad either.

Fixed.
6PackCuda
04-11-2008, 05:26 PM
Hey, don't be messin' with my posts!
SupraGirl
04-11-2008, 06:32 PM
So, which one is better looking? And you guys better not say "the one I can see yourself in it". LOL!
Lepa
04-12-2008, 08:50 AM
It needs to stay in the garage and not driven.
directconnection
04-12-2008, 09:19 AM
Besides the interior and engine bay, it looked like it was in pretty good shape. What body work did you have to do to it?

I know it's hard to see but if you look real close at the second pic you'll see on the very back of the rear quarter panel there is a dent from the previous owner. From my understanding the car rolled down his drive way and bumped a mailbox, and on the other lower quarter panel there was a little bit of rust starting so with the engine bay needing repainting we just striped the whole car and started over. Otherwise it was very clean, and the resto on the body wasn't that bad.
directconnection
07-01-2009, 02:51 PM
This work log is going to get real interesting real soon.
6PackCuda
07-01-2009, 04:14 PM
Why is that? Because of your trunk lid?
directconnection
07-01-2009, 05:14 PM
For starters, and now drum roll please********** A spun rod bearing. :shock: no oil pressure w/ instant rod knock. That 440 is now :owned: So I'm out more and likely for the next couple years. I'll post pics as I update on progress.
FairmontGN
07-01-2009, 05:57 PM
Ha. I was close, I said Main bearing. :Thumb:

Do you have the original 383? If you do, I would just rebuild it, and put the whole car back to stock. (It's probably worth more that way anyway.) Then I would find that Bowtie or Buick you have been looking for and hot rod the pi$$ out of that. Because everyone knows they are cheaper to make fast. :icon_poke:

My .02
crisnbrit
07-01-2009, 07:05 PM
nice pictures Kevin :)
directconnection
07-02-2009, 09:02 AM
nice pictures Kevin :)

Thank you :)
directconnection
07-02-2009, 09:04 AM
Ha. I was close, I said Main bearing. :Thumb:

Do you have the original 383? If you do, I would just rebuild it, and put the whole car back to stock. (It's probably worth more that way anyway.) Then I would find that Bowtie or Buick you have been looking for and hot rod the pi$$ out of that. Because everyone knows they are cheaper to make fast. :icon_poke:

My .02

I've got quite a few directions I can go now I just need to do the math and figure out whats best for the car.