Vehicle Description
SUMMARY
5-year $225K build completed in 2014 / Only driven 63 miles
572 cubic inch Ray Barton Hemi / Dual-quad induction / 850
horsepower
Tremec T56 Tranzilla 6-speed manual transmission / RAM Hydraulic
clutch
Custom leather interior / NHRA-certified chromoly roll cage / Air
conditioning
Rust-free body before the build / Fiberglass hood and fenders added
during the build
Strange 9-inch rear axle
Heavily upgraded suspension
Power rack-and-pinion steering / 4-wheel disc brakes
17 and 18-inch American Racing Torq Thrust II wheels
Large-diameter exhaust / SpinTech mufflers
Ask the average enthusiast to name a pony car and most will
inevitably say "Mustang" or "Camaro". Ask a MoPar guy that same
question and you'll hear a proud recitation of the history of the
Plymouth Barracuda. Publicly available two full weeks before the
Mustang, the Barracuda did everything just as well, yet managed to
significantly lag both Ford and GM in sales volume. But big sales
numbers aren't everything. And in the world of collector cars, less
usually translates to more, as in: more passion, more value and
more exclusivity. Take this incredible second gen Barracuda
fastback, for example. The product of a 5-year, $225K build, it
backs 572 cubic inches of Ray Barton Hemi with custom leather
upholstery, a substantially lightened body, a custom suspension and
a tough Tremec Tranzilla 6-speed. If you're a discerning enthusiast
who's looking to satisfy an unrelenting need to go fast and make a
big statement, here's the catch of a lifetime!
BODYWORK/TRIM
First impressions are important, and this sinister Barracuda
certainly makes a strong one. For starters, Plymouth did a great
job whittling the Valiant's conservative shape into a provocative
and interesting profile that lends credibility to the car's name.
That profile, a completely rust-free body that was sourced from
South Carolina, was stripped to bare metal and equipped with a
quality fiberglass front-clip during a 2014 ground-up restoration
that was completed by Americus, Georgia's Bryce Customs. Once those
surfaces were fully prepped and carefully aligned, a nice coat of
conventional black base was sealed under glossy clear. And today, a
mere 63 miles later, this sweet A-Body can be summed up as
tasteful, precise and timeless.
Although it continued to share many components with Plymouth's most
economical offering, the second generation Barracuda was fully
redesigned with model-specific accoutrements that provided an
upscale and aggressive appearance. At the front of this coupe,
stainless-trimmed grilles, inspired by inverted trapezoids, hang
crystal clear parking lamps between a polished bumper and bright
Harley-Davidson headlights. Behind those grilles, a fiberglass hood
anchors small lanyards and a requisite Hemi Scoop in front of
stainless-trimmed glass that's founded on a filled, wiperless cowl.
At the sides of that glass, a clean profile, complete with
fiberglass fenders, is devoid of everything but door handles, a
driver's mirror, a polished fuel filler and ornate rear marker
lamps. And at the back of the car, a shaved and silver-trimmed
valence hangs petite taillights above a second polished bumper and
a custom roll pan that features integrated exhaust tips.
ENGINE
With an incredible 850 horsepower, and enough torque to drag the
Chrysler Building from New York to New Jersey, this Plymouth's 572
cubic inch Ray Barton Hemi is a high-octane MoPar monster that
easily transitions from flattering to flat out scary! Inside the
aforementioned scoop, a polished, low-profile air cleaner feeds two
Holley carburetors, which send a nice mix of fuel and air in to an
aluminum cross-ram intake. At the sides of that intake,
free-breathing heads bridge the gap between unique Barton Bryce
valve covers that are fitted with billet Moroso breathers, and hot
FireCore50 ignition cables that are connected to an MSD Pro-Billet
distributor. At the front of that distributor, a Billet Specialties
Tru Trac serpentine drive spins a polished alternator, an aluminum
water pump and a polished AC compressor next to an MSD Blaster HVC
coil. In front of that coil, a beefy Be Cool radiator makes
excellent use of a polished expansion tank and dual SPAL puller
fans. And exhaust duties are handled by large-diameter long-tube
headers. While this mill's main purpose is to go straight at a very
high rate of speed, it's still very impressive to look at. Silky
black 2-stage slinks through the whole engine bay, highlighting a
thoroughly massaged firewall and slick fenders. And overall,
everything from the car's quality Aeromotive fuel system and
braided fluid lines to its hidden AC lines and polished SSBC master
cylinder is well-planned and professionally executed.
DRIVETRAIN/SUSPENSION
Crawl under this A-Body and you'll find a highly detailed chassis
that's characterized by a whole roster of 'no compromises'
hardware. Behind the Hemi, a RAM hydraulic clutch kicks a Tremec
T56 Tranzilla 6-speed which, thanks to a Drive Line Service of
Atlanta driveshaft, spins a 9-inch Strange axle. That axle pushes a
heavily modified rear-clip, which strings billet Strange shocks and
tough monoleaf springs between requisite mini tubs and slick
CalTracs traction bars. Opposite that clip, a heavily modified
front-half hangs a Reilly Motorsports AlterKtion K-member, complete
with QA-1 adjustable coil-overs, behind power rack-and-pinion
steering. Stops are provided by Wilwood 4 and 6-piston calipers,
which squeeze an impressive quartet of drilled and slotted rotors.
Exhaust rolls from ceramic-coated headers to coated, large-diameter
pipes, which flatten out just in time to intercept coated SpinTech
mufflers. Naturally, the bottom of the car is just as detailed as
its top, with body-matched floors framing niceties such as tubular
subframe connectors and a large Moroso oil pan. And momentum comes
courtesy of polished American Racing Torq Thrust IIs, which wear
235/45ZR17 Nitto Extreme ZRs in front of 305/45R18 Nitto Extreme
Drags.
INTERIOR
Open the doors and a custom red interior combines serious hardware
with lavish aesthetics to serve as a perfect Jekyll to the car's
572 cubic inch Hyde. The first thing you'll notice is leather front
bucket and rear bench seats that wrap tough Simpson race harnesses
around the driver and front passenger. Between those seats, a small
console props a polished e-brake and chrome power window switches
behind a trick Hurst shifter. In front of that stick, a tasteful
dash hangs full Auto Meter telemetry and controls for crisp air
conditioning above stylish billet foot pedals. Beneath those
pedals, fresh carpet traces an NHRA-certified chromoly roll cage.
In front of the driver, a Flaming River Waterfall steering wheel
laps a polished, tilting column. And behind the passengers, a
color-keyed trunk anchors a Fuel Safe fuel cell next to a
billet-caged battery and components for the car's MSD Digital-6
Plus ignition.
Brutally fast and visually stunning, this awesome Barracuda should
make every enthusiast smile. With the potential to scorch almost
any stoplight challenger, and top notch craftsmanship that's good
enough to land big trophies, it's ready to blister the blacktop and
stop the show! We've built quite a following in the Chrysler
community, which means red-hot MoPars tend to sell as soon as they
hit our website. How fast is your reaction time?