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Interesting Article on Nash Bridges Cuda's

Ron H

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Neat story on the history of the Cuda's for the Nash Bridges TV show. This guy had one kick-*** job to tell his grand kids about. Just my 2 pennies; the story line about how Nash could not afford a hemi cuda as a cop could have been easily slanted to say he bought the car when they could be had for cheap rather than the story about it being his older brother's. Hell old Nash was (in real age) 45 years old when the show came out meaning that car could a been bought for a song 20 years earlier during the energy crisis. Ask me how I know...had a line to buy a GT-500 Shelby vert around that time for $2000! Yeah...still regret passing that up!

https://www.streetmusclemag.com/features/robs-movie-muscle-the-1971-plymouth-cuda-from-nash-bridges/
 
Early in NCIS, Mark Harmons character inherited his dads hemi cuda. His dad was played by Ralph Waite, who was dad in The Walton’s. The car was in a couple of episodes and was never mentioned again.
 
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Cool story, I remember the actual 71 Hemi Cuda convertible that Don Johnson saw on a muscle car calendar that made him pick the yellow convertible as the star of the series. When he was told that only eleven were ever built,and it would cost seven figures to buy that car. I saw the actual lemon twist Hemicuda convertible at a show in Connecticut in the eighties. Steve Siegel used to own the car. He sold the car for something like 75 grand, which was considered to be an astronomical price for any Mopar back in those days!
 
Early in NCIS, Mark Harmons character inherited his dads hemi cuda. His dad was played by Ralph Waite, who was dad in The Walton’s. The car was in a couple of episodes and was never mentioned again.
The car was not a Hemi Cuda. It was a 70 Hemi Challenger. I watched the show regularly and the car was used a few times. On one episode a guy asked what year it was and was told it was a 71. Guess none of them knew what the hell it was. If, indeed, it was a 71 originally, who ever put it back together used a 70 Grille, Tail lights and the 70 stripe.
 
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If I remember, a '71 Hemi Cuda, one of two built, that had all options sold for $3.5 million a few years ago? Even clones get big money. I traded in my '70 Cuda vert yellow w/ black interior 383/4 speed for...ahh 600 bucks on a demo '73 340 Challenger. How I would like to rewind the father time tape on this..
 
In Jan '74 I had chance to buy a buddy's '70 Barracuda which was an original 383 4 BBL 4 spd that we had transplanted a 426 Hemi 727 Super Trak Pak drivetrain from a "70 Challenger RT SE triple black. My buddy wanted $1,700 for the Hemi Barracuda( with burnt 727). I only had $1,200 so a month later I bought a '65 Coronet post 426 Street Wedge drag car. 10 years driving the Coronet, winning many races. But a '70 Hemi Barracuda!! Whoops. And eventually did buy the burnt 727 & 10" B&M converter from the Hemi. Those were the days!
 
On another note I recall an article years ago that described how the 'runner' Cuda's were beefed up for the chase scenes. Reminds me of a few times when I took my '70 out to run on an infamous road in my area called 'hog's back'. It was a windy and hilly road with no mercy if running off of it, no shoulders, and if the near cliffs alongside weren't enough, the large trees adjacent could cap it. Speed limit 20 mph. Many found serious harm or worse on that road. The steepest hill was a quick pop up and down with a 90-degree turn some 100 yards ahead. Just dumb and young antics on a dare for cash - one night hit that at 60 mph keeping it in 2nd gear and heard rubber screech on the other side before laying on the brakes to make the turn. Reflecting how I ever was that friggin idiotic who knows...blessed to have made it as a few old buddies back in the day died young in their rides doing less stupid **** than this.
 
We had a similar road going to a mine site just north of here. In 1979 I bought a ‘69 Mustang. It was a respectable street performer for the time; Crane Fireball cam, Edelbrock intake, hooker headers, and Cyclone Purple Hornies on a 289. I’ve never heard an engine that would wind up like that thing. Anyway...
One day a friend comes into town who hadn’t seen my car before. We take it out on the mine road because the police usually didn’t go out there. I show the car off, taking it up over 100mph on the short straight always. We pull into town and turn into my driveway and nothing happens. I slam on the brakes, no harm done. The pitman arm on the steering box broke clean off. Had it happened about two turns earlier I would be typing this from the other side of the lawn.
 
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