Why are Cudas so popular?

[hergfest]

I've always liked E-Bodies.  Its just the fact that when I take my car on a road trip I actually need a trunk to put things.

[hotrod98]

We use softside luggage and place them in the back seats. I usually carry tools and the pop-up canopy in my trunk and my wife carries the folding chairs, ice chest, etc in hers.
Works out when you're taking two cars, but not so well with one.

[Brock Samson]

found a relevant topic...   
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,23860.0.html

[WingCharger]

I have always thought it would be cool to find a 71 Cuda, paint it white, add rear window louvers, rear wing spoiler, and black billboards. Then swap in a 5.7 or 6.1 so I can have fuel mileage, power steering, and A/C. That would be one awesome daily driver!

[Brock Samson]

i don't think you are allowed to use the term "I allways thought" intill your a legal adult... north of 18, before that your only allowed to say..
"I just had an idea". 

[Mike DC]

I'll bet a 5.7 gets better mileage than a 5.9 motor.

The 360 has always been a gas hog.  The newer 5.7 was a real improvement in that area from what I hear.  The mileage number itself might not be a ton better, but power-per-MPG is a big difference.

 

[hotrod98]

We've just returned from the Branson Super Summer Cruise this weekend. We drove the 73 Cuda with the 5.9 setup and managed to get 29 mpg on the freeway and 25 around town.  I just set the cruise control, sat back and enjoyed the ride. I enjoyed it so much that I've decided to go ahead and pull the 340 and 4-speed out of my red 71 and replace it with a 5.9 and Keisler 5 speed. I'll just save the 340 4-speed for my un-restored real 71 Cuda.
As nice as my b-bodies drive, I still prefer my fuel injected e-bodies for the long trips.
Now, a 5.7, 5-speed setup in a b-body would be the better choice overall though since they ride so much better than the e-bodies.
The only problem with the 5.7 setup is that as far as I know, they haven't figured out how to make the cruise controls work since they rely on all four wheel sensors. Last time I checked, they were working on the problem.

[WingCharger]

i don't think you are allowed to use the term "I allways thought" intill your a legal adult... north of 18, before that your only allowed to say..
"I just had an idea". 

Whos to say?

[moparstuart]

We've just returned from the Branson Super Summer Cruise this weekend. We drove the 73 Cuda with the 5.9 setup and managed to get 29 mpg on the freeway and 25 around town.  I just set the cruise control, sat back and enjoyed the ride. I enjoyed it so much that I've decided to go ahead and pull the 340 and 4-speed out of my red 71 and replace it with a 5.9 and Keisler 5 speed. I'll just save the 340 4-speed for my un-restored real 71 Cuda.
As nice as my b-bodies drive, I still prefer my fuel injected e-bodies for the long trips.
Now, a 5.7, 5-speed setup in a b-body would be the better choice overall though since they ride so much better than the e-bodies.
The only problem with the 5.7 setup is that as far as I know, they haven't figured out how to make the cruise controls work since they rely on all four wheel sensors. Last time I checked, they were working on the problem.

got the tona ready yet 

[Foreman72]

getting back to the styling side of things...haha...i think b's and e's have their own glories.  the b just screams pure i'm gonna kill you with muscle...i don't really get that w/ an e...an e is more like, i'll kill you with out you knowing, james bond kinda stuff...i don't know, probably a bad analogy...but they both have amazing qualities about them...if they were sports figures, a b would be like shaq (when he was good) and an e would be like kobe...they both score consistently, but in their own ways.

right now, i have a charger and i love it...its a sweet car....so my flag is planted in the b-body camp

unless someone has a t/a or an AAR they would like to trade  haha

...like i said, they both have their attractions...

[hotrod98]

Here's a pic from the Branson show. There were a ton of nice cars there including about 5 cudas and six chargers with a bunch of other mopars mixed in. This show has never been heavy with mopars. There might have been 15 mopars out of the 500+ cars there. We only managed a third place this year. We can't complain about it since we've won first place the last two times there. The nice thing about this show is that when you win, you get a trophy and cash.

Oh yeah, I love my Charger too. May get it painted this week.

[71bee]

Beautiful Barracuda! 

aint nothin' wrong with the E-bodies. a slightly smaller version of my bee, deceptive in size & wieght (they are larger than the 'stangs & 'maros & almost as heavy as the '71-'74 B-bodies.)
Good lookin'/handling cruisers.

I dig 'em!! 

[ACUDANUT]

 Since I am "A CUDA NUT"  I have to put my my 2 cents in. Billboards, Rear louvers, Wing, Giilled fenders, Cheese Grader grill, tor-red, Shaker Hood, low production numbers=1971 Cuda...=One hell of a awesome car.
Still love my Chargers too though!!

[71charger_fan]

I sold my '70 Barracuda to get my '71 Charger.

[WingCharger]

I sold my '70 Barracuda to get my '71 Charger.

[ACUDANUT]

KEY WORD...CUDA. Not Barracuda.

[hotrod98]

Since I am "A CUDA NUT"  I have to put my my 2 cents in. Billboards, Rear louvers, Wing, Giilled fenders, Cheese Grader grill, tor-red, Shaker Hood, low production numbers=1971 Cuda...=One hell of a awesome car.
Still love my Chargers too though!!

Sort of sounds like the one that I have that's patiently waiting for it's day in the sun. It's a 71 Cuda, tor-red, 340, bench seat, non air car. I plan to use the 340 4-speed out of my 71 clone as well as the shaker hood, fog lamps, rear spoiler, louvers and exhaust. I'm going to convert the 71 clone to a modern driveline cruiser like my wife's car.

