Chick with a Cuda
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moparmike1974
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Every guy wants a cuda too, not just chicks.
Mopars & Missiles
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Or maybe what you really meant was, Every guy wants a Cuda to just get chicks?
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I’m not gonna lie, that’s a damn cool car. The color and the stripe look very good together. I know I’m a little late to the party here, but welcome from the Mitten. My daughter is another Cudagirl, and she loves her car as much as you do! This is her not long after we got her the car, I think she was about 10, she’s 23 now! Happy motoring in that beautiful Cuda.
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Challenger RTA
Well-Known Member
Couldn't stop thinking about you rear end vibrating. No pun intend. Yeah there was! No really.Did you find it? If so what was it? Loose nuts bolts or other?
Challenger RTA
Well-Known Member
Vibrations that I have experienced. Busted belt that can and can not be seen.Tire run low and side wall inside destroyed. bad u joint, Weight that fell off tire or drive shaft.Turned a lot of drums and rotors in a shop.This didn't happen to me. but it sometimes was a fix. Bus or large truck drums! drum or rotor not as critical but it happens. or fly wheel. Tires and shocks that are worn. Rear diff, trans going bad.steering and front suspension parts bad. Bad wheel bearing. Bent or broken frame.Sometime engine issue. OH YEAH! Something Hot in the seat!
Rob C
Well-Known Member
Married one! She even bought, set up and installed her own trickflow heads.
I lost two out of three threw out the years. LMAO!
Ditto. To tired and lazy to get one of them back.
Your car your way. That’s the only way for me.
Loving the progress and updates.
chickwitha_Cuda
Active Member
Update Time!
So, the rear end has been put on hold. I got so far as to get the third member sealed into the axel when I realized the bearings someone had recommended were the absolute wrong style for the Wilwood drum/disk conversion kit I was also installing. I bought the correct bearings, and was in the process of scheduling time to have the old ones cut off and the new ones pressed, when-- while coming home from a car show-- the timing chain jumped teeth.
Car stalled out right in the middle of traffic. In August. In Georgia. In 100 degree heat... At first I thought perhaps I was just out of gas. I don't entirely trust my gas gauge, the car was running low and sitting uphill. After walking a mile each way to the nearest gas station to buy and lug a 3 gallon tank of gas back to the car ((Did I mention it was 102°F that day?)) And fighting with a modern refill tank that DOES NOT like having the fuel port under the license plate, I learned it wasn't out of gas. It wasn't overheated. It had oil. Finally was able to roll the car out of traffic and get a tow.
Next day I checked all the usual suspects. Air, fuel, spark... and after much testing and consultation, I determined it was the timing chain. Took me a few weeks to get the time, tools, and second-pair-o-hands to break into it, and sure enough the left side of the chain is as tight as you would expect. While the right side flopped around like it was drunk. So now I had a dilemma...
On the one hand I could spend $300, replace the timing chain, put the car back together and be on my way. On the other, I had already ripped out the broken AC unit, and the "Works but isn't the best" radiator. Fuel pump, water pump, alternator and all else was removed... Many of these parts need updated anyway. There was a lot of back and forth from my resident car experts on timing chain malfunctions causing bent rods that no one could confirm or deny. And the plan has NEVER been to sit on the 318. With the engine already half apart, I might as well pull the trigger on the engine swap I had always been planning, but now certainly DID NOT have the money to do. No time like the worst time, right? Pulling the intake manifold and seeing not only the state of the cam shaft but finding metal in there as well, pretty much sealed the deal.
But I connected with one of the guys in my car club who had a lead on a stock 360. Nothing fancy. Machine shop cleaned up the block and did a 0.030 bore on it. Now I'm on a parts hunt. What to buy new vs. what to buy cheap. And of course one thing always leads to another... Need a new alternator? Time to go single wire, which means getting rid of all those ugly extra firewall components for an MSD box and matching distributor... New headers? Well time to do the exhaust as well then... Over and over.
And I'm not surprised or ignorant of this. 12 years of helping my Dad and I'm WELL AWARE that this is just what happens when you take on a project like this and frankly I'm looking forward to it! But here's hoping to have everything sorted and running by the end of the year!
So, the rear end has been put on hold. I got so far as to get the third member sealed into the axel when I realized the bearings someone had recommended were the absolute wrong style for the Wilwood drum/disk conversion kit I was also installing. I bought the correct bearings, and was in the process of scheduling time to have the old ones cut off and the new ones pressed, when-- while coming home from a car show-- the timing chain jumped teeth.
Car stalled out right in the middle of traffic. In August. In Georgia. In 100 degree heat... At first I thought perhaps I was just out of gas. I don't entirely trust my gas gauge, the car was running low and sitting uphill. After walking a mile each way to the nearest gas station to buy and lug a 3 gallon tank of gas back to the car ((Did I mention it was 102°F that day?)) And fighting with a modern refill tank that DOES NOT like having the fuel port under the license plate, I learned it wasn't out of gas. It wasn't overheated. It had oil. Finally was able to roll the car out of traffic and get a tow.
Next day I checked all the usual suspects. Air, fuel, spark... and after much testing and consultation, I determined it was the timing chain. Took me a few weeks to get the time, tools, and second-pair-o-hands to break into it, and sure enough the left side of the chain is as tight as you would expect. While the right side flopped around like it was drunk. So now I had a dilemma...
On the one hand I could spend $300, replace the timing chain, put the car back together and be on my way. On the other, I had already ripped out the broken AC unit, and the "Works but isn't the best" radiator. Fuel pump, water pump, alternator and all else was removed... Many of these parts need updated anyway. There was a lot of back and forth from my resident car experts on timing chain malfunctions causing bent rods that no one could confirm or deny. And the plan has NEVER been to sit on the 318. With the engine already half apart, I might as well pull the trigger on the engine swap I had always been planning, but now certainly DID NOT have the money to do. No time like the worst time, right? Pulling the intake manifold and seeing not only the state of the cam shaft but finding metal in there as well, pretty much sealed the deal.
