With all the recent activity and opinions being expressed on the Forums, I thought it might be a good time to set the record straight. Many have called my actions “arrogant” and/or short sighted with regards to the advice offered by others. With that said, please follow along and answer this question.

Let’s say you own a Home and have decided to add an Addition to it. While working on this project, your Neighbor “Bob” goes out of his way to approach you and tells you that he doesn’t like the design you have chose for your Addition. Bob then proceeds to lecture you about what you should have done and how he would have approached your project. You explain your intentions but Bob continues to argue and impose his differing views regarding your efforts. A few days later you are told by another Neighbor that Bob has been gossiping to other people about how arrogant and closed minded you are. Bob is saying this because you wouldn’t change your opinions, about your project, to agree with his point of view. Keep in mind that it’s your Home, your money and your time being spent to build YOUR Home Addition.

With that said, who is the “arrogant” one in that scenario? Is it the person minding their own business and doing what they want with their property or the Neighbor that decides to put their nose in someone else’s business and push their agenda? I would say the “arrogant” one is “Neighbor Bob” who seems to think that his opinion should dictate and rule what others do with their property. So the next time someone like “Bob” suggests that I’m being “arrogant” for not succumbing to the opinions of strangers on a Forum, (regarding how I handle/view my 4 Door Project) ask yourself who is actually the “arrogant” one.

Underside Completed

Here are a few photos of the finished Underside. We still have to add the inspection marks & secure some attaching hardware but the Exhaust, Suspension and other components are in place.

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Streamlined Roof

I want to thank Brian K. for forwarding me a link that has been recently posted on a Cuda forum. During our conversation, the Roof profile of the vehicle was brought up regarding its design. Someone posting on that forum had commented how the Roof had been “raised” on this vehicle. That observation/comment is completely false.

Anyone familiar with automotive design knows that a 4 Door vehicle cannot have a 2 Door Fastback Roofline. The Rear Doors require enough head room for a Passenger to enter the vehicle comfortably. We lowered the Roof just over an inch to start with. The Belt-line was also lowered about the same distance. This had to be done in order for the Fenders and Quarter Panels to line up correctly with the tops of the Doors. Erroneous and false comments were made (about the Roof) during the construction of the vehicle and information was ignored about the Door Belt Moldings being lowered.

Below are side views of the vehicle with the Belt Molding Trim in place. Those pieces, along with the Stainless Drip Rail Molding, helped in framing the Window openings and eliminated the “larger” appearance. The addition of Wheel Opening Moldings also helps to streamline the side profile of the vehicle. The vehicle now exhibits the exact look we had planned for. It’s even more streamlined and “Sporty” than the regular production 4 Door vehicles that were actually built by Chrysler in the late Sixties & early Seventies. 

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Dash Assembly

Here are a few photos of the Dash Assembly. The NOS AM Radio was for a 1970 Truck but interchanged with minimal effort. The outside appearance is the same as an original Barracuda unit. I’ll have more pictures of the entire unit, after all of the components have been put into place.

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The NOS Wheel Lip Moldings were quite a challenge in getting the proper fit. We had to use metal stretching and shrinking tools to obtain a perfect contour around the radius of the Wheel Well openings. The markings that were imprinted from the stretching & shrinking were removed and the proper surface finish was then restored. Here are a couple of photos showing how they fit, along with a photo of the NOS attaching Screws.

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