Here are the after and before pics of the Bagwell Cuda.
Finding a Race Car Opinions
- Thread starter 71GSSDemon
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Ouch.... Lost history
I mean, yeah. A triple black hemi cuda vert. Bad *** in its own right. But, l agree with the lost history.
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Man Eric, some great pix and looks like the tide is overwhelming for run it! History and memories are forever lost taking it back to bone stock. Day two rigs are way cooler! Just my .02 Rock it man rock it!
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We need a that’s just wrong button, the Bagwell Cuda was pure art and history. But in all fairness I get a lot of folks that when they see the steering wheel on the dash the roll bar or the toggle switches become very disenchanted with my Cuda as well. I simply shrug and tell them that’s why their key don’t fit. The guy bought the car and did it his way.
abodyjoe
Well-Known Member
yea another one that should have been kept period correct..
I like the cars on here that are creating history. That dark colored dart with the lace top running drag week comes to mind.
All about the $$
Here is a great example. Herb McCandless' son is collecting all of his dads old race cars. 1971 hemi Cuda convertible going back to race trim with some liberties to drive it. Purely awesome.
MomsDuster
Well-Known Member
Well Eric I think you know where I stand. I dig that car as it sits. Stock restorations are nice , but tunnel rammed 440’s are just outright Cool! DRIVE IT and ENJOY IT!
Very cool!! Always liked that car too. Glad it still exists!
Hey Pete....So I offered Dad to get first dibbs on the car. He didn't want it. He says it was just a $1,900 car when he modified it and raced it; but it is a collector of importance. He seems ok with what I am doing with it. He is also a bit worried about racing the car. We have talked about taking both cars to Rock Falls Dragway (formally Amber Green Dragaway where he raced it) and run them side by side. I would be game for that.
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This is always a tough choice when someone is in your shoes.
Since the line is different for each of us, I’d have to draw mine at the point of if metal is cut up. An example would be is, if it were;
Mini tubbed
Inner fenders missing
How much fiberglass I’d have to swap to metal
How much rust needs new metal
How much interior was delegated and thrown away
This is why I get roasted by my friends a little. I normally pick up rusted junkers. It makes modifications easier to do. I won’t take a good resto candidate and chop it up much less a really good surviver. I like to modify the cars I drive.
My wife’s car is lightly modified. EZ to go back to a stock engine and pass as a resto to the untrained eye. She just asked me to hop up the engine or some power. Going back to stock is just swapping the rear springs, wheels out for stocker and the engine and exhaust to suite the ‘67 Cuda.
The above was an easy to do car. It came to me in super great shape. My Duster on the other hand was a $700 junker that’s getting modified to do some drag racing. It came to me gutted and rusted with no drivetrain. That’s perfect for me. I now build as I wish it. No worries since a /6 Duster that was ordered stripped is not worth anything much less to resto. The paint is a natural two tone that was ordered. That’s the only interesting part of the car. Manual everything. But great to modify to my liking.
I had to repair the frame under the battery. (Not a great job) and the frame rail on that side.
I had to repair the frame under the battery. (Not a great job) and the frame rail on that side.
So, in my situation, there is no rust other than a few scratches and such here and there, no holes or surface patches. No fiberglass except the lift off hood (I have a stock one), no interior changes except the added gauges. Inner fenders were cut out and J bars welded in, but that is easy. I believe I could have the car back to stock in about a week. So, with that said, I am having a ton of fun driving the car, hanging out with dad and friends. I feel even at MCACN, I will be the only Mr Norms Demon that is modified and still driven regularly on the street. Hell, if it wasn't a Nov show in Chicago, I would drive it there - weather is just to unpredictable. It is used and enjoyed. Bugs, dirt and tire rubber proves that everywhere I go
Drive it as is. Is it ok if I voted twice?
Seems that you have no issue welding inner 1/4’s back in and returning it to a state of days gone past. The project sounds great to me. A lot of going this route is just simply a few things many don’t have or a lot of one and not the other that makes it difficult to do.
Time, money, parts, skill and the will to do it are the 4 factors.
If you got it, go for it.
November’s can be dicey up north sometimes. Being a former resident of the top side of the country, (N.Y.) that particular area, as you know, can become hazardous if a cold front swings down and picks up the warm lake water for snow. Carful weather watch must be taken before such a ride.
Time, money, parts, skill and the will to do it are the 4 factors.
If you got it, go for it.
November’s can be dicey up north sometimes. Being a former resident of the top side of the country, (N.Y.) that particular area, as you know, can become hazardous if a cold front swings down and picks up the warm lake water for snow. Carful weather watch must be taken before such a ride.
Hey Eric, how long of a drive is it to Chi-town?
I agree. You'd figure people would want to preserve the style of days past. Once they're gone, all that'll be left are boring two dimensional pictures. Both those cars were badass.
In theory, it is around 2-2.5hrs. But that doesn't count for Milwaukee, Kenosha, Racine traffic and North Chicago area traffic. MCACN is literally a block from O'Hare Airport. I plan to leave way too early and just stage down there waiting for my scheduled unload time. I have a enclosed car trailer reserved to haul it down.
It shouldn't be an issue, when the time comes, to spot weld the inner fenders in. I currently have a Duster clip cut at the firewall to donate the pieces or just go with new. Right now I have fenderwell headers and it is very nice with no inner fenders for access to everything. Thankfully no other metal in the car has been altered in any way.
The show went very well. Met some awesome people. I may collect original parts, but the car is staying as is based on feedback here and at the show last year. Several heros agreed with my direction and loved the car.
There has to be more out there that were saved as race cars and ones that were put back to stock. Anyone?
Big Dad
Well-Known Member
This car, real Hemi car .. restored to stock condition, last I knew it was living in Nebraska.
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