Multiple Best Of Show Winning Frame Off Restored 1971 Cuda Tribute Big Block 383/300 HP, Original 4-Speed Tranny w/Pistol Grip Shifter, Wilwood 4-Wheel Disc Brakes
Combining a $25K Sassy Grass Green paint job with a laser straight and solid body, a fully rebuilt 1968 383 engine, ported and polished heads, rebuilt original 4-speed tranny, rebuilt 8 3/4 3.54 sure grip rear-end, immaculate engine bay and underside, and original interior, this Cuda tribute screams American muscle car! Completed about a year ago, this beauty drives and handles magnificently, and shows with the best of 'em. Over this past year, it has won multiple best of show and best paint awards. This is a car that you will totally enjoy cruising and taking to the local show or even some of the higher-end indoor shows. The paint is slick, and the body solid. I personally attest that this car has no rust and no significant filler. The underside is amazing and looks as nice as above.
The heart of this car is a big block 383 that came out of a 1968 car. It was completely rebuilt last year with a mildly aggressive camshaft and ported/polished heads. The points ignition has been replaced with electronic ignition. While the original engine produced 300 HP, I would expect this one is closer to 350-375 HP. The cam that we chose has a nice lope to it but is not too aggressive. Backed by the original 4-speed transmission w/pistol grip shifter and original rear-end, the Cuda performs wonderfully. Finished off with a throaty Flowmaster exhaust, this car turns heads coming, going, or just plain standing still. The engine compartment presents as well as the outside of the car. The paint under the hood is show quality. The engine was freshly painted when rebuilt. The air cleaner has been meticulously restored and displays the correct OEM finish. Opting for headers instead of the original exhaust manifolds, they are ceramic coated with a polished finish.
Obviously, when driving such a beautiful machine, you want it to stop on a dime. Instead of sticking with the original drums, I decided to hide Wilwood 4 wheel disc brakes behind those gorgeous rally wheels.
For the interior, the carpet was replaced with a more modern ultra plush cute pile, and the seats and dash are original but in amazing condition with no rips or tears. As far as tunes, the original radio has been replaced with an Alpine stereo, combined with 6x9 Sony speakers and amplifier.
Things that do not work on the car - the clock. That's it! I never got around to installing a new one since I had planned to convert the dash over to the rallye gauges as some point.
If you decode the VIN, you will see that this was a true, original 383/4-speed car. The Cuda badging was added at some point in the past.
Overall, this is one of the cleanest and straightest Cuda's you will find. There were not many built to begin with, and I have not seen one nicer. I'm sure there's one better somewhere, but It will cost you far more money. It's an enjoyable turn-key performance vehicle that I would not hesitate to drive anywhere. However, I like to keep things clean, so I would not go and use it as my daily driver! ;-)
