Tracking down my father's old AAR 'Cuda
 

Hello all!

I've seen a few of these "searching for" threads on here with success so I figured I'd throw out a search for one of my father's old AAR's.

This car is not on the AAR 'Cuda registry. However after years of searching I finally ran an official VIN check and sure enough it came up that the car is currently registered (2019) in North Dakota. Before that it was in Missouri until 2016. My dad sold this car in the early 80's in Kansas City so it seems the car never went far from home until recently.

Car info-
VIN: BS23J0B287503
Lime light
Black Interior
4-speed
Urethane bumpers front and rear

My father owned this car for a handful of years and it was his daily driver during college. He rebuilt the engine and said he overall helped the car get back into a good driver.

Attached is a picture when he was rebuilding the engine. You can see the AAR, his '72 Chevelle, and his parents cars in the background. Next is the AAR Association membership he received back in the 70's. You can see this car's VIN as well as another one. He also had a red (Tor-red I believe?) AAR with a 426 hemi swapped in. The second VIN is incomplete and seems to be missing some digits, however it was a true AAR as seen by the "BS23JOB....." VIN.

If you use a private detective, they can get you a name, address, and phone number for a fee. Give them the the Vin#

Good idea. I was hoping someone would know someone who could run the VIN through the state registration but I might have to go that route.


Also for those interested, I found pictures of his 2nd AAR. It was repainted (prior to his ownership) with heavy metalflake, a unique AAR strobe style stripe, 6-pack hood scoop, and a 426 Hemi swapped in!

where did he live at? that car looks familiar

He was in Kansas City (Overland Park specifically) and so was the owner prior to him. He owned this car during the early 1980's and sold it around 1984/5.

He then bought a 1971 Chevelle SS454 4-speed to which I think he still has the build sheet and a few other docs. I'd like to eventually track down a handful of the cars he's owned but the AAR's seemed like a relatively easy place to start considering such limited production and them being heavily followed by collectors.

that car looks really familiar. did he ever take it down towards Wichita area or maybe topeka area?

It's definitely possible. He went to K-State so he would have to drive through Topeka and I'm sure he visited sometimes. Not sure if he ever took this car down to Wichita.

He sold it locally too so it's possible you saw a different owner around Kansas somewhere.

I may even have a polaroid of that car. I used to carry a polaroid camera with me and when I found a rare car I would take a picture and write the address on it. things sure were different back in the late 70's and early 80's

That would be too cool! You'll definitely have to let me know if you find one.

He also told me there used to be a 1971 Hemi 'Cuda convertible not more than a few miles from him that sat in a front yard for years. It was a white plain jane car with no stripes, steel wheels, and an auto on the column. He was never interested at the time because of that but this is the car it turned out to be....Note the ad states copy of 1977 Kansas title!

https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0116-22...a-convertible/

Post to Lost Muscle Cars. We've helped 50 people either find their old car or the history of their current one. https://www.facebook.com/lostmusclecars/?ref=bookmarks

I love that Lost Muscle Car page, nice job creating that and helping people find their cars.

The last name of the guy who had it was Sutton, iirc. I sold him parts for another 71 Cuda convertible he was working on years ago when he still had the Hemi car.

Small world! I don't know anything else about the car but always wondered why it sat for so long.

Funny enough there was also a '70 Hemi Challenger convertible locally as well, not 10 miles away. So this small suburban Kansas City town had two different hemi convertible cars running around back in the day. That car is actually for sale right now -
https://www.gatewayclassiccars.com/K...dge-Challenger

Are you on Facebook? The guy who runs the AAR Registry, Jeff Bangert, is quite knowledgable.

Thanks! Not sure how I missed this last week but I'll post up pictures with the VIN and car info.

Yes I am! I will reach out to him. However as I noted neither car is currently on the AAR registry but considering the Limelight car is currently registered it could definitely be added.

I first met him back in the mid-90s up in Marysville Ks. He was a railroader. Made it pretty clear that the white car was his retirement fund, he was just waiting for it to "mature." He told me the car's backstory, but I don't remember it anymore. Friend of his older brother bought it new, or near new. His brother ended up with it in the mid 70s and then he got it a couple years later? I dunno.

He showed up at my house a few years later buying some Cuda parts. Said he was building a Hemi clone and was starting to think seriously about letting the white car go. I went short on Mopar futures not long after than and never saw him again.

