1970 4 door cuda?!?!

[moparleo]

Welcome aboard. Why not go to the welcome wagon and intro yourself to the other members?

 

[ECS]

SEMA event and show coverage by Bangshift.

http://bangshift.com/general-news/e...ds-to-cool-new-products-were-shooting-it-all/

 

[ECS]

.....some kind of machine to cut stuff like that out !

Here are examples of the different Door Handle colors that we can provide. They have an anodized-brushed finish and come in ANY color desired.

 

[ECS]

One of the components that we decided this Concept tribute should incorporate is a Rear Sway Bar. They were not originally found on early E Bodies but a 4 Door version of this model probably would have benefited from the added stability. I have a question for those who have experience with the details found on an original Rear Sway Bar. Has anyone else ever noticed the "subtle" light gray coloring that is found on the bar (under the rubber bushings) captured in the mounting brackets? I'm not sure anyone else has noticed this small detail but it is a unique characteristic.

 

[ECS]

After doing some research, it appears that any vehicle that used "captured bushings" had this feature. I don't personally recall anyone ever discussing this aspect on a sway bar before. At first, it looked like dirt that accumulated around the bushing & bracket. When we started cleaning them off, it looked like inspection marks. They were not dirt or inspection marks. They are a tin or lead material that was melted over the bar to keep the bushings from corroding and getting stuck to the natural metal of the bar. I wonder how many restorers have documented this feature and replaced it when they refurbish their Sway Bars?

Below are a few photos showing the stages leading up to uncovering this aspect. We referenced more than one unit to make sure there was not an anomaly with what we found. Without a doubt, it is a "buttered" metal that was brushed onto the sway bar prior to the bushings being captured and fastened to the bar.

 

[ECS]

Here are few pictures showing the NOS 340 rear Shocks in place. For those who keep track of original color codes, the stripes on these Shocks are still original and correctly coded for a 340 E Body vehicle. To make them look new again, the rest of the Shocks were repainted to match the black paint that we left on the lower attaching area. We were able to tape up the bottom to preserve the original markings and paint finish.

 

[ECS]

They are a tin or lead material that was melted over the bar to keep the bushings from corroding and getting stuck to the natural metal of the bar.

The challenge was figuring out a way to emulate the process they originally used to treat that area on the original Rear Sway Bars. I believe the product we used was about as close a match as you will find. It might even be the same material they used in 1970. We used Tinning Butter to duplicate the original appearance. The Sway Bar was bead blasted completely clean. After it was acid colored to look like new hardened steel, we applied the Tinning Butter with a brush and used a welding torch to melt it. It is important to continue brushing the material onto the bar while it is in a molten form. Brushing the Tinning Butter causes the material to stay bright silver throughout the process. If it is not continuously brushed, it remains a very dark gray color and does not have the same look as the original Sway Bars.

The clamps were also removed from the brackets by drilling them out on the back side. New mounting brackets are being made and will be spot-welded to the original bushing brackets. All of the pitting was removed from the brackets and they were made to look like new steel. The mounting brackets will be exact copies of the originals they will replace. I will show the completed assembly when those brackets are welded in place. Here is a series of photos showing the Tinning process.

 

[moparlee]

Are the rubber bushings available for the rear sway bar? I have a set from MOOG and they are not correct. No ridge on the radius and they are too tall. Thanks.

 

[ECS]

Are the rubber bushings available for the rear sway bar? I have a set from MOOG and they are not correct. No ridge on the radius and they are too tall. Thanks.

Your best bet is to check eBay on a daily basis. They turn up every so often so your chances are good at finding them there. Here's a current link of what's listed there right now.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=mopar+sway+bar+bushings&_sop=16

 

[AUSTA]

Did the cuda have the white dot on the lower cylinder this Challenger was done by Bill Allphin a mopar judge

 

[ECS]

Did the cuda have the white dot on the lower cylinder this Challenger was done by Bill Allphin a mopar judge

View attachment 23464

I personally have never seen an original Shock with an inspection mark in that location. All of the originals that I have documented were on the bottom loop that surrounds the rubber bushing. Many people (including some "experts") have been repeating things they have seen without verifying the information. They think it looks impressive to mark a car up with a bunch of little dots, so they add them even if they have no idea what they represent.

