Looks awesome! I had a few issues in the past with my 4 speed popping out of gear in deceleration with my 'Cuda. I crawled under the car to find the bolts slightly loose on the u-joints. Tightened those and no problems since. I guess the harmonics were causing it.

Car turned out great! I still would be tempted to put stripes on it, even though it didnt come with them originally. :)

----Wow, just Wow, Steve! I'm not particularly a Mopar groupie but this little bugger is really cool!.....Bill S

BeaUtiful Steve! What a wonderful color combo. Well done.........ENJOY!!!

Thanks everyone!. And I think I found a bumper jack already. One of my old friends from around 35 years ago, (Terry McCann) up in Canada just placed a kijiji ad this morning selling the exact "0C" (March, 1970) dated jack I need. He's working out the shipping estimate now. One of the followers of this thread on the e-body forum alerted me to the ad a few minutes ago. Terry still has the purple 1971 340 shaker Cuda he had back in the early 1980s. Very cool car, with louvers and spoilers. Here's a shot from 1985 at the Mopar Nats.

Looking great!!

Hey, Steve! Wow! Sweeeet! Looks great ‘n drives great, too! Fantastic!

I’ve been workin’ on tryin’ to assist in sleuthing details, including the pre-Dave origins of the Now-Non-Crusty ‘Cuda! Without a Broadcast Sheet, original selling dealer info, or, earlier owner info, it presents a bit of a challenge, however, I’ll, in all probability, be re-connecting with formerly-frequently-in-touch MoPar pals, so, who knows? Inflow o’ some fun info may appear in the futuro!

In the meantime, re: the 8-¾” rear:
In your post #902 on p. 91, you mentioned, and, posted a pic of, the rear ring gear date (5-21-70), as well as showing the carrier (“pumpkin”) casting date, which is, as is sometimes the case (pun intended), rather indistinct. At the time, ya thought that it showed a ’71 date code, however, after playing with a photo you posted, and, running it through several filters (as well as adjusting the size), it appears that it MAY say “C 9 70,” ‘cause that final digit looks much more like an incomplete zero, than a one. Since the casting dates can be indistinct smooshes (either in whole, or, in part) I’m truly tentative about the “C” part! (That could translate to December 9, 1970.) If you can locate an axle housing date code, that may be helpful, as well, however, unless there’s date code “harmony,” they still may not agree, ‘cause of the mix ’n’ match nature of the separate pieces.

Glad to hear that the rear gear now brings some cheer!:biggthumpup: …And, good choice on the Dana Powr-Lok, ‘cause, although the “muscle era” moniker from MoPar for their limited slip diff was “Sure-Grip,” what was, actually, inside depended upon which axle, and, of what vintage. (In ’70, it would have probably been a Borg Warner Spin Resistant.) Of the 2, many prefer the Dana.
Here’s a link to Dana/Spicer for a 15-page Service Manual/Tech PDF of the Powr-Lok. Really cool stuff! https://media.spicerparts.com/cfs/fi...store=original

I’m, also, providing a link to MyMopar.com which presents a super-comprehensive guide to 8-¾” rear axles; their various & sundry vintages & permutations, as well as parts compatibility & interchangeability. (Note: I am not certain that this is the original source of the article, as I have seen it published on more than one site.) http://www.mymopar.com/Mopar8_75RearEndGuide.htm

Good news, also, that the trans is staying put, gear selection wise! As Andy pointed out (Post #921), it could be harmonics. Bill @ Mostly Mustangs says “Hello!” He, also, said, “It could be harmonics, but (if the trans is good), they’d have to be serious harmonics. Usually they’d have to be bad enough that you could make a milkshake in the back seat!” …So, maybe, that trans may need a freshening or adjustment for good measure…

…However, in the meantime, ENJOY IT!

Bob,

Isn't "C" the month date code for March when it comes to casting dates?

"C" would be December on a fender tag, though. (My old hemi Charger was built on "C08" - Monday, Decmber 8th, 1969)

Hey, Steve!

Chrysler uses a finite-but-numerous variety of date coding scenarios, in combination, or, alone. Some use the letters exactly as you have listed. Others use numerals:
1-January
2-February
3-March
4-April
5-May
6-June
7-July
8-August
9-September
10-October
11-November
12-December

SPDs (Scheduled Production Dates) use:
1-January
2-February
3-March
4-April
5-May
6-June
7-July
8-August
9-September
A-October
B-November
C-December

I know that Dana rear ends list numerical dates on the axle tubes (i.e.: 4 15 70 = April 15, 1970), but, having not had a car with an 8-¾" in a while, I'm not absolutely certain what the casting date protocol for the carrier assembly is. (Further research may turn up an answer, or, perhaps, someone on the Forum may know!) That's why I said "MAY," and, "truly tentative." It would seem logical that that first character should be a numeral, and, not a letter. I put "C" because that's what it appeared to be to me in the photo, as well as I could ascertain.

