I am in search of any info anyone can provide on the V21 blackout/performance hood treatment and color keyed grille options for the 1972 Cuda. My car was built 10/71 and was optioned with the V21 Perfomance hood treatment (as shown on the data tag). I was also informed it came with a color keyed grille originaly. I do not have a built sheet and that option is not reflected on the data tag. Previous info showed that ceratin color Cuda's appartenly came standard with a color keyed grille. Any additional info is appreciated. Here is an old thread that covered some info as well. https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/show...part=2&vc=1
Some color Keyed grille option info (Thanks to 69CoronetRT)
Again courtesy of 69CoronetRT


Blaine Kelley included the dimensions V21 for the option on his site http://kelleyhome.homestead.com/cuda_stuff.html

This car is currently on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-Truc...d=p4506.c0.m245 Sharp car. .....Please no ebay bashers.

A question from the owner of the Ebay V21 car and I. Does line 3 tward the far right indicate that the car was a V21 car?

Also can anyone determine if the color keyed grille is somehow indicated on the sheet?

Barry Thanks, I figured from the sheet I posted it appears to be standard for my FE5 car. So even if it's not on my data tag it should be presumed correct then. I just wanted to see if the build sheet indicated it.... after all factory line workers needed to know which grille to install. I am still trying to learn. Since it came standard with body color painted mirrors/grille an option code would be needed to indicate chrome mirrors or argent grille?
From your Hamtrack Historical pics this car is TB3 and should have a standard body color grille and mirrors.


The previous owner of my car had said he put a build sheet back in the car. I never found it, maybe it's in the speaker tray. Has anyone ever found one there? The pic of the sheet I posted above is from the ebay car

Nice post and thanks to the e-bag link. My 72 cuda is basin street blue, black vinyl top, black side stripe, color keyed grilled, chrome drivers mirror, no passenger mirror, but no V21 hood paint (at least that can be seen). The car was repainted at some point but it is the original color. Car needs a full major resto having been smashed by a tree in my yard.

Can you circle on the broadcast sheet where the V21 option would be indicated?

Sorry for the poorly drawn circles

Mine is on my tag ...see top line far right

larry4406, I am looking for any information that would specify my car did come with a color keyed grille. Other than knowing the history of my car and knowing it was original to the car... how can I prove my car came with the color keyed grille? So far all I have is the hamtrack historical document, and a prior owners word. So was there ever anything on the data tag or buildsheet? Maybe even the window sticker. I would love to see a window sticker from one.

I don't know what more you could be looking for. If the Trim Selector says it's standard for your color car and that there is no coding necessary for it the dealer couldn't have just forgot to code it and the car didn't get it.

My '72 Cuda came with the V21 blacked out hood option, and the original grille was indeed body colored. My car is Basin Street Blue (B3) with no vinyl roof or side stripes. One other "interesting" item my car originally had (and still has) is the headlight buckets are all chrome, with no black paint around the headlights. When I first got the car I thought that someone had somehow removed the paint, but after careful inspection it appears they came this way from the factory.

I restored my car back in 1990 and at the time I didn't like the look of the blacked out hood so I left it off (some restoration, ha...). I did have the forethought to fully document the treatment however and I have photos and sketches with the critical dimensions if I can locate them. When I redo the car (in the next two years) I plan to put the original hood treatment back because it has kind of grown on me. I don't have the original grille however, so I will stick with the argent silver NOS one that I bought for $135 back in 1989

My first car was a 72 Barracuda and way back then I fell in love with the factory photos of the Basin Street blue car with the black out treatment. I too have been drooling over the one currently on EBay and would consider it my dream car....

My opinion of the colour keyed grills is simple....It's much like the 1971 Cudas....All "CUDAS" that were a certain colour were supposed to get a colour keyed grill as part of the "CUDA" package, but we all know of the supply issues, by 72 I'm sure the supply issues remained or even got worse meaning most 72 Cudas got argent grills the same as the Barracudas.

That ebay car is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love the V21 stripes!

ucadant - I wish I could help, but can't. My 72 is buried at the moment and its build sheet is somewhere in the basement. My color keyed grille is basin street blue (smooth - no grit), black louvered area, with a orange-red perimeter around the opening. At some point I will get the junk of the car and open the hood to see what the fender tag says (i.e. V21 or not) and if it is there, I will sand down some of the hood and fenders to look for black paint.

Thanks Larry, this raises another question for me now as I always assumed from the photos I have seen that the orange area in the argent grilles was black on the body color grilles. Does anyone have any info on this?

I guess the 73 had the color key grille as an option
http://www.allpar.com/model/cuda.html




U-Cuda'nt

I bought the 72 Basin Street Blue Cuda that was on Ebay. What an awesome car. Well worth every penny I paid. The third line does show the V21 hood treatment.

I used to own a '72 'Cuda 340 that was FE5 Red with V21 and colored grille .

Greg

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I was the high bidder didn't meet reserve called him an made a deal. He wanted $30 and I didn't pay that. But I probably would have had I saw the car in person it's just that nice. Best car I've bought in quite a while.