Consider the "white dot" that you posted in that picture. Many people assume that every Shock should have a "white dot" that represents the assembly being inspected. If that were the case, the inspection mark would be on the threads of the mounting plate stud or the nut that it's screwed onto. The color marks were a quick reference for the Line Workers who assembled the cars. The different hues represented the "duty" or Shock rating. Many Shocks looked very similar and the colors differentiated them. It would have been very difficult and time consuming for the Line Worker to read the small 7 digit part stamped in the lower part of the Shock to see its application. The color code made it easy for the Assembly Line Person to quickly identify the Shock for its specific application.

 

[AUSTA]

Makes sense we are an electronics manufacturer & use a similar process to identify various stages of production.
I will send a PM i have something you may be interested in.

 

[ECS]

Here are a couple photos of the newly assembled front Bumper and Door Handles. The chrome bumpers were quite an undertaking to get them perfectly straight, along with the finishing of the custom Door Handles. After about 30 hours of work on the Handles, they are finally ready for installation.

 

[ECS]

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[resq302]

Dave,

Gorgeous work so far. Just curious but are you using NOS parts or aftermarket repro items on this car? I know you said about some issues with the repro hood that you had to reshape it. Just was wondering if you gave up on the repro stuff since its poor fitting quality unlike a lot of the NOS stuff.

Brian

 

[ECS]

Just curious but are you using NOS parts or aftermarket repro items on this car? I know you said about some issues with the repro hood that you had to reshape it. Just was wondering if you gave up on the repro stuff since its poor fitting quality unlike a lot of the NOS stuff.

Brian

I was originally going to use reproduction parts but experienced problems with fit & finish early on. After the Body was finished I decided to go with as many NOS parts as possible to ensure a Factory appearance. It has cost much more than originally anticipated but the results should justify the added expenses. For the past year or so, I have been collecting NOS parts at a fever pace. Below is a list of the parts I have accumulated just this past week.

NOS Parts 1

NOS Parts 2

NOS Parts 3

NOS Parts 4

NOS Parts 5

NOS Parts 6

NOS Parts 7

NOS Parts 8

NOS Parts 9

 

[moparleo]

Crazy prices on some of those parts. Especially when some of them are repro parts. A lot of new people to the hobby don't really know what N.O.S. stands for. New Old Stock. Not looks like new.

 

[ECS]

Especially when some of them are repro parts. A lot of new people to the hobby don't really know what N.O.S. stands for. New Old Stock. Not looks like new.

A few people in the hobby also might not know what the word "some" means. The only reproduction "parts" in that list, are the front grill parking lights. They are a Chrysler licensed part, manufactured under authentic engineering specifications and a perfect representation of the originals. They have all the correct part numbers and Pentastar in the housings and the lenses. I know the Company that manufactures them and have personally held them next to original examples. Other than not having the typical shelf ware of an NOS part, you can't tell the difference. But why should it really matter leo? This 4 Door Barracuda was never built by the Factory so there technically is no correct or incorrect protocol to follow.

 

[ECS]

....A lot of new people to the hobby don't really know what N.O.S. stands for. New Old Stock. Not looks like new.

Keep in mind that the acronym "NOS" has no correlation to the component being an original part. I've seen red "NOS" NAPA Heater Hose from the early seventies. It was NOS Hose but not original to any particular name brand manufacturer.

New Old Stock is also a relative term. How "old" does a part have to be before it is considered NOS? Another aspect worth mentioning is that Chrysler did not manufacture most of their components. They commissioned Independent Parts Manufacturers, under licensed engineering specifications, to manufacture their components. Arvin for instance was one of the approved suppliers for Chrysler Exhaust Systems. My Company currently manufactures 1969-1974 E Body Exhaust Systems under Chrysler's licensing approval and in compliance with the same engineering specifications that were used back in the late sixties and early seventies. How long until our Chrysler approved/commissioned Exhaust components are classified as NOS?

 

[moparleo]

You are absolutely correct. It is your money..