# THE LEGENDARY 'CUDA MUSCLE CAR IS COMING BACK, AND 2020 CAN'T COME FAST ENOUGH



## eric_271 (Feb 10, 2018)

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.maxim.com/.amp/rides/return-of-the-hemi-cuda-2017-6


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## ken morgan (Mar 22, 2018)

Yes 2020 will be a great year....the Bronco comes back, Trump comes back, and then we have Dodge........


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## Blue Oaks (Mar 22, 2018)

My buddy has a SPECTACULAR Hemi Cuda and Challenger collection. About a dozen four speed cars, and about half are convertibles.






Oh and he has the nicest of the 8 '69 Trans Am convertibles made.






The black and orange cars are GTO Judge Ram Air IV 4-Speed convertibles.


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## ken morgan (Mar 23, 2018)

Blue Oaks said:


> My buddy has a SPECTACULAR Hemi Cuda and Challenger collection. About a dozen four speed cars, and about half are convertibles.
> 
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> ...


Wow...thats a lot of eye candy there...


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## Blue Oaks (Mar 23, 2018)

Recently he bought one of the 2 69 Camaro Pace Cars that actually were used in the race. It's got handles around the back seat for dignitaries to hold onto while sitting on the car with their feet on the back seat. He also now has to Yenko Camaro's. And an ultra low mileage Mangusta he bought out of Switzerland. Oh and the winningest Cobra not owned by Shelby, the old **** Smith car that he bought from Wayne Carini. He's got some disposable income apparently.


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## ken morgan (Mar 23, 2018)

Blue Oaks said:


> Recently he bought one of the 2 69 Camaro Pace Cars that actually were used in the race. It's got handles around the back seat for dignitaries to hold onto while sitting on the car with their feet on the back seat. He also now has to Yenko Camaro's. And an ultra low mileage Mangusta he bought out of Switzerland. Oh and the winningest Cobra not owned by Shelby, the old **** Smith car that he bought from Wayne Carini. He's got some disposable income apparently.


he got any young sons that need wife? be trying to offload my daughters in about 14 years or so....


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## Blue Oaks (Mar 23, 2018)

LOL he does have a couple of small kids, not sure if they're boys or girls. Can't remember. He is truly a car guy though. He's got about a $3M house with tennis courts, and he uses the courts to store parts cars!


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## ken morgan (Mar 26, 2018)

Blue Oaks said:


> LOL he does have a couple of small kids, not sure if they're boys or girls. Can't remember. He is truly a car guy though. He's got about a $3M house with tennis courts, and he uses the courts to store parts cars!


Damn...somebody finally gets it.... and the pool would be an oil bath filled with the finest offering the dino's could give up....just to bathe my sweet sweet 1967 Cougar in..... (first car I ever bought)(after my truck of course...)


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## eric_271 (Apr 12, 2018)

Blue Oaks said:


> My buddy has a SPECTACULAR Hemi Cuda and Challenger collection. About a dozen four speed cars, and about half are convertibles.
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> ...


Nice....I've sold 2 Cuda s in the last 6 months....the 3rd, a 70 will be passed down to my son.


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## eric_271 (Apr 12, 2018)

Blue Oaks said:


> Recently he bought one of the 2 69 Camaro Pace Cars that actually were used in the race. It's got handles around the back seat for dignitaries to hold onto while sitting on the car with their feet on the back seat. He also now has to Yenko Camaro's. And an ultra low mileage Mangusta he bought out of Switzerland. Oh and the winningest Cobra not owned by Shelby, the old **** Smith car that he bought from Wayne Carini. He's got some disposable income apparently.


We had a guy in western Kansas who had 70 of the desirable mopars all like new. Superbirds, every one you could think of. He sold the collection a few years back. His home is a good indicator that he made out pretty well.


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## Ryan A (Apr 19, 2018)

drool!


