Bad omen for the value of 69 M-Code Cudas

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Mr Gorsky said:
I admit I watched those eBay auctions and noted that that car failed to sell at $50k.

Having discussed rebodys with you in the past Jim, it occurred to me that you were pouring a power of money into your car via AMD when it would have been real easy and much cheaper to use your blue shell.

You will clearly be underwater if you need to offload your car for some reason.....but you went into this with your eyes wide open. You didn't want to reshell your car. Your bed is made, now you have to sleep in it.
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right now, i have about $26k in my m code car. i expect the drive train will cost at least $6 which gets me to $32k. i'm doing all the body work and paint myself but "paint" will cost at least $1k. i had set a goal of $35k to have in the car when it was done so i should be close.

all the work AMD did to the car came to a little over $11k which i thought was reasonable given what had to be done and how difficult the repairs were. you are right, it would have been INCREDIBLY easy to have swapped the M-Code VIN into the blue body shell i had because that body was ALL original and was almost rust free. but.... being a lawyer ... i never even considered that approach. i remain convinced that swapping the VINs would have been illegal.

so i did end up with a restored "original" M-Code car but will have close to present market values in the car. again, i do not anticipate ever selling the car as i am building it a little different than all other m cars. but if i do have to sell it someday, who knows, maybe the only "4 speed" m-code cuda will be worth something extra due to its uniqueness.
 
The man with the money can call it whatever he wants to call it.

Here endeth the lesson.
 
RustyRatRod said:
The man with the money can call it whatever he wants to call it.

Here endeth the lesson.
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Absolutely correct! They are worth exactly what the buyer will pay! These are "original"once after that you are only arguing about"how much has not been changed". When you get the"insurance and lawyer"crowd into the mix there is absolutely no way truth can enter the dialogue. These are the ones that will do or say whatever fits their agenda
 
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YoloCtyFlash said:
Did the M code 440 blocks have the different drivers side motor mount/block bosses?
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Yes the motor mount and location of the 440 cars were different than the 383 A bodies. M codes used the existing oil pump bosses on the block and were drilled/tapped (3/8-16 tap). 383 A bodies had specific casted bosses located higher up on the block.
 
cosgig said:
Best way to get a $50k Mopar??? Spent $100k!!
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so very true. t hat old joke also has been used in: the purebred cattle, quarter horse, race horse, and ostrig businesses among others!!! but sometimes with larger figures. ie , the best way to end up with 1 million dollars in the registered cattle business is start with 3 million $ ha
 
Just stumbled upon this post after 5 years. I was the one that owned and restored this car. On a good note I did make money on this but nowhere near what it should have brought. Like everyone said timing is everything with these cars. Within 2 years it sold for more a year later it sold for more and the current owner gave even more. And as far as I know it's going to be at mecum indy and hopefully it sells for even more. Luckily I was able to do everything accept the machine work on the block to keep costs down. For my own sanity it makes me feel good knowing my work hasn't gone unnoticed.
 
I think it will sell quite high this time around.
 
jimharvard said:
well... this car is a real m code car. and the work AMD did put the floor pan, frame rails, inner quarter panels, inner wheel wells and outer quarter panels back to original specs. however, because this car had a lot of "restoration" work done and will never be an "untouched" original car, i am going to build a m car that "was never built." i had AMD install a 4 speed shift tunnel in the floor pan for the 833 4 speed i'm going to install. ALL m cars were automatics. and i'm going to find a 69 "date correct" 440 but i'm going to build it to 69 Road Runner A-12 internal specs with the six pac carb assembly. my goal for this car is to build a Cuda that Plymouth "could" have built from "off the shelf" parts that they had in 1969. the rear diff will be the 8 3/4 posi unit that came in the m Cudas with a 3:91 that was available as a factory option. i'm putting the factory disc brakes on the front (an available Cuda option in 69) and factory drums on the back. i am going to install OEM power steering which you could get in a 383 car but was never offered in the 440 m Cudas. finally, i'm going to use a blacked out fiberglass hood with the "Ramchargers" hood scoop similar to the A-12 Road Runner with the ram-air setup. but for this item, i'm going to install the OEM hood hinges without the springs instead of having the hood be a total "lift off" like the Road Runner's hood was. another item that i'm going to ad to this car is a set of 8 inch wide 69 mopar "Police wheels."

i was 16 and had just got my w.va. driver's license in 1969 when the mid-year A-12 Road Runner came out from Plymouth. i went to the local Chrysler dealer and took a test drive in that car - a hemi orange 440 six pac 4 speed 4:10 read diff beast. it has been 48 years since i took that test drive but i remember it as though it was yesterday! the A-12 Road Runner was an unbelievable car. tire traction in first and second gears on "1969" street tires was almost impossible. the 440's torque along with the low rear gear combined to almost throw you into the back seat under instant hard acceleration in first gear. and the three hollies under that "non-insulated" fiberglass hood sounded like they were going to suck the hood into the engine at redline.

