The Crusty Cuda: Whole lotta Shakin' (N96) Goin' on!

[njsteve]

Can't get more Day Two accurate that this. 1973 would have been around the time the original assembly line battery went kaput.

BTW, I have an entire 100 miles on the car as of today!

[Xplantdad]

Awesome stuff, Steve!:beers:

[CTBob]

Hey! Yay! The site’s back up! Woo-Hoo! (’Tis a “site” for sore eyes!) Now I can express my enthusiasm for cool, NOS, period-correct Dry Charged MoPar service battery; over what had, originally, been dismay, re: destruction of rare, authentic, production-line repro battery as the result of being poorly (read: not at all) packed by negligent sender, and, mishandled by carrier.

For those who would enjoy knowing what Chrysler Corp. service batteries of the era looked like, as well as what part numbers they carried, here are 5 pages of the 8-page Chrysler Parts battery catalog; December 1970 printing. (The 3 pages which I’ve omitted are non-CP logo batteries, as well as other-manufacturer (i.e. domestic: GM/Ford/Checker/Rambler/Studebaker+ & imported: Fiat/Jaguar/MG/Sunbeam/Triumph+) applications for the batteries listed. In addition to the aforementioned, there are listed applications for items as diverse as farm equipment, outboard motors, and, golf carts.) The catalog, further, includes activation & testing information. I thought that, perhaps, it may prove of interest.

[njsteve]

Thanks Bob. It's interesting that the factory replacement battery immediately went to a three vent cap in 1970 instead of the assembly line individual red/yellow/green screw-in caps.

[njsteve]

After driving the car around, I see that under "spirited" acceleration, the shaker almost hits the right side of the hood as a result of the engine torquing against the rubber engine mounts.

Since I dont want a replay of what happened to my 71 383 ragtop 40+ years ago, where the left mount snapped and the shaker smashed into the shaker trim ring and cracked the shaker dome, I decided to make an official, vintage, Day2 torque strap out of old engine hoist chain and a smallblock Chevy intake mainifold engine lifting tab.

( I also ordered a set of MityMount locking engine mounts that hold together if the rubber separates)

But the chain looks cool for the time being.

And no new holes were drilled or animals harmed during the filming of this project.

[njsteve]

Tested out the chain and it had too much slack in it. The shaker still moved waaaay too far over under load. So I cut a link off the chain at the top and then spaced the engine lift bracket up a small bit with two hardened washers between the sway bar support bracket and the engine lift bracket. That gave me just enough slack that the chain was not tight when both ends were attached.

I also replaced the speedometer cable with a new reproduction cable. I had to go the OER brand route since it had the correct 1" size nut to attach it to the speedo housing on the tailshaft. All the generic replacement cables have a small ferule style cap that isn't even close to the correct size and the cables are at least a foot too long. So after an hour under the dash, I had the new cable routed properly. It actually has to go over the pedal support brackets and then to the side in order to engage at the proper angle with the speedometer. Not fun while hanging upside down.

But it was successful and the speedo needle no longer jumps as the car travels. It reads nice and smooth. I also pulled the internal cable out and greased the heck out of it before reinserting it into the cable housing and installing the whole thing.

[njsteve]

Sad news on the 1973 battery that my friend, Al found. Seems like it won't take a full charge. It gets to 12 volts under charging but when you test it for CCA, it only shows about 100 cold cranking amps when it should be 400+. And after a day off the charger it only shows 6 volts. A very sad day indeed. I guess sitting for 48 years must have damaged a couple cells. :-(

But Al said he will look in his house over the weekend. He recalls having an original, red cap group 27 NOS battery in there somewhere. That was actually what he was looking for when he found the 1973 replacement battery.

[njsteve]

(cross posted in the Lounge section as well)

I just found an NOS Sanyo FT489 (circa early 1970's) for the purple Cuda. It is missing the male half of the quick disconnect harness attachment that you would splice your power/ground/speaker wires into.

Does anyone have any idea what precisely this barrell-shaped, male section of the connection is called and where I could locate one? I believe it has 8 or 9 prongs.

The first photo is the Sanyo I bought, The second photo is off the internet of a complete harness with the section I am looking for.

Thanks for any help.

[CTBob]

Hey, Steve! Nice find!

To address your inquiry, it's called a "multi-pin connector." (It appears to be way too big to be a DIN connector, which is a kind of multi-pin connector, an example of which is the connecting cable on the Chrysler cassette player/recorder, circa '71, as was in your hemicuda convertible.)

