Re: $5 Million Dollar HEMI CUDA Convertible!!
 

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Why do people think the 1971 plymouth Hemicuda convertible is such a great car? It's not the fastest car.It's not the rarest.I think a documented 68 or 69 Camaro RS/SS L89 convertible would would be a much rarer car.

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The market thinks otherwise!

Its not always about the rarest and fastest. They're not the best built cars either. That we know. But to many, their a pretty darn cool sought after piece of history. I'll still take a hard top over the convertible. Patrick

Re: $5 Million Dollar HEMI CUDA Convertible!!
 

They made 11 hemicuda ragtops in 1971 (7 for US consumption, 2 for Canada and 2 exports) Are L89's convertibles rarer? The good thing about Mopars is that they are easily decyphered: the engine is the 5th digit in the VIN and just about every car had at least one broadcast sheet in the seats, under the dash, etc. And Chrysler kept production records (but no paperwork). I would agree it's not the fastest but it is the ultimate in musclecar era excesses: the scariest engine in the sexiest body style.

Re: $5 Million Dollar HEMI CUDA Convertible!!
 

Does the 70 and 71 Hemi have the same compression ratio? I just thought after 1970 muscle cars starting loosing performance.

Re: $5 Million Dollar HEMI CUDA Convertible!!
 

I am pretty sure Mopar kept the compression up. They were stubborn.

Re: $5 Million Dollar HEMI CUDA Convertible!!
 

Speaking of Stripping good cars to make a Better one, Heartbeat JIM told me they found a 2000 Mile 68 Z-28 in Lititz Pa. Bought it for $60K and used it to restore the 68 Z-28 Convertible!

Re: $5 Million Dollar HEMI CUDA Convertible!!
 

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Does the 70 and 71 Hemi have the same compression ratio? I just thought after 1970 muscle cars starting loosing performance.

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Same engine in 70 and 71 (hydraulic lifters, 10.25 to 1 compression) from 66 to 69 they had solid lifters, same compression

Re: $5 Million Dollar HEMI CUDA Convertible!!
 

OK, now it makes more sence. but still I wonder why the hydraulic lifter Hemi is worth more then the solid lifter Hemi car convertible's. Take the camaro for example, I am sure, That a 1969 camaro RS/SS L34 high performance hydraulic lifter 396 convertible with air conditioning is rarer then the same car with the L78 solid lifter 396 without a/c, but the L78 vert.is worth more.

Re: $5 Million Dollar HEMI CUDA Convertible!!
 

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OK, now it makes more sence. but still I wonder why the hydraulic lifter Hemi is worth more then the solid lifter Hemi car convertible's. Take the camaro for example, I am sure, That a 1969 camaro RS/SS L34 high performance hydraulic lifter 396 convertible with air conditioning is rarer then the same car with the L78 solid lifter 396 without a/c, but the L78 vert.is worth more.

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It's not the motor that's worth more, it the cars they came in in 70 and 71. The E-body (cuda and challenger), the B-Body: Charger, Roadrunner, GTX, Coronet Superbee and R/T were all a bit more refined in 70 and in 71 the body style changed to the "fuselage styling", so you had two years of cars with two totally different body shapes. Also the 70 and 71s were the rarest years. I think the most common post-69 hemi car was the 70 hemicuda at 652 hardtops. That's a raging sales sucess for a Chrysler product. For example, they only made 112 hemi Charger R/Ts in 70, the last year of the "coke bottle" body style: 56 four speeds and 56 automatics. Of those 112, 10 were R/T-SE four speeds and 4 were automatics....and all 14 are still around!

Re: $5 Million Dollar HEMI CUDA Convertible!!
 

To add, the difference in lifters with the Hemis didn't really alter the performance of such other than it was easier to live with. The L34 comparison is a bit of a stretch.

Steve, I've got a Q regarding the R/T SE. How can they know how many were made with the Hemi if you can't combine options to arrive at production figures? I think it's a number thrown around through the ages and everyone just assumes it is correct.

Re: $5 Million Dollar HEMI CUDA Convertible!!
 

The 56/56=112 R/T Charger hemi numbers are a known quantity as Chrysler kept drivetrain records as a % of total production figures. The SE combination is from Galen's statistics on the A47 option (the SE package) and known cars. No more have surfaced in quite a long time. One interesting note: of the 112 total cars built, Galen has records on 56 cars that still exist in some form or another: restored, original, wrecked or remnants.