1970 4 door cuda?!?!

[ECS]

E-Bodies always had the door frame codes 000 because they were pillar-less.

Just to further clarify your statement, 1970 Cudas & Barracudas "always had the door frame codes 000 because" their interior door frames were completely covered with a door molded panel. There were no interior paint code options for the upper panels like you would find on an A or B Body vehicle. Our project also has interior door panels that completely cover the (interior) door frames. Again, the 000 had nothing to do with the "pillars" or the outside window frames of a vehicle.

 

[resq302]

Dave,

Any progress on the 4 door?

 

[ECS]

Dave,

Any progress on the 4 door?

Sorry for such a long delay. The past 4-5 weeks have been busy with the opening of another Facility. We just completed that move and are back on track. Here are a few pictures from a while ago, along with the front of our newest addition to the Company.

 

[74chlngrTT5.9]

Looks impeccable as usual. Need a new shot of the facility with reflections of project cars in it. Or of course there is Photoshop...

Thank for update.

 

[ECS]

Need a new shot of the facility with reflections of project cars in it. Or of course there is Photoshop...

I actually have 2 Cars sitting in the Warehouse. They're not Chrysler vehicles so I won't be showing them here! (lol)

 

[ECS]

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[ECS]

You and your crew made up those window sweeps / seals? Very cool ! How did you make those up?

Most people don't know that we are also involved in manufacturing products for the various Brand X manufacturers in the restoration Industry. This story is Ford related but provides a good history about how ECS was started.

 

[resq302]

Dave,

Thats an amazing write up ! Congrats !

 

[ECS]

Dave, Any progress on the 4 door?

Here is how we fabricated the "custom" Door Handles while maintaining the original look. I filled the Rear Handle's lock holes with steel filler and then sanded them smooth. The only way to keep the desired "brushed" look was to find a metal applique that matched the original finish. Both metal blocks in the Handle had to match in appearance, so custom appliques were made for both the larger & smaller block. I scanned the Door Handles on a flat bed scanner and traced the outside perimeters in an Illustrator Program. The designs were then loaded into our RIP software program and our Plot Machine cut the designs perfectly. Once applied to the metal "blocks" the appearance was seamless.

All of the Door Handles now have a matched finish and look like they came from the Factory. The machine cut, Metal Appliques are almost indistinguishable from the original brushed units. They actually have a more "original" looking brushed finish than the reproduction Door Handles currently being offered to the restoration Market. ECS will be offering these metal appliques as a new Cuda/Barracuda Door Handle product for anyone who wants to refresh their weathered or pitted Handles to look new again. Here are a few photos showing the process.

 

[resq302]

Dave,

They look amazing ! Thats gotta be some kind of machine to cut stuff like that out ! Keep up the great work.

 

[resq302]

Dave, I can't remember but are you doing exhaust tips or turn downs for your exhaust for this car?

 

[ECS]

Dave, I can't remember but are you doing exhaust tips or turn downs for your exhaust for this car?

California Turndowns. I'll post some pictures later today when I get into the office. Speaking of "can't remember", I'm sure you've heard it said that some people have forgotten more about certain cars than some will ever know. There is a lot of truth in that statement. Some people have simply forget the correct details and have replaced Assembly Line features with incorrect information. They certainly look foolish when they share their "forgotten" and erroneous opinions with the public.

 

[ECS]

.....are you doing exhaust tips or turn downs for your exhaust for this car?

Here are a few photos showing the "California Turn Down" Mufflers that we recently reproduced. The 4 Door Barracuda Project was the purpose for manufacturing and adding this particular Muffler configuration to our OE Exhaust line. Below are comparison photos between Assembly Line, NOS, ECS Reproduction and the inaccurate reproduction examples.

 

[resq302]

Dave,

Any reason why you chose that style bracket vs. that larger one on the NOS example? Was that a later production bracket that is on the NOS piece?

I also see that the competition muffler is shorter. I wonder how that effects the exhaust tone compared to the original?

 

[ECS]

Any reason why you chose that style bracket vs. that larger one on the NOS example? Was that a later production bracket that is on the NOS piece?

The 1969-71 Assembly Line Mufflers mainly used the smaller bracket like the ones in the picture below. The NOS version I showed in the photos was a 1973 dated unit. All Mufflers manufactured after 1972 used the wider bracket. I talked with a designer at Arvin years ago and he explained the reason for the differences. When the early version first came out there were issues with the weight of the Muffler and vibrations causing the spot welds to break loose. As a brief remedy, they welded addition supports to the small bracket (anchored to the Body of the Muffler) for additional strength & rigidity. Those changes were cost prohibitive and added too much time to the manufacturing process. They finally solved the problem in 1972 by using a wider bracket. The weight of the Muffler was spread out over a larger surface area which allowed the additional support required.

Since E Bodies were a "new" model vehicle for 1970, it took a couple of years for most Exhaust Systems to start corroding and wearing out. There was not an abundance of those units manufactured for service replacements during that time. When the demand for Service Muffler's increased, the new larger style brackets were being manufactured in full swing and also used to service the 1970 E Body vehicles. (Warranty Claims, etc....) Even though the brackets were visibly different, they could be used in place of the old units that originally had the smaller brackets. The dimensions and mounting points were the same. This is why the early style Assembly Line/NOS Mufflers are much rarer and more difficult to find than the later styles. The early styles were not manufactured as long and the later style was used as their replacement. Below are photos showing the 3 original styles discussed here.

 

[ECS]

Here are some photos of the early 1970 Engine that will be used for the project and a few additional shots of the underside detailing.

 

[moparleo]

Is the engine being built to stock O.E.M specs ? I ask because the block was not debured and the use of steel soft plugs and OE fasteners.

 

[ECS]

Is the engine being built to stock O.E.M specs ? I ask because the block was not debured and the use of steel soft plugs and OE fasteners.

The freeze plugs are basically the "stock version" but are Doorman examples. All reciprocating internal parts were balanced. The Heads have hardened seats installed for running modern day fuel. The oil pump will be a "better" higher output unit than the original. Anything that can be used to enhance the operation of the Engine will be incorporated. All of the internal upgrades will be concealed once it is assembled. The exterior will be detailed to look Factory correct when complete.

 

[moparleo]

Thanks.

 

[Contraption]

Just found this thread. Weird build but in a cool way.