’CUDA HUNT

Finding the Dream ’Cuda on eBay

One of the best things about eBay is that not only can you find the car that you want, but you can find one that is exactly as you want it. Hammon not only wanted a ’Cuda, but he also wanted one that had already been turned into a drag race car. He wanted one with big, wide tires and a tuned engine to spin them. And while there may have been years of searching through the local want ads before he found one like he wanted, all it took for Hammon to find what he was looking for was to log on and have a little patience.

Seizing the Opportunity

It wasn’t long before his patience was rewarded. Hammon’s buddy was the first to locate the ’Cuda and gave Hammon a call. When Hammon got home from work and began tracking the car, he saw that the bidding price had been raised over $800 in just three hours. Hammon knew he had to act. The seller had posted a “buy it now” price on the car, and Hammon hit that button…hard. And that fast, the car was his. But enough about how Hammon bought his dream car…now on to what he bought.

Modifications and Enhancements

The ’Cuda was a ’73 Plymouth model that sported the In-Violet paint scheme (what Dodge called Plum Crazy), and in keeping with the look that Hammon wanted, the car had already been modified to drag specs. It was equipped with a full cage, and the back half of the car had been modified to accept the narrowed Currie 9-inch rearend, which was held in place with a set of ladder bars. The aforementioned rearend had been equipped with a Mark Williams nodular spool with 4.86 gears, a set of 35-spline axles and Wilwood disc brakes. The rear suspension is handled with S&W Race Cars coilover shocks. To get the huge Mickey Thompson rear tires (33×21.5 inches) to fit, a set of tubs was added. The rims for the MTs are cool 15×18-inch Bob Glidden signature-series tires by Cragar wheels.

Front-End Adjustments

In front, the ’Cuda has the same Glidden/Mickey Thompson combo, but the sizes are drag race-ready 15×4.5-inch wheels and 26×7.5-inch tires. KYB shocks and heavy-duty Mopar Performance disc brakes round out the scene.

Body Modifications

The body of the ’Cuda may look like the one that came from the factory, but there are many differences. One of those is that the rear wheel openings have been worked to better allow those huge tires to fit. Weight savings mean time savings in racing, so to that end the car has received many fiberglass parts. The hood and fenders are trick Harwood fiberglass pieces; even the trunk hood and bumpers are ’glass. Gone also are the pieces of heavy side and rear glass, and in their place are pieces made from lightweight Lexan.

Signature Paint

When these modifications were done, the signature purple paint was again added to the ’Cuda. Call it Plum Crazy or In-Violet, but the look is all Mopar of the ’70s.

Pro Street Interior

The interior has also been transformed from a street ride into Pro Street. Gone are most of the amenities (such as carpeting), and in their place is what can only be called straight-line chic. A full rollcage ties not only the driver in place, but also the front and rear suspensions. A pair of high-back Summit racing seats (upholstered in black, of course) replaces the stock buckets, and a complete set of Auto Meter gauges enhances the stock cluster. A B&M Pro Stick floor shifter changes gears, while a quick-release hub allows the steering wheel to be removed, well, quickly.

High-Performance Engine

Speaking of quickly, the time has come to describe the engine that propels the ’Cuda. Though it is not a Hemi, the venerable 440 engine is one that is not to be sneezed at. The unit in this ’Cuda is a ’69 vintage that has been bored and balanced, exhibiting a 9.5:1 compression ratio. Fuel is introduced via an Edelbrock 750 carburetor that sits atop an Edelbrock Torker intake manifold. From there, the fuel is introduced into the Mopar 906 Stage 3 ported heads, which have been equipped with stainless steel Manley valves and seats. A steel crankshaft connects to the pistons with Mopar Performance rods, and a Mopar Performance timing chain keeps the Comp Cams camshaft (0.588-inch lift) in sync. Getting the fuel from the trunk-mounted 8-gallon fuel cell to the carb is a Paxton fuel pump and 1/2-inch steel line, a Barry Grant fuel pressure regulator and a braided fuel line that connects it to the Edelbrock carburetor.

Ignition and Exhaust System

A race engine like this requires a race ignition system, and the MSD 7AL2 ignition box (with two-step module) combined with an MSD pro billet distributor are all that most race engines need. There is also a need to get the burnt fuel out as fast as possible, so a set of Hedman headers was used, as was a pair of turbo mufflers to get the job done. Providing plenty of fresh air to the engine is the 5-inch Summit air cleaner, while the finned aluminum Mopar valve covers provide a little eye candy. A Mopar Torqueflite 727 reverse valve-bodied transmission has been equipped with a 3,500-rpm-stall-speed converter and mated to the back end of the 440.

Performance and Usage

The result is that Hammon has dynoed the car at a healthy 500 hp to the wheels. That is enough for Hammon to make quarter-mile runs at 11 seconds flat—with slicks and on pump gas.

Enjoying the Ride

Though he confesses that most of the runs he makes are with his wife, Janice, to their 13-year-old son’s baseball and football games, they do hit a few local cruises and occasional car shows. But when Hammon does hit the throttle, he remembers another time when he hit it, but back then it was a “buy it now” button.