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## eric_271 (Apr 20, 2018)

ken morgan said:


> Damn...somebody finally gets it.... and the pool would be an oil bath filled with the finest offering the dino's could give up....just to bathe my sweet sweet 1967 Cougar in..... (first car I ever bought)(after my truck of course...)


Ford bringing a 1,100hp cobra jet mustang for the Ford guys........I'd even take one of them...car wars coming back, love it...


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## Blue Oaks (Apr 20, 2018)

The Cobra Jet will likely be in the 850 HP range like the earlier ones. I was standing behind one while it dyno'd. I about needed a new pair of shorts when he hammered down!


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## eric_271 (Apr 20, 2018)

Blue Oaks said:


> The Cobra Jet will likely be in the 850 HP range like the earlier ones. I was standing behind one while it dyno'd. I about needed a new pair of shorts when he hammered down!



Nope......the war is on and Ford ain't stopping at 850hp
The article says 60 to be built with 1,100hp. They don't wanna keep up with dodge.....they plan on driving around. Price was estimated in the $100,000 range.

ET's in the 8.5 second range through the quarter


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## eric_271 (Apr 20, 2018)

Ryan A said:


> drool!


Me too and that's all....I can build 1,500hp lots cheaper than the 70 or $80,000 for the Demon.......payments in the $1,500 range a month.......need much better job.


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## Blue Oaks (Apr 20, 2018)

eric_271 said:


> Nope......the war is on and Ford ain't stopping at 850hp
> The article says 60 to be built with 1,100hp. They don't wanna keep up with dodge.....they plan on driving around. Price was estimated in the $100,000 range.
> 
> ET's in the 8.5 second range through the quarter



Well, they already do mid 8's with 850 HP. And the Dodge is street legal, the CJ is not. It's sold with a Part Number and Serial Number, no VIN.


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## eric_271 (Apr 20, 2018)

Blue Oaks said:


> Well, they already do mid 8's with 850 HP. And the Dodge is street legal, the CJ is not. It's sold with a Part Number and Serial Number, no VIN.


Maybe an old article I read.....I see if I can find it


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## eric_271 (Apr 20, 2018)

https://www.google.com/amp/www.automobilemag.com/news/2018-ford-mustang-cobra-jet/amp/

Not the exact article but the same car........the other article estimated the hp


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## rarefish383 (Jul 27, 2018)

I'll stick with my 68 Formulas S Cuda, one of 64 Convertibles made with big block, 4 speed. Plane Jane white wrapper, granny car. Some day I might actually get it off the roto body and back on the road. I was thinking about sending it out to Oregon to Mark Worman, but I'd have to sell my gun collection to afford him, and I don't know how many years it takes to get on his list and get it finished.


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## Greaser007 (Sep 16, 2018)

I went to high school in the late '60's and there was a class-mate who bought a Cuda with the 340 Six-pack engine in Orange. He kept it forever after totaling it, and then back in the early 2000's he resurrected the automobile and put it back on the street again. That had to have been a pretty rare car.
If the Cuda comes back, it will sell. I am now retired with a blue-collar pension so I won't be affording a new Cuda. :-(

My salivary glands are still watering after looking at that collection shown above. Wow $$$$$


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## eric_271 (Sep 30, 2018)

Greaser007 said:


> I went to high school in the late '60's and there was a class-mate who bought a Cuda with the 340 Six-pack engine in Orange. He kept it forever after totaling it, and then back in the early 2000's he resurrected the automobile and put it back on the street again. That had to have been a pretty rare car.
> If the Cuda comes back, it will sell. I am now retired with a blue-collar pension so I won't be affording a new Cuda. :-(
> 
> My salivary glands are still watering after looking at that collection shown above. Wow $$$$$


I see used ones selling in the$50,000 range. It's tempting but I can make more hp and street driveable with my 70 Cuda for way less. I'm still considering a used v6 challenger. For $6,000 you can get the himi, computer and everything else you need for the conversion. The second generation himi is still the one to beat with exception to the himis used in the Demon. That block is different than all the other himi challengers. It's built for the hp the super charger on it will make.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.motor1.com/news/264460/dodge-demon-stock-quarter-mile/amp/


