RTS 'Cuda Uncovered after 40 years!

[TheAutoArchaeologist]

Well it's finally public, the RTS 'Cuda has been uncovered!

[Alaskan_TA]

I asked about the body numbers on Moparts, I'll ask here too.

Do the body numbers show E9 ? If so, the build was started during the 1969 model year.

[tan top]

 nother awesome video Ryan , thanks for sharing   

love watching / reading / listening to these type of interviews with owners / guys who worked / raced these cars way back when .
 could watch this kind of stuff  all day 

  

 strange deal with the  69 vin tag 

[TheAutoArchaeologist]

I asked about the body numbers on Moparts, I'll ask here too.

Do the body numbers show E9 ? If so, the build was started during the 1969 model year.

It does indeed.  That's why the fender tag is BS23V9E10005 and the VIN tag is BS23V0E10005

[Alaskan_TA]

In the video, it says nobody knows why..... 

Call me a 'nobody' I guess.......

[TheAutoArchaeologist]

Well I mean nobody from the factory or the company told me why.  Yes I can speculate being such an early build date.  But I usually get in trouble for speculating.  So I'll leave it for someone else.

[A383Wing]

I thought the 802 was for August 2nd, 1969 build date?

Bryan

[Alaskan_TA]

The date on fender tags is the SPD - Scheduled Production Date. Actual build dates can very by weeks at times.

1970 model year cars had the final month month & completion on the Mylar door stickers, they were installed at the end of the line right before the cars left the plant.

There are hundreds of examples where the SPD and Mylar show different months.

In this cars case, this car would have been finished during the 1969 model year since the body numbers start E9.

The car would have been finished on the line then sent out for modification after the factory build was done.

A similar example is the Yellow Jacket / Diamante show car. It left the line as a black 1970 Challenger R/T convertible.

[hemi-hampton]

Very Interesting, Does anybody know what the PRX means on tag? with such a low vin gotta be a pre production pilot car probably made in July. just my opinion   LEON.

[A383Wing]

Very Interesting, Does anybody know what the PRX means on tag? with such a low vin gotta be a pre production pilot car probably made in July. just my opinion   LEON.

my book says "trim code", but I cannot find those numbers listed

[Mopar Nut]

   

[Wingnut426]

P=premium, R=leather, X=black on the interior code? Just a wild guess. WINGNUT

[Alaskan_TA]

Very Interesting, Does anybody know what the PRX means on tag?

1969 model year LA tags used 2 digit paint codes & 3 digit interior codes.

That changed for the 1970 model year. So PRX in this case is the same as PRX9 in any 1970 Barracuda model. In hardtops it included the overhead consolette.

See PRX9 at https://www.hamtramck-historical.com/images/dealerships/colorAndTrim/1970/70_Barracuda0005.jpg & https://www.hamtramck-historical.com/images/dealerships/colorAndTrim/1970/70_Barracuda0006.jpg

[odcics2]

See it at Mecum next month.

[70 sublime]

PRX  Press Release car ??

[hemi-hampton]

PRX  Press Release car ??

Public Relations Experimental  

[tan top]

See it at Mecum next month.

    


https://www.mecum.com/lots/SC0523-562278/1970-plymouth-cuda-440-rapid-transit-show-car/

[tan top]

 

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[b5blue]

So the jambs are tan? 

[Mopar Nut]

Anybody know who this guy is?

 

[TheAutoArchaeologist]

Anybody know who this guy is?

 

Sorry, I added his name like 2 minutes later.  If you watch the video as well... That's Chuck Miller, he was the main guy that built the RTS 'Cuda at his shop, Styline Customs in Detroit.

[Mopar Nut]

Anybody know who this guy is?

 

Sorry, I added his name like 2 minutes later.  If you watch the video as well... That's Chuck Miller, he was the main guy that built the RTS 'Cuda at his shop, Styline Customs in Detroit.

I know, the video wouldn't play for me.

[Mopar Nut]

[TheAutoArchaeologist]

Anybody know who this guy is?

 

Sorry, I added his name like 2 minutes later.  If you watch the video as well... That's Chuck Miller, he was the main guy that built the RTS 'Cuda at his shop, Styline Customs in Detroit.

I know, the video wouldn't play for me.

You were right, I forgot to put his name in my post.  I edited it and put him in. 

[odcics2]

Styline Customs was in River Rouge, a suburb south of Detroit.

[TONY]

The date on fender tags is the SPD - Scheduled Production Date. Actual build dates can very by weeks at times.

1970 model year cars had the final month month & completion on the Mylar door stickers, they were installed at the end of the line right before the cars left the plant.

There are hundreds of examples where the SPD and Mylar show different months.

In this cars case, this car would have been finished during the 1969 model year since the body numbers start E9.

The car would have been finished on the line then sent out for modification after the factory build was done.

A similar example is the Yellow Jacket / Diamante show car. It left the line as a black 1970 Challenger R/T convertible. 

the wiper motor on this car is dated june 16th 1969.

The Diamonte while an early vin, had parts on it dated into october 1969,
there was a theory that waiting on the shaker hood for the car delayed its completion

[Alaskan_TA]

The date on fender tags is the SPD - Scheduled Production Date. Actual build dates can very by weeks at times.

