I think it's every professional detailer's desire to get a call from a well-known collector to detail a special car of many in a collection. A few months back, I got another one of those calls. The client was different than others because he was very concerned about the process being performed on this unique 440 Six Pack Cuda. He asked all the right questions. What do you do to the paint? How do you wash the car? What products do you use? How can you make a Concours-Winner collector car even better?

I must admit. There is always a voice in the back of my head asking "Can you really make this car better?" So far, history has proven "Yes...I can". So this amazing iconic 440 Cuda was no exception. Once I arrived, I realized I had my work ahead of me. Once I got a feel for what the client wanted, I recommended a full detail and paint correction.

I hope you enjoy following my 2-Day detail as much as I did performing the work. Thank you for the opportunity to work on this car...(I'll keep the client anonymous).

Brief History on this Cuda:

August of 1970 marked the first day of 6 sequentially numbered Plymouth Barracuda 440 Six Barrels built as Factory Press Cars to be used for auto shows, EPA testing, magazines, etc....this Cuda happens to be one of them. Our Cuda seen here was sent to Dallas for the New Car Auto Show. The color, in case you're wondering, is Curious Yellow...I'm told it was named after an adult film of the era, "I Am Curious Yellow", which I guess is before I was even born

The current owner purchased this Cuda from the previous owner living in Dallas, TX. The three-year restoration was done by one of the leading and most well-respected muscle car restorers, Roger Gibson in Scott City Missouri. Mr. Gibson restored this Cuda using all NOS, New Old Stock, parts. The actual tires from 1971 are still sitting in storage. To say this Cuda was restored with the highest level of care and craftsmanship, would be an understatement. The current owner has a very exquisite taste for such Muscle Cars and has more in his private collection.

So without further delay.....

Interior is cleaned and conditioned - 180 Minutes

 

Even though the interior isn't a true leather surface, it had to have the soft satin look. I treated the leather seats with a leather conditioner and applied a vinyl conditioner to all other panels. It took some time, but I managed to achieve the satin finish.

 

Tires, Wheel wells, and Wheels are cleaned. An old-fashioned way to clean the white wall; who knew SOS pads would have this purpose - 40 Minutes



Exterior surface is rinsed to loosen dirt



Exterior surface is gently washed using a mild soap and natural Australian Lambs Wool - 20 Minutes



Washing is done small sections at a time



The mitt is rinsed after each small section to flush out dirt



The section washed is then rinsed so the soap does not dry



Once the whole car is washed and rinsed, it is dried using our GP waffle-weave foam core microfiber drying cloth - 5 Minutes



The final drying is done using an Airmax filtered dryer. This step assures no pesky water is dripped down crevices - 15 Minutes



Thanks to the CR Spotless, no water spots...

 

This is the remains of the klay lubricant. All the impurities are in that liquid now. Anything that washing would not remove is safely cleaned and removed using klay - 20 Minutes





Klay lubricant while still wet









It was cool to see the restorers paying so close attention to detail as to re-mark all the inspection numbers. This detail was carried out through the whole car

 

Now the hard work begins....assessing the damage





Some etched water spots....





All prepped for surgery....the client was very concerned about the black stickers and the importance of keeping them matte - 30 Minutes



Paint is measured in various spots just to see how much material I can safely remove - 5 Minutes



I had great overall coverage..some of the highest readings I've ever seen

 

I decided Menzerna SIP would be the correct starting point. Machine polishing begins - 400 Minutes



I decided to use the FLEX on this job because there were some random areas that required a delicate touch and little friction



Polish is broken down nicely





The imperfections are eliminated





Next stage of polishing using Menzerna Super Finish. This step refines the previous step giving this yellow Cuda an amazing reflective finish

 

Since I was using a natural Carnauba wax, I used a pre-wax cleanser to prep the paint. The polish I used to correct the paint is a synthetic. This pre-wax cleansing step assures proper bonding of a natural wax - 30 Minutes



I wish you guys could see the actual color change and depth from the polishing process



Natural Carnauba wax applied with bare hands. This wax is one of the rarest and purest form of carnauba; about 61% Carnauba by volume - 45 Minutes

 

 

I had to take a double-take looking at this picture. For a minute there I thought I left a trail of polish, but then realized it's the clouds in the sky reflecting on the hood. What a relief



The Sun is hiding behind those clouds....great effect on the paint





One of the signature details of the car...nice and matte as the client requested



Truly an iconic piece of American History...



Many more hours were spent polishing and waxing door jams, front grille, cleaning glass surfaces, polishing brightwork, conditioning and polishing tires and wheels, etc. All in all, about 17 hours went into this project and I enjoyed every minute of it. It's always a great honor to work on cars like this because you are part of the car's history and become a link in its chain of past, present, and future.

 

I must say that is excellent work! Hopefully potential customers will take the time to look at the thread, but it might help if you change the thread title to 71 Cuda 440 six pack because that is a much more desireable car than a 1973 cuda which this car is not. Oh and its not a Hemi either, but I guess you don't really have to be a car guy to do to excellent work as you obviously do. How much does it cost to have a job like that done, as the car was pristine to begin with, just needing some fine detailing IMO.

 

It was a late night/early morning for me....I seem to have forgotten some important info. I detailed this Cuda about 2 months back so the important pedigree info seems to have been a bit cloudy. To make it up, I'll get the full story behind this car and report back. It has a significant history.

As for the "pristine" condition, that's a relative statement. To the average person, this car would be in excellent shape. To someone that's OCD and is searching for perfection, well....., let's just say it didn't require almost 17 hours of work for nothing. I had a lot of fun doing it as it was a change from the usual Porsche and Ferrari.

 

I think that is Dan Dyes old 10.5 Outlaw drag car. It was one of those 6 cars and its full blown resto was recently completed....




And his new Cuda that replaced it
https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...1971-cuda.html

 

What I meant was it was a fairly recent restoration that is obviously a show car and though not nearly as nice before you started as it was when you finished, it definately was clean to begin with, inside stored and no weather. I am **** as well about my cars and can definately see where you spent your time and the results of it and I am sure a poorer example of said model would of showcased your expertise to a much higher degree. How much does that 17 hours of detailing cost?

 

You're right...another Cuda with less care would have been a more significant transfomation. But remember, it's always harder to make something that's already an 8 or 9, a 10. This Cuda was a great example of that. The detailer prior to me, whose very well known and respected in our industry, did a great job on the engine and undercarriage prior to me.

As for pricing, i don't discuss that openly. Each vehicle is different and I'd be happy to discuss your particular needs if you're interested.

 

Truly excellent Moe, it is the details like this that truly separate the absolute professionals from everyone else. The absolute attention to detail on something like this is clearly evident and I am confident is another example of pictures truly not doing the work justice.

Awesome, I hate that I like that color so much.