'71 Cuda Late Model

[afx]

Picked this up in trade from a fellow forum member.  Like many of us back in the day he cut the rear wheel openings and installed larger tires.  That along with the crazed body from the too hot paint made restoring the kit to stock a non-starter.

After stripping you can see the crazing of the plastic.  I cleaned up the rear wheel opening and began reshaping the fronts to begin the transition into a short track modified.

I'm using the chassis from the MPC Super Stocker series.  The top of the frame rails are molded open so I boxed them in.  I'm building an asphalt in lieu of a dirt track car, so I won't be using the 180 headers.  I cut out the bump up and installed a plate over the opening where the headers would enter the roll cage.  Added a fender support bar as well.

Early mock-up after a few coats of filler primer and some additional sanding.  The hood comes from the AMT '74 Cuda snapper.

 

 

Edited November 29, 2017 by afx

[CabDriver]

Nice start JC, looks cool so far!  I'll be watching!

[espo]

I like the direction of your build. Great looking Roll Bars and front framing.

[vamach1]

Are you doing any particular driver or just a Saturday night special?

[afx]

Thanks James & David.  Just a phantom build Rex, not aware of an actual race car.

Replaced the molded plastic springs with copper wire.  The brass screws will simulate jacking bolts on a 1:1.  Made the spring pockets at the front from styrene tubing.

Edited November 19, 2017 by afx

[vamach1]

No complaints if it turned out like this.

[afx]

Stance.

[iBorg]

MPC did the same thing. Looks like you're creating this. I had one that I foolishly traded 25 years ago. I keep on hoping Round2 re-releases this.

[afx]

Yea Mike I am effectively building that kit but with the '71 body.  I have a nice builder version of that kit.  They bring strong money on ebay.  With this build under way I might be persuaded the let it go for the right number. 

[PARTSMARTY]

This is very cool for sure !!!

[Steamboat]

It's good to see the old 'Cuda start a new life.  Will you be going with small-block power?

[afx]

Thanks Marty. 

Glad you approve of what I've done with the Cuda Bill.  Yea I'm thinking a small block would be the most appropriate. 

Edited November 20, 2017 by afx

[Vince66]

Looking real good. 

[aurfalien]

Hi,

Man I love your style and work flow of building.

And I love this subject matter.  Too bad they are so darn expensive as I would love to have either the MPC Barracuda, Mustang or Camaro Super Stocker kits.

They all look like loads of fun.

[iBorg]

Having dealt with round track racing during the era this would have ran, the engine would be a 340. The weight of a big block would mess up handling. A hemi would be cool to look at but would be an absolute nightmare to tune for a short track. 

[Dieselhead]

Having dealt with round track racing during the era this would have ran, the engine would be a 340. The weight of a big block would mess up handling. A hemi would be cool to look at but would be an absolute nightmare to tune for a short track. 

A wee bit of a derailment, but what would make the 426 unsuitable for short round track, other than weight issues? Would the smaller track not give the engine room to really wind out, thus keeping it down in the low RPM ranges, necessitating shorter gearing?

[Steamboat]

You'll get some extra horsepower if you use the AMT Duster Street Machine small block pictured.  It has 5-1/2 cylinders per bank, as evidenced by the 11 rocker arms.  Either that or 3 cylinders with 3 valves and one cylinder with 2. You have to wonder what they were thinking in China.

The engine in the background is the 340 from the Monogram T/A Challenger, but it's 1:24 scale.

[vamach1]

Petty drove a big block car on short tracks but it was too nose heavy and they handled like poop.

[afx]

I used the 426 block from the new tool Revell Cuda ( I like the detail of the front cover, trans etc.) and installed the Monogram 340 heads for my AAR Cuda Trans-Am build.  Might go that way again.

Edited November 21, 2017 by afx

[FabbricaP]

Looking very nice as usual JC

[vamach1]

You never know what you will find online.

[Steamboat]

I used the 426 block from the new tool Revell Cuda and installed the Monogram 340 heads for my AAR Cuda Trans-Am build.  Might go that way again.

Your work looks great, but you can tell it's a big block by the external oil pump forward of the drivers side motor mount.  Small blocks have an internal oil pump.

[iBorg]

A wee bit of a derailment, but what would make the 426 unsuitable for short round track, other than weight issues? Would the smaller track not give the engine room to really wind out, thus keeping it down in the low RPM ranges, necessitating shorter gearing?

426 Hemis were hard to keep in tune for the street as a daily driver and didn't have a really wide power band. The guts I knew who ran them were really good at adjusting timing and the carb(s). Those same difficulties would really show up on a short track. That narrow power band would hurt it on the dirt. The gearing needed to take advantage of the Hemi would hurt drivability on the track. 

 If its a short track car, handling through the curves is more important than accelerating  through the straights. Ever notice how many passes are set up coming off the turn? Hemi cars were nose heavy. Furthermore when Chrysler started their kit car program, the Hemi wasn't an option. 

The last point is by 1974-75, these engines were not really available in the junkyard. A 340 (which was having round track parts made for local racing and Nascar) could be bought at almost any junkyard for $75-150 while if you could find a Hemi, it was at least $500.

Edited November 21, 2017 by iBorg

[afx]

I didn't care for the incomplete cross bracing and the rather simplified rear suspension.

I modified the cross braces and track arms from a NASCAR kit to fit this chassis.  The long arms wouldn't be appropriate for dirt car but since I am building an asphalt car I think I can get away with kit.  I also pulled the wheels in so they don't stick out so far past the body.  I still need to relocate the transmission support.

Edited November 25, 2017 by afx

[TarheelRick]

Really love short track cars, especially phantom builds.  The majority of my complete builds are just such machines.  This one has the look of what was running in the era following the demise of Tri-Fives and Chevelles.  Looking forward to updates.  I have a '71 Hemi Cuda (missing the Hemi), and this one may inspire me in using the remains.