'70 Cuda AAR 340

[PhotosGuy]

Craig's numbers matching '70 Cuda AAR was built because Chrysler wanted to race & they had to build enought of the AAR type to qualify. AAR is from "All American Racers". See the card for details.

It's built from all NOS parts ("New/Old Stock") over seven years & is only driven about 100 miles a year as it's sort of a trailer queen to keep the stickers intact & save the $1,000 each period tires. Point of interest; These are the original stickers on the parking lights & the original equipment tires go for $12,000!


1.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/PhotosGuy/Carz%202008/70-cuda-AAR-340-Craig_0954.jpg?t=1232599322

2.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/PhotosGuy/Carz%202008/70-cuda-AAR-340-Craig_0950.jpg?t=1232599383

3.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/PhotosGuy/Carz%202008/70-cuda-AAR-340-Craig_0952.jpg?t=1232599416

4.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/PhotosGuy/Carz%202008/70-cuda-AAR-340-Craig_0953.jpg?t=1232599432

5.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/PhotosGuy/Carz%202008/70-cuda-AAR-340-Craig_0951.jpg?t=1232599447

6.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/PhotosGuy/Carz%202008/70-cuda-AAR-340-Craig_0956.jpg?t=1232599470

7.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/PhotosGuy/Carz%202008/70-cuda-AAR-340-Craig_0949.jpg?t=1232599486

8.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/PhotosGuy/Carz%202008/70-cuda-AAR-340-Craig_0955.jpg?t=1232599505

[Ballen Photo]

That's a real BEAUTY Frank, As well as a legend amongst Mopar aficionados.
Love the license plate too. Lime AAR. ;)
to keep the stickers intact & save the $1,000 each period tires. Point of interest; These are the original stickers on the parking lights & the original equipment tires go for $12,000!
I can understand the stickers etc, but the tires can be easily taken care of with another set of rims & tires for track duty? :p
-Bruce

[Padrino]

Ok, I get it, so this Cuda is one in a million. It´s mint! Cheers to the owner.

[momalley]

Awesome car, I'm a huge Mopar fan...I want to eventually own a mint '68 Hemi GTX

[RadAL]

too bad the race cars only had a 305 ;)

[yeller]

That is my all time favorite MOPAR vehicle. The color, decals and engine are perfect. Great photos of a great car!

[PhotosGuy]

but the tires can be easily taken care of with another set of rims & tires for track duty? :D Like it's ever going to see a track? I want to eventually own a mint '68 Hemi GTX Good idea! I've posted several with 440s, & one 426 Hemi stroked out to 570+cid if I remember right. Do a search for GTX. The color, decals and engine are perfect. It's definitely one of a kind!

Thanks for the comments!

[BrantG]

Now that is SHARP. Always loved this color combo.

[PhotosGuy]

Now that is SHARP. It's the cleanest car I saw last year. Good thing it isn't mine! :D

[greg20d]

fantastic car and much better than one that came from the factory back then I'm sure

[440roadrunner]

too bad the race cars only had a 305 ;)


I've never understood that. I thought that was the whole point of Ford/ Chev building 302's.

Limelight, Frank, a color I never would have picked, was what my '70 440sixpack Roadrunner was originally, bought from a friend of mine. I later had it repainted a dark green, with silver and gold melallic

[Ballen Photo]

I've never understood that. I thought that was the whole point of Ford/ Chev building 302's.
I think that was the limitation set for the Trans Am series of racing.
The streets were another story. ;)
-Bruce

[Glliw]

Wonderful car, in looks and rarity. Its a shame you can't get all these cars you shoot in better locations though. Camp chairs really kill the mood for me. :/

[RadAL]

Wonderful car, in looks and rarity. Its a shame you can't get all these cars you shoot in better locations though. Camp chairs really kill the mood for me. :/

yea, he should go professional and set up shoot, eh?

[Glliw]

I'm fairly certain he is a professional and has been for quite some time actually.

[Simon Turkin]

nice pictures

[440roadrunner]

I think that was the limitation set for the Trans Am series of racing.
The streets were another story. ;)
-Bruce

That's not what I was saying. The sanctioning bodies required so many cars to be made "for the street" to qualify for the class. The same thing is true of such weird cars as the Daytona Charger--look at an old 68-or-69 sometime, I've forgotten. They are NOT a stock Dodge Charger by any stretch. Different rear window and bodywork, and different front grillwork, at the least.

What I was getting at, is, Ford and Chevy both made 302 examples, but several other manufacturers were allowed to de-cube existing engines. Even though I'm a former Mopar owner and fan, I've never understood the difference.

[PhotosGuy]

Its a shame you can't get all these cars you shoot in better locations though. True. But it gives me something to do & mostly keeps me out of trouble? :D And you guys get to see some nice iron in the process. weird cars as the Daytona Charger It was fun watching what they would come up with next & see who got caught cheating that week. The Superbird made NASCAR change the rule book.

[cicopo]

Fine photos of a very nicely detailed car. Since the Mopars were a unibody and in general weren't covered by sound deadener the undersides were body color along with the engine compartment. That makes for a lot of extra work in doing a proper ground up this many years later.
As for the rules being bent a bit by allowing destroking or smaller bores to meet the 5 liter rule, it made for better racing by letting American Motors & Mopars compete while it was a popular class. Retooling for a limited production engine can get expensive, and delay things. The Chev 302 used a 327 block & a 283 Crankshaft, and the best heads from the small block Corvette of the day. After the first year they increased the main bearing diameter & added some more meat to the main webs, and 4 bolt caps for all those high RPM laps hour after hour. The Ford just required opening up the 289 a bit. I'm guessing that Chrysler's 273 didn't have enough meat to enlarge the bore reliably, so the 340 block was destroked if I remember right. Never paid any attention to how AMC did it.

[Simon Turkin]

How much hp does this guy have

[kelly andersen]

$12'000 tires??? Coker has the exact tires made from the goodyear molds for $239 a shot. That is a sweet car!!!!!!!!!!

[PhotosGuy]

it made for better racing by letting American Motors & Mopars compete while it was a popular class. Good info. Standing close while a herd of those went by would loosen the fillings of your teeth! I wish I could have promoted a ride back then. Or now, for that matter! ;) How much hp does this guy have Image #2. exact tires made from the goodyear molds for $239 a shot. Ben recently upgraded the tires on his 442 W30 Olds (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=174103) for $1,000. I'd never do it as they were the usual cheap crap that Detroit put on & I can't imagine how bad they would be 35 years later. But, they get extra points for that.
I still remember the terrible US Royal "Safety 800"s. When I bought my first Cuda, I told them to keep the tires & had them put on Pirelli Cinturatos rated for a sustained 130mph.