My cuda arrived!!

[djwhog]

Well I purchased a 70 340 numbers matching Cuda, very clean car interior looks very nice, in fact car is in very very nice shape.

Not Barrett J standards if you know what I mean, but a great car to drive and have fun in, take to car shows etc. It is clean but not crazy clean just a great clean car with good paint, about perfect chrome trim etc.

Has a shaker hood, driving lights etc. AC, PS, PB and a 727 auto with a 3.55 posi 8 3/4 rear. Rallye red car, 340 hockey strips, Magnum 500 wheels, with vinyl top that is new as well. Man I have wanted this car since I was a young teen, now I am almost 50 and I finally have her in my garage. I am so stoked!

It took 7 weeks to get it here from just south of Kansas City to Cody WY.
It has been the longest 7 weeks of my life

When you are off the beaten path and the closest interstate is over 100 miles away it not only cost a prett penny, but is hard to get someone to take the trip, then you have weather etc to account for.

Picked up and met the driver in our local Dodge dealer parking lot at 9:30 PM, HUGE transport truck with a lot of nice cars on her and it could not make it down our street, so I had him go to the dealer with all the lights etc. Worked out great! But man it is cold, mid 20s and wind howling 30-40+ gust out of the North, but man was I happy to get her at last and drove her home 3 miles for my 1st drive in her. Well 5 weeks ago to put it in perspective it was -36 F with -60 wind chill but hey I would have got her in -50 could care less, but then it most likely would not have started.

Little 340 is snappy and car sure is clean. Was in storage in Florida for 20+ years, I am 3rd owner so that is good for a 40 year old car right.

It is suppose to snow etc tonight and Sunday, but once I get her cleaned up again I will post some pics of the car.

1st plans are some good shocks, rear sway bar and inspect all the brakes etc.. Put a good tune on her etc. Inside is like mint, really needs little work except would like to freshen up the suspension. Stops good, does not pull , lean etc. Drives very nice as one would expect from a 70 340 Cuda.

Man I am in LOVE

 

[GTXperience]

Congratulations! That has to feel great! Forget cleaning it up ... post some pics.

 

[DetMatt1]

Congratulations! That has to feel great! Forget cleaning it up ... post some pics.

Also can't wait to see the pics, congratulations!!. How did you locate it to begin with?.

 

[6packcuda]

Congrats! You must be sooooo exited. I remember how I felt when i brought my cuda home. Can't wait to see pictures.

 

[chasduster]

Congrats...hey is it clean LOL.....7 weeks ugggg I would have never slept...Is it here yet...My wife would have told me to go get the darn thing before she kills me...is this you first ever e-body

 

[AlleyoopMgv]

Congrats! Can't wait for those picture's!

 

[mopardave]

very nice it sounds, You must post some pics

 

[djwhog]

OK it is cleaned up some and here are a few pics.

Car even has a rear sway bar too. I am going to maybe but new bushings etc, but I do not think I will go with an after market bar etc.

Man I am on cloud 9.

I have a list of a few things that are going to be easy to change and keep the stock look which is what I want.

A few inside trim parts new door handles, window cranks and sill plates. but other than that and better shocks I really think I got a pretty nice car.

Maybe down the road I was thinking about a dana 6o with rear disc, but i think only if I put a stroker 416 in her. Speedo reads 26k and appears to never been turned over and from all the docs I have i think that may be the case, I should have Galen cert the car i feel, and if it comes out true to form than I have to leave it 100% stock, if not maybe a few mods listed below.

OH and PS some air head on Challenger talk has argued with dozens of folks and claims that a new v6 SE in an 09+ Challenger will out run these cars in the 1/4. PURE BS. You can see my wife's 2010 SEg with even a 5 speed auto and new lower end gears in her car in the back ground. it does run decent for a v6, but it is not a pre smog 340!

I just drove her and left to 100' black racing stripes on the ground with out even a power brake launch!

2nd PS Gas pedal does not stick!

 

[6packcuda]

That's a real beauty you got there. Those firestones gotta go though.

 

[djwhog]

I agree on the tires even though they have a lot of tread.

They are so old school they are still the old F series 14" tires pre metric.

 

[GTXperience]

Wow, beautiful '70! Now I know why you are so stoked. As for the Firestones, follow this easy recipe:

1. continue with your 100' burnouts until rear tires are shot,
2. swap the fronts for the rears or put new fronts on and place old ones on rear,
3. repeat step 1,
4. put new rears on and occassionally do additional 100' burnouts when the need arises.

 

[djwhog]

Thanks guys, hey maybe I should start a new thread, but where is the best place to get a few exterior body stainless trim parts from? Most every part is in very good to excellent condition, but there are a few with minor dings that over time i would like to change.

And as for the tires what would you go with on a 70, would you do do T/As or look for some Good Years?

Radials of course not old bias belts... I am not that anal to go that far stock. I want to drive the car.

 

[Rob C]

I really like the BF Goodrich Radial T/A's

 

[chasduster]

I am with rumble on the t/a's ....very nice looking tire and the handle very well...the thing with while lettered tire is before you have them installed make sure you look at all the letters really good. To make sure none of the white on the letters is wore off from shipping them around the country and the blk is shown through... I use to sell tires for 11 years and if people had really nice muscle cars we would order 8 tires in just to make sure we had 4 good ones.....no kidding...

 

[DetMatt1]

It is every bit as nice as you explained, congrats again!.

 

[burntorange70]

Very nice!!!

 

[djwhog]

Thanks, here are a few more higher res pics I did today, I had to compress them for this site so they lost a little.

I also did a few tune tweaks and will be replacing the shocks with Edlebrock mono gas, putting back the correct date code regulator and plug wires and better date code correct NOS battery cables this weekend with an oil change. but I did find someone had manifold vac to the vac advance and the base timing was retarded about 12 degrees and it still smoked the tires. So after fixing that i set the timing where it should be and re-adjusted the carb etc. man now it really is snappy.

I will then if the weather is better clay bar the paint and zaino finish her up too.

 

[djwhog]

Need some wheel help and a few questions guys. With a 340 factory engine and the Magnum 500 14" rims running 225x70 14" tires front and rear.

My thought is that the front tires and rims size is fine for me and the tire is 26.5" tall. I would like to go a little larger out back, not huge.

So 1st question how wide are these factory rims 5.5 or 6" wide, they seem fairly wide to me.

2nd question, if I was to order a 15" x 8" magnum 500 like the ones from Specialty Wheel and run a 255x60 15" it would be 27.1" tall and provide just a slight rake which is perfect and add a good 1 1/2" tread width.

So does this sound about right?

I would then have 2 extra rims and the spare is the exact same as on the car with a 500 rim too. The rims are all in very good shape and the centers are good too, I would like all new lug nuts so I need to see if they are L & R or all rights.

If I do this I should have plenty of room in the rear correct?



And if so I may post the 2 rear rims for sale thanks again Dave!

 

[6packcuda]

Yes, the 15x8s will fit fine. You'll need a 4.5" back space. Although I would recommend putting the 15s in the front. Seems to me like you might end up with a little too much rake with the 14s in front. That's just my opinion. I have 275/60/15s in the back with 235/60/15s in the front. I think this combo gives a nice stance. Heres a pic...

 

[cudavert71]

now you just have to pull out that automatic and stick a 4sp in it!!!