I remember that Challenger. When I was into Mopars I used to keep an informal list of Hemi cars (or what was left of Hemi cars) in the northeast Kansas/ southeast Nebraska area. There was a guy up by Sabetha that had a few complete Hemi engines in the shed. One allegedly came out of a 68 GTX convertible. The Challenger, the white Cuda and that GTX were the only Hemi rags I ever heard of in this part of the world, but who knows.

Wanted to give you all a big thanks as I was able to track down my father's sublime AAR late last year!

I want to respect the new owner's privacy but the car is in excellent hands.

It has been restored but somewhere along the way the original block was lost. I showed this to my father who instantly knew it was his car as it still retains both the AAR and Challenger T/A front spoiler pieces that were added back in the day. Too cool!

https://i.imgur.com/mfipRJz.jpg

Maybe someday we can get this car back into the family!

That's a beautiful Cuda, awesome that you found it.

Fascinating. I also was attending K-State in that time frame,1978-1982. I drove my 1967 RS the first year, then parked it at home, and had purchased a 1978 Camaro Type LT that I drove for the rest of my time there. Different times entirely, especially when it comes to college football. I do not remember seeing that car but in those much younger days, I was really only concerned with and paying attention to Chevy's and especially Camaro's. I do remember a big Block 69 around campus and a 69 Z/28 that had an Endura bumper on it that I wanted badly.

Loren

An AAR identical to this was first sold at Pigati Chry/Plymouth in Vacaville CA. Original owners last name was Reposa. But the interior was white.

72heavychevy, You mentioned your Dad also bought a 71 SS454 4-spd. Chevelle. What color was that car as I sold a loaded 71 SS454 4-spd. around 1985/86 out of the Raytown area of KC.

Small world! I graduated in mechanical engineering back in 2016 and football sure is an entirely different game now.

As for back then, my father drove the AAR for a year or so, then drove a dark blue lifted 4x4 '74 Camaro Z28 for a couple years haha. He sold that and bought a '71 SS 454 Chevelle and drove until he graduated. Somewhere along the line he also had a red '69 Coronet R/T 440. I have pictures of that Camaro and the Coronet if you're interested, I'm sure the Camaro was hard to miss!


Yes sir, I believe he even still has the build sheet for that car. It was a red car with black stripes and black interior. He bought it in KC and sold it in South Carolina a few years later.

72heavychevy, The Chevelle I sold was also red with black stripes and black interior, LS5 4-spd. Wonder if it was the same car as I'm in KC? The car I sold was all stock with the original wheels and a cowl induction hood. The car was loaded with options and even had a power drivers bucket seat. I have pictures of it somewhere. At the time I sold it I was 18 and also had a 70SS LS5 and a 69SS L78. I sure miss those days.

Wow, small world! I'll have to ask him about all the options, but the car was running stock SS wheels and did have a cowl induction hood. He always said that's one car he wish he didn't let go! If you find pictures I'd love to see them

Great looking car. Congrats on finding the owner. Very hard to do these days.

You might find this an interesting watch:

https://youtu.be/4rYFZgTWIXo

"I have pictures of that Camaro and the Coronet if you're interested, I'm sure the Camaro was hard to miss!"

Oh certainly post some pictures. That is always good and I don't care if I have a connection or not, older photos will always have my attention. The other problem I have to bring up is that at the age I am, I am surprised at how much from my past have vanished from my memory and maybe a photo will bring some of that back.

Loren

Here you go!

'Real '74 Z28 Type LT 4-speed, he bought it already stuck on top of a Blazer frame. Car was midnight blue and he drove it up at K-State for a couple years.
https://i.imgur.com/Y3pUycK.jpg

'69 Coronet R/T 440. I don't recall if this was a 6-pack car or not, I'll have to ask him. Eventually sold this car to get the sublime AAR if I remember right. However he's still got the original Direct Connection license plate hanging on the garage wall!
https://i.imgur.com/mqf1eShh.jpg

"'69 Coronet R/T 440. I don't recall if this was a 6-pack car or not, I'll have to ask him"

Lovely Coronet! Wow. Only A12 Super Bees and Roadrunners received the 6bbl/Six-Pack option in 1969. If your Dad's Coronet had a six-pack set-up it was added by an owner.

While I can't say that I remember seeing that 74 Z/28 4x4, it's extremely distinctive that I almost had to have seen it. Manhattan KS certainly isn't that large of a town today and was much smaller back then so I can't see how I could have even avoided seeing that back then. I don't know, maybe I spent too much time in Aggieville. There was a fad by some to create strange 4x4 vehicles but I would wish that Camaro could have stayed more true to its roots. But too each, his own.

Loren