Month/Year date codes, as you mentioned, re: the jack, are definitely common, so as you stated "C 0" (or, 0 C?) is March 1970! Perfect! …But, usually, they appear as in you example. I don't recall having seen any Alpha/Numeric (such as "C 0") utilized in lengthier ways (such as "C 9 70"), which is why I went "out on a limb" (axle tube?), so to speak, and, translated it into the "other" alpha possibility. If you are able to tell what that first character is, we may arrive at a better (and, more accurate) answer.

…And, that's so great about Terry! Not only is he able to help you, but, he still has the '71 'Cuda! Fantastic memories from back in the day! So cool!

It looks like my 8-3/4 carrier has an alternate casting date location in a different spot than the traditional version, which used a julian calender number right alongside the "489" casting number line.

Hey, again, Steve!

You know me. “Mr. Dogged Determination.” (Woof!) I looked at the photos of the carrier assembly again, and, in the FWIW Dept., it looks like there MAY be a Casting Date Code Pad immediately below the horizontal casting rib, and, above the “81489” in the p.n. 2881489 on the side. Does that appear to be true, and, if so, is there anything distinguishable on it?

…And, regarding that “C” in my 2 immediately previous posts, I probably shoulda’ said, “It doesn’t seem like it should be a “C,” however if it is, the Alpha Date Code for C = March, is the more likely, rather than the Alpha Date Code C = December,” ‘cause, in light of conventional/typical Chrysler Corp. date coding trends, I should have gone with the less unconventional, rather than the truly unconventional! (Doh!)

Hello, all!

Also, FWIW, I’m basing my information upon the numerous pieces of original Chrysler Corp. literature which I have acquired over the years, my own research/experience with my personal vehicles, that from having assisted NJSteve with the restoration process of a number of the stellar vehicles which he brought back to life (my acronym for all of the "automotive art" which he resuscitated being M.O.P.A.R.s.” (Multiplicity Of Precious Auto Restoration successes)), and tons of research for my own cars (including over 3,500+ hours of research time in the restoration of my current ’71 Charger), which included many helpful conversations, for which I am very grateful, with Roger Gibson, Frank Badalson, Galen Govier, John Grinwald, David Wise, Terry McCann, and, tens-upon-tens more of the absolutely wonderful people in the MoPar community! (Steve’s mentioning Terry, owner of the In Violet 340 ‘Cuda, reminded me of something one of the great Canadian guys (of whom Terry is one) said while we were all hangin’ out “bench racing” & swapping stories in the evening at that ’85 MoPar Nats, which I remember as if it was yesterday. With a laugh & a smile, he said, “Here! Have a Molson! Good one, eh? Not like that cheap American stuff!”

From all of my pre-easy-access-to-the-internet days, I learned so much by talking with friends in the hobby, following connections, and, making phone calls, which resulted in my locating hundreds of correctly date-coded (now rare) NOS parts, as well as gathering information in the process, for my restoration project. Having often located stuff through relentless searching, sometimes I’m astonished, in comparison, about how little I find on the net; amongst the vast plethora of info out there. I, also, find that there is a lot of misinformation, so the last thing which I want to do is be the purveyor of something which is wrong. If you have a question about a comment I made, please don’t hesitate to comment on it, or, ask me about it

Someone who I CAN definitely recommend as a reliable source is David Wise of MMC Detroit. I have several of his amazing books. He’s totally dedicated to date code detail/accuracy, and, extensively identifying even the most obscure fasteners & hardware, and, so much more. I just looked on the net, and, although I hadn’t previously checked, I found a good “Understanding Production Date Codes” page on his site. Here’s the link.
https://www.mmcdetroit.com/Understanding_Date_Codes/

I hope this may prove helpful!

I rechecked and it's smooth there. No other numbers.

Thanks, Steve!

I was hopeful that what I noticed in that area in your photo of the post-hot-tanked carrier (which you included in Post #912, p. 92) was another potential date pad (rather than just the mottled appearance of the cast iron, following the cleaning process). In that photo, the area above the 9 (in "489") gave the appearance of a telltale screw head in the casting, however, maybe not so much IRL. Ah, well…

Nope, nothing there, just fresh cast metal. Maybe it's like that image of the monkey face on Mars! When you get close enough, it's just a pile of rocks from an extinct volcanic mesa.

