This story I got from Cuda Ken. He send it by e-mail, and because there is so much to tell, I will copy it right out of the e-mail. He is restoring his Charger and converting it into a Daytona. Though he seem to be stuck lately, and can't find any parts. So, if you have any parts for him, e-mail him and ask if he needs them.

Story:

Here are some pictures of my 69 Dodge Charger that should not be around any more. When I first bought the car, R/T stood for rusted trash! I bought the car for only two reasons. I had a daughter that was 15 and needed a car soon and the car was so original it was hard to believe. The original road wheel’s where there and complete, AM/FM radio and fader control was still there and worked. Evan the original spare tire, jack and trunk mat where still there and the numbers match. It also ran, well sort of, a friend that took me to pick her up beat me up with his stock 318 pretty bad. The best part was it was only $500.00. Most of you by now are going why did he buy a girl a 69 R/T for her first car? Well my Dad gave me his 68 Road Runner for my first car, which I still have so what the heck plus I could work on it. 

To make a long story a little shorter, my daughter messed around and did not get her drivers license until she was 19 years old, go figure. In the mean time I started to mess with the car. A vale job and timing chain made her run again, no more 318 problem or 5.0 for that matter. A metal patch, here and there, fix some dent’s, a quarter panel for a Christmas present etc. Well you get the idea, what started as a wham bam turned in to a labor of love. Well $6000.00 and three years later Sharyon got her license and wanted the R/T, tuff! She had to settle for a Road Runner in stead.

When I got done with her she was straight as an arrow! I had 20 hours on each quarter panel bodyline. I painted her Plum Crazy with black vinyl top and black R/T strip. The motor had some minor moods like a A/C water pump for a 75 air car worth about 5HP, MSD ignition, holly 650 with the jet’s dropped down 3 sizes and smaller power vale. Two and a half inch exhaust with H pipe and 2:79 sure grip rear end. She took third in 91 and 92 at Monster Mopar Week End in her class.

She started to show some rust coming back and I decided to start drive her daily. If she is going to rust in the garage why not enjoy her daily and I did. At the time I was driving her I was an area supervisor and would drive 135 miles plus a day and what great fun it was. On the trip back from Kansas City the song Rader Love came on the radio. Well the old needle started moving up ward’s too a round 80 mph like it should. Then I got busted for speeding by the State Police, a younger trooper about 25 years old had nailed me. His back up arrived an older man may be about 50 years old. He walked up to me, I was still in the R/T. He looked at the car and looked at me and said. You are in a heap of trouble there boy! I looked at him. Then we both busted out laughing. I did not get out of the ticket but he did get it lowered to 70 instead of 83 that I was clocked at. It was almost worth the $75.00 fine.        

On Feb 24 1996 she died! I was on my way to work when the left front of the car dropped hard. I got out and found a broken torsion bar, no big deal they where original with 206,000 miles on them. I was able to limp her back home. I order a set of HEMI bars from Mopar Performance and did not think much about it. When I got the bars I open the trunk to get my toolbox out and much to my horror the left side of the trunk floor was sticking up 10 inches! The frame rail had rusted in two. A friend named Ray came over and informed me that the rear tie bar was to rusty to weld to and the other frame rail was ready to break as well. It was over, after having her for 9 years and 60,000 miles of fun she was dead.

I called a guy in the area that parts out old Mopar to see what he would give for the corpse. He came over and looked at her, after thinking for a few seconds he offered me $500.00 for the remains. She had a new year one interior, new door handles, new 3 row radiator, new quarters, new exhaust tips, new trans and a running 440 hp as well. I asked him if he would give me a $1000.00 for her? He said, Ken you know and I know you will never fix this car so when you get tired of it lying in your driveway  call me and I will haul it away! I told him I would think about it and let him know.

I jacked her up and placed wood blocks under her so she sat sort of normal. What to do with her, She had hauled me across 8 states and never left me stuck. Was it time to lay her to rest? I think not! The words (you know you will never fix this car so call when you get tired of it lying in your driveway) kept going through my head! F--k him, I will show his ass!