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## Greaser007 (Oct 2, 2018)

So, who knows something about Olds 455 ?
I recently drug home a 455 Olds marine engine which of course had been standing out in the rain for hmm, how many years ? I bought if for the "C" heads to put on a another 455 marine short block. I measure the intake valves to be 2-inch.
My question is that not having built a 455 previously, when I go to Summit Racing I am not so sure of what I must purchase ?
I need to purchase 4 intake valves because of the rust from the standing water over several years. Is the 2-inch intake valve spec'd as a 2.02 ?

And one other question is what is a fairly easy method of checking stem height on these. Is there a guage which works pretty slick for checking height ?

So, does the Cutlass convertible have a 400 or 455 ?

thanks guys,


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## eric_271 (Oct 2, 2018)

Greaser007 said:


> So, who knows something about Olds 455 ?
> I recently drug home a 455 Olds marine engine which of course had been standing out in the rain for hmm, how many years ? I bought if for the "C" heads to put on a another 455 marine short block. I measure the intake valves to be 2-inch.
> My question is that not having built a 455 previously, when I go to Summit Racing I am not so sure of what I must purchase ?
> I need to purchase 4 intake valves because of the rust from the standing water over several years. Is the 2-inch intake valve spec'd as a 2.02 ?
> ...


There are nice tools for checking stem height.....kinda pricey just to check a few valves. I have one that goes in place of the spring with the retainer over it. It's marked so you can read thousandths or ten thousandth as you turn it to expand under the retainer. Check all the valves and record your measurements. Grind valve faces and seats then measure all again and record. That measurement compared to the first tells you how much to take off the stem for correct height. You'll have to research to find the correct installed height.


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## eric_271 (Oct 2, 2018)

You really should take them to an automotive machinist .


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## Greaser007 (Oct 2, 2018)

thanks Eric, I can probably pick up a stem-height gauge from Summit, and they can give me some guidance on my valve choices.

How times have changed from purchasing a 400 hp car off the showroom in the late '60's to today where the hp exceeds 650 or more !
We now have variable cam timing and turbos with variable pitch vanes to improve lag.


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## ChoppyChoppy (Oct 3, 2018)

It's FUGLY! YUK!


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## eric_271 (Oct 3, 2018)

Greaser007 said:


> thanks Eric, I can probably pick up a stem-height gauge from Summit, and they can give me some guidance on my valve choices.
> 
> How times have changed from purchasing a 400 hp car off the showroom in the late '60's to today where the hp exceeds 650 or more !
> We now have variable cam timing and turbos with variable pitch vanes to improve lag.


Wish I could help more but I'm not familiar with olds valve sizes. I'd be worried about stem size as much of anything. Without machining or checking ID on the guides your new valves may be too loose or too tight. I like your engine choice, the 455s hauled ass.


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## Blue Oaks (Oct 3, 2018)

Greaser007 said:


> How times have changed from purchasing a 400 hp car off the showroom in the late '60's to today where the hp exceeds 650 or more !
> We now have variable cam timing and turbos with variable pitch vanes to improve lag.



Amen! My 2013 GT350 was a bucket list item. All aluminum 32 valve V8 with independently variable valve timing and a supercharger. 624HP but purrs like a kitten at low RPM's.


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## eric_271 (Nov 1, 2018)

Dodge offering 1000 hp crate Himi now. Looks like a third generation Himi but with the 426 cid displacement. Not a true Himi but I'd take one anyway. Lol


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## Blue Oaks (Nov 1, 2018)

You mean "Hemi" right, for the hemispherical combustion chamber? Would be insane in a hot rod. I saw Chevy is thinking about a stand alone electric motor for hot rods. They have something at SEMA, a hot rod Camaro made from it- they call it the eCOPO.