As far as sources are concerned, perhaps try contacting Parts Express, as they may be a source for what you need, or, if not, be able to provide a helpful suggestion. https://www.parts-express.com

My only other thought, if the above is not viable, is to search for a complete non-working unit which you may be able to acquire on-the-cheap, simply for it's parts. (I hope that this helps.)

[njsteve]

So the Sanyo arrived and I did a quick swap in to see if it all works. The AM/FM sounded great but the cassette wouldn't load properly and when it did you could hear a motor whining inside but no tape movement. So the belt is probably gone after almost 50 years. I have it packaged up to go out tomorrow to a guy out in California who specializes in refurbishing old car stereos. So stay tuned! (pun fully intended).

[Igosplut]

I might have one of those connectors. They made universal one's that you could change the pin pattern on also. I'll look today.

[Igosplut]

I did find one. Five prong

[njsteve]

That might work. The female portion has 9 ports but you only need four or five of the wires if you are using just front and rear speakers split instead of 4 speaker split.

Got a photo?

[njsteve]

It's 4/30/2021, the 51st birthday of the Cuda, born on 4/30/1970. Happy Birthday Old Gal!!!

[olredalert]

----All our cars are getting old along with us,,,LOL!.....Bill S

[njsteve]

Yeah, this photo was taken in 1983 when my first '70 Cuda was only 13 years old and just another used car. Scary to think that's like having a 2008 car in 2021.

[olredalert]

----Ha,,,Funny, Steve as I have 2 2008 cars and love them both. I hope they last me until I'm planted as newer stuff normally doesn't interest me! 1st is an e63 Merc wagon and the 2nd is a Bentley GT Speed. Both will run way faster than I will probably ever drive them....Bill S

[CTBob]

Hey, Steve! I sure do remember that cool 'Cuda!:biggthumpup: I had just picked-up parts for my Charger at A-1 Toyota/Dodge. (The Toyota dealership had recently purchased County Dodge Sales, and, consolidated the Dodge dealership with their Toyota dealership.) Just as I was pulling out of the parking lot, I saw you fuelin'-up that 'Cuda at the Mobil station across the street. MoPars being a somewhat-rare breed in our area, you motioned me in to the Mobil station, and, we had a chat! You were gonna be headin' off to the '83 MoPar Nats. Been friends ever since! (As a parenthetical note, I think it's interesting how timing can be such a contributory factor in life experiences.)

…And, speaking of timing… Wow! Has it been that long, already?!:dunno: Guess so, huh… It still seems like only yesterday…

[njsteve]

YAY!

I really have to give a shout-out to Marcus at TurboStart Batteries for finding me not one but two yellow cap S24Y reproduction AGM batteries for the Cuda. He has been putting up with my: "So when will you have them back in stock?" emails for around eight months now.

He managed to locate one early last week and immediately sent it to me...and what happened? Friggen fedex ground destroyed it again, just like the red cap one I got from Jegs a month ago. Inconceivable!

(BTW, like the previously destroyed red cap battery, it went through the same fedex Northampton PA depot that has lost and/or destroyed so many of my packages over the past year - they must have my name on some kind of
"Do Not Deliver To This Guy" List)

It showed up on Friday and the moment I saw the young lady behind the counter at my PO Box handling it, I had to yell to warn her to put it down immediately: She had picked it up in a bear hug and I could see the acid staining on the cardboard as she held it against her shirt. She thought I was some kind of pervert, when I asked her if she had another shirt to change into. Before she could pepper spray me and call the cops, I quickly explained that it was leaking battery acid and that it may be on her clothing now. She then said: "Oh is that the vinegar smell I'm smelling?" So eventually she believed what I was saying as I opened the box to take photos and call Marcus and tell him what happened. It was around 3:30 PM by then.

When I got it out of the box it looked like they had hit it with a hammer or something because a chunk was taken out of the top corner of the battery. You could see the damage to the upper middle of the box on the outside. It looked like a deliberate attack and not an accidental drop while handling, because the top of the battery where it was damaged was not at the actual top of the cardboard box due to the layers of styrofoam on top of the battery. Someone had to have taken some time to find that spot.

Well, enough with my conspiracy theories for now...

When I got in touch with Marcus I think he was more mad than I was. He then went on a Holy Grail quest and managed to find a second one that he made sure that everyone along the way knew how important it was. It was triple-packaged with multiple layers of cardboard and styrofoam packing and sent it out Friday afternoon by 4:00 PM. I imagine he probably insured it for a million dollars just to teach fedex a lesson if they ruined this one too.