[moparstuart]

Since I am "A CUDA NUT"  I have to put my my 2 cents in. Billboards, Rear louvers, Wing, Giilled fenders, Cheese Grader grill, tor-red, Shaker Hood, low production numbers=1971 Cuda...=One hell of a awesome car.
Still love my Chargers too though!!

Sort of sounds like the one that I have that's patiently waiting for it's day in the sun. It's a 71 Cuda, tor-red, 340, bench seat, non air car. I plan to use the 340 4-speed out of my 71 clone as well as the shaker hood, fog lamps, rear spoiler, louvers and exhaust. I'm going to convert the 71 clone to a modern driveline cruiser like my wife's car.

put the 5.7 hemi in it & put the 6.1 heads and intake on it !

[CharcoalCharger]

My first MoPar is my A-body ('74 Dart Sport).  I always wanted a Challenger T/A, but their price just keeps going up.  I would have settled for a '70 or '71 Challenger to make a clone or whatever...luckily for me I stumbled upon my '70 Charger.  My buddy bought his '69 Charger about 3 years ago.  I always liked the 2nd gen Chargers, but never thought I would get to own one.  I can't wait to get mine done so my buddy and I can cruise the main street in town!  Some people may think it is neat to see a Charger cruising town on the weekend, but just imagine seeing 2.   

[71charger_fan]

I think nostalgia for the styling of the E-bodies clouds our memories of how poorly they were built when new. I got my '70 second hand, but my cousin bought it new. It was always a beautiful car, but never a particularly well-built car. Plus those door panels are incredibly cheap looking. I would have liked to have kept both cars, but my financial situation at the time dictated one had to go and the Charger was a far superior car to the Barracuda. And, for those of us with the snarky, know-it-all comments, the key word is 'cuda, not Cuda. The apostrophe takes the place of the missing letters.

[ACUDANUT]

I think nostalgia for the styling of the E-bodies clouds our memories of how poorly they were built when new. I got my '70 second hand, but my cousin bought it new. It was always a beautiful car, but never a particularly well-built car. Plus those door panels are incredibly cheap looking. I would have liked to have kept both cars, but my financial situation at the time dictated one had to go and the Charger was a far superior car to the Barracuda. And, for those of us with the snarky, know-it-all comments, the key word is 'cuda, not Cuda. The apostrophe takes the place of the missing letters.

'
I am far from "a know it all".  However, Barracuda=plain=standard.  Cuda=hi-po with all the goodies. 

[hotrod98]

Barracudas in 70 and 71 were available with six cylinder, 318, and 383. The Cudas were available with the 340, 383, 440, 440-6 and 426. With the Cuda package in 70, you received the blacked out tail panel, dual exhaust rear valance , slap stick shifter on the automatics (727), gilled rocker moldings, Cuda emblems on door panels and tail panel and bulge hood. In 71, the Cudas received colored keyed grilles on some colors, chrome headlamp rings, bulge hood, gills in the fenders, lower rocker moldings, cuda emblems on door panels and tail panel, slap stick on the automatics (727), blacked out tail panel and dual exhaust rear valance. Seems like the exhaust was different on some of the California cars.
Rallye gauges, spoilers, bucket seats, consoles, sport mirrors, leather interior, a/c , stripes and many others were always an option, not standard. Shaker hood was standard on the 426's, but only on the Cudas, not the Challengers.
Some of these options were available on the standard Barracudas well.
In 72, everything changed. Too detailed to go into the 72-74 options. In 74 the Cuda was available with the 318. Cudas were never available with the 400.
The convertible, 383, 440-6, 426, leather interior, shaker hood, spoilers and most of the best options were gone after 71. As of 72, all Dodge and Plymouth cars and trucks received the same side markers to cut cost. 

[moparstuart]

Barracudas in 70 and 71 were available with six cylinder, 318, and 383. The Cudas were available with the 340, 383, 440, 440-6 and 426. With the Cuda package in 70, you received the blacked out tail panel, dual exhaust rear valance , slap stick shifter on the automatics (727), gilled rocker moldings, Cuda emblems on door panels and tail panel and bulge hood. In 71, the Cudas received colored keyed grilles on some colors, chrome headlamp rings, bulge hood, gills in the fenders, lower rocker moldings, cuda emblems on door panels and tail panel, slap stick on the automatics (727), blacked out tail panel and dual exhaust rear valance. Seems like the exhaust was different on some of the California cars.
Rallye gauges, spoilers, bucket seats, consoles, sport mirrors, leather interior, a/c , stripes and many others were always an option, not standard. Shaker hood was standard on the 426's, but only on the Cudas, not the Challengers.
Some of these options were available on the standard Barracudas well.
In 72, everything changed. Too detailed to go into the 72-74 options. In 74 the Cuda was available with the 318. Cudas were never available with the 400.
The convertible, 383, 440-6, 426, leather interior, shaker hood, spoilers and most of the best options were gone after 71. As of 72, all Dodge and Plymouth cars and trucks received the same side markers to cut cost. 

the 81-93 dodge truck marker are the same as my little onmi's and shelby charger LOL

[hotrod98]

the 81-93 dodge truck marker are the same as my little onmi's and shelby charger LOL

I've always hated them. They look so cheap. To me they look like something that yiou would buy at the parts store to put on the side of your car hauler.
That's why I either recess them or remove them altogether when I build a 72 up car.

[konigcharger]

that looks sweet  how hard was that, i was thinking of doing something simmilar on my 73 
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