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## eric_271 (Nov 1, 2018)

Blue Oaks said:


> You mean "Hemi" right, for the hemispherical combustion chamber? Would be insane in a hot rod. I saw Chevy is thinking about a stand alone electric motor for hot rods. They have something at SEMA, a hot rod Camaro made from it- they call it the eCOPO.


I'll wake up after one more cup of coffee lol. Yes hemi and all generation III are semi hemis. Not the true hemispherical combustion chambers. Price tag will probably be cost prohibitive for most but what a blast that would be. The electric would never do it for me. Wrong sound.


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## Little Al (Nov 1, 2018)

With the moving on of tech The V6 motor will probably have the grunt etc of the older V8 lump in from factory spec I hope Alfa have solved their Body corrosion/leccy wiring problems from the older models as these problems left a lot to be desired


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## eric_271 (Nov 1, 2018)

Little Al said:


> With the moving on of tech The V6 motor will probably have the grunt etc of the older V8 lump in from factory spec I hope Alfa have solved their Body corrosion/leccy wiring problems from the older models as these problems left a lot to be desired


My son test drove a new challenger with v6 in it. It's would run away from most anything with a 318 from years ago. I read an article several days ago about a guy who installed a cheap turbo on his v6 challenger and was making about 450 hp. and a daily driver. Not really my cup of tea but pretty cool.


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## Blue Oaks (Nov 1, 2018)

Thirty years ago (1988 for the math challenged) the 5.0 Mustang had 225 HP. Twenty years ago the Mustang Cobra 5.0 had 300 HP. Now the Turbo Four has 310 HP in the Mustang and 350 in the Focus RS. The base Mustang GT now has 480 HP, the GT350 has 526, and the rumor for the new GT500 is 700+. We're living in the Golden Age of motoring.


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## eric_271 (Nov 1, 2018)

Blue Oaks said:


> Thirty years ago (1988 for the math challenged) the 5.0 Mustang had 225 HP. Twenty years ago the Mustang Cobra 5.0 had 300 HP. Now the Turbo Four has 310 HP in the Mustang and 350 in the Focus RS. The base Mustang GT now has 480 HP, the GT350 has 526, and the rumor for the new GT500 is 700+. We're living in the Golden Age of motoring.


I've always been a mopar guy but have always liked mustangs. I still fight the urge to buy one but remind myself of my nephew constantly breaking something on his..... tranny, rear ends and such. He just sold his, couldn't afford the insurance or to keep it on the road. It was scary fast. A little gray Roush.


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## Blue Oaks (Nov 1, 2018)

Bummer. I had a 95 GT and two 2012 Boss 302's before I got my Shelby. It's scary fast. 624 HP with 345's in the back!


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## eric_271 (Nov 1, 2018)

Blue Oaks said:


> Bummer. I had a 95 GT and two 2012 Boss 302's before I got my Shelby. It's scary fast. 624 HP with 345's in the back!


My son would love that. It worries me if he gets something like it he won't take the time to learn that even in straight line acceleration things can happen fast. Hopefully I can get my engine together for my Cuda and teach him some ins and outs about that much hp.


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## eric_271 (Nov 1, 2018)

Very bad ass and available again....
*'New' 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 now on sale*
*


*


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## Blue Oaks (Nov 1, 2018)

I saw that. Almost 600 cubes with a boat load of HP.


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## eric_271 (Nov 1, 2018)

Blue Oaks said:


> I saw that. Almost 600 cubes with a boat load of HP.


The old ford hemi if I'm not mistaken...... same model Steve McQueen drove in Bullet?


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## Blue Oaks (Nov 1, 2018)

Nope. McQueen drove a 68 390 car. Coincidentally, Ford has released a 2019 Bullitt.


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## eric_271 (Nov 2, 2018)

Blue Oaks said:


> Nope. McQueen drove a 68 390 car. Coincidentally, Ford has released a 2019 Bullitt.


Just read an article about it, he tried to buy it from the guy who ended up with it. He wouldn't sell it to McQueen. Loved it too much. Lol


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