Posted By: 69Boss302
70 Cuda Body side scoops - 03/16/11 06:43 AM
Does anyone have any info on the side scoops that were on 70 Cudas in front of the rear wheel well on the rocker panel. I have only seen them on 2 cars in my life and no one I ask has ever heard of them. The one person that had seen them said they were a very short lived option available on early 70 Cudas. Are they in any parts books? Thanks - - -
Posted By: 1_WILD_RT
Re: 70 Cuda Body side scoops - 03/16/11 06:47 AM
Code M46... Rare but we have a few members with them.. One member Dwight's user name is M46rat.. I'm guessing he might know more... As will Scott Harms Smith who has reproduced the scoops...
Posted By: 70RT27N
Re: 70 Cuda Body side scoops - 03/16/11 06:57 AM
Posted By: 1_WILD_RT
Re: 70 Cuda Body side scoops - 03/16/11 07:07 AM
Nice job bringing that one back..
Posted By: 69Boss302
Re: 70 Cuda Body side scoops - 03/17/11 06:44 AM
What's an excellent set of originals worth?
Posted By: 1_WILD_RT
Re: 70 Cuda Body side scoops - 03/17/11 07:22 AM
Hard to say... I'd contact Dwight.. Rare part but if your car isn't coded for it I sure wouldn't add it, they were known to collect moisture & cause rust... Probably why allot of cars coded for them had them removed...... Put them on Ebay, somebody might get excited & offer good $$$
Posted By: Diego (not Ted)
Re: 70 Cuda Body side scoops - 03/17/11 03:33 PM
Please note that they were never available on the 'Cuda. Only the Barracuda had them as an option. I really don't know why this was.
Quote:
Does anyone have any info on the side scoops that were on 70 Cudas in front of the rear wheel well on the rocker panel. I have only seen them on 2 cars in my life and no one I ask has ever heard of them. The one person that had seen them said they were a very short lived option available on early 70 Cudas. Are they in any parts books? Thanks - - -
The M46 option package included the scoops, special pin stripes, and special blackout paint on the lower body. The reason you could not get the scoops by themselves is that they were part of an option package and were not an individual option item, just as many of the unique items found on the Grand Coupe option package were not available as options individually.
Posted By: YYZ
Re: 70 Cuda Body side scoops - 03/18/11 01:18 AM
Perhaps it was an afterthought, or meant to further distinguish the 3 different models:
'Cuda: fish gill rocker mouldings
Gran Coupe: dressy metal rocker mouldings
Barracuda: nothing, but we'll tart it up a bit with the optional M46 package.
It could be akin to the 'Yellow Bird' and 'Red Bird' packages offered on the low-end '70s Firebirds....
Posted By: Diego (not Ted)
Re: 70 Cuda Body side scoops - 03/18/11 01:30 AM
The Skybird and Redbird were trim packages for the Firebird Esprit, which would have been like a Barracuda Gran Coupe or Challenger SE with special paint an trim.
If the Barracuda needed to be distinguished some more, why not the Challenger? I'm not buying the theory. I think it's just a case of Chrysler doing a weird thing since it seems logic never prevails when it comes to cars of the era.
Posted By: YYZ
Re: 70 Cuda Body side scoops - 03/19/11 12:45 AM
I would tend to agree that there wasn't always rhyme or reason as to why things were done in the era.
Though I do find it interesting that the 'Cuda model received far more embellishments than the R/T Challengers even though Plymouth was to be a much lower priced, lower positioned line.
e.g.
'Cuda: rocker mouldings, belt mouldings, tailpanel moulding, grille redlines, hood pins, road lamps, extra badging in the interior etc. -
by contrast, the Challenger R/T only got a rallye dash and grille blackout for the comparable upgrade