Got it!:)

The Motor Wheel Spyders look good on there.

FINALLY got her registered and titled today and got my "QQ" historic vehicle plates. It took four attempts over eight months to get an appointment at the local DMV in Joysey. That's six months after they finally reopened. They kept closing the site for Covid-infected employees. Each time I'd make an appointment a month out, I'd get a cancellation email a day or two before. I even scheduled backup dates..and they got cancelled.

I got done at the previously scheduled lunchtime appointment this morning. Got it all transacted and paid by check. I got home and I noticed they had just sent me a text and an email cancelling my appointment just 15 minutes after I had completed it! i guess I escaped just under the wire before they closed again for another two+ weeks.

In New Jersey there are only a couple DMV's that are doing the out-of-state car titling (and historic tags issued). It's like a Three-Card-Monty game of trying to get an appointment and actually have the place stay open long enough to get your plates!

I WON!

(BTW, I must be on a winning streak, I also won $14 in the billion dollar megamillions drawing Saturday, with 3 of the 6 numbers!)

Hey I won $4!! I'm gonna retire!!!

Great news, Steve! Wow! Talk about a rigamarole! Glad that things worked out, so you could claim a victory, rather than another un-fun (not to mention frustrating) setback!:biggthumpup:

As promised, Steve, I used a whole raft o' filters on that rear panel dealership decal pic, and, the more I looked at it, the more it DOES appear to be "ERIE" to me, too! (Post # 316 on p. 32.)

I read the obit of the owner (Robert "Bob Sr." McClain) who opened the dealership in 1964, and, sold it in 1976. It sounds as if he led quite an interesting (and, auto-oriented) life. Here's the link:
https://sanduskyregister.com/news/93...ob-sr-mcclain/

I, also, noticed that, in the same newspaper ad which you included in this post, that, in addition to featuring Walt Arfons' Green Monster (appearing at nearby Norwalk Dragway (which became Norwalk Raceway Park, and, is currently, Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park)), that the dealership also sponsored an S/S Plymouth drag car (which looks like it's called "The Big Cat" driven by Tom Evans). Maybe someone remembers that car, and, in turn, remembers something about the dealership.

PS I looked high & low; Google, Bing, & DuckDuckGo; but nary an ERIE dealer decal did I find!

I'm posting my super-contrasty version of Dave's pic, which Steve posted, just in case someone new sees it, and/or, has a different idea about the "translation."

Hey Bob. The only other remotely related search result for Erie Chrysler Plymouth in Sandusky Ohio, was a newspaper article about their sales manager and another man getting hit by a train and succumbing to their injuries in the early 1970's. I think it was during a test drive? Ugh!

On a happier note, I got the tube-style bumper jack mechanism refinished in its original black and installed along with a reproduction short lug wrench. (The E-bodies used a much shorter lug wrench than the B-Body models). Of course I had at least two of the long B-Body handles in my tool box. I also refinished the jack base and special "2931101" hook for elastomeric bumpers, refinished in light grey paint.

Now I need to actually refinish one of the 14" Rally wheels to act as a spare. Anyone have a leftover old 14" bias ply they're not using? I'd rather not spend a whole lot of money on a single repro Polyglas if a reasonable facsimile is laying around somewhere. (It doesn't even have to hold air).

Looking good Steve! I have a F78-14 sitting outside, dry rotted and cracked to h*ll, but still round or a loose outdated Goodyear Eagle GT II radial :)

Thanks for the quick reply Kevin. I am looking for a decent "appearing" F70x14 bias ply. I seem to have a garage full of 15" radials for some reason. (leftover Firebird and Charger tires)

I know :D I thought I still had a F70 laying around, looked for it but must have sold it. Good luck on the hunt!

I just missed a nice original spare on ebay about a week ago. It was in Philly - for a hundred bucks. I'll keep looking.

Hey, Steve! Wow! Sad story about the Sales Mgr. & other gentleman.

…And, yes, on a happier note, the new-for-you jack looks great (as does the purple trunk)!

Sorry I can't help on the tire, though. I don't have any remaining 14" "auto shoes."

Fantastical work, Steve-O!!!!! You did the car right and it was a wise choice to sell you Crusty for the final round and chapter to the ‘Cuda.

Soooooo.....what’s next?:dunno:

Cheers:beers:
Dave

Driving it would be nice! There is currently 20" of snow blocking the garage.

