Apr 13, 2021  •  For Sale  •  20 Comments

Hemi Clone? 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda

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Hemi ‘Cudas are rare and expensive. This car started life as a yellow Plymouth Barracuda with a slant six-cylinder engine and 3-speed manual transmission. Somewhere along the way, an owner thought why not “go big” and installed a 528 cubic inch V8 Hemi and 4-speed manual transmission in the car. The ‘Cuda is listed for sale here on eBay and there are 2 days remaining in the auction. The car is currently bid to $29,450 for this Hemi ‘Cuda clone. The car is located in Des Moines, Iowa.

The interior is a little dirty but overall looks nice. The black bucket seats contract well with the red exterior. The 4-speed shifter is sticking out of the transmission hump with no console. The cash looks to be crack free and the odometer is showing 68k miles. The suspension includes front and rear anti-roll sway bars and the owner states that the car can be driven home from Des Moines. The seller estimates that the engine and current build has about 3,000 miles of use which should be enough to work the bugs out.

The engine is not ready for a car show but is ready for a quarter-mile run. The 528 cubic inch Hemi V8 has been bored and is beating with a 10.25 to 1 compression ratio. The motor has Edelbrock aluminum heads, a Holly 870 cfm double pumper carburetor, and a high lift cam (292 duration, 517 exhaust lift and 537 intake lift. The 4th gear in the transmission is overdrive. With a 2.76 geared rear end, the ‘Cuda is set up for highway driving and top speed. The owner states that the car should go 200 mph.

The striping on the car mimics the AAR ‘Cuda striping along with a 528 CID badge. The car has new brakes, brake lines, and gas tank. The car has solid motor mounts so the shaker hood scoop does move very much. There is a little discussion of the rust, in that, the car has a new trunk pan but the floors are solid. If you are looking for a driver that is 20% of the cost of the real deal, this might be a good candidate to consider.

Comments

  1. CadmanlsMember
    Apr 13, 2021 at 6:46am

    Solid motor mounts, wasn’t built to be a driver. Made the mistake of putting urethane mounts in once. They transmitted way to much vibration to the car. They were removed a short time later. With some work this could be a driver but feeding a Hemi of that size a nope.

    Like 7
    • Mop Poor $
      Apr 13, 2021 at 7:22am

      Agreed for a cruiser its to many ponies. I bet octane booster for each fill up 💰.
      The fill ups between station and then the extra booster can adds up.

      Like 0
    • JoeNYWF64
      Apr 13, 2021 at 9:47am

      The only place i would use a urethane mount would be for/under an auto trans.
      I believe that style black steering wheel was not seen too often – usually it’s “woodgrained”.
      I would imagine back in the day, those traction bars could have ground clearance issues on bad roads, ramps, etc.
      I’m not sure i would wana go 200 mph with those front tires, unless they are drag radials. They could be just the latest trend in smaller tires to make them skinnier with only 3(instead of 4) tread groves going all the way around – yet are labeled the same size as older tires!

      Like 2
  2. greg
    Apr 13, 2021 at 7:44am

    “cash looks to be crack free” LOL

    Like 13
    • 8banger 8bangerMember
      Apr 13, 2021 at 8:30am

      I saw that – ha ha!

      Like 5
    • SirRaoulDuke
      Apr 13, 2021 at 8:03pm

      It is said 90% of paper currency has traces of cocaine, so this is some rare cash indeed!

      Like 1
  3. JohnfromSC
    Apr 13, 2021 at 7:52am

    Why would you put a stripe package from an AAR, which was designed for quick handling with a lighter, high winding 340 for quick handling, on a car with an engine designed for straight line with traction bars? I don’t much care much for the stance or the wheels either.

    However I guess if the final price is low enough, there is room to nicely restomod this.

    Like 7
    • 370zpp 370zpp
      Apr 13, 2021 at 10:48am

      Agreed.

      Put those wheels on Craigslist where they belong.

      Rip out that mess masquerading as a shifter and replace it with what belongs there; pistol-grip.

      Like 6
  4. Will Irby
    Apr 13, 2021 at 8:32am

    “The owner states that the car should go 200 mph.” I will still be laughing at that tomorrow.

    Like 14
    • Melton Mooney
      Apr 13, 2021 at 12:05pm

      Push that biotch off a cliff, and maybe…

      Like 2
    • Dave
      Apr 13, 2021 at 3:10pm

      It’s all in the math. It will shake like a Klingon battle cruiser at maximum warp. It may theoretically be possible to drive it home but I would trailer it.

      Like 2
  5. Skorzeny
    Apr 13, 2021 at 10:15am

    About the worst wheels I have ever seen on a ‘Cuda.

    Like 5
  6. Don Eladio
    Apr 13, 2021 at 11:15am

    Oh boy, where to begin? First of all…200 mph??? This has got to be the most idiotic, ludicrous statement I have ever read. This car looks like it would be a mess at 40 mph, let alone 200. Nice Hankooks, too. Always a for sure sign that someone really cares about their classic car when they put cheap, Chinese junk like this on it. Those wheels? Uggggh. The stripes? Stupid. $30K? I wouldn’t even entertain the thought of it. What a joke.

    Like 6
  7. Don Eladio
    Apr 13, 2021 at 11:16am

    Oh, and traction bars don’t work on Mopars…at all. Mopars use a pinion snubber. Traction bars are a complete and utter, useless, waste of time and money. They literally do not work on Mopars.

    Like 6
  8. DON
    Apr 13, 2021 at 2:25pm

    chrome front bumper, flat black rear bumper and red overspray everywhere ….plus everything everyone has said already !

    Like 3
  9. Super Glide
    Apr 13, 2021 at 5:50pm

    6 cylinder body and differential aren’t made to handle this engine. High perf big block Chrysler’s had Torque Boxes and much stronger differentials. I believe, if this car still has it’s original equipment, it’s dangerous.

    If this car had the modifications to handle a Hemi, then it’s interesting.

    Like 1
  10. Troy s
    Apr 13, 2021 at 7:19pm

    Would rather see low gears and neck snapping acceleration to about, well, 110 maybe 115, otherwise just a cool hot rod ‘Cuda. Might make it to 200 mph whether it could stop from there….forget it.
    I always wondered why a single four barrel was never offered on the street hemi, not bashing the dual quads but it seemed like a bit for the street.

    Like 1
  11. Kevin
    Apr 14, 2021 at 9:33am

    So many negative comments!,where’s the testosterone fella’s, lol,yes better wheels and tires,Dana rear end,and springs moved inboard, (old school trick that works)and giant meats in the back,and let the games begin…I feel a Tim Taylor,home improvement grunt coming on!

    Like 1
  12. PRA4SNW
    Apr 16, 2021 at 6:43am

    SOLD for $45,700.

    Like 0
  13. john hugh
    Apr 17, 2021 at 5:25am

    slapper bars on a car with a pinion snubber..another neophyte

    Like 0

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