1969 'cuda 383 4-speed

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cuda dad

cuda dad

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Well I bought this car today. I'm sure some of you are familiar with it at least from the pictures. From what I understand it has been passed from owner to owner for around 30 years without anything being done to it. I am committed to bringing it back to the streets. It has been on this forum.

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=90657

If anyone has any information regarding this car it would be much appreciated. I will post progress of the restoration. My initial plan is to get it running and work out the gremlins before doing any body repair. The original engine is gone but the 4-speed is numbers matching. Fortunately, many of the original parts came with the car.
 
Wow, that's gonna be some ride when your finished. A ton of members here are going to want to see your progress on this car. Congrats on the acquisition.
 
The car was bought out of Western, NY off craigs list. Went to Phoenix, then to Cali. Was on ebay a short time ago.
 
hey cuda dad,
i keep files on all 67-69 cudas that i find on the internet for sale or of special interest. i have a file dated dec 11, 2009 with about ten pics of your car that i downloaded from ebay. i did not capture the final price but i think it sold then for between $3800-5500. there is a guy in n.y that has an exact copy of your car completely finished. it is a beautiful car. i've included a pic of that car to help you stay motivated.

best of luck.
 

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Very nice. It looks like that one has bucket seats with a white interior. Mine actually has a blue bench seat and no fold down rear seat. Aside from that the appearance is the same. This makes a good reference for me. Thanks.

Does it say where the car came from when you saw it on ebay in 2009?
 
I finally had a little time to get in the garage today so I decided to put the car up on stands in order to pull the drive shaft and transmission before pulling out the engine. I've got some limited space issues. I put the stands under the rear axle then raised the front. When I lowered it down on the left frame rail it sounded like I sat on a bag of chips, CRUNCH! I knew the frame rail was going to need to be replaced but I thought it would at least support the car.
 

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I finally got a day to work on the car. I removed the drive shaft, the shift linkage, the shifter, and the hood. Stopped short of pulling the motor. I learned about the "A" body 383 being machined flatter next to the steering box. I have three engines that are drilled for the left motor mount but only one has the flatter boss on the driver side. It is a D 383 but no HP marking. I don't know if they had 383 HP models in 1968. My original engine is gone but the 4-speed is the original. This is the engine I will go back with.
 
Awesome project! Looks like a handful but amazing things can be done today with the parts available that just weren't really possible before.

The factory a-body 383's did not have the left rear mounting boss. It was a ground down pad over the steering box as you described. I also don't think they used "HP" on the pad either. A D383 would be a 68 model year engine. c=67, d=68, e=69 etc.

Just a thought... You might want to see if there are VIN numbers on the right side of block on pan rail. You may be able to help someone match that block to their car? They are worth good money maybe more so if you can locate to the car it came from.
You can just machine down the MM pad down on a more date "correct" 69 block none would be the wiser except the vin.
 
Rocky_JS said:
Awesome project! Looks like a handful but amazing things can be done today with the parts available that just weren't really possible before.

The factory a-body 383's did not have the left rear mounting boss. It was a ground down pad over the steering box as you described. I also don't think they used "HP" on the pad either. A D383 would be a 68 model year engine. c=67, d=68, e=69 etc.

Just a thought... You might want to see if there are VIN numbers on the right side of block on pan rail. You may be able to help someone match that block to their car? They are worth good money maybe more so if you can locate to the car it came from.
You can just machine down the MM pad down on a more date "correct" 69 block none would be the wiser except the vin.
Click to expand...
The casting is 2468130 7, the date 6 - 9 - 67.
It doesn't have a stamped vin on the right side above the pan rail (their is no boss). There is a number stamped on the underside left rear (oil pan mounting surface). PT383S22521769.
 
The best I can determine based on the 10,000 day calendar is the engine is from a car with a scheduled production date likely built about two weeks after 9/28/67. The two weeks is from my personal experience. I have a original 'cuda 340 (1970) with a scheduled production date of July 10, 1970 and the engine has 3255 (6/27/1970) as part of the number stamped on the front just below the driver's side cylinder head. What throws me is the "S" after the 383, I have to assume it has to do with 383-S model.
 
