Pro Touring Cuda

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wazoo64

wazoo64

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The purists out there are not going to like this thread but here goes. I am starting the plans to build an early A cuda.....Pro Touring Style. The plan is to salvage one and build it with all the best gear possible. Trust me it will look sweet and drive as good as anything that comes off the showroom in 2008. I am looking for pics and details of any early A cars that have been built with a pro touring style in mind.
 
daves66valiant said:
What makes a car pro touring?
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Big brakes, wheels and tires with almost even tire size (width) from front to back. Upgraded handling, possibly lowered a bit. Lots of power and a lot of guys go the centrifugal supercharging route with fuel injection. Comfy seats and a highway rear gear. Clean exterior styling. Here's an example of a Charger done in the protouring style: http://www.lateral-g.net/members/musto/

Did I miss anything? Let me know.
 
ramcharger, Overdrive transmission and suspension built for driving around corners.....would be a couple others
 
Are you planning to transplant the stuff from the Conv. into a 64-66 Cuda?
 
autoxcuda said:
Are you planning to transplant the stuff from the Conv. into a 64-66 Cuda?
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No, I am looking to start from scratch. The Valiant is not show quality but built well. The Cuda project will be the best of everything, show quality but will never see a trailer. I like to drive em too much.
 
fwaugh said:
The purists out there are not going to like this thread but here goes. I am starting the plans to build an early A cuda.....Pro Touring Style. The plan is to salvage one and build it with all the best gear possible. Trust me it will look sweet and drive as good as anything that comes off the showroom in 2008. I am looking for pics and details of any early A cars that have been built with a pro touring style in mind.
Click to expand...
I believe the purists can spend their money and build the way they want and I'll heap praise upon their rides - or trailer queens - for all the fine work they did and all the research they did to make sure they got the right shade of chalk color and the right location for it.
Then I can spend my money and build my car the way I want to make me happy and I won't care if the purists like it or not. Some may see the need to return my '69 Dart 270 back to its ho-hum 'grocery-getter' configuration, but I see the need to re-capture a portion of my life from the late 60's-early 70's when screaming small block a-bodied Mopars were sooooo much fun to drive and never failed to raise the pulse rate whenever you turned the key and listened to that high-pitched reduction gear starter sound transition to a throaty pitch, lumpy idle exhaust note rumbling down the boulevard.
The ONLY thing that's important - to borrow from a current Cadillac TV ad - is for your car to return the favor when you turn it on! Your car will to you, mine will to me, and the purists will to them (if they can hear it).
 
You're from North OC right?. That sounds like a great project. I would definately go Mustang II up front. Sensational handling and you can really clean up the engine compartment by getting rid of the shock towers, steering gear and the torsion bars. AOD or 5-6 speed manual is a must, either by and AOD trans or the gear vendors unit. I would also consider a mini tub. It's a lot of work but you can put the exact tire/rim combo that you want. Do you have the base car yet?
 
Chuckbizkits said:
You're from North OC right?. That sounds like a great project. I would definately go Mustang II up front. Sensational handling and you can really clean up the engine compartment by getting rid of the shock towers, steering gear and the torsion bars. AOD or 5-6 speed manual is a must, either by and AOD trans or the gear vendors unit. I would also consider a mini tub. It's a lot of work but you can put the exact tire/rim combo that you want. Do you have the base car yet?
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Hey Chuck-

I've been pondering using the Mustang II setup for my '65 Valiant 'vert. What setup did you use on yours?
 
Why bother fabricating in a MustangII when the AlterK is perfect for a pro-touring ride???? Mini-tub, a triangulated 4link......Put the whole ride on air or coil-overs. It's a relatively small car so 17"'s or 18's..........If you like stock resto cars go to the mopar nats and see 50 of them, build a one-off car is a great approach
 
I believe the are two pretty easy ways to go. The Alter K and the Magnum Force. I did it the hard way and completely got rid of everything between the frame rails and made my own crossmember. I used an early 90's mustang rack. All other parts are basic aftermarket.
 
rjsjea said:
Why bother fabricating in a MustangII when the AlterK is perfect for a pro-touring ride???? Mini-tub, a triangulated 4link......Put the whole ride on air or coil-overs. It's a relatively small car so 17"'s or 18's..........If you like stock resto cars go to the mopar nats and see 50 of them, build a one-off car is a great approach
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$$$$, and that's it. Don't get me wrong, at $3500 the AlterK is a VERY sweet piece, and if I had a few extra grand laying around (anybody seen 'em?:-D), I'd be ordering one TODAY. But, I've also seen reputable outfits like Heidt's and Total Cost Involved put together Mustang II front ends for street rods for ~$2k with 11" discs, tubular a-arms, adjustable shocks, rack n' pinion, etc. I plan on building a frame to tie everything together underneath and make my convertible flex-free, so fabbing is part of the plan. I'd rather put the extra $$ into the mini-tubs, triangulated 4link and coil overs for the rear. Still doing my homework regarding the front end, though. I'd love to hear more ideas/experiences...
 
rjsjea said:
Why bother fabricating in a MustangII when the AlterK is perfect for a pro-touring ride???? Mini-tub, a triangulated 4link......Put the whole ride on air or coil-overs. It's a relatively small car so 17"'s or 18's..........If you like stock resto cars go to the mopar nats and see 50 of them, build a one-off car is a great approach
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I run the 4 link set up from air ride on my 64 val. I like it but I think my handling is going to be much better with an alter k and leafs. I may even get crazy and cut up a vet rearend for this project. I dont like to drive straight. The magnumforce setup looks good but doesnt hold up to the alterk when it comes to hard driving.
 
Right on. My Mustang II project was very low dollar. Probably less that 2 grand. And it's sweet! At the time of the install, I wasn't even aware of the Alter K or Magnum Force. There is no standard Mustang II cross member (Heidt's, Fat Man, etc) for early A body although one for a Mustang or Street Rod can easily be modified.
 
Chuckbizkits said:
Right on. My Mustang II project was very low dollar. Probably less that 2 grand. And it's sweet! At the time of the install, I wasn't even aware of the Alter K or Magnum Force. There is no standard Mustang II cross member (Heidt's, Fat Man, etc) for early A body although one for a Mustang or Street Rod can easily be modified.
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Low dollar is great! Do you have any pics or dimensions from when you put yours together?
 
I have lots of pics but they're not digital - yet. I'm way behind the times in that regard. The only critical measurement is centering the cross member. You just have to make sure that the new lower A-arm is basically in the same place in regard to the frame rails as the original lower conrol arm. Once that's done everything else follows. Before removing the original suspension just scribe a line from the center of the lower conrol arm to the frame rail then center the new cross member to that line. You'll also have to fab new motor mounts.
 
this sounds very intriguing. i love a car that handles well. the mustang II setup sounds like another alternative out there.

hey chuckbizkits....your handle must be related to the great drummer from DOA, danzig, etc. am i right? i have been listening to them for years.
 
600x400.jpg


Something like this maybe?

I never posted a project log, but that was taken before I even re-did everything.

I have a nice long list of mods done, and waiting to be done still, but all on a budget.
 
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