E body Inspection questions...

I recently bought a 70 Cuda, 340 car. Prior to purchase I put it up on the lift and took photos.

Have a few questions:

Is this pattern of holes near the leaf hanger standard from the factory?



Can anyone explain this piece of metal pinched between the skin and the frame of the deck lid? There's one on each side of the deck lid.




Two questions about the back side of the front fenders. 1) Are these marks from a past Cleco Fastener attachment or something factory. Both fenders have them in the same spot. 2) Did factory fenders have a part number painted on them like this?




Thank you for any insight you can provide.

Fenders with stamped part numbers are factory dealership collision repair replacement fenders.

I’d guess the fenders were stamped for holes for emblems or side molding, but you car doesn’t get them. So they welded them shut.

That's good information to know about the fenders. Makes sense that it could be a "emblem delete" version of the fender. Right on, thanks!

I think I see a hole in the trunk lid. Is it a luggage rack or rear wing car?

Maybe some bracket (or some home made one) wedged itself between the outer skin and under-structure.

Those symmetrical holes on the frame rail are strange….are they the same on both sides?

With both fenders being replaced are their traces of collision repair up front? Most likely should be with both fenders getting changed at same time…. Wonder if those holes are for a frame machine hookup?

Looks like a Southwest undercarriage. Very little rust underneath.

Is this an LA built car? I see some darker black overspray on the spring perch from the pinch weld blackout. But the frame dip color reminds me of black primer LA built cars (vs grey undercarriage primer)

Autoxcuda,


I appreciate you thinking this over. The strange pattern the in rear of the car is indeed on both sides near the leaf hangers so it very well could be front a frame machine. I didn't see any evidence of a bad accident though. Clearly something happened to the front of the car as the fender was replaced. I just don't know how bad it was. The title to the car is clear.

Only the passenger side fender has the stamped part number, but they both have the weld marks which are likely what you theorized (emblem delete) as they're identical in location.

I've looked over the fender tag and I don't believe it was optioned with a Go-Wing or luggage rack and I'm assuming the deck lid is original as it does have the correct paint color. -So that remains a mystery.

I believe the car was sold in CA and has been here ever since. It has the N95 emissions option. The car is extremely rust free, except the trunk floor does have some rusty spots. I'm having the trunk pan replaced next week.

I'll post a better photo of the underside here in a bit.

the holes on the inner rocker panels are where the side exhaust "megaphone" hangers are mounted on AARs

the holes on the fenders are probably from rivet on aftermarket body side mouldings - if the doors & quarters don't have the same holes, the fenders were sourced from another Barracuda at some point

Exactly correct.

Was it built at the Los Angeles plant?

The vin tag and fender tag would show an “E” in it.

Just wondering if this car has black primer or grey.


LA plant black dip thread: https://board.moparts.org/ubbthread...70-cuda-los-angeles-built-questions.html


In this picture of a LA built 68 Dart you can see the black dip line





Shows real good over gas tank.

I can't think of an emblem in that fender location, so IMO those spots were some kind of repair; unless V5 replacement fenders had the holes pre-punched, which I highly doubt.
In decades of being around frame machines, nobody ever drilled holes like those in the rockers; we'd use a clamp or drill one big hole in a crushed rocker.
Generally you'd be working damage behind the rocker, and replacing everything that was crushed.
I'd look carefully at the fender apron & rail area, the rad support, hinge pillar, and panel fit all the way back to door/quarter.
But it could have had a fender-bender and nothing major.

My bad on the frame machine remark.

Like was said above, the hole provisions are there for AAR’s that got side exhaust.

Hamtramck, MI

I really appreciate the information provided.

I'm relieved to learn about the "megaphone" hanger provisions, that's really cool. Did all 70 Barracudas get them or only 340 Cudas?

As Fastmark pointed out, the fenders may have been sourced from another car that had a side molding as my car doesn't have any molding holes in the doors or rear quarters.

Anyone else have the strange metal inserts on the underside of the deck lid?


Thank you guys!

Ok cool.

Should be grey primer undercarriage car.

Is that price deeply sandwiched between the two stampings? Wonder if it was a punch out price of manufacturing debris that was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or just something an owner wedged in there for whatever purpose.

Almost looks like there is a second darker piece in there too. Or maybe the piece is “L” shaped

Quick fix for a rattle between the inner & outer panels maybe ?

THIS ^^^^

Those holes by the leaf spring are not on my Feb. 70 383 Cuda but since the AARA didn't start production until March that could explain them missing.

fixture point may be the park brake cable hole

I was thinking the whole 4-6” square area around the brake cable hole. It didn’t seem to follow drip or dunk line. Like they might had had some pad or something blocking that square-like area ??

Very well could be. The metal inserts are identical on both sides which is what made me think it was purposeful from the factory.

Interesting and makes sense that they wouldn't be on early (FEB) cars prior to the AAR cars being planned or built.

Still interested to know if only 340 cars had this advantageous "Weight Reduction"

My 5/70 LA built challenger has the same holes. (318, deputy)

Alright..looks like it's date related and not sub model related.


Thanks for the info!

The piece in the trunk is a welder's trick to "fill weld" the hole in the lid. The quicker you fill the hole the less heat produced, less heat equals less warping.

I can understand that as a technique but I don't know what hole would be welded in this case.

There's a hole in the inner structure so it would be safe to say there was a hole drilled in the outer side as well.

are you sure that there are only the 2 holes - look for additional holes not much would be mounted with just 2

Our 71 Barracuda has the holes in the inner rocker like the OP asked about.

Yes, on AARs and T/As there are nuts welded behind some of the holes, not all.
And I think many '71 E bodies have the holes, a friends green/198/fixed window car had them.
I guess the Trans Am package hadn't been cancelled yet, really wish they'd built some!