My '68 cuda ....

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gregcon

gregcon

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This isn't really a 'restoration' but just 'keeping a car going'. I've had this car since 1982 when I bought it for $250. By 1983 it had a 440 which was fairly exotic back then. I drag raced it every weekend for a couple years, driving 40 miles to the track, racing, than driving it back home which is my definition of a true street car. I ran a stock 440 with a Torker intake, 800 Holley DP, and a solid cam. All iron otherwise, even the WP housing. The usual 727 and 8-3/4" with 3.55 gears. It ran lots of 11.90's and a few 11.80s.

I painted the car around 1985 so it's had it's share of nicks since then. About 9 years ago I did some cleanup work under hood and changed to a 499" low deck engine with aluminum heads. It sat, undriven, until a couple months ago when I finally got around to getting it going. It's definitely faster than before though I haven't driven it down a track yet. I still have to finish up some details, like the AC compressor, but at least it's driveable again.

At 3300lbs, it weighs exactly 1000lbs less than my Challenger SRT...and you can feel the difference, for sure.

IMG_2454.JPG


cuda 499.JPG


68 15 58.jpg


Dash in car.JPG
 
Nice work. I have a 67 Notchback that I want to put Convo Pros on. I like the stance of yours can you please share wheel widths back spacing and tire size you are using?
Thanks,
kenny
 
Looks really nice for sitting 9 years! Like your custom dash and looks like you could eat off that clean engine compartment.
 
Thanks guys. Luckily it sat indoors!

The wheels are 15x6" on front and I seem to recall they only offer one backspace. The tires are 205/60-15. The rears are 15x8.5" and the backspace is 5-1/8" (or whatever they offer that is close to that. I think the other backspace is around 4"). The tires are Nitto 555R drag radials 275-60-15. I just added these. I wish I had used M&H Racemasters like I used to run because the Nitto's are not as sticky. I also used to run 275-50's....going to the 60's meant I had to move the rear axles back 3/8" to avoid rubbing the front of the wheelwell at higher speeds.

Really, it would be a better fit visually if I could move the tires in by about 1/2" per side but there is no room for that using the leafs and stock frame. The brackets are already the old Mopar type that move the rear springs inwards a bit. And the tires are as close as they can be to the springs without rubbing.
 
Thanks, I made the dash and of course used AutoMeter gauges. The speedo I especially like as it is a GPS unit which requires no speedo cable or calibration. I also had AutoMeter make up the tach for 8000RPM instead of 10,000RPM and I had them remove most of the lettering off the faces of the gauges to be less cluttered.

The dash panel is similar to one that someone else on this site made a few years ago...I saw it and more or less copied it. Using the 5" gauges, and the 4 smaller gauges, is very tight fit...if I were to do it over I'd probably use a different mix of gauges.

dash jig.JPG


dash pod.JPG


dash back (2).JPG
 
Oh, you're one of those talented machinist guys who can fabricate just about anything. Unfortunately I am not. It is a really nice looking piece. I thought it might have been an off the shelf item and maybe I would be able to pick one up.
 
RzeroB said:
Oh, you're one of those talented machinist guys who can fabricate just about anything. Unfortunately I am not. It is a really nice looking piece. I thought it might have been an off the shelf item and maybe I would be able to pick one up.
Click to expand...
-----------------------------------------------------------CLEAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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