But I connected with one of the guys in my car club who had a lead on a stock 360. Nothing fancy. Machine shop cleaned up the block and did a 0.030 bore on it. Now I'm on a parts hunt. What to buy new vs. what to buy cheap. And of course one thing always leads to another... Need a new alternator? Time to go single wire, which means getting rid of all those ugly extra firewall components for an MSD box and matching distributor... New headers? Well time to do the exhaust as well then... Over and over.
And I'm not surprised or ignorant of this. 12 years of helping my Dad and I'm WELL AWARE that this is just what happens when you take on a project like this and frankly I'm looking forward to it! But here's hoping to have everything sorted and running by the end of the year!
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Steve340
Well-Known Member
Hope the upgrade goes well. Sounds like you made the right choices from what I read in your post.
Sometimes you have to bite the bullet to get the car reliable again.
Sometimes you have to bite the bullet to get the car reliable again.
Rob C
Well-Known Member
Oh my! What is that in your hand?!?!
Steve340
Well-Known Member
Looks like a piece of cam bearing too me.
Challenger RTA
Well-Known Member
Cuda girl called that for a reason. A Girl that is one that cuda, would and done that.Great attitude that you developed from a very good mentor. Just one of those things. Someone or something kicks you you kick harder back!
chickwitha_Cuda
Active Member
Update 11/15/22
No time like the WORST time to decide to swap your engine! My 6 week gig is wrapped and the money is gone.
But after scrounging what little together I could, I was able to piece together a serviceable engine! It's gonna take a bit of time to get it all in and running, but only 2 hours after leaving her in the experienced hands of my buddy, he already had the 318 out and on the ground! Now it's time for me to do my part to clean up the wiring in the engine bay and start considering the next move... The remaining items are more expensive bits... A new radiator, AC system, and new wiring harness... None of which can be afforded right now... So this is about to get interesting...
But the good news is every photo looks better and better! I went with a matte black for the block. A lot of people will want to argue with color choice. So let me cover the two most asked questions on my instagram already::
Why not orange? Because it's not a Hemi, and I have enough of a job explaining my engine build to people without giving them the additional "Why is it Hemi orange if it's not a Hemi?"
Why not Chrysler blue? Because the car is teal, and will be eventually painted a darker teal and the Chrysler blue clashes horribly with the current color and will not fair much better if I darken the teal. I'm an artist, I care about color.
While I'm leaving the oil pan gold ((no one can really see it anyhow)) the rest of the engine is all going to be in silvers. Brand new Doug's ceramic coated headers, newly blasted, ported and bladed Edelbrock RPM Performer Intake, and silver painted water pump and timing chain cover. Eventually I want to cover all the hoses/wires in braided steel looms or just replace with braided steel tubing. The end result I want is a very clean black and bright look that will contrast with the blue of the car.
Justin Hunter, if you're reading this:: I need you to explain to me why you connected the windshield washer pump to the smog filter...
No time like the WORST time to decide to swap your engine! My 6 week gig is wrapped and the money is gone.
But after scrounging what little together I could, I was able to piece together a serviceable engine! It's gonna take a bit of time to get it all in and running, but only 2 hours after leaving her in the experienced hands of my buddy, he already had the 318 out and on the ground! Now it's time for me to do my part to clean up the wiring in the engine bay and start considering the next move... The remaining items are more expensive bits... A new radiator, AC system, and new wiring harness... None of which can be afforded right now... So this is about to get interesting...
But the good news is every photo looks better and better! I went with a matte black for the block. A lot of people will want to argue with color choice. So let me cover the two most asked questions on my instagram already::
Why not orange? Because it's not a Hemi, and I have enough of a job explaining my engine build to people without giving them the additional "Why is it Hemi orange if it's not a Hemi?"
Why not Chrysler blue? Because the car is teal, and will be eventually painted a darker teal and the Chrysler blue clashes horribly with the current color and will not fair much better if I darken the teal. I'm an artist, I care about color.
While I'm leaving the oil pan gold ((no one can really see it anyhow)) the rest of the engine is all going to be in silvers. Brand new Doug's ceramic coated headers, newly blasted, ported and bladed Edelbrock RPM Performer Intake, and silver painted water pump and timing chain cover. Eventually I want to cover all the hoses/wires in braided steel looms or just replace with braided steel tubing. The end result I want is a very clean black and bright look that will contrast with the blue of the car.
Justin Hunter, if you're reading this:: I need you to explain to me why you connected the windshield washer pump to the smog filter...
Mopar Mitch
Well-Known Member
Nice pics and story/history. I have one suggestion... the oil pan... desperately needs oil control baffels... the factory non-baffled pan welcomes oil starvation in cornering, acceleration and deceleration. Simple flat steel plates can be welded in front and rear of the sump (a little channeled cut for clearance for the oil pump tube is needed, as well as a small hole for the dip stick). Or else, install the Milodon ProTouring style pan with Milodon pick-up... money well spent. Modifying the factory type pan with internal baffels is the lowest cost best mod for our engines!... and without any hassles with the new headers or k-frame.
edwardcuda340
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chickwitha_Cuda
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SHE RUNS!
chickwitha_Cuda
Active Member
chickwitha_Cuda
Active Member
It has a new Milodon pan. The pan on the 318 doesn't fit and the 360 was only a block when i got it. And the K-frame was replaced in 2021 with a full QA1 Suspension system.
Mopar Mitch
Well-Known Member
Cool! Which Milodon oil pan did you install? Stock, drag, or touring?
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