cuda dad said:
The casting is 2468130 7, the date 6 - 9 - 67.
It doesn't have a stamped vin on the right side above the pan rail (their is no boss). There is a number stamped on the underside left rear (oil pan mounting surface). PT383S22521769.
Click to expand...
all 69's had a vin# on the passenger side by the mount. If you don't have the original engine, it doesn't matter. It is very unwise to grind down a vin# to pass it off as original. it is very Illegal. all 69 cudas had an HP stamp. I have two and both are stamped HP. My 68 and 69 dart 383's are also stamped HP. 68's had their vin# on the driver side behind linkage on engine edge and trans lip. on the good side, these cars are so rare and valuable that it doesn't matter anyway. Just restore the car and have fun, close is good enough on these old A body cars, and they are a great Investment! Also, the S after 383 is in reference to the fuel quality. my 340r was regular, low compression 1972, and my 69' had a P' for premium fuel, which referred to the 10.5 compression engine. if you look at 273 and 318 engines, they all have an R for regular.
 
oldmopardude said:
all 69's had a vin# on the passenger side by the mount. If you don't have the original engine, it doesn't matter. It is very unwise to grind down a vin# to pass it off as original. it is very Illegal. all 69 cudas had an HP stamp. I have two and both are stamped HP. My 68 and 69 dart 383's are also stamped HP. 68's had their vin# on the driver side behind linkage on engine edge and trans lip. on the good side, these cars are so rare and valuable that it doesn't matter anyway. Just restore the car and have fun, close is good enough on these old A body cars, and they are a great Investment!
Click to expand...
I know I don't have the original engine, the good news is I may help someone find the engine they are looking for. I found the serial number by the oil sender. The stamp is 8B224466. I will put this info in the lost and found thread.
 
I think you miss-read my post. I did not say by any means to "grind the VIN off the block". But GET, as in write down, the VIN and see if you can marry the block to the 68 car it came from - if it still exists.

I said/meant you can USE any 69 block just grind down/off the left rear mounting ear for steering box clearance, but really it doesn't hit the box it is just real close.
He likely will not find his original 69 engine, but could help someone else find theirs. He maybe able to collect a good bit from it towards his new engine rebuild.
I have had 3 and not one were stamped HP. but no big surprise there and it's HP significance really means nothing as far as blocks go.

Sorry for any misunderstanding.





oldmopardude said:
all 69's had a vin# on the passenger side by the mount. If you don't have the original engine, it doesn't matter. It is very unwise to grind down a vin# to pass it off as original. it is very Illegal. all 69 cudas had an HP stamp. I have two and both are stamped HP. My 68 and 69 dart 383's are also stamped HP. 68's had their vin# on the driver side behind linkage on engine edge and trans lip. on the good side, these cars are so rare and valuable that it doesn't matter anyway. Just restore the car and have fun, close is good enough on these old A body cars, and they are a great Investment!
Click to expand...
 
PT383S22521769
PT = Trenton engine assembly plant
383 = cid
S = Special Engine, warranty block? or maybe just that it is an a-body 383?
2252 = is Wed. September 27, 1967
1769 = number of engines assembled that day up to yours


8B224466
8 = 1968
B hamtramck built CAR
224466 = last 6 of cars VIN

Possible vin matches?
BH23H8B224466
BH27H8B224466
BH29H8B224466
LS23H8B224466
LS27H8B224466
 
No sweat, I know what you meant. I've already made it very clear I do not have the original motor. I posted the partial vin of the engine that I have in the lost and found. It's a long shot so I'll probably just end up using it since it is the best one I have.
Rocky_JS said:
I think you miss-read my post. I did not say by any means to "grind the VIN off the block". But GET, as in write down, the VIN and see if you can marry the block to the 68 car it came from - if it still exists.

I said/meant you can USE any 69 block just grind down/off the left rear mounting ear for steering box clearance, but really it doesn't hit the box it is just real close.
He likely will not find his original 69 engine, but could help someone else find theirs. He maybe able to collect a good bit from it towards his new engine rebuild.
I have had 3 and not one were stamped HP. but no big surprise there and it's HP significance really means nothing as far as blocks go.

Sorry for any misunderstanding.
Click to expand...
 
HP just means that the engine got performance internals from the factory. There is no difference between an HP and non-HP block.

Rod
 
Made good progress today. Pulled the engine and transmission, everything looks good except the tab on the clutch fork is broken. Not sure if I can get a spring tab and rivet on or if I need to replace the fork. Flywheel has no missing teeth. I finally emptied all of the parts and the seats from the car and vacuumed it out to get a better look at the rust. Not as bad I thought. Trunk floor and extensions are gone but for the most part the floor seems solid.
 

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These are on the car, does anyone know if they might be stock?
 

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