Plymouth HEMI Cuda de course

The HEMI 426 feels at home in the Cuda

Here are a few pictures of the 426 HEMI V8, as it is installed by the MOPARSHOP. Sharp eyed readers will notice the racing power steering pump and compact racing alternator.

Hurst Airheart calipers on our HemiCuda

 

The Cuda is coming together nicely at the Moparshop. Here are the latest pictures. As you can see, the HEMI feels at home and the HURST Airheart calipers also found their place. Side glass, made of Lexan, was fitted in order to comply with the FIA Group 2 regulations. Next on the list is the fuel system and the dry sump tank. Stay tuned for the initial fire-up!

In goes the 426: Barracuda now Hemi'Cuda

The guys at the MOPARSHOP are once mor emaking a great job. The Ray Barton built HEMI has now found its way in the engine compartment.

The Cuda has landed in Le Mans

40 years and two days after that Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins took Apollo 11 to the moon, our Cuda set its slick tires on the famous Le Mans track for the first time. Thanks to circuit director Patrick Coutant and press officer Magaly Seraphin, our Cuda could make a few laps this morning.

Racing Barracuda has its licence plates

While the arrival of our racing Cuda is only a few weeks away, we can already show you its licence plates! In order to match the Oly Express Charger, we named the Plymouth Oly Cuda. Dick went to the extra effort to get these personalized plates. You can bet that we will serve nothing but Olympia Beer in our garage!

OLYCUDA Plymouth on its way to Europe

Dick Pierson finished loading the container and the Plymouth Barracuda, now named "OLYCUDA" is on its way to Europe.

Hemicuda fresh out of the paint booth

Rocket's Restorations did a wonderfull job! I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves!

First test session at Tenino racetrack

Ever seen a former braket racer take turns? The Oly Cuda made its debut as a roadracer saturday at the famous northwestern short track. Le Mans Classic veteran driver Dick Pierson helmed the wheel, while builders Bob Fulmer and Mike Volz handled pit duties.

Back to stickshift: Cuda enters 3rd phase

After that Dick Pierson took care of getting all the drag racing stuff out and that Bob Fulmer built the cage and steering, our Barracuda is now at Rocket's Restorations for work on its mechanical organs.

Cuda AAR hood fitted on our 1970 Barracuda racecar

The Barracuda will soon enter its next phase of modifications, that will turn it into a fire breathing MOPAR racecar. For now the AAR hood has been fitted and secured with three pins. Why three ? Well, we plan to take it to NASCAR typical superspeedway speeds, which is above 180 MpH, so a third pin is a good measure of safety to prevent the hood from flying off!

Ivan Brossard sketches out our Hemi Cuda

As with the Oly Express Dodge, fellow designer and hot rod artist Ivan Brossard did this great sketch of the Barracuda. It should look like that by early May 2009!

Cuda swaybar Gurney Trans-Am style

When it came to installing the front stabilizer bar, Bob and Dick decided not to re-invent the wheel. Knowing what Gary Wheeler designed for Dan Gurney's AAR and EAGLE racers and then checking what is available as period correct roadcourse bars, Bob built the trick setup that you can see here!

Cuda dashboard with S-W gauges

The build of our Cuda is making great progress. After the steering, the dahboard were on Bob's and Dick's list. As yo can see, Bob did a beautiful job here. The switches for the lights, wipers (yes, we do also race in the rain!) and igintion are also on that panel. The big safety switch is on the A-pillar rollbar where it can be reached by the driver, as well as from outside of the car.

Cuda gets Sparco seat and racing steering

Bob and Dick were all busy on the Cuda again last night. The build of our Mopar roadracer is making good progress. A new Sparco FIA seat has found its way in the car along with a collapsible racing steering column. Both equipments are good insurance being protected for the infamous case when. You would'nt trust on a vintage Mopar steering column there, would you?

Cuda with 22 gallons fuel cell in place

The fuel cell is now all in place along with its dry-break filler tube. Bob has also fabricated a nice battery tray that will go behind the rear firewall. The doors have new panels, as well as a little trap to unlach the locks from the inside. Bob takes great care and attention to detail while building our new racecar. The Barracuda sure looks better everytime I see it!

Sheetmetal interior and fuel cell location

Bob has been busy with our car between the Holidays. You can see the embossed areas on the sheet metal, it gives a very neat appearance to the piece, looks very nice. Once the entire interior is painted it will have the same appearance as the Gurney Cuda.

Latest WiP report: Cuda Rollcage finished

Bob Fulmer has now finished the 8-Point rollcage of the Hemi Cuda. As you can see by the following pictures, work is now being done on the fuel cell bracing and front stabilizer bar housing.

Despite strong arms, we'll have power steering in the Cuda!

Well, it was quite a discussion that kept coming back between Dick and myself wether the Dodge should have power steering for Le Mans Classic. I never agreed to that, since the Oly Express is an original race car and that it never had power steering in its day. For the Cuda, it is a bit different, as power steering was homologated for that Plymouth in 1970 by the FIA.

Bob "The Toolmaker" Fulmer builds rollcage for Hemicuda roadracer

After cleaning up the interior and fitting a Speedway Engineering 9 inch under the Cuda, we brought our car to Bob Fulmer's shop. Bob is a toolmaker by trade and a master in building racecars and rollcages out of 1"3/4 mild steel tubing.

Dick Pierson strips the Cuda for its build-up

Before that our Barracuda can be turned into a storming roadracer, all the interior and dragrace rollbar has to come out. Dick Pierson, who most of you will remember from the rebrewed Oly Express project, took care of that in his shop.