On a project this extensive, just the sheer number of parts needed can be overwhelming. Many of the items that were on the “Comeback Cuda” before its accident were not good enough to use or cannot be restored. Also, after the awesome paint job, less than perfectly new won’t be good enough. When you add in all the non-original parts that have to be replaced and you need the help of professionals like our new sponsors at Classic Industries, who was excited to help with the project.

If you have never seen a Classic Industries catalog you need to get one, like now. The amazing amount of parts these guys have in stock and their quality is amazing. Their customer service is top notch and their prices are competitive. So, we put together a list of must-have parts and the next thing we knew they arrived on our door step. We will be doing step-by-step tutorials on the installation in future articles but we are so excited about the cool parts we had to get out a quick release on them.

Above: (PT# ME1684 1970 E-body under dash harness): When doing a total restoration many people will skip replacing the dash wiring harness. The old wiring harness has several cut wires and the age of the wires alone can cause a dash fire. Dash Fires destroy more antique cars than just about any other cause. The new dash wiring harness from Classic Industries is laid out beside the original for a careful comparison. I found that my original harness was a little different. So, I called the tech line of the manufacturer. He was very helpful and told me to take pictures and e-mail to their help technician. Almost immediately I got a response. Seems that someone along the way used a wiring harness from a 72-74 ‘Cuda. Replacing the old with the new proved to be a great choice!

Above: (PT# ME1522. 1970-71 Barracuda Side marker set) The original side marker lights were unusable. The housings, light sockets, and lenses were toast. When I opened the boxes from Classic Industries I was blown away! The quality of the housings, the wiring, and especially the lenses was amazing. The finish of the brackets was perfect. In all the years I have been restoring cars these reproductions are the best I have ever seen.

Above: (PT# ME1531. 1970 Cuda tail lamp bezels & PT# ME1528) 1970 Barracuda tail lamp lens. The “Comeback Cuda” tail lamp bezels were rough around the edges. They couldn’t be used since actual metal was missing. The old lenses were cloudy and cracked. The new Classic Industries bezels were perfect and after painting with our Organisol formula they are spot on. We are still waiting on getting our housings back from plating or we would show the new ones completely assembled.

Above: (PT# GYG7015. Goodyear G70/15 White letter tire. When getting new shoes for your ride there are two different styles of tires. The early cars used a polyglass tires with different markings than the later cars. It is just a slight difference. Here are the later style tires since the “Comeback Cuda” is a later built car. These are the exact reproduction of the original tire. We chose to use the optional size wheel that is 15 inch instead of the base 14 inch. The Goodyears are not available from everybody so again Classic Industries came through with the “Good Stuff”.