'78 Cordoba

[gman]

32 minutes ago, restoman said:

Back at it...

Sprayed the body with Chrysler Cool Vanilla single layer urethane and the interior is Humbrol enamel burgundy.

 

That is just the color scheme I visualized after the first post- my aunt and uncle bought one new back then in the same colors you've done this up in. I logged many miles in the back seat of that car, and can testify it was very comfortable. I remember my uncle "accidentally" laying down some rubber a few times with it.

They had tire separation and a nightmare with the dealership trying to sort that out, so sadly it was traded in the first year they owned it, before there was a recall issued.

[StevenGuthmiller]

On 1/10/2017 at 11:38 AM, NYLIBUD said:

Cool project,a buddy of mine had a Burgundy 76 Córdoba.It had a 360,but it also had the horrible,Lean burn emission system.So the car was kind of a pig on the road.Not to mention it was a dam heavy car.We had fun cruising around in it,until he slammed it into a fence,and a tree.But I have to say,that interior was real comfortable.?

I once had a '72 Fury with the 360.

Biggest dog I ever drove! (175 horse power)

By the time 1975 rolled around, even the 440 that my dad ordered in my mother's '75 Dodge wagon was a toothless boat anchor.

My dad cussed constantly about the lack of power every time he drove it.

 

Steve

[NYLIBUD]

1 hour ago, martin9428 said:

Of course the interior was comfortable. It was Corintian leather and Ricado Mantelban recommends it.

Exactly I wonder if he ever owned one.

[afx]

My girlfriend in high school had a Cordoba.  It was quite roomy!

[ChrisBcritter]

A friend of mine owns this one, low-mile sweet runner with a sunroof:

Had to do some junkyard/eBay hunting for a few missing/faded trim bits; the front fender louvers are plastic pieces that snap over little studs welded to the fenders and I had to find three good ones. Note the white bumper trim, and good luck with that red and blue double pinstripe!

Edited February 15, 2019 by ChrisBcritter

[restoman]

1 hour ago, ChrisBcritter said:

A friend of mine owns this one, low-mile sweet runner with a sunroof:

Had to do some junkyard/eBay hunting for a few missing/faded trim bits; the front fender louvers are plastic pieces that snap over little studs welded to the fenders and I had to find three good ones. Note the white bumper trim, and good luck with that red and blue double pinstripe!

Yeah... the front bumper trim isn't going to happen on mine, but I'm going to try and put the pinstripe on.

Gorgeous car, by the way!

[Bucky]

I love the Cordobas, even the ones based on the Mirada!

This is the '76 I owned for about 6 years around the turn of the century:

360 V-8. Ran great, and got decent gas mileage for its size.

Mine had this interior:

And, here is the Lindberg Cordoba I found in a hobby shop in Tecumseh, Michigan:

 

I would definitely like to have one of these transkits! Would a chassis from the Dukes of Hazzard, or Joker Goon car kit work under this Cordoba?

 

[Ron Hamilton]

I started on mine last year. I am doing mine as a Cordoba, with a Landau roof. I haven't decided whether or not to 2- tone it. I am leaning towards Black with silver 2-tone, with a gray interior. Mine is ready for paint, I just have to find a good silver color to use.

[Tom Geiger]

I love this thread!  I have always been a fan of the first generation Cordoba, the round headlight version.  I never warmed up to this 1980 version.  What chassis did you use under this one?  I do remember a white / red 300 just like yours on a dealer lot when they were new.

And we all have that "the one I remember" stories...  Back in the day (figure early 1990s) I had a 1977 Dodge Sportsman long wheelbase window van.  The engine wound up seized and I offered it up for sale, back then in print ads, in the local auto sales paper.  I needed it gone before the winter snow came. The body was very nice  so I started out at $800.  Over the next month or two I reduced the price $100 or so at a time, until I finally had it for $200, just to get rid of it.  

Then I get a call.  A guy calling from Delaware (I was in New Jersey) and he asked questions about the body and chassis.  Turns out he had the same van with a newly rebuilt engine and trans, but his was very rusty.  He made an appointment to come on Saturday.  Then it hit me... we never talked price.  Which ad did he see.  He mentioned that he had saved the ad until he had the money, but I had no idea how much he thought I wanted for the van!

He shows up on Saturday and it's pouring rain. He's driving the rattiest 1976 era Cordoba I ever saw. Paint off it, rusted in every corner, with a huge tow bar on the back of it.  The guy walks around my van which looks shiny while wet with rain.  He says it's exactly what he's looking for so we agree to the sale.  I trade the signed title for a bank envelope full of uncounted cash.  He just says, "Here's the money."  No negotiations, he just wants the van.  So I put the envelope in my pocket but it's eating me...how much money is it?  

He starts hooking up the van to the tow bar.  The Cordoba is sitting really low in the back and is running rough. I'm wondering if he's going to make it back to Delaware (2-3 hr ride) with this sad rig.  I duck into my garage and count the envelopes contents...  $800!   He must've seen the first ad and never went back to the sales paper!  I was extremely pleased considering I had paid $650 for the van and had used it for a year prior to the engine seizing.

The last thing I saw was this procession of large van behind small Cordoba inching down my street in the pouring rain.  I never heard from him again!

 

Edited February 16, 2019 by Tom Geiger

[MrObsessive]

Tom, I would think the AMT '71 Charger would be a very good start with some tweaking. I think this was probably based on the MPC mid/later '70's Dodge's (can't think of the model) and that chassis would work too.

Mopar didn't stray too far from chassis configuration during those years till the radical '80 models came out.