I do need to do something for a sound system. The AM is only 3 watts and wont really power 4 speakers above a whisper. I may get it converted to modern am/fm with an aux cable for the iphone but they are 16 weeks behind on jobs. So does anyone have any ideas for bluetooth contraptions that can feed existing speakers? I think they have these setups for boats. My son just bought a stand-alone bluetooth speaker that he plunks down on the console of his car and it works great. But that is kind of bulky and rather modern looking.

Steve - the spare should be a black steel rim - unless you want a rallye in there for looks.

The car looks fab!!! Great work - between you and ....that other guy ;)

Not bluetooth - but these guys are usually at MCACN - no experience with this but thinking of getting one for the Chevelle.
https://redirad.com/collections/fm-p...cts/redirad-fm

There's those Antique Automobile radio. I've been eyeballing them, but they're so damned expensive... and the reviews are mixed.

There really doesn't seem to be one specific place everybody swears by for the conversion route.

RetroSounds seem to work good but they just look cheap to me.

I was looking at Retrosound for my 68 El Camino. I currently have no radio on there.

I don't like that the usb ports are on the back side of the radio. I don't want to have to lay on the floor to plug in a device. I realize I could permanently install extensions, but then I have look at them hanging down, unless I run them to the glove box. But then they aren't within easy reach if I am by myself.

I would be interested to see what else is out there. Would like the usb port(s) accessible from the front.

Steve, I know you said you don't like the modern speakers, but I have found these little guys to sound great, and I pop one from car to car.

https://www.amazon.com/Bose-SoundLin...82317608&psc=1

Yesterday was Super Bowl Sunday, so let’s make today SUPERCAR MONDAY! While there appears to be a bit of a lull in the action, ‘cause of the snow situation here in the Northeast, I thought it might be a good time for a bit more MoPar E-Body trivia.

So continuing on, & adding to, my Post #908 on p. 91 (re: ‘Cuda shakers), this is an addition to Jim’s above comment (#66 on p. 7), re Challenger shakers: Yes! …And, I wonder a bit about the WHY of those vendor issues, which I’ll explain. I’ve included a tri-fold dealer brochure from my collection, which was printed in January of 1970. It’s for the Dealer Sales Dept.. (I wish I had the comparable one for Plymouth, however, I’ve yet to locate it.) It includes the intro of Panther Pink (Moulin Rouge for Plymouth), and, Green-Go (Sassy Grass Green for Plymouth). (Those are actual big paint chips; not just printed colors!) (I should note that the fluorescent body striping was wild! I saw a beautiful Panther Pink Challenger R/T at MoPars @ Carlisle, circa 2000, which was featured in the display tent. If memory serves, the glowing fluorescent striping was bright orange & purple. It was amazing looking!)

Regarding the N-96 Shaker option (item #4), notice that it talks about 440-6 & Hemi, mentioning availability for 340/383-4/440-4 at a later date. Also, notice that it mentions the red “Air cleaner dome” for red cars. Even though the feature color of the ’70 ‘Cuda was red (therefore requiring the red shaker bubble), the feature color of the ’70 Challenger was Plum Crazy, so this would lead me to believe that it became a “corporate-E-body-across-the-board” kind of decision, so there would be less confusion at the factories.

Also, notice that the N-94 T/A hood (item #5) would soon be available for all of the aforementioned engines. I’m surmising, in part, that that was because of the Challenger shaker hood production “challenge.”

Which brings me to the question of “Why?,” re: the Challenger shaker hoods. During an impromptu & informal forum at MoPars at Englishtown (a.k.a. The MoPar Atlantic Nationals) one year, the Challenger shaker hood was the subject of that discussion among a number of serious E-body owners who were showing their cars (some of which had shakers). What I heard at that time, as well as saw when it was pointed out to us, was that it appeared that the Challenger shaker hood had, seemingly, insufficient, and/or ineffective crumple zones, when compared to that of the ‘Cuda’s. In a further comparison of the 2 cars, the Challenger has greater front end overhang, and, no header panel in front of the hood. What was said, was, when all of the above factors were combined, that the Challenger shaker hood (and, only the shaker hood), when in a front end collision at a particular impact angle & velocity, allegedly went through the windshield with a (you-guessed-it) potentially “undesirable” (to say the least) end result!

Also, for the 1971 model year ALL Challenger, and, ‘Cuda shaker bubbles were painted black Organisol (or, at least, that was what was “supposed” to be). Does anybody know of any exceptions on original/unrestored ’71 cars? Also, in 1970, was the possibility of a shaker bubble being painted Textured Argent or Black Organisol random?