It just arrived today (Monday) and it was in perfect shape.

Thank you Marcus!


So here it is installed and makes the engine compartment finally look correct.

[njsteve]

I got a message from the guy refurbishing that Sanyo FT-489 I bought. It's all done and awaiting shipping. He actually posted a video of the newly rebuilt unit playing, which is kind of cool. He said it appeared to only have around ten hours total run time on it from the condition of the internals. It needed a belt and the ejection mechanism gears retimed and shimmed and that was about it. He charged around $145 with shipping.

I can't wait to install the circa-1975 vintage unit. (Paperwork has 1976 on the instructions but Sanyo supposeldy manufactured the FT-489 from 1971 to 1974 according to this site, which, by the way is a great site for dating stereo equipment. You just input the model and it will give you various brands to narrow down your search results: https://www.usedprice.com/items/car-stereo/s/index.html?q=ft489&x=0&y=0



PeDNfS-zHbM

[njsteve]

Drove the cuda to a show out in PA today. Around 60 miles, roundtrip. She drove great. 90+ degree day and the temp gauge never went above the 1/3 mark. The pollen was a nightmare though. It was actually raining pollen from the tress we were sitting under. I gave up dusting after an hour. My wingman brought his Sassy Grass Green AAR which when covered in pollen looked like it was covered in green flocking fuzz.

Fun show. Approximately 150 Mopars in attendance with a good 1/3 being all sorts of versions of Hellcats and SRT Challengers. (I so want one of them purple ones).

[njsteve]

The refurbished Sanyo FT-489 arrived back today. Only took a couple minutes to swap it with the other radio. It sounds amazing! This guy does incredible work. It plays my old high school Bob Seger tapes just like the old days, only better sounding through the modern-ish speakers.

Now I guess I have to find a matching amp/equalizer...

It's the old tale of "Give a mouse a cookie...and he'll want a glass of milk"...etc.

[KevinW]

Looks like a cool show! I have these two equalizers if they are vintage enough for you. :)

[njsteve]

Some friends and I decided to go on a little covered bridge cruise across the NJ/PA border this afternoon. We had a 68 SS396 Camaro, a 63 SW Corvette, and a 66 Corvette restomod. It was a fun 70 mile cruise around the area. The 'cuda ran great and the new stereo sounds just like the old days.

The first song that was playing on the radio when I started the car up was AC/DC "Highway to Hell.":headbang:

[njsteve]

a couple more taken by my friends.

[427TJ]

Oooh, a BY/black hat SS396 Camaro. :biggthumpup: (With black CA plates.)

[njsteve]

Here's the results of me spending an inordinate amount of time blacking out all of the gills on the rocker panel moldings.

The vendor back in 1970 who produced these originally, sprayed them black first and then followed with silver from the forward end so the backside of each gill would remain blacked out.

I have tried to duplicate that process before on prior cars and it just never comes out right.

What's the old saying? work smarder not harder? ;-)

I simply sprayed the entire rocker molding argent first and then sat at my kitchen counter with a wide, bevel tip permanent sharpie marker and got a result that just about duplicated the original look. The way the black sharpie ink soaked into the textured fiberglass panel gave a feathered edge in the same way the dusting of silver paint over black would have done.

Here's how they came out after several hours of hand marking each louver gill at the dining room table when my wife was out shopping:

[njsteve]

My buddy and I drove the cars to another show today. We took a couple shots from his garage before we left. I have 303 miles on the car now!

[CTBob]

Nice work, Steve! …And, yer buddy's double-A-R looks, well… …Sublime!

…And, is that, perchance, a SIAC decal in his left quarter window?

[njsteve]

Actually it's quite Sassy (Grass). :-) And yes, that's an old SIAC decal from back in the day.

Interesting connection of his car to me. He has a "Don Garlits 1990" sharpie autograph on the underside of the trunklid. My old red 70 Charger had the same exact autograph. Don Garlits signed it at a World Of Wheels car show in Tampa, Florida in late 1990. Turns out that 'cuda was parked in the mopar display, next to my three Chargers (the 69 Daytona, the 70 R/T-SE and the 71 sunroof car) at that same show under a prior owner 30 years ago!

