1971 Plymouth 'Cuda 340
BS23H1B206334
OWNED & RESTORED
By
ALAN & LYNN GALLANT
June 7th 2003 to March 1st 2005
THE HISTORY
Back in the summer of 1970 John C. Stephenson walked into Merion Chrysler Plymouth in Bryn Mawr Pennsylvania, sat down and ordered this very unique 1971 ‘Cuda.
He must have known exactly what he wanted because he created one incredibly odd car. First off he wanted the optional 340 with a 4spd and he just had to have air conditioning, which wasn’t a recommended option at the time. In fact, after March 1971 you could no longer get A/C with a 4spd. He also chose the new one-year only orange/black interior combination, which most definitely was a 70’s thing. That combined with the blinding white paint, white wheels and the colored keyed grill makes for one striking combination. He opted for the 15” wheels but didn’t want to pay extra for anything fancy, so plain steel wheels it had to be. He also deleted the radio and deleted the tint glass, which was standard with A/C.
John clocked up just over 59K miles before he passed away in 1999 and the car was sold in his estate sale. The car was sold once again to a transmission expert from Georgetown ON who drove it home and immediately tore it apart for a ground up restoration, which was never finished.
Fast-forward to the summer of 2003 when my wife and I purchased the car in a thousand pieces, boxes, bags, and tin cans and proceeded to finish what others had started.
The rest is history.
The Drivetrain
This car still retains its original drivetrain with only 59K miles on it. It’s been rebuilt 100% to stock specifications using most of the original components. The original 4 speed and 8 ¾ rear axle assembly have also been rebuilt and completely detailed.
You’ll find correctly date-coded parts everywhere in the engine compartment from fan belts to A/C hoses and even the voltage regulator. The original date coded carburetor has been meticulously restored and functions better than new. The correct date-coded spark plug wires along with the original dual point distributor are all still in place. Even the original fan clutch and rad are date coded.
An endless amount of attention was paid to recreate the sloppiness found on the assembly production lines of the early seventies. You’ll find rust proofing splattered around the A/C drain tube to prevent leaks into the interior of the car. You’ll also find numerous runs, drips and sags in the paint especially on the bottom of the oil pan which received very little paint, if any at all.
Throughout the remainder of the drivetrain you’ll find colour coded paint daubs to assist assembly line workers to quickly identify the parts going on each vehicle. On the rear axle center section is a series of coloured stripes that indicate the 3:23 axle ratio.
Even the dual exhaust is detailed with date-coded mufflers, resonators and part number tags wrapped around the tailpipes at the chrome tips.
THE INTERIOR
The outrageous interior of this car is exactly how it was when it left the factory. When John, the original owner, opted for the “one-year” only orange/black interior he got possibly the loudest set of seats ever put into an automobile.
Although the interior of this low mile car was still in fair shape, I chose to restore everything from the headliner to the carpet and the dash to the rear package tray.
An extensive amount of time was spent detailing the instrument cluster as well as the extremely rare radio delete panel. John spent the extra cash for A/C but didn’t splurge on a radio, not even an AM for tunes. Under the dash is equally as impressive with everything correctly detailed from the manual foot pump for the windshield washers to the large heater/air conditioning unit.
You’ll find N.O.S. parts everywhere you look such as the chrome window cranks and the doorjamb light switches. The correct part number tags on all applicable wire harnesses and information stickers as well.
The original plastic door panels are still in place, as are the rear panels. The original owner’s manual still has its place in the glove box.
Finishing off the details in the interior is a set of correct reproduction dealership service floor mats, which would have been installed when the car was new or every time you brought it in for an oil change.
THE BODY
The gleaming white paint, factory GW3 paint code was applied over mostly original sheet metal. Minor rust in the lower rear ¼ panels was handled by replacing the entire panel at the factory seams with Southern rust free originals.
The acrylic enamel was applied with the same type of flaws one would find back in the early seventies, you’ll find orange peel, drips and sags as well as poor body panel alignment all done for the purpose of recreating an original “as new” appearance.
All emblems and trim were replaced with N.O.S. or the best of reproduction pieces throughout. The original tail light lenses as well as the side marker lights were all restored to perfection. The stainless trim has been polished as well as all the correct date coded glass. The correct bumpers were also giving a fresh coat of chrome plating for an eye blinding appearance. The car is riding on a correct set of reproduction Goodyear PolyGlas G/T tires for that 100% stock look.
Unfortunately this car was ordered without the famous “billboard” stripe found on most 1971 Cuda’s leaving nothing but a lot of bright white paint to look at. With the factory coloured-keyed grill and original white wheels this is one bright ride and really sets the stage for the eye-popping interior.
THE RESULTS
At Performance World 2005
* Best in Class
* Best Restored Mopar
* Outstanding Restored Vehicle
* # 5 -Top Ten in show
Enjoy.
ALAN AND LYNN GALLANT
