I was looking
at getting copies of those
schematics (engineering diagrams)
for different systems
you print from time to time for
a 1969 ’Cuda 440 notchback
that I am trying to do a high
level restoration on. What other
references are out there other
than people that judge like Paul
Jacobs, John Balow, and Dave
Wise’s books for finishes, paint,
markings and so on? Like the
internet you have to take it
with a grain of salt based upon
the source. Now that
there are wealth of parts,
would you recommend
getting a complete parts
notchback over sourcing
reproduction for metal,
glass, etc? The one in
question is a solid dry
California car.
Unfortunately, my collection of factory
engineering/assembly blueprints,
while extensive, only extends to B- and
E- bodies.
Mopars are notoriously difficult to
restore, as different assembly plants,
and sometimes even different shifts,
used different procedures, marking,
and so on. That’s why documenting and
photographing your car as it is being
disassembled (assuming it is/was unmolested)
is so important.
A parts car is never a bad thing. If
it has unrusted sheet metal, that would
be a huge plus. The glass (exc., probably,
the windshield) may also be useful
if the date codes are correct. As
you know, the lineup of repop parts for
A-bodies is, while getting better every
day, far from complete, adding another
reason to have a parts car. This, however,
leads to the next question: if the
parts car is that good, it would be
a shame to send the remains to the
crusher….better, in my (admittedly warped)
mind, to build a second ’Cuda
as a clone, resto mod, etc.