Here's the fbook link ro a video clip in case you can access it. https://www.facebook.com/100004982205311/videos/1675709315938459

[CTBob]

Da link worked! Cool! It's exciting to enter The Video Time Machine…

[njsteve]

Uh Oh, the photo is now on instograham on the interwebs:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQEh4HFntDk/?utm_medium=copy_link

Them millemnials are ruining everything Boomer! :-)

[markinnaples]

Saw it posted on one of the Street Machine pages on FB too, so I remarked that it was Steve from NJ's car.

[njsteve]

Just got back from a photo shoot with Scott Lachenauer. He used a local (long closed) agricultural depot as a backdrop for some "glamour shots." It was a great day for shooting since there were intermittent clouds filtering the sunlight during the "golden hour" at the end of the day.

[njsteve]

and another.

[cruiserofland]

Stunning!

[markinnaples]

Some great shots.

[Z282NV]

Absolutely beautiful. :drool:

[BJCHEV396]

Gorgeous!!

[njsteve]

The boy and I attended the local cruise night on Saturday. He brought his Camaro and was quite proud of it. (me too). :-)

[Mr. Chevy]

That is one great looking Mopar!! I love the Spyders...

Rich

[njsteve]

I took some photos over the weekend since I got the car started for the first time in a month or two. She fired right up. Let her warm up in the driveway for a while in the 22 degree sun. :-)

The first four glamour shots are actually some of Scott Lachenauer's pix from that shoot we did last summer. He's an amazing photographer.

I started gathering photos because I am thinking about listing the car with Bring a Trailer. I have around a hundred detail shots done already. And a seven page novel for them to try to dissect into a couple paragraphs.

[napa68]

Beautiful Steve!

[olredalert]

----Oughta break the bank on this one, Steve! Just beautiful.....Bill S

[njsteve]

Even breaking even would be a first! LOL!

[scuncio]

That would be a tough car to let go!

[CTBob]

Best o' success with B.A.T., Steve!

[njsteve]

Thanks Bob.

(I'm looking to order a new Hellcat Redeye before they go extinct next year)

;-)

[napa68]

I took some photos over the weekend since I got the car started for the first time in a month or two. She fired right up. Let her warm up in the driveway for a while in the 22 degree sun. :-)

The first four glamour shots are actually some of Scott Lachenauer's pix from that shoot we did last summer. He's an amazing photographer.

I started gathering photos because I am thinking about listing the car with Bring a Trailer. I have around a hundred detail shots done already. And a seven page novel for them to try to dissect into a couple paragraphs.

Considering the current market, your detailed documentation of the builds, to say nothing for restoration provenance (you and A12 Dave) you should knock it out of the park!!

Doesn't hurt that it's a purple E Body with 3 pedals!

[njsteve]

I made a some videos for the eventual listing. I conscripted my son who attempted to hold the camera and hold onto the seat at the same time.

Here's a teaser: :wink:

kW5nsXKkLmU&ab_channel

[Lee Stewart]

Put the reserve at $125,000

[napa68]

That sure didn't take long!

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1970-plymouth-cuda-21/

[Billohio]

I saw it this morning and excellant write up

[Crush]

Will be fun to watch knowing what all went into it! GLWS

[njsteve]

I saw it this morning and excellant write up

It was something of a battle between me and the editors. Kind of reminded me of the battle of wits between The Sicilian and the Dread Pirate Roberts in The Princess Bride.

They don't like using any terms like "original" or 'factory equipped" or "one of..." so I had to do a bunch of comments in the Q&A section on my own.

We actually spent two days haggling over the term "matching roof" that they wanted to use. The car is an original non-vinyl top car so the fender tag has codes for body color and roof color (the same FC7 paint code in both spots). The head editor insisted on mentioning this. So I asked the question: What would a "non-matching roof" be then? They said: "a vinyl top, of course" LOL

I suggested, "matching color, painted roof" and we finally split the difference at "matching painted roof".

It was like being back in the courtroom arguing cases again. :-)

[Billohio]

I see some odd things in how they write up listings. The roof would be a what does that mean time!

[67ssmn]

Them wheels really make the car in my opinion, perfection

[njsteve]

I see some odd things in how they write up listings. The roof would be a what does that mean time!

Yeah! For some reason they were stuck on that weird verbage about the matching roof. I don't see how it was something to list as a "plus" to the car, when there were so many other interesting details they didn't want to include in their details section. That's why I included them in my comments, which they said I was free to do and actually encouraged to add. For example they wouldn't include the sentences about how many 70 340 cudas were made and how many they have listed in a database as coming with the shaker hood from the factory.

:hmmm:

Feel free to spread the word if you know anyone interested.