after spending a lot of time enjoying my memory of my six pack Road Runner experience decades ago, it struck me that a fastback Barracuda with the same drive train as the A-12 would be an amazing car - given that the Barracuda is about 400 lbs lighter than the Road Runner. AND you could further shave weight with the fiberglass hood - an item that could easily be found in any mopar parts counter in 1969.

so the car when it's done will be a "real" VIN number M-Code 69 Cuda but with modifications that "could have" been done by Plymouth or a Plymouth dealer in 1969. i think i'm going to paint the car in the same hemi orange as the A-12 Road Runner was offered in. i have a vision in my mind of a brand new orange A-12 Road Runner sitting in the show room of a Plymouth dealership in 1969 right beside a "special" "orange" M-Code Cuda with the same drive line. this vision just strikes me as something "Mr. Norms" would have had if he had sold Plymouths instead of Dodges.

it may take me a number of months but i am going to build the special m code cuda i've described. then i'm going to take it to the mopar nationals in columbus, ohio and see what the reactions might be.
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Brutal! Is it done yet?
 
drgordi said:
Just stumbled upon this post after 5 years. I was the one that owned and restored this car. On a good note I did make money on this but nowhere near what it should have brought. Like everyone said timing is everything with these cars. Within 2 years it sold for more a year later it sold for more and the current owner gave even more. And as far as I know it's going to be at mecum indy and hopefully it sells for even more. Luckily I was able to do everything accept the machine work on the block to keep costs down. For my own sanity it makes me feel good knowing my work hasn't gone unnoticed.
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I saw it at Mecum Indy last Friday - gorgeous car! It was sitting next to an M Code 1969 Dart GTS, and, if I recall correctly, the estimated range on both cars was $85K to $100K!
 
Both m codes are owned by Ignacio out of Miami Fl
 
blewbyu said:
Both m codes are owned by Ignacio out of Miami Fl
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Iggy has sold the Cuda looks like it sold as good as advertised. Did I make what I should have on the car? No but the experience of building a numbers matching car is quite a challenge at any level, my hats off to those that do it for a living. I feel like I did a good job for my first time on a rotisserie restoration and only the 3rd car I have ever painted. If anyone knows the new buyer please give them my information as I would like to keep track of the car since I have known and talked to all the previous owners accept for the original one. Thanks Chris
 
well, i guess EVERYTHING i thought i knew about the value of mopar muscle cars is probably now out of date and inaccurate.

my thoughts on the value of 69 M-Code Cuda's being "around" $75-80k???? LOL! a beautiful, "almost" perfect red 69 M-Code Cuda fastback just sold at the Indy Mecum auction, May 13-21, Lot # F257 for a STAGGERING $132,000 dollars! i've been watching Mecum and Barrett-Jackson auctions for many years and i have never seen such extreme prices being paid for cars. some previously "gold plated" cars seem to have lost value like 62-67 Corvettes, except the split window and the 427 (435hp) and L88 models. but EVERY "resto-mod" old muscle car are now in the $125,000 and above area. the "Holy Grail" cars Hemi Cudas, Boss Mustangs, COPO anything are still wildly expensive. and how about a "perfect" 69 Dodge Daytona that sold for $1,320.000 dollars? that car set a record for the most expensive Daytona/Superbird ever sold.

so i confess - i can't judge what old muscle cars are worth these days. if you watch the recent national auctions, you will just shake your head and say "wow."
 
Ironracer said:
Brutal! Is it done yet?
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no, sadly, the M-Code car has not been getting much love lately. i've gotten side-tracked on the remolding of two houses i bought and the cars are just sitting around. ironically, i bought a new Challenger Hellcat 6 speed and have been driving that to the local car shows because my real "babies" (Barracudas) need some work. i have a garage full of parts to put the M-Code car together and "maybe" in about a month, i'll be finished with the stupid houses and can get back to the cars.
 
^^^ I am amazed at the number of and price of Camaro first gen Z28 cars at the auctions.

I don't think resto-moded old cars will go away. But I will keep my old uncomfortable old carb cars.

and......BJ and Mecums are worlds different than mine!!!
 
jimharvard said:
no, sadly, the M-Code car has not been getting much love lately. i've gotten side-tracked on the remolding of two houses i bought and the cars are just sitting around. ironically, i bought a new Challenger Hellcat 6 speed and have been driving that to the local car shows because my real "babies" (Barracudas) need some work. i have a garage full of parts to put the M-Code car together and "maybe" in about a month, i'll be finished with the stupid houses and can get back to the cars.
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Its probly going to be a losing deal/build. The market is likely to tank on all muscle cars, mine included !
 
Something tells me that not everyone is a “hobbyist”! I could be wrong!!!!
 
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