1970 model year cars had the final month month & completion on the Mylar door stickers, they were installed at the end of the line right before the cars left the plant.

There are hundreds of examples where the SPD and Mylar show different months.

In this cars case, this car would have been finished during the 1969 model year since the body numbers start E9.

The car would have been finished on the line then sent out for modification after the factory build was done.

A similar example is the Yellow Jacket / Diamante show car. It left the line as a black 1970 Challenger R/T convertible. 

the wiper motor on this car is dated june 16th 1969.

The Diamonte while an early vin, had parts on it dated into october 1969,
there was a theory that waiting on the shaker hood for the car delayed its completion

The factory invoice for the car that became the Yellow Jacket is dated Oct. 29, 1969. NO shaker hood on the invoice. 

[Mopar Nut]

Anybody know who this guy is?

 

Sorry, I added his name like 2 minutes later.  If you watch the video as well... That's Chuck Miller, he was the main guy that built the RTS 'Cuda at his shop, Styline Customs in Detroit.

I know, the video wouldn't play for me.

You were right, I forgot to put his name in my post.  I edited it and put him in. 

Have you seen this one?

[TheAutoArchaeologist]

Anybody know who this guy is?

 

Sorry, I added his name like 2 minutes later.  If you watch the video as well... That's Chuck Miller, he was the main guy that built the RTS 'Cuda at his shop, Styline Customs in Detroit.

I know, the video wouldn't play for me.

You were right, I forgot to put his name in my post.  I edited it and put him in. 

Have you seen this one?

I have not seen it in person, but Chuck had the original concept artwork for the Sonic 'Cuda on his wall.  It's in the video.

[RallyeMike]

Cool. Thanks, Ryan!

[hemi-hampton]

 

[hemi-hampton]

 

[Mopar Nut]

Anybody know who this guy is?

 

Sorry, I added his name like 2 minutes later.  If you watch the video as well... That's Chuck Miller, he was the main guy that built the RTS 'Cuda at his shop, Styline Customs in Detroit.

I know, the video wouldn't play for me.

You were right, I forgot to put his name in my post.  I edited it and put him in. 

Have you seen this one?

I have not seen it in person, but Chuck had the original concept artwork for the Sonic 'Cuda on his wall.  It's in the video.

Very cool, thanks for sharing.

[TheAutoArchaeologist]

The RTS 'Cuda and Black Ghost Challenger are both going through Mecum tomorrow afternoon.

[hemi-hampton]

Curious what high bid will be on both cars? LEON.

[Pinballjim]

The RTS Cuda brought 2M.  With fees, that's 2.2M.   That's a LOT of cake.  I didn't see the Black Ghost.   

[Mopar Nut]

[hemi-hampton]

The RTS Cuda brought 2M.  With fees, that's 2.2M.   That's a LOT of cake.  I didn't see the Black Ghost.   

Lots of cake? I think you mean lots of CASH.

[hemi-hampton]

It got much more then I thought it would. I don't think Julien paid much for his RTS Cars & I think they sold for only a small fraction of what this one got     LEON

P.S. What thje Black Ghost get

[Mopar Nut]

The RTS Cuda brought 2M.  With fees, that's 2.2M.  That's a LOT of cake.  I didn't see the Black Ghost.   

[Pinballjim]

The RTS Cuda brought 2M.  With fees, that's 2.2M.   That's a LOT of cake.  I didn't see the Black Ghost.   

Lots of cake? I think you mean lots of CASH.

No, I meant CAKE.  Maybe that's an old school saying or maybe its a regional thing, but around here, if something is expensive, we say "Wow, that's a lot of cake.".     

[hemi-hampton]

must be a regional thing

[TheAutoArchaeologist]

GOOD NEWS EVERYONE!

The new owner of the RTS 'Cuda, Evan Metropoulos of the Only Original Once car collection, is going to be showing the car at MCACN 2023, November 18th and 19th.  Come check it out and say hi.  You know where I will be.

www.mcacn.com

[birdsandbees]

Any truth Ryan, from a woman claiming to be a Daughter, that the car was removed from the owners property without the permission of his Estate?

[TheAutoArchaeologist]

Any truth Ryan, from a woman claiming to be a Daughter, that the car was removed from the owners property without the permission of his Estate?

There is an estranged daughter who is making wild accusations.  But everything was done on the up and up, had to because the owner became a ward of the state. 

[hemi-hampton]

as soon as big money is involved, these type of stories pop up  

[moparstuart]

He's my long lost uncle  I want my share      

[JB400]

Any idea if he owns any of the other RTS cars? Be cool if all of them were brought back together.

[hemi-hampton]

didn't julien have them all but this one?  

[TheAutoArchaeologist]

He does not own any of the other cars.

Steve Juliano passed away in 2018, he did get the other three cars.

The two Road Runners are with a collector in New Jersey, and the Duster is in the Brother's Collection in Oregon.

[70 sublime]

Why were these cars built in the first place ?
Was it the parent company saying go for it and build us something or just someone that thought it was a good idea to customize a new model into something ?

[moparstuart]

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