This next part is what beer and friends can do, in step Mike and Scott, my hero’s! Mike and Scott worked for me at an engine installation center I was running at the time. We all liked car’s hated the owner and liked beer. They are both great tech but did not know bodywork. I on the other hand was a body man by traded. Well guess what, we saved her. I found a donor car and had it cut 10 inches rear of the front spring mounts and through the sail panels. Loaded a third of a charger in to the back of Scott pick up and off we went. Boy did we get some looks from people on the way home. While we where looking over the donor car we found at one point the car had a front clip section in. We all decided this was a good sign, at leases the parts knew what we where trying to do, we didn’t!      

It took 4 long years of our free time to make it a car again. But it only took about 40 hours to make her whole again. The problem was all three of us worked 6 days a week and Mike and I are married. So with the work thing and married thing it was hard for us to find the time. At one point the only thing that saved the project was the fact we could not figure out how to have her hauled a way with no back end. On April 15^th 2000 we sat her down and went tooling around for the first time in 4 years. She started right up with spark plugs that had been sitting for 4 year. Smoked a little but ran strong. I am sure I spent more on beer and BBQ for my friends than on parts.

Now that she was a whole car again it was time to redo the rust and dents and other problems. She sat in the garage on jack stands for 4 years. She was used for everything from a worktable to a places to set planters on in the wintertime. A new member of the crew came on as well, Clayton. The 12 year old from down the street started to hang out with us for ordeal. We watch him grow from an idiot of 12 years to a 16 year old young man. I am now doing the bodywork on his Dodge Ram.

Once again a quickie turned in to a labor off love. I have about 30 hours in the doors back. The front fenders went to the trash man. I deiced it was time to redo the engine compartment and do a color change too Viper Red. Clayton helped me pull the motor out of the car while I did the bodywork on his Ram. I was not going to do anything to the engine but a spray can rebuild, why fix it if it is not broken. It only had 206,000 miles on it and only used a quart of oil in 1600 miles. Well it just so happen a friend was buying a new motor for his Road Runner and had a fresh 426 Wedge he did not need. Well you can guess what is setting in the car now and for the prices of only $500.00 what would you do? Next another twist in the story, I also own a 70 383 Cuda that I bought off yet another friend 13 years ago. Rich had car got the car when he was 15 and only sold to me because I love the cars. Not for what they are worth. I owned her for 13 years now only topped by my 68 Road Runner that I have had for 28 years, Charger only for 12 years. Well Rich called me and wanted to know if I would sell the CUDA back to him?

Now lets see, I have extra cash, a 69 Charger with no front clip on her. What do you do?

I know lets build a DAYTONA! I have just received my first shipment of parts. And for the final strange twist of faith. I worked in down town slum vile St. Louis Mo. What would be the changes of in two weeks that 2 real Daytona owners would come in to my shop? Well I now have 2 more friends.

Jim got his from Canada about 3 years ago and is still putting it back together and Bill bought his car new in 69. Bill had stored his for the last 25 years and has just got it out for the first time this year. Bills car had been repainted 3 times in its first 7 years of uses. Back then it was cool but not like it is today so no great care was used to make sure the car was done right. Bill has been amazed at what I know about his car and what is not right on the car the way it sat when I saw it. In fact he had to dig out pictures of the car when he first got it before he would believe me on some things.

When Bill first came in to my shop he had no idea that I was a MOPAR freak. He said he had a car that I may never have heard of, a 69 Daytona. I busted out laughing, he looked at me like I was nuts. I took him it to my offices and said does it look like that. One wall was covered with pictures of Daytona’s from the club. He said (I guess I came to the right places). Bill gave me one of the biggest thrills of my life when he brought in his original wing. I have seen many Daytona at car show but never touched one, now to hold a part of history in my hand was unreal. I got to paint the wing for him and took some pictures of it setting on my Daytona want to be. I hated to give it back to him.

At this point I’m at a stand still, I have $2000.00 worth of Daytona parts but all little stuff you would not realizes where Daytona parts unless you know what you are looking at. Found a rear window plug from the wing warrior club that I hope to get in the next couple of weeks.

I love the site and hope to hear from all of you soon. I hope there is room to post all the pictures I am sending.

                                 Your friend Cuda Ken.

© Arthur Reichardt 2002

This site is for personal use only, I do not guarantee that the information on this website is correct. If you find a mistake on this website, or just wrong information, just e-mail me.

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