With the 71 'Cuda project being too much to take on, time and $$$ wise and me not "feeling it" like I once had (ie: no vibe, lost interest) it was sold and the Hemi was put away in storage and remains there. The 'Cuda was a disappointment but it was better to walk away early rather than continue and make a bad hand, a REAL bad one. In this hobby, you win some and you lose some. I got very lucky with Lucy and got kicked in the balls with the 'Cuda, just the way it is. No point crying about it, make some tough calls, get some cash back, pull up the socks and move on. While the 'Cuda "could" have been completed and some may have thought so, it would have been done on the cheap and that isn't my style. It's done properly to the highest standards or not at all. Anyone can strip a car in a day, slap some bondo on it, spray bomb it, buff it till it gleams and call it "a restored car" but again, that isn't how I do things.

Since there is currently no project car for the Hemi to go in, I have defogged it and stored it by following Tim's "storage tips", in a safe lock up until such time as I see a project that tickles my fancy. For once, it's nice not having any projects on the go, no stress, money saved and no hassles. It's nice knowing that I have an engine like this as a backup and/or for a rolling chassis project that comes along in future.......whether it be an A-Body, another E-Body or heck, even a 30s style hot rod! No rush. The Hemi can safely be stored for several years as long as it's cranked over by hand several times a year. I still have all the 'Cudas major parts (just in case) like the XVII Rear suspension, Shaker hood set up, tti headers, all the fittings, all the EFI set up and a lot more. Just a case of finding a car. At this stage, I'm thinking next time it's "Mad Max" style.....no gleam, no show, flat black, blown, a real mongrel lol. As mentioned, no rush or completion date, it's there when I need it.