Now for sale in our Houston showroom is this one-of-a-kind Hemi
Orange 1971 Plymouth 'Cuda. Fresh out of a 3-year restoration, with
parts accumulated as far back as the beginnings of its owner's
planning stages 8 years ago, this car is a complete nut-and-bolt
build. Under the hood is one beastly Elephant. Starting with a
fresh Indy Cylinder Head-built 770HP 572 CID Hemi, built from a
World Iron Hemi block with 4.5 x 4.5 bore and stroke, stuffed with
top-of-the line Diamond 10.75:1 pistons atop forged Eagle 7.1/2.2
H-Beam rods, connected to a Forged Eagle crankshaft, and topped
with a set of 426-S/R Aluminum Hemi Heads sporting 2.25 intake and
1.94 exhaust valves, this thing will wrinkle pavement. Chrome Moly
retainers with 7-degree locks keep the valvetrain in check under
the MP Roller Rocker Arms (1.57 and 1.52 intake-exhaust ratios,
respectively). A Comp Cams .574/.551 cam with 242/248 duration and
a 110-degree lobe center provides tons of torque through the
powerband, and a very healthy lope. Indy Cylinder Head cast valve
covers with custom "572" engraving fitted with Keith Black
breathers, and a Mopar Performance dual-plane single 4bbl intake
with an 850 CFM Mighty Demon Carb with mechanical secondaries sit
atop the massive mill, while a Milodon 30930 8-quart deep sump oil
pan complete with windage tray keeps the vital Brad Penn oil ready
to flow foam-free throughout the crankcase. An MSD Pro Billet
distributor and MSD coil send MSD 6AL-boosted spark to each
cylinder through ICH Fire Core plug wires, ensuring complete and
massive fuel ignition. A custom heavy duty hydraulic clutch grabs
the billet steel flywheel, which is housed in a titanium
bellhousing mated to a specially-built Tremec TKO 600 5-speed
manual transmission, sending the twist out back via a special HD
Dom steel driveshaft to the Strange Engineering-built Dana 60 rear
end with 3.54:1 gears and limited slip differential. An LPW Racing
aluminum differential cover (rear-end girdle) keeps things where
they should be in the third member and helps maximize gear life and
performance. Slip inside into the pilot seat, and you'll feel like
you were back in 1971, only better! An all new interior, complete
with new door panels, carpet, etc.; along with new leather seating
all around (done by Legendary Leather), fills your nostrils with
the scent of fine hides and "new car"...until you fire it up...but,
we'll get to that part in a minute...Gaze at the new dash, filled
with NOS gauges behind the vintage 'Cuda steering wheel on the
adjustable steering column, and you'll note that this baby has only
a tick over 1000 miles on it. Let your right hand slip down to the
pistol grip shift knob atop the Hurst Competition Plus short-throw
shifter, and you'll be itchin' to fire it up, with your
anticipation going into overdrive about hearing this beast come to
life. Go ahead, twist the key in the ignition, and IT'S ALIVE! The
mighty Elephant roars to life, and quickly settles to a lopey
burble. You'll practically feel the spent fossils exiting the
exhaust ports into the custom TTI Ceramic-coated headers (coated
both internally and externally), as the gigantic 2 1/8" primaries
suck the gases from the engine into the full 3" stainless dual
exhaust system, exiting from the "through the valance" exhaust tips
out back. While you're anticipating the carnage you're going to
wreak on the massive 295/50R15 BFG Radial TA tires (on new vintage
15"x10" 'Cuda wheels) out back, tune in your favorite station on
the 'Cuda radio (a new Antique Auto Radio head unit), switch on the
GEN IV Vintage A/C to max cool (because YOU are now "Max Cool" in
this gnarly ride), depress the clutch and slip it into first of the
five gears you're getting ready to grab, and BOOM - you're off! As
you hit the asphalt, you'll feel how well the car handles, with its
special rate springs and QA1 shocks at each corner. Adding to the
improved driving feel from the shocks and springs, are the tubular
control arms with all new bushings, sway bars, upper and lower ball
joints, tie rods, pitman arm, and new steering gear box (by Firm
Feel), all contributing to making this car drive with a smooth and
tight feel. If you launch hard, you'll feel how well the
fully-welded subframes and Caltracs traction bars keep the power
down and the body straight. If you decide to explore the velocity
limits of this mighty Hemi Orange 'Cuda, you'll be glad to know you
have a full Wilwood 4-wheel disc brake system, complete with
Hydra-boost, to haul you down quickly and fade-free. While the
Vintage A/C keeps you cool, the massive HD Racing aluminum radiator
and twin electric fans do their part to help the HD aluminum water
pump moving cooler coolant through the mighty 572, making for a
trouble-free drive. Its black-powder-coated serpentine pulley
system keeps things tidy in the engine bay and provides greater
precision in belt alignment and more uniform operation of
pulley-driven accessories. Options on this '71 Hemi 'Cuda for sale
include: AM/FM Stereo Radio, Air Conditioning, Custom Leather
Interior, Power Brakes, Power Steering, Radial Tires, Seat Belts,
and Tilt Steering Wheel. For more information on this 1971 Plymouth
Barracuda, please call the Houston showroom at (832) 243-6220; or
email us at "
[email protected]". To see more of it, go
to our website: www.GatewayClassicCars.com, where you'll see HD
photos and an HD video of it in operation. Alternatively, if you
want to see it in person, come to our Houston Showroom, located at
1910 Cypress Station Dr., Unit 200, Houston, TX 77090.