As an addendum to the aforementioned paint color names (as well as other items), of the “Big 3,” GM seemed to be the most strict, corporate-policy-wise; Ford a semi-close second (the Boss 429 being an example; stellar engine though it was, it was under-carbed for the street because drivability was a notable consideration); and, Chrysler the least so. …And, although Chrysler was the most corporately lenient/progressive of them all, encouraging creativity & innovation, even they had their limits.

I would find it highly unlikely (read: impossible) that today the name “Green-Go” (say it fast) would fly. (This was the era of the Frito Bandito, which only lasted from 1967-1971, when heightened social consciousness led to the replacements Muncha Buncha & W.C. Fritos). …However, even then, certain other names would definitely not pass corporate scrutiny. When NJSteve, and, I attended the ’84 MoPar Nats. in Indy, some of the guys from Chrysler’s Engineering, and, Design Depts. were there. The forums were cool, and, following each, they’d hang around, and, “talk shop” for a bit. One of the design guys talked about names for colors which they’d talked about for fun, during the supercar era, which would never get past corporate. One was “Come-&-Get-Me-Copper.” (Does anyone remember the tv cartoon "The Dick Tracy Show” from the early 60s? (’Twas a show where stereotypical ethnic characters led to a quickly truncated showing of reruns in the early 80s.) “Come, and, get me copper!,” was often the refrain from the bad guys as the heroes gave chase!) However, even more offensive was the “other” name they had talked about for purple; not “Plum Crazy;” not “In-Violet,” but, wait for it…
…”Statutory Grape.”:eek2:

…And, finally, may I draw your attention to brochure item #10: the “Custom-Grip” shifter. Yes! Our iconic “Pistol Grip” shifter was not only mentioned as this, but, in addition, I have earlier literature showing a photo of a prototype with white grips, with a different grip profile, and, what seems to be the original name: “Strip Grip!”

Ah, yes… The wild & wooly days of the supercar era…

Very cool stuff. As for 71 shaker finishes, despite the black shaker dome edict, my old yellow 71 hemicuda ragtop came with an argent shaker. The previous owner I got it from back in 1986 indicated it was the original one to the car (and other photos of the same car from the 1970's show it with the same argent shaker).

Interesting to see that the info for the rear window louvers didn't mention having to have a vinyl top as mandatory. For some reason I thought it did require it but I guess not.

Hey, Steve! Well a big “Doh!” from me on the not-thinkin’-about-“Exhibit-A” front! I vividly recall the day you brought the yellow ’71 hemicuda ragtop home, having braved/survived the snow/tortuous journey (replete with overturned tractor-trailers along the way); argent shaker bubble, and, all! (As a historical footnote, I, also, recall, your having told me how much you paid for it, and, me (incredulous), saying, “You paid (insert $ amount here) for a resto???!!!” Ahh… With the passage of time, and, in the proverbial cool light of reflection, what a bargain it seems like now! If only we could be so prescient about the future. Gotta polish up the crystal ball!)

…And, re: the backlight louvers, I, also, remember yer Rally Red 440+6 ‘Cuda with the set of ‘em on it -&- a black vinyl roof! ’Twas a super-sharp car! That brochure marked their introduction of availability. It mentions that they are N/A (not available) for ’70 on convertible, or SE, because the SE (and, Barracuda Gran Coupe) had the fiberglass rear window plug (à la the Daytona & Superbird) to accommodate the tiny back window, all of which was covered by the vinyl roof (like the Superbird). The plug changed the profile of the rear window to the extent that the louvers would not sit properly. Also, in all probability, they would be further obscuring an already even-more-limited view, as well as appearing aesthetically mismatched. I snapped a pic from the 1971 Dodge Data Book to see if there were any additional, or, different notes for the succeeding model year, and, it simply says “N/A Convertible,” ‘cause there wasn’t an SE model in the notably reduced ’71 Challenger lineup. (Fun fact! I acquired my ’71 Dodge Dealer Data -&- Color & Trim Manuals at the aforementioned ’84 MoPar Nats. They were from Grand Spaulding Dodge (as is my Charger). What’s so interesting (and, shouldn’t be too surprising) is that, though they are in excellent condition overall, the only pages which show any appreciable wear are the performance car sections, with Challenger, Scat Pack Cars, Charger, & Dart/Demon being the most looked at. Monaco/Polara, Coronet, & Station Wagons appear as if they’ve never been touched!)

Yes - Lots of original '71's with Argent Shakers.
I do know the rear window stainless was black on rear window louvred cars. It was on my 71 'Cuda