[restoman]

Yeah, I used the '71 Charger as the donor. The chassis itself needed no work to fit, but I did swap out the kit's 8 3/4" rear and stuck a corporate 9 1/4" under there. The 8 1/4" rear would have been the most common in this car, but some were built with the bigger and stronger 9 1/4". I had the 9 1/4" so in it went.

I'm reasonably sure this resin was based off of a mid-70s B body like a Coronet or Fury. The windshield from the '71 Charger is a poor fit...

I owned a '76 Charger Daytona back in '81/'82. Blue and black with a beautiful blue bucket seat interior and a sunroof. The engine was pooched so I swapped in the 360 2 bbl from my '76 Road Runner. Blocked off the EGR, ran full duals, ditched the lean burn and went with an orange box and a fresh set of Champions. It ran very well for a 4000+ lb car. There was a 3.21 single legger out back. A good friend at the time had a much more plush '76 Charger with a 400 4 bbl. As the know-it-all-my-car-is-faster-than-yours kids we were, we raced whenever we could. Never could that 400 ever get the best of the 360. Mileage on both our cars was terrible, but when we drove with our feet in the radiators,  that's what we got.

He still has the car, with a stroker big block now. Mine has long since been recycled into a Toyota...

 

I'd love to have a round headlight fascia for this resin kit.

Edited February 16, 2019 by restoman
i are iliter8 adn had to poofred...

[Bucky]

If I can get me mittens on one of these Cordoba trans kits, I would immediately check the chassis in this kit to see if it works:

This is the 1:1 car the Cordoba is more closely related to, albeit in 2 door form.

Actually, any of these chassis should do:

Of course, I'm just speculating, here. I don't have the Cordoba stuff in hand.....yet! 

[restoman]

3 minutes ago, Bucky said:

If I can get me mittens on one of these Cordoba trans kits, I would immediately check the chassis in this kit to see if it works:

This is the 1:1 car the Cordoba is more closely related to, albeit in 2 door form.

Actually, any of these chassis should do:

Of course, I'm just speculating, here. I don't have the Cordoba stuff in hand.....yet! 

I'd like to see how the chassis fits, too. I think the reason the '71 Charger is spec'd as the donor is due to its wide distribution. 

I'd really like to snag one of those picture two-door B bodies!

[MrObsessive]

I wouldn't mind having one of those Cordobas also. That's a car I saw quite regularly brand new in the '70's when I was in high school.

Somewhere in my stash I've got one of those later '70's Dodge two doors. I have no idea what year it is, but it looks an awful lot like those stacked square headlight car kits shown. No box or instructions and I can't even remember when/where I got it 'cept I know I've had it for a long time.

 

[1972coronet]

Technically , the 1973 & later B-bodies had a different K-member : the notorious rubber-isolated piece-of-cow-dung . The police / taxi models had cast iron isolators ; Direct Connection sold them for years as replacements .

Additionally ; the K-members from 1973 & later were engine-family-specific ( e.g. , Slant Six , LA , and B / RB ) , making engine swaps a daunting task ! 

Will more than 98% of those amongst us notice the difference in-scale ? No. Even then , who cares ? I , for one , don't . 

Good call on the 9 1/4 rear ! 1974 was the last year for the 8 3/4 anyhow ; and the Dana 60 disappeared after 1972 .

Keep up the GREAT work !

[Bucky]

I think that may be true for earlier years, too.

 

http://www.engine-swaps.com/Pages/ProductsType/K-Frames.html

Sorry for the thread high-jack! LOL

[Monty]

On 2/14/2019 at 1:00 PM, restoman said:

Back at it...

Sprayed the body with Chrysler Cool Vanilla single layer urethane and the interior is Humbrol enamel burgundy.

 

I'm liking where this is going.  I remember these cars in their heyday - one of Chrysler's biggest sellers in years.  

I'm familiar with most of the Humbrol line, but I can't find a listing for "burgundy".  Would you mind letting me know the two-digit number stamped on the tinlet's cap?

[restoman]

3 hours ago, Monty said:

I'm liking where this is going.  I remember these cars in their heyday - one of Chrysler's biggest sellers in years.  

I'm familiar with most of the Humbrol line, but I can't find a listing for "burgundy".  Would you mind letting me know the two-digit number stamped on the tinlet's cap?

20, in gloss. I covered the gloss with a coat of Rustoleum Matt Clear.

[restoman]

I'm having a tough time staying motivated on this build... but it IS getting there.

Two wheel openings yet to see BMF, then it can begin going together.

Foiling those thin wheel opening trim pieces is NOT a fun way to spend an afternoon 

Comments always welcome.

[Bucky]

I'm still here, looking in! LoL

[Nazz]

  Looking good so far Mike  Loving the white!

[ranma]

On 11/16/2016 at 11:40 AM, mrindy77 said:

 Ricardo Montalban saying...'fine corinthian leather.'

 

 

[restoman]

Windows are going in!!!

The rear and quarter glass is plain old cellophane, the front is a custom job made from a pop bottle, a buck and a heat gun. Getting the front to fit flush is taking some time, but it fits far better than the various kit pieces I've tried.

I'll be sooooo happy when this car is sitting on all fours in its display box! 3 years and counting...

Comments always welcome.

[stitchdup]

Cool looking car, its interesting to see how much of it toyota seem to have copied for the mk2/chaser model from the 70s

[swede70]

That looks very nice indeed.  The Cordoba was a significant money maker for the Chrysler Corp. even as the economic situation of the company was sharply deteriorating during the period.  Almost forgotten now, they sold a great many of them.  Thanks for sharing...

Mike K./Swede70