68cuda ss/aa project

[montanamopar]

I was trying to search old threads for rear wheel opening size for 68 super stock cuda did Bill Rielly or Jim lusk ever find a pattern or pictures?

[oyvind]

Is this what you are looking for ?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=017&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&viewitem=&item=270220482740&rd=1

[chryco]

Doesn`t look to me like Darts and Cudas have the same rear wheel opennings . The Darts are truly carved up where the Cudas look like they had a little taken off the front lower and rear lower corners. Check further before you cut.
   Chryco

PS These are both bona fide Hurst cars

[loiq]

I worked on a '68 Hurst Barracuda and do not remember the wheel wells being cut up at all.

[chryco]

 

[hemicop]

  The '68 S/S cudas didn't have their wheelwells cut up as the openings were sufficient for the tires they had to run. Back then narrowed rears & bodywork were prohibited on the S/S cars of the day so Mopar opened the Dart wheelwells up at the "factory" so as to be legal yet allow for a larger tire. Consequently what you'll see is Cudas with normal looking wheelwells & the Darts with the cut-up ones. Some look at this as the "gray area" of the rules, but hey, the (Dart)  wheelwells weren't owner modified & the rear wasn't narrowed so NHRA had to allow them....

[chryco]

  The '68 S/S cudas didn't have their wheelwells cut up as the openings were sufficient for the tires they had to run. Back then narrowed rears & bodywork were prohibited on the S/S cars of the day so Mopar opened the Dart wheelwells up at the "factory" so as to be legal yet allow for a larger tire. Consequently what you'll see is Cudas with normal looking wheelwells & the Darts with the cut-up ones. Some look at this as the "gray area" of the rules, but hey, the (Dart)  wheelwells weren't owner modified & the rear wasn't narrowed so NHRA had to allow them....

John Bauman`s car is one of those grey areas

[dart4406]

 Hey...My Good Friend John Baughman And His Hemi Dart...Where's His Son Stevie And The Old West Virginia Hemi Cuda?

[hemicop]

  Personally I like the look of the cut wheelwells, though they do look home-made and seem to disturb the lines of the car. The current S/S rules allow narrowed rearends so there's no practical reason to cut the car if you're building a class car. Now if you want a CLONE, then yeah, break out the sawzall. Remember back then S/S was a hobby and they didn't allow near the amount of modifications to the car or the engine. As I recall, roller cams weren't allowed,headwork was limited,and the engines really weren't allowed to be messed with too much and max tire size was 10 1/2 inches. What we have nowadays is pretty much a Comp Eliminator car with restrictions in engine component weight and that's about it --- hardly true to the idea of S/S IMO.

[Bill_Reilly]

Actually, it was thought that chrysler cut the wheelwells before sending the cars to Hurst. So the rule was that cut wheelwells were requried. Then Baughman found an old picture of hemi darts being shipped to hurst with stock quarters - so NHRA changed the rule, since they technically left the factory uncut.  John's idea was that the uncut wells are better aerodynamically, so he was on a mission to get them allowed.