1971 Plymouth 'Cuda. Ola Nilsson
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The 'Cuda body carried over into the 1971 model year and there were several changes to the new model, but the overall design was the same as 1970. Unfortunately, 'Cuda sales were disappointing for 1970 and even worse for 1971. Sales dropped more than 65 percent and production was consolidated at the Hamtramck Assembly plant. Granted, sales of pony cars were down for the entire industry, but nothing close to what Plymouth experienced. Plymouth’s all-new car failed to peg the sales needle in 1970, so how could introducing an all-new grille and other minor exterior changes help sell the new model? Chrysler executive Gene Weiss said, “The 71 product actions were a hurried effort to boost sales, which they failed to do.” Though highly prized today because of low-production volume, the 1971 'Cuda updates generally were not well received. John Herlitz was definitely not impressed. It was said that 1971 was a classic example of change for change’ sake. The alternations added no value to the car’s basic form. What was called “poor sales” in 1971 is innocently addressed as “limited production” today. However history recorded those dismal sales, this was an exceptional offering from Plymouth. The right car, possibly introduced a couple years too late.
The muscle car era was ending, thanks to federally mandated low-lead/low-octane gasoline that was forcing car makers to reduce compression ratios. Those changes were coming rapidly, but Plymouth managed to hold on one more year, while others were dropping big engines off their order sheets and replacing high performance with garish stripe packages. 1971 was the last year for “the good stuff.”
Sitting in the driver’s seat of a 'Cuda is an exhilarating experience. It’s a comfortable car for both a large man and a petite woman. All the instruments in the cluster are easy to see and everything is within reach. Its evident that the 'Cuda was designed by people who liked to drive. The suspension offers a comfortable ride, great directional stability, and a good overall handling. The road noise is low and wind noise is almost non-existent due to the ventless side windows and the smooth exterior.
Four performance engines were offered for the 'Cuda and it was expected to continue its leadership in the performance car field. A new bold grille treatment that featured dual headlamps was offered in Argent and several body colors. The rear-end styling had distinctive new taillamps and backup lights, which are integrated into the lower rear deck panel. Brake lights are positioned on either side of the panel with vertical backup lights mounted inboard of the taillamps.
Sherwood Green Metallic paint code GF7 is one of several shades of green offered by Plymouth for 1971. A vinyl roof, chrome racing mirrors, and the Sport Stripe enhance this magnificent color. Note the correct color bezel of the rear side marker light to blend in with the stripe. This particular car lives a pampered life outside the United States. (Khalid Al Asam Photo)
The pinnacle year for the muscle car was 1971. But it was the beginning of the end. High insurance rates, demanding environmental laws taking effect, and less demand for muscle cars, diminished the amount of cars built. The 'Cuda was offered for sale in three distinct markets: The United States, Canada, and International. Chrysler Corporation recorded the following units shipped from the assembly plant.
One Assembly Plant
All Plymouth 'Cudas were built at the Hamtramck Assembly Plant, which was located on 7900 Joseph Campau Avenue in Hamtramck, Michigan. This northern Detroit plant was known locally as “Dodge Main.” The plant began operations in 1910 and the facility closed permanently in January 1980. It was one of the oldest assembly plants in the industry. The complex was one of a few to fully integrate automobile manufacturing and assembly operations on a large scale at a single site.
Many parts, assemblies, and sub-assemblies were produced at the plant, though it was almost impossible for every component to be manufactured there and some parts were outsourced. Suspension components, cooling system items, interior seat material, body componente and accessories, and major assemblies such as powerplants were outsourced, with some of those businesses located in Canada. These items were manufactured, assembled, and shipped to the waiting parts depot at the assembly plan. Many times, the shipment arrived just in time for that particular inventory to be used on “the line.” It was a wise business decision for Chrysler-Plymouth for both the tooling cost and inventory storage.
A unique “survivor” 'Cuda340, this car was originally ordered by a dealer in California. It is coded on the Broadcast Sheet as a Sales Bank (sales code Y16) car. The Bahama Yellow paint code EL5 with a black interior is accented by the Protective Body Side Moldings code V5X.
Hamtramck had to have numerous areas internally designed to assemble specific components and sub-assemblies. There were lines that started with components of frame and sheet metal to be welded together to create the unibody shell. After it was painted, the shell joined the main assembly line to be fitted with larger assemblies such as the dash unit, interior components, and rear suspension.
The 'Cuda was assigned to assembly line Number 2, and remained there throughout the model year. Farther down the line, the large sub-assembly of the drivetrain and front suspension components were attached to the shell in the true fashion of Chrysler: from underneath. Having the drivetrain already attached to the K-frame made drivetrain installation a smooth and timely procedure.
Most cars remained in sequence on the predetermined path from start to finish. Starting with body and paint, if the inspection process revealed major flaws, the car was pulled of out of sequence and worked on separately until it could be re-inserted on the main line. Continuing on to other departments, such as the interior, a car might be removed from the sequence and taken to the parts holding area for components not in stock or other reasons. On occasion, the assembly workers might have “substituted” a nearby component to keep the line going, or even omitted the component all together. There are documented cases of cars being shipped to the dealerships having one side with wheelwell moldings and the other without. If the quality inspectors caught the mistake, the car was pulled off to the side to either wait for the missing/correct component. Sometimes, the suppliers could not manufacture the components in a timely manner.
Take, for example, the SHAKER bubble emblems. There are several known examples of original cars that came from the factory with the wrong emblems. The Dodge version for the Hemi engine callouts was “426HEMI” and the correct callout for Plymouth was “hemicuda.” It has been speculated that the original supplier ran out of the correct assemblies, which came with the correct emblems. A substitute was taken from the stock already at the factory. Right or wrong, it fit and would do the job. There are several examples of factory mistakes that were not really a concern with the “get-the-car-out-the-door” philosophy of the plant.
Dealer Prepared
The transport truck delivered the brand-new 'Cuda to the selling dealership. After the car was received into inventory, the preparation process began. The selling dealer would do a New Car Pre-Delivery Service Inspection prior to the new owner receiving it. This included tasks such as aiming road lamps, installing front spoilers (which were shipped in the trunk), and removing the rear shipping tie-down brackets. The 85-point dealer prep form was to be included in the specific car’s folder, which was stored in the dealership file room. Once the inspection was completed and the required information was recorded, the dealer