Those who’ve following Muscle Car Restorations‘ rebuilding of this 1970 Burnt Orange 340 4-speed ‘Cuda will know that it’s been quite the journey. John Balow has waited a long time for this moment. His ‘Cuda is finally complete. The dream he’s had since young adulthood has been fully realized. John is now in possession of and is driving the brand new ’70 ‘Cuda that he tried to buy all those decades ago.
OK, so it’s not that actual car and technically it’s not a new car; it’s been restored to “like new” but that’s a distinction without a difference. Actually, it could be argued that John’s car is in fact better built than the one he wanted to buy new. Certainly the bodywork and paint are superior to the factory processes that were used more than fifty years ago and the powder coated suspension parts will stand up to normal road use infinitely better the factory paint or lack thereof.
Above left: Close your eyes and use your imagination for a moment. You’re a teenage guy and you’ve worked hard and saved up enough for a down payment on your dream car. You and your mom drive up to the local Chrysler dealer to hopefully make a deal on something awesome. Walking up to the dealership you see this parked outside in the sun. What would you do? Above right: Yes, the view from the other end is just as good as you fantasize about how many other guys will mostly see it from this angle on cruise nights.
Above: It’s important to remember that the “Shaker” scoop was a really big deal back then. The car John saw in front of the dealer had an argent colored one so of course so does this one.
It’s more than fair to say that John is now experiencing what it would have been like to drive a brand new 1970 340 ‘Cuda off the show room floor. It’s often said that one can never go back to the things of one’s youth but perhaps this is at least a partial exception.
One of the benefits involved with restoring a car like John’s is that one can assemble any option package that you desire. You are not limited to whatever option combinations the factory decided you could have.
Above: Normally, one would never put a dealer emblem on their freshly restored dream car but given the back story with this one it seems perfectly appropriate. This is the level of detail the shop went to in order to fully recreate John’s dream car.
Above left: Hockey stick strips boldly declared what was under the hood and really helped these cars stand out from the competition. Above right: Rear window louvers were also a thing back in the day but were not as popular in the northern part of the country even though they were removable for the winter months. They work especially well with the black vinyl top. This is the sort of hard-to-find part that MCR specializes in locating for their owners.
In this case, John wanted leather seats. He also requested A/C which was not that common on muscle cars in this era. Many buying a performance car didn’t want the extra weight and it was a high cost option back then. He also chose to stick with the standard non-power drum brakes. Power steering was included though. Essentially, he was able to option the car any way he wanted it.
So now John’s restoration journey is at its end. Muscle Car Restorations’ work is finished. But, his next adventure living his dream is only just getting started. Now what about you? Has this series of articles answered your questions about MCR’s restoration processes? Are you ready to take the first step to bring your restoration dream to pass?
Above: The black leather interior with the console and pistol shifter is like slipping into a time machine and going back to the fall of 1969.
Above left: Since John intends to really put some miles on his “new” ‘Cuda, MCR powder coated a lot of the parts underneath to prevent corrosion and make them much easier to clean now and then. John waited a long time for this car. It’s not going to sit in the garage collecting dust. With the proper finishing techniques, the bottom of the car will hold up very well. You may wonder about the drum brakes but that’s how these cars came back then and when new and set up correctly, they work just fine. Above right: Yeah, the bottom side is almost as pretty as the top. You’ll remember that John’s original dream ‘Cuda was equipped with 3.91 gears which he would have been extra thrilled with back then but this time John pulled those back a bit to 3.55s. Priorities are different now but that won’t affect the joy of the overall experience.
Above: This is what it’s all about. Perhaps you missed your chance to own a classic muscle car. Perhaps you let the one go that you once had. Whatever the reason, whatever happened, it’s not too late. You can still own the muscle car of your dreams.
